I wanted to reach over and hug him, assure him, but I tucked my hands beneath my cheek instead. “Holden, I know I haven’t been here long. But the staff talks about you with respect for what you’ve built here, and they’re all in on your vision.” I smiled faintly. “The day I arrived, when I stopped for gas down in Steele Valley before driving up the mountain, even the clerk and two customers were talking about this lodge, eager to see it open. You have nothing to worry about.”
“Thanks. You really think so?”
“I do.” I surprised myself with how certain I sounded. “I’ve helped open restaurants before. It’s always chaos until it isn’t. Somehow it all comes together at the finish line.” Under my breath I added, “Except when my ex-fiancé shut down the restaurant I’d poured my heart into.”
“You deserved better than how that ended.” He must have heard me.
“Brad turned into a real bastard after I left him,” I muttered, my shoulders tightening. “Closed our restaurant. Pulled strings with his family so no one in their circle of business associates would hire me. Spread rumors about me throughout Europe. I hate thinking about it. I didn’t know when I ran from our wedding ceremony that it’d end up being the worst Christmas, ruining the holiday for me, and my life, too.”
“We should make a rule not to talk about him again. Or say his name. In fact, consider him banished from Snow Quest Lodge forever.”
“That’s fine by me.” A laugh slipped out.
A minute later, he cleared his throat. “So… you did end up having the best Christmas Eve ever here with me tonight, right?”
I rolled my eyes, but my lips curved. “This room is beautiful. The tree was a lovely surprise. Thank you.”
The fire popped. For a moment, I watched the flames and just breathed. Relaxing wasn’t my strong suit.
“Was there ever a Best Christmas before Br—er, you know who?” he asked.
The answer rose immediately. I blinked hard, because that memory came with a sting. “Yeah. It was the last Christmas I spent with my grandfather, Julian Childs.”
“You cooked with a legend.” Awe threaded his tone.
I corrected, “The world had the Legend. I cooked with my pops. And that Christmas we prepared the perfect meal.”
The memory hit, and words flowed. “We made magret de canard, a seared duck breast, with crispy skin, cherries, figs, and a red wine reduction. Chestnut stuffing was the perfect accompaniment, as was the gratin dauphinois. And to finish it all off, we baked Bûche de Noël.”
“I’m jealous. My mouth is watering from whatever you said. Why is it that fancy food sounds so seductive?”
I smiled at the memory. “Pops made me taste everything. I had to close my eyes and identify the spice, but also the feeling each dish gave me. He reminded me that food should be made with love.”
Holden didn’t interrupt, but his intense attention covered me like a blanket.
“It was the last meal we made together before he passed,” I finished quietly. “If only I’d known that’d be our last Christmas together.”
My eyes burned. I blinked it away, swallowing the lump in my throat.
“There it is. The Christmas magic you’ve been missing. That’s what I’m hoping you’re bringing to Quest.That.What he gave you.” He shifted, sheets rustling, leaning up on his elbow, taking full view of me. “You bring that to this restaurant, Lilah, and I honestly think all your dreams will come true.”
Tingles ran down my spine, chasing away a chill, filling my soul with something new—a warmth I hadn’t felt in a very long time.
“Thank you,” I whispered.
“For what?” he asked.
“Just thank you, Holden.”
“No problem.” He let out a huge yawn and stretched, ruining the tenderness of the moment, which was probably for the best.
“Chilly over there?” A smile hinted behind his low tone. “Because if you are, now that we’re—friendly—we could move the cots closer together. For heat conservation purposes, of course.”
I huffed a laugh. “Nice try, Mr. Snowman.”
“Can’t blame a guy for trying to get close with the only woman on this mountain for Christmas,” he mused.
“What, like we’d have a fling for the weekend? What would happen when everyone returns, and things around here get back to normal?”
