Unexpected Gifts: (The Steamy Version) (A Castle Mountain Lodge Romance Series Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page A

time with a man without it feeling forced. She felt more comfortable around Colin, who was still a relative stranger, than with Blaine, at least at the end.
    Eva would roll her eyes at that. She was always telling her that relationships shouldn’t be so hard. At the thought of her friend, Andi had to laugh. She would never believe where Andi was staying. She grabbed her cell phone and walked to the window to call her.
    The phone went straight to voicemail. Of course Eva would be busy putting the finishing touches on the events this week. Andi had a flash of guilt. She should be there to help out. After all, it was her company, too.
    “Hi,” she said into the phone. “It’s me. I just wanted to tell you I got here alright and my reservation got messed up. But you’ll never guess how it worked out.” Andi smiled, knowing her message would drive her friend crazy with wonder. “Anyway, let me know how everything’s going. We’ll talk soon.”
    After she hung up the phone, she didn’t know what to do with herself. She hadn’t thought much beyond getting out of the city for the holidays. She’d wanted to hide, and the mountains seemed to be a good place to do it. But she hadn’t considered what she might do once she arrived. A glance at the clock on the nightstand told her it was still a bit early for dinner, which was fine with her, she didn’t want to be inside anyway.
    The snow was still falling, but it didn’t seem to be coming down quite so hard. She looked through the window at the darkening village and Andi watched the lights in the nearby buildings come on, giving the covered earth a sparkle. The scene outside, while frosty, also looked inviting. The Lodge staff were out, busy with shovels and mini snowplows, doing their best to clear the paths. They’d be clear enough to walk on. Andi grabbed her gloves, hat, and coat and headed out for a walk.
    Right before she let the door of the villa close behind her, she wondered if she should leave Colin a note telling him where she’d gone. But he hadn’t left her one. And why should he? He had told her to make herself at home, and he would have his own things to do.
    Shoving thoughts of Colin out of her head, Andi tucked her hands into her pockets and strode out onto the cleared walkway. She’d noticed the path system when they made their way from the main lodge earlier and the bellboy had told them the trails were all well-lit and maintained. When she asked, he told her they traveled through the village, and made up a total of fifteen kilometers. The system was designed so there was no need to drive anywhere. Everything was in walking distance. With the chill in the air, Andi was pretty sure she would turn into an ice cube before she walked all fifteen kilometers, but she was definitely looking forward to stretching her legs for a little bit.
    Letting the trails lead her away from the buildings, Andi walked where the trees started getting thicker. She wasn’t the only one with the idea of an evening stroll and there were other guests out as well; couples holding hands, a few families, and every once in a while she saw another lone walker like herself.
    Her thoughts drifted to Colin. What was his story? Why was such a handsome man alone for Christmas? There could be a million explanations and he had made it pretty clear that he didn’t want anything to do with a relationship, but there had to be more to it than that. Blaine had only mentioned him the once, right before their trip to St. Lucia, and she got the distinct impression that although they’d hung out as kids, they weren’t all that close. Their dinner had been more about proving to Colin how great Blaine had turned out than a chance to catch up with a friend. There had to be a story behind that. Maybe something happened between them in high school? Instead of creating stories in her head, Andi resolved to ask him about it when she saw him again. If she saw him again. She didn’t know anything about