“Guilty as charged,” he admitted. “Though I have to say, there’s something satisfying about actually helping people instead of just writing checks.”
“Don’t go getting all philosophical on me now,” I teased. “Next thing you know, you’ll be telling me you want to move to a small town and sell Christmas trees for a living.”
The moment the words left my mouth, I felt heat creep up my neck. That sounded dangerously close to an invitation to forever.
I quickly cleared my throat. “I’m taking you into town tonight,” I announced. “I want to show you more of what Northwood has to offer.”
“Sounds perfect,” he agreed. “I’d like that.”
I needed to talk to Dad about the offer first, though. The papers Kent had brought back were burning a hole in my consciousness. I couldn’t wait another minute to share the incredible news with my family.
“How about we meet in the lobby in an hour?” I asked.
“Sounds good.”
I hurried up to the main house and found Mom in the kitchen, but Dad was in the shower. I could hear the water running upstairs and knew he’d probably be a while. I wanted to see his face when I told him about the money. It was going to be the miracle we had been too afraid to hope for.
But I also wanted to get home, shower, and get dressed for my date.
“Mom, can you make sure Dad sees this tonight?” I asked, setting the stack of documents on the kitchen counter. “It’s from Kent’s family. It’s… it’s incredible. It’s going to change everything.”
Mom looked at the paperwork curiously, but I was too excited to stick around for explanations. “I’m going into town. I’ll be back late. We’ll talk in the morning.”
I kissed her cheek and practically bounced out of the house, my mind already racing ahead to the evening I had planned.
The man I was falling for really was good, despite my momentary doubts when he’d left so abruptly. I’d gotten in myhead about him abandoning me, but here he was, back with a solution that could save everything. He was my potential salvation and my family’s saving grace.
Tonight, I wanted to show him all the magic that Northwood had to offer. I wanted him to fall in love with this place the way I had, so that even after the business deal was done, he might want to stay.
Or at least visit more often.
I rushed back to my apartment above the garage, my heart still racing from the incredible turn of events. Two hundred million dollars. The number kept echoing in my head like some kind of beautiful dream I was afraid to wake up from.
I stripped out of my work clothes and jumped into the shower, letting the hot water wash away the pine sap and the lingering stress of the past few days. As I shampooed my hair, I couldn’t stop smiling. Kent had come back and he’d brought with him the answer to all our prayers.
I’d been so wrong about him. So wrong about his intentions and his character. The man I’d fallen for wasn’t some heartless player who used women and discarded them. He was someone who genuinely cared enough to find a way to save my family’s legacy.
When I stepped out of the shower, I caught sight of myself in the bathroom mirror and barely recognized the woman staring back at me. My eyes were bright with hope for the first time in months. My skin was flushed with excitement rather than worry. I looked alive in a way I hadn’t felt since before all our financial troubles started.
I wrapped myself in a towel and padded to my closet, suddenly faced with the delicious dilemma of what to wear for Kent. I wanted to look good for him. Really good. This felt like a celebration, like the beginning of something wonderful.
I pulled out dress after dress, holding them up to myself in the mirror, but nothing felt right. Too formal. I pulled out my black skinny jeans, knee-high boots, and blue sweater. I quickly put on makeup and then rushed to the lodge.
Kent was standing in the lobby, staring at one of the trees he helped decorate. The man was very contemplative today. I wondered if he was thinking about things he might want to change. With the kind of money he was investing, I would absolutely be open to hearing his opinions.
We drove into town in Brom’s truck. Kent offered to drive, but I didn’t want to risk him sliding off the road. I knew how to drive in this stuff.
We went to my favorite restaurant, a cozy family-owned place where I’d been going since I was a kid. The owner, Mrs. Rosetti, lit up when she saw me come through the door.
“Sylvie! And who is this handsome stranger?” she asked with the kind of obvious matchmaking intentions that only elderly Italian women could get away with.
“This is Kent,” I said, blushing slightly. “He’s staying at the lodge.”
“Well, any friend of Sylvie’s gets the best table in the house,” Mrs. Rosetti declared, leading us to a corner booth with a view of the snow-covered street outside.
The food was exactly as I remembered. It was made with the kind of love that you could taste in every bite. Kent seemed genuinely impressed by both the meal and the warm atmosphere, asking thoughtful questions about the restaurant’s history and how long the Rosetti family had been in Northwood.
After dinner, we bundled up and went for a walk through town.
