The Christmas Inn

by Stella MacLean

  She was still mulling over her plan when she saw the bartender approaching her.

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  “Yes, why?”

  “You looked…anxious, a little upset.” His squint was quizzical. “Are you friends with the Parkers?”

  “No. No, I… We were just talking,” she mumbled, struggling to remember if either she or Brad had raised their voices.

  She didn’t want any reports going back to Luke about her behavior at the bar. He was already far too paranoid about her being here alone. Learning that she’d had some sort of interaction with one of his precious getaway couples could wreak a whole lot of havoc. And she was definitely not into havoc.

  Jack hesitated. “Can I get you anything?”

  “No, I’m waiting for Luke. He must have been delayed.”

  Upset and out of sorts over her altercation with Brad, she took a good big sip from her glass of wine and gave the drink menu the once-over as she planted a pleasant expression on her face and offered up a prayer that Luke Harrison would make an appearance soon.

  * * *

  LUKE SIGHED AS HE LISTENED to Jack describing a woman at the bar, a description that fit Marnie McLaughlan perfectly. Why had he agreed to meet her there of all places? Why had he agreed to have dinner with her? “Yeah, that’s her.”

  “Still no indication as to when the husband’s arriving?” Jack asked, over the din of the bar.

  “None, and I talked to her not that long ago.”

  “And what did she say?”

  “Not much. It’s a long story. I wish her husband would show up.”

  “Might be a good idea. She just had a pretty heated discussion with the Parkers before they left for dinner. I can’t be sure what it was about, but she and Brad definitely knew each other.”

  Luke groaned inwardly. He couldn’t have Marnie involved in anything having to do with the guests until her husband arrived. He had a lot riding on the next few days.

  He glanced at his watch. He’d agreed to meet her at the bar and he was already late. “I’ll be there in a couple of minutes.”

  “You don’t have to do that. I’ll keep an eye on her.”

  “I invited her to dinner.”

  “You did what?”

  “You were the one who encouraged me to have her as my guest for dinner, remember?”

  “True. And maybe that’s the answer…until the husband shows up. I’ll see you when you get here.”

  Luke got up from his desk, leaving behind his operating-cost projections for the first quarter of next year, and adjusted his tie. When he entered the bar, Marnie was sitting by herself, reading the drink menu, her slim legs creating a smooth, enticing line from the hem of her short skirt to…bright yellow three-inch high heels. Who wore yellow shoes with a black dress? Who looked that good in yellow shoes and a black dress?

  Jack was polishing glasses, his gaze locked on Marnie. A quick survey of the room showed him that all the men were watching her. The success or failure of the Christmas Getaway event appeared to rest on one sexy woman who didn’t seem to notice any of the attention directed at her.

  Steeling himself for any questions she might have around his earlier behavior and her earlier argument over why she needed a husband here with her, he strode toward the bar. She caught sight of him, a smile lighting her face and warmth shining in her clear gray-green eyes. All he could think about was how attractive she was, how the dress fit her body like a glove.

  A beautiful, sexy woman was waiting for him—Luke Harrison. It had been three years since anyone had waited for him. He sucked in a breath as he struggled to remember why he’d been so annoyed with her. “Sorry I’m late,” he mumbled as he slid onto the bar stool beside her.

  “That’s okay. I’m glad you’re here.” She took a sip of her wine.

  “Why? Did something happen?” he asked, hoping she’d give him her side of the story around the Parkers.

  “No. It’s nothing. I’m just not used to being stared at.” She gave him an apologetic smile as her fingers pleated the napkin under her half-finished glass of wine.

  With this beautiful woman’s eyes focused solely on him, he couldn’t think of an intelligent word to say. And if that wasn’t enough, he suddenly felt awkward, out of his depth. “Why don’t we go to my office before we go to dinner? I need to talk to you about something.”

  She wrinkled her perfectly smooth brow. “If you’d like.” She slid off the stool and waved to Jack who waved back, and then winked at Luke. “But if your concern is over my room, I’m quite happy with it, and I’m really looking forward to having a spa treatment tomorrow.”

  His thoughts rattling around his mind like marbles in a tin can, he followed her from the bar, mesmerized by her walk, and the curl of hair snaking down the nape of her long neck.

  You need to get out more, date a few women.

  When they reached his office, he closed the door and moved quickly to sit behind his desk. He needed to be behind his desk, otherwise he’d be tempted to touch her, and touching her was out of the question.

  “Ah, we have a problem,” he said, forcing himself to get straight to the point.

  “A problem? With what?” she asked, looking completely perplexed and totally endearing.

  For a few minutes he considered backing out of his decision to find out what was going on with this woman and her reservation. But tomorrow was the first day of an event that was critical to the success of the inn’s winter season, a season he’d spent thousands of dollars of his advertising budget on, and he couldn’t let it be jeopardized.

  His conversation with Jack made it even more urgent that he find out what was going on with her. “You’re aware that this Christmas Getaway event is starting tomorrow, and those couples signed up because they want to have a stress-free Christmas vacation, right?”

  “Yes, you explained all that.”

  “Your reservation is for two people.” He cleared his throat to ease his nervousness. “Will your husband be joining you tomorrow?”

  “My husband?” she asked, her expression one of complete disbelief.

  “Your reservation is made out in the name of Mr. and Mrs. Scott McLaughlan.”

  She choked. “What?”

  Why the surprise? Had she planned all along to come without her husband and now she’d been found out? Was she meeting one of the other guests? Surely not Brad Parker. He and his wife seemed so happy when he met them at the reception desk earlier. But if there was something going on between Brad and Marnie, it might explain why she insisted on staying here.

  He pulled the reservation from the pile of papers on the corner of his desk. “See, there it is.” He pointed to the names on the reservation. “We’ve been heavily promoting this package. Your husband would have been informed when making the booking that it was a couples event.”

  She read it slowly, her lips pursed into a stubborn arch. “You wouldn’t have accepted the reservation unless I was coming here with…my husband.”

  “Not for the next few days. The package officially starts tomorrow, the 22nd, and runs until the 26th of December. We have a dinner party as the final event.”

  “So, what do you want me to do?” she asked.

  She hadn’t made any comment about her husband’s name being on the reservation, and she hadn’t offered any explanation for his absence. “It would be helpful to know when your husband is going to join you.”

  She started to speak, then lowered her head and peered at her hands resting in her lap. “I don’t know.”

  “Is he delayed?”

  “He’s… I’m calling him this evening....”

  He rubbed his face, a deep sigh escaping his lips. “In the meantime, we have to come to some sort of…arrangement.”

  “An arrangement.” Her voice dropped twenty degrees, but two bright red spots appeared on her cheeks.

  What in the hell was he doing? What arrangement would work that wouldn’t get him into more trouble? “Pleas
e try to understand my predicament. If you’re to stay here alone until your husband arrives you’ll have to keep a low profile. It might work best for you to be my…assistant.”

  An assistant? Any other brilliant ideas?

  She gave him an incredulous look. “You need a date that bad? None of the local girls want to go out with you?”

  “No, I don’t need a date. You’re just too…too much of a distraction. The men here are supposed to be concentrating on their wives.”

  “And if they don’t, it’s my fault?” she said, her voice rising.

  “No, it’s just that…” He managed to come up with a smile. “I’m just digging the hole deeper, aren’t I?”

  * * *

  AS ANGRY AND EMBARRASSED as she was by the predicament Scott had put her in, she found Luke’s earnest tone reassuring. He wasn’t trying to offend her; he just wasn’t good at dealing with this sort of situation. He was obviously not good at talking to women, which made him more appealing in a way.

  So, why don’t you tell him Scott’s not your husband, that he’s your brother? If you’re going to do it, now would be the time.

  But if she told Luke the truth, how did she explain her brother’s strange behavior? And what sort of person had a brother that would claim his sister was his wife? And what would Luke think of her when he learned the truth?

  She could suggest that the inn must have made a mistake, but she knew they hadn’t. Scott would have been told about the event, and in his single-minded way, he got around it by putting his name on the reservation, without thinking that there might be repercussions for her.

  She could have said that Scott was going to come with his wife, and couldn’t at the last minute, but that wouldn’t work because Scott had been told that it was a special Christmas package for couples. So for Scott to send her alone made even less sense. So what sort of explanation could she offer to Luke that would explain her presence here this week of all weeks?

  No, offering up another lie was out of the question. She hadn’t told Luke the truth originally and now the opportunity to do so was rapidly slipping away.

  Face it. You’re stalling for time. As angry as you are at Scott, you don’t want to leave, and the reason is sitting across from you.

  “You’re digging a huge hole, but it’s not necessarily your fault,” she said, barely able to contain her embarrassment. Scott hadn’t said one word about the couples program when he’d given her the confirmation number, and he’d left her to face this man knowing she was supposed to have a husband.

  “If we could come up with some sort of explanation for you being here alone… I mean, did you come to think…or to resolve some issue?”

  His expression was a mix of uncertainty and determination, and she felt sorry for him. After all, despite his poor handling of the situation, he was trying to run a business, and she wasn’t being much help.

  She cleared her throat and tried for an encouraging smile. She’d deal with her sneaky, underhanded brother tonight. “I had planned to have a nice break for a few days.” That was the truth, and another reason she planned to do something really nasty to Scott when she got home. “But I didn’t realize that my being here would cause such a problem for you. I’m really sorry for causing so much trouble.”

  Luke fidgeted for a few seconds, breathing life into her fantasy that if she could stay for a couple of days, and if she could somehow get out of the lie Scott had told, she might have a chance to get to know Luke. “I gather the inn will be busy for the next few days, and I used to run a beauty shop and spa. If I could help you out somehow, make up for any difficulties I may have caused,” she said, seeing his expression turn hopeful.

  “It would certainly be much easier for everyone if you were inconspicuous…that’s why I suggested you be my assistant.”

  “What will the other members of your staff say about this?”

  “Nothing. To be honest with you, we all want the Christmas Getaway event to be a success.”

  “I’m really that much of a concern?” she asked in disbelief.

  He nodded sheepishly. “A lone single woman during this sort of event can’t help but stand out.” He shrugged. “This must sound silly to you, but appearances count when it comes to creating a romantic experience such as the one we have planned for this week.”

  The heated exchange between herself and Brad came back to her, and she suddenly had a flash of realization. “The bartender called you, didn’t he? To report on me?”

  He nodded. “Jack has a lot going on this week, as well. His wife is expecting their first child and she’s due any day. But I’ve gotten way off topic.”

  So Jack told on her. If she had simply walked away from Brad, surely Luke wouldn’t be so anxious to keep her hidden. “That’s okay, and a new baby is always exciting,” she said.

  “Would you be willing to pretend to be my assistant until your husband arrives? During our Christmas Getaway event, many of the staff will work longer hours than usual. With you here, I’ll be able to offer them at least a few hours off, which means you’ll be too busy to attract any of the guests’ attention.” He gave her the cutest look, nearly making her forget that she was here under false pretenses.

  She had no idea why he was so anxious for her to stay, but clearly he was, and she wanted to stay, especially with the added bonus of working with him. Whatever else she did, she’d make sure she didn’t go anywhere near Brad or his wife, which would ease Luke’s concerns.

  By helping out around the inn, she could also do her questionnaire work without being noticed. “Let me sleep on it, and I’ll give you my answer tomorrow. How’s that?”

  “Great. In the meantime, what about dinner? The getaway event doesn’t officially start until tomorrow.”

  Dinner was out of the question tonight. She was only hungry for the chance to ream Scott out. Food could wait. Besides, if she got really hungry, she had trail mix in her backpack. “If you don’t mind, I’m a little tired. I think I’ll just go to my room.”

  She’d been so determined not to feel anything while Luke talked, not the surprise, the hurt or the embarrassment, brought on by the actions of her brother. And to add insult to injury, there had been the run-in with Brad. She swallowed hard and clenched her hands to steady herself.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. You don’t have to eat with me if you’d rather eat in your room. Why don’t I get the chef to send up some dinner?” Luke said.

  Why not? She’d probably be ravenous when she got done yelling at Scott. “That would be wonderful.”

  “Despite what I’ve said here this evening, I would’ve been more than pleased to have dinner with you.” His smile touched her heart, making her wish that she could tell him the truth about her, about why she was there in his beautiful inn.

  “Thank you.” Before she succumbed to his brilliant smile and the promise of what the evening might have offered her—if not for her brother’s behavior—she got up and left the office, not stopping until she was in her room with the door locked behind her.

  * * *

  FINALLY FREE TO EXPRESS her frustration, Marnie pounded her fists into the bed, and felt the hot sting of tears. To think that her brother had done this to her, embarrassed her this way, was too much for her to handle. Scott had to have known what was going on at the inn, and he’d let her come up here anyway to deal with the consequences.

  And humiliate herself in front of the one man she’d met in years who truly seemed like a decent guy.

  Her fingers fairly danced over the keys of her cell phone in her rush to reach Scott. He answered on the first ring.

  “How could you do this to me?”

  “Hello, Marnie, and what did I do to you?”

  “You registered me as one half of a couple, using your name, and I just spent a humiliating hour being grilled by the staff and the manager over the fact that I’m here alone.”

  “I’m sorry, Marnie. I had no choice. They’d only take the booking
if I made the reservation under both our names. Is that a problem?”

  She nearly choked on her anger. “No, not at all, if you don’t mind being told by the manager that you can’t stay unless you pretend to be his assistant so no one will see a single person here during the Christmas Getaway event for couples—only couples. But the most fun of all is that I have to lie to people about who I am,” Marnie yelled.

  Someone knocked at the door. “Is everything all right?” a man’s voice inquired.

  Damn! All she needed was for someone to go down to the desk and complain about a crazy woman screaming on the third floor. “I’m fine,” she called through the door, summoning the voice she used to calm unhappy clients.

  “Who are you talking to?” Scott asked.

  “You. I’m talking to you. I’m not spending the next three days here under these circumstances.”

  “Point taken. But calm down a little while I think.”

  “There’s nothing to think about! I’m coming back tomorrow. You and your questionnaire are history. Don’t ever ask me to do anything for you ever again.”

  There was a long silence, giving Marnie time to catch her breath and settle onto the bed, being careful not to hit her head this time. “Did you hear me?”

  “I did. I did. But look, I really need this survey done, and you’re the only person I can call on at such short notice to do it.”

  “But why do you need it if they’re simply going to sell the inn anyway?”

  “I told you. They have this buyer who’s interested, but he doesn’t want any problems on the operational front. He’s looking for a turnkey operation, and Angus McAndrew is determined to sell him one. That’s where you come in.”

  “And if I find a problem?”

  “Just get the forms filled out and get them off to me. Angus is calling daily to hear if there are any problems, and I need to know the minute you find anything, understood?”