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Authors: Stella Maclean
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him, he
couldn’t think of an intelligent word to say. And if that wasn’t enough, he
suddenly felt awkward, out of his depth. “Why don’t we go to my office before we
go to dinner? I need to talk to you about something.”
She wrinkled her perfectly smooth brow. “If you’d like.” She
slid off the stool and waved to Jack who waved back, and then winked at Luke.
“But if your concern is over my room, I’m quite happy with it, and I’m really
looking forward to having a spa treatment tomorrow.”
His thoughts rattling around his mind like marbles in a tin
can, he followed her from the bar, mesmerized by her walk, and the curl of hair
snaking down the nape of her long neck.
You need to get out more, date a few
women.
When they reached his office, he closed the door and moved
quickly to sit behind his desk. He needed to be behind his desk, otherwise he’d
be tempted to touch her, and touching her was out of the question.
“Ah, we have a problem,” he said, forcing himself to get
straight to the point.
“A problem? With what?” she asked, looking completely perplexed
and totally endearing.
For a few minutes he considered backing out of his decision to
find out what was going on with this woman and her reservation. But tomorrow was
the first day of an event that was critical to the success of the inn’s winter
season, a season he’d spent thousands of dollars of his advertising budget on,
and he couldn’t let it be jeopardized.
His conversation with Jack made it even more urgent that he
find out what was going on with her. “You’re aware that this Christmas Getaway
event is starting tomorrow, and those couples signed up because they want to
have a stress-free Christmas vacation, right?”
“Yes, you explained all that.”
“Your reservation is for two people.” He cleared his throat to
ease his nervousness. “Will your husband be joining you tomorrow?”
“My husband?” she asked, her expression one of complete
disbelief.
“Your reservation is made out in the name of Mr. and Mrs. Scott
McLaughlan.”
She choked. “What?”
Why the surprise? Had she planned all along to come without her
husband and now she’d been found out? Was she meeting one of the other guests?
Surely not Brad Parker. He and his wife seemed so happy when he met them at the
reception desk earlier. But if there was something going on between Brad and
Marnie, it might explain why she insisted on staying here.
He pulled the reservation from the pile of papers on the corner
of his desk. “See, there it is.” He pointed to the names on the reservation.
“We’ve been heavily promoting this package. Your husband would have been
informed when making the booking that it was a couples event.”
She read it slowly, her lips pursed into a stubborn arch. “You
wouldn’t have accepted the reservation unless I was coming here with…my
husband.”
“Not for the next few days. The package officially starts
tomorrow, the 22nd, and runs until the 26th of December. We have a dinner party
as the final event.”
“So, what do you want me to do?” she asked.
She hadn’t made any comment about her husband’s name being on
the reservation, and she hadn’t offered any explanation for his absence. “It
would be helpful to know when your husband is going to join you.”
She started to speak, then lowered her head and peered at her
hands resting in her lap. “I don’t know.”
“Is he delayed?”
“He’s… I’m calling him this evening....”
He rubbed his face, a deep sigh escaping his lips. “In the
meantime, we have to come to some sort of…arrangement.”
“An arrangement.” Her voice dropped twenty degrees, but two
bright red spots appeared on her cheeks.
What in the hell was he doing? What arrangement would work that
wouldn’t get him into more trouble? “Please try to understand my predicament. If
you’re to stay here alone until your husband arrives you’ll have to keep a low
profile. It might work
couldn’t think of an intelligent word to say. And if that wasn’t enough, he
suddenly felt awkward, out of his depth. “Why don’t we go to my office before we
go to dinner? I need to talk to you about something.”
She wrinkled her perfectly smooth brow. “If you’d like.” She
slid off the stool and waved to Jack who waved back, and then winked at Luke.
“But if your concern is over my room, I’m quite happy with it, and I’m really
looking forward to having a spa treatment tomorrow.”
His thoughts rattling around his mind like marbles in a tin
can, he followed her from the bar, mesmerized by her walk, and the curl of hair
snaking down the nape of her long neck.
You need to get out more, date a few
women.
When they reached his office, he closed the door and moved
quickly to sit behind his desk. He needed to be behind his desk, otherwise he’d
be tempted to touch her, and touching her was out of the question.
“Ah, we have a problem,” he said, forcing himself to get
straight to the point.
“A problem? With what?” she asked, looking completely perplexed
and totally endearing.
For a few minutes he considered backing out of his decision to
find out what was going on with this woman and her reservation. But tomorrow was
the first day of an event that was critical to the success of the inn’s winter
season, a season he’d spent thousands of dollars of his advertising budget on,
and he couldn’t let it be jeopardized.
His conversation with Jack made it even more urgent that he
find out what was going on with her. “You’re aware that this Christmas Getaway
event is starting tomorrow, and those couples signed up because they want to
have a stress-free Christmas vacation, right?”
“Yes, you explained all that.”
“Your reservation is for two people.” He cleared his throat to
ease his nervousness. “Will your husband be joining you tomorrow?”
“My husband?” she asked, her expression one of complete
disbelief.
“Your reservation is made out in the name of Mr. and Mrs. Scott
McLaughlan.”
She choked. “What?”
Why the surprise? Had she planned all along to come without her
husband and now she’d been found out? Was she meeting one of the other guests?
Surely not Brad Parker. He and his wife seemed so happy when he met them at the
reception desk earlier. But if there was something going on between Brad and
Marnie, it might explain why she insisted on staying here.
He pulled the reservation from the pile of papers on the corner
of his desk. “See, there it is.” He pointed to the names on the reservation.
“We’ve been heavily promoting this package. Your husband would have been
informed when making the booking that it was a couples event.”
She read it slowly, her lips pursed into a stubborn arch. “You
wouldn’t have accepted the reservation unless I was coming here with…my
husband.”
“Not for the next few days. The package officially starts
tomorrow, the 22nd, and runs until the 26th of December. We have a dinner party
as the final event.”
“So, what do you want me to do?” she asked.
She hadn’t made any comment about her husband’s name being on
the reservation, and she hadn’t offered any explanation for his absence. “It
would be helpful to know when your husband is going to join you.”
She started to speak, then lowered her head and peered at her
hands resting in her lap. “I don’t know.”
“Is he delayed?”
“He’s… I’m calling him this evening....”
He rubbed his face, a deep sigh escaping his lips. “In the
meantime, we have to come to some sort of…arrangement.”
“An arrangement.” Her voice dropped twenty degrees, but two
bright red spots appeared on her cheeks.
What in the hell was he doing? What arrangement would work that
wouldn’t get him into more trouble? “Please try to understand my predicament. If
you’re to stay here alone until your husband arrives you’ll have to keep a low
profile. It might work
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