“Wait, so you’ve been getting naked with him?”

“He never looks!”

He really doesn’t, and I know that, because I check every time. I can’t say why I’m always disappointed that he never tries to look.

Fucking hormones.

“Doesn’t mean he doesn’t want to. You should let him look.”

I roll my eyes. “It’s not like that.”

Except it is, but then again, it isn’t. It’s all very confusing.

“There was…a moment,” I admit. “Last week.”

“Oooh, tell me more.”

“We sort of…collided.”

“Collided?”

“He was trying to help me get a handle on being on four legs, and he was chasing me, and then suddenly he ran smack dab into me, and we sort of…changed back.”

And then proceeded to not-quite–dry hump the shit out of each other.

“Oh my God, so he has seen you naked!”

“It was an accident,” I argue.

What happened next, not so much.

“I’m imagining sweaty, tangled limbs.”

“Please don’t imagine that,” I groan.

“I can’t help it,” she huffs. “Apparently, you’re trapped in some sort of Hallmark-level winter wonderland with a hunky lumberjack, and you’re not even taking advantage of it.”

“It was more of a straddling situation, honestly. And he’s technically my boss, Ada.”

“You were straddling him? Come on. Stuff like ethics doesn’t exist in the mountains.”

“I’m not sure that’s true.”

“Girl,” she presses. “If anyone needs a hot sexcapade in the snowy mountains they can look back on fondly, it’s you.”

“Hey,” I protest. “Speak for yourself.”

“Bleh. The men in Newport are all either gym bros or entirely too into crypto.”

“You just like to find something wrong with all of them.”

“Shut up. This isn’t about me. Explain to me why you can’t let the hunky lumberjack split you like a log?”

I pull the phone away for a second to grimace at it as if Ada can actually see before bringing it back to my ear. “Well, that’s beautiful imagery and not horrifying at all.”

“Seriously. You can’t give me a hot story like that and then tell me in the same breath you’ve been hiding in your room all day.”

“I’m not hiding,” I protest feebly. “I’ve been busy.”

“Busy hiding,” Ada accuses.

“I had some reading to catch up on.”

“How is the world of Harlequin romance, anyway? Is it a laird this time? Or maybe…a lumberjack?”

“You’re a menace,” I groan.

“I love you too,” Ada laughs.

“Talk to me about something else.”

“I’d really rather talk about the possibility of you being able to feel the innkeeper’s d—”

“Nope. Nope. Nope.”

“But you were straddling him! Surely you must have felt som—”

“Something else,” I urge, feeling heat creeping up my neck. I cannot let my brain even go where she wants it to. I won’t get any sleep for the rest of the trip. “Tell me how my favorite pseudo nephew is doing.”

“He’s at home with Mom today,” she tells me. “Probably goading her into buying him more Lego.”

“Is he still into that?”

“Unfortunately,” she huffs. “Do you know how expensive those damn sets are?”

“And you know your mom will fold,” I laugh.

“Of course she will,” Ada sighs. “She’s weak.”

“You’re no better.”

“That’s fair. He’s just so cute.”

And he really is—Perry is a little carbon copy of his mom, with his auburn hair and freckles, and simply thinking about him makes me miss the pair of them.

Through the speaker I hear a loud rapping of knuckles against wood on her end of the line, then a shuffling of movement before she takes me off speaker, her voice clearer now that it’s being spoken directly into the receiver. “Hey, the takeout guy is here at the gallery. Call you later?”

“Sure,” I tell her. “I’ll be here.”

“In Nowheresville,” she laughs.

“Yeah,” I answer with a soft chuckle. “In Nowheresville.”

She says her goodbyes just before the line disconnects, and I stay where I am for several moments after, chin perched on my folded arms as I stare at the opposite wall. I can’t help but blush as I recall all the things she said about Hunter, unable to pretend I haven’t been thinking about a lot of the same things. It’s hard not to when I do, in fact, know what he looks like naked.

Which is to say good, I think idly. Very good.

I heave out a sigh as I roll on the mattress, pulling myself up to sit at the edge before I turn my face toward the window. It’s been an extremely long day between staining the floors and helping Thomas, Chase, and Kyle bring in the rest of the stone to finish the fireplace, and for the first time since I got here, I feel like maybe I should take the night off and relax. I feel like I’ve earned it, with everything going on. The afternoon sun has already started to sink, casting a pinkish glow against the snow outside, looking serene and inviting. I groan as I drop down from the bed, telling myself to stop agonizing about the hot innkeeper.

And that’s exactly what I’m going to do.

I know a hot bath would probably do me a world of good, but given that my room only has a tiny walk-in shower, and the idea of even attempting to stand under the spray sounds like something I’d rather die before attempting, I foresee a grumbly night right here on my bed.

At least until the knock at my door has me sitting upright.

“Yes?”

“It’s Jeannie,” she calls through the door. “You decent?”

“Oh. Yeah.” I push up to sit cross-legged on the mattress as she pushes open the door, carrying a little tray with a cup of some steaming liquid.

“I thought you might want some hot chocolate. I make the good stuff. None of that packaged garbage.”

“You have my full attention,” I say with a smile. She hands me the cup gingerly as she takes a seat on the edge of my bed, watching with anticipation as I take a slow, careful sip. “Oh my God.”

“Told you,” she says smugly. “The secret is a dash of cinnamon.”

“It’s like Christmas in a cup,” I tell her, taking another sip. “I needed this.”

“It’s nice to have someone to make it for,” she says. “Hunter isn’t so big on sweet things.”

“I would have never guessed,” I say, words dripping with sarcasm.

“He really has that old-man-trapped-in-a-young-man’s-body thing down pat.”

“Was he always like that?”

Jeannie considers. “He’s always had a bit of seriousness to him that made him just a little different from other kids his age, but I’d definitely say it’s gotten worse in the last decade.”

“I guess running a business will do that to you,” I muse.

Jeannie nods thoughtfully. “He’s had a lot on his shoulders for a long time. Too much for someone his age, I think.”

“When did he officially take over the place?”

I notice the way Jeannie’s lips press together, considering for a moment as if I haven’t asked a simple question. “Oh, it’s been nearly ten years now,” she says offhandedly.

“He was so young.”

“Mm-hmm.” She nods solemnly. “How’s the room, by the way?”

“It’s great,” I tell her.

She cocks her head, watching as I rub my neck. “Bed do that?”

“No, no,” I assure her, still rubbing at the crick that’s forming. “It’s just from bending over that floor all day. Has all my muscles hating me.”

“I don’t know if Hunter mentioned,” she says, “but there’s a hot tub out on the back deck.”

I perk up immediately. “Oh my God, I forgot about that.”

“Yep. Nothing fancy, but it’s got jets and hot water at least.”

“That literally sounds like heaven right now.”

“Well, finish your hot chocolate and get your sore butt out there,” she laughs. “Old thing would probably enjoy seeing a body other than mine and Hunter’s.”

“Hot chocolate and now a hot tub,” I say almost giddily. “Starting to feel like vacation rather than a job.”