“Well, here I am,” she said lightly, forcing herself into her usual hostess mode as she pushed up. “Do you need more towels or another log for your fire?”
He shook his head. “No, nothing like that. Well…maybe a cup of tea. And”—he slid his gaze to the frosted cookies on the counter—“one of those bad boys.”
MJ laughed, grateful for the simple request. “Help yourself and have a seat. You like the lemon ginger tea, right?”
“You do know your guests’ preferences, MJ. Will that go under my picture in your book?”
“I haven’t taken your picture yet,” she remembered, snapping her fingers. “But don’t think you can get out of it. A Polaroid for every guest who’s ever stayed here. Under yours it will say…lemon ginger tea, can fix roofs, and is very…”
He lifted his brows, waiting.
“Charming,” she finished, smiling as she filled the kettle.
Charming?Oh, MJ. Are you flirting?
Maybe.
“I heard there was a lot of excitement in the paddock today,” he said. “A girl in a wheelchair rode Copper?”
“Oh, yes.” While she prepared his tea, she told him about Elise, loving that he listened so attentively and asked questions that demonstrated sympathy and heart.
She served him the tea and sat across from him, pushing the empty notebook to the side. The party could wait. Matt was too…important.
She wasn’t sure how that had happened, but it had.
His smile faltered as he lifted the mug and looked down at it, the softest sigh escaping. And all that did was make her want to know…why?
She normally didn’t really care that much about her guests’ every sigh. Oh, she worried if their rooms were warm, their bellies were full, or their beds clean and comfortable.
But she felt differently about this man, whether she wanted to admit it or not.
“Oh, I meant to tell you we’ve called the roofer,” she said after the silence lasted a beat too long.
“And? Was I right about the support beam?”
“He couldn’t come this week, but we’re on his schedule for the morning of January second. I just hope it’s…”
“A reasonable fix?” he guessed when she didn’t finish.
“We’re going to need a new roof,” she said, shaking her head. “But I don’t really want to think about that today.”
He nodded, taking a sip. “The new year will solve all your problems,” he said.
She gave a soft snort. “If only it were that easy, Matt.”
He just gave a tight, impossible-to-read smile.
“Speaking of the new year,” she said brightly, “we’re having a little gathering, just family and friends for New Year’s Eve. Will you join us?”
He raised a brow. “I’m on that VIP list?”
“Of course,” she assured him. “Just a fun celebration and…” She bit her lip. “Maybe a surprise.”
He leaned closer, intrigued. “You’re going to have to tell me.”
MJ pressed her lips together. She couldn’t ruin Jack’s big moment, no matter how tempted she was to share the secret. “I can’t. But trust me—you don’t want to miss it.”
His smile faded, and he set his mug down with a quiet clink. “I mean, you’re going to have to tell me because I won’t be here.”
