Finding Me in the Storm (Sweet Christmas Kisses)

Chapter Eight

Nate

“Oh, I’m so glad you came in,” Maryann, the Guest Experience Manager, says, coming up to me looking frazzled. This lady is amazing at her job and not one to normally lose her cool. That ability to bring entitled guests down to size and reaffirm their expectations is a gift of hers. Due to the storm and heightened emotions on all fronts, it would appear that she is not maybe as calm as normal.

“What is up?” I ask as I do not wish to abandon Elaina and head to work immediately.

“We have a situation with a couple of guests regarding the spa not being private,” Maryann says. “We have had the manager try to handle it, but the man pulled the ‘I know the owner’ card and wants to see you. I did try to deter with all my normal best tricks, but it could use your attention.”

I notice her turn with curious eyes toward Elaina. “Hi, Maryann Miller. I am the Guest Experience Manager here, and you would be—hopefully, a girlfriend of our fearless leader, whom I’ve not heard about before now?”

Elaina chuckles under her breath. “Elaina Hawthorne,” she says to Maryann, thrusting out her hand. “I’m friends with his baby sister Luna, who decided to send me for a vacation to the family home and didn’t bother telling Nate.”

“Oh wow. So, were you two all sequestered up there on the mountain during the entirety of the storm?”

“Okay,” I interject, stepping between the ladies to stop myself from being discussed as if I’m not standing right here. “I think we need to take care of business.”

“What is wrong,” Maryann says. “You know that the entire staff has a pool going for who can actually find you a woman you would be interested in dating. I think it’s nearly up to four digits.”

“Yikes,” Elaina says, giving me an empathetic look. “What exactly is so broken and terrible about you that you have been single so long even your staff is trying to find you pity dates?”

I shake my head as I try to hold the grin in place. “I think you are the last one to throw stones, Dr. Know it All.” He grins and turns his gaze. “Maryann, why don’t you ask Elaina about her illustrious dating history? She is so intelligent; I think she might scare men away.”

“Maybe you two are perfect for each other,” Maryann says as I startle and glance at Elaina.

“Let me handle this guest. Do you know if they are allowing hikers yet to the North Pines Trail?”

“Yep, we got word that with experienced guides, the trail is open. Remember the spikes, of course,” Maryann adds. “We have some I can get for you.” She turns to Elaina.

“Spikes?”

“For the ice and snow to ensure you don’t slip,” I tell her. “Before we throw ourselves fully into work, I thought a hike to see that black diamond slope would be fun.”

“Oh, you ski?” Maryann gushes, and I can see from her face she is loving this. “You will love—”

“Never been on skis in my life,” Elaina interjects to interrupt.

“Wow. Okay, then he is trying to kill you. Run,” Maryann says. “That hill I won’t even do after all these years. I have seen some gnarly injuries.”

“Not with the right training,” I add. “Can you please stop scaring Elaina more than she is already? Where is this guest? If you want to look around, I’ll be right back,” I offer to Elaina before I hurry off with Maryann.

“She is beautiful and seems nice. What kind of work does she do?” Maryann asks.

“Doctor.”

Her head snaps to me. “It’s a good thing you are so pretty, or I would have to say you are fighting above your weight. I’m excited to see where this might go.”

“My little sister’s best friend. Remember?”

“Oh, don’t I know it,” Maryann retorts with a teasing lilt to her voice. “Just means she will definitely get your family’s vote. With your tight-knit group, that’s a bonus right out of the gate. Besides, she is ambitious, with which you also would resonate. I think someone is about to cash out on that dating pool.”

“Don’t start,” I growl at her.

We handle the customer without an issue. Turns out it was a man that I had a lengthy conversation with the last time he was here. I had provided some alone time for him and his wife in a suite with a hot tub for their anniversary. Apparently, it was a big connecting moment for them that they were hoping to duplicate. If a suite wasn’t available, they thought the public spa should be made private for a bit. I found a solution for the rooftop spa in the evening that I thought would work. Views of the mountains and such for them to have a celebration. They were happy, Maryann looked relieved, and I was on my way back to Elaina without a major delay.

“That was fast,” Elaina says as her eyes alight on me.

“Did you get a chance to check emails and take care of anything? I didn’t tell you there is a full business center behind there.” I point across the room. “We do have internet services so that you can get a connection here.”

“I thought I would wait one more day,” she admits. “You said something about a hike. I thought I wouldn’t cloud my mind with job offers or any other news from email until we can spend this day exploring. Tomorrow is soon enough for that.”

“Awesome. Let me grab equipment right outside the door and give you a quick lesson,” I offer as we fall into step through the massive sliding doors.

Ten minutes of instructions, a fitting for the right gear, and we are on our way out.

“This trail is by far my favorite other than the one to the cabin. It normally has a great selection of wild animals, and you can see all the skiers heading down the hill. Just another wonderful vantage point of my little slice of heaven,” I tell Elaina as she walks alongside me.

The cold bites at my cheeks as I glance ahead to ensure I stay the course. Then turn to see how Elaina is faring. Her brows are furrowed in concentration as she carefully places her spikes into the icy trail. I can tell she is anxious, and the level of attentiveness to her shoes is sure to be a problem if she can’t keep her head upright and ahead of us.

"You doing okay back there?" I ask. “I just want to remind you that you are supposed to look ahead for dangers and other people—not at your toes.”

She looks up, offering a determined nod, though I can see the uncertainty in her eyes. It’s her first time using these spikes, and while she’s willing to give anything a shot, I can see the worry deep in her eyes.

“Is the fit wrong or just odd because you aren’t used to it?”

“Have you ever worn high heels on grass? The feel of them punching into the ground is what this reminds me of,” she remarks.

“Sorry, heels are not my vibe,” I tell her, and she just shakes her head at me.

“I’m just saying it feels like I took a wrong step. I’m sure I will get used to them,” she finishes with a roll of her shoulders, focusing forward. “I didn’t think this would all be this open today. When we were coming down the hill, it was pretty sparse, but now there are people everywhere.”

“We have a safety team that keeps everything locked down until they can thoroughly review the hills and conditions. Then, they open up what they can while still keeping everyone safe. We have a ton of guests and having them all inside for extended periods is not good. They start to go stir crazy, and then the stories I could tell you would make you sigh in disbelief.”

“I know how that can be. You should see the hospital during full moons, the holidays, and wintertime. I swear we could probably write a book of the craziness that people do.”

“So, you get it. Having the team in place to safely resume business is worth a ton. I don’t scrimp on safety.”

The trail is steep and snow-covered and winds its way through dense woods that occasionally open up to reveal breathtaking views of the valley below. We continue at a good pace, and I stop chatting for a bit, as it requires a healthy amount of exertion to make this hike. The surrounding trees are draped in thick blankets of snow, their branches bending slightly under the weight.

“Don’t go near the trees,” I tell Elaina. “The weight of the snow on them can cause crushing injuries.”

“Huh, I wouldn’t have thought of that,” she says, moving out of the direct line of trees to the main trail. “I think if I lived out here, I would never need a gym membership again.”

“Is it too much?”

“Definitely not. I walk an average of fifteen to twenty thousand steps a day at the hospital. Sitting these last couple of days was unusual, so I’m grateful to get back out. All the muscles needed to traverse these hills, though, are a bigger workout than just walking.”

“Yes, but then you get these views,” I tell her, stopping to point out up into the woods.

“Whoa, those are deer,” she whispers.

“Yep, exactly what they are. This is one of my favorite things about this trail. It is far enough away from the resort and covered with vegetation. So, I can see everything down there, but I get a huge menagerie of animals every time I come out here.”

“I feel like you could reach out and pet them. Wow! I don’t think I’ve ever been this close with no fence between us and wild animals.”

“Let’s not pet them,” I tell her. “They tend to nibble on the fingers of humans.”

She scrunches up her face at me and giggles. “You are ridiculous. I’m not going to ever get so close they could nibble on my fingers. I really need them for my career.”

I give a knowing nod before putting my feet back on the trail.

We make another good distance of nearly half a mile without words. Elaina is definitely looking up now, but she seems to be taking everything in. Her face is more fun for me to watch than the scenery. Every time a new snow sculpture, animal, or steep incline happens, her face glows red, anxious, or happy. It’s wonderful and makes the effort of this hike after fresh snow worth it more than ever before.

I slow my pace, falling in beside her as we navigate a particularly tricky patch.

“This right here,” I gesture broadly to the landscape, “this is why I love this area. There’s something about the Adirondacks in winter—the way the snow transforms everything makes it all feel…untouched, you know? It’s like a completely different world. Of all the places I’ve ever visited, this remains my favorite—bar none.”

She nods, her breath puffing out in little clouds. “I would agree. I don’t believe I’ve ever thought of myself as an especially—” she gasps as her foot slips.

I fling out a hand and grab hold of her. Pulling her tightly to my side, I wipe a wisp of hair back from her face. “You good?”

“Perfect,” she whispers, and something about the tone sets off a series of goosebump-inducing sensations.

“This next part is level and the calmest part of the walk,” I tell her as she turns to go.

I hold her hand tight as she walks next to me. The feeling of her smaller gloved hand in mine is melting all my reservations about falling for this amazing woman. I know now that I would rather be here at this moment than anywhere else. Sharing all that I hold so dear about this place with her is making me see how easily she would fit in here.

“Ever consider a doctor’s role here in New York?” I ask aloud.

Elaina stops dead in her tracks and turns to me. Her eyes are the size of saucers that my grandmother used for tea back in the day. It looks painful, and the silence is unnerving. Part of me realizes that a few days does not make a lasting relationship. The other part of me wants her to take a risk because my heart is already considering this a bigger encounter than a simple vacation.

“I haven’t,” she whispers. “I’m not sure a town as small as Haven would need a full-time doctor.”

“Not true, actually. Haven and the surrounding areas have a ton of tourists visiting during the season. People with money are not interested in being seen going and leaving a clinic. Maybe a concierge doctor. It’s just a thought. You seem to resonate with this area as much as I do, so I thought it worth bringing up.”

“I’m open to everything at this point,” she says with a serious look on her face.

This seems a pivotal moment, and yet pushing too hard is tricky. She might consider a job that brings her closer, but not a relationship. On the other hand, maybe the relationship is why she takes the job. I’ve never had the urge to jump into the deep end with anyone like I do at this moment with Elaina. Still, the wrong move could see her hightailing it to the airport the moment she is able to get a rideshare out of our location.

Keep it casual, I remind myself.

“If there is anything you need from me, let me know,” I tell her and try to act casual.

“Okay, show me this black diamond slope you keep teasing me about,” she says. “I want to know just how dangerous things can get here.”

I laugh, “Fair enough.”

We continue on until we stand finally at the summit of the climb, staring down the hill. I watch her face as two other experienced skiers take the slope without missing. Thankfully, they are both good enough not to show her the wipeout that might happen.

“Yeah. I think maybe we give that a day or two,” she says. “I’m going to focus on climbing back down this hill before I ski down. I guess I have a lot to consider over the coming days, and we shall see just how big a leap you talk me into before this is all over.”

I have to wonder if it is just the slope or staying here, she is referencing. I’m hoping for a bit of both, but my heart is still pounding out a hard beat as I think about it before turning to head down the hill. I’ve just planted a tiny seed of what I’m feeling in Elaina’s head—now the ball is in her court.