LITMIR.BIZ

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Shack.”

      She pulled the pillow onto her lap. “Shakin’ Shack… well, it’s not the most romantic of restaurants, but I suppose he could hide you in the corner booth in case you started singing again. Probably a smart move on his part.”

      I elbowed her. “I didn’t say yes, or maybe I did, I can’t remember. I told him we should invite the gang, and he fobbed me off.”

      She clucked her tongue. “Darling! Why would you invite the gang to a date? He’s clearly trying to get to know you. Don’t you feel anything for him? A rush of heat? A tiny leg quiver?”

      I shook my head.

      Exasperated she said, “Butterfly belly?”

      I considered it. “Maybe. But I don’t know if that’s just the memory of him, or the way I feel in the present. It’s so confusing.” It struck me that, for someone who believed in love, who devoted a huge part of life to celebrating it, I was kind of lacking when it came to acting on it for myself. Being home made me more reluctant to make mistakes because a girl couldn’t hide in a town the size of Evergreen, and I didn’t want to be the subject of any more gossip.

      I got off the bed and continued tucking the sheet in. Amory went to the other side of the bed and did the same. “Is it because of you-know-who that you’re unsure?”

      Heat rushed to my cheeks. “I highly doubt it,” I said, my voice coming out more formal than intended. “Love is just so complicated. And when you live in a small town, you have to be a lot more careful in case things go awry.”

      “What a load of bollocks,” she laughed. “But nice try, darling. In my humble opinion I think you should go out with Timothy. See if it sparks anything. Mr Ripped Abs isn’t here, is he?”

      “Mr Ripped Abs!” I laughed and propped pillows up against the antique ornate bedhead before doing an Amory-style subject change. “Do you think our future guests will be warm enough?” I asked as we fluffed the feather-down quilt and finished dressing the bed with a sumptuous gray faux-fur rug and some glitzy cushions.

      “Sure they will. There’s a fireplace in each suite. We can send Micah up to light them at dusk while they’re having dinner, and stoke them before they go to bed. They’ll be cozy and snug and will never want to leave.”

      I smiled. With the orange glow of the fire the suites would be like a winter oasis, the mountains with their colorful leaves in the distance, cheering the blustery view, the warmth, the wood, and the touches of indulgence in the rooms, from the Swiss chocolates by the bed to a shelf full of novels for their perusal. A bottle of complimentary wine cooled in each bar fridge, and there would be a bowl of fresh fruit on the table for those wanting a snack. Garlands of glittery golden tinsel twinkled in the filmy light, and a sprig of mistletoe was tacked above the door.

      Hands on hips, we surveyed the room. Everything was neat, straight and in place, including soaps bearing the Cedarwood Lodge logo, and tiny little bottles of shampoo and conditioner lined up like soldiers in the bathroom.

      For a moment I stood there, dizzy with awe. Seeing the suites dressed up, and ready for guests, made it feel so real, in a way nothing else had so far. Soon a guest would sleep in this luxurious bed, or read a book in the tub, with Cedarwood apple-blossom bubble bath scenting the air. They’d pull on boots while captivated with the view outside… Their biggest problem would be deciding what to eat for breakfast.

      My lifelong dream of owning Cedarwood had come to fruition, and the sensation was a heady one. I knew it wouldn’t be all snow and Christmas carols, that there’d be ups and downs, but that was life, right? And I basked in the fact I’d made it happen, that we’d made it happen. If we secured a wedding booking or two, I’d be able to breathe easier, but at least we were taking steps in the right direction. We had three families booked in for the summer season, a trio of neighbors who had swapped holidaying in Europe for outdoor pursuits at the lodge, and I was giddy with the thought of them swimming in the lake, and hiking up the mountains; indulging in an aperitif in the front salon as Georges made them dinner. But better still, we had a couple of singletons staying not long after New Year, who’d seen photos of Cedarwood Lodge on Instagram. It boded well. Our marketing was slowly but surely working.

      If we kept up this momentum, the future would be rosy.

      “Right, next suite?” I said, helping Amory lift the basket of freshly washed and pressed linen.

      “Yep, and then we really need to double-check the chapel and make sure it’s ready for the brides. We need to arrange the furniture and the fairy lights and make sure we haven’t forgotten anything else.”

      My heart stopped. The chapel!

      “Our brides will fall helplessly in love with the idea of marrying in such a beautiful little church. What is it?” Amory asked. “You look like you’ve swallowed a fly?”

      “Oh, God!” I slapped a hand to my forehead. “The plans! Kai submitted the plans to the council for the chapel and I was supposed to follow up and make sure they were approved! We’re not allowed to use it until then because the building was deemed unsafe and it hasn’t been recertified yet.”

      I flew down the stairs two at a time, my heart racing. Micah had taken over managing the renovations after Kai left, so I could focus on building the business and touting for guests, but I still had to oversee the paperwork and the…

      Amory half-tumbled down the stairs after me, trying hard not to fall in her heels. “Clio, wait. Don’t panic, it will be fine. All we need to do is ring them and ask how it’s going, right?”

      “I can’t believe I forgot! Kai told me to hassle them or else things get lost in the system and take longer than necessary. And I’ve left it until now!” I couldn’t catch my breath; this one little slip-up could derail the whole expo.

      This would never have happened when I worked at the agency. I’d taken my eye off the ball, and damn well dropped it. Kai had given me express instructions and I’d been all doe-eyed like a teenager, too busy worrying about him leaving the lodge for good to remember something crucial like the approval process. I skidded into my office and begun searching the desk for the plans and Amory clattered in behind me.

      “OK, don’t panic, darling,” she said, huffing and puffing from the dash downstairs. “You can fix anything you put your mind to! Why don’t you call them and use that sweet and innocent voice of yours? Rave about your plans for the local economy, how your guests will inject some much-needed funds. Invite them over and we can schmooze them if all else fails.”

      With a hand to my chest, I paused, contemplating what she was saying. “Yeah, it’s not like they’ll have a stack of pending approvals. There’s only five hundred and three people in Evergreen!” Surely it was only a routine process, read, stamp, sign. My shoulders relaxed. I breathed in and out on the count of five. Stress is an illusion, a Kai mantra, popped into my mind.

      “Yes,” I said, feeling more confident. “OK, I’ll phone up now.” Amory nodded and slipped out of the room.

      I turned back to the desk and flicked through the paperwork. I found a bunch of notes in Kai’s handwriting and tried to make sense of them. From what I could tell he had everything in order and Micah had checked off the work orders one by one until the chapel was finished. I dialed the direct number of the planning officer Kai had been speaking to and sank back in the chair, focusing on the positives. I’d remembered now, and surely could fix this mess with a phone call. There was no need to panic.

      “Ned speaking.”

      I took a deep breath and began. “Ned, how are you?” I didn’t wait for a response. “It’s Clio from Cedarwood Lodge. I’m calling about some planning paperwork that was sent in…” I pored over the notes again. “Back in October.”

      There was a sound, as though he was sucking his gums. “Yes?”

      “You know the planning application in question? The one for the chapel on the

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