Justin stiffened.
Suzette let out a soft gasp. “Mrs. Harmon … please …”
The woman waved her bejeweled hand. “Oh, relax, Suzette. I’m not going to out the two of you. It’s about damned time you had a beau in your life.”
And then those sharp green eyes swung back to him.
He resisted the urge to squirm under her penetrating gaze.
“I come to Paternoster every Christmas,” she declared. “Stay in my son’s house just up the road. I’ve watched this hotel change over the years — transform into the jewel it is today. All under the care of our dear Suzette. Do yourself a favor and hold on tight. You won’t find a better woman.”
“I completely agree, ma’am. My sweet Suze is an absolute gem.” He glanced at said gem beside him. Arms folded, watching him and Mrs. Harmon spar with equal parts horror and amusement. “But the thing is … is she willing to put up with me?”
Mrs. Harmon narrowed her eyes, lips pursing thoughtfully. “Hmm. I see your point. You do come with some … complications.”
He offered a wry smile. “A few, yes.”
“Take heart, dearie. Love can overcome complications.” She thrust her plate toward him. “Now dish me some lobster. And don’t be stingy. Not with what I’m paying to eat here today. Although” — she sniffed — “considering the caliber of waitstaff they employ these days, it’s no wonder they upped the price.”
He couldn’t help but laugh as he placed a generous portion on her plate. “You’re a hoot, Mrs. Harmon.”
“You may call me Clarice.” She leaned in conspiratorially. “But if you want to stay incognito, lose the Breitling,” she stage whispered. “That watch is a dead giveaway.”
*
Suzette followed Justin out onto the patio and sank into a chair with a heavy sigh. “I was going to suggest a walk on the beach, but I honestly can’t imagine another moment on my feet.”
“Not surprising,” he said. “You’ve not had a break all day.”
She shrugged. “Par for the course.”
“But you love it.”
“I do.”
“Why?”
“It makes me happy.” Suzette tilted her head, as old memories surfaced. “Christmas in the home was always a bit … bleak. One of our few highlights was the Christmas movies they let us watch.”
She blinked, the connection suddenly clicking, and looked at him. “RememberThe Little Lantern Keeper?”
He frowned. “The movie? The one where I played the boy?”
She nodded. “There was this one scene … a family on the edge of town, just about to sit down to their Christmas dinner. You placed that lantern on their porch, and it guided the lost man and his daughter through the snow straight to their door.”
She smiled faintly at the memory. “The family invited them in. And for the first time in years, that man and his little girl had a happy Christmas.” Drawing in a slow breath, she admitted, “And I decided that’s what I wanted to do one day — make Christmas magical for other people. Like you did.”
Justin stared at her, the moment stretching between them. “You’re kidding,” he finally said, his voice quiet. “That … that movie meant that much to you?”
“It changed my life.”
He blew out a slow breath and rubbed the back of his neck. “I can’t believe it. I thought that role was lame. I sulked about having to play ‘the sweet kid with the magical lantern.’ I wantedto play a cool teenager or at least something where I didn’t have to wear a knitted Christmas scarf.”
Suzette’s lips twitched. “You looked very cute in that scarf.”
A startled laugh escaped him. “I was twelve. Cute was the last thing I wanted to be.” His expression shifted, softening. “I honestly didn’t think anyone took that movie seriously.”
“You’ve had a huge influence on my life, Justin. Your movies…” Suzette hesitated, realization hitting her square in the chest, almost knocking the breath from her. “Your movies … they matter.”
