Christmas with Carlie

by Julianna Morris

  “Mr. Forrester, I assure you the Yosemite suite is quite spacious,” Christine explained earnestly. “There are three bedrooms upstairs, and downstairs you have a smaller bedroom, a family room, front living room, powder room, kitchen and laundry. Each bedroom also has a private bath.”

  The comment Luke had made to Tilly about modern plumbing flitted through his mind. It hadn’t occurred to him that some of the bedrooms might not have a private bath.

  “Very well,” he said tensely. There was little else he could do. It was unlikely that other suitable accommodations were available in the small town and returning to Austin would just upset the girls even more. “After eight is fine for Housekeeping, but I’d prefer breakfast earlier.”

  “Is the seven to eight time slot all right?”

  “Yes.” Luke lifted his daughters out of the shuttle.

  “Would you like me to show you around the suite?” Christine asked.

  “Thanks, but we’ll be fine.”

  “I hope you enjoy your stay. Please let us know if there’s anything you need.” She drove away before he could get his wallet out for a tip.

  “Let’s go see our home for the next few weeks,” he said to Beth and Annie.

  They looked at him doubtfully. Perhaps he should have brought their nanny, but he’d agreed with Tilly that if the trip was going to do any good, a complete break was best. He just hadn’t expected Nicole to get sick and the tutor to drop out at the eleventh hour.

  He’d manage, though. His sister would be here in a few days, and however small the town of Glimmer Creek appeared to be, surely they had qualified tutors available.

  The garden around the John Muir Cottage was trimmed and mulched for winter, but it was still attractive. A covered porch overlooked the garden and rolling hills beyond, and it was furnished with white wicker outdoor furniture.

  The real disappointment started inside.

  While the rooms had a pleasant Victorian flavor, there were no Christmas decorations in sight. Granted, it was just the day after Thanksgiving, but he’d expected more. A thorough check of the premises also revealed there wasn’t a single piece of office equipment, though he could have sworn that Tilly had mentioned a full business center.

  Beth and Annie had slept on the plane, but they seemed half-asleep now—maybe the turkey lunch was making them groggy—so he hunted through the luggage for their favorite stuffed animals and they curled into bed for a nap. Down in the kitchen, he dialed Tilly’s cell number. A chirpy voice-mail recording greeted him. Knowing Tilly Robinson and her determined attempts to manage his life, she probably planned to duck his calls for a few days until he cooled down.

  “Tilly, it’s me,” he said after the beep. “I refuse to believe you didn’t know this is a suite, not the whole house, or that there’s no personal staff. Right now, it’s just me and the girls. The tutor didn’t come and Nicole couldn’t fly with us because she has an ear infection. She won’t be here for another few days. Get back to me.”

  Muttering beneath his breath, he called the front desk.

  “Yes, Mr. Forrester?” Based on the British accent, it was most likely the employee who’d first greeted them.

  “I’d like to speak with Carlie Benton.”

  “Certainly, but is there anything I can do?”

  “I prefer dealing with Ms. Benton.” Luke wasn’t certain why except that she appeared to be the kind of person who could get things done. Besides, Beth and Annie had responded to her...a lot more than they’d responded to him the past year.

  “Yes, sir.” A moment later, the same voice came back on the line. “I’m sorry—Carlie is away from her desk. But I’ve called her mobile and she’ll stop at your suite in a few minutes.”

  Luke had frowned the moment he heard “away from her desk,” only to realize that a face-to-face discussion would be best.

  * * *

  CARLIE COULDN’T BELIEVE she already needed to deal with Luke Forrester again.

  Though she was the Poppy Gold activities director, her responsibilities included public relations. The job had its challenging moments, but it was a big improvement over doing PR for a company with frequent product safety recalls. It was one of the reasons she’d resigned...along with not wanting to see her ex-fiancé every day. Especially after he’d gotten engaged to the owner’s daughter.

  July the previous year had not been a good month. First her wedding had been canceled at the last minute in the most embarrassing way, and ten days later her father was critically injured.

  A friendly voice hailed her as she approached the John Muir Cottage. “Hi, Carlie.”

  It was Esther Perkins, one of their repeat guests. Esther lived in San Jose and stayed at Poppy Gold several times a year, but Christmas kickoff day seemed to be her favorite.

  “What’s up, Esther?”

  “I just want to be sure that I can decorate at the Victorian Cat tomorrow. I like it best.”

  “Of course you can.” Guests weren’t employees; they could volunteer for anything they wanted to do.

  “Do you think Moby Dick will let me put a red bow around his neck?” Esther asked. “It would look darling against his fur.”

  Poppy Gold tried to make something unique about each of the houses, and at the Victorian Cat mansion, each room was populated by an amiable feline. Moby Dick was a fluffy white cat with a talent for manipulating guests into giving him extra treats.

  Carlie chuckled. “Moby is easygoing, but I wouldn’t try making him wear a bow. Not to worry, though—Tessa found red and green cat collars from a specialty store and they’ll be put on the VC cats tomorrow.”

  “That’s wonderful.”

  With a wave, Esther hurried away and Carlie continued toward the John Muir Cottage, wishing all their guests were like Esther Perkins.

  Bill had offered to give Luke Forrester her cell number to save her a trip, but Luke was the kind of guy who wouldn’t hesitate to phone at 2:00 a.m. to demand a cup of tea. The twenty-four-hour staff in Guest Reception could handle those kinds of calls and decide whom to contact in case of something more serious. She might do public relations work in addition to being the activities director, but she wasn’t a frontline manager, thank goodness.

  Trying to appear friendly rather than frustrated, Carlie knocked at the Yosemite suite.

  The door opened almost immediately.

  “Hello, Mr. Forrester. I understand you asked for me.”

  He cocked his head as if listening for something and then stepped onto the porch. “Yes, I have several concerns. For one, where are the decorations? I promised my daughters this would be a holiday extravaganza. Even though this is just the day after Thanksgiving, I expected to see a few signs of Christmas.”

  Carlie could see his concern and knew it wouldn’t help to point out that the website listed the date when Poppy Gold was decorated. At any rate, it was Annie and Beth who mattered and Carlie didn’t want them to be disappointed.

  “I understand, but tomorrow should reassure the girls. Our guests call it Christmas kickoff day,” she told him. “Members of the historical society will be in Victorian costumes and go around caroling in small groups. In addition, we’ll have snack kiosks throughout the facility serving coffee, hot spiced cider, cocoa and a selection of cookies and other treats. It’s purely voluntary, but guests are invited to help decorate trees, make wreaths, put up decorations and this ye—”

  “You have guests do staff work?” Luke’s tone was neutral, with only the faintest emphasis on the words guests and staff, but Carlie spotted a hint of derision in his eyes. Her temper rose, but she managed to squash it down again.

  “Not staff work, just fun. Kickoff day is extremely popular. Most of our guests come for Thanksgiving weekend just to participate,” she replied evenly.

  The event was expensive fo
r Poppy Gold since they needed an army of employees to keep an eye on things, do the heavy work, watch the treat kiosks and do the primary decorating. Getting everything done in one day would be impossible without the massive amounts of planning and prep work she and the other Poppy Gold employees did for weeks beforehand.

  “I’m sure it’s entertaining if you enjoy that sort of thing.” Luke’s expression suggested only a moron would enjoy “that sort of thing.”

  Her smile became even more strained. She loved Christmas...the colors, music, the warmth, the decorating and the way many people seemed to behave nicer in the holiday season. Though in Luke Forrester’s case, she’d hate to think this was his “nice.”

  “As I mentioned, Mr. Forrester, participation is voluntary. If you aren’t interested in decorating, my staff has planned a number of activities, as well. As for your suite, it will be dec—”

  “Not by nosy guests, I presume,” he said, cutting her off a second time. “I expect privacy. As a matter of fact, I expected to have the entire house, not just a section of it.”

  Muscles tightening, Carlie reminded herself again that Luke Forrester had lost his wife and no matter how wealthy and demanding, he was dealing with something traumatic.

  She drew a deep breath. “Employees decorate inside the suites. As for having the entire house, I’m sorry for the misunderstanding,” she apologized as cordially as possible. “But there are eleven bedrooms in the John Muir Cottage and dividing the space means it’s available to multiple individuals or families.”

  “I see.”

  “Before I forget, I wanted to tell you that since we’re supposed to have a hard freeze tonight, we’re starting the snowmakers on the sledding hill as soon as the temperature drops low enough. Probably around eight. Spiced cider and other goodies will be served. I thought Annie and Beth might enjoy it.”

  “I don’t think so. We’ve had a long day.”

  “Please, Papa, can we go?” asked a voice from the open door behind them.

  Luke jerked around. “Beth, I thought you were asleep.”

  “I woke up. Carlie, can you take us to see the snow if Papa is too tired?”

  Carlie made an effort to keep her face straight. “That’s up to your papa.” She’d hoped to be sliding into a warm bath by then, but couldn’t resist the entreaty in Beth’s eyes.

  “I wanna go with Carlie,” Annie declared, peeking around her sister.

  Luke seemed thoroughly harassed. “Very well. That is, we’ll all go. Now go back to bed. You’ll need extra rest if you’re going to be out late.”

  The twins instantly hurried away and Carlie tried to look innocent as he turned to her. “Shall I come by around seven thirty this evening?”

  “No, we’ll meet you there.”

  “Fine. Is there anything else?”

  “Yes. I need a tutor for the girls. The one I hired in Austin quit at the last minute.”

  I wonder why, Carlie thought wryly.

  “I also need a business center installed,” he continued. “Desk, a computer with dual monitors, a minimum of two additional phone lines, printer-fax machine and satellite communications. The downstairs bedroom can be used since it won’t be needed for a live-in tutor. I’ll be managing my business concerns remotely for the next six weeks, and contrary to what your website claims, there aren’t any business services in the suite.”

  She stared. Had he honestly believed those kinds of facilities were installed in every building at Poppy Gold?

  “There’s a courtesy business center available at Old City Hall,” Carlie told him firmly. “That’s what the website states. At this time of year we don’t book any business conferences, so except for a few guests checking their email, it’s empty most of the time.”

  “I need one here in the suite.”

  Carlie suspected her patience was going to be tested to the absolute limit by this guy.

  “Mr. Forrester, the John Muir Cottage isn’t wired for that kind of technology. However, Poppy Gold has Wi-Fi and we can provide a multifunction printer for your visit, along with a computer since you apparently didn’t bring your own laptop. The existing phone line can be used to send and receive faxes.”

  His features tightened. “I do have a laptop with me, but I keep it off-line when I’m outside my company’s firewall. I take it there isn’t a business supply store in Glimmer Creek where a new computer could be purchased.”

  “No.”

  “In that case, I’ll take the loaner until my assistant can arrange for the proper equipment to be sent.”

  She nodded. “All right. As for a tutor, the school district has a list of people who do that sort of work. I’ll send a copy over and you can call them for interviews.”

  “I—”

  “Have a good rest of the day,” Carlie interrupted brightly. “I’m going back to my office now to get things started. If you get hungry, there are several restaurants that deliver. Just consult the information folder in the kitchen. We put a facility map in there, so you shouldn’t have a problem finding the sledding hill later. See you then.”

  Carlie hurried away before she lost her cool and gave him a piece of her mind. Honestly, he wanted a full office in his suite? According to what Tessa had said, Luke Forrester was at Poppy Gold to help his daughters through Christmas, but how was he going to do that if it was business as usual for him?

  * * *

  LUKE CLOSED THE door and groaned. The coffee he’d drunk had carried him for an extra hour, but that was all.

  At home he’d be working, no matter how little sleep he’d gotten the night before. Except for the rare times Erika had been on leave, he used the day after Thanksgiving to read reports and make calls to overseas associates who didn’t celebrate the US holiday.

  As for Beth and Annie, they would have gone to the Austin zoo or aquarium with his parents. Curiously, becoming grandparents had changed Craig and Heather Forrester. A little at least. They were still irresponsible in many ways, but they tried to spend time with their granddaughters every couple of months.

  He appreciated it. When he was growing up, they’d acted more like reckless playmates than dependable adults. Money was no longer a problem for them, either, since he’d quietly tripled the size of their trust funds and arranged for the trustees to disburse the payments monthly, rather than annually.

  Inexplicably, his thoughts drifted to Carlie Benton. Perhaps if he hadn’t been so tired and distracted he might have handled their contacts with more grace. He certainly should have realized they wouldn’t have a business center in every suite at Poppy Gold Inns, but he’d grown accustomed to the kind of services provided by Caribbean villas and French châteaus.

  Tilly often claimed he’d been spoiled by success and needed a dose of reality... Maybe this was her way of giving it to him.

  Luke got up and found the informational folder Carlie had mentioned, flipping through it to acquaint himself with Poppy Gold’s amenities and those of the local community. Then he saw a reminder of the check-in and checkout times and sighed.

  Apparently he’d made an ass of himself in more ways than one.

  * * *

  NICOLE FORRESTER PUT a warm compress against her infected ear and wondered how Luke and her nieces were getting settled in California. The pictures she’d seen on the internet of the Victorian community looked wonderful.

  She’d always wanted to explore the Gold Country; stories of the 1849 Gold Rush had fascinated her as a child. Well, a lot of things fascinated her. She’d just never found a vocation that compelled her. Instead, she worked for her brother as a computer programmer. Luke paid his employees well and provided excellent benefits, but she hadn’t earned the job on her own merits. He also did ridiculously generous things like buying a new car every year for her birthday and paying off her condo, no matter how much
she protested.

  Her protective big brother. She adored him, though ever since Erika’s death, he’d been different.

  Everything had been different.

  Depressed, Nicole stuffed another pillow behind her neck. Sometimes it seemed as if she hadn’t achieved a single thing with her life. Certainly nothing like Luke, who’d made his first billion by the time he was twenty-seven. Everything he touched turned to gold. Soon afterward he’d gotten married and a few years later the twins were born. He seemed able to do anything, whether it was achieving wild success in real estate, playing the stock market or building a massive conglomerate company with dozens of subsidiaries.

  Or finding someone who genuinely loved him.

  Bored and vaguely discouraged, Nicole turned on the television and flipped through the cable channels. Finally she got up and put a DVD into the player. She hadn’t watched Forbidden Planet in a while and it would be a distraction. Normally she wasn’t so moody, but getting sick and being unable to travel with Luke and her nieces was lousy timing.

  She was worried about Luke and just as worried about Beth and Annie. Annie was shy and introverted, while Beth plowed ahead, often thoughtlessly. They were young, but patterns were established early.

  Nicole shuddered as she recalled a kid she’d met in childhood. The Forresters had been out of money as usual, so they’d invited themselves to stay with wealthy friends in South Carolina. Kira was the Lexingtons’ only child and had demanded her own way in everything. She was still like that...which might explain her four divorces.

  The opening segment of the film began playing and Nicole relaxed. Some of the special effects were poor, but she loved old science fiction movies and Forbidden Planet was one of her favorites. It was great seeing Walter Pidgeon and Leslie Nielsen on the screen together—one older, one younger, and both equally delicious.

  Yet in a way, seeing the character played by Anne Francis was discouraging. The woman was fearless, even if she wasn’t always likable. Nicole wished she could be more like that...strong, bold and unafraid. Instead, she tried to be invisible most of the time.