LITMIR.BIZ

       Chapter Fourteen

      Mom and Aunt Bessie arrived wearing old clothes and workboots, ready to tackle the garden with Isla. I watched Mom’s reaction as she wandered the grounds, her face pinched, her shoulders slumped. As soon as she was out of earshot I said to my aunt, “What happened in the maze?”

      My aunt’s mouth tightened. “It’s a long story, and not mine to tell. But she has her reasons. She got the shock of her life when you turned up announcing yourself as the new owner of Cedarwood. We didn’t see that coming! Tread carefully, Clio. This is a huge step for her, coming back here.” Aunt Bessie’s jovial nature was gone, replaced with quiet concern. But still, what was with all the secrecy?

      “Why won’t anyone tell me what happened? I’m not a little girl any more, I’m sure I can handle it.”

      She patted my hand. “It shaped her life, and it almost broke her. So let her tell you in good time, OK?”

      “I don’t see why she just can’t confide in me.” I tried not to be petulant, but really, what could be so bad?

      Aunt Bessie shrugged. “You think she’s aloof, cold, but she’s not, not really. It’s a way to protect herself, her heart. She loves you more than you could ever know…”

      I frowned. “She’s got a funny way of showing it.”

      “It’s self-preservation.”

      I could read between the lines, and understand what my aunt meant, but sometimes it was hard not to be bitter about it all. I didn’t see the need for secrets, for hiding behind smokescreens, but I guess it was Mom’s way. That distance wasn’t a new thing; she’d been like that my whole life.

      My aunt gave me one of her face-splitting grins. “I promised your dad I’d always look out for you both. He’d have been really proud of you, you know.”

      I smiled, trying to conjure a memory of his face to mind, but only recalling a fuzzy picture of a man with a smile like my aunt’s and the same big, blue eyes. “I hope so,” I said. “Sometimes I feel like there’s a presence next to me here. Just every so often, when I’m alone, the shadows deepen… I wonder if it’s him?”

      “Could be. When we were kids he always promised he’d haunt me if I didn’t give him half my marbles. Of course, he was still alive back then so I paid him no mind…”

      We laughed and continued into the lodge. “Let me show you around.” Would the secret come out by itself? I wondered whether perhaps, if I found the maze, the secret would reveal itself to me, the mysterious event that happened there so many years ago and made my mom the person she was today.

      ***

      I woke to the bleating of my alarm clock. I hit the buttons until the screeching stopped, and pulled the rugs back over me, settling down. Until I remembered. The party!

      Today!

      I threw the covers to the side, and raced to the shower. There was no time to fill the claw-foot bath for a proper soak, so I quickly scrubbed myself awake, eyeing the gold faucets, the regrouted tiles, and the ornate antique mirror hanging over the vanity. As I applied makeup, my phone pinged with a message from Amory: Good luck for tonight, darling! Show them how it’s done! xxx

      Her message gave me the boost I needed. I texted back: Thanks, Amory, wish you were here xxx

      Ten minutes later, dried and dressed, I fluffed my un-Carrie Bradshaw curls, and took the stairs two at a time down to the lobby, almost taking out Kai, who stood at the foot, folder in hand.

      “Whoa, where’s the fire?”

      “FIRE?” I screeched. “Not again!” Wild-eyed with terror, I sniffed the air, only detecting the scent of Kai. Woodsy, spicy, and manly.

      He grabbed my hand. “It’s just an expression… albeit a bad choice under the circumstances. I need you to breathe, to take five deep, centering breaths.” His beautiful, serene lips twitched, like he was making a joke of his own foibles.

      I kept my eyes on his and pecked him on his beautiful lips. He let out a little shocked gasp and I laughed. “Breathing, schmeathing.” I was too excited to regulate anything except my caffeine intake and even that would have to wait. “Kai, let’s breathe later. We have to dress the room, and about five million other things!” I pulled him by the arm into the ballroom. Had I just kissed him, even in jest? A tingle of belated longing raced through me, but Kai was right there once again, talking to me about something.

      He tried to get me to focus on his face. “Clio, I get that you’re excited. It’s a big day for the lodge. But it’s quarter past six in the morning. At least have a decent breakfast, some herbal tea, and then we can get moving. Definitely do not have any coffee. You’re already wired.”

      A manic laugh escaped me. This was my favorite part of being an event planner. The day of. It’s where everything (hopefully) came together, the room alive with decorations, the champagne glasses polished to a shine and waiting patiently to be filled. Fairy lights were strung, glittering in each window… but today was even more special, more sentimental than any party I’d done before, and I only hoped Edgar and Imelda loved every second of it.

      “OK, yes. No coffee, good idea.”

      In the kitchen, Kai brewed a pot of tea, and I surveyed the newly installed kitchen, making sure it was spotless and ready for Georges. It was shiny and new but still I felt a twinge for the older kitchen, which was now relegated to the scrap heap.

      It dawned on me how early Kai was. It was a record, even for him. “Why are you here already, Kai?”

      “I wanted to go over everything, make sure it’s right, in case we need to touch up paint or anything else before the party. I’m nervous too. I don’t want anyone tripping over an uneven floorboard or brushing up against wet paint, if we retouch.”

      I nodded. “Yes, good idea. One last safety check. Though I moved all the tables and chairs into the ballroom last night.”

      He raised a brow. “You moved them all? By yourself?”

      I laughed. My legs felt like lead today after all that heaving. I hadn’t banked on them being solid oak. “I couldn’t sleep. It was one less thing I’d have to do today. I meant to get them moved yesterday, but we ran out of time.” I flexed my bicep, which was actually more concave than convex. “All part of the job,” I said.

      He shook

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