Blush Duo - Marriage Under the Mistletoe & The Christmas Inn

by Helen Lacey

  “No, it’s just that…” He managed to come up with a smile. “I’m just digging the hole deeper, aren’t I?”

  * * *

  AS ANGRY AND EMBARRASSED as she was by the predicament Scott had put her in, she found Luke’s earnest tone reassuring. He wasn’t trying to offend her; he just wasn’t good at dealing with this sort of situation. He was obviously not good at talking to women, which made him more appealing in a way.

  So, why don’t you tell him Scott’s not your husband, that he’s your brother? If you’re going to do it, now would be the time.

  But if she told Luke the truth, how did she explain her brother’s strange behavior? And what sort of person had a brother that would claim his sister was his wife? And what would Luke think of her when he learned the truth?

  She could suggest that the inn must have made a mistake, but she knew they hadn’t. Scott would have been told about the event, and in his single-minded way, he got around it by putting his name on the reservation, without thinking that there might be repercussions for her.

  She could have said that Scott was going to come with his wife, and couldn’t at the last minute, but that wouldn’t work because Scott had been told that it was a special Christmas package for couples. So for Scott to send her alone made even less sense. So what sort of explanation could she offer to Luke that would explain her presence here this week of all weeks?

  No, offering up another lie was out of the question. She hadn’t told Luke the truth originally and now the opportunity to do so was rapidly slipping away.

  Face it. You’re stalling for time. As angry as you are at Scott, you don’t want to leave, and the reason is sitting across from you.

  “You’re digging a huge hole, but it’s not necessarily your fault,” she said, barely able to contain her embarrassment. Scott hadn’t said one word about the couples program when he’d given her the confirmation number, and he’d left her to face this man knowing she was supposed to have a husband.

  “If we could come up with some sort of explanation for you being here alone… I mean, did you come to think…or to resolve some issue?”

  His expression was a mix of uncertainty and determination, and she felt sorry for him. After all, despite his poor handling of the situation, he was trying to run a business, and she wasn’t being much help.

  She cleared her throat and tried for an encouraging smile. She’d deal with her sneaky, underhanded brother tonight. “I had planned to have a nice break for a few days.” That was the truth, and another reason she planned to do something really nasty to Scott when she got home. “But I didn’t realize that my being here would cause such a problem for you. I’m really sorry for causing so much trouble.”

  Luke fidgeted for a few seconds, breathing life into her fantasy that if she could stay for a couple of days, and if she could somehow get out of the lie Scott had told, she might have a chance to get to know Luke. “I gather the inn will be busy for the next few days, and I used to run a beauty shop and spa. If I could help you out somehow, make up for any difficulties I may have caused,” she said, seeing his expression turn hopeful.

  “It would certainly be much easier for everyone if you were inconspicuous…that’s why I suggested you be my assistant.”

  “What will the other members of your staff say about this?”

  “Nothing. To be honest with you, we all want the Christmas Getaway event to be a success.”

  “I’m really that much of a concern?” she asked in disbelief.

  He nodded sheepishly. “A lone single woman during this sort of event can’t help but stand out.” He shrugged. “This must sound silly to you, but appearances count when it comes to creating a romantic experience such as the one we have planned for this week.”

  The heated exchange between herself and Brad came back to her, and she suddenly had a flash of realization. “The bartender called you, didn’t he? To report on me?”

  He nodded. “Jack has a lot going on this week, as well. His wife is expecting their first child and she’s due any day. But I’ve gotten way off topic.”

  So Jack told on her. If she had simply walked away from Brad, surely Luke wouldn’t be so anxious to keep her hidden. “That’s okay, and a new baby is always exciting,” she said.

  “Would you be willing to pretend to be my assistant until your husband arrives? During our Christmas Getaway event, many of the staff will work longer hours than usual. With you here, I’ll be able to offer them at least a few hours off, which means you’ll be too busy to attract any of the guests’ attention.” He gave her the cutest look, nearly making her forget that she was here under false pretenses.

  She had no idea why he was so anxious for her to stay, but clearly he was, and she wanted to stay, especially with the added bonus of working with him. Whatever else she did, she’d make sure she didn’t go anywhere near Brad or his wife, which would ease Luke’s concerns.

  By helping out around the inn, she could also do her questionnaire work without being noticed. “Let me sleep on it, and I’ll give you my answer tomorrow. How’s that?”

  “Great. In the meantime, what about dinner? The getaway event doesn’t officially start until tomorrow.”

  Dinner was out of the question tonight. She was only hungry for the chance to ream Scott out. Food could wait. Besides, if she got really hungry, she had trail mix in her backpack. “If you don’t mind, I’m a little tired. I think I’ll just go to my room.”

  She’d been so determined not to feel anything while Luke talked, not the surprise, the hurt or the embarrassment, brought on by the actions of her brother. And to add insult to injury, there had been the run-in with Brad. She swallowed hard and clenched her hands to steady herself.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. You don’t have to eat with me if you’d rather eat in your room. Why don’t I get the chef to send up some dinner?” Luke said.

  Why not? She’d probably be ravenous when she got done yelling at Scott. “That would be wonderful.”

  “Despite what I’ve said here this evening, I would’ve been more than pleased to have dinner with you.” His smile touched her heart, making her wish that she could tell him the truth about her, about why she was there in his beautiful inn.

  “Thank you.” Before she succumbed to his brilliant smile and the promise of what the evening might have offered her—if not for her brother’s behavior—she got up and left the office, not stopping until she was in her room with the door locked behind her.

  * * *

  FINALLY FREE TO EXPRESS her frustration, Marnie pounded her fists into the bed, and felt the hot sting of tears. To think that her brother had done this to her, embarrassed her this way, was too much for her to handle. Scott had to have known what was going on at the inn, and he’d let her come up here anyway to deal with the consequences.

  And humiliate herself in front of the one man she’d met in years who truly seemed like a decent guy.

  Her fingers fairly danced over the keys of her cell phone in her rush to reach Scott. He answered on the first ring.

  “How could you do this to me?”

  “Hello, Marnie, and what did I do to you?”

  “You registered me as one half of a couple, using your name, and I just spent a humiliating hour being grilled by the staff and the manager over the fact that I’m here alone.”

  “I’m sorry, Marnie. I had no choice. They’d only take the booking if I made the reservation under both ou
r names. Is that a problem?”

  She nearly choked on her anger. “No, not at all, if you don’t mind being told by the manager that you can’t stay unless you pretend to be his assistant so no one will see a single person here during the Christmas Getaway event for couples—only couples. But the most fun of all is that I have to lie to people about who I am,” Marnie yelled.

  Someone knocked at the door. “Is everything all right?” a man’s voice inquired.

  Damn! All she needed was for someone to go down to the desk and complain about a crazy woman screaming on the third floor. “I’m fine,” she called through the door, summoning the voice she used to calm unhappy clients.

  “Who are you talking to?” Scott asked.

  “You. I’m talking to you. I’m not spending the next three days here under these circumstances.”

  “Point taken. But calm down a little while I think.”

  “There’s nothing to think about! I’m coming back tomorrow. You and your questionnaire are history. Don’t ever ask me to do anything for you ever again.”

  There was a long silence, giving Marnie time to catch her breath and settle onto the bed, being careful not to hit her head this time. “Did you hear me?”

  “I did. I did. But look, I really need this survey done, and you’re the only person I can call on at such short notice to do it.”

  “But why do you need it if they’re simply going to sell the inn anyway?”

  “I told you. They have this buyer who’s interested, but he doesn’t want any problems on the operational front. He’s looking for a turnkey operation, and Angus McAndrew is determined to sell him one. That’s where you come in.”

  “And if I find a problem?”

  “Just get the forms filled out and get them off to me. Angus is calling daily to hear if there are any problems, and I need to know the minute you find anything, understood?”

  Scott never allowed anything to get in the way of what he wanted. He’d been like that since the day he found out he stood to qualify for the Olympic swimming team. He’d not only practiced with the best coach available, he’d driven himself and the rest of his family nearly crazy in his quest to achieve his goal, and he had succeeded. He was a champion athlete—the pride of the McLaughlan clan. “I’m not sure if this will work.”

  “I’m depending on you, Marnie. Don’t let me down.”

  She didn’t know what to say. She was here, and she’d promised to do this for him. She owed him a lot, and this was the first time he’d ever asked her for a favor. “I wish I hadn’t agreed to this.”

  “Look, I know you can do it, and I’ve kept my side of the bargain. Mom thinks you’re away with no cell-phone access, so we’ve both had to tell little white lies.”

  “And your little white lie will also get me in trouble with Mom if she finds out the truth. She’ll never blame you. She’ll blame me for putting you up to it.”

  “No, Marnie. If it ever comes out, I’ll take full responsibility. I promise.”

  “Then take responsibility now. Call the inn and tell them the truth.”

  “What? That you’re there under false pretenses? That not only are you not married, but that you’re there to check up on the inn’s operations? What would that accomplish?”

  “I don’t know.... You can’t tell them why I’m here, but you could tell them we’re not married, that you made a mistake. With the way my life is going at the moment, they’d probably ask me to leave.”

  “Why? You’re a paying guest.”

  But how could she have any relationship with Luke that wasn’t based on honesty? As long as Luke believed she was married, and she didn’t tell him the truth, there would be no chance for anything with him beyond the occasional cup of coffee.

  “The manager has offered me to pose as his assistant for the duration of my stay, and as nutty as that sounds, it might work at least until you tell the truth.”

  “Then do it. You go along with the idea of being the manager’s assistant. That will make your mystery-guest job easier, and you can be out of there by the latest the day after tomorrow.”

  “Have you forgotten that I came here partly to rethink my life?”

  “Okay, then what about this? You get your survey questions done ASAP. And once Christmas is over, I’ll buy you a ticket to any vacation spot you choose.”

  She had to hand it to her brother; he had a gift when it came to persuasion.

  “Listen, Marnie. I’m really sorry about all this, and I’ll fix it, I promise.”

  Her brother had all the answers. And if she went home now, her mother would want her to be Mrs. Claus.

  “I want to go to Hawaii the first week of January. And I want a second ticket so I can take someone with me.”

  “Are you hiding something, Marnie?”

  “No, I’m not hiding anything. I just don’t want to go to Hawaii by myself.” She had no idea who she’d invite, but she figured Scott didn’t have to know that.

  “Agreed. Now I’ve got to go to bed, get my handsome rest,” he said.

  “Sleep will not make you handsome. A few spa treatments, maybe.”

  “Don’t have time for such pampering, but I do need to get some rest with the holiday season in full swing here. Talk later,” he said.

  “When you have my tickets ready,” she reminded him.

  “Don’t worry, Marnie. I realize that you’re off to a bad start, but things will get better.”

  “And you know that because…?”

  “Because you’re my baby sister and I love you.”

  “You have a strange way of showing it,” she said, before snapping her phone shut, ignoring the warm feelings his words provoked. Regardless of how angry Scott could make her, she still wanted his approval. It had always been that way between them, mostly because he’d been the one brother of the four who had always been there for her.

  She gazed around the room, at the mess she’d made of her clothes in her rush to find her black dress. In her haste, she’d forgotten she’d packed a black lace bra and panties and the hot-pink bustier, just in case she met someone.

  That was before she discovered that the only available male at the inn wanted her to disappear. She couldn’t tell him she wasn’t married, and she certainly couldn’t tell him about the questionnaires she was working on. If he discovered that she was spying on his inn, it would be the end of everything.

  That left her with one option. She would enjoy tonight’s dinner while she prepared her explanation to Luke. She would tell him what her brother did, and what he’d asked her to do. That she couldn’t lie to him regardless of what perks her brother offered. If Luke was still interested in her after that, then they might have a chance. If not, it was better for her to learn that now before her heart got involved.

  She was about to put the bustier back into her suitcase when someone tapped on the door. It had to be room service with her dinner. “I’ll be right there,” she called out, tucking the bustier behind her back and opening the door.

  Before her stood Luke dressed in a dark suit and a tie that matched the green of his eyes. “I decided to deliver your dinner myself.”

  CHAPTER FOUR

  “THANK YOU SO MUCH, I really appreciate this,” she said, dropping the bustier on the floor behind her, and kicking it behind the door with her foot as she reached for the cart.

  He pushed the serving table into the tiny room, wedging it between the bed and the door to the bat
hroom.

  “Do you mind if I stay a minute so we can talk?” Luke asked.

  “Talk? S-sure,” she said, reluctantly closing the door and praying he wouldn’t notice the bustier among the rest of the clothing strewn across the floor. “Sorry for the mess.”

  He chuckled and shook his head. “Don’t worry about it.” Then his face took on a more serious expression. “Scott called me just a few minutes ago, and said how sorry he was for making a mistake involving the booking.”

  “He what?” Had her brother found an easy way out of the whole Mr. and Mrs. debacle?

  “He wanted me to understand that he was the one who made the mistake.”

  “Exactly! Yes,” she said. Heat rose in her cheeks as she envisioned the possibilities that were now tantalizingly within her reach. She could only hope that Mary was babysitting Ethan tonight.

  “I wish I’d known earlier, I wouldn’t have been so blunt with you. Your husband said he made the booking as a special vacation for the two of you, and then he suddenly got called away on business.”

  “Called away on business?” she croaked. While she’d been trying to come to terms with how she’d manage to work for this man, and do the questionnaire, and find a way to explain things, Scott had gone behind her back again and told another one of his ridiculous lies.

  It all had to stop now because when the truth came out—and it would—she would lose all her credibility with Luke. Besides, she refused to spend the next few days before Christmas lying to this man who had been nothing but honest with her.

  * * *

  LUKE SAW THE WAY Marnie McLaughlan’s eyes glistened, and he admired her control. He didn’t know how he’d feel if faced with having to stay alone at an inn when it was supposed to be a romantic vacation. “Scott said he wasn’t sure when he’d be able to join you here, but in the meantime I want you to know that you can still be my assistant if you’d like.” He shrugged.

  “Thanks,” she said. “But I’m not sure I can stay.”