The Mills & Boon Ultimate Christmas Collection. Kate Hardy

right? And being blacklisted by every New York event-planning agency? Pffft. Big deal. I’d make my own success. In a town with five-oh-three people. Easy.

      Oh, God, what had I done?

       Chapter Four

      “Is that Kai?” Micah asked, as we watched the new arrival jump down as deftly as a dancer from the cab of his truck. Even in the shadows, Kai stood out – with his wavy, sun-bleached hair and surfer’s body. I hadn’t expected… that. Builders were weathered, ruddy men who wore expressions of weariness from overwork, didn’t they? Kai looked more like a pro surfer than someone who did manual labor. Golly, if Amory was here she’d be elbowing me forward by now.

      “Yes, Kai, the project manager,” I stage-whispered. “He had to finish up his last contract but he’s here for good now… well, at least until the lodge is done.” I adopted a disinterested expression and hoped Micah hadn’t caught my moment of surprise when I clapped eyes on Kai.

      Micah smiled, and waggled his brows, insinuating something untoward.

      “And what does that eyebrow jiggle mean?” I asked, crossing my arms and staring him down. Even after all these years I could still interpret Micah’s body language, though it wasn’t hard when he was being so obvious about it.

      “It means you hired some surfer god and…”

      I poked him in the ribs to be quiet and hissed, “Oh, jeez, Micah, I didn’t know he was…” What was he? “…He was… a surfer,” I finished lamely, watching Kai, who was rummaging in his truck for something.

      He did resemble the perfect leading man in a romantic comedy, a polar opposite to the heroine… wait, what was I even thinking? Did I picture myself as the leading lady? Ridiculous! My heart was a no-go zone for the foreseeable future. My one true love at this point had to be Cedarwood Lodge.

      “We’ve only spoken on the phone. And, for the record, I wouldn’t date anyone who worked here out of principle.” There, that sounded believable.

      Micah went to retort but was called over by one of the painters. “Saved by the bell,” he joked before jogging off.

      “Morning,” I said to Kai, hoping I wasn’t blushing after Micah practically accused me of hiring someone for their looks! It was absurd. But those eyes… mesmerizing.

      “Hey,” he responded with a bright smile. His blond hair was mussed, windblown.

      I shaded my face as the fall sun climbed higher and warmth seeped into my bones. Kai’s arrival meant I could knuckle down and focus on building marketing campaigns and our social media pages, spreading the word about the lodge while he instructed the team.

      “You look familiar,” he said, narrowing his eyes. “I know we’ve had a hundred conversations on the phone, but…” He surveyed me, and I blushed under his scrutiny. Damn it to hell and back. Had he read about me in the paper or on one of those dodgy online gossip sites?

      I gritted my teeth so tight I almost gave myself lockjaw. Managing to prise my mouth open a notch I said, as casually as I could, “Where did you say your last job was?”

       Please, do not say New York or any of its boroughs!

      He cocked his head, scrutinizing me as if we were long-lost cousins or something. “Georgia.”

      I almost collapsed in relief. “Georgia. I hear it’s pretty this time of year.”

      “It’s pretty,” he agreed. “But not as pretty as here.” He stretched and his shirt rode up, exposing toned, tanned skin. I tried so hard not to eye the ripple of his muscles, or imagine how they’d feel under my hand. I wasn’t used to seeing men sans suits, and it gave me a jolt. Surely, as a boss, I shouldn’t even be thinking in such a way? But I was merely admiring the newcomer for his sporting prowess. Over the phone I’d got to know him – he was one of those keen athletic types. Surfing and hiking and all the exercise he did sculpted him, and we all knew a healthy body led to a healthy mind. I made a promise to myself to run some laps of the lodge later. It wouldn’t hurt to get in shape, would it?

      “So,” I said, businesslike, casting my gaze away from his exposed skin and back to his face. “I’ll show you where you can stash your things.”

      “Perfect.” He bent to the cab and picked up a leather tool belt and satchel full of paperwork. The nuts and bolts of code and health and safety missives hurt my brain and I was glad I had someone professional to oversee it all. While Kai had been finishing up on another building site, he’d also been choreographing behind the scenes with the tradespeople at Cedarwood via phone and email and checking in with me at the end of each day. Having him here in the flesh would be even better.

      Micah wandered outside with one of the painters, pointing and gesticulating to the eaves above the lodge, which had been painted the wrong color. I waved him over, and he excused himself and jogged the short distance so I could make the introductions.

      They shook hands the way men do, hard fast pumps. “We’ve got Isla arriving today,” I said. “And she’ll…”

      Before I could finish, a motorbike came careening around the corner and into the driveway. Isla? On the phone she’d sounded chirpy and enthusiastic. I’d hired her instantly because of her knowledge about garden design and her clear vision for Cedarwood, which matched my own. Her resume was impressive for her age, mid-twenties, and I liked the fact she had a flair for topiary.

      A cloud of dust rose up as Isla stepped off the bike and handled her helmet. Strawberry-blonde hair fell around her shoulders in waves, and her light-blue eyes shone with eagerness. Freckles spotted the bridge of her nose like constellations. Holding out a hand, she said, “You must be Clio.”

      “Yes. Nice bike,” I said, grinning. “Great timing, Isla. This is Micah and Kai. We’re going to go for a tour. Join us?”

      Isla gave me a wide smile, shook hands with Kai and Micah, and turned in an arc to survey the grounds. There was an energy radiating off her that was impossible to miss, as though she couldn’t wait to grab her secateurs and start pruning.

      I went to ask Micah about the painters and their roof folly only to see him staring at Isla slack-jawed. Lifting a finger to his chin, I shut his mouth so it wasn’t as obvious to Isla as it was to me.

      He gazed at Isla, goggle-eyed, lost in a daydream before eventually coming back to reality.

      Isla swiveled back to us. “This is like something out of a Grimms’ fairy tale,” she exclaimed, motioning to the overgrown gardens. “I can’t wait to get started!”

      Shading my eyes once more, I flashed her a smile. I had this sudden sense that the trio in front of me would shape Cedarwood into something great again. Between us, we’d give it the kiss of life, and resurrect it from its somnambulant state. Along the way, maybe a love affair would blossom… On this estate where vibrant mountains watched over us, where the lake glistened in the distance, maybe Cupid sat on a branch, hidden by a leafy canopy, his bow stretched taut, before shooting his arrow, straight into the heart of the next perfect couple.

      I grinned at Micah, who was fidgeting with his folder, his cheeks ablaze. Isla was watching him with a frown, trying to gauge his inability to make eye contact with her.

      “Well,” I said, clapping my hands for their attention. “Let’s give you guys the tour, and then we can get to work!”

      Ringing Amory later that night with my daily update, I pulled a blanket over my knees and munched on buttery microwave popcorn. I’d have to shop properly and stop eating like a college student, but time had a habit of running away from me, and at night, with the draught leeching in, all I wanted to do was rug up, eat junk food and drink cocoa.

      “Hello, sunshine!” Amory’s tinny voice echoed around my bedroom, making it feel homelier – as if she was here with me.