LITMIR.BIZ

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aunt the celebrity.”

      Mom wandered back in so we turned away from each other and finished cleaning the rest of the kitchen in companionable silence.

      ***

      Later that night, I was back in the office, smiling like a loon. Not only had Mom had dinner out for the first time in years, but she’d agreed to visit Cedarwood and show me the maze. Then I’d returned home to a flurry of emails about potential spring accommodation bookings at the lodge. At the rate we were going I’d have to employ Cruz to cook full-time. And really, we needed someone to handle the guest activities too.

      Isla had been flitting from job to job as we needed her, but once spring had sprung she’d have her work cut out for her managing the expansive gardens alone.

      While I was adding another role to our list of job vacancies that needed filling, Amory came in carrying two cups of cocoa. “Can’t sleep?” I asked, noting it was almost midnight.

      She shook her head, handing me a mug. “We haven’t had two seconds to talk lately and I’m bursting with news. We rented the cottage! Oh, it’s the loveliest place just outside of Evergreen. It’s tiny but cozy, and I’m so looking forward to decorating it.”

      “That’s great news, Amory! I’ll miss you, even though I spend my life taking your empty coffee cups back into the kitchen,” I said, just as Scotty came barreling in looking for hugs. I’d miss him too, with his boundless energy and soft cuddles.

      “Oh, darling, that won’t change. I’ll still leave them scattered about during the day, so it will give you something to do at night.”

      “You’re a true friend.” I laughed and filled Amory in on dinner with Mom, and the latest bunch of emails and what was left to do for the party.

      “Amazing, Clio! I’ve got a feeling things are going to be hectic over the summer.” She gave me a smile. “Oh, that reminds me. Tim called while you were out, and wants you to call him back.”

      I blew out a breath. “What now?”

      She shook her head. “I don’t know, he didn’t say why, but the whole time we were looking at cottages all he did was talk about you.”

      “What did he say?”

      She sipped her cocoa. “Well, it was like a celebrity tour of town. This is where Clio and I used to buy tapes. This is where we kissed in the rain. This is where I asked her to the prom. It was sweet and all, but methinks the boy has not moved on.”

      I grimaced. “That’s a little awkward. He is so lovely, seriously, but I just don’t feel that connection. And I wonder whether he really does either, or whether he’s just remembering a time in our lives when things were simpler, you know? Like slipping into your oldest, most comfortable jeans…”

      The old lodge creaked and groaned like it was agreeing with me. “Yeah, and first love does leave a sort of fingerprint on your heart.”

      I raised a brow. “Wow, Amory, how poetic of you… she of the steely-heart, non-soppy love club.”

      “The what club?” she laughed, and shook her head. “Anyway, did I see Kai wander downstairs from your suite?”

      I scoffed. “As if you’d have seen anything; you would have been in the land of Zeds. Got spies have you?”

      “Of course! Cruz told me. So you admit it? What the hell is going on, darling? Some best friend you are, who keeps all the good stuff under lock and key!”

      I shrugged. “We just had one of those long, deep and meaningful conversations, putting the world to rights, that kind of thing, and then we fell asleep. It was nice.”

      She stared me down. “Nice? Just nice, darling?”

      “Nice.”

      “Nice is a lie-in after too much champagne, nice is breakfast in bed, nice is…”

      I clucked my tongue. “I get it! OK, OK, it was amazing. Totally amazing. Something has changed and I’m ready, I think… you know, to admit it first. But he leaves in a few days…”

      “He’s due to depart in a few days. Whether he leaves or not is surely up to you and him?”

      “But he has to go back to work. And I’d hazard a guess it won’t be long before he heads back to Australia for good, once things are sorted with his family. Why start something and get my heart ripped out when he moves back to his beachside lifestyle…? I’ll be a distant memory, the pale-faced girl wearing fur, when he’ll be around all the sun-kissed girls in bikinis…”

      With an exasperated sigh Amory said, “Stop imagining the worst, darling! As far as I can tell he’s got no inclination to go home, but you’re not exactly giving him a reason to stay by not admitting how you feel, are you? He probably thinks you’re only kissing him when you’re bored or something, because afterwards you act like it hasn’t happened! You need him for the chalets. Ned practically insisted.” At the confused look in my eyes she sighed. “Ned’s report said you need a registered builder here during the chalet refurbishments, no ‘maybe’ about it. And Timothy mentioned there’s a ton of building work going on in the next town over. So… what this means is, if you really wanted it to happen, it could happen. Stop making excuses, Clio. Stop hiding. Really.”

      I tapped my pen against the desk, glad she didn’t push any more. “Imagine if he stayed.”

      She waggled her eyebrows and hummed the wedding march, just as Kai walked in. I blushed furiously. How many people were up at midnight around here! Quickly I said, “So, yeah, we need to order those martini glasses, and…”

      “On it,” she said with a smirk. “I’d better go to my office and get that done straight away. It’s totally soundproof when I shut the door. Which is good. Means I can concentrate. Gotta love a big oak door, don’t make ‘em like that any more. Can’t hear a peep.” She leaped up and made for the door. “Come on, Scotty, we’d better leave these two alone…”

      I made faces behind Kai’s back for her to shut the hell up as the puppy raced to her side. He turned and caught me waving frantically at her to leave. I snatched my arms back and pasted on a smile. “Numb fingers,” I motioned to my hand. “So much writing. So many to-do lists. Really, I should probably type them.” I was rambling, Amory was ridiculous, the whole situation was too slapstick to be believed.

      Kai gave us both polite smiles and we paused.

      “Toodles!” Amory said and waltzed out of the room with the puppy under her arm.

      Toodles? “Sit down,” I said. “If you want.” Gah.

      “Sorry about the late-night disturbance, but my boss called. He wants me to head back as soon as possible. I tried to put him off, but he really needs me since more contracts have arrived. No rest for the wicked, hey?”

      My heart fell. Plummeted, even. What horrible timing. Just as I’d built up the courage to say something. Was it even worth the risk…? How long would it be before his parents called him back, or he craved the Australian sunshine, the beach culture? “I don’t want you to go,” I said suddenly, the words escaping before I could stop them.

      He stared at me and I hoped he’d read between the lines. Did I have to spell it out? “Really, Kai. I don’t want you to go.”

      “I’ll fly back to Cedarwood when I can,” he said hurriedly, “and help with Ned when the chalet renovations start in earnest. Micah knows the plan and I can keep Ned sweet with phone calls, and lots of talk about meeting code, and…”

      I swallowed panic. It was now or never, and I sent up a silent prayer to the universe that he wouldn’t laugh in my face. “Kai, stop. I don’t care about the chalets, the code, or Ned. I care about you. The reason I want you to stay is…” Why was it so hard to say how I felt? “…The

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