from this weekend for a week and then the Stephens family is having it after that.”
Tyler raised his eyebrows. “They’re back?”
“Well, of course they’re back.” His grandfather gave a grunt. “That’s what Snow Crystal is about. Families returning over and over again. Making memories. The Stephenses have been coming here summer and winter for the past five years. Or is it six?”
Jackson glanced up. “It’s six. And they’ve booked two weeks. Good to know what happened in the summer didn’t put them off.”
Kayla shuddered. “Can we not talk about it? I still get flashbacks.”
“You have flashbacks?” Cool and calm, Sean reached across the table for a knife. “You weren’t the one covered in the kid’s blood.”
Catching sight of his mother’s white face, Tyler decided it was time to change the subject. “You may have fixed the boy, but I fixed the bike. I deserve some of the hero worship.”
“Last time I talked to his dad, everything was fine.” Sean helped himself to more food. “No ill effects and the kid’s still riding that red bike of his, so I guess the whole incident scared us more than it scared him.”
Tyler doubted his brother had been scared. Even as a child, Sean hadn’t been bothered by the sight of blood or bone. On the contrary, it had fascinated him, a factor that had no doubt influenced his decision to become a surgeon.
“You called him?” Jackson reached for his beer. “That was nice of you.”
“All part of the service.”
Walter glanced at his grandson. “How is the new job working out? Are you missing Boston?”
“I’m not missing the traffic. And it’s good to be closer to here.”
“We love having you close by.” Elizabeth sneaked more potatoes onto Jess’s plate. “You need to keep your strength up. We have a lot of baking to do on Sunday, sweetheart. You’ll need to come over early. And if you want to spend the night on Saturday, that’s fine.”
“I’m skiing. It’s race training. Dad’s coming.” Jess’s whole face lit up like a Christmas tree, and Tyler put his fork down.
“Wouldn’t miss it.”
“Will Brenna be there, too?”
“Yeah, she should be.”
“That’s good. She’s a good teacher.”
Jackson lifted his beer. “Which is why I suggested she coach the high school team. But you had to interfere.”
“That’s right. I did.”
“Mind telling me why?”
“Because it’s Brenna’s idea of a nightmare. You shouldn’t have put her in that position.”
“What position?”
“Asking her to do something that’s hard for her when she already does so much for you.”
“Why is it hard?” Jackson looked blank. “She’s the obvious choice. She teaches that age all the time.”
His temper started to simmer. “But not the high school team. You’re asking her to go into the school. That place doesn’t have good memories for her.” He wondered how Jackson could possibly have forgotten, and then realized his brother had barely come up for air since the shocking discovery that Snow Crystal Resort was in serious trouble.
As if to confirm that, Jackson stared at him for a moment, eyes blank and unfocused as if he’d suddenly walked into the light after a decade underground. “That was a long time ago.” He thought for a moment and then cursed under his breath, earning himself a reproving look from his grandmother. “It was thoughtless of me. So why didn’t she refuse?”
“Because she hates confrontation, you know that. And she wants to please you. You’re her boss.”
“I’ve known her since kindergarten.”
“Doesn’t change the fact you’re her boss.”
“So how did you know?”
“I took a look at her face.”
Jackson raised an eyebrow. “Since when have you been Mr. Sensitive?”
“You don’t have to be sensitive to read Brenna.” Tyler finished his beer. “Everything she’s feeling is written right there on her face. All you have to do is look. Brenna is an open book. Always has been. She doesn’t have secrets.”
Kayla gave him a long look. “Every woman has secrets.”
“Not Brenna. I’ve known her all my life. There is nothing she thinks that I don’t know about.”
The conversation moved on, and by the time he and Jess finally left, the snow had increased in intensity.
Jess zipped up her jacket and pulled her hood over her hair. “You should invite Brenna over for dinner or something one night.”
“Why would I want to do that?” Tyler strode through the snow. “It’s enough trouble cooking for you without adding another person. And no woman in her right mind would want to set foot over the threshold of our house. If they didn’t break a limb in the hall, they’d drown or be attacked by dogs.”
“We could tidy up, and Brenna loves Ash and Luna. She’s always saying she’d love a dog, but she’s too busy working to have one.” She jogged alongside him to keep up with his long stride.
“Seems like the two of you have talked about more than school.”
“She’s cool.”
He scooped up snow and threw it at her, and she squealed and ducked. “Dad! Behave.”
“I’ve been cooped up with family night. I need to have a little fun.”
“You should start dating. It’s not natural for you to spend your evenings with me.”
Tyler thought of all the years he hadn’t had his daughter with him and looped his arm around her shoulder. “I like spending evenings with you when you’re not being a pain in the a—neck.”
“You were going to say ass.”
“I was not. And I don’t need to be fixed up by a—a—how old are you again?”
“Thirteen!”
“I don’t need to be fixed up by a thirteen-year-old.”
THE ANTICIPATED SNOWSTORM hit during
