The Christmas Inn

by Stella MacLean

  Her happiness was at stake.

  Marnie closed the door to her room behind her and picked up her cell phone. Scott answered on the first ring. “I want to talk to you, Liam, Gordon and Alex as soon as possible. I’ve got something I need you to do for me.”

  “Sounds intriguing. Tell me more.”

  “Not right now. I have to talk to all four of you together. Can you line up a conference call?”

  “You do realize that it’s almost time for Santa Claus to do his thing.”

  She’d completely forgotten. “Oh, sorry,” she said. “I’ll bring my presents to everyone the day after Christmas.”

  Scott whistled. “Hey, it sounds like you’re on a mission.”

  “I’ll tell you all you need to know as soon as you line up the conference call.”

  There was what could only be described as a loaded silence on Scott’s end of the line. She was just about ready to give up and say something funny to break the awkwardness when he spoke. “Marnie, there’s something I want to tell you before we talk with the other three.”

  “What’s that?”

  “I realize that I’ve sounded pretty domineering over the last few years. And there were times when you were annoyed with me.”

  “Tell me about it.” She snorted.

  “I have a confession to make. You know how much we all worried about you when you had to have heart surgery as a kid, and how the whole family got into the whole protection racket, as you called it, after your accident.”

  “How could I forget? So what’s your point?”

  “Me and Liam, and Alex and Gord… We’d been raised to look out for you. It just became a natural way for us to think where you were concerned. Then when the accident happened and you were sent to hospital with so many injuries, all four of us were terrified that you wouldn’t make it.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me this before?”

  “I don’t know. Being big dumb jocks has its drawbacks, I suppose.”

  Her heart warmed, and tears welled up in her eyes. Deep down, she’d always adored Scott, the brother who had always been there for her, who had protected and cared for her, and who now had the grace and class to tell her the truth about how he felt. “What happened to make you see things differently?”

  “Mom. She called me after she talked to you. In case you’re interested, yours isn’t the only conference call we four have been on recently.”

  “Mom talked to you guys about me?”

  “She did. She said we needed to cut you some slack. She even admitted to relying on you too much, especially at Christmas. Then Dad got on the phone and talked about how much he was waiting for all of us to come home for the holidays, how much they were looking forward to seeing all of us. It was a pretty teary scene. And all because of you.”

  “I’m going away more often if one little vacation can produce this kind of change in the way you all see me.”

  “Yeah. We made a mistake by insisting on overseeing your life. It’s not going to happen again.”

  “Does that mean you’re not going to do a background check on the next man I bring home?”

  “Well, we might slip up now and again, but we’re going to do our best to change.”

  “I love you guys,” she said, smiling through her tears.

  “Before I hang up and get the conference call organized, I want you to know that I’ve always loved you best.”

  “Scott…don’t make a confession you’ll regret,” she warned, trying for a teasing tone and failing miserably.

  “I’m serious. Now get off the phone, and I’ll call you back as soon as I can round up your brothers. Oh, and by the way, hope you’re having a great time. That man, what’s his name?”

  “Luke.”

  “I hope he’s worth it.”

  “He is.”

  “Well, then, I’m really pleased you’ve found someone special. You deserve to be happy.”

  A lump the size of a golf ball formed in Marnie’s throat. “The age of miracles is not over,” she said, fighting to maintain a light tone in her voice, all the while wishing her brother was within hugging range.

  “Talk soon, Peanut. Whoops! Sorry!”

  “It’s okay. Just this once,” she said, feeling closer to her brother than she ever had in her life.

  * * *

  LUKE COULDN’T STAND it any longer. Marnie wasn’t answering her room phone, and her cell phone kept going to voice mail. He had to talk to her, to tell her what happened and what it could mean for both of them. He headed for the stairs, almost running into Jack, who was coming out of the library.

  “Whoa! What’s up?” Jack asked, looking a whole lot like he had a secret he wanted to share.

  “I’m on my way to find Marnie. You haven’t seen her, have you?”

  “As a matter of fact I have. She and I chatted for a bit, and then she took off to her room, as if she was being chased by demons. I hear that the Advantage people were here to deliver some bad news. Sorry that this had to happen, and especially right at Christmas. What a bunch of jerks.”

  He wasn’t surprised that Jack would be up to speed on everything. “You’ve got that right. But maybe this will turn out better than it seems.”

  “Do you mean Marnie?”

  “How did you— What have you been up to?” Luke gave him a glowering look, eliciting a chuckle from Jack.

  “I haven’t been up to much, but Marnie is. She’s on the warpath. You’re one lucky man to have a woman like her in your life.”

  Luke was on the verge of denying the implication of Jack’s words, and then reconsidered. Why should he deny his feelings for her? “Yeah, I’m lucky, all right.” He shoved his fingers through his hair, trying to figure out how much he should tell his friend. “I’m lucky in so many ways, especially in the way she loves me.”

  “I knew it! You two are in love. I told Lindsay last night that there was something going on between you two. My wife owes me a date with her, just the two of us.”

  Luke nodded his head, soaking in Jack’s words, feeling them to his core. That was it. He and Marnie were meant to be together, to be there for each other through thick and thin. “We are in love. All this time, I thought…” He grimaced at the memory of all those evenings he’d spent with Jack, going over what happened to Anna, trying to put it in the past, and be a good dad while trying to juggle his work life. “You know what’s been going on with me since Anna died, all I’ve had to deal with. But it’s as if I’ve been given a second chance to be happy, and it’s so…”

  “You deserve every second of it.”

  “It’s as if everything is new, so much to look forward to,” Luke went on, realizing for the first time that Marnie had set him free of the past.

  Jack clapped him on the back, a smile lighting his rugged features. “Go tell that woman how you really feel. She deserves to know, and you’ve both earned the right to be happy.”

  “Tell Marnie what?” Marnie asked from halfway down the carpeted stairs.

  Jack winked at Luke. “It’s now or never, my friend.”

  * * *

  MARNIE SCURRIED DOWN the remaining steps, trying to be cool, wishing she had long hair to flick off her shoulders. Slowing at the bottom of the stairs, she clutched the newel post and waited for Luke to cross the couple of feet of carpet separating them.

  This man of hers was so gorgeous, and how she loved the expression on his face right now—half joy, half humor. “Were you and Jack talking about me?” she asked, teasingly.

  The smile in his eyes would melt icebergs. “Guilty as charged,” he said, covering her hand with his where it rested on the post, his fingers gently massaging hers.

  “How did your meeting go?” she asked, worried for him.

  He shrugged. “As expected. They made their announcement about selling the inn and left.”

  “So, what’s next?” she asked, struggling to remain calm and poised, while his touch held the power to buckle her knees.

  �
�Why don’t we go back to my apartment? We’ve got a lot to think about.”

  She slipped her hand into his as they walked down the corridor past the spa to his apartment door. “Luckily, Ethan’s not here right now. Mary’s got him helping her and Charlene to double-check all the linens for the Christmas Eve dinner. Max has been swearing and cursing all day, which means that the meal will be a masterpiece.”

  She could hardly wait for this evening, as she hoped to be able to tell him her brothers would back his purchase of the inn. “This is so exciting. I’ve never spent Christmas Eve at an inn,” she said.

  “There’s so much going on,” he hedged.

  Her heart skipped a beat. “Want to fill me in?”

  He moved so quickly he practically dragged her down the hall. “This time I’ll be careful that all the doors are closed. Far too much of my life seeps from beneath a door, I swear.”

  “I’m all for closed doors,” she offered, feeling his fingers on the small of her back as he maneuvered her into his apartment ahead of him.

  The sun slanted through the windows in the dining room, highlighting the row of photographs on the wall, and the pile of toys in the adjoining living room now arranged in a path leading to the kitchen. Over in the corner of the living room was a beautifully decorated tree covered in gold and red ornaments and strings of popcorn. She stopped to take in the sight. “Someone has done a lovely job decorating the tree.”

  “Mary did it. She and Ethan worked here for hours the other day. She loves him so much.”

  “What a great group of friends you have in your life.”

  “They really are.”

  “Should I make a pot of coffee?” she asked, turning to him just in time to be kissed. An excited kiss filled with determination, sending her thoughts whirling over the possibilities. He led her to the sofa in the living room, and pulled her down beside him. “First I want to tell you that I’ve come to a decision.”

  “You have?”

  He snuggled her into the crook of his arm, his powerful body pressed against hers. She leaned into him, her fingers tracing the edge of his shirtfront.

  “Until The Mirabel sells to whomever—and that doesn’t seem to be a certainty as yet—I’m going to look for another managerial position nearby. Leaving here is not my first choice, but I figure that the new owners, whoever they turn out to be, will want to put a management team together that they’re familiar with. That means that my time here is limited, and I want to find a new inn to manage as soon as possible. I’m even considering buying a smaller inn and setting up my own business.”

  As she listened to him, she barely managed to contain her excitement. Within a few hours she’d be able to present her own plan to him. A plan that involved her brothers providing at least part of the financial backing for her and Luke to purchase The Mirabel, a plan that would allow Luke and Ethan to stay right here with her and his entire hotel family.

  She listened as he talked about his prospects, the potential for a new job, his words coming fast. He went on to talk about helping Ethan with any changes that might be necessary. As much as she wanted to, she didn’t dare interrupt him with her own thoughts. And if what Jack said was true—that Luke didn’t like people messing around in his life—she might regret putting forward her ideas too quickly.

  Besides, she was perfectly content knowing that he loved her. He’d said so, even told Jack about how he felt. But a new relationship was a very tenuous thing—she’d had firsthand experience in that department.

  “I believe my plan will work, don’t you?”

  He referred to it as his plan—not theirs. He hadn’t mentioned how she would fit in with his plan, what her role would be. She eased out of his arms, wanting to gain a little perspective on what was going on. She hadn’t expected him to have a plan already in place. She’d believed he’d want to discuss all the options with her first so they could make a decision together. Wasn’t that what couples did?

  “Why don’t we go over all the possibilities?”

  “Like what?” His voice didn’t hold much enthusiasm.

  “Maybe there’s an investor willing to offer financial support so you can buy the inn?”

  “Who were you thinking of?” he asked skeptically.

  His tone hurt. Why did he sound so surprised that she might have an idea about what to do? Weren’t they supposed to be in this together? She loved Luke and Ethan, and she had built her hopes on the idea that he felt the same—the same depth of love and commitment.

  With dread seeping through her mind and blocking her voice, she got up and went over to the tree, needing to put a little space between herself and Luke. She knelt down, and saw the gifts wrapped and ready for tomorrow morning. She could almost hear Ethan’s squeals of delight as he opened each gift. More than anything she wanted to be part of Luke’s Christmas as they planned their future together. She wanted to wake up tomorrow morning filled with happiness and hope.

  But if Luke talked only in terms of what the sale of The Mirabel meant to him, their future as a couple was in serious doubt. Feeling spent, she sank to the floor and stared up into the tree.

  “Marnie, what’s going on?” Luke moved to sit beside her on the floor, putting his arm around her shoulders. “Did I say something to upset you? I didn’t mean to, you must realize that.”

  His tone was so sweet and concerned. She couldn’t tell him she felt left out of his life, his plans. She couldn’t risk discovering that her impetuousness had once again gotten in the way of her happiness. “Christmas is such an emotional time for me,” she said, trying to tamp down her feelings.

  If Luke wasn’t interested in her plan, she’d have to make some sort of explanation to her brothers when they called, and once again she’d be exposing her life and her feelings to another round of her family’s discussion and dissection of her life.

  She looked into his eyes, touched his chin, felt the warmth of his skin and decided that one way or the other she had to tell him how she really felt—no hiding behind humor or self-deprecating behavior. She loved Luke too much to hide behind anything. If he really loved her, he would want her to share what she was thinking, and how she saw their life together. If he didn’t… It was better to face that now.

  “I’ve been thinking over what you said, and what Advantage intends to do. Have you considered having a partner? Someone who could help with the financing and management of The Mirabel?”

  “Have you someone in mind?” he asked, his eyes going from narrowed slits to slowly widening in surprise. “You and me?”

  “Why not? Don’t you think we’d make a good team?”

  “I do, it’s just that you have a life back in Boston, but I didn’t realize that you—”

  “That I cared enough to stay here?”

  Just when she needed her guy to sweep her off her feet, he shows off his insecurities.

  “It’s all over the inn that we’re in love, that the owners were here and are going to sell the inn. It only makes sense that you and I do something about the situation.”

  “So where do we go from here? We can look for an inn to purchase while we wait for this one to sell,” he said, scrubbing his fingers through his hair, a wry expression on his face.

  “I’ve got a call in to my brothers.”

  “To do what?”

  “To act as our financial backers.”

  He hesitated. “You’re sure you want to do that? From what you’ve told me, it doesn’t sound as if you’re convinced that they’ve got your best interests at heart. Besides, what if they want to take charge of what we’re doing? What if they’re convinced that I’m using you to get funding for the inn?”

  “They won’t. Scott and I have come to an understanding, and he’s the one who’s getting the other three together for a conference call. I’m ready to exert some pressure on them to fund our purchase of The Mirabel.”

  “You’re serious?”

  “Yes. They should be calling me any minute now. I imag
ine Liam and Gordon are at my parents’ house already, and Alex is on his way from Philadelphia. Scott is probably leaving his office.” She checked her watch. Why hadn’t they called back by now? In all the excitement, she hadn’t paid attention to what time she’d talked to Scott, but it had to be an hour ago at least. “Have you seen my cell phone?”

  “It’s on the sofa,” he said, a quizzical expression on his face. “You’d do this for me? You’d go into business with me?”

  She scrambled off the floor, grabbed her phone and returned to sit next to him. “Why not? If we’re going to be together?”

  “But loving someone is not the same as being financially involved with them. We’d be working together, living together…”

  She nodded, feeling completely exposed and vulnerable. “I’ve been accused of never doing anything halfway.”

  He twined his fingers with hers and pulled her into his arms. “If I could, I’d marry you tomorrow.”

  “On Christmas Day?” she asked, fighting back laughter.

  There you go again. When someone is being serious, you fall back on humor.

  “On any day you like,” he said, as he pressed his forehead gently to hers.

  She clung to him, and in that quiet instant she saw her life laid out before her; a life filled with the family she and Luke would have, the friends they’d share and children of their own maybe.... “You mean that,” she whispered, her arms going around his neck as she leaned into his embrace. Driven by the groan of need emanating from him, she moved her mouth to his neck and the lovely warm V of his throat, lightly nipping at his skin.

  “I do.” His powerful hands swept her shoulders, pulling her closer.

  “Why didn’t you say this earlier? For a while I thought that maybe you weren’t really serious, that I’d made a fool of myself before the entire staff.”

  “Never a fool, my love, never that,” he murmured as he stretched out on the floor and pulled her on top of him.

  She squirmed in pleasure. “Do you have any idea what I’ve been up to since I last saw you?”

  “Talking to Scott?”