“How exactly is it so obvious?” he asked, wounded by her words.
“It’s not you or anything you’re doing really. It’s also not a bad thing in my opinion,” she corrected quickly. “I’m just a really good read of people. My mother was a fortunate teller.” Holly raised her hand up to stop herself. “No. My mother worked as fortune-teller. It was all smoke and mirrors. She couldn’t see the future. What she could do was read body language and situations. Looking for the clues they were begging her to find.”
“What is your body language clue finder telling you about me? This coat’s not cheap you know. Maybe you misread me.”
“It’s not cheap,” she agreed, nodding feverishly. “I think it’s about what, twenty-five hundred dollars for that blazer?”
“It is?” Nolan asked, running a hand across the fabric and raising his brows in surprise. “It was a gift from my sister.”
“Do you know who Dominic Corisi is?” Holly asked, and assuming he didn’t she continued. “He’s a very wealthy businessman and popular in the circle of billionaires. I saw him with his wife in some magazine not long ago, and he was wearing that blazer. The difference is he was wearing it the right way.”
“What’s the right way to wear it?” Nolan asked, still sounding insulted.
“It’s meant to be worn buttoned up to here,” she said gesturing to a point on his muscular chest. “And you wouldn’t wear a T-shirt like that under it. You wouldn’t leave it wide open, just hanging off of you.”
Nolan was at least half smiling now. “Maybe I’m wearing it ironically. People could think I’m so rich that I do what I want.”
“No. When rich people do something ironically it still costs them a fortune. At first glance it would look like they weren’t trying, but look close and you can see that’s not the case,” she explained apologetically.
“It’s just clothes. You can’t judge everyone by their clothes,” he said, shaking his head as though her logic was flawed.
“What about that hideous bag back there?” Holly asked, gesturing toward the run-down suitcase Nolan was lugging around.
“Maybe it has sentimental value. It means something to me. Rich people can have sentimental things, can’t they?”
“You’re right,” she conceded, but mostly because she knew how much more ammunition she had for this fight. “Do you have any sentimental ties to your text books?”
“No.” He raised a questioning eyebrow.
“They’re secondhand, right? Worn-out covers, folded over pages, mismatched notes in all the columns.”
“Uh . . . yeah. Whatever, this is dumb.”
“Don’t misunderstand what I’m saying,” Holly said quickly. “There’s nothing wrong with not being rich. I wasn’t totally sure at first. You were right, the jacket threw me off. At the time I thought it was one of two things.”
“I’m afraid to ask,” he groaned.
“The first would be,” she started, launching right in to her explanation before he could invite her to, “you could have been a male gigolo, and you’re so good at your job your clients shower you with expensive gifts.”
He laughed, his ears perking up as his cheeks rose in a large smile. “But now you’re sure that’s not the case?” he asked.
“Only because you told me it was a gift from your sister,” she said, letting him off the hook. “So I figure, it’s family money, her family not yours.”
“Exactly,” Nolan answered, suddenly deflating. “My sister married this billionaire oil guy. He has a big empire. Everything’s changing.”
“Things have a habit of doing that,” Holly said, equally as melancholy as she agreed with his point. Change had never seemed to be in her favor either. “Is he not good to her?”
“He is. Libby had plenty of jerk boyfriends before James came along. She’s happy now, I can tell.” He rolled the stress out of his neck and drew in a deep breath.
“That’s good. I’m sure she’s well taken care of.”
“She is. And no one deserves it more,” he grunted, seeming mad at himself. “I’m not unhappy for her. I’m just not sure where I fit into it all. The house we grew up in is empty. She’s not there anymore. She was always there. Now she’s in this penthouse apartment. Libby wants me to tour West Oil and probably work there. I don’t want any of that. There’s some history there, and I’m not quite as over it as Libby is.”
“What kind of history?” Holly asked, turning in her seat to get a better look at the pained expression on his face.
“My father worked for West Oil, and he died on the job. They didn’t do right by him,” Nolan explained.
“I’m so sorry,” Holly offered, raising a hand up to his shoulder and squeezing down on the tight muscle. His body responded to her touch in a primal way, a deep drawing in of his breath, a tightening of his jaw. The car was brimming with sexual tension and if she thought it was one sided, she could tell now she was wrong.
“It’s history now. Libby’s moved past it, so I should be able to. She swears James is nothing like that, and he’s running the company completely opposite from how they did when my father died. He wasn’t even there at the time.”
“That’s tough,” she said, thinking it all over. “But you’re going tonight. You’ll go to the party and represent them while giving out a big giant check. That’s kind of cool right?”
“Yeah,” he shrugged indifferently.
“Hey, I have an idea. Why don’t we forget all the drama and just make the next forty-eight hours complete fun? We’ve got your sister’s bottomless credit card, which she clearly wants you to use to have a good time. We’ve got skiing.”
“I’m from Texas, and I’m poor,” Nolan replied, seeming unimpressed by her attempts. “I don’t know how to ski.”
“It’s easy,” she said, waving off his objections. “You’ll pick it right up.”
“Really?” he asked, sounding surprised.
“No,” she said, pursing her lips thoughtfully. “You’ll probably get hurt. But there’s a nice lodge and fireplace. Probably a hot tub. What if we just make the next forty-eight hours awesome?”
“You’re awfully cheery and optimistic. You know a lot about fashion and money. Should I have been spending my time trying to figure out if you’re rich rather than telling you I wasn’t?” He glanced at her playfully, only half paying attention to the road.
“There are far better ways a couple of kids like us could spend our time,” she said biting down on her lip playfully.
“Yeah,” he asked, raising his brows up, challenging her to elaborate.
“I will fit right in tonight,” Holly said confidently. She knew she hadn’t given him what he wanted, but that was all part of the game. “But not because I’m some rich snob. It’ll be because I’m really good at fitting in.”
“Well, I’m not,” Nolan replied. “They’ll spot me from a mile away.”
“I can help you with that. Just put your arm around me, and I’ll make you look good.”
“I don’t doubt that,” he said, his lips rising in a smile. Her cheeks grew hot with his sudden flattery, and she turned and watched the trees quickly passing by.
Nolan was a good-looking guy. His hair was light, cut short on the side but a little shaggy on top. It was an edgy style, pushed to one side. He had a baby face but was filled out enough to know he was all man. His shoulders were wide under that expensive jacket, and he would be even better looking in his crisp well-fitting tux. Being on his arm tonight would be no chore for her.
“So is it a deal?” she asked, nudging him with her elbow. “Are we going to make this awesome?”
“Awesome? Are we twelve?” he teased.
“Stop stalling and just answer the question. We could have the best time of our lives.”
“I don’t know anything about your life,” he said, sounding too serious suddenly.
“I’m trying to keep an air of mystery. Don’t ruin that. It’s part of the fun. Just know that when tr
ying to have the best time of my life, the bar isn’t set too high.”
This weekend could change her life. New people. New place. New opportunity. It would forcibly pull her out of the rut she was living in. It was time.
“Soooo?” she asked, extending the word for effect. “Are you committing to this?”
“I . . . yes. I’m going to forget everything that sucks right now and go to this party. I’m going to chat and eat tiny little gourmet food that doesn’t fill me up while I act like I belong there.”
“You don’t have to belong at the party,” she said, returning again to her vigilant watch of the passing trees. “You’ll look like you belong with me.”
Chapter Three
It was starting to become a trend for Holly to have been right. Nolan hadn’t been sure leaving his car behind and swapping it for this luxury rental was necessary. But as he pulled up the long, winding, overgrown road toward the ski resort he could tell she knew what she was doing. Besides the fact that the car was amazing and drove like it had the engine of a rocket ship, it blended in far better here than his reliable blue sedan. He probably would have had to park around back with the kitchen staff if she hadn’t forced the upgrade.
“Pull in there,” Holly instructed, pointing to the covered area in front of the main building.
Nolan reached for his car door after putting it in park but Holly touched his arm gently, leaning in to kiss his cheek. The act shocked him as her sparkled lip gloss left behind a fruity scent as she whispered, “Give him a second, he’ll get your door.” She gestured to the well-dressed man at Nolan’s window. His red hair was gelled over into place and his cheeks were dotted with freckles.
“Good day sir, are you checking in?” he asked in a formal tone. The white gloves and long tails on his black coat made all of this seem over the top to Nolan.
“Yes,” he replied as he hopped out of the car.
“And your names?” the man asked, rounding the car to open the door for Holly.
“I’m Nolan Saint-Jane. James and Libby West were unable to make it because of weather. James is my brother-in-law, and he was scheduled to present a donation to the charity tonight. I’ll be standing in for him.” The long-winded explanation still felt clunky, but Nolan knew he’d probably have to repeat it a thousand times tonight when everyone in the room wanted to know how exactly he’d managed to get an invite.
“Great, I’m Eric. We’ve had quite a few people unable to arrive due to weather. It’s even impacted the staff. You’re lucky you made it at all. They cleared the roads a bit but we’re expecting even more snow.” Eric’s voice was fake and cheery but it was clear that was all part of his job.
“If you’re going to get snowed in,” Holly sang in a chipper tone, “I can’t think of a better place.”
“On that we can agree,” Eric said as he hustled to the back of the car. “I’ll bring in your luggage.”
Nolan hadn’t listened to Holly’s suggestion about ditching his old suitcase. It had belonged to his father and before that his grandfather. It was in rough shape but Nolan could still remember the way his father would pack it up and stick it by the door the night before he headed out to a rig on the ocean. Nolan would sneak downstairs when everyone was asleep and tuck some small trinket in the bag for his father. The day he died on the rig someone from West Oil had brought the bag back, and since that day Nolan kept it close to him.
“Oh you didn’t,” Holly said in an exaggerated way. “I told him to leave that hideous bag at home. I don’t care that it’s a collectable or cost a small fortune, it belongs in the trash.” She rolled her eyes playfully and gave Eric a knowing look as the ugly bag made its appearance. “I question his taste,” she added.
“I don’t know about that,” Eric chuckled. “With a woman like you on his arm I’d have a hard time believing he had bad taste.”
“Watch out for this one,” Holly joked. “He’s a charmer.”
Eric escorted them in the main entrance of the lobby just a few steps in front of them.
“Damn,” Nolan breathed out, his head on a swivel as he took in every intricate detail of the main lobby. The exposed wood beams looked hand carved and massive, the architecture was shockingly beautiful and well thought out.
“Poker face, kid,” Holly whispered. “Wealthy people aren’t impressed by anything.”
“That sounds awful,” Nolan scoffed, snapping his jaw shut and painting his face with intentional indifference to it all. “Who wants to live a life where nothing impresses them?” he whispered, but Holly had no time to answer.
The tall husky man behind the check-in station was greeting them loudly. His smile showed unnaturally white teeth and took up most of his rosy plump face. “Welcome,” he boomed in a jolly tone. “You must be Nolan Saint-Jane. James West called earlier and let me know you were joining us for the event in his place.”
“He’s terribly sorry to be missing it,” Holly assured him. “I’m Holly McNamara. Thank you for accommodating us in place of the Wests.”
“It’s our pleasure. I’m Toby. I’ll be right here for the rest of the day and straight through the event tonight.”
“That’s quite a shift,” Nolan cut in, wondering what kind of establishment required that sort of insane grind from their staff.
“The weather has been a mess. You two snuck in during a break in the ice storm, but the roads have been closed more than they’ve been open. Most of our staff has been detained. I live in a complex at the base of the mountain, so I was able to come in and volunteered to stay.”
“I hope you get a chance to get a break and maybe come enjoy the event,” Nolan said, still unsatisfied that Toby would be stuck behind this desk for hours to come.
“Thank you, sir.” Toby grinned in a way that let Nolan know there was no way in hell he’d be allowed in at the event, but it was a nice offer. “Mr. West has made sure all the special accommodations he had planned for him and his wife have been transferred to you. The room you are in faces the mountain and the view is stunning. The deck has a private hot tub and all the ski equipment you could need has been set aside for you both. I could go through the whole list of upgrades if you like, such as champagne in the room, the chocolate-covered strawberries being delivered.”
“No need,” Nolan said, clearing his throat.
“We’ll just be surprised,” Holly chirped, touching Nolan’s arm intimately.
“And we just have the one room?” Nolan asked, looking down at Holly, not sure she’d really thought this adventure through.
“Um,” Toby said, trying to decipher the question. “We could maybe get you a second room. There have been a lot of cancelations, but I know many people are still trying to get here.”
“He’s being silly,” Holly dismissed with a wave of her hand. “He thinks I need my own room just to get dressed and ready for the event. All the primping and curling, he never gets a moment in the bathroom himself. But we’ll make do.”
“Are you sure?” Nolan asked, now staring down at Holly seriously. She could push the subject if she didn’t want to be stuck in a romantic suite with a stranger for the night. He had no problem thinking of ways to make the room work for both of them, but he didn’t want her to feel trapped.
“Positive,” she blushed a bit but quickly righted herself. “We’ll hardly be in the room at all anyway.”
“Oh yes,” Toby said as though he’d just remembered something, “Sophie Barrington has been delayed as well. It doesn’t look like she’ll be able to make it herself. She’s asked that I tell all the guests attending the party that for every kiss at midnight one of the homes being built for a returning veteran will be fully furnished.”
“Every kiss?” Nolan asked, glaring at Toby to ensure he was telling the truth.
“Yes, apparently she’s very creative in her fundraising efforts.”
“She sounds fun,” Holly laughed as Toby handed Nolan the room key. “What a wonderful charity. I’m glad we were able to ma
ke it out on such short notice.”
“And we are so glad to have you. Will you be skiing? Can I have an instructor meet with you on the slopes this afternoon? Or perhaps you’d like to have a bite to eat?”
“We are hungry,” Nolan said, the idea of skiing making him want to vomit. Holly had already tried to sell him on how wonderful it was, but he’d decided there was no way he was even trying. The last thing he could afford right now was a broken leg that kept him from returning to his internship.
“Let me call the kitchen and see how things are going. It’s been a bit chaotic back there with a lack of staff.” Toby picked up the phone and in a hushed tone tried to get a handle on the situation.
A woman next to them with a tall fur hat and matching shoulder shrug leaned in and whispered something that sounded scandalous. “I heard a couple days ago they were serving canned soup and grilled cheese. I’m not sure Sophie picked the right place for her event.”
Nolan nodded as though he might agree or at least that he’d heard, and it was enough to appease her. The fur-clad woman shook her head in further disgust and shuffled away.
“I love grilled cheese,” Nolan whispered to Holly. “I could go for one right now.”
“Shh,” she scolded, nudging him with her elbow. “You’re making this very hard. I can’t keep classing you up if you say stuff like that.”
“Great news,” Toby proclaimed in excitement. “Our head chef is back in the kitchen, and he’s whipping up some impressive delicacies as we speak.”
“Yum. I hope it’s something I’ve never heard of before,” he groaned as they walked away.
“That’s probably a pretty long list,” Holly joked. “Let’s get that hideous bag in the room and then grab something to eat. If we’re fast we can even ski a bit before we have to start getting dressed for the event.”
“I’m not skiing,” Nolan said with such finality Holly didn’t seem to have an argument to give back to him.
“Really? We’re going to be out here in this beautiful place, and you won’t even try it?”