The Mills & Boon Ultimate Christmas Collection. Kate Hardy

the chapel fixed, and furnished? I wrote furiously about all the things I’d need to do in order for it to happen. I paused again, wishing Amory was here to help. We usually worked together on weddings and big events, and I missed brainstorming with her. Whenever I erred on the side of caution, she pushed me over that precipice into believing I could do it.

      Once notes were made, I designed an e-newsletter and sent it to my contact list with a subscription link to sign up.

      There was a knock at the door, and Kai stuck his head in. “You’re early,” I said, stating the obvious – he was always ahead of schedule.

      “I’ve always been an early riser, can’t help it. Usually I go surfing before work, but there’s no surf here, and the lake is a little flat… so here I am.” His tousled hair was windblown, and not quite as blond without weeks of sunlight to bleach it.

      “The lake?” I laughed, picturing Kai trying to surf on the still water on this chilly autumn morning. In summer it would be great for kayaks, paddle boarders, kids with boogie boards… It wouldn’t be long now before it froze. Perhaps we’d need to invest in ice skates?

      “Well, up you get!” he said.

      “Up for what?” I pulled my jacket tightly around me as the draught blew in from the open doorway.

      He tutted, but his eyes twinkled mischievously. The look spoke volumes. “Time to head up the mountain before the workday starts in earnest.”

      I furrowed my brow. “It’s not even seven in the morning, Kai. It’s freezing out.” Winter was creeping closer every day, the sky dark, somber. And I did not climb mountains, not for anything. I was made for high heels not hiking boots.

      “Then we’ll walk faster. Come on…” He took my hand, leaving me no choice but to follow; he snagged my scarf from the hook and passed it back to me. Still, I tried to extricate myself with excuses.

      “Kai, it’s very sweet of you to invite me, but I’m not really a fan of exercise. You go, and I’ll have a nice hot coffee ready for you when you return. I’ve got so much work to do!”

      “No dice. Get going.” He stood behind me with his palms against my back, pushing me like a child, before grabbing my hand and starting out in a jog. The shock of cold air on my face, and running, was almost too much to bear.

      It wasn’t until we were at the foot of the mountains that I noticed he still held my hand. For warmth, I surmised. Hailing from a sunny climate, he probably felt the cold more than me – and it was brisk so early in the morning.

      “Nothing like starting the day with some blood-pumping activity. You’re lucky to live here, Clio. This is my idea of heaven. The mountains, the lake, the steep bluff in the distance. So many adventures to be had.” His voice carried up the mountain but it was all I could do to keep up. He dashed ahead and dragged me along.

      My lungs burned following his hectic pace. “You’re like a mountain goat!” My body was not made for running, had I mentioned that?

      “Wait until you see the sun from up here. It’ll be worth it.”

      “I much prefer the little glow of yellow from my office lamp.” Why on earth did people do this? My calf muscles froze in protest.

      “Didn’t you ever head to the summit when you were younger?” He was annoyingly chipper. And wholly with breath. I pulled my hand from his grasp and doubled over, hands to hips. I was going to die, I was sure of it.

      Once I’d caught some semblance of breath I said, “No, I didn’t climb up to the summit! But I’ve seen the postcards, that’s enough! Micah had his sporty friends for insane challenges like that, while I waited in the comfort of the living room with the heater on.”

      The earth was soft and velvety from dew, and the smell of ozone was thick in the air.

      Kai grinned. “This is what you need, Clio. To save you from sleepless nights, and carrying around that anxiety you try your best to hide.”

      How did he know I couldn’t sleep? “I don’t know what you mean.” I couldn’t hide the haughtiness in my voice. “As if trudging up a wet and slippery mountain could ease any pain! It will cause more.” What was with this guy, with his breathing techniques, extreme sports, and mumbo jumbo? And still he was Zen – as if he was exactly where he was meant to be.

      “You’ll see. Keep going, princess, we’re almost there.” Once again, he took my hand and hauled me the rest of the way. Once we reached the peak, he spun me around to check out the vista. I was dizzy with disorientation.

      Arms crossed and disdain evident on my face, I was set to ridicule him, but the words froze on my tongue. Under the blanket of early-morning fog, the view was breathtaking, trees spanned for miles undulating on the landscape. Dark atmosphere and gray clouds sat heavily above, making the green of the ground more vivid. The sun splintered the sky, one lone ray landing on the earth like a spotlight.

      I felt Kai’s gaze on me. Damn it. It was spectacular and I’d wanted so much to tell him he was insane for making me do this.

      “It’s very… pretty,” I managed.

      “It sure is,” he laughed, not taking his eyes from mine.

      The air was heavy with words unspoken and for one lonely minute I pictured Kai kissing me. How had I gone from abject misery, climbing a steep range, to floaty desire? There was something so mystical about him, like he was at one with the earth, and soaked up the beauty of nature… and it was compelling. I shook the thoughts away and blamed it on lack of oxygen at this altitude.

      “Next we’ll try yoga. At midnight. I’ll make you so relaxed you’re floppy.”

      I went to argue, but couldn’t form words. Midnight yoga?

      ***

      Later that morning I was measuring up the ballroom for furniture placement, and also planning the table and chair combinations. In town, the local party store had furniture for hire; not the most modern or luxurious of options but it’d do for the interim. Eventually I’d buy my own to fill the ballroom, but that would depend on the budget and what was left after the renovations. My cellphone squawked, the alarm I’d set reminding me of my cunning plan. I shuffled my paperwork together and went to hide in my office until both Isla and Micah had left for Puft.

      Safely ensconced with the door locked, I texted Aunt Bessie: They’re on route. xxx

      Thirty minutes later Aunt Bessie texted back:

       Oh, they make the cutest couple! They were both a little bewildered when I said you’d been called back for an urgent meeting! So far they’ve spent a lot of time looking at the table. Will interfere if I need to xxx

      Micah would see straight through my cancellation but that was OK. I’d just deny it – hopefully he’d be all starry-eyed and ready to give love a chance, and then he’d forget about that tiny detail. It could happen!

       Let me know how it ends up. I’m not saying I expect a marriage proposal but a date would be nice. xxx

      While I waited for news I punched purchase orders into the laptop. The paperwork side of the lodge was never-ending and we hadn’t even opened yet. To keep track of what we were spending I entered it every day, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to keep it up myself once we were busy with guests. With staff wages, purchases and invoicing, I’d need a full-time bookkeeper to keep things on track. The costs were mounting up with the renovations, but I did some quick breathing exercises to pull me from panic, and then stopped and laughed. Damn Kai and his mumbo jumbo…

      An hour later my email pinged. A bride-to-be had seen the chapel photos on Instagram and wanted to visit next month to survey it as a potential wedding venue. I could feel it in my bones that Cedarwood was going to be popular because of its unique appeal. Even with my amateur attempt at photography it was attracting enquiries. I emailed her back and told her about the bridal expo and held my breath as I sent it. There