Read Online Holiday Magic (Second Chance) by Susanne Matthews - Free Book Online
Authors: Susanne Matthews
Ads: Link
the man-hours required, the driving distance and transportation costs, and the long term rental fee, and soon had Mrs. Ingram’s keys in his hand. Everything she had ordered, except the Christmas tree itself would come from the warehouse. The decorating team, which would consist of him and Georgia since the others would be needed to decorate for the wedding, would have to leave before noon to be able to get up there, do the work, and get back in a day. He wondered if Georgia had realized they would have to work alone to get this done on time?
“Feel free to stay Friday night. We won’t be up until Tuesday, so you’re welcome to use the chalet. I really appreciate you doing this for me on such short notice, and I’d like to thank you somehow. You’ll have to bring your own bedding. There isn’t any there, since I’m bringing it up at the first of the week, but I’ll have the caretaker bring in wood for the fire and get groceries. I’ll call him and tell him to get them on before the weekend instead of after.”
“ Thanks, for the offer, but we’ll probably decorate and dash.”
“ Well, I’ll call him anyway. The weather changes suddenly up there.”
He smiled. The thought of having Georgia alone appealed to him very much; maybe as a captive audience, he could get her to listen to him.
Not in a million years, he thought.
After Mrs. Ingram had left, he checked the long term weather forecast—the lady had been right. There was snow predicted for the weekend, so being prepared to stay might not be such a bad idea. He would call Eleni and make sure she mentioned it to Georgia. Mountain roads could be treacherous, and the four inches predicted could easily be more at the higher altitudes.
Chapter Seven
“How is it going?” he asked, entering the warehouse.
“ Fine,” Sam said and closed the lid on the bin full of favors she had been counting.
Mark turned to Georgia, whose derriere, in tight jeans, as she bent over a box of ribbon was giving his body all kinds of ideas. Down boy, he ordered his imagination.
“ Mrs. Ingram’s quote is done. I can finish up here if you like, and you can go work out the details. By the way, you do realize that it’ll be you and me going up there?”
Georgia paled, indicating to him that she had realized no such thing.
“Why can’t the others go?”
Sam laughed. “Did you forget that the Gatsby wedding is next Friday night? We’ll be busy decorating for it all day. Meg is cutting her morning classes, with permission of course, and we’ll need the boys for the church and the ceiling. Allie will have to man the showroom, so unless you can convince one of the seamstresses to go with you, you’re out of staff. Sorry, boss, but we can’t be in two places at once.”
“Damn! I thought the wedding was Saturday.”
He put his arm out to touch her shoulder and felt the shiver run through her as waves of desire flowed through him.
Well, I guess she’s not completely immune to me, he thought, hoping that what she felt wasn’t revulsion. He remembered the way her body had reacted to his on Saturday night. He knew what made her skin flush that way. He smiled. Maybe there was hope after all. Chemistry was as good a place as any to start.
“ If we leave before noon, we can get up there, decorate, and be back by midnight. It’ll be a long day, but you can sleep in the van on the way home. We just have to be careful about the weather. They can get some nasty, freak storms in the mountains.”
She nodded. “I guess so. I’m sorry about this. If I’d realized that the wedding was the same day, I wouldn’t have taken this contract. I guess I’m no better than Eleni at reading fine print,” she joked. “I’m used to Saturday weddings. I hope it won’t interfere with your other job or your weekend plans.”
“I have enough notice to reschedule, and I had no weekend plans.” Nothing I wouldn’t have canceled for the chance to spend the day
“Feel free to stay Friday night. We won’t be up until Tuesday, so you’re welcome to use the chalet. I really appreciate you doing this for me on such short notice, and I’d like to thank you somehow. You’ll have to bring your own bedding. There isn’t any there, since I’m bringing it up at the first of the week, but I’ll have the caretaker bring in wood for the fire and get groceries. I’ll call him and tell him to get them on before the weekend instead of after.”
“ Thanks, for the offer, but we’ll probably decorate and dash.”
“ Well, I’ll call him anyway. The weather changes suddenly up there.”
He smiled. The thought of having Georgia alone appealed to him very much; maybe as a captive audience, he could get her to listen to him.
Not in a million years, he thought.
After Mrs. Ingram had left, he checked the long term weather forecast—the lady had been right. There was snow predicted for the weekend, so being prepared to stay might not be such a bad idea. He would call Eleni and make sure she mentioned it to Georgia. Mountain roads could be treacherous, and the four inches predicted could easily be more at the higher altitudes.
Chapter Seven
“How is it going?” he asked, entering the warehouse.
“ Fine,” Sam said and closed the lid on the bin full of favors she had been counting.
Mark turned to Georgia, whose derriere, in tight jeans, as she bent over a box of ribbon was giving his body all kinds of ideas. Down boy, he ordered his imagination.
“ Mrs. Ingram’s quote is done. I can finish up here if you like, and you can go work out the details. By the way, you do realize that it’ll be you and me going up there?”
Georgia paled, indicating to him that she had realized no such thing.
“Why can’t the others go?”
Sam laughed. “Did you forget that the Gatsby wedding is next Friday night? We’ll be busy decorating for it all day. Meg is cutting her morning classes, with permission of course, and we’ll need the boys for the church and the ceiling. Allie will have to man the showroom, so unless you can convince one of the seamstresses to go with you, you’re out of staff. Sorry, boss, but we can’t be in two places at once.”
“Damn! I thought the wedding was Saturday.”
He put his arm out to touch her shoulder and felt the shiver run through her as waves of desire flowed through him.
Well, I guess she’s not completely immune to me, he thought, hoping that what she felt wasn’t revulsion. He remembered the way her body had reacted to his on Saturday night. He knew what made her skin flush that way. He smiled. Maybe there was hope after all. Chemistry was as good a place as any to start.
“ If we leave before noon, we can get up there, decorate, and be back by midnight. It’ll be a long day, but you can sleep in the van on the way home. We just have to be careful about the weather. They can get some nasty, freak storms in the mountains.”
She nodded. “I guess so. I’m sorry about this. If I’d realized that the wedding was the same day, I wouldn’t have taken this contract. I guess I’m no better than Eleni at reading fine print,” she joked. “I’m used to Saturday weddings. I hope it won’t interfere with your other job or your weekend plans.”
“I have enough notice to reschedule, and I had no weekend plans.” Nothing I wouldn’t have canceled for the chance to spend the day
Similar Books
