Page 7 of Frost and Felines

A young woman looked up from the front desk, her name tag reading 'Amy.' "Welcome to The Hearthstone! Nasty weather out there, isn't it?"

"You could say that." Mallory brushed snow from her wool coat. "Please tell me you have a room available."

Amy's fingers flew across her keyboard. "You're in luck! We just had a cancellation - one small room left, second floor. How long were you thinking of staying?"

"Two weeks, if possible." Mallory pulled out her credit card, trying not to wince at the expected cost. "The bridge is out, and apparently it's going to take a while to fix."

"Oh no! Were you trying to get home?" Amy's genuine sympathy made Mallory's throat tighten. "That's terrible timing with this storm."

"Story of my life," Mallory said dryly. She signed the registration form, accepting the old-fashioned brass key Amy handed her.

"Room 214. The stairs are just around the corner, or there's an elevator down that hallway. Breakfast is served from seven to ten in the dining room." Amy's smile brightened. "And we're decorating more for Christmas tomorrow if you'd like to help!"

"Thanks, I'll... keep that in mind." Mallory hefted her bag, heading for the stairs. The thought of participating in group activities made her magic stir restlessly, and a gust of wind rattled the windows.

She had barely taken two steps toward the stairs when raised voices caught her attention. Back at the front desk, two red-faced men loomed over Amy, who kept her professional smile despite her obvious discomfort.

"What do you mean you can't upgrade us both?" The taller man slapped his hand on the counter.

His companion jabbed a finger at the computer screen. "This is ridiculous. I demand to speak to your manager."

Amy's smile wavered. "I'm sorry, sir, but as I explained, we only have one suite available-"

"Then give it to me," both men said simultaneously, then turned to glare at each other.

Mallory felt the wind pick up outside, rattling the windows in response to her rising irritation. The last thing she wanted was to get involved, but watching these men bully the young receptionist made her think of all the times Eli had stood up for others, even at his own inconvenience.

"You'd have done something," she muttered under her breath. Taking a deep breath, she marched back to the desk.

"Gentlemen." Her voice cut through their bickering like an icy wind. "Perhaps I can help solve this dilemma."

They turned, startled by her intervention. The shorter man opened his mouth, but Mallory held up a hand.

"You're both acting like children fighting over the top bunk. This lovely receptionist has already explained the situation. One suite. Two of you. Instead of harassing her, why don't you flip a coin, and the winner buys the loser a drink?"

The men blinked at her, then at each other. The taller one's mouth twitched.

"That's... actually not a bad idea."

His friend chuckled, tension draining from his shoulders. "I could go for an old fashioned."

"Heads," the tall one called as his companion pulled out a quarter.

The coin flipped, glinting in the lobby's warm light. Tails.

"Looks like I'm buying." The tall man shrugged good-naturedly. "Sorry about the fuss, miss." He nodded to Amy, who beamed with relief.

As the men walked away, Amy mouthed 'thank you' to Mallory. Outside, the wind had calmed to a gentle swirl.

"Eli would be proud," Mallory thought to herself, a small smile tugging at her lips as she finally headed for the stairs.

4

KIERAN

Kieran leaned against the doorframe of his office that was hidden from view but with a perfect vantage point of the lobby. The platinum blonde at the front desk commanded attention without even trying. Her presence drew his gaze like a magnet, watching as she deftly handled the two bickering men with a cool efficiency that made his inner tiger purr with approval.

A coin flip. Such a clever solution to their petty argument over the last suite upgrade. The way she'd stepped in, taking control of the situation with quiet authority - it stirred something in him. Not just attraction, though there was plenty of that. Her light blue eyes had flashed with determination as she'd made those grown men shuffle their feet like schoolboys and apologize to poor Amy.

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