I chose not to point out that he was usually the one doing the knocking over.
I headed back up to the lodge, running through the list of things I had to do today. And of course, one of the dominant thoughts on my mind was him. Kent Bancroft.
That damn kiss had rocked my world. I was too proud to tell him that. It would go straight to his head. I had no idea what he was planning on doing for the day. Would he hang out in his room? Take a drive? Damn, I really hoped he didn’t try to drive that car. I didn’t think he actually knew how to drive in snow and ice. I didn’t want to have to rescue him. And I really didn’t want him to get hurt.
Or hurt someone else.
When I walked into the lodge, I spotted Mom behind the desk. That was weird. And just a little nostalgic.
It turned out Mom had stepped in to run the front desk for the day, which was a huge relief. Having her handle the lodge guests meant that Brom, Stacy, and I could focus entirely on transforming the main hall into a winter wonderland for tomorrow night’s party.
The Christmas Holiday Party was one of our most cherished annual traditions, though it was relatively modest compared to the massive bash we threw on Christmas Eve for the entire town. Tomorrow night would be just for lodge guests and some close friends and local entertainers, maybe forty people total if we were lucky.
Once upon a time, we had to limit attendance because we couldn’t fit everyone who wanted to come. Now we were hoping we’d have enough people to make it feel festive rather than sparse. It was just another sign of how far we had fallen.
But I pushed those worries aside as we began hauling decorations out of storage. This was my favorite part of the holiday season. I loved the transformation and the creative process of turning an already beautiful space into something truly magical.
I had a vision for how everything should look, and thankfully, Brom and Stacy trusted me enough to let me take charge. I’d been doing this since I was a teenager. Over the years I had developed a good eye for what worked and what didn’t. It was another walk on the fine line between not enough and too much.
“Garland along all the windowsills,” I called out as Stacy emerged from the storage room with an armload of evergreen boughs. “And we’ll need the good silver candles for the mantelpiece. The tall ones, not the stubby ones from last year.”
Brom was wrestling with a massive wreath that had seen better days, trying to fluff the artificial branches back into something resembling fullness. “This thing is looking pretty rough, Sylvie. Maybe we should invest in a new one for next year.”
“If there is a next year,” Stacy muttered under her breath, then caught herself. “Sorry. I’m trying to stay positive.”
“No, you’re right to be realistic,” I said, carefully arranging ornaments on a side table. “But that’s exactly why we need to make this year perfect. If it’s our last Christmas Holiday Party, it should be one people remember. We’re going to go out with a bang.”
I climbed up on a ladder to hang a glittering snowflake decoration above the front door in the foyer. It was one of my favorite pieces, a delicate crystal creation that caught the light beautifully and cast tiny rainbows around the room when positioned just right. It was old, probably considered vintage at this point, but that just made it all the more precious.
As I worked to get the angle perfect, I found myself humming along to the Christmas music we had playing throughout the lodge. Despite all our worries and uncertainties, there was something about decorating that always lifted my spirits. Maybe it was the tangible nature of it, the way I could see immediateresults from my efforts. Or maybe it was just that decorating for Christmas felt like hope made visible.
“Silent Night” came on the sound system. It was the Sinead O’Connor version that I absolutely loved. I started singing along softly as I adjusted the snowflake’s position. Soon Stacy had joined in from across the room, and even Brom was humming as he worked on draping lights around the doorframes.
It felt good to be doing this together. Whatever happened with the business, we would always have moments like this. I didn’t know where we were going to land, but I hoped we managed to stay together.
I was just reaching up to make a final adjustment to the snowflake when I felt the distinct sensation of being watched. The feeling was so strong that I glanced over my shoulder to see what had caught someone’s attention.
Kent was leaning against the far wall, cradling what looked like a mug of coffee and watching me with the kind of focused attention that made my cheeks warm. Specifically, he seemed to be watching my rear end with unwavering appreciation as I stretched to reach the decoration.
I should have been annoyed. I should have wanted to climb down the ladder and tell him to stop being a creep and find something useful to do with his time.
Instead, I found myself smiling and blushing as I went back to my work. If he wanted to look, let him look. Who cared? I might have arched my back just a little, but it had nothing to do with him. I just got a better angle at the snowflake with my butt sticking out. It wasn’t a crime.
I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. No one was accusing me of anything except me. I needed to relax and put him out of my damn head.
“Do you plan on taking a break?” he called up to me. “Or are you going to be at this all day?”
So much for forgetting about him. I finished securing the snowflake. It was perfect now. It caught the morning light streaming through the windows and cast pretty little prisms all over.
I climbed down the ladder. “There’s plenty of work to do,” I told him, gesturing around the half-decorated hall. “You could pitch in if you’re looking for something to do.”
“Actually, I was hoping to speak with you,” he said, his tone suddenly more serious. “Privately.”
I caught Brom and Stacy exchanging a look across the room. They’d both noticed Kent’s interest in me, though neither had said anything directly about it yet. But I could see the curiosity in their expressions, the questions they weren’t asking.
“I could spare a few minutes,” I said, realizing that I was actually starving. I’d been so focused on getting started with the decorating that I’d skipped breakfast entirely. “Let me grab my lunch. Did you eat? Do you want something?”
“I’m good,” he said.
