.

house.

      He watched her brace her legs against the end of the bed, as if she needed support. “This won’t take long.” He could hear her rapid breathing.

      “Go on,” he said, moving toward her.

      “I’ve considered it from every angle. Your offer was so incredibly generous, I’m still overwhelmed by it.”

      His lungs froze. If his theory was wrong and she took him up on it, then it meant she didn’t have the feelings for him he had for her.

      “I happen to know it’s unprecedented,” she continued, “which makes what I have to tell you sound like I’m the most ungrateful wretch who ever lived. But I’m afraid I’m going to have to turn it down because I’ve decided to make a new life for myself and Philippe in Breckenridge.”

      The blood pounded in his ears.

      “After we return, I’m going to start a ski school. I’m also going to buy Philippe and I a house of our own and get him enrolled in some activities like karate. At some point I’m also going to rent a piano in the hope he might take to it. Raising a well-rounded child is important to me. Though I didn’t like piano lessons when I was younger, it taught me music and I think it’s important.”

      Crystal could talk all she wanted, but Raoul was too elated to listen and didn’t buy a word of it.

      “I know you told me to think about it and give you my answer when I was ready. Well the truth is, I wanted to tell you ‘no’ when you first made the offer, but that would have seemed unconscionably rude of me.”

      He shifted his weight, struggling to contain emotions that were spilling out in every direction. “You don’t know how to be rude, Crystal. If you don’t feel that establishing a ski school here is for you, then I won’t bring it up again. My concern was to be of help to you and Philippe any way I could.”

      “You’ve always been there for us. There’ve been times when I don’t know what I … we would have done without you.”

      The betraying choice of words wasn’t wasted on him. “I’ll always be here for you. You know that.”

      It was fascinating to watch the way her hands rubbed against womanly hips in an unconscious gesture. The sister-in-law he’d once known had never betrayed her nervousness around him like this. He was seeing a new phenomenon she’d only started to display since he’d flown to Colorado.

      “I’ll never forget your offer. Thank you for all you’ve done for Philippe. He’s the most fortunate little boy I know to have you for his uncle.”

      “You know how I feel about him. In fact, one of the reasons I came upstairs was to tell you I’ve arranged for a sleigh ride for everyone who wants to go. It’s my treat to the children for putting on such a wonderful performance. See you downstairs? Be sure to dress warmly.”

      He purposely held himself back from touching her again because he couldn’t trust himself within ten feet of her right now. After he left the room, he stopped at the stair landing to send Des a text.

       She turned me down flat. Joy to the world.

       CHAPTER SIX

       HATE ME ALL YOU WANT, but you’d be lying if you told me you didn’t enjoy that.

      Crystal stood there for a long time, taking in shallow breaths while the ramifications of what he’d done began to set in. With that soul-destroying kiss he’d crossed over the line and broken all the rules. What was it Eric had once told her about his elder brother?

      Raoul makes up his own rules as he goes along. That’s why he’s the best of the best at what he does.

      He was the best. Seconds ago she’d turned down an offer no other champion skier in her right mind would do. Yet, all the while she’d been giving him her reasons, she’d had the feeling he wasn’t listening because he knew Philippe wasn’t on board with any of it.

      She’d kept waiting for him to raise objections. In a way, she’d been anticipating a fight. Not the cat-and-dog kind, naturally. Raoul knew how to put up arguments couched with logic and reason that made it difficult for her to ever come out the winner. But just a little while ago when she’d been frank with him, he’d said nothing to dissuade her. By not bringing any pressure to bear, it had thrown her off balance.

      With that kiss, it meant all those growing feelings she’d tried to deny before leaving for Colorado had been visible to Raoul on some sensory level. Otherwise he wouldn’t have done what he did with the kind of mastery he’d shown.

      While she wrestled with what she planned to do about it for the rest of the holidays, Philippe came bursting into her room.

      “Mommy? Were you sick?”

      All her child needed was more worry. She hugged him hard. “I had a little tummy ache, but it’s all better. Do you know you were the best angel in the whole program? I’m so proud of you.”

      “Thanks. Uncle Raoul said so, too. Now we’ve got to hurry ‘cause he’s taking us for a long sleigh ride!”

      “I know. We need to get our parkas and boots on.”

      The last thing she wanted to do was face anyone, but she had to put on a happy front for Philippe. Once they’d gathered their things, they left her bedroom. On the way down she gave herself a talk about getting control of her life. She’d taken charge once before and had left Chamonix. She could do it again. It was time to act like a mother in charge of her son and do what was best for both of them.

      From here on out she needed to play her role as the happy aunt to the hilt. No one would be able to see the crack in her defense put there by Raoul himself. Her brother-in-law had become her greatest adversary, but no one else knew it.

      Maybe it was better he’d drawn the fragile curtain aside to expose what had been the elephant in the room for so long she couldn’t bear it anymore. Now that she’d reached flash point and had given in to her desires for that brief moment, she had no choice but to set up a counterstrategy to end the conflict for good. You fought fire with fire. That’s what she intended to do.

      “Are you feeling all right now?”

      Avoiding Raoul’s shuttered gaze, Crystal turned to Arlette. “Much. I think maybe I’ve been eating too many pieces of marzipan, so I’m going to stay away from it.”

      “Oh, dear. I’m sorry.”

      “It’s my fault for being a glutton. When I used to race, I’d eat tons of it for the calories and burn them off. But I’ve found I can’t do that anymore. It’s been sitting in my tummy like a pile of rocks.”

      Everyone broke into gales of laughter except Raoul. He knew the truth, but went along with her performance. That was good. She’d come down to the salon armed with a plan that was now set in stone.

      Everyone hugged the grandparents goodbye and left the house in two cars. Crystal got in the front seat of Raoul’s car. The boys climbed in back.

      “Where are we going, Uncle Raoul?”

      “To the same farm where I took you before, Albert.”

      “Did you bring the sleigh bells?” Philippe cried out excitedly.

      “I did. They’re in the back of my car.”

      “Goody!”

      The boys waved to the girls riding in Bernard’s car. Before long they reached the farm on one of the lower hillsides. A large sleigh and a small one, each with two horses, sat waiting for them along the snow packed lane. Their drivers, two older Savoyards, waved to them. With an overcast sky and the Alps in the background, the whole alpine winter scene didn’t look quite real and could have graced a Christmas card.

      “Can