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see when he’d look up to greet Tray.
    They were talking about the black diamond run they’d done earlier that day. An older woman, an expert skier they’d noticed several times during the day, had ended up in a serious accident. Apparently, a young father and his very young son, had come down the hill on snowboards. The run was clearly beyond the son’s level, he lost control, and ran full speed into the back of the woman, knocking her out at the knees. The ski patrol took her down the hill to the waiting ambulance. It was an old argument and how to keep these accidents from happening always turned into a heated and lively discussion.
    She fidgeted, twisting her wine glass in circles, creating large water rings on the table. Where was Tray? She met Jenny’s eyes, who shrugged and lifted her chin in the direction of the stage. Isabel glanced over her shoulder to see Tray chatting with two young women, barely twenty, and openly crushing on him. He was smiling and the tall one had her hand on his arm, tossing her head back and giggling at everything he said.
    They were about the same age as her daughters, she noted, and he was enjoying the attention. Well, why not? She had no claim on him, not really. Still, she was glad when he finally extracted himself and started toward the table.
    “Tray,” the guys rang out in chorus, announcing his arrival.
    “This the Banff version of Cheers?” quipped Tray, smiling all around. “Hi Jenny, nice to see you again.” Jenny smiled her hello. “Valerie, hey - Merry Christmas everybody. Isabel, room for an extra chair here?”
    Smiling up at him, she fluttered her eyelashes comically. “This is a surprise.”
    He grinned down at her, eyes sparkling. “You’re not annoyed?”
    “Not at all,” she smiled back. “Color me delighted.”
    Barry had shifted his chair to make room. She shifted hers, he sat down but she was suddenly blocked by the backside of the waitress in her face.
    The woman plunked down a beer in front of Tray. “Great set, babe,” she said, a proprietary hand on his shoulder.
    “Thanks.” Tray smiled up at her. “Anyone else need drinks while Chrissie is here?”
    Kip and Barry re-ordered and Chrissie, clearly unhappy to be sent away so quickly, stalked off in the direction of the bar.
    Tray snaked an arm around Isabel’s shoulder, pulling her close, and smiled into her eyes. “It’s so good to see you, babe.”
    “Babe? Aren’t you Chrissie’s babe?” she half-joked.
    “Tray, you haven’t met Kip,” Barry interrupted. “He’s Valerie’s brother. She got stuck working Christmas so Kip came out early with me to ski.” Barry pushed his seat back from the table. “I need to duck out for a minute, I’ll be back in a few.”
    “Where you been hiding, Tray?” Kip asked.
    “Just arrived,” Tray said, clearly side-stepping the question. “That’s a pretty heavy brogue - I love Valerie’s accent but it’s not nearly as pronounced as yours.”
    “I didn’t know you ‘loved’ my accent, Tray,” Valerie teased as she stood. “Back in a bit.”
    “Val’s been here since she was a kid. I’m born, bred and living daily in the Scottish highlands,” Kip said.
    “I love your accent,” Jenny interjected, with a broad smile and light touch to Kip’s wrist. Kip turned toward her, a moth to the flame, and Tray and Isabel were left to themselves.
    Tray nuzzled Isabel’s neck. “Don’t let the Chrissie thing bother you. She’s my friend’s niece. How was your Christmas?”
    “Great, I spent it with my daughters.”
    “Nice. I thought they weren’t staying with you.”
    “They’re not. They’re staying with a friend down the street. We all had Christmas dinner there. They have a beautiful house.” Good grief. Realizing she was chattering, she took a breath and forced herself to slow down. She was just so excited to see him and her cool was gone, gone. She tried to re-group. “How was Christmas on the farm?”
    “Everyone was there,