He put his arm around her as he walked her to the door. “It’s going to be okay. Just go find Christmas. Find your story. You can do this. I know you can.”
Riley looked into his eyes and took a deep breath. “I hope so.”
“Merry Christmas, mi tesoro.”
Riley gave him another quick hug. “Thank you for everything.”
Chapter Seven
The next day, when Riley landed at the Denver airport, she was thankful Mike had hired her a driver, one that actually showed up this time. Originally, she’d planned to get a rental car. She didn’t like the idea of being stuck anywhere without a car. But Mike had told her the drive to Christmas Lake, the community that the Christmas Lake Lodge called home, was about three hours up the mountain and that the roads could get tricky, especially with snow in the forecast, so she’d agreed to having someone pick her up.
But as they left Denver, Riley wished she’d had more time in the Mile High City. She’d wanted to do some shopping and pick up a few things for her trip to the Colorado Rockies. When she’d moved to Arizona, she’d happily donated all her winter clothes, embracing a new warmer climate and lifestyle. Her original plan had been to buy some basics in New York before going to Colorado, but that plan had flown out the window when Margo had only given her a few hours to catch her flight.
What she had packed was based on what Mike had told her, that all she needed to do at Christmas Camp was to host a welcome reception, some author chats, and join everyone for the meals. So she’d brought a couple pairs of black pants—one leather and one suede—and some lightweight designer sweaters, along with a couple of cute professional dresses and a cocktail dress for the reception.
When she’d asked Mike if there were any other activities she needed to know about for Christmas Camp, he said he’d check with the owner and send her a list if needed. When he never sent her anything, and she’d followed up again, he told her not to worry saying he’s sure if there was anything more it would just be “regular Christmas stuff.”
Her plan B—because she always had a plan B—was that if she did finally get her schedule from Mike and something else was needed, she could quickly do the necessary shopping in Denver before heading up to Christmas Lake. But that plan had also backfired when her driver, Harry, a kind, soft-spoken man in his late sixties, told her a storm was coming and it was best for them to get on the road as soon as they could before things got really bad.
When Riley had looked outside the icy car window, all she could see was a whiteout. She had thought the weather they were already experiencing was “really bad,” but Harry had told her this was nothing, just a few flurries, and assured her they would get to the lodge safely. As they climbed up the mountain, the SUV’s wheels kept spinning as they hit random patches of ice. She didn’t even want to think about what Harry would consider bad weather.
She was thankful when he had slowed down enough that it felt like they were barely crawling as he expertly navigated the narrow, winding road. He had turned up the Christmas music and was humming along to it. The song playing was, “Walking in a Winter Wonderland.”
As she peered out the window, she was glad she wasn’t walking anywhere. Still, she had to admit the scenery, or what she could see of it through the whirling snowflakes, was breathtaking. The mountain pass was truly a winter wonderland. All the evergreens were draped in a thick blanket of snow, and all the waterfalls were frozen in time, surrounded by sparkling icicles.
Riley leaned forward so she could talk to Harry. “I don’t know how you can drive in this. I can barely see.”
Harry kept his eyes on the road and smiled. “I’ve driven Glacier Pass hundreds of times. I know every bend in this road. We’ll be fine.”
But when their SUV hit a patch of ice and fishtailed, Riley shrieked and grabbed the front seat. “Holy crap!” She exclaimed. “This is getting worse.”
Harry just chuckled as they continued on their way. “That’s just Shadow Corner. There’s always ice there because the sun never hits it. Don’t worry. We’re safe. You can sit back and relax. Enjoy the ride.”
He turned up the Christmas music.
As Riley sat back and checked her seat belt, making sure it was on as tight as it could go, she caught Harry watching her in his rearview mirror.
“Everything is going to be okay, Miss Reynolds,” he said in the most confident of voices. “I will have you there in no time. You just have to believe.”
Riley caught the twinkle in Harry’s eyes.
Great, Riley thought, now this driver thinks he’s Santa Claus, too.
“This is your first time to Christmas Lake?” Harry asked.
Riley nodded. “It is. I’ve been to a few ski resorts here in Colorado but nothing in this area.”
“That’s the beauty of Christmas Lake,” Harry said. “They keep things pretty quiet and laid back here.”
“Are you from the area?” Riley asked. “Or are you based in Denver?”
“I move around,” Harry answered. “I go wherever the work needs to be done.”
Riley wasn’t sure what he meant by that, but before she could ask any more questions, her phone rang. It was Mike. She let out a deep breath before answering.
Here we go, she thought as she braced for whatever drama Mike was about to bring.
“This is Riley.”
“Where are you?” Mike jumped right in.
Riley could hardly hear him. “I’m in the SUV,” she said.
“What?” he asked, shouting now.
Riley checked the bars on the phone. She barely had a signal.
“As soon as we go around this corner, you’re going
