about the special offers we’d introduced, and one booking for March. I replied to the queries: did we offer guided walks? (Yes! Micah had climbed those mountains since we were kids, he knew them backwards.) Were there enough things to do to keep a tech-obsessed ten-year-old busy and away from his phone? (Yes! Plenty of indoor and outdoor activities, enough that screen time would be forgotten.) Did we cater for gluten intolerance? (Yes!) And lastly, could dance lessons be booked ahead of arrival so they didn’t miss out? (Sure!)
I felt a real thrill replying because obviously our marketing campaigns were working, judging by the sorts of questions we were being asked. With that done, I went about the lodge taking photos, ready to share them across our social media accounts, knowing that, for most Americans, today would be a quiet day, and a lot of people would be lazing at home scrolling through their phones.
Outside, I took photos of the sleds by the bank of the ice rink, catching snowflakes drifting down, and uploaded the best one to Instagram with the hashtags #WinterWonderland at #CedarwoodLodge. I enjoyed the chatty aspect of social media, and liked to see our pages growing, knowing it was all about the numbers – the more followers we had, the more people were aware of the lodge, which always gave me a little buzz.
I tucked my phone into my back pocket, and headed to the eastern side of the property. I debated with myself whether to hunt for the maze again. I could have asked Isla to show me, but it didn’t feel right. So instead I turned back to the lodge, leaving it hidden for one more day.
Micah and Isla were standing together in the front garden, Isla gesticulating wildly as she directed Micah toward a hedge. “What are you two up to? I would have expected you to still be asleep or even spending the day lolling around on the sofa?” I said as I came up next to Isla and watched Micah trimming the top of the hedge.
“Clio,” Isla said, snaking an arm around me and giving me a squeeze. “We’re so sorry we missed seeing your mom and Aunt Bessie yesterday. We just got so caught up with Micah’s family, and then we watched Christmas movies, and before we knew it, pretty much everyone was snoring on a couch somewhere.”
Seeing them work together in the snowy landscape, their laughing and teasing, turned my wedding-planner mode back on. For some reason I couldn’t help picturing their nuptials, and they weren’t even engaged. A spring wedding… Flowers blooming, a bright bouquet of yellow tulips, a simple white sheath dress for Isla, Micah wearing a casual, cream-colored linen suit. A violinist in the corner playing a sweet song as Isla walked down the aisle…
“Hey,” Micah said, pulling me into a tight hug and out of my reverie. “How was Christmas? Get everything you asked for…?” He raised an eyebrow suggestively and I gave him a sisterly shove.
“Yes, I did actually!” I said, faux-haughtily. “Yesterday was great, even Mom was there and, well, it went pretty well. She stayed the whole time, and get this – she’s even started baking with Aunt Bessie.”
Micah’s mouth fell open. “Annabelle is baking? And had Christmas lunch with all of you?”
“Right? Wonders will never cease.”
“Maybe she just needed time, Clio. Or needed you back,” he said more softly.
I nodded.
We chatted more about their Christmas, laughing about the bawdy songs they’d taught the talking elf and exclaiming over Micah’s family traditions, which basically involved watching every Christmas movie ever made.
As we were walking back toward the house, Kai walked out from the woods, his presence making me jelly-legged. Damn it.
“Hey, guys,” he called out, “need some help?”
They waved him over, and wished each other well.
It reminded me… “What are you guys doing here? The garden could wait another day…”
Isla shook her head. “Not really. We wanted the front to look perfect for guests for the New Year’s Eve party, so we figured we’d make a start. Besides, I had to do something, I spent all day yesterday on my butt eating.”
We laughed. It felt good to be outside, moving around, the lethargy of the day before vanishing.
“Can I tempt you in for coffee?”
“We’ll get this hedge sorted and join you,” Isla said.
“Great.” I wandered back into the lodge, Kai beside me. We kept sneaking looks at each other, and eventually giggled as it got the best of us.
“Nice to see you’re treating your body well again,” I joked.
He waggled his brows. “Didn’t want to let you down, after what you said.”
I blushed, remembering. “My mouth doesn’t always link with my brain.”
“That’s what I love about you,” he said.
Love? Just a figure of speech, Clio.
After coffee Kai went for a shower and I went to the office to finalize my plans; Timothy was due and I didn’t want to be caught unprepared. Masquerade balls were such fun to organize, but they were lots of work and we were already on the back foot time-wise.
I sat heavily, and tried to focus on the paperwork in front of me. There was a knock at the door and Timothy stuck his head in, surprising me, as I hadn’t heard his car in the driveway and wasn’t expecting him until later that afternoon.
“You’re early!” I said, getting up to greet him. He cut a fine figure with his tight jeans and fitted black-knit sweater, smooth skin and deep, intoxicating gaze, like he’d just stepped off the cover of a men’s fashion magazine.
Those deep-brown eyes of his bored straight into me, and for a moment I was a teenager again, belly flip-flopping, before I reined myself in. Being back in Evergreen sometimes brought out that gangly, bright-eyed girl, especially when Tim gave me the special smile he’d reserved only for me, once upon a time.
When he smiled a dimple appeared in his cheek. A memory rushed at me – I used to kiss that spot on his skin. “Yeah, sorry, I should have called. My boss has given me a checklist so long I don’t know if the party will even be possible in such a short amount of time, so I figured we’d better meet earlier.” By the pitch in his voice, it was clear Timothy was nervous. I couldn’t remember ever seeing him anything other than assured. This party was important to him.
I gestured for him to sit down and said, “Well, early is better than late. Would you like some coffee? Or hot chocolate?”
“No, I’m OK. Before we get started, I wanted to give you this.” He reached into his bag and produced an exquisitely wrapped box.
“You shouldn’t have, Tim!” I blushed, feeling like a teenager all over again in his presence. I didn’t know why he had that hold over me. It was like I regressed to the old me – and I wasn’t sure it was a good thing.
“It’ll make you smile, that’s all.”
Unwrapping the present, I pulled out a cassette from the box
