Читать книгу The Christmas Inn - Stella MacLean - Страница 11

CHAPTER THREE

A HALF HOUR LATER MARNIE stood at the entrance to the bar, trying not to look at her feet. She had bigger problems, she noted, as she held her head high to keep the V of her dress from puckering. The few times she’d donned this dress she’d worn her Victoria’s Secret push-up bra to take up the slack created by her less than impressive “front bumpers,” as her brothers used to call them. But the bra in question was resting peacefully back in her underwear drawer at home.

As for what was on her feet, there was nothing she could do about that particular issue, either. She’d packed her only pair of high heels, prepared to look different and sexy.

She had different covered, all right.

When she entered the bar, some of the men stopped talking and watched her walk past them. Sliding up onto a bar stool, she quietly assessed the bartender. He was a man around her age, she guessed, and the hairdresser in her wanted the opportunity to restyle his hair, shorten the top, maybe....

He came over to her immediately, and with a welcoming smile planted his hands on the bar. “What can I get you this evening?”

He had a pleasant voice, and his manner put her immediately at ease. “Chardonnay?” she asked, feeling good about herself, all because she was about to have a glass of wine while waiting for her date. So maybe it wasn’t a regular date, and maybe there’d only be one, but one was better than none.

“Coming right up,” the bartender said, snapping open a bar fridge under the counter behind him. She peered up at the ornate carving on the wood framing the bar. It looked like a stag and a dove.

A woman dressed in a bright red top and black pants sat down on the stool next to her. “Do you mind?” the woman asked, her blond hair—a good color job, Marnie noted—swaying around her high cheek bones and sparkling blue eyes.

“Not at all. I’m Marnie.” She smiled, happy to have someone to chat with while she waited for Luke.

“I’m Cindy. So nice to meet you.”

“You, too. Are you staying at the inn?”

“Yes. It’s our fifth wedding anniversary. My husband and I were married here in Wakesfield just before Christmas five years ago. The minister from the local Episcopalian church married us. I wanted a church wedding so much, and my husband was willing to go along.” She adjusted the neckline of her red top. “You know how men are about weddings. They’d just as soon go to a justice of the peace, but I wanted a big wedding.”

“I did, too, once,” Marnie said, drawn to this woman’s openness.

“Are you married? Are you taking part in the Christmas Getaway event?”

Marnie tucked her naked ring finger out of sight. “No, but the getaway sounds like fun.”

“When we heard about it, my husband and I were thrilled. He doesn’t usually take this much time off so close to Christmas, but I talked him into it. One of the couples we met this afternoon is also here celebrating an anniversary.” She glanced toward the door. “I don’t know what can be keeping my husband. Even though we’re on holiday, he’s calling his office, but it shouldn’t be taking this long.”

Glad to be off the hook on the marriage thing, Marnie leaned forward wondering where her drink was. She noticed that her dress was gaping open, and she pushed her shoulders back. “Where does your husband work?”

“He owns a business in Boston. And he’s always so busy, I worry about him.”

“It takes a lot to start a business these days, but it’s even harder to make a success of it.”

“Don’t I know it! I’d like to start a family, but my sweetie feels we’re not ready. He says after he hires one more salesperson, we’ll be able to concentrate on starting a family.” She smiled wistfully at Marnie. “Do you have children—”

“One California Chardonnay.” The bartender interrupted their conversation, his gaze sharp as he placed the wineglass on a Christmas napkin in front of Marnie. “Are you staying at the inn?” he asked.

Sweet relief! Saved by a drink. “Yes, as a matter of fact, I am. Nice spot. I’ve never been here before, but it’s really lovely,” she said, happy to chat with him rather than answer questions that would raise the issue of her being here alone. She’d have to be careful to keep a low profile while she worked on the questionnaires.

“You’ll love it here, trust me. Isn’t that the truth, Cindy?” he asked, taking the drink order of the woman sitting next to her—a dry martini.

“It is. We’ve come back here on our anniversary the past two years. And Jack’s the best martini maker in the state. I had my first martini right here at this bar on my wedding night.”

“I remember that night. The entire inn was booked for your wedding,” Jack said, taking down a bottle of gin from the shelf at the back of the bar.

As he moved down the bar to prepare the martini, Marnie watched him, searching her memory for some of the questions she’d need answered in order to complete the bar section of the survey.

Cindy gave him a grateful smile when he returned. “Thank you,” she said, reaching for the glass.

He placed the napkin in front of her as she took the glass. “Enjoy.”

Jack turned to another customer, leaving Marnie to observe the efficient way he moved, mixing drinks while keeping up a flow of conversation with the patrons. He certainly knew his job, she mused, watching him as he loaded a blender with ingredients from the fridge and the counter in front of him.

“Is this bar always this busy?” she asked Cindy.

“Yes. And I’m sure Jack has a lot to do with it,” she said, her voice trailing off. Again her gaze moved to the door. “What could be keeping my husband? I’d like you to meet him.”

“I’m sure he’ll be along soon,” she offered to ease the woman’s obvious anxiety. “Do you live in Boston?”

With a huge smile, Cindy answered. “We live in Boston. I’m a kindergarten teacher, and I love it. The four- and five-year-olds are so cute.”

“Like Ethan?”

“Oh, you’ve met him already? Isn’t he the sweetest little boy? And so sad that he lost his mommy.”

“Yeah. It must have been hard for his dad, too.” Marnie checked her watch, wondering where Luke could be.

“I see we’re in the same boat.” Cindy nodded at Marnie’s watch. “We’re both waiting for the men in our lives.” Cindy smiled at someone behind Marnie. “And here’s mine now.”

Marnie turned on her stool and nearly fell off. Coming toward them was Brad Parker, the man she’d nearly married eleven years ago. The man who told her he couldn’t marry her because he didn’t want a wife who put her career first. What he really meant was he couldn’t give up the playmate he’d stashed away in an apartment in downtown Boston.

For about ten seconds Marnie considered walking out of the bar to avoid him. But she hadn’t done anything wrong, unless you counted falling in love with a loser. A love that died the evening she’d grown suspicious of his frequent business demands and followed him across town to his girlfriend’s place. She’d nearly turned her brothers loose on him, but she decided that he wasn’t worth it.

She watched, waiting for his phony smile to come her way, as she knew it would. Brad could never resist sizing up the women in any room he entered. And sure enough, after a smile tossed his wife’s way his eyes swerved to her. The muted light of the bar was still bright enough to expose the sudden blanching of his skin and the rigor mortis smile claiming his handsome features.

“Marnie, this is my husband, Brad Parker. Brad, this is Marnie.” Cindy looked from Marnie to her husband, her face beaming.

Feeling nothing for the man standing in front of her, Marnie waited for Brad to say something to smooth over the awkward moment, something Brad was very good at when he wanted to be. If he used his usual technique, he’d make some remark about where they might have met, and she’d take her cue from him.

He hesitated. Then he moved in between them, his arm going around his wife’s shoulders as he stared at Marnie. “Do I know you?” he asked.

“You look familiar,” she said, her smile easy, despite her shock at seeing him and his refusal to at least acknowledge her.

“I’m often mistaken for other people. Don’t know why,” Brad said, his cautionary gaze fixed on Marnie.

Leave it to Brad to take the coward’s way out, but Cindy clearly loved her husband, and Marnie wouldn’t do anything to hurt her. She forced a smile. “Probably that’s it.”

There was a long pause during which Brad waved the bartender over. “I’ll have a double bourbon.”

Cindy finished her drink in one long swallow, and placed the empty glass on the bar. “Honey, I’m going to the ladies’ room, but I’ll be back, and then the three of us can have a drink together.”

“I’ll be right here, waiting for you,” Brad said, pulling her hard against him and kissing her on the mouth.

Marnie waited until Cindy left the bar. “Brad, I—”

“What are you doing here?” Brad asked, as he looked her up and down.

For years she’d dreamed of meeting Brad somewhere and calling him out on his scandalous behavior, but not tonight. Tonight she intended to rise above all the pain that he’d caused her.

But as she gazed into his eyes and saw not a hint of remorse for what he’d done the words spilled out. “I’m here to enjoy myself, and that means staying away from you. Remember me? I’m the woman you almost married. Let me see, it was just a couple of weeks before our wedding day as I remember it, and you and…what was her name?” She frowned to cover the hurt she was feeling inside. “You had an urgent meeting in her bedroom. I believe she was a lawyer from the law firm your company dealt with—Mary Ellen something or other.”

He downed his drink. “Marnie, I’d really appreciate it if you’d not mention this in front of my wife.”

“Give me a little credit,” she snorted.

He glanced past her, frowning as he twirled his empty glass. “We’re here for the Christmas getaway, or whatever the hell they call it.”

“Trying for a few brownie points? Is she catching on to your story? The one where you pretend to be so busy at work that you can’t be at home with her?”

“Your bitchiness is showing,” he muttered.

She caught the bartender watching her, bringing her back to her senses. “Brad, I want you to know that as angry as I was back then, I now realize that marrying you would have been the biggest mistake of my life.”

“Okay, so can we leave it there?” he asked, anxiously glancing around.

“Is everything okay?” Cindy asked, appearing around the corner of the bar and startling them both.

“Everything’s just fine, darling.” He put his arm around Cindy, towering over her. “I’ve got a surprise for you. I was saving it for tonight.”

“What’s that?” Cindy asked, her face turned up to his.

“We’re going back to our room and ordering champagne, followed by room service, followed by a little rug time in front of the fireplace.” He winked at Marnie behind his wife’s back.

Cindy blushed and smiled sheepishly at Marnie. “I’m sorry, but can we have a rain check on the drinks? I’m sure we’ll see each other again during our stay. Maybe you and your boyfriend can have dinner with us some evening.”

“Sounds lovely,” Marnie said, dredging up as much sincerity as she could muster.

“Then it’s settled. Maybe you and I could go into Wakesfield to shop tomorrow?”

“Maybe,” Marnie said, making a mental note to steer clear of both of them.

“Let’s go,” Brad said urgently.

Cindy giggled and linked her arm through his as they moved off toward the door, and Marnie immediately started planning how to stay clear of Brad and Cindy for the remainder of her stay. Since they were here on their anniversary they wouldn’t come down early for breakfast, she figured. As for lunch, she’d be sure to arrive early and sit at a table for two, and for dinner she could always order room service—whatever it took to avoid them.

She was still mulling over her plan when she saw the bartender approaching her.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“Yes, why?”

“You looked…anxious, a little upset.” His squint was quizzical. “Are you friends with the Parkers?”

“No. No, I… We were just talking,” she mumbled, struggling to remember if either she or Brad had raised their voices.

She didn’t want any reports going back to Luke about her behavior at the bar. He was already far too paranoid about her being here alone. Learning that she’d had some sort of interaction with one of his precious getaway couples could wreak a whole lot of havoc. And she was definitely not into havoc.

Jack hesitated. “Can I get you anything?”

“No, I’m waiting for Luke. He must have been delayed.”

Upset and out of sorts over her altercation with Brad, she took a good big sip from her glass of wine and gave the drink menu the once-over as she planted a pleasant expression on her face and offered up a prayer that Luke Harrison would make an appearance soon.

* * *

LUKE SIGHED AS HE LISTENED to Jack describing a woman at the bar, a description that fit Marnie McLaughlan perfectly. Why had he agreed to meet her there of all places? Why had he agreed to have dinner with her? “Yeah, that’s her.”

“Still no indication as to when the husband’s arriving?” Jack asked, over the din of the bar.

“None, and I talked to her not that long ago.”

“And what did she say?”

“Not much. It’s a long story. I wish her husband would show up.”

“Might be a good idea. She just had a pretty heated discussion with the Parkers before they left for dinner. I can’t be sure what it was about, but she and Brad definitely knew each other.”

Luke groaned inwardly. He couldn’t have Marnie involved in anything having to do with the guests until her husband arrived. He had a lot riding on the next few days.

He glanced at his watch. He’d agreed to meet her at the bar and he was already late. “I’ll be there in a couple of minutes.”

“You don’t have to do that. I’ll keep an eye on her.”

“I invited her to dinner.”

“You did what?”

“You were the one who encouraged me to have her as my guest for dinner, remember?”

“True. And maybe that’s the answer…until the husband shows up. I’ll see you when you get here.”

Luke got up from his desk, leaving behind his operating-cost projections for the first quarter of next year, and adjusted his tie. When he entered the bar, Marnie was sitting by herself, reading the drink menu, her slim legs creating a smooth, enticing line from the hem of her short skirt to…bright yellow three-inch high heels. Who wore yellow shoes with a black dress? Who looked that good in yellow shoes and a black dress?

Jack was polishing glasses, his gaze locked on Marnie. A quick survey of the room showed him that all the men were watching her. The success or failure of the Christmas Getaway event appeared to rest on one sexy woman who didn’t seem to notice any of the attention directed at her.

Steeling himself for any questions she might have around his earlier behavior and her earlier argument over why she needed a husband here with her, he strode toward the bar. She caught sight of him, a smile lighting her face and warmth shining in her clear gray-green eyes. All he could think about was how attractive she was, how the dress fit her body like a glove.

A beautiful, sexy woman was waiting for him—Luke Harrison. It had been three years since anyone had waited for him. He sucked in a breath as he struggled to remember why he’d been so annoyed with her. “Sorry I’m late,” he mumbled as he slid onto the bar stool beside her.

“That’s okay. I’m glad you’re here.” She took a sip of her wine.

“Why? Did something happen?” he asked, hoping she’d give him her side of the story around the Parkers.

“No. It’s nothing. I’m just not used to being stared at.” She gave him an apologetic smile as her fingers pleated the napkin under her half-finished glass of wine.

With this beautiful woman’s eyes focused solely on him, he couldn’t think of an intelligent word to say. And if that wasn’t enough, he suddenly felt awkward, out of his depth. “Why don’t we go to my office before we go to dinner? I need to talk to you about something.”

She wrinkled her perfectly smooth brow. “If you’d like.” She slid off the stool and waved to Jack who waved back, and then winked at Luke. “But if your concern is over my room, I’m quite happy with it, and I’m really looking forward to having a spa treatment tomorrow.”

His thoughts rattling around his mind like marbles in a tin can, he followed her from the bar, mesmerized by her walk, and the curl of hair snaking down the nape of her long neck.

You need to get out more, date a few women.

When they reached his office, he closed the door and moved quickly to sit behind his desk. He needed to be behind his desk, otherwise he’d be tempted to touch her, and touching her was out of the question.

“Ah, we have a problem,” he said, forcing himself to get straight to the point.

“A problem? With what?” she asked, looking completely perplexed and totally endearing.

For a few minutes he considered backing out of his decision to find out what was going on with this woman and her reservation. But tomorrow was the first day of an event that was critical to the success of the inn’s winter season, a season he’d spent thousands of dollars of his advertising budget on, and he couldn’t let it be jeopardized.

His conversation with Jack made it even more urgent that he find out what was going on with her. “You’re aware that this Christmas Getaway event is starting tomorrow, and those couples signed up because they want to have a stress-free Christmas vacation, right?”

“Yes, you explained all that.”

“Your reservation is for two people.” He cleared his throat to ease his nervousness. “Will your husband be joining you tomorrow?”

“My husband?” she asked, her expression one of complete disbelief.

“Your reservation is made out in the name of Mr. and Mrs. Scott McLaughlan.”

She choked. “What?”

Why the surprise? Had she planned all along to come without her husband and now she’d been found out? Was she meeting one of the other guests? Surely not Brad Parker. He and his wife seemed so happy when he met them at the reception desk earlier. But if there was something going on between Brad and Marnie, it might explain why she insisted on staying here.

He pulled the reservation from the pile of papers on the corner of his desk. “See, there it is.” He pointed to the names on the reservation. “We’ve been heavily promoting this package. Your husband would have been informed when making the booking that it was a couples event.”

She read it slowly, her lips pursed into a stubborn arch. “You wouldn’t have accepted the reservation unless I was coming here with…my husband.”

“Not for the next few days. The package officially starts tomorrow, the 22nd, and runs until the 26th of December. We have a dinner party as the final event.”

“So, what do you want me to do?” she asked.

She hadn’t made any comment about her husband’s name being on the reservation, and she hadn’t offered any explanation for his absence. “It would be helpful to know when your husband is going to join you.”

She started to speak, then lowered her head and peered at her hands resting in her lap. “I don’t know.”

“Is he delayed?”

“He’s… I’m calling him this evening....”

He rubbed his face, a deep sigh escaping his lips. “In the meantime, we have to come to some sort of…arrangement.”

“An arrangement.” Her voice dropped twenty degrees, but two bright red spots appeared on her cheeks.

What in the hell was he doing? What arrangement would work that wouldn’t get him into more trouble? “Please try to understand my predicament. If you’re to stay here alone until your husband arrives you’ll have to keep a low profile. It might work best for you to be my…assistant.”

An assistant? Any other brilliant ideas?

She gave him an incredulous look. “You need a date that bad? None of the local girls want to go out with you?”

“No, I don’t need a date. You’re just too…too much of a distraction. The men here are supposed to be concentrating on their wives.”

“And if they don’t, it’s my fault?” she said, her voice rising.

“No, it’s just that…” He managed to come up with a smile. “I’m just digging the hole deeper, aren’t I?”

* * *

AS ANGRY AND EMBARRASSED as she was by the predicament Scott had put her in, she found Luke’s earnest tone reassuring. He wasn’t trying to offend her; he just wasn’t good at dealing with this sort of situation. He was obviously not good at talking to women, which made him more appealing in a way.

So, why don’t you tell him Scott’s not your husband, that he’s your brother? If you’re going to do it, now would be the time.

But if she told Luke the truth, how did she explain her brother’s strange behavior? And what sort of person had a brother that would claim his sister was his wife? And what would Luke think of her when he learned the truth?

She could suggest that the inn must have made a mistake, but she knew they hadn’t. Scott would have been told about the event, and in his single-minded way, he got around it by putting his name on the reservation, without thinking that there might be repercussions for her.

She could have said that Scott was going to come with his wife, and couldn’t at the last minute, but that wouldn’t work because Scott had been told that it was a special Christmas package for couples. So for Scott to send her alone made even less sense. So what sort of explanation could she offer to Luke that would explain her presence here this week of all weeks?

No, offering up another lie was out of the question. She hadn’t told Luke the truth originally and now the opportunity to do so was rapidly slipping away.

Face it. You’re stalling for time. As angry as you are at Scott, you don’t want to leave, and the reason is sitting across from you.

“You’re digging a huge hole, but it’s not necessarily your fault,” she said, barely able to contain her embarrassment. Scott hadn’t said one word about the couples program when he’d given her the confirmation number, and he’d left her to face this man knowing she was supposed to have a husband.

“If we could come up with some sort of explanation for you being here alone… I mean, did you come to think…or to resolve some issue?”

His expression was a mix of uncertainty and determination, and she felt sorry for him. After all, despite his poor handling of the situation, he was trying to run a business, and she wasn’t being much help.

She cleared her throat and tried for an encouraging smile. She’d deal with her sneaky, underhanded brother tonight. “I had planned to have a nice break for a few days.” That was the truth, and another reason she planned to do something really nasty to Scott when she got home. “But I didn’t realize that my being here would cause such a problem for you. I’m really sorry for causing so much trouble.”

Luke fidgeted for a few seconds, breathing life into her fantasy that if she could stay for a couple of days, and if she could somehow get out of the lie Scott had told, she might have a chance to get to know Luke. “I gather the inn will be busy for the next few days, and I used to run a beauty shop and spa. If I could help you out somehow, make up for any difficulties I may have caused,” she said, seeing his expression turn hopeful.

“It would certainly be much easier for everyone if you were inconspicuous…that’s why I suggested you be my assistant.”

“What will the other members of your staff say about this?”

“Nothing. To be honest with you, we all want the Christmas Getaway event to be a success.”

“I’m really that much of a concern?” she asked in disbelief.

He nodded sheepishly. “A lone single woman during this sort of event can’t help but stand out.” He shrugged. “This must sound silly to you, but appearances count when it comes to creating a romantic experience such as the one we have planned for this week.”

The heated exchange between herself and Brad came back to her, and she suddenly had a flash of realization. “The bartender called you, didn’t he? To report on me?”

He nodded. “Jack has a lot going on this week, as well. His wife is expecting their first child and she’s due any day. But I’ve gotten way off topic.”

So Jack told on her. If she had simply walked away from Brad, surely Luke wouldn’t be so anxious to keep her hidden. “That’s okay, and a new baby is always exciting,” she said.

“Would you be willing to pretend to be my assistant until your husband arrives? During our Christmas Getaway event, many of the staff will work longer hours than usual. With you here, I’ll be able to offer them at least a few hours off, which means you’ll be too busy to attract any of the guests’ attention.” He gave her the cutest look, nearly making her forget that she was here under false pretenses.

She had no idea why he was so anxious for her to stay, but clearly he was, and she wanted to stay, especially with the added bonus of working with him. Whatever else she did, she’d make sure she didn’t go anywhere near Brad or his wife, which would ease Luke’s concerns.

By helping out around the inn, she could also do her questionnaire work without being noticed. “Let me sleep on it, and I’ll give you my answer tomorrow. How’s that?”

“Great. In the meantime, what about dinner? The getaway event doesn’t officially start until tomorrow.”

Dinner was out of the question tonight. She was only hungry for the chance to ream Scott out. Food could wait. Besides, if she got really hungry, she had trail mix in her backpack. “If you don’t mind, I’m a little tired. I think I’ll just go to my room.”

She’d been so determined not to feel anything while Luke talked, not the surprise, the hurt or the embarrassment, brought on by the actions of her brother. And to add insult to injury, there had been the run-in with Brad. She swallowed hard and clenched her hands to steady herself.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. You don’t have to eat with me if you’d rather eat in your room. Why don’t I get the chef to send up some dinner?” Luke said.

Why not? She’d probably be ravenous when she got done yelling at Scott. “That would be wonderful.”

“Despite what I’ve said here this evening, I would’ve been more than pleased to have dinner with you.” His smile touched her heart, making her wish that she could tell him the truth about her, about why she was there in his beautiful inn.