I looked down to the five-foot-four blonde beside me and raised a brow. This girl? Fearless? The one who nearly cried going down a hill made for children? Or the one who nearly had a panic attack when I said we had to get off the ski lift?

“Olive Moore? Fearless?” I elbowed her side, and she stiffened. “I have a hard time picturing that.”

Olive shoveled her pasta in her mouth, not looking up when her mom continued. “Oh, yeah. Our Olive was always the most fun one in the family. She was known as the town troublemaker for her age, always getting into something. She would have her entire grade over for parties when she was younger.”

I couldn’t hold in my laughter. “Are we talking about the same Olive?”

The rest of the table was clearly uncomfortable, and Olive gave a strained response. “A lot of things have changed since I’ve been back here.”

Thankfully, the waitress came back to check on us before I could make the conversation even more uncomfortable. Topics were suddenly switched, but I couldn’t help but notice Sarah looking at Olive with sympathetic eyes.

Dinner ended, and we made our way back to the car. I offered to drop Olive off at her house to give her alone time with her family. However, when I mentioned it, she whispered a comment along the lines of, “That’s the last thing I need.” And I figured since it was day three of my twelve days of Christmas, I still needed to deliver today’s gift to her.

An idea came to mind, and I made a quick U-turn to head straight to the resort. It was late, but I had an all-access key, and I could come and go as I pleased.

Olive shivered beside me, and I reached over to turn her seat warmers on. She looked up and smiled, and it was like my own seat warmers turned on as a result.

“Where are we going now?” She nuzzled into the warming passenger seat.

I grinned back at her. “I’ve got an idea for my third day of Christmas for you.”

She turned her head to the side, lips twisted and eyes squinted like she was thinking. “Three French hens?”

Whoever made that song had a bird problem.

“Nope. No hens tonight, Grinchy.”

When we got to the resort, I pulled out my access key card and walked her down the marble-floored lobby to the employee locker room. I grabbed two navy towels with one hand then took Olive's in my other. I dragged her to the back door.

“Why would we possibly need towels?”