Holiday Kisses

“Okay, Mr. Costas, I think we have you all set now.” Lori’s soft voice rose over the sound of the young woman tapping away on the computer. “I’m afraid we aren’t able to put you in the tower room like you requested, at least not until Monday afternoon.”

There was that strained smile again. Xander set his almost empty cup on the counter.

“I hope you understand. We weren’t expecting you until then and we’re almost full through the weekend. What we can offer, if a regular room won’t suffice, is one of our residential cabins. It includes a private galley kitchen, dining and living area.”

“The gardens are exceptional,” her assistant interjected with a sly expression on her thin face. “Lori works magic with flowers and plants.”

“Willa’s one of the town cheerleaders,” Lori laughed as Willa flushed bright pink.

“The cabin sounds perfect.” No doubt he should apologize for arriving early, but he’d learned years ago in business that apologizing was often taken as a sign of weakness. “Will the rate—”

“We’ll charge you the same rate as the tower suite,” Lori assured him.

“Perfect.” He pulled out his debit card and handed it over with barely a twinge of unease. As long as he and his brother were at odds over how to save the business, he wasn’t going to give Antony any ammunition to use against him. Which meant for the foreseeable future, he’d be footing the bill on this project himself. The private kitchen would be a plus, especially if it had a microwave. He could stock up and not worry about eating out at every meal, which meant he could get his work done all the faster and maybe be back home in time for the holiday.

“Would you like to make a reservation at Flutterby Dreams for dinner this evening?” Willa asked, still seated at the computer. “We have a few tables still open.”

“Not this evening, no.” Although the appeal of eating at one of Jason Corwin’s four-star restaurants again was tempting. How he missed the wining and dining of clients with expensive food and even more expensive wine. If things went as planned, this time next year he’d be back to schmoozing at Rockefeller Center or, even better, in Paris. But only if things went as planned. Otherwise, he’d be knee-deep in debt with real-estate agents trying to offload his New York city penthouse apartment. “Perhaps another night.”

“Of course,” Willa said with a nod. “Breakfast is complimentary every morning of your stay. You can either eat here or we can have breakfast delivered to your cabin. “Would you like to keep the same checkout date?”

“For now.” He’d paid extra for an open return ticket, but he was hoping to be back in Chicago well before Christmas. He needed to be home. He could only imagine what his brother was getting up to with the business...or how his mother was coping with their father.

“I’m sorry you’ll be leaving before our holiday activities really get going. But just in case.” Lori handed him a flyer designed like a child’s Christmas list. “It all kicks off with a beach bonfire next Friday night.”

“Sounds like fun.” He pocketed the flyer to be polite.

“If you’ll follow me, I’ll show you to your cabin.” Lori plucked up a monarch-butterfly keychain out of one of the cubbyholes on the wall, and after he declined her offer to carry one of his bags, he followed her back outside.

In the few minutes since he’d parked, the temperature had dropped and the sun had dipped. Small solar lamps embedded in the landscaping had blinked to life and lit the way around the side of the inn toward a charming stone path. The cabins were lined up and down the cliffs, each cordoned off by black wrought-iron fencing and arching gates within floral-covered trellises. The exteriors were the reverse colors of the main inn, with bright yellow trim and woodwork and pristine white siding. Large windows allowed for a view of a cypress-framed ocean, which roared beneath him against the rocks and beach.

White noise, he told himself, even as he cringed at the volume of Mother Nature.

“I’ve put you in our largest cabin.” Lori glanced over her shoulder at him and pointed farther down the path. “It’s at the end, but it’ll give you the best view and also the most privacy.”