but he said he’d wait and see what the
weather was like.” Luke remembered the day Ethan was born, how overjoyed he and
Anna felt.
Max pulled up a chair next to the desk. “Well, we need to go
over our menu contingency plan in case the storm causes delivery problems. “
They worked on how they’d manage in the event of a storm,
should the weather make the roads impassable. Max was like a brother to Luke,
and when Luke had taken the job at The Mirabel Inn, he’d convinced his friend to
move up with him, leaving a hotel job he had in Virginia.
After three cups of coffee, Luke felt they were prepared for
anything. Max had agreed to order additional essentials right away, just in
case.
When they were finished Max leaned forward with a quizzical
look on his face. “By the way, I just had a strange experience. I was walking
past the library when I spotted a woman sitting near the window. She was running
her fingers over the windowsill, and then she got up and walked around the room,
checking the tabletops and the fireplace mantel.” Max rubbed his head. “If I
didn’t know better, I’d say she was checking for dust. Thank God Mary was
nowhere in sight. She’s got little tolerance for anyone who dares to imply that
the cleaning isn’t up to par.”
“That’s odd. What did the woman look like?”
“She was around five foot five, with short dark hair, and she
was wearing a pair of jeans and a bright orange T-shirt. The couples taking part
in the Christmas Getaway event must be younger than I thought.”
Luke had a pretty good idea who was loitering in the library.
She should have been in his office with him, not out there drawing attention to
herself. “I’ll look into it,” he said, getting out of his chair and heading for
the library.
He didn’t want it to be Marnie. He’d explained to her that it
would be best if she didn’t wander around too much by herself, and raise
questions in the minds of the other guests. And what was she doing in the
library checking for dust? Unease rose through him, followed by annoyance. Last
night she’d been asking questions about the bar and now she’d been inspecting
the library when she was supposed to find him after she finished up at the
spa.
When he first reached the library the room appeared to be
empty. Then he saw her over by the windows that overlooked the side lawn. The
morning light caught the blue and crystal ornaments on the Christmas tree a few
feet from where Marnie sat. The whole room glowed with a magical light, the air
filled with the scent of pine and cinnamon.
She hadn’t noticed him yet, her attention focused on the cell
phone in her lap. She seemed so alone, her expression sad. He had a sudden urge
to protect her from whatever made her feel so bad.
She turned, her eyes aimed directly at his. “I went looking for
you, but Amanda said you were in a meeting.”
“And I was looking for you earlier so you could attend the
meeting. All part of you being my assistant,” he said, hoping she’d explain what
she’d been doing in this room.
“Well, we’re together now.” She closed her cell phone, a hint
of amusement capturing her eyes as she continued to look at him. Was she teasing
him? The idea had its appeal.
What he wouldn’t give to be able to sit down beside her and
talk about anything and everything except work. How long had it been since he’d
had a conversation that wasn’t about the inn, its operation or its guests? And
why did it suddenly matter to him?
That odd, totally unexpected feeling he’d experienced when
she’d agreed to stay and be his assistant had left him perplexed by how easily
she’d slipped into his life, his thoughts—and now she was making him want for
things he hadn’t missed before.
When she’d told him she wasn’t married, that her brother had
made up the story to get her a reservation, he’d been so damned glad he’d wanted
to get up and dance. Marnie had turned his life on its end, and he was
weather was like.” Luke remembered the day Ethan was born, how overjoyed he and
Anna felt.
Max pulled up a chair next to the desk. “Well, we need to go
over our menu contingency plan in case the storm causes delivery problems. “
They worked on how they’d manage in the event of a storm,
should the weather make the roads impassable. Max was like a brother to Luke,
and when Luke had taken the job at The Mirabel Inn, he’d convinced his friend to
move up with him, leaving a hotel job he had in Virginia.
After three cups of coffee, Luke felt they were prepared for
anything. Max had agreed to order additional essentials right away, just in
case.
When they were finished Max leaned forward with a quizzical
look on his face. “By the way, I just had a strange experience. I was walking
past the library when I spotted a woman sitting near the window. She was running
her fingers over the windowsill, and then she got up and walked around the room,
checking the tabletops and the fireplace mantel.” Max rubbed his head. “If I
didn’t know better, I’d say she was checking for dust. Thank God Mary was
nowhere in sight. She’s got little tolerance for anyone who dares to imply that
the cleaning isn’t up to par.”
“That’s odd. What did the woman look like?”
“She was around five foot five, with short dark hair, and she
was wearing a pair of jeans and a bright orange T-shirt. The couples taking part
in the Christmas Getaway event must be younger than I thought.”
Luke had a pretty good idea who was loitering in the library.
She should have been in his office with him, not out there drawing attention to
herself. “I’ll look into it,” he said, getting out of his chair and heading for
the library.
He didn’t want it to be Marnie. He’d explained to her that it
would be best if she didn’t wander around too much by herself, and raise
questions in the minds of the other guests. And what was she doing in the
library checking for dust? Unease rose through him, followed by annoyance. Last
night she’d been asking questions about the bar and now she’d been inspecting
the library when she was supposed to find him after she finished up at the
spa.
When he first reached the library the room appeared to be
empty. Then he saw her over by the windows that overlooked the side lawn. The
morning light caught the blue and crystal ornaments on the Christmas tree a few
feet from where Marnie sat. The whole room glowed with a magical light, the air
filled with the scent of pine and cinnamon.
She hadn’t noticed him yet, her attention focused on the cell
phone in her lap. She seemed so alone, her expression sad. He had a sudden urge
to protect her from whatever made her feel so bad.
She turned, her eyes aimed directly at his. “I went looking for
you, but Amanda said you were in a meeting.”
“And I was looking for you earlier so you could attend the
meeting. All part of you being my assistant,” he said, hoping she’d explain what
she’d been doing in this room.
“Well, we’re together now.” She closed her cell phone, a hint
of amusement capturing her eyes as she continued to look at him. Was she teasing
him? The idea had its appeal.
What he wouldn’t give to be able to sit down beside her and
talk about anything and everything except work. How long had it been since he’d
had a conversation that wasn’t about the inn, its operation or its guests? And
why did it suddenly matter to him?
That odd, totally unexpected feeling he’d experienced when
she’d agreed to stay and be his assistant had left him perplexed by how easily
she’d slipped into his life, his thoughts—and now she was making him want for
things he hadn’t missed before.
When she’d told him she wasn’t married, that her brother had
made up the story to get her a reservation, he’d been so damned glad he’d wanted
to get up and dance. Marnie had turned his life on its end, and he was
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