Her mother, unfortunately, was another story. Leo suspected the reason Gracie was so shy had something to do with her mother’s bitterness over how her life had turned out. He wasn’t worried, though. True-mate love could overcome anything.

  Paper rustled as Tracy handed out contracts. “Read this very carefully,” she said. “We have strict rules about staying in character. Please sign the contract stating you understand what is expected of you.”

  Leo only skimmed the document because he was more concerned about the fact Gracie was next to an attractive guy who was standing close to her. His bear’s fur ruffled with jealousy, but Leo’s logical side tried to get a read on their relationship. The man had only given off kind vibes when Leo had introduced himself to Gracie. And honestly, if there was anything going on with her companion, it would be over now. Leo knew Gracie’s feelings for the guy couldn’t match true-mate attraction. He had been warned to tread carefully when Richard and Donna came to him with their matchmaking plan.

  The three girls who’d fawned over him when he arrived had moved to be close to him again, and one put her hand on his arm and said, “Leo, once we’re done here, I’d be happy to show you around.”

  Leo was still watching Gracie, and when she looked his way, he saw a pained expression he thought might be dismay. He winked at her, and he fell in love a little more when Gracie’s cheeks turned pink before she averted her gaze to her contract as if she hadn’t heard the exchange.

  Leo was tempted to request Gracie, but he’d embarrassed her enough and said to Fiona, “I have some paperwork to fill out before any official tour.”

  Tracy said, “Yes.” She clutched the stack of contracts to her body and held out her free hand for his paper. “Thanks, everyone. I expect you all to be suited up and ready for the parade tomorrow night at six. Leo,” Tracy said, “come with me.”

  As he and Tracy walked toward the woman’s office, he glanced over his shoulder at Gracie to give her a smile. This time she returned it with a slight upturn of her lips before she dropped her gaze. It was a small gesture, but it made Leo’s heart skip, and he was thrilled that he’d finally found his true mate. His mission might not be as hard as he’d thought.

  Tracy sat behind a small desk and motioned for him to sit across from her. “Thank you so much for helping us out for the next few weeks, Leo.” She opened her laptop, and keys clacked as she typed. She lowered her glasses to look at him and chuckled. “I’m sure a guy like you never expected to be a reindeer. You were a bodyguard before this?”

  Leo nodded and spit out his cover story. “I’m in between jobs and figured I could use the distraction.”

  “You are definitely overqualified, Leo. But goodness knows, we welcome the help.”

  “I’m happy to be here,” he said with a smile. “The free pass for skiing makes being a reindeer worth it.”

  Leo was hesitant about pursuing Gracie, though. Convincing a woman who believed she was human that she was his true mate and needed to become a shapeshifter made him skeptical. He wasn’t sure how he was going to persuade someone with the free will to say no that she had to enter the world of werebear to be happily in love for life. What gave him the desire to try, even more than finding true-mate love, was when he learned that Gracie lacked self-confidence and a belief in her true worth. His warrior side begged for him to rescue her from a mediocre life. And now that he’d met Gracie, he was even more determined to show her what an amazing creature she was.

  CHAPTER 4

  Gracie

  A toddler let out an ear-piercing scream as she chased a mother with a baby on her hip walking toward the ski and snowboard school desk. The woman also had two boys with her that Gracie guessed were about four and six years of age. The boys were hitting each other in what appeared to be playing around, but she knew that could go south in an instant.

  “Ugh,” Maggie said. “Doesn’t that woman know we close in two minutes?”

  Gracie frowned at her because they were still open, which meant they waited on anyone who needed help.

  “Go,” Maggie barked at Gracie, and then she shuddered. “Kids.”

  Gracie didn’t mind children at all. In fact, she took the bedlam as a challenge, and she walked over to lighten the poor mother’s load. “Will she let me hold her?” Gracie asked the woman, referring to the baby on her hip.

  “My gosh, yes,” The blonde handed her baby over to Gracie, and she chuckled when she bent down to pick up the screaming toddler. “The fourth child doesn’t get the opportunity to have separation anxiety.”

  “You’ve got your hands full. Do you need to set up lessons?”

  “Yes, group— Boys!” Like Gracie had suspected, the hitting had turned into a fight. The woman grabbed the arm of the boy who appeared to be the oldest. “Unless you can pummel each other without a sound, you’re done.” She gave Gracie a sheepish smile. “Usually I wait until there’s blood, but I’d like to avoid the emergency room at your local hospital today.”

  Gracie gave her a smile and walked behind the desk with the baby. She grabbed a plastic pull chain for lift passes and said to the toddler, who had stopped crying, “Look at this.” She demonstrated how the cord returned to its housing when let go.

  The mother said to the sniffling girl, “My gosh, did you see that?” She took the device from Gracie’s outstretched hand to give to the child. “Thank you.”

  “No problem,” Gracie said as she pulled up the lesson calendar on the computer screen. “Would you like a full or half day for the boys?”

  “Full, please. Aiden and Ryan Davis.”

  “I can do that,” Gracie shifted the baby to her left hip as she tapped the fingers of her right hand lightly on the keyboard. “Lunch comes with the price, but you’re welcome to come get them for the break.”

  “Oh no, you can keep them,” the mother joked.

  Gracie noticed the woman had a day lift ticket on the zipper of her parka. “Are you interested in daycare for the girls? Our minis program actually takes the toddlers out to play in the snow.”

  “Snow?” The mother grinned at the little girl she was holding, who in turn giggled. “Yes, please. They won’t last the whole day, but I’d like to do mornings if I could.”

  Gracie smiled at the two boys, who were now trying to hit each other silently, before she finished booking the reservations. As the family walked away, a familiar older couple came up to the desk. It was definitely past closing time, but Gracie was happy to help them. Richard and Donna were sweet, and she’d enjoyed them the first time they’d met, even though they asked a lot of personal questions. Gracie asked, “What can I do for the two of you?”

  Donna pushed the fur-trimmed hood of her white parka off her head. “I want to hear all about tomorrow night’s parade.”

  “Well, it starts at six-thirty, and it’ll be on the sugar cube slope, right above the lodge.”

  “Will you be in it?” the woman asked.

  “I will,” Gracie said. And because she guessed Donna would ask anyway, she added, “I’ll be dressed as a reindeer.”

  “Which one?” Richard leaned in close. “We promise not to reveal the secret.”

  Gracie chuckled, but then her face heated up as if she’d been the one to choose the sexy reindeer. “I’m Vixen.” She quickly added, “It was based on costume size.”

  “Vixen is perfect for you, dear!” Donna winked at her. “It’s the shy ones you have to look out for.”

  “Yet somehow you still get dates,” Richard said to Donna.

  Donna gasped and then laughed. She said to Gracie, “He’s right. Fortunately, some men appreciate my candor. There’s someone for everybody.”

  The memory of Leo holding her hand came to her and her cheeks heated up as she smiled. She dared to hope what Donna said was true.

  Donna squinted. “Did you find someone? I want to hear all about him.”

  Gracie shook her head. “No. But I like the idea of everyone having someone.”

  The older woman leaned in closer. “You’ll find him soon. I have a nose for these things.”

  “Goodness, Donna,” Richard said. “Look at the time.”

  The woman glanced at the clock on the wall behind Gracie, “Oh! We’ve kept you far too long. Come Richard. Let’s après-ski.”

  As they walked away the man said, “Don’t we have to ski to be able to aprés?”

  “There’s hot buttered rum at the hotel,” Donna said.

  “Ah, après-ski it is.”

  Gracie smiled after the pair as Tracy came out of her office that was located behind where Gracie stood.

  “The way you dealt with that frazzled mother was impressive,” Tracy said as she moved to stand beside her. “You handle chaos better than anyone here.”

  Gracie shrugged but then accepted the complement the way Tracy had taught her to do. “Thank you. It’s easy to do.” Having grown up with numerous foster children she had to care for, Gracie had acquired the skill of diffusing mayhem because it was necessary for survival.

  “For you, but not everyone is so good with children. You have a natural instinct for motherhood.” Tracy chuckled. “If I didn’t need you so badly here, I’d suggest you teach kids’ lessons.”

  Spending her day with children would be better than working with the pretty girls, but Gracie did like helping the resort guests. “That would be fun, but I like working with you,” Gracie said.

  “Yes, well, at some point, I’d still like you to do it.” Tracy placed a hand on Gracie’s shoulder. “You should experience as many jobs here as you can so you’re ready when it’s time to start moving up the management ladder.”

  Tracy had plans for Gracie’s career at Sugar Mountain. She’d already insisted Gracie learn to ski and pushed her out the door to practice any time things were slow. The woman had encouraged her to dream big and imagine being the resort’s general manager someday. Having a career in management was a lofty dream Gracie liked, even if she didn’t believe she could ever get there. It was certainly not an aspiration she shared with her mother, who would be sure to inform her that she was too stupid to be anyone’s boss.

  Gracie sighed as she walked back over to the guest services desk. Maggie had already left with her friends, and Gracie noticed the girl hadn’t done any of the closing duties. Not that she was in any rush to get home. The longer she stayed away, the more likely it would be that her mother was asleep, allowing Gracie a peaceful evening.

  The light mist of an antibacterial cleaner floated over the countertops when Gracie sprayed it, and she wiped down the surfaces of the guest services desk. Her mind wandered to the newest employee in her department, and her insides fluttered when she recalled how warm Leo’s hands had been on hers.

  “You’re still here?” Henry said from behind her.

  She turned to him. “Yeah, we had a couple guests walk in around closing. Why are you still here?”

  He shifted his backpack slung over one shoulder. “I helped with painting the sleigh.”

  Gracie liked the way Henry was always willing to put in extra time to help things run smoothly. “I’m sure it’s perfect.”

  He flashed her a cocky smile. “Don’t worry, it is. Can I help you do anything?”

  She moved behind the desk to toss her paper towel in the garbage. “I’m done.”

  “Good. I’ll walk you to your car.”

  Once she put on her coat and grabbed her bag, Gracie walked with him toward the door. Cold air blasted at them as they exited the building, and lampposts lit their way as they headed toward the employee parking lot.

  “The new guy is nice,” Henry said. “You wouldn’t think it because of his size, but he’s a softie when it comes to kids. We saw a woman with a herd of children trying to get them ready to go outside, and Leo dropped down to one knee to zip up a toddler’s coat for her as if he did things like that all the time.”

  Gracie’s heart stopped when it occurred to her why that might be. “Maybe he’s a dad.”

  “Nope. I asked,” Henry said. “He’s single.” He bumped her shoulder with his. “You should go for it.”

  “What?” Gracie shook her head. The pretty girls had already set their sights on Leo, which meant she didn’t stand a chance.

  “Don’t you dare say you’re not good enough, Gracie Templeton. The guy already thinks you’re hot.”

  “He does not.” They had reached the flight of stairs leading down to the employee parking lot, and their feet made the metal ring as they thumped down them.

  “No?” Henry said. “Then why did he walk right up to you to introduce himself as if nobody else was around?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe because I screamed out Wow when I saw him.”

  Henry chuckled. “You didn’t scream it. And he thought it was cute.”

  She kicked a chunk of snow as her cheeks burned. “Or he wanted to make a joke of it.”

  “Shut up, girl! Jeez.” Henry paused to let her walk first between two parked cars. “First off, Leo isn’t one of the mean girls, and second, when Fiona asked him about his relationship status, he physically stepped away from her like he was trying to make it clear he had no interest in her. That’s because he’s into you, Gracie.” Henry jumped in front of her so they were face to face, and he grinned. “And you’d be a fool not to act on it.”

  Gracie’s heart pounded with excitement, but then reality set in to muffle the joy. She’d had a few brief relationships over the years, but she spent more time crushing on fictional guys in romance books because they were safe. She moved to walk around Henry. “Like I have the first clue about how to go after a guy.”

  He grabbed her arm to make her stop moving. “You don’t need to play games. Be yourself, because that’s what he’s attracted to.”

  “Okay,” she said. She wanted to believe Henry was right that it could be that simple, but history told her otherwise. Gracie was sure one of the pretty girls was going to snatch Leo up before she had a chance.

  CHAPTER 5

  Leo

  The scent of fresh pine from the boughs on the sleigh filled the air in the patroller’s garage, and bells jingled as Leo and Henry tied them to the greenery. The employees dressed as reindeer would ski with the sleigh down the beginner trail above the lodge. The sleigh had been built out of plywood and sat atop two ski patrol rescue toboggans, which two patrollers dressed as elves would man from behind to control the speed of their descent.

  Leo took the opportunity to press Henry for information about Gracie. He said, “Have you known Gracie long?”

  Henry looked up from the end of the sleigh where he was working. “A few years now, but we’ve become closer since she started working in guest services this year. Sweet woman.”

  “She seems it.” Leo moved closer to Henry. “Although, a little shy.”

  Henry chuckled. “She is shy, and she’s single if that’s what you’re trying to find out.”

  Leo smiled. “Pretty transparent, aren’t I?”

  “You don’t hold much back, and honestly, I think Gracie needs a guy like you in her life.”

  “Why do you say that?” He snipped a section of wire from the spool.

  Henry shrugged. “She’s a great person who deserves to be happy, but she doesn’t seek things for herself.” He sighed. “I think her mother is part of the problem. I tried to get Gracie to take one of the spots in the house where I live with my girlfriend and two other guys. I thought it might help to bring her out of her shell, but she said she couldn’t leave her mother on her own. I didn’t press, but I heard through the grapevine that her mom would be just fine without Gracie. She just manipulates her into thinking she can’t leave.”

  Donna and Richard had mentioned that Gracie’s mom was needy in an unhealthy way. “Gracie shouldn’t have to fight to live her own life.”

  “I know.” Henry grabbed another bell from the pile on the ground. “But she’s the kind of woman who takes care of people.”

  “It sounds to me like she might need someone to come along and take care of her.”

  “Exactly, Leo.” Henry narrowed his eyes at him. “She’s not someone you fool around with though. Got it? Because I don’t care how big you are, I’d kick your ass if you hurt Gracie.”

  Leo nodded. Henry was a good friend to Gracie, and he appreciated the guy looking out for her. That was why he shared something he probably shouldn’t. “I have no plans to play around with Gracie. I can’t explain it, but the moment I saw her, I knew we were supposed to be together.” He chuckled. “I probably shouldn’t tell her that yet, huh?”

  Henry grinned at him. “You did make it obvious you found her attractive, but no, definitely keep that thought to yourself for a while. On my first date with Kate, I knew she was the one.” He shook his head. “I freaked her out when I mentioned it on the second date. Lucky for me, she stuck around anyway.”

  Leo had known humans fantasized about love at first sight, but they couldn’t experience it for real. He hadn’t known that some of them knew early on in a relationship it was meant to be. “Okay. I’ll wait until our third date,” he joked. “That is, if she’ll go out with me.”

  “There’s a holiday party for employees coming up. Gracie hasn’t gone to it in the years I’ve known her, but I bet she’d find a way to go with you.”

  “Holiday party?”

  “Yeah, it’s pretty fun.” Henry stepped back to survey the sleigh. “Tons of free food, a cash bar, a band plays, and we do a secret Santa by department.”

  “That does sound fun and like something Gracie should get to experience.” Leo moved away from the sleigh too, once all the bells had been attached.