The Mills & Boon Christmas Wishes Collection. Maisey Yates
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he was left with. He had responsibilities now, real commitments, little people who needed him, trusted and relied on him. Even if I wanted to pursue something with him, it wouldn’t be breezy. There’d always be little people to consider.
Kai’s truck rumbled up the driveway, and he grinned at me through the windscreen before pulling up and jumping down from the cab.
“Morning, sunshine,” he said. “What’s with the long face?”
I gave him a slow smile, wondering how the man could be so happy so early in the morning. All that yoga, I guess. “Just thinking.”
“That’ll do it,” he said, joining me on the porch. “Close your eyes.”
I turned to him.
“Just close them.”
I did as instructed. Tingles raced down my body as I tried to anticipate what he was up to. He didn’t touch me, but I could feel his energy radiating over me somehow. My skin broke out in goose bumps. I was certain his hands hovered above, moving slowly over my head and down my chest. All my anxiety drifted away in a cloud, and I was left with a warm feeling of total contentment. I was so relaxed I was almost supine, as Kai stepped away, his footfalls squeaky on the deck.
“What was that?” I asked.
“Reiki.” He smiled and ran a hand through his hair. “It’s the best way to get rid of all those negative emotions that pull you down. It’s one of those things people scoff at, but until you’ve tried it, you just don’t know.”
I couldn’t speak. I was lost somewhere in the deep blue of his eyes.
I tried to blink the sudden attraction away, but all I could feel was his presence. Something deep inside me rose up, the tingle of expectation touching every nerve as it traveled the length of my body. In his eyes, I could see myself reflected. Before the moment could get any more awkward I stood, brushing the dust from my trousers.
“Well, I’d better…” we said in unison.
“Yeah,” he laughed.
“Don’t fidget!” Micah admonished me.
“Well, you’ve got your hand clamped over my eyes so tight I bet my eyelashes are going to snap clean off!” I laughed and took some ungainly shuffles forward.
“You can walk normally, you know, I’ve got you.”
I tried to walk but, shrouded in darkness, I couldn’t seem to remember how to do it, worried I’d trip on something.
“OK, you ready?”
“Ready,” I said.
“One, two, three,” he said, taking his palm from my eyes. “It’s done! Again. And ready to decorate. So get your skates on and let’s do this!”
I gasped, and put a hand to my mouth. “Micah! How did you get it done?” The ballroom stood empty before me. The ceilings had been redone, the new reproduction chandeliers hung. New downlights had been fitted, and the scorched smell had evaporated. The walls were fixed and painted. The ash and rubble had been removed, and the floors waxed to a shine, ready for the tap of dancing shoes.
“It wasn’t me,” he grinned. “Kai got everyone together, and with all hands on deck…”
“But yesterday… I just thought there was too much to be done.” I guess I’d been the one who’d given up hope, and hadn’t noticed they’d all pulled together one last time.
“Where is he?”
Micah pointed to the ceiling. “Upstairs. Mentioned something about measuring up the suites.”
“You guys…” A group of the tradespeople had clustered by the doors. “…Are the best! We can get this party started now!”
They let out a cheer, and I hugged them one by one, promising them free holidays at the lodge with their families once we were open for guests. Tears stung my eyes as I realized my dreams were about to come true. Despite the fire, the setbacks, the fear, it was all going to be OK. We’d host our very first party at Cedarwood, on time, and on point.
Two days later, Kai sat beside me, going through paperwork, while I made a list of things that still had to be done. Micah walked in, arm wrapped around Isla, and I hid a grin. Isla winked at me, and I knew it meant they’d talked about her past, and Micah would love her all the more for it.
“Team meeting?” he said.
“Yup. We have exactly five days until the party and I want to make sure we’re all aware of what needs to be done.”
Kai shuffled his papers into a stack, and waited.
“Kai is double-checking the safety aspects and the mobility aids. We want to make sure Imelda can get around every inch of the lodge if she so desires.”
“Got it,” Micah said, scribbling notes.
“Isla, where are you at?”
The gardens were taking the longest to do because there was only Isla to do it, and the weather hadn’t been ideal. Most days she sat out there in driving winds and sheeting rain, until I pulled her inside, and admonished her with the war cry, you’ll catch your death. It reminded me of my mother – she used to do the same thing when I was younger, like she was doing some kind of penance weeding our garden in inclement weather.
Isla fidgeted with her hair. “There’s so much to do, and I’m worried we’ll run out of time. I’ve been concentrating on clearing the west side so at least it’s tidy, but I was hoping to get some flowers planted and the fountain up and running. The grounds, though… well, they seem to go on for ever.”
I gave her a reassuring smile. “You’ve done a great job, Isla. Seriously. I’ll try and think of a way to get you some extra help. In terms of resources and equipment, just let me know what you need and we’ll order it. If you concentrate on the immediate area around the lodge itself, that will be enough. But it would be great if the fountain did get finished.”
Kai spoke up. “We have got a couple of people coming in for the fountain – someone to look at the electric water pump, and another guy to fix the render, and then Isla can plant the water lilies.” We chatted for the next hour, our notepads filling with last-minute jobs. Stress tried to creep into my shoulders, but I pushed it away, giddy with the thought that we were almost there, if only we could work doubly hard once more. I only hoped we all had enough left in the tank to do it.
Everyone scurried away, ready to round up help and get the jobs done. Outside was a flurry of activity, men jostling as they went to and fro to the bins, some hooting and hollering about lending a hand.
With the furniture delivery imminent, I didn’t have time to help Isla out in the garden – cleaning the lodge would take an age and we just didn’t have the people power. I did the unthinkable and called Mom, hoping she’d be amenable to my request.
“Clio, hi,” she said. “No more fires?”
I detected a touch of empathy in her voice. I double-checked the phone to make sure it was in fact my mother’s number. “Not yet, but the day is young.”
She tutted.
“Mom, I need your help. I know you’re not keen on Cedarwood, for reasons I can’t fathom, but will you come and trim the hedgerows? Our landscaper is swamped and we’re running out of time. I can’t really afford any more helpers.”
“So you found it?” she said, her voice anxious.
“Umm?” The hedges surrounded the front of Cedarwood as a boundary line; they weren’t exactly hidden.
“The maze.”
“The maze? No!”