“Cider would be great! Come on, I’ll help you find what you need,” Rill blurted.
Before long, a tree decorating party was in full swing. Owen used clippers to trim a few branches to make the tree look more balanced. As he scooped them up, Rill had an idea.
“I think I can make some centerpieces from those. Can you save them? Maybe put them on the deck until I have time to try? Mom used to make her own arrangements. I’d like to give it a shot.”
“Sure thing, boss.” He winked at her and headed for the front door.
Speechless, she watched him go, trying her best to ignore the happiness bubbling through her like fine champagne.
“That is one fine man,” Carrie whispered in Rill’s ear. “I mean seriously hot. If I wasn’t on my honeymoon, I’d be all over that.”
Rill blushed. “He is cute.”
“Cute? Girl, a puppy is cute. That man is all sorts of steamy and hotness. Don’t let him get away. He likes you. He watches your every move.”
“Um. I’m not sure I know you well enough to have this conversation,” Rill divulged.
“Well, I know him. He helped Johnathon fix his car the first time we were here. Johnathon and I met here a couple years ago. This is our third trip here. We’ve gotten to be friends with Owen. We knew this was where we’d want to honeymoon.”
“That’s awesome.” All her life, there were families that visited every year. She missed reconnecting with return guests. She didn’t get that in the city. People were friends or strangers, there was no in between. It was lonely at times, but the thrill of her job made up for it. Mostly.
♥♥♥
OWEN STOOD BEHIND RILL, his deep voice singing along withAll I Want for Christmasand unrolling lights from a roll. She could feel his eyes on her back. Every time she glanced back at him, he smiled at her. It could have felt stalker-ish, instead it felt warm. Like he adored her or something. She smiled back at him and continued to feed the lights to Johnathon up on the ladder. Once they got closer to the bottom of the tree, Owen laid out garland for the railings and Rill started on the tree ribbons.
When the lights and ribbons were finally on the tree, the men hung decorative pine garlands on the railings while the ladies placed ornaments on the tree and around the room.
“I can’t believe the variety,” Rill said. “Some of these are brand new, some of these are from when I was a kid. It’s amazing. I actually made this.” She held up a reindeer made from beads, macaroni, and googly eyes.
“Look at these,” Ozitta held up two fragile looking glass ornament, “There’s a whole box of these. Look at the shapes.” One looked like a cluster of purple grapes, the other like a cross between green grapes and a pickle. “They’re so old, it would be a shame if they were broken. Maybe we should find a safe place to keep them.”
“Auntie O always put those on the tree. The pink striped ones were my favorite. They’ve been around as long as I can remember.” Rill smiled at the memory. “Let’s put them higher on the tree where small hands can’t reach them.” Several families were scheduled to arrive later in the week. She didn’t want the children to touch the antique ornaments.
“Are you sure?” Ozitta asked.
“Sure? About what?” Owen asked as he passed through the room, loops of pine garland draped over his arm.
“Hanging the antique ornaments,” Rill said. “It’s a shame to leave them in the box. They need to be on display.”
“I have just the thing. I made a holder for them. I hoped to have it done for your aunt before Christmas last year. I didn’t finish it until this summer. If you set those ones aside, I’ll find it when I get a chance. It will fit on the mantle and will hold about twenty ornaments. Maybe more if you arrange them just right.”
“Really? You built a display for them?” Rill stared at him.Was there anything he couldn’t do?
“I did. Ophelia decided those ornaments needed a special place. Apparently, some of them date back to the late 1800s. They’re definitely worth protecting. I’ll find the display when we’re done here.”
“Wow. I had no idea any of these were valuable. Old is one thing, valuable is another.” Rill looked into the box of tissue-wrapped ornaments. What other delights would they uncover? “Thanks for letting me know,” she said. “I’ll set aside any that look old.”
It was sweet that Owen had built a special display to protect the antiques. He had a knack for helping out. He interacted well with the guests, treating them like friends but with just the right amount of formality. He had the gift of making them feel welcome, and if their current guests were any indication, they would become actual friends over time. Impressive. Her aunt had chosen well when she hired Owen. He was a lot like her father. He’d be a great husband and father someday. For someone else, because she wasn’t looking. She had a life to get back to.
Her aunt had seen beyond the troublesome youth. Just as Rill had when they were younger. She’d seen his pain and vulnerability. Of course, she’d still been attracted to his bad boy attitude. The only way she’d kept from chasing him as a teen was to tell herself he was a delinquent. Well, that and the fact that he was older than she was and in no way interested in a kid. Now, the sweet caring man he’d become shone through in everything he did.
As she hung the ornaments, Owen worked on the balcony that overhung the common room, joyfully singingAll I Want for Christmas is You. Listening to him put uncomfortable thoughts of the future into her head. She began to long for something she couldn’t have.
