“Spoken like a true attorney,” Zion said.
“Well, this attorney has an opposing view,” Eli said, frowning. “I agree with Bronson. I’m beginning to smell a rat.” He switched his gaze to York. “How soon will your men wrap up their investigation?”
“I put a rush on it. I told them to enjoy Christmas, but I wanted the information before New Year’s. I have no reason to think I won’t get it.”
“Good,” Sebastian said.
“In the meantime,” York said, scanning the room and meeting the gazes of all the men there. “We can’t give anything away. Especially to Palmer. If he’s up to something unsavory, we don’t want him to know we’re on to him.”
“That will be hard to do. Like I said, Tiffany is my niece,” Morgan said, frowning. “And when I married Lena, Tiffany also became my goddaughter. I don’t like the idea of this guy not being sincere.”
“Well, there’s a possibility that he’s not. Until we find out for certain, you need to work on your attitude or avoid him,” Bronson said.
“I agree,” York added.
“What about Chance? When do we tell him what we suspect?” Donovan asked.
Sebastian rubbed a hand down his face. “I suggest we not tell him anything until we have facts.”
“I agree with you on that,” Morgan said. “Our oldest brother has a horrible poker face. He will give something away, especially if it concerns his daughter. You think my attitude is bad, Chance’s will be worse. He’s Mr. Nice Guy until it involves a threat to the family.”
“In that case, we need to keep things from Chance.” York said. “In fact, I suggest we keep this to ourselves until we know more. We shouldn’t tell anyone…including wives. I’ll mention it to Quade because he still has connections with security agencies within the government. You never know when we might need help getting information.”
After taking a deep breath and then releasing it, York added, “Unfortunately, we’re just going to have to wait it out. Most places have shut down for the holidays. We’ll just have to act as normally as possible.”
“That’s easier said than done,” Tyson Steele said. “But we will try.”
The other men nodded in agreement.
**
Drew and Eden entered the mini-lodge, the same one where they had spent those ten days forty-one years ago. Both the exterior and interior had changed. The porch was wider and now adjacent to a covered deck that included a firepit, comfortable chairs and a swing, allowing guests to sit outside to enjoy nature’s beauty. The renovations had been done in such a way to not detract from the lodge’s architectural beauty.
The interior was where most of the remodeling had been done. It looked completely different. More square footage had been added to create a larger living room and dining area, which provided an expansive view of the lake and mountains.And there were more appliances. In fact, there was now a full working kitchen. In addition to a refrigerator, there was a stove, microwave, and dishwasher. New countertops had been installed, along with new light fixtures, flooring, and an additional bathroom. They couldn’t wait to see what changes had been made to the bedroom.
The bed was still gigantic, and the sight of the mountains and lake was still amazing. Drew held Eden in his arms as they glanced out the bedroom window. They were looking forward to waking up to this view over the coming days. “That was nice of Charlie to arrange for us to have a complimentary, additional night’s stay here in our mini-lodge. His son, Seth, seems to be just as accommodating as his dad,” Drew said.
“Seth said his father wants the chef to prepare a special dinner for us in their new dining area, which has been totally renovated,” Eden added. “He called it a bonus treat for New Year’s Eve.” She glanced around. “I can’t believe it’s been forty-one years…”
Drew chuckled. “We won’t remember how the dining area looked before. We took all our meals in here.”
“That’s true,” Eden said. “And I have no complaints.” She took his arm and cuddled closer to him. “The family will be leaving the lodge on the morning of the 31st. I understand our sons have early flights that day -they have a number of New Year’s Eve parties at home to attend.”
“So, I heard.”
“Since we’re staying behind at Mountain-Scape Lake Lodge alone, why don’t we do as we did on our first New Year’s here together -spend the entire day in bed making love and ordering room service. Then we’ll go to dinner that evening,” Eden suggested, giving him a seductive smile.
“Hmm, I love the way you think, and that sounds like a good plan to me, Mrs. Steele.” He kissed her forehead and pulled hercloser. “What a difference forty-one years make,” he whispered in her ear. “I’m glad we were able to get this place. Regardless of the renovations, it holds a lot of memories for us.”
They visited here one weekend six months ago. Before the ‘Christmas with the Steeles’ planning committee would give their final approval for the lodge, they wanted Eden to come check it out to make certain that it would accommodate all their needs. While here, Drew and Eden inquired about the mini-lodge and were told it was occupied at the time, so they hadn’t been able to tour it. However, they’d made a reservation to stay in the suite while they were here with the family for Christmas.
She nodded. “Lots of memories. Can you believe that when we were here that week, forty-one years ago, there were no cell phones? How on earth did we manage?”
Drew threw his head back and laughed. “We managed, sweetheart. It was the best time of my life, getting to know you.” He took her hand. “Let’s see if there is still a hot tub in the bathroom.”
There was. In fact, it was bigger. The shower was larger as well. Eden turned to Drew. “I’m going to love being back here reliving memories.”
“Me, too, sweetheart. And making new ones.” He swept his wife into his arms and headed back to the bedroom. Eden Tyson Steele would always be the woman who had his heart, and Drew was grateful all six of his sons had finally settled down and found beautiful, kind, and loving women as well.
