I retrieved the sandwich I had packed earlier from the kitchen refrigerator and followed Kent to the seating area near the stone fireplace. Snow was just beginning to fall outside the windows, adding to the cozy atmosphere of the lodge.
Elvis was now singing “Blue Christmas.”
It was one of my mom’s favorite songs.
Kent seemed oddly nervous as we settled into the comfortable chairs by the fire. He kept shifting in his seat. “What’s with all the new decorations?” he asked.
“Party.” I swallowed the bite of my sandwich. I realized I was probably not being very lady-like, but I was famished.Tough titty, city boy. Real women need to eat.
“Party?” he asked.
“Tomorrow. It’s our annual holiday party. Nothing too big. The big one is Christmas Eve.”
“I wasn’t aware you could possibly decorate more.” Humor sparkled in his eyes as he glanced around.
I grinned. “Oh, just wait.”
He grimaced. “That sounds dangerous.”
I laughed. “I bet your home growing up was decked out. Rich people can afford all the extra stuff. And servants to put it all up for them.”
He shook his head. “It was tasteful. The garland. The perfect tree. Nothing like this.”
I almost felt bad for him. But I imagined his Christmases were pretty impressive. They were just different from my own. He took another sip of his coffee and looked around. Most of the lodge guests were either in town or out exploring the property. It was quiet. Just us. Mom was busy trying to do the knitting thing and Brom and Stacy were in the big hall. We were essentially alone. I could see something was on his mind.
Was it about the kiss? Did he regret it? Did he think he owed me an apology? I hoped not because I didn’t want an apology. If I was being honest, I wanted another one. If he was sorry about it, that would definitely be a downer. Should I have popped a mint under that mistletoe?
“Everything okay?” I asked quietly.
“I’ve been doing a lot of thinking,” he began, then paused like he was trying to find the right words.
My heart dropped into my stomach. I got the feeling it was important, and I didn’t think I was going to like what he had to say.
“About?” I murmured.
“About what you told me yesterday. About your family’s situation.”
My heart started beating faster. This was it, the conversation I’d been hoping for since he’d first mentioned investment opportunities. It had nothing to do with the kiss.
“And?” I prompted, trying to keep my voice casual even though I was vibrating with anticipation.
“I think there might be a way to save your family’s business,” he said slowly. “I can’t make any promises, and I wouldn’t have final say over the contract terms. But I could reach out to my brothers, present your situation to the family business. See if we can put together an offer that would work for everyone.”
The words hit me like a bolt of lightning. For a moment, I couldn’t quite process what he just said. My brain hiccupped. An offer. From the Bancrofts. A real, actual business proposition that could save everything. It was what I was hoping for but had been too afraid to really let myself hold on to the idea.
And now it was happening.
Maybe.
Possibly.
But that was better than no hope at all.
Before I could stop myself, I screamed with delight and threw my arms around him.
Kent went completely rigid at first, clearly caught off guard by my enthusiastic response. But I was so overcome with relief and joy that I couldn’t contain myself. I squeezed him tight, feeling the solid warmth of his chest against me, and pressed a grateful kiss to his cheek.
“Are you serious?” I asked, pulling back to look at his face. “You really think your family would be interested in investing here?”
