The auction would almost be over by now. His phone pinged with a message and he paused to read it, smiled and thumbed the keys, as he sent a reply. More relaxed now, he put the car into drive and made his way into town.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Adam walked around the back of the hotel and saw her standing on her own. Her face was up toward the sky and she shivered, her bare shoulders trembling with the cold. Adam sent the next message and strode up the path, just as the lights lit up the courtyard like a million stars.
She blinked then turned as his footsteps sounded on the cobblestones. “Adam!” Dakota threw herself into his arms, small hiccup sobs rising in her throat.
“I made it at last. Sorry I’m so late.” The familiar smell of her perfume calmed his nerves. He didn’t realize just how much he’d missed her until she was in his arms.
Dakota lifted her face and placed a chaste kiss on his lips. “Welcome home.”
“I think we can do better than that, don’t you?” Hopefully he hadn’t left it too late to let her know how much he cared for her.
“Maybe. How did you do?” Uncertainty shone in her eyes.
“I’m fine. A minor scarring issue on an artery that can be fixed after Christmas but nothing life threatening. I don’t have the disease my father does. I’m here to stay, Dakota. If you’ll have me.”
Her lips formed a circle and her eyes widened. “Home? For good?”
His hands slid down to circle her waist. “Yes. I resigned my spot on the team. Almost missed my flight back but it was something I had to do face-to-face with my management. I wanted to come home to you with no ties. And then the flight was delayed.”
“Seriously?”
“Serious. It was time for me to re-evaluate my life and I don’t want to risk losing you by playing another season.”
“Really? You gave up your career for me?” White teeth latched onto her bottom lip.
“Honestly? Not entirely. I gave up for me too. You see, I’m at the point where another injury would be career ending anyway. Last thing I want is to spend the rest of my days in pain because I wanted to chase glory one last time. Instead I’ll take a job in broadcasting, which will mean I’m only away a couple of days a week during soccer season. Do you think you can deal with that?”
“I think I can work with that.”
“I’ve had a brilliant career so far. Not worth risking anymore damage and besides, you’re here. I knew I needed to be where you were.”
“You’re the sweetest man.” Dakota rested her cheek against his chest, finally letting her nerves dissipate. At least one thing had worked out well and it was the most important.
“I’m sorry if I’ve missed the auction. How did it go?”
Dakota laughed. “Rach won the competition. She’s over the moon.”
“That’s great, she worked so hard.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “I’m sorry you didn’t take out first prize.”
“It doesn’t matter. The mayor still has to auction off my tree though so you haven’t missed everything. Poor Clover was getting a little bit hoarse after the fifth tree. The competition was pretty fierce for Rach’s tree and she decided if she didn’t take a break, have a drink before continuing, she’d suffer for weeks.” She ran a finger over his bottom lip and smiled when the fire burned in his eyes. “Just as well because the topper I spent days on making failed to light up. I think it’s ruined the entire display and I don’t expect it to raise much money now. But I can’t let that worry me. We’ve raised a heap of money for the Grange repairs already. I have what is the most important thing to me right here.”
Adam lowered his head, placed his hands either side of her cheeks and kissed her lips. Softly at first, then with more intensity.
Dakota lost herself, leaning into him. So intent on the magical moment in the arms of the man she loved, even the cool breeze on her bare shoulders didn’t make an impression.
“Dakota, Dakota.” Noah ran out and grabbed at her hand. “Come quick.”
She pulled away from Adam, dazed with passion and glanced at her nephew wishing they hadn’t been interrupted. “Why, what’s wrong?”
He bounced around her, clapping his hands in glee. “Your angel. She’s working now.”
Adam held out his hand. “Do you think we should go inside?”
“I’m rather liking it out here with you, to tell the truth.”
“Dakota, your tree, come see.” Noah tugged at her other hand. “Come on!”
“We’d better go and see what’s happening before this young man gets angry with you. You owe me a dance out here under the stars later then.” Adam took her hand and led her inside.
Her tree lit up the room, its golden light stunning in its purity. The angels hung around the branches as if they were waiting to take flight in a mass of wings but the largest angel of them all was the show stopper. Perched on top of the tree, she stood with her wings held wide over her head. Their tips touched at the top giving the effect of her sheltering the angels below. Her feathers dripped golden light that rained down over her charges, the beams bouncing off the dark wooden floor like scattering droplets of molten liquid light.
“Oh my goodness. That looks so pretty.” Dakota teared up, almost lost for words.
“Didn’t you know what it was going to look like?” Adam stood behind her with his arms around her shoulders, holding her close as everyone oohed and aahed at her tree.
“No. I didn’t have time to test it out because the filaments came so late. I did it all on faith. I must have done something wrong with her to start with.”
“And that faith has been rewarded. This is a stunning display, Dakota.”
Clover walked over to the stage and tapped her microphone to get everyone’s attention. “Right, folks. Time for the last tree to be auctioned and I’m pleased to say that although a late starter, it looks fantastic. This is the last chance you’ll get to own something amazing so I don’t expect you all to sit on your wallets. Be generous. It’s for a good cause. Who wants to start me off with a bid?” Clover looked at the crowd, her voice still raspy.
“Five thousand dollars.” Adam held up his hand until she acknowledged his bid.
Dakota gasped. “Adam, you can’t.”
He sighed, his breath warm against her throat, sending shivers down her spine. “Give me a good reason why not.”
“Because, well because…I don’t know.” It was hard to think with him so close.
His laugh was joined by others. Woodsie shook his head, raised his glass to her. “Now you sit back and shush, young woman. Let everyone show their appreciation just how they please.”
“But I don’t want you all spending so much money. Not on my tree.” How could she tell him it was the embarrassment of being in the spotlight more than anything?
“It’s all for a good cause which you gladly put your hand up for. Why shouldn’t we show as much gratitude as you did?” Others agreed with Woodsie and she had no choice but to give in gracefully.
“Fine then.” She slumped against him and Adam held her close.
*
“Let’s continue shall we, if you’ve all had your say?” Clover held her hand up for silence. “Do I have any further bids?”
“Six thousand.” A rich voice from the back rose over the crowd and Dakota strained to see who it belonged to.
Adam held up his hand again, a smile twitching the corners of his mouth. Game on! “Ten thousand.”
He gave Dakota a gentle squeeze when she opened her mouth to protest. She shut it again, pressed her lips firm to hold her tongue.
“Fifteen thousand.”
A collective gasp sounded from the crowd and Adam felt the shiver that went over Dakota’s skin which made him hold her tighter. Last thing he wanted was her fainting or protesting any more than she already had. Things were getting interesting and he was enjoying himself.
“Twenty thousand.” Adam was determined to have her tree.
“Thirty th
ousand if I can have a date with the pretty lady in the red dress.” The crowd glanced around looking from the bidder to the owner of the red dress. Rach gave a nervous laugh when she noticed she was the only one and looked to the back of the room.
“Buzz, I’m going to let you have that one. Congratulations, dear friend.”
“Buzz is here and bought my tree?” Dakota swiveled her head between Adam and where Buzz stood at the back of the room.
“Yep. His mom loved your decorations so much he decided he needed to make sure he got her some more. Plus, he had some unfinished business he wanted to attend to. I didn’t think he was going to make it. He caught the flight after me and we had trouble landing because of the weather.”
“Rach. He wants to take her out? There would be much easier and cheaper ways of doing that, surely?” The lady in question stood with Buzz holding her hand beside the tree, her cheeks almost as red as her dress.
“Nothing if not a stylish man. Makes up for his shyness with the ladies.”
Dakota watched the couple together. “He doesn’t look shy.”
“Believe me, he is. Puts on a brave face and if it includes soccer, he’s good. Struggles one on one with the ladies though. Always has.”
“That’s so sweet.” She shared a gaze with Rach who still looked stunned.
Adam leaned down and whispered in her ear, “I think you and I should slip out and have that dance now, what do you say?”
With a giggle, Dakota gripped his hand and pushed her way out through the crowd to the courtyard. She turned into his arms and started to move.
“I seem to remember doing this once before with you.” Adam rested his cheek against hers and contentment filled his heart.
“Who would have imagined we’d be doing it again? Fate has been kind to us, Adam.”
Snowflakes fell and landed on her hair, then a sprinkle on her shoulders. Dakota held her face to the sky. “This is magical.” She poked her tongue out too and lapped up the tiny bits of snow as they landed.
“It hardly ever snows in Cherry Lake.” He poked his tongue out and caught a flake before laughing. “You must be good luck, Dakota.” Soon a fine dusting of powder lay over the cobblestones and the two of them had sprinkles in their hair.
“It truly is a magical Christmas, Adam. All glittery and perfect with you by my side. What more could a girl ask for?”
The End
Valentine Kisses
Ann B. Harrison
Prologue
Bella Moore thought she had everything she ever wanted. After winning Masterchef, she has her own reality show and a contract for two cookbooks a year, with people lining up for her to appear on their shows, attend events, and promote their goods. Burnout creeps up on her fast and even though she tries to insist she’s fine, the show’s producers give her six months’ hiatus because they want her fresh and vibrant for next season.
Not one to sit back and relax completely, she thinks visiting her sister’s in Cherry Lake and helping with the hotel is the only things that will save her from boredom. That way she gets to reconnect with her sisters and her nephew as well as keep her mind occupied. Win/win situation. A small hotel, old-fashioned kitchen and people that don’t ask for more than she is prepared to give sounds perfect before she gets there.
What she doesn’t expect is to clash with the fire chief over her new position. The last chef left the kitchen in a mess and Bella has to step up to help her sister get the premises ready for her next big event. His suggestions are great and she gladly puts them into practice, but the more he is around, the more rattled she becomes. She isn’t here for love, and to think of starting something she can’t finish makes her feel ill.
Jake Woods lost his wife a few years ago and is now happy to concentrate on his teenage son and his job as the local fire chief. He thinks a love like he shared with his wife only comes around once in a lifetime.
Until the new chef at The Lake Hotel almost burns the place down. The kitchen needs renovating but Bella says she’s wary of getting too involved because she has to return to the city when her forced break is over. The outdated equipment needs to be replaced and he is keen to help, but will that make it harder for him to let her walk away when her time is up?
With Bella’s reputation already preceding her, it’s tempting to go all out and do the best for everyone, even at the risk of falling hard for Jake. She’s feeling so much better for the break already. New ideas come to mind and instead of going off on a tangent as she used to, Bella makes notes and puts them in a file for later.
Her sister, Mari, wants to do something special for Valentine’s Day. Her Christmas Tree Auction and Gala worked so well she wants to put the hotel on the map and make a name for it. Bella has an idea. She calls her producer and makes a suggestion for a spin-off to her show which would also make her life so much simpler. They go for it. Now she is confident she can make a move on the only man that has ever made her think to put down her cooking tools when he is around.
Chapter One
“You’re kidding me! What the heck are we supposed to do for Sunday dinners now?” Cory huffed and dropped his shoulders, a typical fifteen-year-old’s response to bad news.
“It’s not the end of the world. I do know how to cook.” Not usually one for feeling guilty, Jake Woods looked to his father for a little bit of confirmation. Woodsie sighed, not quite the sound Jake wanted to hear. “Come on, Dad. When have I ever given you something that wasn’t edible?”
Woodsie dabbed his mouth with the napkin, smoothed down his trademark moustache and gave the hotel owner a quick glance. “Sure hope you have someone else lined up to cook for you, Mari. Not sure I can handle steak, steak, and more steak every night. Man’s gotta have a bit of variety, don’t you think?”
Her laughter turned more than a few heads which only added to Jake’s embarrassment. “Oh, I understand alright.” She patted Jake on the shoulder. “Sorry, Jake, but I feel their pain. Not that you don’t do a mean grill, from what I’ve heard, but choosing a range of different types of food is always a good idea if you want to keep the family happy.” She picked up his empty beer glass. “I’ve been advertising but, so far, no takers who’re capable of running the restaurant and helping me expand. I’d be more than willing to take on a novice chef if they had the right mindset.”
“Such a shame when you’re doing so well here. Best thing that happened to the town, you moving back and taking on the old place.” Jake leaned back in his chair, glanced around the restaurant, noticed Mari’s son Noah sitting at a table in the corner with a coloring book and a drink, his gaze going to the door every few minutes. Other diners seemed oblivious to the impending doom that was sending his family into decline. “Seems as though there’re going to be a few disappointed patrons who’ll have to go elsewhere for a decent family meal besides us. Shame my lot will starve since my cooking is so bad.”
Cory croaked. “I never said it was bad, Dad. Geez, talk about being a drama queen. All I meant was that I’ll miss the nice kind of food that we don’t get at home. It’s only one night a week we get to go out and try proper cooking, you know.”
His words earned him a quick hug from Mari. Jake loved how easily his son had fitted in with the Moore family. First Mari who had returned to Cherry Lake to bring up her son away from the rush of the big city and then her younger half-sister, Dakota, who’d fallen in love with his friend, Adam Clement, soccer player and idol of Cory’s. The Moore sisters had gone a long way to help fill the void left in his boy’s life since they’d been in town. It was understandable that losing their Sunday night tradition was going to leave him anxious.
“Don’t worry too much, Cory. I’ll make sure the restaurant won’t be closed for too long.” She scooped up another empty glass and stacked them in the crook of her arm. “Now, for her final hurrah, Penny has created a cherry cobbler for dessert that’s to die for. Noah had a small tester earlier and I couldn’t help but try it too. That warm sugary goodness is going
to make your taste buds sit up and sing, I promise. Shall I tell her three servings?”
“Sounds good to me.” Jake was in the mood for something sweet to try and banish the sour mood that kept creeping in when he least expected it. “Thanks, and you’d better make Cory’s a double helping. Boy seems to be eating more than me nowadays. Must have a growth spurt happening because he can’t ever seem to get full. I swear, I’ve had to buy him so many new clothes this year too.”
“I train hard with Adam and the guys. ’Course I’m gonna need to bulk up. Gotta increase my calorie intake too.”
“So it’s got nothing to do with girls, all that preening you’re doing in the mirror these days, flexing those muscles of yours or the extra time you’re taking exercising?”
His remark earned him a glare from the teen. “No. Gotta bulk up a bit if I want to play in college. Adam thinks I’m good enough and you always say never let a chance go begging.”
“True, I do.” Even though Cory had a few more years to go before that was a possibility, Jake wasn’t looking forward to letting his son go.
He was the only connection to Lisa and there were days he still missed her more than life itself. He’d started to wonder if it was more a case of missing someone, of having a relationship, that gave him the hollow pain in his gut. He thought he’d mourned and moved on but it was hard to tell when loneliness hit.
“So long as you don’t fill up on junk food, you’ll fill out soon enough. Don’t go trying to rush things.”
Mari laughed and walked away to place their order for dessert.
“So, tell me the latest on how the training is going then?” Woodsie focused on his grandson, giving Jake time to relax and let his mind wander.
He was staring at the door, his mind blank when it burst open and a woman bolted in with all the energy of a small typhoon, a gust of cold wind helping her on the way.
The Moore Sisters of Montana: The Complete Series Box Set: Books 1-4 Page 16