Sleigh Me Baby Read online

  Sleigh Me Baby

  A Forever Safe Christmas Book 8

  Elisa Leigh

  Copyright

  Copyright © 2019 by Elisa Leigh

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Epilogue

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Also by Elisa Leigh

  Prologue

  Klaus Maier

  Helen, Georgia

  When my brother Eull and I were younger, our dad would bring us out to our great Uncle Hans’ property each summer to spend time with him. Those were the good old days when we’d spend hours fishing in the creek and building forts out in the woods. Our uncle taught us how to hook our lines without stabbing our fingers, how to chop firewood, and how to navigate the woods. I feel like we’re eight and ten all over again, only now we’re running a successful cabin rental business that our Uncle Hans would have been proud of.

  Sadly, Uncle Hans died a few years ago, leaving Eull and me forty acres in the Georgia mountains as well as his cabin rental business in his will. He had been renting the cabins for over forty years, but as time went on and people got interested in flashier vacations, the business all but dried up leaving him lonely and bored. The cabins became rundown and outdated the longer they sat unused.

  I’m just getting home from a day filled with property upkeep and the last thing I want to do is scroll through the company email, but someone has to do it and it sure as hell isn’t going to be Eull.

  Eull walks in twenty minutes later and tosses the mail down on the desk in front of me. "Anything good in the e-mails?" He asks looking over my shoulder.

  I look away from the computer to answer my surly brother. "Actually, there is something I want to run by you. A radio station out of Florida asked if we wanted to participate in a free giveaway. It would get us some free publicity."

  "Really, what are we supposed to put up?" He asks.

  "How about the two-bedroom cabin by the creek. We could just do it for Christmas, like five days, four-night stay. We don't get too many reservations for Christmas week." Klaus reasons.

  "Fine, only for two people. We don't run a charity." Eull says giving in.

  “I’m throwing in a sleigh ride so we can get some use out of the new sleigh we just bought. I hope we have the weather for it.” I say as I start typing a response to the e-mail.

  “If you want, it’s your idea so you’re going to host it. Maybe we can get more couples to book if we promote it as a romantic holiday vacation.” He suggests.

  “Yeah, that’ll work. I can put a spin on it with the hot tub and romantic setting.” I say to myself.

  I’m still responding to the email when I hear the back door open and shut. Eull probably went to check on the animals.

  Chapter One

  Natalie Robbins

  “Come on, you asshole, really! Can’t you see that I’m in this lane!” Celeste, my best friend, and roommate screams at the passing car and blares the horn. "And a TGIF to you too!" The sun beats down on her small Nissan Frontier.

  “Celeste, really. You’ve got to calm down. You’re going to have a coronary if you let the traffic stress you out. “I say trying to calm her down.

  “I am calm,” she grits through her teeth as another car tries to speed by.

  “Here, let’s listen to some Christmas music. This should get you in a better mood,” I say turning the dial to a holiday channel on the satellite radio. I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus fills the car and it seems to do the trick. Celeste loves the holiday season more than anyone I know. "So, what should we do for Christmas? I was thinking we can get a small tree this weekend and decorate it." I suggest.

  "Sounds like a plan," Celeste nods then takes the exit to the elementary school we both teach second grade at. "Maybe you can make that buffalo chicken dip I love," she says with hope in her voice and a smile on her face.

  "Only if you make your spinach artichoke dip," I counter

  "Yum, of course. We can stop by the store after school and grab ingredients for spiked cider," She says pulling into the parking lot.

  "Caller number five wins!" The radio announcer's voice booms from the radio. We both look at the screen and then each other. "The name of the game is Name That Tune. The caller who can name this song and the artist wins a romantic Christmas vacation to Helen, Georgia. Details include a five-day, four-night stay in a two-bedroom cabin with a hot tub for two. But that's not all, the package includes a romantic sleigh ride. So, folks let's get started." The intro fills the car. The music is a slow tune with a catchy beat.

  "Hmm… it sounds so familiar," I say listening to the song.

  "Oh my God, I know this!" Celeste shouts as she grabs her phone.

  "What? Tell me." I demand.

  "K95, your caller number five and live. Can you tell me the name of the song and artist?" The radio announcer asks.

  "Last Christmas by Wham!" Celeste shouts through the phone. That’s when I realize she actually got on the air.

  "You are...correct!" Shouts the DJ.

  We both scream when we hear that.

  "Well done. Hold for a minute and I'll get your info."

  Celeste turns to me and says, "I can’t believe we won. I guess that changes our Christmas plans."

  "I’d say so, wow. Thank God, we're off for the holiday break." I laugh with giddiness.

  I shake my head remembering that morning from a few weeks ago. Now we’re headed to the mountains of Helen, Georgia for a Christmas vacation that neither of us would have been able to afford on our meager teacher salaries. I have been looking forward to this trip ever since she won. This morning we loaded up my SUV with everything we’d need for our five days, four nights stay up in a real log cabin. I’ve never stayed in a cabin before, hell, I’ve never been on a vacation.

  Between my mom’s drinking and partying, she was pretty sucky and had a hard time holding down a job. There was never any extra money to take us on vacation. When I was eight, I got taken away from her because my teacher called child protective services on her one too many times. She promised she would get me back, but after a few supervised visits, I never saw her again. After that, I floated around from foster home to foster home until eventually, I ended up in a group home. That’s where I met Celeste. I had already lived at the group home for six months when she showed up. Even though she is two years older than me, we became fast friends. It has been just her and I, like Thelma and Louise.

  I love Celeste, don’t get me wrong, but I’m coming to a point in my life where I’m ready to put my little introverted heart out there to see if true love exists. I’ve dated over the years, but there’s never been anyone serious. When I was in college, most of the guys were pretty much just looking to get laid. Since I graduated from college and started teaching, I’ve had less time to look for the right guy. I mean, where do you even go to find a good guy anymore? I’ve never been one to go out drinking or to hang out in bars. I think my mom soured me to that.

  “Your exit is coming up,” Celeste tells me.

  “Is it on the right or the left?” I ask.

  “Why didn’t you let me drive again?” She teases.

  I stick my tongue out at her. “Because you always drive.”

  “At least we’re almost there. I’m ready to stretch my legs. What do you thi
nk about going for a hike after we get situated?” She asks eagerly.

  “You do know me, right? Do you think I want to go hiking through the woods?”

  “Oh, come on. It’s not going to be that bad. Plus, it’s freezing out and the bugs have gone into hiding. It will be beautiful.”

  “I’ll tell you what, how about I think about it and get back to you? I am looking forward to that sleigh ride we have scheduled for tomorrow, it’s going to be so much fun.”

  Celeste rolls her eyes and shakes her head at me. She’s the more adventurous one out of the two of us. She’d rather go hiking and camping while I’d rather stay in by the fire, reading a good book. Speaking of books, I’ve loaded my Kindle with a bunch of books I haven’t had the time to read yet. This vacation is just what we needed.

  “Natalie don’t miss your exit,” Celeste says tapping my arm and pointing to the exit on the right.

  I totally would have missed my exit if she didn’t say something. “Don’t worry, I got it. Now, which way am I going, left or right?”

  “You’re taking a left.” She says staring down at her phone.

  I don’t know how people did this before GPS. I can remember going online and printing out MapQuest directions whenever I needed to get somewhere, but what about before that? I don’t know if I would have ever been able to follow a map to get anywhere too far away. I mean, I still get lost listening to the GPS on my phone.

  I take the left and take in my surroundings. There isn’t much out here after we pass the gas station except for a bunch of trees. After a few miles, I see an intricate wooden sign that reads Maier Cabin Resort. The sign looks hand-carved and reminds me of something I might find in Germany.

  “Turn right at the next road.”

  “Celeste, we aren’t in Kansas anymore,” I say when we pass a few more hand-carved wooden signs.

  She laughs. “I read up on this town when I was doing research about where we were going. Supposedly it’s some tiny Bavarian town. We should definitely venture into the town and eat at an authentic German restaurant while we’re here. I bet the food is amazing.”

  I give her the side-eye then burst out laughing. “You would want to do that.”

  “You need to loosen up and try new things Natie.”

  I don’t say anything. Instead, I make my turn and follow the road until we come up to a cabin with a sign out front that reads Maier Cabin Resort. I park and look over at Celeste. “Ready?”

  “More than you’ll ever know.” She sighs.

  “Girl, me too. Let’s go get our keys so we can get this vacay started.”

  We both get out and walk towards the cabin. I open the door for Celeste and she’s about to walk in when a guy walks out, straight into Celeste, knocking her on her ass. He’s dressed in a dark blue flannel, jeans, and boots. The guy is massive. He reaches down to help Celeste up, but she gives him a dirty look.

  “I’ve got it.” She snaps and gets to her feet herself.

  “How about next time you watch where you’re going.” He mutters and walks off.

  “He was trying to help you, Celeste.” I try to reason with her.

  She rolls her eyes. “He’s the one who should have been watching where he was going. He ran into me.”

  “Easy there, tiger. Come on, let’s do this.” I motion for her to walk through again, but instead, she grabs the door from me, so I’ll enter first.

  When I walk in, I notice immediately that the cabin looks more like a home than an office. There’s a fireplace on the back wall with three couches situated in front of it in a U shape and a wooden coffee table in the middle. There isn’t much in the way of decorations, except for a few pictures hung on the walls. If anything, it reminds me of a tidy hunting cabin. When I look to the right, there’s a desk with a computer, a desk calendar, and a phone. There’s also a small picture frame that says, “ring bell for service.”

  “Well this place is -”

  “Rustic?” I answer.

  Celeste elbows me in the side and brushes past me to ring the bell that’s on the desk. I pull my phone out to check what everyone is up to in Facebook land while we wait. About a minute later, we hear someone walking down the hallway on the right, so I move to put my phone in my purse when I see a tall, dark-haired man dressed in a light grey Henley and warn jeans, walking up to the desk. I’m so busy staring at him, that I don’t realize my phone isn’t in my purse when I drop it in. My phone falls to the ground, snapping me out of my hot guy fog. I bend down to grab my phone when he does the same.

  Grabbing my phone, he hands it to me, and I look up into the darkest blue eyes I’ve ever seen. Everything about this man calls to me on a level I’ve never felt before. He’s gorgeous, but does his personality match his looks? For all I know, he could be a complete asshole. He clears his throat and offers me my phone again and I finally grab it from him. My hand accidentally brushes against his sending a shiver of awareness through me.

  “Thank you,” I say and stand.

  “Not a problem,” He answers and stands to his full height, making me feel small at five foot eight. “Welcome to Maier Cabin Resort. Are you ladies wanting to rent a cabin for the weekend?” He asks walking around the desk.

  “We already have one booked. It’s under the name Michaels.”

  He looks between us, at his computer, then back at us wearing a confused expression. “You’re the couple that won the couple’s romantic cabin weekend on the radio?”

  “Well, I wouldn’t exactly call us a couple, best friends yes, lovers no.” Celeste laughs and winks at the guy.

  His cheeks pinken. “I’m sorry. Not that there’s anything wrong with two women…. or two men, it’s just I…I mean.” He fumbles over his words all the while staring at me.

  Smiling, I look at the ground hoping he can’t see the blush staining my cheeks.

  “We understand, what was your name again?” Celeste asks and nudges my arm.

  “Excuse me, it’s Klaus, Klaus Maier.”

  “Maier, like Maier Cabin Resort Maier? Or is that a common last name around here?” Celeste asks, flirting with Klaus and seriously starting to piss me off.

  “Sorry to interrupt. Do we still have our reservation?” I ask, tired of watching the two of them go at it.

  Klaus looks to me immediately, his dark eyes connecting with mine. “Of course.” Pulling out a paper map, he hands it to me, then grabs a pen and circles one of the cabins on the map. “You’re in cabin seven, it’s near the creek and has beautiful views.”

  “Thank you.”

  Klaus grabs a key and slides it across the desk, which Celeste grabs.

  “If I could just get a copy of your ID and a credit card for incidentals.”

  “Would a debit card work?” Celeste asks starting to pull out her wallet.

  “Actually, we like to have a credit card on file.”

  Celeste gets a look on her face and I know she’s about to let Klaus have it. “Here, just use mine. It’s not like we’re going to use it anyway.” I offer and hand my credit card to Klaus.

  “Are you sure?” Celeste questions.

  I smile at her and then at Klaus. “Of course.”

  When Celeste hands over her driver’s license he takes a photocopy of both and then hands them back to each of us. “Thank you, Celeste and Natalie.”

  I roll my eyes and put my card back in my wallet.

  “If you ladies need anything please let me or my brother, Eull, know. One of us will be here in the main office during the day. If you need to get ahold of us, our number is on the back of the map with other important information about the resort.”

  “Thanks, Klaus.”

  “Don’t forget about your sleigh ride tomorrow. Meet me at the barn at two o’clock. Make sure to dress warm, there’s a winter storm due to blow in at some point.” He says as we walk out the door.

  “Girl, what is wrong with you?”

  “What are you talking about?” I say getting back in my SUV.
<
br />   “That Klaus guy clearly had the hots for you.”

  I shake my head. “No, he doesn’t. Besides, you’re the one who was flirting with him. Maybe you two should-”

  “Don’t be dumb. For one, that whole thing where you dropped your phone and he picked it up for you, I swear that was right out of some Hallmark Christmas movie. Two, I would never poach from you.”

  “And three?” I ask smiling.

  “And three, that jacked-up lumberjack who ran into me is more my speed. All growly and quiet. Rawr.” She says wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

  I burst into laughter. “Oh my god.”

  “Let’s get to our cabin so we can finally relax. Then we can figure out our next move.”

  “That sounds good. And sorry I got bitchy back there.”

  Celeste grabs my hand and squeezes. “Sweetie, you are a long way off from bitchy. Trust me, we’re good.”

  Chapter Two

  Klaus

  Could I have fucked that up any worse? Probably not. Shit. When I heard the bell, I wasn’t expecting to see her standing there looking completely adorable in skin-tight jeans, fur-lined boots and a dark blue University of North Florida hoodie. Her dark brown hair was in a bun at the top of her head and she had on a pair of fuck me glasses that framed her hazel eyes. I couldn’t think straight with all the blood rushing from my brain straight to my dick. Then her friend said they were there for the couple’s romantic cabin weekend and I was even more confused. There’s no way in hell we share a connection that strong and she’s in a relationship with someone else.

  I’m seeing her tomorrow. I’ll need to fix this somehow. I need to figure out what it is about her that is making me crazy. I spend the next hour working in the office. In between researching ways to get our name out there, my mind drifts back to Natalie. I wonder what she thinks of the cabin. Does she like it? Does she enjoy spending time in the outdoors or is she more of a city girl?