Winter at Cedarwood Lodge

by Rebecca Raisin

  “OK, yes. No coffee, good idea.”

  In the kitchen, Kai brewed a pot of tea, and I surveyed the newly installed kitchen, making sure it was spotless and ready for Georges. It was shiny and new but still I felt a twinge for the older kitchen, which was now relegated to the scrap heap.

  It dawned on me how early Kai was. It was a record, even for him. “Why are you here already, Kai?”

  “I wanted to go over everything, make sure it’s right, in case we need to touch up paint or anything else before the party. I’m nervous too. I don’t want anyone tripping over an uneven floorboard or brushing up against wet paint, if we retouch.”

  I nodded. “Yes, good idea. One last safety check. Though I moved all the tables and chairs into the ballroom last night.”

  He raised a brow. “You moved them all? By yourself?”

  I laughed. My legs felt like lead today after all that heaving. I hadn’t banked on them being solid oak. “I couldn’t sleep. It was one less thing I’d have to do today. I meant to get them moved yesterday, but we ran out of time.” I flexed my bicep, which was actually more concave than convex. “All part of the job,” I said.

  He shook his head. “You should have asked me, I’d have helped.”

  “It’s OK. Let’s go over our list.”

  An hour later, Micah and Isla found us in the ballroom, setting up the framed photos of Imelda and Edgar and their family and friends. Kai was placing them in a pattern along the walls, with temporary hooks. Their smiling faces buoyed me, as they stared from each grainy photo.

  “That looks amazing,” Isla said. “I love the different sizes.” She walked up to survey the biggest photo, the one that took pride of place in the middle. “Is that their wedding day?” Imelda wore a simple shift dress and Edgar a suit with pant hems that sat just above his ankle, no doubt a borrowed suit in which he still managed to look debonair, despite its being stretched to fit over his lanky frame. It wasn’t their clothes you focused on, it was the light in their eyes. Happiness radiated from the picture – it gave me goose bumps, trying to imagine that they’d shared fifty years of wedded bliss from that day forward. Their separation in the war only made their reunion sweeter, for how lucky they must have felt when Edgar made it home alive… unlike so many of his friends.

  “Yes, they were married in the chapel at Cedarwood,” I said. “See the lake in the distance?” I pointed to a patch of glittering water that was gray in the photo.

  Isla’s eyes filled with tears. “They still look the same,” she said. “Sure, they’ve aged, but they’ve both still got those same smiles, like they’re sharing a secret.”

  I slung an arm over her shoulder. Edgar and Imelda were firm favorites with everyone who worked here, not just for their graciousness in thanking everyone, and inviting them to their anniversary party, but because they were good, honest people, who made everyone feel like they mattered. “The secret is their love. Can you imagine knowing you’ve got someone on your side, no matter what, for the rest of your life?”

  Micah stood just off to the side of Isla, and they exchanged a look, one of longing and hope. I moved away, not wanting to intrude on whatever was passing wordlessly between them. I could have been totally wrong, but I had a feeling there’d be another wedding at Cedarwood soon…

  Kai sensed the moment too, and said, “Clio, could you help me in the lobby for a minute?”

  Like children we dashed into the sumptuous room, and covered our mouths, giggling. Kai composed himself first. “Is there something in the water here?” he joked. “Sends everyone into a tizzy of romance?”

  I nodded and said seriously, “Yes, I do a special love dance when there’s a full moon, and Gemini is rising in Taurus. Seems to be working so far.”

  He shook his head and laughed. Gazing at Kai from under my lashes, my heartbeat sped up, but it was just the idea of love that caused it, the thought of having something like Imelda and Edgar. Or something like what was blossoming between Micah and Isla.

  Maybe I was destined to be single? Perhaps the wedding planner who made other people’s wedding days perfect – and had the biggest dream-wedding board on Pinterest – wasn’t capable of love herself.

  “I’m going to miss this place,” he said.

  Kai had got the call the day before – another job awaited him in Vermont. He was leaving the day after the party. And after the Vermont job he was heading to San Francisco for a job over the Christmas period. I wanted to say so many things, to beg him to stay and help renovate the chapel and make me climb the godforsaken mountain… But I didn’t say a word, because what did we have? A friendship, and that was all. I had no claim on him and I couldn’t stop him from taking good, paying work for a whim of mine, much as I wanted to. “I wish you could stay.”

  He cast his eyes to the floor. “I’ll be back one day to visit… and you won’t remember me, you’ll have so many faces passing through.”

  Silence filled the space. As if I’d ever forget Kai.

  “Let’s go back and hang the tulle from the ceiling,” he said eventually, his eyes not shining the way they usually did.

  Micah and Isla were unpacking boxes of candles, ready to adorn each table. Isla jumped up when she saw me and inched over to the door, motioning me to follow. “I told him a few days ago,” she whispered. “You were right. About everything.”

  I gave her a hug, and resisted the urge to jump up and down. “I knew it!”

  “You know the offer you made?”

  “About staying on?”

  She nodded. “I’d love to, if it still stands. And not only because of Micah. I don’t want you to think I’m the type of person who clutches on to any man…”

  I thought of her racing around the streets on her motorbike – she wasn’t the type to let a man dominate her. “I know that.”

  “It’s more that I finally feel like I fit. I can stop running for a while and make friendships that will last, you know?”

  I smiled, understanding she’d found a place to put down roots, to make a life with people she trusted, who wanted so much to be there for her. “I totally get it, Isla. And I’m so glad you chose us.”

  “OK, I’d better get back to it.” She couldn’t hide her happiness, it radiated from her.

  But it was all hands on deck inside, a flurry of activity, and I moved to help them, heart bursting for Micah and Isla.

  I took the lengths of golden tulle from the trestle table; it was soft as silk in my hands. Kai carefully extended the ladder to the ceiling so he could bolt the fabric from the middle point, and we could drape it along sections of wall. Under the lights, it would shine luminously and break up the monotony of the wood, giving the room a touch of old Hollywood glamour.

  I handed a section to Kai and he climbed up the ladder. “Here?” he asked, gathering the material.

  “A little to the left… more… yes.”

  With quick steps, he was back down the ladder, attaching the bottom half to the wall above the pictures we’d hung.

  After double-checking the preparations I sent everyone off to rest and get ready for the party, and headed to my suite.

  Upstairs, I ran a bath, figuring I could steal ten extra minutes to soak the anxiety away as best I could, before a long night on my feet. Though my limbs were heavy, I was full of energy. All the hard work had been done – and in this case, renovating the lodge thrown into the mix – and now we could enjoy the fruits of our labors, by making sure Imelda and Edgar had one of the best nights of their lives.

  I undressed and stepped into the rose-scented bath, trying my hardest to relax, but my body wouldn’t cooperate, thinking of this and that I’d forgotten to do. Groaning, I climbed out, toweled myself dry and debated what to wear.

  Eventually I decided on a navy-blue jersey dress that hugged my frame and gathered on one side. I stepped into a pair of wedges of the same hue, and applied makeup and a slick of gloss. I was eager to get downstairs, and didn’t bother with any more primping and pr
eening. It was almost as though I could hear Amory’s voice. She’d be admonishing me for not making up my eyes, and fussing with my hair. I really missed her. We’d always hosted parties as a team, but I’d make her proud, doing this on my own in my dream location. My beautiful old lodge.

  Chapter Fifteen

  I gasped. Imelda was transformed, wearing a scarlet dress with a faux-fur wrap, and her shiny red heels. Her ash-gray hair had been set and fell in soft curls around her shoulders. Behind her, pushing the chair, Edgar was suited up, and this time I noted the hem of his pants covered his ankles.

  I rushed to greet them. “You both look very dashing,” I said. “Imelda, you’re sparkling like a movie star.”

  “A very old one.”

  I bent to kiss her, and stood to shake Edgar’s hand. He was cold, I noticed, his hand clammy. “I’ll get the fires stoked up a little more. It’s freezing out tonight.”

  “Thanks, dear. Now let us see the ballroom. I’ve heard it’s as pretty as a picture.”

  Edgar remained silent, but gave me a smile. Maybe he was nervous. The entire town had heard about the party, and each day the numbers increased. I worried the costs would jump too high, but they assured me it was fine. They wanted to have the time of their lives no matter what.

  The double doors of the ballroom were swung open, revealing the room in all its glory. Round tables were dressed with white tablecloths and adorned with candelabra and glittery white candles. Champagne flutes stood proud. The tulle ruffled slightly as we walked in, the gauzy material casting a shadowy hue over the room. Vases of bright, colorful blooms perfumed the air. The fire was crackling softly in the background, a nice soundtrack to the party.

  “Oh, my lord. It’s the most beautiful room ever. How on earth did you do this in such a short space of time, my dear? I was expecting… I don’t know, just the bare minimum, but this… it’s so elegant.”

  “I had a great team of people who helped every step of the way. Let me show you the photo wall.” I took the handles of the wheelchair so Edgar could see them up close too.

  Edgar shook his head, and took a handkerchief from his top pocket. “Remember that day, Mellie?” He pointed to a shot of the family sitting at the top of the Grand Canyon. “You thought we’d be able to climb down there, and got all uppity when that ranger told you off.”

  She laughed. “What was I thinking? Such a troublemaker back then.”

  When they came to their wedding photo, they clasped hands and remained silent, their eyes wandering slowly over it, taking in every detail.

  “You both looked so happy,” I said.

  “We were, gosh, we really were. It’s hard to believe it’s almost over,” Imelda said, her voice barely audible.

  “We haven’t even started yet,” I said. “We’ve got the whole night.” It struck me later she wasn’t referring to the party.

  ***

  The party was in full swing, music played from unseen speakers, and the tap of high heels could be heard all the way to the lobby. I’d got my wish: Cedarwood had been given the kiss of life once more, and I couldn’t wipe the smile from my face.

  I rushed back to the ballroom, champagne bottles clutched against my chest. Kai took the bottles from me, and stowed all but one behind the bar. He went around topping up glasses ready for the speeches. I motioned for Isla and Micah, who each grabbed another bottle and followed suit.

  With a wink at Edgar, a sign for him to get ready, I fiddled with the microphone, adjusting the height for him. I gave him a nod, and handed the microphone over, then tapped a champagne glass with a spoon in an effort to get everyone’s attention.

  Edgar stood tall and proud, and nodded to the guests. He cleared his throat, and said, “Bear with an old man tonight, folks… Allow me this moment. You know, not all of us are lucky in love. Some people find love but lose it, some only have an imitation of the real thing. Others search for it their whole lives, never quite catching it, but always believing it’s there if only you try hard enough. Me and Mellie were part of that exclusive club of lucky ones. We knew it from the moment we laid eyes on each other, what we’d found, and we cherished that these last fifty years, trying not to take it for granted. There were times where our love dimmed, those periods in a marriage where things get hard, and the only reason the light didn’t fade to black was because we worked on it. We worked hard on it, knowing that it was a rocky patch and that we could beat anything that tried to pull us apart. Our kids grew up, and moved out, and are a great source of pride to us – they’re good people with big hearts, and that’s all you can ask in a person. And then there’s you. Those who’ve been with us since our marriage, and those we’ve only just met…” He nodded to me, smiling. “You’ve enriched our lives, and added to our story, and we want to thank you for that. Imelda and I wish you all lives filled with love and joy and happiness, and hope you find what you’re looking for. If you’ll indulge an old man once more, allow me to say this: life really is what you make it, so don’t settle for second best. Grab hold of it and shake it up, follow your dreams – because one day you’ll wake up, and if you’re lucky enough you’ll be seventy-six and standing where I am and wondering where on earth did all that time go? From the bottom of our hearts, thank you all for celebrating with us here tonight.”

  We clapped, the sound deafening as Edgar’s words reverberated in our minds.

  He waved, and hobbled back to Imelda, whose eyes were shiny with tears.

  Georges entered the room with the cake aloft and everyone cheered once more. As Edgar pushed Imelda’s wheelchair to the center of the room, guests threw heart-shaped confetti at her feet.

  Georges presented Imelda with the cake to more gasps of delight. The couple radiated a type of joy I hadn’t seen in such a long time. They appreciated every little thing, from the frames on each table, to the tulle draped above, and now the elaborately decorated, colorful cake. They cut the cake, both holding the knife before Imelda spoke a few words.

  “My darlings, like Edgar said, we wanted to thank you all for making time for us tonight. And we wanted to say a special thank you to Clio and the team at Cedarwood for achieving the impossible to make sure we could celebrate here, back where it all began. I hope you’ll all remember the lodge, and look after our newest Evergreen resident.”

  I blushed to the roots of my hair and mouthed thank you to Imelda.

  Next came the slideshow, and Imelda and Edgar’s family circled them as photos flashed from a drop-down screen. Their favorite songs played, and there was much crying and squeals of delight. I watched them for a beat, surrounded by their family, in their own little bubble of memory. While that played, I took a champagne flute and went outside on the deck for some fresh air, and to think about the night and the words that had been spoken. A lone tear escaped, part happiness, part sadness. I didn’t want it to end, for people to leave the lodge, but I supposed what I really meant was Kai. He kept intruding on my mind, and I was a sad that he was packing up and leaving Evergreen for good in the early hours of tomorrow morning. I wished I’d been truer, followed my heart more with him, but what did I want? There was an unmistakable spark there on my part, but it was too late. And really, what could happen? His job took him around America, and Evergreen would become a distant memory, so maybe it was for the best. The vague pang of desire I had was too indistinct to act on anyway.

  I drank my champagne, toasting my new life at Cedarwood Lodge, knowing, even though I had a hard road ahead of me, I was in charge of my life for the first time ever. For now, it was time to serve the cake and start the cleanup.

  Back inside, I watched everyone for a beat, and smiled to myself at the obvious joy on their faces. The first Cedarwood party had been a success, and not even the exhausted haze I was in could dampen my happiness.

  Under the moonlight, after much kissing and hugging, the last guest finally left. I shut the main doors and leaned against them. Every muscle ached, and I could still hear the thump of music even though
it had been silenced an hour ago. I took off my heels and limped into the kitchen where the team sat nursing cups of steaming-hot coffee.

  I sat heavily, and let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you for tonight. You guys were totally amazing.”

  Micah and Isla were draped together, and Kai sat next to Georges, who snored softly, his arms resting over his chef whites.

  Coffees were emptied and slowly everyone pulled themselves up and headed for the door. We’d made beds up in the suites so no one had to drive after such a manically long day. I’d promised them all a full breakfast in the morning, and only hoped they’d sleep in so I could too.

  Georges tapped my shoulder. “Night.”

  “Night, Georges. Thanks for your help.”

  Micah’s eyes were practically hanging out of his head. He took Isla’s hand and led her away, with a backwards wave.

  “S-o-o-o, then there were two.” Kai looked alert, as if he’d already had eight hours’ sleep, though I knew he’d been at it longer than anyone.

  “Let’s soak up the moonlight one last time,” I said, pulling him up.

  We retreated to the deck once more.

  “You look beautiful under the stars,” Kai said.

  He was wearing a suit, and it fit him well, making him all the more handsome, like some billionaire playboy with his too-long locks and penetrating blue eyes.

  “Thank you.” I tucked a tendril of hair back. “You don’t look so bad yourself.” A sudden wave of shyness hit me. Hadn’t I wished I had time to tell him how I felt, the inkling I had that there was a spark between us we hadn’t acted on? I froze, unsure of my footing. Was there any point further complicating my life? Kai was leaving, and maybe that spark would fizzle out when we parted for good, because this was goodbye…

  Kai watched me for a beat. “I’ll miss this place.”

  A lone star streaked across the sky, stardust following in its wake. I took it as a sign: Kai wouldn’t come back, so this was my chance. It was time to take a risk!