He glanced from the cabin to her face. “How do you figure that?”

“It doesn’t take two of us to care for Holly. We’ll take it in turns.”

“Why are you going to scream, Aunty Alix?” A sleepy voice came from the back seat, and Alix glared at Zac and turned to Holly.

“Because I am excited to be here. Look! Have you seen the snow?” She slid out of the car and gathered Holly into her arms, jiggling her and pointing to the trees and the pretty red timber cabin, the whole time thinking, Please don’t let her cry. “Robyn said the cabin was open, so let’s go and see, shall we?” She strode toward the door and immediately lost her footing and fell hard to the ground, cradling Holly against her.

Pain rocketed through her hip and up to her jaw.

Holly gave a shriek of delight. “We’re skating!”

Alix made a mental note not to go skating. Wasn’t snow supposed to be soft and fluffy? “Glad you enjoyed it.”

“Again!”

“Probably not the best idea.” Zac scooped up Holly from her arms. “Be careful. It’s slippery underfoot.”

She staggered to her feet, wondering if she was going to need a hip replacement. “You don’t say.”

“You should have taken my advice and changed into those snow boots.” He shifted Holly onto his arm and held out a hand to Alix.

“I’m fine, thanks. No help needed.”

“Oh Alix!” Robyn appeared. “Are you hurt? I should have warned you to be careful on the path. I should have fetched boots for you. You’ll find several pairs inside the cabin.”

“Thanks. Providing I can walk tomorrow, I’ll definitely be wearing them.”

Oblivious to her pain, Zac strode up the path toward the cabin. “This is idyllic, Robyn.”

“Isn’t it? We love it.” Robyn walked alongside Alix, ready to grab her if she slipped again. “It’s our best cabin. When Christy emailed me about the change of plans, I was worried it might not work for you, but once I knew you were together, I thought it would be perfect.”

Together? What did she mean by that?

“We couldn’t possibly take your best cabin.” Determined not to stay under the same roof as Zac for any longer than necessary, Alix tugged off her shoes, stepped over the threshold and fell in love.

One of them needed to stay somewhere else, that was true, but it wasn’t going to be her.

The place was perfect.

The floor was white-stained pine, the minimalist look softened and warmed by a thick sheepskin rug. There was a small kitchen area in the corner, with windows overlooking the forest. Alix loved the classic Scandinavian interior, all clean lines and neutral colors.

“It’s stunning.” It was like being part of the forest, thanks to the wall of glass overlooking the snowy trees. The other walls were painted a bright white to reflect the light. The color came from the bright blue cushions piled deep on the sofa and from the large photographs on the walls. Alix stepped forward to take a closer look. They were a series of wintery scenes from the Arctic. Snowy forest, the sky illuminated with a ghostly swirls of blue and green. A close-up of an arctic hare. A wolf, its fur picked out in glorious detail by the camera. The wildness of it made her shiver. “These are gorgeous. Local photographer?”