Casey fiddled with a pencil, turning it over and over in her hand. “I’m not sure I like that. It makes me feel—I don’t know—like fresh meat in the tiger cage at the zoo.”

“Don’t let it get to you,” Heather said. “These guys are harmless. Just lonely. They won’t hassle you. And you’ll never have to eat dinner alone unless you want to.”

“Does that mean you don’t eat many dinners alone?” Casey asked.

Heather snorted. “I eat dinner with my twelve-year-old daughter, which makes me immune to a lot of the attention you’re getting.”

“But you’re not that much older than me,” Casey said. “And you’re gorgeous.” Heather had curly brown hair and a classic hourglass figure. “Men should be lining up to see you, not me.”

“I’m thirty-one,” Heather said. “So, no, not that old. But too long in the tooth for a lot of these ski bums, and having an almost-teenager in the house scares off most of the rest of them.” She sighed. “It’s okay, though. There’s always hope, that’s what I say. And hey, I can live vicariously through you. That’s why you were hired, you know?”

“Because I’m single?”

“No, but the job did come open because my last assistant got married and moved to Denver.”

“Did she marry one of the local men?”

“Nope. Snagged herself a tourist. A nice businessman from the big city. So I put out the call for a new assistant and here you are.”

Casey nodded. “Is there anything else I need to know about this place? I mean, besides the dearth of single women and the abundance of weird festivals? Any unusual local customs? Places or people to avoid?”

Heather laughed and checked her watch. “It’s almost noon, what say we grab a bite to eat? I’ll fill you in on everything you need to know.”

Heather locked up the office then she and Casey headed down Elk Avenue to the Teocalli Tamale. The interior of the little shop was warm after the chill outside and the air was fragrant with the smell of onions and green chili. “Hello, Patti. Ben.” Heather greeted the woman behind the order window and another diner. “This is Casey Jernigan, my new assistant.”

“Hey, Casey.” Patti nodded.

“What’ll you have?” Heather asked. She indicated the menu posted on the wall to their right. “It’s all good.”

Casey ordered a chicken burrito and iced tea, while Heather opted for a taco salad and a diet soda. Patti assembled their meals right away and the two women carried their trays to one of the tables.

“Ben Romney.” The distinguished man with thinning brown hair and kind blue eyes came over to them and offered his hand. “Nice to meet you.”

“Ben is the local orthopedist,” Heather explained. “He stays busy patching up tourists and locals alike.”

“How is Emma?” Ben asked.

Heather frowned. “At the moment she hates my guts because I refused to let her get her belly button pierced.”

“She’ll get over it,” Ben said.

“Yeah. Maybe in another five or six years.” Heather looked at Casey across the table. “Last week she was upset because I wouldn’t let her dye her hair purple. Before that she pitched a fit because I refused to let her spend spring break in Mexico with a bunch of kids I don’t know.”

“You’re doing a good job with her,” Ben said. “She’ll appreciate it one of these days.”

“Here’s your order, Ben.” Patti walked over and handed him a white paper bag.

“Wish I could visit with you ladies more, but I’ve got to get back to work. I’ve got a young man waiting who will probably need surgery on his knee.”

“Skiing accident?” Casey asked.

Ben shook his head. “Fell off his roof shoveling snow. Happens all the time.”

Sure it does, Casey thought. Why am I even surprised? “He seems nice,” she said after Ben had left them.

“Yeah.” Heather salted her salad. “You should try the green chili sometime. It’s to die for.”

“I’ll do that.”

They were silent a moment, eating, then turned their attention to the boisterous group crowding in the door of the restaurant.

“Be still my heart,” Heather said, clutching Casey’s arm.

“What?” Then she recognized Max in the group of men. He had his back to her, busy removing his jacket and the long scarf wound around his neck. Her heart beat a little faster, seeing him. He probably had that effect on everyone.

He turned around and saw her and his grin lit his whole face. “Hi, Casey. How’s your first day at work?”

“It’s going great,” she said.

“Hello, Hagan.” Heather’s voice was pitched two notes higher than usual. Casey turned to look at her boss and held back a grin of her own at the sight of Heather’s flushed cheeks and bright eyes. So Max wasn’t the man who made Heather’s heart race.

“Hello, Heather.” A tall blond with a soft accent nodded to the women on his way to a table on the other side of the room.

“Hi, Heather,” Max said. “How’s it going?”

“Okay.” Heather turned in her chair to look after Hagan. “You two are welcome to join us for lunch,” she said.

“Thanks, but Hagan isn’t good company today,” Max said. “He’s been unlucky in love.” He winked and moved past them.

Heather faced forward again and rested her chin in her hand, lips turned down in a pout. “I know all about unlucky in love. He’s probably just mad because some snow bunny stood him up last night.”

“Is he a skier?” Casey asked.

“Ski patrol.” Heather sighed. “You should see him in his uniform. No wonder half the women on the mountain are literally falling at his feet.”

Casey’s own record with men wasn’t stellar enough that she felt qualified to give advice to Heather. She returned her attention to her food, but all the while she was aware of a certain big man seated in the corner of the room.

She was looking forward to their promised trip up the mountain to the resort later this afternoon, but she didn’t know what to make of her obvious attraction to Max. Maybe it was merely a combination of his good looks and his willingness to help her out of a jam last night. He was a friendly guy, but she had no business reading anything more into it than that. After all, history had proved she was a lousy judge of what constituted romance.

“SO JUST HOW BIG was Mitzi’s boyfriend?” Max asked as he and Hagan stood at the front counter.

“Very big.” Hagan rubbed his jaw, which was taking on a purple tinge. “Good thing I turned or he would have broken my jaw.”

“Funny how she forgot to mention this boyfriend.”

“I suspect she was trying to make him jealous.” Hagan studied the menu and shrugged. “It happens.”

“Yeah, but games like that can get a man killed. Or at least crippled.”

“Worse, I’m out twenty dollars for the binding strap.” He scowled. “Women. Never trust them.”

“That’s what you get for dating strangers.”

“And as I said before, you are not one to be giving advice about dating.” He looked up as Patti approached. “Would you go out with him?” He pointed to Max.

Patti raised one eyebrow. “What? Is he your broker or something?”

“Ignore him,” Max said. “He took a punch to the jaw and it rattled his brains. Bring us a couple of specials.”

“Poaching on someone else’s territory, Hagan?” Patti asked.

Hagan straightened. “Why do you say that?”

Patti shook her head and began assembling their burritos.

“Why did she say that?” Hagan asked Max.

“You have a reputation, dude.”

“Hmmph. At least they don’t call me Mad Max.”

“A name I happen to like.” He frowned at his friend. He should have taken Heather up on her offer to join her and Casey for lunch. The conversation was bound to be better. He turned away. “Holler when the food gets here.”

Hagan grunted and went back to brooding. Max walked over to Heather and Casey’s table and took a seat. “What’s new at the chamber of commerce?” he asked.

“Casey got the full treatment this morning,” Heather said. “Jerry Rydell brought her moose poop and Bill Whitmore asked her to lunch.”