Operation Valentine (Hazel Oaks Resort Book 1)

by Kelsey McKnight

  He wasn’t sure how long they stayed like, that but he didn’t want to look at his watch or his phone. He just wanted to imagine what it would be like to choose a home. And that was when he realized, he wasn’t choosing a location, he was choosing someone who made him feel like home. With Nat, that was how he felt and that’s what mattered.

  They finally moved when he felt Nat shiver next to him.

  “The blanket not enough for you?” he teased gently, turning his head to look at her in the darkness.

  “I told you, I wasn’t dressed for a lot of outdoors things. You know, we didn’t even eat any of the food Terry packed for us, and that is so unlike you.”

  “What can I say, I was a little distracted. Why don’t we grab dinner back at the resort? I know you’re probably dying to check your emails anyway. How many do you think you have, five thousand? Have they sent out a search party because you didn’t respond instantly?”

  She giggled. “Oh, shut up.”

  Nat sat up and Hudson got to his feet before helping her stand. He stuffed the blanket back into the bag and shouldered it, then took her hand as if it were the most natural thing in the universe. The walk back was silent, but not the kind of strange silence he’d felt in the car earlier—the kind that didn’t seem out of place between two people. He didn’t think he had ever felt that way before, so completely anyway, despite what his usual demeanor would suggest. He had begun in his youth to use humor to disguise his pain and insecurities. Although he loved teasing Nat and seeing if he couldn’t get her to smile just once, he also liked that he didn’t need to put on a show, not anymore.

  When they were finally in the Jeep and Hudson was making his way back down the road, Nat finally spoke. “Hudson, I think tonight might’ve been the most romantic time of my life.”

  He raised his eyebrows at her twice and smiled. “See, I told you I was good.”

  She swatted at him, but he caught her hand and gave her knuckles a kiss before driving them back to the resort.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Nat

  The week of Valentine’s Day always sparked a rise in guests. It was nothing like the Fourth of July crowds or the Christmas crew, but couples came from all over for rustic, candlelit dinners and the chance for romance in a living snow globe. There would be flower deliveries, boxes of chocolates by the dozens, and a busy spa.

  Nat flipped through the stack of papers on her desk and wished for another cup of coffee. Somehow in the midst of all her work with Hudson and the Kents, she had completely forgotten about a Galentine’s Day group of girlfriends who were coming to spend a few days at the resort. They had their room, that wasn’t a problem, but Nat hadn’t exactly planned them the perfect itinerary. She hated having to delegate work to her staff at the last moment, but she didn’t really have much of a choice.

  She picked up her landline and dialed the number for one of the younger concierges, Rebecca. “Hi, I hope I didn’t catch you at a bad time?”

  “No, not at all.”

  “There is a group of four young ladies coming tomorrow morning to check in. I just need you to set them up with some spa treatments, a dinner by the lake, maybe something really fun with the adventure coordinating team, that sort of thing.”

  “No problem. I know you and Hudson are working on that big job, so I’ll work with one of the other coordinators to set up some really fun things for them.”

  Nat leaned back in her seat, some of the tension between her shoulder blades lessening. “Thank you, Rebecca. I’ll email you their information.”

  After hanging up and sending Rebecca a message, Nat stood up and stretched. She felt like she had been chained to the desk for the whole day. Normally, that wouldn’t have bothered her. In fact, she used to feel perfectly at home in her little office. But since getting closer to Hudson, getting used to his constant presence and push for her to leave her desk every once in a while, she become accustomed to being a lot more active.

  She forwarded her calls to her work cell phone and left her office to head to the kitchen. She completely missed lunch, half because she was busy sorting out last-minute Valentine’s Day plans and half because she was almost hoping Hudson would come back from his hike that morning and ask if she wanted to eat with him. She didn’t like feeling so clingy, but after spending that cozy afternoon together, then watching the stars, she found herself missing him a little. That feeling, she did like. They’d passed each other in the halls a few times since their outing yesterday, but they hadn’t spent any real time together.

  The resort was taking on the mantle of the holiday. There were no cheap cards or cartoon cupids in the lodge; she would never allow tacky plastic decorations to ruin the aesthetic of Hazel Oaks. Instead, the decor was subtle, understated and elegant. Red roses draped over the mantels of the fireplaces and in the guest restaurants, the same flowers have been placed on every table. There were small touches of gold here and there as well, mostly in the form of tiny golden heart-tipped arrows that had been hidden around the common spaces of the resort. When a guest found one, they could exchange it for romantic items, like a couple’s massages, a private dinner, or cups of the special pink hot drinks in the cafe.

  Hazel Oaks smelled of roses and chocolate, and the sight of couples holding hands and chattering to one another warmed Nat’s heart as she walked the halls. Spending time with Hudson had made her soft. Usually, the Valentine’s Day crowd excited her. It was always filled with couples showing her the promise of that deep love she longed for. Yet, it was bittersweet as she spent it alone year after year. For some reason, finding that meaningful date for this day always eluded her. She had to wonder if that was on purpose. Did she end things before Valentine’s Day because she knew that person wasn’t her epic love? She’d never considered consciously doing that. Now, she wasn’t so sure.

  This made her think about Hudson again, about their relationship, whatever it was morphing into. She felt chills flow through her body. Could he be the date to give her the same glow the other women had as they carried bouquets and held hands with their significant others? She hoped he did. There was nothing more lovely than someone in love. And then she stopped walking and froze. Love. Was she in love with him? She felt anxiety start to creep its way into her head. What did love even mean? Did it mean she no longer wanted to hit him over the head with her notebook? Did it mean choosing to spend time with him over anyone?

  Nat leaned against the wall for a second, hoping the hallway would stay clear just for a few moments while she tried to figure out what her life meant and also why she chose to spend so much time in her office. If you have an existential crisis there, you can just close the door.

  She’d once heard from a movie or a tv show that love meant they were the first person you thought of in the morning and the last one you thought of at night. But that could mean she was in love with Mr. Sutton. She’d certainly been thinking of him lately.

  Nat didn’t know if she had an answer right now. Did she love Hudson? She could make a list, some pros or cons list but if Hudson knew she made a pros and cons list about her feelings for him, he’d mock her endlessly and probably be a little hurt. Wasn’t this supposed to be the easiest decision of your life? You find that person and you just know. Well, Nat didn’t know. What did that mean? She didn’t know if she did, she didn’t know if she didn’t.

  She cleared her throat and stood up straight, adjusting her clothes. That was about all the privacy she could reasonably expect standing in the hall on the way to the kitchen of a busy resort. Honestly, that was probably way more privacy that she could’ve expected. Maybe there really was a cupid and she had her eyes on Nat. Now, if only cupid had an advice line she could call.

  “Hey, you. Long time no see,” Terry said as Nat stepped into her open office. “I feel like you haven’t been in here in ages.”

  “Sorry, I’ve been so busy.” She dropped into the chair across from Terry’s desk. “How are things?”

  “Just trying to make
sure I don’t extend my staff too much for the Valentine’s Day dinners, or the big brunch. Then there was a mix-up with one of the suppliers, and for some reason they didn’t send me a single potato. It’s absolutely ridiculous.”

  “Is there anything I can do?”

  “Can you deliver five hundred potatoes by tomorrow at six in the morning?” she asked with a grin.

  “Unfortunately, I do not have any ties to the potato industry.”

  Terry lowered her voice and leaned forward on her desk. “Then maybe you can deliver me some hot gossip?”

  “About what?”

  “About you and Hudson, obviously. I’ve hardly seen you, and when I do, you and he are usually sneaking off somewhere.”

  Nat’s face flamed. “I told you we’re working together on that project, but maybe we have been spending some extra time together.”

  “I knew it! You guys finally figure things out?”

  “Yes and no. Mostly no. When we’re not working, we have a lot of fun together, and I really like spending time with him. But it’s not as if we’ve actually had a conversation about what’s going on between us, or if anything at all is going on between us.” She sighed and toyed with a gold bangle on her wrist. She debated going into detail about her earlier train of thought but Terry was just complaining about how much work she had to do. Nat couldn’t monopolize her time. “You’re busy. I shouldn’t bother you with all this right now. I really just came in for some lunch.”

  “Oh no, you’re not getting off that easy.” Terry stood up and made for the door. “I’m fixing you a plate, and then you’re gonna tell me everything.”

  “I didn’t think you’d be so pushy, especially since me being busy means I’m not forcing you to run every night.”

  Terry shook her head and went into the kitchen, leaving Nat alone. She looked around the disheveled office, at the invoices on the desk and the few framed pictures that flanked the dark computer screen. There was one of the pair of them at an ugly Christmas sweater party three years before. She remembered staying up late that night gluing pompoms and bells to the ugliest orange shirt she’d ever seen in her life.

  “Here, eat this and spill.” Terry put a plated salad and a roll before her on the desk beside a glass of ice water. “You came in at such a weird time after lunch and before dinner. If you’re still hungry when you’re done, I’m sure I can whip you up something fast.”

  “No, this is perfect.” She picked at the salad, not as hungry as she had been before in the face of telling Terry about Hudson. “Well, I’ll just come out and say it, we kissed.”

  Terry clapped. “Took you two long enough. This is great news.”

  “Don’t start planning the wedding just yet. I really want to ask him what’s going on, but I don’t know how.”

  “What do you mean? Boy meets girl, they like each other, they kiss, love. What’s so hard to understand? You don’t have to make a chart or a list to understand basic biology.”

  “It’s not like that. Sometimes I feel so secure in whatever we have going on, and other times I feel like he still has one foot out the door,” Nat confessed. “It’s silly, and I’m probably overthinking it, but I can’t help it.”

  “Then just talk to him about it. You’re not going to get any answers until you two really hash things out.”

  She took a bite of her salad, trying to savor the raspberry vinaigrette. “You make it sound so easy.”

  “And you make it sound so hard. You guys can dance around the topic for the rest of eternity, or just come out and see that you actually care about each other. At this point, I should start taking bets with the staff on how long it’s going to take you two to come clean.”

  “You wouldn’t.” Nat cracked a smile.

  “Hey, Mama needs a new pair of oven mitts. Forget that, Mama needs a whole new oven.”

  *

  Hudson

  He had been standing in the lobby for the better part of half an hour, waiting to take Mina and Marvin to see the horses in the stable. Neither were keen on taking an actual ride but wanted to see the animals get some daily exercise in the paddocks. While not an exceptionally interesting outing, it was unlike them to be so late. At first, he thought he had the time wrong, but when he checked his schedule for the third time, he began to wonder if something had gone badly.

  Did they have a fight since their last romantic date? Had Marvin said something foolish? Was Mina ignoring him? Were they in the middle of a shouting match in their room? The possibilities for disaster were endless, and Hudson began to panic. If things went poorly for the Kents, Nat would be an absolute wreck. She would totally blame herself, which he knew would be ridiculous, since Mina and Marvin were adults. Still, Hudson wouldn’t let her do that to herself.

  Deciding to not wait for the elevator, Hudson took the stairs two at a time. All the worst-case scenarios ran through his mind as he hurried down the hall to the Lake View Suite. Although he didn’t hear any yelling as he approached the door, which he had to take as a good sign.

  He knocked once, then again when no one answered, then a third time, beginning to worry. There was also a possibility they had left early, perhaps not even bothering to check out. Nat would have an absolute heart attack if that was the case. He pounded on the door again, giving it one last shot before he went down to the front desk.

  The door shot open, revealing Marvin in a plush white resort robe. “Hudson, what in the world are you doing?”

  “What happened? What’s wrong?”

  “Am I missing something? What has you all tied in a knot?”

  Hudson raked a hand through his hair. “We were supposed to meet down in the lobby, but you guys never showed up for your appointment. I got pretty worried.”

  “Look, I know you and Natalie are supposed to be babysitting us, but we are twice your age and more than capable of amusing ourselves. You don’t have to fill up all of our days with events and meals and facials.” He had taken on a fatherly tone, the kind which was firm, but not angry.

  “So, to be clear, you don’t wanna see the horses?”

  “No, Hudson, I do not want to see the horses. Come on, can’t you see I’m busy here? Me and the wife are having a quiet afternoon.” He gave him a pointed look and then took a step backward into the room. “Now, if you will excuse me, I have some time to kill before our dinner reservation. Maybe you should go spend some time with your girl instead of worrying about what I’m doing with mine. See you later.”

  He should have been pleased his time as nanny to the nearly divorced couple seemed to be coming to a close, but the end of that project meant the end of something else, he just couldn’t place his finger on it. Maybe worrying about them had given him something to focus on for the first time in a long time.

  He wandered back downstairs, now having a fairly free afternoon until he went to take the delivery of new kayaks for the spring and summer season. He could ask Terry for a second helping of the lunch he had earlier, maybe go over his maps a bit more, or find Natalie and see if she too had a free afternoon.

  He hadn’t seen her all day. His schedule had been crazy at the resort and then he’d had to hit the gym for a shift during his break. Ben said one of his trainers was out sick and begged for a little help. Hudson hadn’t used his personal training skills since he’d left his last job in Colorado, but he had still managed to give the clients a good workout. In all that time, he’d been thinking about Nat.

  Not wanting to go empty-handed, he went into the cafe to get them both cups of that fancy pink hot chocolate all the guests loved so much. Just stepping foot in that room gave him flashbacks to slow dancing and tender kisses. It made his cheeks warm and his heart skip a beat.

  He collected the two cups, two white mugs rimmed gold with a pile of frothy pastel-pink whipped cream, pink marshmallow hearts, and edible gold glitter stars. They looked a little much for his personal taste, but he had to admit the scent of the rich chocolate made his mouth water.

 
As he walked back to the staff offices, he wondered if bringing the romantic hot chocolate was maybe a little too much. Perhaps coffee or tea would have been more appropriate. But nothing about their interactions of late have been appropriate at all. Relationships between staff weren’t forbidden; he checked himself in the employee handbook just the night before. But handing Nat a cup of Valentine’s Day hot chocolate seemed to potentially give off the wrong impression. Although he wasn’t quite sure what impression he wanted to give off.

  He carefully knocked on Nat’s closed office door, smiling when he heard her call, “Come in.”

  “Hey, I brought you a little afternoon pick-me-up.” He placed one of the mugs on the desk in front of her, then sat down in the chair he once moved to her office, then never moved out. Instead of her usual red, she was wearing a tan skirt and jacket combo with a pink blouse beneath that brought out the color of her cheeks. And the bun she wore her hair knotted into didn’t seem as tight as it normally did. Instead, a few tendrils of hair framed her face, giving her a soft look and making him want to brush them back behind her ear.

  “Thank you, that is so sweet. I’ve been swamped today, so you are a lifesaver. Not to mention Nikki has been out all week with a stomach bug so I’ve either been here, or out in the welcome station trying to cover her shifts. And with Sutton and his wife coming, it’s been crazy.” She cradled the mug and inhaled. “Mmm, don’t you just love how this smells? One of my favorite things about the resort this time of year is the rich sent. It’s just flowers and chocolate, the perfect combination.”

  “I guess I haven’t really noticed, although this drink does look pretty good.”

  “Have you never had it before?”

  “Nope, can’t say that I have. I’m usually not a huge chocolate person, to be honest.”

  Nat shot him a mock offended look and then sipped her drink. “Then you’re missing out, I’m serious. This is delicious.” She took another sip.

  “Sorry, did you just say the Suttons were coming?”