Page 65 of A Spell for Midwinter's Heart
Gavin had been nodding along at first, but the more she said, the more he grew neutral. “What?” she asked.
He chose his words carefully. “I’m trying to imagine my father reacting to this. Because he’s the one we need to convince. For the fall festival, he’s going to ask about Oktoberfest. Pumpkin patches, beer steins, hayrides…crowd pleasers.”
“I mean, we’d do some of that, sure…But there’s already a huge Oktoberfest in Leavenworth.” She failed to disguise the annoyance in her voice.
“It doesn’t need to be that exactly. The point is: You need tothink a little more mainstream with him, and probably also to be sure these new festivals bring in crowds. And Elk Ridge needs crowds.”
She hiked back to the deck, arms shoved over her chest. “I understand that is…safer. But isn’t there something to be said for being a unique concept? Something that sets you apart? A ‘clear brand identity’?”
Gavin chuckled. “Convincing me isn’t the same as convincing him. It might work, but it will need to come in a very shiny package—”
Thinking of Zaide’s masterful branding designs, she said, “I know exactly who to ask to help with that.”
“—And at least the beginnings of a business plan. Projected costs…not to mention an idea of who’s going to execute it all.”
“Oh.” That stopped Rowan in her tracks. Who was going to sign on for that? Her mom was already beyond overloaded. She wrapped her arms around her chest in a sudden chill, shivering.
“You’re cold.” He was there, close, in a heartbeat. “I’ll remind you there’s a hot sauna right there.”
Once again, her thoughts went to towels, and how quickly they might fall away.
“I suppose it would be a shame to let it go to waste.”
“And we can keep up these conversations inside…If that’s what you want.”
She hesitated. “That might prove a bit of a challenge.”
“You can go in by yourself if you’re more comfortable with that,” he said, misinterpreting her hesitation.
She got in close, looking up at his face. “I never said that…Do youwantto go with me?”
His voice was low as he said, “Very much so.”
24
The smell of hot cedar and burning coals filled the sauna, dry air enveloping Rowan like a hug. She’d changed into a towel in the lodge and sprinted across the cold deck, letting out all kinds of undignified squeals and grunts.
Gavin had gotten there first, putting her in the awkward position of deciding where to sit relative to him. Decision-making was difficult at that moment, given the distraction of his bare chest and shoulders, already glistening with a sheen of sweat. It beaded in the dark hair scattered across his pecs and left a trail down the muscles of his abdomen. He had the build of a man who was consistent in his gym routine without making it his second home. Muscles defined, but not without the soft spots that implied he had better things to do than get them their own zip code.
Aware of the reciprocal glide of his eyes over her body, she took a seat at what seemed a respectable distance. Not too close, but not too far.
The dense air settled in, and it was like breathing soup. She pressed her shoulders back against the wood of the wall, scorchingher most tense locations. Rubbing herself against it, she worked at a tight spot near the base of her neck.
“Can I help?”
Her eyes flew open, glancing over to where Gavin watched with an amused expression.
Her voice came out in a squeak. “Help?”
“You’re giving yourself the world’s most ineffective massage. Can I take over?”
Her mouth was dry and sticky as she nodded and crossed to sit beside him, turning to expose her back his way. He shifted closer so that his legs boxed her in on either side, and then his hands arrived. Her stress melted away as he began to squeeze and rub along the rigid line of her neck muscles. He worked his way over the knots deftly, thumbs circling to break up unhappy pockets of pent-up stress, fingertips occasionally brushing dangerously underneath the edge of her towel.
It was difficult to keep her mind in the present as she wondered whether he was always this attentive, whether he would be this attentive if they dropped the towels and the pretenses that came with them.
He would be. She was sure of it.
The smooth rumble of his voice, like stones swept up in a surf, arrived in her ear, causing a shiver to run down her back.
