Mistletoe Magic by Fern Michaels (48)

Hannah said good-bye to Pierce and thanked him for saving her from a long drive. “I can’t imagine why Max didn’t have me fly directly to Telluride, so thanks again.” She shook his hand and made her way inside the small airport. Actually, she was very suspicious of the entire setup, but she’d give Max the benefit of the doubt for now.

Liam stayed behind, apparently taking care of any last-minute plans he and Pierce had. She’d overheard them talking about Pierce’s planned fishing trip, and it brought tears to her eyes. Even though her father had been a business tycoon, he never lost his love of fishing. Hannah had accompanied him on many trips, and she, too, enjoyed the sport, though she refused to keep her catch, always tossing the poor creatures back into the water. Her father respected this, and he, too, would toss whatever he caught back into its home waters. She did know he didn’t practice this when it was just he and his buddies. And that was okay with her. She wasn’t that unreasonable when it came to nature. She knew the fish she enjoyed so much at The Captain’s Table, her favorite waterfront restaurant in Naples, didn’t magically appear out of a manufacturer’s deep freeze.

“Ms. Ray?” a young woman behind the counter asked.

“Yes?”

“Mr. Jorgenson has a car waiting for you and Mr. McConnell. He said to tell you he was sorry he couldn’t be here personally to drive you to Maximum Glide but gave directions to where each of you is staying.”

Hannah saw the green-and-white plastic name tag on the woman’s beige blouse. “Thank you, Mandy. I’m sure we can manage without him.”

The woman looked to be in her early twenties. Black hair cut in a sleek bob, creamy skin untouched by the sun or time, she smiled, revealing a mouthful of silver braces. “He said you could, and I’m supposed to give you this.” She handed Hannah a large gift box. Wrapped in shiny silver-and-gold paper with three giant bows—a red, a green, and a gold one stacked atop one another. Good grief! Was she supposed to bring a gift? She’d been such a Scrooge when it came to Christmas, she had to admit she was not up on all the latest holiday etiquette. She took the package from Mandy. “Thank you,” was all she could manage to say. The box was extremely heavy, and Hannah wondered what was inside.

“Mr. Jorgenson told me that you were not to open the box until you were settled in your condo. He was very adamant about that. He even told me I’d get in all sorts of trouble if I didn’t insist on emphasizing the importance of this. I hope it’s okay with you?”

Poor Mandy. The young woman looked as though she was about to cry. “I promise.” Hannah placed her hand in the air, with her thumb and pinkie down so that her remaining three fingers were in the correct position as she proceeded to recite the Girl Scout Law. “ ‘I will do my best to be honest and fair, friendly and helpful, considerate and caring, courageous and strong, and responsible for what I say and do, and to respect myself and others, respect authority, use resources wisely, make the world a better place and, be a sister to every Girl Scout,’ and I promise not to shake or peep in Max’s box.”

Mandy shrieked, “Oh my gosh! How did you know?”

Hannah nodded at the picture on the countertop. Mandy was a Girl Scout leader.

Mandy removed a tissue from the box on her desk. “I forget that’s here sometimes. How cool is this?”

“Then you trust I won’t open the box?” Hannah asked with a grin.

“Absolutely. From one Scout to another, I trust you wholeheartedly.”

A clapping sound from the airport entrance caused both Hannah and Mandy to turn around.

“Very well said, Ms. Ray. You never mentioned you were a Girl Scout,” Liam said as he strolled toward them.

“Well, it isn’t exactly something that comes up in everyday conversation. Mandy has been given strict orders from Max to give me this”—she nodded at the shiny wrapped present on top of the counter—“and if I open it before I’m settled in at the condo, then not only am I in deep trouble, but she could be as well. When I saw this picture”—she indicated the silver-framed photo—“I knew that one Scout would trust another, especially if I recited the Girl Scout Law.”

“I like that. A true Girl Scout.”

“Mr. McConnell?” Mandy asked inquiringly.

“That would be me,” he said.

“This one is for you.” She reached beneath the counter and pulled out another box, only this one was larger. “Mr. Jorgenson asked that I give this to you. Same deal. You can’t open it until you are all settled in at the cabin. You’ve got the hottest address at Maximum Glide; you know that, right? Are you two famous or something? Mr. Jorgenson has rolled out the red carpet for both of you,” Mandy said, then continued, “Not that you have to be famous or anything to have the red-carpet treatment. We get a lot of famous people here. Tom Cruise, for one. But we all recognized him.”

“Ah, I hate to disappoint you, but we’re here to work for Mr. Jorgenson. So, no, we are not famous in the sense that you think,” Liam answered for both of them.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be rude, I’m just a bit on the nosy side. At least that’s what everyone tells me.”

Hannah spoke up. “Nosy is not a bad thing. If you ever get tired of freezing and want a change of scenery, look me up.” She reached inside her purse and gave Mandy one of her business cards.

“Oh, cool! You’re a private eye! And in Florida. Wait until I tell Jason, my boyfriend. He will truly be impressed. He’s always after me for being so nosy. Are you for real? About looking you up and all?” Mandy asked, her eyes as wide as the moon.

“Sure, we can always use an extra set of eyes. Of course, there is training and certification required, but in my business, nosiness is considered an added bonus.”

Hannah and Liam laughed together. “Yes, it is in mine, too.”

“Don’t tell me, you’re a private eye, too,” Mandy said in such an excited tone, Hannah thought the young woman was about to lose her voice entirely.

“Sort of. Now, if we could get that car Max promised, I am ready to call it a day. What with the time difference and all, I think it’s nearing my bedtime.” Liam winked at Hannah as he said this.

“Yes, mine, too,” she added, then felt like kicking herself. Did he think she was implying something more than sleep? Surely not. He was an adult, the same as she. He acted like one, and she was acting like Mandy, a young woman starstruck by anything out of the ordinary.

“I’m sorry. I talk too much, too. Jason tells me that all the time.”

Hannah silently agreed with the mysterious Jason, but she’d keep that to herself. Mandy was just young and excited.

“Here are the keys. Mr. McConnell is supposed to drive; again, this is from Mr. Jorgenson, not me,” Mandy added. “I have to follow the rules.”

Mandy came from behind the counter with a small bellman’s rack. She placed their packages from Max on it, then Liam took his and Hannah’s suitcases and placed them beside the packages. He reached for his wallet and took out a hundred-dollar bill. He placed it in Mandy’s hand. “Take Jason out to dinner on me,” he said, leaving the girl speechless.

“But . . . I’m not,” Mandy said, then stopped. “Okay, I will do that. Tonight. Thank you so much, Mr. McConnell. And Ms. Ray. I’m going to tell Jason what you said about nosy being a good thing, too. Now, follow me,” she said, and proceeded to pull the cart through a set of automatic doors. A blast of air sent shivers through Hannah. She tightened the belt on her coat and stuffed her hands in her coat pockets before stepping out into the blistering cold. It was much colder in Telluride than it had been in Denver.

“Aren’t you cold?” Hannah asked as she followed behind Mandy and Liam.

“Freezing,” he shouted.

The wind was picking up, making it hard to hear and be heard. Hannah wanted sunshine and hot sand between her toes right now. She did not like being cold. Not one little bit.

Mandy led them to a bright yellow Hummer with the engine running. “This is for you to use as long as you’re here,” she said.

Liam opened the passenger door. “Go on, get inside. You’re freezing.” For once, Hannah agreed and let him take control of loading their luggage and those mystery packages.

A minute later, he was in the driver’s seat. Only she saw that he now wore the denim jacket he’d been carrying. He made a few adjustments to the seat and the mirrors, then put the vehicle into DRIVE.

“Stop!” Hannah shouted, then lowered her voice to a normal volume. “Sorry. Your seat belt. You forgot to fasten your seat belt.”

He looked down. “Habit. I hate the things.” He put the Hummer in PARK, then fastened his seat belt.

“Yes, but they’re a lifesaver.”

“You’re right. Now let’s get this clunker on the road,” Liam said, turning to her. He gave her the sexiest smile, and her heart flip-flopped.

She was in deep trouble for sure.

“So it says here,” he glanced at the sheet of paper he’d found on the dash, “that I’m to drop you off first at Forest Hills. That’s the name of the condos where you’ll be staying,” he explained.

She wanted to say “duh” but kept it to herself. She’d already acted like a jerk more times than she cared to remember. As soon as she was settled in, she was going to call Camden and tell her about this . . . setup, if that’s what it was. She was becoming more suspicious by the minute.

Liam was a good driver, even on the slick and winding road that led to Maximum Glide. There were piles of snow on both sides of the road, and Hannah was reminded of Florida and how easy it was to jump in her car and drive anywhere without worrying about icy roads and bad weather. Yes, they had hurricanes, and yes, it rained a lot in the summer months, but rarely was she in a situation where she couldn’t just jump in her little red Thunderbird and go. Now, Liam was driving very slowly, never taking his eyes off the road. She didn’t want to distract him, so she glanced out the window at the scenery.

The small town was decorated with strings of bright, colorful lights. Pines of all kinds were draped with giant red bows. Even the traffic lights were decorated. Giant plastic Santas in sleighs with reindeer appeared as though they were about to take flight from the rooftop of a restaurant named Snow Bunnies. Hannah couldn’t help but grin as she saw yet another business decorated in shiny red and green lights that blinked “Merry Christmas!” Telluride was definitely caught up in the spirit of the season.

“Well, what do you know? Max’s directions are right on the money. Looks like we’ve arrived at your destination, Ms. Ray.”

Forest Hills.

“I’m to see you to the front desk and nothing more, as per Max’s instructions,” Liam said as he pulled the yellow Hummer up to the guest-entrance parking area. “No questions asked.”

Hannah opened the passenger door. “And I suppose this is as per Max’s instructions, too?”

“You got it,” Liam replied.