“I’d love to.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
She and Brant arrived at Blueberry Point Lodge minutes before it began snowing. It was a deja vu moment, pulling into the inn’s driveway almost a year to the day she’d come there for the first time to deck their halls for the holidays. The only difference was that Brant was in the passenger seat this time, humming an indistinguishable tune with his eyes closed and headphones on. She smiled, tapped him on the leg, and pointed ahead.
“That was quick,” he said brightly, which quickly morphed into disappointment. “It’ssnowing? I didn’t see it in the forecast.”
“Doesn’t it seem like we were just here? For the job, I mean? Can you believe it’s been a year?”
He grinned and leaned toward her for a kiss after she’d parked the truck. “Time moves fast when you’re having a blast, they say.”
She giggled. “I don’t think that’s how it goes.”
“Same sentiment,” Brant said against her lips. He pulled away. “I need to get to work. I can’t afford to be stuck here like last year.”
“Neither can I. These next two weeks will be crazy.”
She grabbed her bag from the backseat and got out of the truck, stretching the kinks from her back. As she disengaged the window from the truck topper to lower the lift gate, the appointments for the first half of next week flooded her mind.
One day at a time, she reminded herself.
Copper Creek Home had grown like wildfire the last year. The design business took off after the new year, in part to word-of-mouth from two of her biggest clients, one of which was Blueberry Point Lodge. Ever the networker, Darcy talked her up to anyone visiting from the Twin Cities, from what she told Brant. The shop’s traffic tapered off some after Christmas, but the following months saw record sales months compared to the previous year.
Brant came around to the back of the truck. “I’ll help you get your boxes inside first. Then I’ll see you sometime before dinner. Jeff should be here any minute with the lift.”
She felt a sudden burst of gratitude for Brant, so she pulled on his coat collar with both fists to bring him close, kissing him so gently it felt like the brush of a hare’s tail. His lips were soft, a warm refuge in the late-October cold.
When she drew back, Brant inhaled deeply. “What wasthatfor?”
“I just appreciate you.” She dropped her arms.
He smiled his one-sided grin. “Thanks. I appreciate you too.”
She pulled the first plastic tub toward her. “Not everyone has someone as supportive as you. I was thinking about how much you’ve done to help Copper Creek Home grow.”
“You’ve helped me too. If you hadn’t given me another chance, I never would have met Ernie and toured the building.”
“You would have needed to find another home for your business whether or not we got together.”
“Yes, but I wouldn’t have thought about moving to Copper Creek. I’m there because of you.”
“And isn’t it the best place?”
His gaze rested on her face in a way that implied Copper Creek was ideal only because she was there.
“I don’t want to be anywhere else.”
She handed him the tub then leaned over to give him one more kiss. “Then let’s get this place decorated so we can get back home.”
Later that afternoon,Layla hooked the last frosted glass heart ornament on the tree. She stepped back to get a better view then nodded to herself, satisfied. The hand-sized balsam wood snowflakes she’d hung first really made a statement. Now she was ready for the smaller snowflakes. There were footsteps on the stairs. She turned as Brant appeared.
She smiled as he came toward her. “I thought you were going outside to check the lights?”
“I did.” He wore that lazy, seductive look she loved.
“That was fast.”
“Maybe I’m a little superhuman,” he said, slipping his arm around her waist. He nuzzled her neck, making her giggle. She pushed him away with a hand on his chest.
