Later that day, in the back of the store, Axel called the Falke brothers together. The last one to lumber in was Gunnar, still in catamount form.
“So, who’s taking the brunette beauty on her hike?”
Sindre wanted to know. “I’ll gladly volunteer.”
“I’ll play you for it,” Torsten said, his hands raised and ready for a rock, paper, scissors challenge.
We are, Gunnar told the group telepathically.
“But you went on the last one,” Sin said.
“And he’s going again with me, because I took care of business while you all stuffed your faces,” Axel announced, putting an end to the debate.
If a cat could smirk, Gunnar was good at it.
“Hey, I helped Courtney’s mother,” Kelan said defensively.
Reidar punched Kelan playfully. “That’s because you have the hots for her mother.”
I’ll go, but I’m going as a human.
Axel looked at Gunnar.
I’ve had my tail pulled more today than a cat can stand!
“And your head scratched behind the ears,” Tor added unapologetically.
“And your back petted,” Reidar said with a nod and no sympathy.
“And your belly rubbed!” Sin smirked. “You perv!”
Axel shook his head and chuckled. “The client signed on with me as her guide.”
I went last time as the cat, Gunnar protested, and it’s fucking cold outside!
“Forecast calls for warmer temps later in the week.
You’ll be fine.”
Then you go barefoot, and I’ll keep the lady warm.
“Uh oh…looks like another call for rock, paper, scissors,” Tor teased, albeit somewhat seriously.
Axel groaned. Why did it always have to come to this? “I’m not playing games with you.”
Gunnar hopped up on the table, a simple leap for a cougar, and started to turn. With a flash of white light, he’d transformed in seconds from animal to man, unbothered by his nudity. “I’ll play. Loser goes as the cat.”
“You guys look so much alike, she probably won’t even notice,” Tor volunteered.
Axel sighed. “Fine, but if you win, you best remember she’s a client, not a target for your sex drive.”
“As if I didn’t see you eyeing her the moment she walked in with Heidi,” Gunnar mumbled.
That was true, though Axel wouldn’t admit it aloud.
The woman’s Native American heritage made for a sexy caramel complexion and deep ebony hair he found very attractive. Hell, he even liked the sound of her name on his tongue, and when she told him it meant fox, he found humor in the irony.
“Ready?” Gunnar asked. “One, two, three… Damn it!” Axel’s paper covered his rock. “Best two out of three?”
“Not a chance,” Axel said. “Now, let’s get down to business. While Gunnar and I are away, Kelan, you and Reidar are in charge of the store.”
Kelan gave him a cocky salute.
“Tor, you and Sin can decide who’ll man it in catamount form.”
Having Falke here was the best shoplifting deterrent, so the brothers traded up each week to take over that duty, even though another might do the same on guided tours. Their senses were stronger when in catamount form, so it was always a help to have a little added protection on the expeditions.
“The schedule is one day in, four nights at the homestead and one day back. Kelan, I’ll need you to go with us to the resort, so you can drive the Cherokee back to town.”
“Pick up?” Kelan asked.
“Same place as drop off. Be at the trailhead, say around 5:00 p.m. Thursday.”
Before sunrise the next morning, Dakota dealt with an upset friend, and her guilty conscience.
“Is it because we didn’t call you to go to the slopes last night?” Carrie asked. “I said I was sorry.”
Her fiancé, apparently exhausted from their overnight romp, had barely moved when Dakota stuck her head into the room to tell them goodbye.
I should’ve left a note instead.
Dakota had packed the night before, putting everything she intended to carry in a paper sack she borrowed from Axel. He’d said they’d transfer it to her backpack once he arrived to pick her up. So, she wasn’t carrying much as she headed for the elevator with a hastily dressed Carrie trailing behind.
“You don’t have to apologize.” Again, she didn’t add. “I told you, this has nothing to do with you. I just discovered this outfitter in town yesterday that does guided tours into the mountains, and I decided it would be fun.”
“You’re not mad?”
“No,” Dakota answered with a sigh. “I want to do this.”
“But you paid for a third of the room here.”
“And you two can enjoy it enough for all of us.
Like I said, I came here for a little adventure, and I think this trip is just what the therapist ordered.”
She stepped through the front door, held open by the doorman, and shivered at the cold, predawn blast of winter wind. “You should get back inside,” she told Carrie, who’d only had time to slip bare feet into sneakers and don her ski jacket over rumpled jeans and a pajama top.
“How long will you be gone?” Carrie asked, ignoring the advice.
“’Til Thursday. I’ll still have all day Friday and Saturday morning to go skiing with you and Ted, if you want.”
“I still feel guilty about this.”
“Well, don’t. I’m a big girl. I can find my own entertainment.”
Just then, a Jeep Grand Cherokee pulled to a stop under the resort’s covered circle drive. Carrie gasped at the sight of the two men in the front seats.
One hopped out of the passenger side, leaving the door ajar, and smiled at Dakota. “Ready to go?”
“Yep.” She lifted the paper bag.
He approached, took the bag from her and gave her friend a pleasant, “Hello.”
“Hi.” Carrie seemed almost out of breath uttering that one word.
Dakota laughed, thinking of Heidi’s response when she’d done the same at the store. Happens all the time.
“Carrie, this is Axel…” She turned to him.
“Right?”
He grinned. “Right. My brother Kelan is driving.”
“You’re hard to tell apart,” Dakota said. Although, now that she looked between the two there were a few slight differences. Kelan’s hair was longer, and he had a bit of whisker growth on his face. He’d had that yesterday too, hadn’t he?
“You still got it right, so you’re off to a good start.
I’ll just be a minute,” he said, lifting her bag to show what he meant, and then headed for the back of the vehicle. “Go ahead and take the front passenger seat.
I’ll sit in the back.”
“Okay.” She turned to hug her friend goodbye.
When she did, Carrie clung to her and hissed, “Sexy! Why didn’t you tell me? I swear I don’t feel guilty anymore. Damn, girl!”
Dakota laughed and pulled away. “You have a good time on the slopes.”
“Uh-huh.” Carrie smiled and leaned closer. “Jump his bones the first chance you get.” Dakota rolled her eyes and headed for the Jeep. Carrie had a wicked sense of humor, but she had to admit the thought had crossed her mind. She had a crazy and delightful dream of him offering her kisses as motivation on the hike, with sex as her reward when they reached the summit.
When she hopped inside the vehicle, she smiled at Kelan who was in midyawn. “Hi. Still sleepy?”
He chuckled. “Sorry. Yeah, a little. Good morning.”
Dakota sat back and put her seatbelt on. “Yep, it is.” Her excitement energized her. She couldn’t wait to get started up the mountain and looked forward to seeing the cabin. The way Axel described it, she pictured a utopian setting like those in Thomas Kinkade’s winter paintings.