6
The candid photoshoot earlier today had slipped in and out of a posed session, with Rachel backing away as much as she could to capture the small moments between the family members. Portraits of Elin seemed especially important to the family.
They’d spent the lunch hour walking to Elin’s favorite parts of the resort, and Rachel let her be in the places she loved. They would be priceless photos. She knew it already. Plus, anything she didn’t get today, she’d be able to get at the more formal session tomorrow. Traditional portraits—one of Rachel’s favorites.
Recently, she’d mostly shot weddings, but families were a big part of weddings. She loved photos that included everyone, holding hands and smiling and enjoying each other’s company.
The Elkin family had gradually gotten used to Rachel’s quiet presence at the edge of the room and settled in to enjoy each other’s company. She thanked her lucky stars that she’d invested early in her career in good camera lenses. It also helped that the Elk Lodge was full of natural light, and the blue skies provided the rest.
Eventually, Elin had excused herself to rest, and they’d called it quits for the day. After putting away her equipment, she couldn’t resist scrolling through the photos. Glancing at her watch, she realized another hour had slipped away, and so had the day. There were still landscape shots that needed to be taken. Jonas hadn’t returned or called, and Rachel took it as a good sign.
She tamped down the temptation to go find him, knowing if he needed her, he’d find her. It gave her a sense of fulfillment to think of Jonas and Scott spending time together. She headed outside, taking advantage of her freedom.
Not surprisingly, she missed having Scott with her, watching and listening to him play in the snow. She made her way through the woods, and up one of the trails next to the ski hills. At the top, she turned back to take a photo of the lodge, lovely in the afternoon light. Snow fell gently, the whole scene looking like something from a vacation brochure. She hoped her photos would end up on a brochure, even if people wouldn’t pay much attention to the photographer’s name.
Don’t fall in love with the place. It’s just a job. She snapped a few more frames. Don’t fall in love with him, either.
It was one thing to let Jonas develop a relationship with Scott. It was another thing to let her feelings get away from her and start expecting life to suddenly go the happily-ever-after route. The holidays were always an emotional time. They reminded her of Christmases with her family before life had gotten fast and complicated. It wouldn’t do them any good to get into an entanglement, especially now, when Jonas’s family was going through their own intense time.
Except Rachel wanted to be near him.
She took in a deep breath and then let it out, before putting her lens cap back in place. Their relationship needed to remain professional. It was the only way.
She followed the instructions Jonas had sent earlier today and made her way to Jonas’s cabin. Cabin being an understated word for his place. With snow on the peaked roof and lights wrapped around the balustrade on the wide front porch, the place looked as if it was right out of a fairytale.
Rachel patted her camera at her side. As she climbed the steps, her heart lightened. Time to get her son, go back to the lodge, and grab some dinner. Then the evening would be hers to look through the photos more closely and start getting the scrapbook planned and assembled. She didn’t often get orders that included full albums like this one. It was the perfect chance to show off her skills with winter scenes.
A peal of laughter met her at the door. Rachel stopped, her hand poised to knock as she listened.
“Giddy up,” she heard Jonas call out. “Want to keep riding?”
Scott laughed again, and it lit her up from the inside out. She tried the door and found it unlocked. With a burst of courage, she entered the pristine cabin in search of the fun and laughter just as they disappeared around the corner.
Jonas’s modern bachelor living room had been transformed. Toys were scattered from one end to the other, and the two of them were playing together on the cream-colored rug. Was that a stuffed elk? It was big enough for Scott to ride, and Jonas was at the helm, supplying the power as he pulled him around. Complete with sound effects.
A pang shot through her like an arrow, so strong she put a hand over her heart. This wasn’t Jonas, the perfect businessman she’d met years before and met again when they first arrived at the resort. There was no buttoned shirt, no crisp slacks. He wore jeans and a heather gray t-shirt, both of which set off his mussed hair, and he was crawling on the floor, playing with Scott.
Their son.
It took him a minute to notice her, and when he did, his face changed—brightened. “Hey,” he said. “How did it go today?”
“It was perfect.” Rachel had the strangest feeling of déjà vu, only they had never been together like this. It felt shockingly natural. Like a family. “I got so many impressive shots. The scrapbook should turn out really well.”
Rachel searched for the perfect, casual way to ask Jonas to help pack up Scott’s things so they could head out. There was no uncomplicated way to end the scene she’d walked into.
“One more time?” Jonas grinned down at Scott. Her son reached up to touch Jonas’s face, then whipped around and grabbed the neck of the elk. Jonas swept them both up in his arms and trotted the pair around the rug, Scott squealing the whole time. When they’d completed the round, Jonas looked up at her, a laugh on his lips. “Stay for dinner?”
Jonas wanted to spend more time with his son. He wanted it despite the fact that he was tired. Even the luxury of an afternoon nap hadn’t washed away his weariness. But still, he wanted his son to stay. And he wanted Rachel right there with them. It seemed like the natural progression of their day together. It would give him a chance to start over with her after they’d gotten off on the wrong foot.
She hesitated, and Jonas could practically see the thoughts whirling in her head. Rachel obviously had a plan that didn’t involve dinner with him, but she was already inside, looking like she belonged.
“Please,” he added. “I’d love it if you would stay.”
It felt odd to be so vulnerable. Admitting that he wanted her to stay—that wasn’t something he was in the habit of doing. Maybe he should have been, earlier on. Well, he could only start with the present. Jonas stood and picked Scott up in his arms. If Rachel didn’t want to join him for dinner, he wouldn’t press the issue, but if she did—
“I’d like that too.” Her shoulders relaxed, and a pleasant pink flush worked over her cheeks. Rachel laid her camera on the table nearby, shrugged out of her jacket and removed her boots, carrying them to the foyer. She returned seconds later looking right at home. “What are you having?”
“Well...” He went through his mental list of what he had in the fridge. He’d been spending a lot of extra time at the lodge for the holidays, so it wasn’t much, but there was enough to make a decent meal. “I’ve got pasta sauce and ground beef for meatballs. Does Scott like spaghetti?”
“He does.” Rachel smiled, huge and genuine. “You have to see him covered in spaghetti. It’s priceless.”