The Billionaire’s Fake Christmas Engagement: Elkin Brothers Christmas Book Two

by North, Leslie

  “Okay?” Gabe sounded confused and still sleepy. Anna slowed down the pace of getting dressed. Maybe he’d come back to bed. That would be the ideal situation. Gabe back in bed, and the rest of the world far away. She hadn’t heard anything about a storm coming to the area, either. How bad could it be?

  “The booking system’s also down. And nobody knows how to fix it. Except you.”

  Okay, so they weren’t going back to bed.

  “We’ll be there in twenty minutes. Just let us get dressed.”

  “Get dressed? What have you been doing in here? You weren’t sleeping, were you...” Gabe shut the door, cutting off Chase’s joke. His footsteps came quickly back to the bedroom.

  Gabe’s eyes were filled with a determined light when he came back into the room. “It’s all hands on deck downstairs. Jump in the shower—we’ve got to get ready.”

  * * *

  Just over twenty minutes later, they descended into the lobby.

  “Chase really undersold this,” Anna said, taking Gabe’s hand. “I thought he meant a couple of families.” There were at least thirty people in the lobby, all milling around at the front desk while the staff clicked at their computers. A general grumbling filled the space, none of the guests happy with the delay.

  The mood in the air was familiar to her—and not a welcome one. It was the mood of a group of people who were inconvenienced, and they were not going to be happy unless something was done. Right now.

  “Jonas is up there,” Gabe said, pointing out his brother at the reception desk. “But he looks like he’s in over his head.”

  They made a beeline for the desk. If Anna knew anything about people with reservations and commitments, it was that the unhappiest of them would look for anyone to unload on.

  “Jonas,” she said, moving to stand next to him. “Let me help.”

  He looked at her, eyebrows raised, and it seemed as though he was on the verge of saying no. At that moment, the volume in the room rose a notch.

  “Trust me.” She put on her most professional, welcoming smile. “I know what to do.”

  “Go ahead.” Jonas ceded her some space, and Anna went out in front of the counter and waved her arms, aiming for silence. The guests quieted down, silence spreading like a ripple in a pond outward from her.

  “Welcome to the Elk Lodge,” she began, keeping her smile in place, but an empathetic look in her eyes. At least—that’s how she hoped she looked. “We’re so glad you arrived safely, despite the storm outside. Unfortunately, we’re experiencing some technical difficulties that are making our check-in process frustrating. We have a person here to fix the system, and it should be up and running shortly. In the meantime, we’d like to invite you all to the hotel’s restaurant for a complimentary breakfast.”

  “Where are we supposed to keep our things?” someone fretted from the front of the crowd.

  Anna waved one of the reception staff members forward. “We’ll watch over any luggage you’d like to leave here while you have some breakfast. It will be looked after the entire time you’re eating until the last piece is picked up. If you’ll all follow me, I’ll lead the way.”

  She held her breath but tried not to let it show.

  Then the first members of the crowd came toward her, and the rest followed.

  Anna got everyone settled in the restaurant, which was open for breakfast but not expecting a crowd of that size. She made quick friends with the hostess, and once everyone was seated, Anna went around to each table to speak with the guests personally.

  Yes, a very sudden storm, she repeated so many times she lost count. Completely unexpected glitches with the system. We’re working hard on it right now. No, of course there won’t be any problem with your reservation.

  By the time she’d made the rounds, it had been almost forty-five minutes.

  She found Gabe and his brothers, along with Elin, in a large office behind the front desk. Gabe tapped quickly at a computer, windows popping up and closing again faster than she could keep track. Elin came up to her and took her hands. “Thank you for your quick thinking,” she said with a tired smile that squeezed at Anna’s heart. “I should have offered breakfast right away, but my nerves got the better of me.”

  “It was nothing,” she assured the older woman. “This is what I do for a job. It’s second nature to me.”

  Elin’s eyes glistened with tears. “I’m so glad Gabe has someone like you.” Another flicker of guilt. If Elin only knew. “Gabe,” she said, louder. “This woman is a walking miracle. I hope you know that.”

  “I do,” Gabe said, stopping what he was doing for a moment to look up. Too bad the expression on his face didn’t match his words.

  Anna went to his side and put a hand on his shoulder, feeling the engagement ring’s weight on her finger. It felt heavy, but it was still fake. It didn’t really mean anything, no matter how wonderful Elin thought she was. “Is everything okay?”

  “The booking system is a mess. I don’t know why Jonas didn’t upgrade years ago.” He let out a short breath. “But it’s no problem—you’re the star of the show here. Great job with crowd control. If you keep it up, nobody will even remember this happened.”

  You’re the star of the show. Anna stood stock still. He was obviously frustrated. Why?

  Jealousy.

  Anna knew Gabe didn’t need accolades from his family. Was he jealous of the way Elin had accepted her just now, and for the way she’d found a place for herself when he thought he didn’t have one? How could he still be hung up on this? They’d talked about it, and she’d agreed to be the best fiancée he could hope for. That meant impressing his family. That meant stepping in during an emergency like this one.

  “I’ll stay out of your way,” she said, trying not to let the pain echo in her voice. She started to move away, but he grabbed her hand in midair and pulled it to his lips, pressing a kiss against her skin.

  “I meant it,” Gabe said, his voice low and urgent. “You’re doing a great job.”

  Some of her irritation dissolved. This was all becoming more complicated than she’d counted on. Anna leaned down and kissed him on the lips, which earned them a whistle from Chase.

  Jonas came over then, and she left to chat with Elin about the storm.

  “I knew there were bookings for the weekend, obviously, but I didn’t think they’d all show up early to beat the storm.” Elin shook her head. “I should know better after all these years.”

  “It sounded like the storm took a surprise turn—wasn’t it supposed to hit south of us?”

  “That’s what I thought.”

  This was the kind of conversation that Anna craved—simple and without any hidden meanings. They were just discussing the weather. Was that what other families could count on? She could be totally sure it wouldn’t turn into a commentary on her father’s failings or a diatribe about the men her mother brought home or any of that. Longing hit hard.

  If she were really Gabe’s fiancée, she could put up with the high standards and the little tiffs between brothers if it meant being part of this family.

  “Almost done, Gabe?” Jonas brushed by, putting a hand on Anna’s arm to step around her. “People will be done eating soon. We can’t keep them waiting.”

  “I am almost done,” Gabe answered, not looking up from the screen. “But I wouldn’t have had to do this if you used better software. All this could have been avoided.”

  “If you were working at the resort, you could have designed software specifically for us.”

  “You couldn’t afford me,” Gabe shot back.

  Tana appeared at her side. “Let’s leave them to it. Don’t you think?”

  Anna was about to say yes. The front desk staff would be able to run reservations in a few minutes. It would be nice to unwind with tea or coffee or any number of things, especially with her new friend. There were lots of options at the Elk Lodge.

  A voice rang out in the lobby—angry and loud. It was a blustery to
ne that sent a twist of anxiety through Anna’s gut.

  “Uh oh,” Tana said, shaking her head.

  Elin closed her eyes, trying to shut the sound out.

  “I’ve got it,” Anna said. “I’ll let them know about breakfast. With the snow coming down the way it is, we shouldn’t have to worry about any more arrivals.”

  Anna straightened her shoulders and calmed her mind. That spike of anxiety had been nothing but residual adrenaline, she decided. One more set of guests on edge wouldn’t do her in. But as she prepared to step back out into the reception area, the noise got louder. This wasn’t just one angry guy—he’d come with quite a few guests, by the sounds of it.

  Waiting wouldn’t make it any better.

  Welcome to the Elk Lodge, she thought. Hopefully, from there on out, the conversation would be fine.

  Three steps and she was back to the reception desk. “Welcome to the Elk Lodge,” Anna said, but then all the words she’d planned to say fled from her mind.

  She’d prepared herself for an angry man. She’d prepared herself for a moderately large group. But she hadn’t prepared herself for Freddie, her ex-boyfriend, his parents, some people she didn’t recognize, and a woman clinging to his arm—his new girlfriend.

  Freddie’s lip curled with disgust. “I can’t believe this. What are you doing here?”

  16

  “This really would all be better if you were here,” Jonas said, leaning on the desk where Gabe was still working on fixing the system. “Haven’t you ever considered it? Would you consider it now?” Jonas wouldn’t stop needling him about working at the Elk Lodge.

  “No. And no, I’m not considering it now.” Gabe put the final keystrokes into the program and set the reservation system back to rights. It would at least function well enough to get them through the day, giving Jonas time to decide what he wanted to do about the software. Gabe would be back home by the time that was all said and done. “And I wish you’d stop—”

  “You can’t afford to be here. Why would anyone even let you onto the grounds?” A loud, male voice coming from the direction of the reception desk interrupted their conversation.

  Gabe got up out of his seat before he could process what he’d heard and rushed out to the reception area, close on Jonas’s heels. What he hadn’t expected was to find Anna the object of the man’s attention. She stood behind the desk with another one of the reception staff members next to her. But it was Anna’s demeanor that caught and held his gaze. Lost and terrified were the two words that came to mind.

  “Who is this woman?” The man shouting at Anna had a woman on his arm, her fingers locked tight around his bicep, her face drawn up into an expression of disgust.

  A jolt of anger shot down Gabe’s spine.

  “She’s an ex.” The man rolled his eyes. “Don’t worry about her. I’m just not thrilled to see someone working here who doesn’t belong. Given her family’s business, she probably got a job here so she can siphon money from the resort.”

  “That’s not true,” Gabe said, glancing around to address his family. He turned his attention back to the man. “You’re speaking about my fiancée,” Gabe said, stepping up to Anna’s side. “That’s why she’s here at our family-owned resort. Is there something we can help you with?”

  “It’s Freddie,” Anna whispered, and Gabe’s heart broke for her. The ex who hadn’t thought she was good enough. This was supposed to be a holiday getaway with nothing but snow and family dinners and charm, not a chance for some jerk to confront her at the Elk Lodge.

  Freddie’s mouth had dropped open, and furious red splotches blotted his cheeks. His eyes swung wildly between Anna and Gabe. He took a step back as if to take in the entire scene again and make sure he was in the right place. “How the hell are you engaged? I just dumped you a month ago.”

  A gasp came from behind him, and Gabe recognized it instantly as belonging to his grandmother.

  No. The meaning of Freddie’s words hit him next like a clap of thunder. Just dumped you a month ago. They’d told everyone a far different story.

  “How can that be?” Jonas joined in the conversation.

  Gabe glanced over his shoulder to discover his entire family standing there, shocked expressions on their faces.

  “I thought you two had been engaged for a few months,” Chase asked while maintaining a look of casual indifference, hands in his pockets and leaning against the doorjamb.

  Anna didn’t lower her head, but Gabe could tell she wanted to. Heck, he felt the same way. The whole house of cards was tumbling down around them, and Anna’s cheeks went pink, then red. Tears gathered in the corners of her eyes.

  He took her arm, gently moved her back behind him, and then took his place at the reception desk. “We won’t be able to process your reservation for today.”

  Freddie’s girlfriend—whoever she was—glared at him. “What are you saying? We booked here weeks ago, and your staff told us your system would be up and running in a few minutes.”

  “It’s up and running now, but not for you.” Anger threatened to choke him, but he swallowed it back. Losing control of his emotions now wouldn’t help anyone—only action could do that. “I won’t tolerate you treating my fiancée this way. I wouldn’t tolerate you treating one of the staff this way. We’ll note your names for future reference. All of you are now officially banned from the resort.”

  “Where are we supposed to go?” an older woman howled—he figured it was Freddie’s mother, but didn’t care since she’d stood by and watched her son mistreat Anna. “There’s a storm.”

  “You can sit in the lobby until it passes. You won’t be welcome anywhere else on the resort.” He turned to the woman on shift at the reception desk—Lizzie, by her name tag. “Lizzie, run down to the restaurant and let the hostess know that this party is not to be seated under any circumstances. You might want to call security and let them know, too.”

  “Yes, sir.” Lizzie’s eyes were bright, and Gabe had a flash of pride. Maybe he didn’t work at the Elk Lodge, but that hadn’t removed him from the family. He had every right to protect Anna here and anywhere else she went. Something shifted inside him—wait, let me think about this—but there was no time to think because he could feel his family staring at the back of his neck.

  “You can’t do this,” blustered Freddie. “We’ve paid good money to be here, and—”

  Gabe held up a hand. “I absolutely can do this.” If Jonas wanted to disagree, now was his chance. “You’re not welcome here anymore. If you do anything other than sit in the lobby, I’ll alert the authorities that you’re trespassing. Cancel the reservation,” he said to the other staff member, who hurried to do it with a few hasty clicks.

  “It’s canceled, sir, and the money has been refunded.”

  Freddie stood there with his mouth hanging open, stunned, and then his eyes narrowed.

  “Not another word,” warned Gabe. “Not one single word.”

  The other man turned and stalked off, mumbling furiously to his girlfriend. Good. Let him. A man like that deserved to be put in his place occasionally. Arrogant jerk.

  Gabe turned to Anna and reached for her, but she ducked away at the last moment, wiping at her eyes.

  “Gabe,” she choked out. Gabe felt a sick dread wash over him, unlike anything he’d ever felt before. “Your family.”

  “Are you all right?” he asked.

  “No, I’m obviously not all right.” She took a shuddering breath in and let it out again, then turned around to face them.

  No one had moved. Jonas glared at them; his eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Let’s step into the back room, okay?” Her voice shook, but she put on a determined smile anyway. “We can talk about—about what happened.”

  They filed into the back room, his grandmother easing into a chair, and putting a hand to her eyes. Seconds later, she sat up and stared straight at him, the confused look on her face making Gabe falter. He’d hurt her with his lies.

  He’d
misled them all—and it had been his idea, not Anna’s. He took her hand in his, and this time she didn’t look away. His heart beat fast, pumping adrenaline through his veins that left him with a sick feeling in his gut. “First...” Gabe tried to imagine himself at the head of a table at one of his company meetings, aiming for a note of confidence. Something that didn’t exist. He squared his shoulders and began again. “First, please don’t blame Anna for the scene that just happened in the lobby. It wasn’t her fault.”

  “Were you two having an affair?” The words came high and thin, his grandmother’s eyes glistening with tears. “Did that man have any reason to be angry?”

  “No, of course not,” Anna said firmly. “We—” She put a hand to her throat. “We weren’t truthful about our engagement.”

  “It happened suddenly, didn’t it?” Tana asked, a hopeful expression on her face. “If it happened suddenly and that’s why you didn’t want to tell us—”

  “It didn’t happen at all.” The words were forced from between his lips. This was it—this was Gabe’s worst nightmare. “We’re not really engaged.”

  Jonas’s eyes darkened, and Chase looked up toward the ceiling.

  “What?” his grandmother exclaimed. Her eyes traced a path to Anna’s hand, where she still wore her engagement ring. Her eyes came back to Gabe’s. “Not engaged?”

  “The relationship was a setup. I got the call from Jonas about the holidays, and I couldn’t—I couldn’t come home alone. I wanted you to know that I would be okay no matter what happened with your illness. I’m so sorry, Grandmother.” He couldn’t stop the words from spilling out, and now that it was happening, he didn’t want to stop them. As painful as it was, it was also a relief. “I asked Anna if she would agree to pose as my fiancée for the holidays, and she said yes. It was a spur-of-the-moment decision that happened just before we left town.”

  “What were you thinking?” Jonas shouted. “That’s the sickest thing I’ve ever heard. You honestly thought it would be better to lie to us all this time? Then what, Gabe? What were you going to do later? Fake a breakup, too?”