Christmas at Holiday House - RaeAnne Thayne Page 0,95
eyes and he almost took a step forward. She held her breath, everything inside her frozen in anticipation.
Finally he shook his head. “I want all or nothing, Lucy. I know how you work. It’s always been entirely too easy for you to walk away before your heart can get involved. You just pack up your suitcase and take another job somewhere else.”
He made her seem horrible, someone who crushed men’s hearts for the fun of it.
She wasn’t like that at all. The exact opposite. She went to great lengths not to hurt people, always walking away before things could grow too serious.
“I love you, Lucy Lancaster. You’re smart, funny, giving. I fall in love with you all over again every time I see you being so sweet and kind to Rod.”
His words made her throat ache again. She wanted to stand here and soak them all deep into her soul. At the same time, panic flared and she wanted to run out of the room and keep going without looking back.
“I want you like I’ve never wanted anything in my life. Like I know I will never want anyone or anything else. But I have too much on the line here. I want a future with you. Everything.”
She felt shaky inside, wanting so badly to reach out and take the precious gift he was offering her.
No. She couldn’t. Love was a trap that made otherwise rational people do cruel, terrible things to each other.
She would destroy him, like a tsunami washing away everything beautiful in its path.
She picked up the dossier on the Russian bride and her family and clutched it to her like a shield. “You’re asking too much from me.”
A muscle flexed in his jaw. “Did you ever think that maybe you’re not asking enough of yourself?”
She was going to cry. She could feel the tears burning. Not here. Not in front of him.
“I’ll be here first thing to go to the airport with the limousine,” she said, hoping he didn’t hear the quaver in her voice.
“Lucy.”
She wouldn’t look at him. If she did, if she saw the love she heard in his voice, she would probably do something ridiculously stupid like throw the dossier into the air and jump back into his arms.
“Good night.”
She walked out of his office, down the elevator and out the lobby before the tears came, freezing on her face the moment they hit the air.
Sixteen
Monday—the day after the gingerbread competition—was the last night for Christmas at Holiday House. They were supposed to end Saturday, but the Silver Belles had voted to offer a bonus night for those who had to cancel for some reason or couldn’t obtain the earlier sold-out tickets.
Abby wasn’t sure if she was relieved or upset that the event was drawing to a close as she helped Emily Tsu set out the final batches of cookies for attendees to enjoy while they listened to the choir’s final new numbers.
The great room looked charming and warm, the fairy lights on the mantel twinkling above the dancing fire. The tree she and Ethan had decorated towered above the last tour group, its ornaments gleaming in the firelight.
She couldn’t imagine a more festive setting, especially with the light snow falling outside the big windows and the choir’s lovely arrangement of “Still, Still, Still” ringing through the room.
She had created such wonderful memories here in a relatively short time. She was quite sad that tonight was the final evening of the fundraiser.
After the choir’s stirring final number, the guests lingered, sipping hot cocoa and talking to the choir members. Finally, the last guest was ushered out the door, leaving only the remaining Silver Belles.
They all seemed to breathe a collective sigh.
“I can’t believe we pulled that off,” Mariah Raymond said, shaking her head.
“Not just pulled it off,” said Vicki Kostas, holding hands with her wife, Kathleen. “We rocked it. People will be talking about Christmas at Holiday House for years.”
“I just have to say one thing,” Winnie said, picking up a mug filled with mulled cider and holding it up in the air. “When I had this idea, I truly didn’t know how on earth I could pull it off. I shouldn’t have worried. Not for a moment. I should have known I would have help from the most amazing group of people I’ve ever known. Thank you all so very much for your support and encouragement. We couldn’t have done this without each and every one of you.”