Suite Embrace. Anita Bunkley

all the details Deena could provide. Her intense desire to know more about this man, both angered and intrigued Skylar: she had never met a man quite like him and definitely didn’t want anyone, especially her sister, to suspect how strongly he had affected her.

      “Oh, yeah. Virina Dagrun. Mark’s mother. As I said, she still lives in Europe. She was also a very good amateur skier when she was younger. Now, I believe she’s the spokesperson for some high-priced line of cosmetics.”

      “Does she still ski?”

      “No. She gave up her dream of turning professional when she left Norway and got into modeling. After her divorce, she returned to Norway, focused on Mark’s talent and became his trainer and agent,” Deena explained. “She got him to the Olympics, but somewhere along the way, their relationship turned rocky. I don’t know the details, but Mark did say that she didn’t want him to leave Europe to settle in the States, and she was not too happy that he decided to teach here at Scenic Ridge instead of a better-known, European ski resort.”

      “Sounds like quite a mom,” Skylar coyly commented, hoping Deena would give up more. A man’s mother could be a powerful influence and a key to understanding him. It might be good to know just how important a role Mother Virina played in Mark’s life.

      “Yeah, Virina is something else. She’s coming for her first visit soon—right in the middle of the Black Winter Sports Reunion—which is just around the corner,” Deena reminded Skylar. “It’s going to be a crazy, hectic time with a full hotel and the slopes as crowded as they’ve ever been. I hope you can handle it.”

      “I’ll have to,” Skylar noted, flipping through the pages on her desk calendar. She stopped when she saw that Jean-Paul had not only penciled Virina’s name in on his calendar as arriving on January 29th, but had drawn four stars above it. “I assume Mrs. Dagrun…”

      With a shake of her head, Deena stopped Skylar. “I spoke with her when she made her reservation—she prefers to be called Miss Dagrun. Her maiden name, so make a note of that.”

      “Got it. And I assume she wants one of the corner rooms,” Skylar went on, making notes on her calendar. “Maybe on the second floor, facing east so she can watch the sunrise in the mornings?”

      “No. The Vista View cabin. Already reserved. She made it clear that she didn’t want to stay in the main lodge. I know what she was thinking, after all, if Mark can have a private cabin, why shouldn’t she?”

      With a laugh, Skylar nodded. “Right. I don’t know the woman, but I can imagine her saying something like that. But if she’s so picky, I’m surprised she isn’t staying in town at the Little Nell or the St. Regis,” Skylar noted. “I’m sure she could arrange for a car to bring her out here to visit her son whenever she wanted to see him.”

      Hunching closer to the edge of Skylar’s desk, Deena crinkled her soft, brown eyes until they were half shut. “That would never do. She wants to be close to Mark. She told me so. I think she’s lonely. He must have been the center of her life.”

      “But he’s a grown man!” Skylar commented.

      “Thirty-eight to be exact.”

      “And never been married, I assume?” Skylar prompted thinking that if Mark felt comfortable enough with Deena to discuss his relationship with his mother, maybe he’d shared information about his love life with her, too.

      “Not as far as I know, but I’ve never asked him about his romantic past. Maybe you can get that out of him…if it’s important for you to know.”

      With a scowl, Skylar shrugged, “I’m afraid I’m not that interested.”

      “Doesn’t sound that way to me.”

      “Oh, drop it, Deena, please.”

      “Okay. But I wouldn’t be surprised if Miss Dagrun gives you a real workout when she gets here. But don’t let her rattle you, okay?”

      “Afraid I might run off and join Jean-Paul at the Hyatt Regency in Utah?” Skylar joked.

      “No, but you might be tempted. She sounds like the kind of guest who can be a real pain in the butt. Demanding, picky and insistent on having things done a certain way. It wouldn’t surprise me if she’s coming to Scenic Ridge to convince Mark to leave.”

      “Leave? But you said he was happy here.”

      “He is, and I plan to keep him happy and keep him here.”

      Skylar sipped from her mug, intrigued by Deena’s remark. “You talk about Mark Jorgen as if he’s a guest, not an employee.”

      “In a way he is a guest,” Deena agreed. “And I expect you and the staff to treat him as such. As an Olympic gold medal winner he has clout…a following of devotees that attracts high profile clients. Whatever he asks for, you get it, or do it. Okay?”

      With a jerk of her shoulder, Skylar puckered her lips and nodded her understanding, pleased with herself for already having shown him exactly what she was all about. Fulfilling Mark Jorgen’s requests would be easy, as long as he didn’t overstep the boundaries she planned to put in place right away.