Midnight and Mistletoe At Cedarwood Lodge

by Rebecca Raisin

  Join Rebecca Raisin for the final festive part of the Cedarwood Lodge serial and see who might be kissing under the mistletoe…

  Planning a New Year’s Eve party might be the kind of event Clio Winters used to dream about organising, but when everything is feeling a bit up in the air, she has to hope that this New Year’s her wish really will come true.

  Cedarwood Lodge is a delectable romance told in three parts – following Clio Winters’ journey back to her home town of Evergreen. This is the final part in this feel-good romance serial.

  Praise for REBECCA RAISIN

  ‘This novel is a love letter to Paris, and even more so a love letter to books; it is absolutely a must-read book for book lovers.’ – Rather Too Fond of Books, The Little Bookshop on the Seine

  ‘Drama and romance, but most of all it’s got a more general sweetness and love and happiness that is often hard to find these days.’ – Love Reading Romance, A Gingerbread Café Christmas

  ‘Easy to read and devoured quickly, I literally could not get enough and I was so sad to finish it. It was a truly captivating, spellbinding tale of taking chances and living life to the full that I am sure will ring true with many readers.’ – Compelling Reads, The Little Bookshop on the Seine

  ‘…the perfect read to get you in the mood for Christmas and my mouth was watering after reading about all of the delicious-sounding baking.’ – Bookbabblers, A Gingerbread Café Christmas

  ‘I love love love this author, and this book cements the fact that this series is a winner!’ – Fiona, The Little Bookshop on the Seine

  ‘Fun, quick, festive reads that’ll leave you glowing from within (or in my case a puffy mess).’ – Into the Bookcase, A Gingerbread Café Christmas

  ‘I loved every second of The Little Bookshop on the Seine, easy to read, with words oozing charm and good feeling, that just made me feel warm and cosy.’ – Rachel’s Random Reads

  Also by Rebecca Raisin

  Cedarwood Lodge

  Celebrations & Confetti at Cedarwood Lodge

  Brides & Bouquets at Cedarwood Lodge

  Midnight & Mistletoe at Cedarwood Lodge

  Once in a Lifetime series

  The Gingerbread Café trilogy

  Christmas at the Gingerbread Café

  Chocolate Dreams at the Gingerbread Café

  Christmas Wedding at the Gingerbread Café

  The Bookshop on the Corner

  Secrets at Maple Syrup Farm

  The Little Paris Collection

  The Little Bookshop on the Seine

  The Little Antique Shop under the Eiffel Tower

  Coming soon:

  The Little Perfume Shop off the Champs-Élysées

  Midnight and Mistletoe

  Rebecca Raisin

  ONE PLACE. MANY STORIES

  REBECCA RAISIN

  is a true bibliophile. This love of books morphed into the desire to write them. She’s been widely published in various short-story anthologies, and in fiction magazines, and is now focusing on writing romance. The only downfall about writing about gorgeous men who have brains as well as brawn is falling in love with them – just as well they’re fictional. Rebecca aims to write characters you can see yourself being friends with. People with big hearts who care about relationships, and, most importantly, believe in true, once-in-a-lifetime love.

  Follow her on Twitter @jaxandwillsmum

  Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RebeccaRaisinAuthor

  Website rebeccaraisin.com

  As always a huge thank you to those who read, blog and chat about my books. There’s far too many people to name them individually but you all know who you are! A million thanks…

  Also a big thank you to Tracy Fenton, Helen Boyce, Carol Ellis and everyone at THE Book Club, the fabulous and zany group of readers and writers who support their members in every bookish endeavor.

  This one is for my cousin Tracy Farr. The coolest, funniest girl there is, and who supports my writing, always. Love you lots.

  Contents

  Cover

  Blurb

  Praise

  Book List

  Title Page

  Author Bio

  Acknowledgements

  Dedication

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Epilogue

  Extract

  Endpages

  Copyright

  Chapter One

  The golden vocals of Frank Sinatra singing Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas drifted upstairs to greet me. Feeling decidedly festive, I wrenched the bedcovers back and raced to the bay window. Outside, the frosty ground was blanketed by snow and the mountains in the distance slumbered under dense white. If you squinted you could make out tracks in the snow from Santa’s reindeers. OK, maybe not, but a girl could dream…

  From downstairs came the rattle of cups, the shrieking of the kettle – someone was up and about and, from the scents wafting my way, baking something Christmassy.

  Not wanting to miss a thing, I pulled on my robe and went to investigate. Even at thirty-three the joy of Christmas had never left me. Taking the stairs two at a time, I practically bounced into the warmth of the kitchen. Cruz had brewed a pot of gingerbread coffee and handed me a cup. The spicy ginger scent was synonymous with Christmas and gave me the desire to eat my bodyweight in baked goods – from gingerbread families to reindeer cookies, and as many of Aunt Bessie’s donuts as I could carry in two hands. After all, New Year’s resolutions were made for a reason, right?

  “Thanks, and Merry Christmas, Cruz!”

  “Merry Christmas, Clio. Nice PJs.” He raised a sardonic brow.

  Staring down at my ensemble I couldn’t help but smirk. Isla and Micah had gifted us all kitschy Christmas-themed gifts. My pajamas were festooned with grinning red-nosed reindeers and merry mistletoe; the material was so vividly red they were blink inducing. Let’s just say you wouldn’t have missed me even if you were in the next town over. My dressing gown covered most of the garishness but not quite enough apparently.

  “Right?” I laughed.

  A moment later in walked Amory, wearing her gift from Isla and Micah. Flashing candy cane earrings and a matching headband.

  “Aww you look so… Christmassy.” I grinned. I hadn’t seen Amory embrace the holidays with quite so much flamboyance so early in the morning before.

  “Coffee.”

  We laughed at Amory’s usual one word dawn greeting, her Grinch-like tone a total opposite to her flashing festive accessories. Even on Christmas morning she was unable to communicate until caffeine was pumping through her veins. I poured her a gingerbread coffee and she gulped it down, then held the cup out for another, which she sipped a little more gingerly.

  I gave her the prerequisite three minutes to let it work its magic before saying: “Did you hear the sleigh bells last night?”

  She rolled her eyes dramatically. “Is that some kind of euphemism? Because if you want to know about my sex life all you need to do is ask.”

  A shocked giggle escaped me. “Amory!” Cruz turned away and did his best to appear busy, though I could see his shoulders shake with silent laughter.

  “What? Isn’t that what you meant?” she grinned, the evil minx she was.

  “No it isn’t! I meant actual sleigh bells! I thi
nk someone in town must have been marching around as Santa last night. Maybe we missed a Christmas parade or something.”

  “Oh, my bad.” Her face was the picture of innocence but it was hard to concentrate when she had all manner of kitschy Christmas jewelry flashing from her head. “Of course something like that would be happening in a town like Evergreen, darling! There seems to be a festival for everything here.”

  I smiled as I took a sip of coffee. Amory was right, Evergreen prided itself on having an event for every season. I’d missed the autumn food festival, but the switching on of the town lights and the ginormous Christmas tree had been truly spectacular. And before long, the spring flower festival would be here.

  “And I see you’re wearing your gift,” Amory said, motioning to Cruz.

  On top of Cruz’s head was a novelty chef’s hat announcing, No soggy bottoms this Christmas!

  He grimaced. “Well, I figure I have three hundred and sixty-four days that I don’t have to wear it. And I only whipped it on when I heard footsteps and thought it might be Isla checking up on me.” With a grin, he pulled it off and threw it on the bench.

  “Oh no, here comes Isla comes now!” Amory hissed. I darted a glance over my shoulder, sure Isla and Micah were elsewhere. They’d left in the early hours of this morning, after our Christmas Eve celebrations finally came to a close, in order to make it to Micah’s family Christmas.

  Cruz’s eyes widened and he fumbled and cursed as he stuffed it back on.

  “Just joking! Isla and Micah aren’t coming for breakfast today.”

  He narrowed his eyes and clutched at his heart. “You’re evil. Pure evil.”

  Amory laughed. “But you make it so easy!”

  Cruz was the epitome of politeness and it was almost impossible for us not to play practical jokes or tease him mercilessly. He took it in good humor, and it made the busy days a little more fun.

  “And,” I said, “Isla has spies, she’ll know if you’re not wearing your hat.”

  Shaking his head, he donned the offending item, and said with a smile, “It’s a lovely hat. The best.”

  “You’re a lucky man.” Amory stood to kiss him, and I felt a moment of pure joy for my friends. A few weeks ago it didn’t look like their love would last, they’d both envisioned different futures; Cruz sought the American dream: a house in the ‘burbs, kids, a nine-to-five job… and Amory wanted the exact opposite, and had no desire to have children, ever. After lots of back and forth they’d managed to compromise because they loved each other above all else, even if that meant sacrificing their own dreams. It gave me hope for my own love life… or lack thereof.

  “You should see what Isla got for Micah’s parents. Bright Kermit green Christmas onesies. With matching slippers. They’ll certainly be warm, if nothing else.” Amory giggled.

  I blamed Henrietta from the gift shop in town for encouraging Isla; still, when we’d given out presents the night before our laughter had turned into a fully-fledged cackle-fest as the gifts got sillier by the moment. When she produced a talking elf you could teach to speak, the night disintegrated into chaos with everyone wanting to take a turn, teaching the innocent elf some not-so-innocent phrases.

  It had been an endless evening of laughter until Micah had presented Isla with her very own real life constellation that he’d named after her; we’d let out a collective aww, and the night ended on a sweet note with everyone loved up, and me dreaming of being loved up…

  Speaking of loved up. “Where’s Kai?” I knew full well that man did not sleep in, rain, hail, shine or snow.

  “Trudging up the mountain,” Cruz said as he flipped pancakes. “He invited me and as tempting as it was, I couldn’t let you girls wake up Christmas morning without a decent breakfast and gingerbread coffee now, could I?”

  “Riiiiight,” I said. “Sure, you couldn’t.”

  He ducked his head and laughed. “I’m all for exercise but not in a blizzard. Still, he should be back soon, he left ages ago.”

  I tutted, glancing out the window at the snowflakes seesawing down, the scene was Christmas card perfect when you were warm beside a fire inside. Battling the elements outside was another thing entirely.

  “I’ll stoke the pot belly stove so he can defrost when he gets back, crazy fool that he is.” I’d never known anyone like Kai. There was something in nature that pulled at him, like he needed time each day to be alone, somewhere he could hear himself think. The city didn’t suit him at all, nature lover that he was, and his time in San Francisco had drained him and snatched the light from his eyes. I couldn’t believe he’d soon be heading back to San Fran. Cedarwood didn’t feel quite right when he was gone.

  Fairy lights blinked intermittently from window frames, brightening the somber skies. Cruz busied himself folding fresh berries into sheets of puff pastry and Amory drank gingerbread coffee like her life depended on it.

  In the silence I thought of my mom, and how she’d react when she found out that Isla had discovered the maze last night. In my heart of hearts, I knew I couldn’t bring it up today, she’d shut down and it had the potential to ruin Christmas. Mom was a sensitive soul at the best of times and the idea of telling her today made my stomach somersault. How would she react? It was hard to know how to broach it with her.

  “What are you making?” I asked as a pan sizzled, glad for the distraction. Cruz didn’t just cook for the sake of cooking, he went all out, even though it was just the four of us eating Christmas breakfast. All good practice, he claimed, because he was rusty after having worked in finance for the last ten years, and wanted to get his skills sharpened before guests started arriving at the lodge in the new year and ahead of the events we had booked.

  “It’s a berry nice Christmas tree. There’ll be a star at this end,” he said, indicating to the top of an intricately folded pastry shaped like a tree, “and I’ll serve it with lashings of Chantilly cream, and raspberry compote.”

  “I might have to walk up the mountain after eating that, to make room for lunch at Aunt Bessie’s as well. I can see today is going to be mostly about gorging, and I am totally OK with that.”

  “Me too,” Amory said, lifting her coffee mug in agreement. “After all, it’s Christmas and it would be rude not to. What time are we expected at Aunt Bessie’s?”

  “Any time before lunch. I was going to leave after breakfast and help her out…” I ignored Amory’s snigger at the idea of me attempting to help cook, “… and you guys can make your way there whenever you’re ready. Micah and Isla are spending the day with his family, but they might pop over late afternoon if they get time.”

  “And Kai?” she waggled her eyebrows.

  “Are you having another eyelash malfunction?” I asked innocently.

  She laughed. “Touché.”

  “Kai can come with me, or hitch a ride with you guys. It’s up to him.”

  With a flick of her hair, like she was considering it, she said, “Oh we’re full up, sorry. He’ll have to go with you.”

  “Is that so?” I folded my arms and stared her down, knowing she was trying to push us together, and secretly glad about it, not that I’d let her know that! “Full up with what exactly? There’s only two of you!”

  “Presents.” She waved her hand. “You know how it is.”

  Cruz deftly ignored our conversation and put the tray of berry pastry in the oven, the jammy smell of warmed fruit scented the air.

  “Well I’m sure you can squeeze him in if he doesn’t want to go so early. He might have other things to do first.”

  Like call his parents. In Australia it would be dinnertime on Christmas Day, and I wondered if Kai had called them yet.

  Were they sitting around their Christmas dinner table with long faces, trying to be jovial for guests but failing miserably, worried their son was elsewhere in the world and hadn’t made contact? I knew the whole situation was complex but Kai was too caring to let anyone suffer. Especially on such
a family oriented day. Or so I hoped.

  “Darling, here he is now. Let’s ask him, shall we?” Amory gestured to the window and I caught a glimpse of Kai as he jogged past, shoulders dusted white with snow.

  A few minutes later, he walked into the kitchen. “Morning all,” he said, rubbing his hands together for warmth. His wavy blond hair was mussed from the sheeting wind and snow, his cheeks stained pink from the crisp air. If you were into rugged, super hot guys with a toned physique he’d have been right up your alley.

  Phwoar, he was certainly breathtaking to look at. Smile, act normal! The kiss from the night before replayed in my mind, and it was all I could do not to get starry-eyed and fall into a Kai daydream.

  I nodded hello, not trusting myself to speak, lest I say something inane.

  “Morning,” Amory said, flashing him a smile. “We were just discussing the logistics of Christmas lunch. Is it OK if you head to Aunt Bessie’s with Clio a little earlier than us? We’ve got some errands to run and don’t want to hold you up.”

  Errands to run on Christmas Day? She was incorrigible.

  Still, Kai swallowed the lie, “Sure, that’d be great.” When he smiled at me I pretended to be interested in a spot out the window, so I could let the blush creeping up my cheeks settle. But boy, it was hard to know how to act, or what to say, when we kept stealing kisses and then acting like nothing had happened. With Kai’s current family issues lurking in his heart, I didn’t want to be another complication and he would be leaving soon anyway. Maybe back to Australia, if they mended bridges, and did I really want to pine for someone who was that far away? It was better to protect my heart, and wait and see what happened before I plunged headfirst into anything.

  When Kai grabbed a coffee and sat next to me I tried hard to look composed. The kitchen was a cozy nook, warm from the old belching pot belly stove, and full of delicious foodie scents as Cruz cooked a feast while we chatted about every little thing. The only problem was Amory kept throwing me secret looks that any fool could see. Each time, I frowned at her, gave an almost imperceptible shake of my head. She knew Kai was leaving soon, so I don’t know what she expected me to do about it. Instead I waited patiently for the breakfast Cruz was preparing. He seemed to be whipping and baking what appeared to be enough food to feed a small country. Oh how I loved Christmas!