* * *
As Emily flew to Denver and then on to Aspen, she wished she felt more relieved at having resolved things with Boone. She knew, though, that underneath their agreement was a mountain of doubt. Boone might be willing to try to make this work, but he didn’t entirely believe that it would.
Maybe she was being unfair to insist on trying. Maybe a clean break would have been wiser.
Just like last time, she thought, wincing. That had certainly been disastrous.
No, there would be no break. They were going to make a real effort to work things out. For the first time in years, she had balance in her life—a job she was genuinely excited about and a man she loved with everything in her.
The next few days were a whirlwind of activity as something seemed to go wrong with every single detail at the ski lodge. A major furniture delivery was delayed. The snow they’d been anticipating hadn’t made an appearance until exactly the wrong moment, when deliveries were finally scheduled. Roads were temporarily impassable. Tempers were short. And permits for occupancy hinged on contractors correcting a seemingly endless list of thankfully minor last-minute glitches.
Emily was working from dawn until late at night trying to make sure everything came together on schedule. After a week of nonstop worry and activity, she finally took a deep breath, sat back with Derek and his wife in front of a blazing fire and smiled.
“We’re going to pull this off,” she said triumphantly.
“I was beginning to have my doubts,” Derek said.
“Not me,” Tricia claimed. “I knew Emily had it all under control. And for my part, the caterer for the grand opening party is the best around, the chef I hired is fabulous, the wait staff is well-trained and our ski instructors are excellent. I predict a huge success.”
“I’ll second that,” Emily said, lifting her glass in a toast.
Derek glanced toward the giant fir tree in the lobby that had been decorated with hundreds of twinkling colored lights and shiny, oversize balls in red, gold and green. A train ran through a snow-covered village beneath it. Mountains had been created with tiny skiers on the slopes.
“I love that train,” he said, smiling. “I don’t know why I didn’t think of that. My brothers and I had one just like that, only not quite as elaborate.”
Emily watched the train circle under the tree and thought of Boone. She’d barely spoken to him in the past week. They’d played phone tag a few times, connected once or twice for completely unsatisfying chats. She couldn’t help wondering if he wasn’t pulling away from her after all, especially since her calls yesterday and today had gone directly to voice mail. The fact that he hadn’t called back was even more worrisome.
She’d find out what was going on with him next week, though, when she got back to North Carolina. If he’d had second thoughts after she’d left, that was soon enough to find out. She couldn’t allow anything to distract from getting the lodge open and running. She’d made a promise to Derek, and she didn’t intend to break it.
“Emily, is something on your mind?” Tricia asked, a worried frown on her face.
“Just thinking about all we have left to do tomorrow,” she claimed.
“That wasn’t the look of a woman worried about details,” Tricia chided. “That was a woman thinking about the man in her life.”
Emily smiled. “Okay, you got me. I have to admit I am anxious to get back to North Carolina next week. It will be the first time I’ve spent the holidays there in a while. B.J.’s in a Christmas pageant the night I get back. He’s so excited about it. I can’t wait to see it.”
At least B.J. had been in touch with her almost every day, his excitement over Christmas and Santa’s approaching arrival making her smile every time they talked. She was starting to understand why people talked about the best part of the holidays being the chance to see Christmas through the eyes of a child.
“I predict you will have a very merry Christmas,” her friend said. “And I am never wrong about these things.”
Derek rolled his eyes. “If something doesn’t seem to be going her way, Tricia nudges it along until it does. Watch out for her, Emily. She’s a meddler.”
“Meddlers don’t bother me,” Emily claimed. “I have a whole family full of them.”
“Not like her,” he said. “I guarantee it. Now, if you will excuse me, I need to check on a few things and then get some rest. Tomorrow’s going to be a busy day, making sure everything’s under control for the event tomorrow night.”
“That’s my cue, too,” his wife said. She bent and gave Emily a kiss on the cheek. “Sleep well. You’ve done a wonderful job.”
Emily looked around as they left and gave a little nod of satisfaction. She had done all she’d promised and then some, but it didn’t have the same thrill that she’d gotten from opening that modest little safe house for the women in such desperate need of it. Just this morning, Sophia had sent pictures of their modest tree, decorated with paper ornaments made by the children. To Emily’s eyes that had been the most beautiful tree ever.
23
After tossing and turning every night for days after Emily had left, Boone reached a decision. He couldn’t lose her again, not out of stubbornness, not without trying everything possible to pull this relationship together.
“Pete, in my office,” he commanded as he passed his friend in the
