A Silver Cove Christmas

by Jill Sanders

  East Haven Resort had been one of the most sought-after resorts for the rich and famous for the past fifty years and didn’t show signs of slowing up under her daughter’s direction. It gave Crystal such pride.

  “So, that leads us back to here,” Serenity was telling Rory. “What about you?” she asked as she turned the cart back to the main building.

  Crystal had been caught up in her own thoughts and had lost track of what the pair was talking about.

  “I used to work with your husband, but after a… difference in views with a manager, decided to go into business myself. It’s something I’d always wanted to do and I’d been saving up for the day for a few years.”

  “From what Ben tells me, you’re pretty successful at it.”

  “It pays the bills,” Rory added as the cart stopped. He jumped out and helped her out, then reached for the bags.

  “Don’t worry about those. I’ll have someone take them up to your room.” Serenity waved him off. “How about we head up and get some lunch. I had Adam prepare something special for your visit.”

  “I’ve heard all about your chef.” Rory set the bags back down.

  As the snow continued to fall, they climbed the long wide steps that led up to a wide veranda, which could easily accommodate a party of fifty. Tables and chairs lined a whole side of the building and overlooked the largest of the three swimming pools. There were tall space heaters that anyone could turn on if they desired to sit outside. Several stacks of neatly folded blankets, warm enough to hide under and watch the snow fall, were piled on a side table.

  Crystal knew that if you made your way around the building towards the ocean side, the tables and chairs were replaced with porch swings and recliners, so you could enjoy the beautiful views of the ocean. There was a smaller pool here with a hot tub on each end for guests to relax in and watch the evening stars pass overhead. She’d spent plenty of time out there herself.

  They walked through the main doors, and Rory stopped in his tracks. Most new visitors had the same reaction when they walked into the great entrance. Awestruck.

  The very elegant three-story spiral staircase sat in the middle of the entry. The hardwood floors gleamed as if new. The furniture and decorations were nothing short of beautiful and quietly spoke of quality.

  The dining room sat to the left of the front doors. To the right was a small front desk area with a sitting room behind.

  They followed Serenity into the dining room, where she reached for Aurora. Crystal reluctantly gave up the sleeping baby in her arms.

  “I’ve got a few things to tend to, but I’ll be back down after this one is done with her nap.” Serenity leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. “Enjoy.” She nodded to the room.

  The dining room was another amazing room. It was smaller than he’d imagined it would be, but still big enough to sit at least fifty. White tablecloths and napkins covered every table as did tall crystal vases that held flowers in soft pinks. The cream-colored chairs looked extremely comfortable.

  There were half a dozen guests sitting around the room, enjoying their own meals as Crystal and Rory made their way across the room and sat near the large stone fireplace.

  “There.” Crystal smiled. “This is nice.” She sighed and relaxed back. She knew that Adam Carriveau, East Haven’s chef, would be stopping by their table shortly.

  Adam had married Lilith, Serenity’s best friend, whom Crystal had taken in when she was thirteen, after she’d escaped Hurricane Katrina. Crystal had taken her into her home and her heart as her daughter. She loved the girl as much as she loved Serenity.

  Glancing around the room, she smiled when she saw Lilith making her way across the room towards them.

  Lilith’s auburn hair was tied up in a loose bun, and she was wearing her signature cream pants with a soft pink top. Crystal knew that Adam and Lilith had just returned from another trip on their sailboat. This time, they’d gone down the coast to the Carolinas.

  “Sarah told me you were coming.” Lilith stopped next to the table and leaned in for a hug. “So.” She turned as her eyes ran over Rory. “This must be the hero.”

  “Hero?” Rory smiled. “I like the sound of that.”

  “From what I hear, you deserve the title.” Lilith held out her hand. “I’m Lilith Carriveau. Thanks for saving my mother.”

  Rory glanced between them.

  “Long story. I took Lilith in when she was thirteen. She lost everything in Katrina.” It was the quick version and much easier than explaining that the girl’s mother was still alive, but Lilith wanted nothing to do with the woman, who’d sat back and allowed her boyfriend to sexually abuse a thirteen-year-old girl.

  “Ben has mentioned you just married Adam?” Rory motioned for her to sit beside him.

  “Yes.” Lilith pulled out a chair and sat next to Rory. “Six months ago.” She sighed, and Crystal smiled at the dreamy look in the girl’s eyes.

  “No one believed me when I told everyone that you two were destined for one another.” Crystal smiled.

  “That’s because they all believed I’d kill the guy first,” Lilith said as Crystal laughed. “Speaking of the devil himself.” Lilith stood up and kissed Adam as he stopped next to his wife. The man was tall, skinny, and very French.

  “Bonjour.” He leaned in and kissed her cheek, then held out his hand for Rory. “Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts.” His accent was thick, but she could see the sincerity in his brown eyes. “You have saved someone so dear and close to our hearts.” He motioned to Crystal. “We are forever in your debt.”

  Lilith nodded, then wiped a tear from her own eyes. “Now, if you’re done kissing up to our guests, how about you feed them.” She smiled at Adam.

  “Oui.” He leaned in and kissed Lilith, then nudged her towards the door. “Don’t you have guests to check on?”

  Lilith smiled and waved as she walked away.

  Adam turned back to them. “Now, I am acquainted with what foods Crystal enjoys, but…”

  “I’ll have what she’s having.” Rory smiled. “Besides, eating like she does has lowered my cholesterol. Might as well stick with it.”

  “Oui.” Adam smiled. “I’ll take care of you both. If there is anything you desire…”

  “Je vous remercie,” Rory added. “Thank you,”

  Crystal tried not to be too impressed that Rory knew French and spoke it so well.

  “You speak French like a native,” she said after Adam disappeared through the kitchen doors.

  Rory laughed. “I doubt Adam, or anyone else for that matter, would agree with you.”

  She smiled. “Have you ever been to France?”

  “More than a dozen times.” He tilted his head and looked at her. “Care to join me next time?”

  Chapter 18

  There was little that Rory enjoyed more than having wonderful food, cooked by one of the best French chefs in the States, with a beautiful woman while the snow fell quietly outside. Crystal sipped a glass of wine while they talked about his travels.

  Since he was still on pain pills, he sipped water and enjoyed a cup of coffee over dessert.

  He’d been a little surprised at the food Adam had delivered to the table himself: crab and shrimp on a bed of pasta seasoned to perfection. He wasn’t quite sure what else was in there, but he’d eaten every bite.

  Then the waitress had delivered strawberry crêpes drizzled with dark chocolate. He’d enjoyed it while sipping his coffee and watching the snow fall as the fire crackled in the fireplace.

  “I needed this.” He sighed and leaned back.

  “What?” Crystal smiled. “Being shot or the dessert?” She joked, but he could see the concern behind her blue eyes.

  “Being here, like this, with you.” He reached over and took her hand with his good one.

  His pain was minimal, now that the pills had kicked in. He knew it was just a matter of time before he’d need to lay down for a rest; his body was still weak.

  “
You look tired,” Crystal said, shifting as if to get up.

  “No, just a while longer.” He hated begging, but he wanted to enjoy himself before napping like an old man. He could just imagine what everyone would think of him sleeping in the middle of the day like a preschooler.

  “How about a walk on the deck.” She nodded to the windows. “We can enjoy the fresh air, the snow…”

  He nodded, then quickly downed the rest of his coffee.

  When they stepped outside, the bite in the cold air hit him, waking him up and reminding him that he was still alive.

  He took her hand in his, and they strolled around the deck until they faced the open sea. The clouds had grown darker, promising more snow was to come. Clouds rolled low over the dark gray waters. Even the waves seemed to calm down as snow landed on the surface.

  “There’ll be a storm tonight,” Crystal said, leaning against the railing and pulling her coat tighter around her.

  “You can tell?” He looked off to the clouds again.

  “Can’t you?” She smiled and turned to him. “Close your eyes,” she suggested. He moved closer to her, placing his hands on her hips, then closed both of his eyes. “Take a deep breath.” He did so. “Smell it?” she asked.

  What he smelled was snow and seawater. There was a hint of something sweet, causing his eyes to open. “What I smell is lavender and you.”

  She smiled. “Romantic.” She wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Her blue eyes sparkled as she looked up at him. Then her smile fell away. “We really didn’t have time to talk about what happened.”

  “Since I don’t really remember much…”

  “You pretty much stepped in front of a bullet for me,” she whispered. It was the first time she’d said anything.

  “I had my reasons.” He brushed a strand of her hair away from her face. She’d worn a bright blue cap and had tried to tuck most of her hair under it, but the wind was taking strands and blowing them about. He wanted nothing more than to gather them up and hold onto them as he made love to her slowly.

  “If you keep looking at me like that.” She sighed, then rested her head on his good shoulder. “Thank you.”

  “For looking at you?” He smiled. “Or for desiring you?”

  “Both, everything.” She leaned back. “For this.” She glanced around. “I haven’t been here with anyone else. Since Johnathan.” He could see the sadness fill her.

  He nudged her chin up until their eyes met. “Then a thank you is in order.” Her eyebrows shot up in question. “Thank you for trusting me, choosing me to share this with you.” He leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her lips.

  “Why don’t we go find our room, so we can… nap.” She smiled and, suddenly, he no longer cared what anyone thought about him laying down in the middle of the day.

  He followed her up the spiral staircase, enjoying the art and decorations as they made their way to their room.

  “Is this the room you always stay in?” he asked as she unlocked the door.

  “Yes, it’s my favorite.” She opened the door wide, then motioned for him to enter.

  Their luggage was sitting inside the door. There was a massive bed along one wall, facing a wall of windows, with a fireplace sitting off to the side. There was firewood and kindling piled next to it.

  The room was done in soft creams, and the wood ceilings and floors were soft and warm. The view was… amazing. More than half the room was covered with windows. The view was more impressive than any he’d seen below on the decks.

  The tips of the trees were just below the window, allowing an undisturbed view of the Atlantic Ocean.

  There was a small sitting area by the fireplace and when he turned around, Crystal was already building a fire.

  “Here, let me.” She waved him off. “I’ve got this, why don’t you open that.” She nodded to the bottle of chilled champagne that he hadn’t noticed yet.

  There was a small box next to the ice bucket and when he opened it, she smiled. “Chocolate covered strawberries.” He turned and showed her.

  “Lilith’s doing. The champagne is Serenity’s. They pamper me when I visit.” The fire was lit and crackling when he carried the strawberries and two full flutes of champagne over to her.

  They sat in front of the fire and sipped champagne and nibbled on the strawberries. Then he set the glasses aside and pulled her down onto the thick rug and slowly made love to her as the room cooled and the storm blew outside the windows.

  When Rory touched her, everything else in life faded away. She knew his shoulder pained him, but easily forgot about it as his hands roamed over her skin.

  The fire cracked beside them as he slowly peeled off her clothes. His mouth touched her skin, and she let herself lose all other thoughts except him. Scraping her nails against his skin, she tugged and gently removed his clothing once hers lay in a pile at their feet.

  “You’re so beautiful,” he whispered, looking down at her. Then he’d slid into her and she’d lost the last strings that had held her heart in place.

  They must have slept for a time. When she woke, the fire had died down, and the room had turned slightly chilly.

  She smiled when Rory rolled over and tossed another log onto the fireplace.

  The white bandages over his wound glowed in the dying light.

  “What time is it?” she asked, blinking slightly.

  “Got somewhere to be?” he joked, looking over at her.

  The fire had kicked back up, causing a glow behind him. He was really a magnificent specimen. Lean muscles, tone body, perfect skin. She held in a sigh.

  “No, it’s just, I had a surprise for you.” She sat up and glanced over at the clock next to the bed. “We have enough time to grab a shower and dress.” She started to get up.

  “Must we go anywhere? I’m sure we can order room service…” His hands tugged on her hips until she knelt back down in front of him. Then he kissed her.

  “I’d love to, but… You don’t want to piss off my daughter when she makes plans.” She smiled. “Besides, I could use some fresh air.” She tilted her head and noticed the moment she’d persuaded him. “Come on, I’ll scrub your back.” She tugged his good arm and helped him up.

  The bathroom was another one of her favorite things about the resort. The shower was a lot like her own—large with a bench across the back wall. Her daughter stocked all the rooms in the resort with her own products, so she dumped a handful of her own cranberry shampoo on her head and smiled when Rory noticed.

  “God, I could get used to this smell.” He took a deep breath from the bottle before pouring some in his own hands.

  “It’s my holiday mix.” She rinsed her hair clean. “In the spring it’s watermelon or mint.”

  “No gingerbread?” he asked.

  “Gingerbread candles.” She nodded outside of the glass shower walls. “Or pumpkin pie and apple pie. Some scents shouldn’t be used on a person. I tried caramel lotion once.” She cringed.

  “That bad?” he asked, rinsing off.

  “Yeah.” She shut the shower off. “You’ll want to dress warm,” she suggested as she handed him a towel.

  “If I ask, will you tell me what the surprise is?”

  She laughed. “No.” She wrapped a towel around her long hair, then tucked one around her body.

  “Does it involve food? I’m starved.” He frowned down at his stomach. “Didn’t we just eat?”

  “Four hours ago.” She smiled. “Time flies…”

  They dressed quickly and made it downstairs just in time to see a large horse-drawn sled pull up at the base of the outside stairs.

  “Wow.” Rory smiled. “I’ve never ridden in a horse-drawn sled before.”

  She wrapped her arms around him and held tight. “There’s a first time for everything.” She nodded to Adam as he set a large wicker basket on the back of the sled. “Ready?” she asked, moving to get into the sled.

  “Who’s going to drive?” he asked.

&nbs
p; “Well, I suspect the horse knows the way, but if it makes you feel better, I will.” She helped him up. “I’ve enjoyed this every year that I’ve stayed here.”

  “Where does the horse live?” Rory asked, once they were settled under a thick wool blanket.

  She tapped the reins and the horse slowly moved forward.

  “Harry lives on the mainland. He’s on borrow from one of the farms.”

  “Harry?” Rory glanced over at her.

  “Sure. He’s been pulling the sled for over five years. Before that it was Charles and George.”

  Rory laughed. “Okay, where are we off to?”

  “To the other side of the island.” She clicked her tongue and had Harry going at a steady pace. Then she leaned against his shoulder and enjoyed the slow ride.

  “Another surprise?” he asked.

  “There are many more to come.” She smiled as she thought about spending the rest of her life surprising him.

  Chapter 19

  The sled pulled up to an enclosed gazebo that had Christmas lights strung all over it along with red ribbons and holly wreaths. In the middle of the building was a large circular fireplace with a roaring fire already in place.

  Icicles hung from the edge of the roof, but the inside was dry and looked much warmer than outside.

  “What about Harry?” He nodded to the horse as they slowed.

  “He’ll be okay until we head back.” She pulled gently on the reins and let the horse wander into a smaller shelter area. Fresh hay lay on the ground and Harry started nibbling on what looked like grain from a long trough at the back of the lean-to.

  He helped Crystal down from the sled and stood back as she pulled a large wicker basket he hadn’t noticed before from the back of the sled.

  “Where did…” He shook his head, then reached for the basket, but Crystal shook her head no.

  “You’re not supposed to lift more than five pounds with that arm.” She moved around him with the heavy basket. “You can help me lay everything out.”

  The snow was now falling gently, but it was deep as they trudged down a semi-cleared pathway to the gazebo.