“So what do you do when you’re not here playing real-estate agent?” she asked.
“I’ve been working and living in Europe,” he said. “I help different hospitality groups, hotels and resorts, develop eco-friendly business practices and implement new Green programs to protect the environment.”
Luke looked both exited and proud when he talked about his work. It was clear he was very passionate about what he did.
Riley wanted to know more. “What got you into that field?”
“Growing up here in Colorado, in the mountains, at the lodge,” Luke said, “I’ve always been concerned about the environment. I thought this kind of work could combine the two things I really care about the most.”
“What have you done here at the lodge that’s eco-friendly?” Riley asked. “I noticed the Christmas tree in the living room was in a pot, so it’s still living?”
Luke smiled. “It is. We’ve always used live trees inside the lodge. We decorate them for the holidays, but then after Christmas, we have a special area down by the lake where we plant them so they can keep living.”
“Are those the trees lit up with white lights?” Riley asked, intrigued.
He nodded. “They are.”
“That’s a lot of trees,” she said.
Luke nodded and smiled. “They represent a lot of Christmases. You figure one per year for almost a hundred years, and we usually have several around the lodge, so you do the math.”
“That’s pretty awesome.”
“I think so, too,” he said. “It’s like my ancestors were helping to protect the environment even before it was the thing to do.”
“What else have you done with the lodge?” Riley asked.
Luke continued to stir the hot chocolate. “Unfortunately, not much. My parents had a way they liked to run things, and they followed the way my dad’s dad and his dad before him ran things. They were all about honoring old traditions, and that’s something the guests loved. They knew exactly what they were getting when they came back year after year.”
“So you didn’t implement any of your ideas here?” Riley asked, surprised.
“I had some ideas when I was in college, but my dad always resisted any big changes. He would say that someday we’d talk more about it. But then he got sick and that certainly wasn’t the time to be talking about any new business ideas.”
“So someday never came,” Riley said.
Regret swept across his face. “No, it didn’t.”
“I’m sorry,” Riley said in a soft voice.
“Me too,” Luke said. “Thank you.” He held up the saucepan. “Could you grab those two mugs for me, please?”
Riley quickly picked up the reindeer mugs he’d gotten out of the cupboard earlier. She studied the reindeers. “I bet Alex would love these.”
“Alex?” Luke asked. “Your boyfriend?”
Riley laughed as she put down the mugs next to him. “No. Oh, no. Alex isn’t my boyfriend. He’s my bartender and a friend. I don’t have a boyfriend.” Riley snapped her mouth shut, wondering why she had offered up that information. She obviously was more tired than she’d realized.
“So that Tom guy who interviewed you yesterday was right?” Luke asked.
Riley’s guard was instantly back up. Just hearing the name Tom made her entire body tense. “What do you mean?” Her voice was sharper than she’d meant it to be.
“Didn’t he say something like you weren’t married and didn’t have anyone in your life so how could you write romance novels?” Luke asked, very nearly quoting Tom.
Hearing Luke say the words again made her cringe.
“That guy was an idiot,” Riley shot back, not able to help herself. “He had no idea what he was talking about.”
“You do have someone in your life, then.” Luke said it as a statement, not a question, as he filled both mugs with the steaming hot chocolate. He handed her one.
Riley decided the less that was said, the better, and she needed to get the conversation back on track to Christmas Camp.
She held up her reindeer mug. “Should we toast?”
“To what,” Luke asked.
“How about to Christmas Camp,” Riley said and clinked her mug to his before he could protest. “And following your family’s tradition by continuing to make new Christmas memories.” She felt like her best hope of winning Luke over was focusing on the lodge’s legacy of celebrating Christmas.
She took a sip of her hot chocolate and closed her eyes in ecstasy. It was smooth and creamy and bursting with a rich chocolate flavor. There was also a hint of peppermint. She let out a content sigh.
When she opened her eyes, she found Luke was watching her and actually smiling.
She smiled back at him, and she knew this was her chance—her likely one and only chance to persuade Luke to hold the Christmas Camp.
Chapter Eleven
Riley took her hot chocolate with her as she strolled around the kitchen, taking in all the beautiful Christmas decorations that somehow made even the kitchen look like a postcard. There were fresh garlands with white twinkle lights above the cupboards and wreaths with those same plaid ribbons in all the windows.
On the counter was another collection of vintage nutcrackers, along with some pretty poinsettias. There was even another potted Christmas tree in the corner decorated with all kinds of different holiday cookie cutters. Some were tucked inside the branches while others were hanging from red ribbon. There were snowman, gingerbread boys, stars, Christmas trees, and angels. Riley could tell it had been decorated with love.
Riley picked up a snow globe off the kitchen table. Inside was a winter wonderland. She shook it so the snow spun around.
“This is just like it looks outside,” she said, holding the snow globe up to the light.
Luke nodded. “That’s one of my mom’s favorites. She always says it reminds her of Christmas Lake.”
Riley carefully put the snow globe back down. “You must have a
