Operation Valentine (Hazel Oaks Resort Book 1)

by Kelsey McKnight

  “They’re all set up for private salsa lessons tonight, and they went on a nature walk yesterday. Sir, did you know there was a wishing well about three miles from the resort? It’s this old stone setup and just truly amazing.”

  “I was wondering where they got to. I saw it once decades ago as a kid but could never seem to find it again. I’ll have to go and check it out the next time I’m in town. I’m sure Ellie would love to see that.”

  “Yes, I’m sure she would,” Nat said as if she knew his wife, when in reality they’d only met once at a Christmas party. But she could presume it would be a lovely walk for them. “Hudson found it, sir. He’s really becoming an asset to the place.”

  “Good, I’m glad to hear he’s pulling his weight and helping you out. Is there anything I could do to assist you? I already set up my secretary to put a little extra in the budget for outings and such, not just for my friends, but all the guests for Valentine’s Day.”

  Nat made a note. “Thank you, sir. I’m sure we’ll put it to good use. And I don’t believe we need your help with anything just yet.”

  “That’s what I like to hear. Well, I have another call in a few minutes, but I just wanted to check in.”

  “Absolutely, sir.”

  “Remember, call if you need anything but it sounds like you two are doing a great job.”

  “Thank you very much, Mr. Sutton.”

  “And, Miss Keller,” he started softer and significantly calmer than his usual boisterous tone. “Thank you for doing this. Those people are family to me.”

  “Of course. They seem like genuinely good people.”

  “They really are.” And without more of a goodbye, Mr. Sutton disconnected the line.

  Nat leaned back in her chair, suddenly aware she was still sitting ramrod straight. She sighed heavily and closed her eyes. Mr. Sutton had so much faith in her to fix this relationship. She just wished she had the same amount. Maybe she could find a marriage counselor or someone in the area who had actual knowledge. Maybe she’d have some pointers or suggestions. Or maybe even a matchmaker to revive that first-date spark. Then, maybe once they were done with the Kents, the matchmaker could work her magic on Nat.

  Hudson popped into her mind. How could he not? He’d been right; last night had been romantic. When he held onto her shoulders and spoke in her ear, or repositioned her hands on the club, all of those little things had felt good and right. And it made her wonder, how many other girls did he teach like that? That swagger didn’t just appear overnight. He’d been gorgeous, probably since birth, and he’d been an activity instructor all over the country. And those activities left him fit. Fit enough to get any woman’s attention. Did he have a girl in all the cities he’s lived in that he’d take walking on tree-lined paths and out for dates?

  To tell the truth, she didn’t know if he was a player since they’d never discussed their private lives. And, at least to her knowledge, he wasn’t dating anyone at work. He could’ve been a monk who swore off women before they met. But he was leaving for California. Sure, maybe not officially, but she certainly didn’t want to pine for a man across the country. Goodbye was her least favorite word.

  As if his ears were ringing, Hudson strolled into her office, a whole twenty minutes early.

  “Well, well, well, you’re early, Mr. Dougal. If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were trying to suck up to me.”

  “Miss Keller, if I had any idea what would make you happy, I’d do it.”

  She frowned at this, then tilted her head to the side, a bit confused. “If I had any idea what that meant, I might have an answer.” What kind of comment was that? She wasn’t a difficult person. True, she was a little precise and she liked things orderly, but she wasn’t a grouch.

  “Don’t worry about it. Anyway, I’m here. What can I do for you?”

  “I have a salsa instructor coming at seven tonight. I’ve talked to Terry, and she’s going to make them a late-night Cuban feast to go with the salsa theme. I don’t actually understand what she’s doing, but she’s excited about it. Anyway, I haven’t told the Kents yet, and I thought you could talk Marvin into writing Mina a letter inviting her to dance.”

  “Why doesn’t he just ask her? In person, like, get down on one knee, take her hand type stuff.”

  “No, that’s a terrible idea. If he’s not proposing a second wedding or giving her a new engagement ring type thing, he should definitely not get down on one knee. I don’t know. Handwritten notes are just so personal, and people don’t send them anymore. I just feel like it’ll add an air of romance if I take her to the spa and she gets her hair done and then at the spa, a note is delivered by one of the junior concierges asking her to dance. Is that…you think that’s ridiculous, don’t you?”

  He shook his head. “No, actually, I think it’s the perfect amount of drama. Maybe I can talk to him about leaving her other notes too. That’s something he could continue at home, outside of this bubble. That was something Mina was worried about, right?”

  “Oh my gosh, that’s brilliant!” She wrote a new note in her little book. “Yes, okay, I’ll call the room and tell her about her hair appointment. You do something to get Mr. Kent to write the note.”

  “No problem. I can talk to him before my team meeting.”

  “What team meeting?” Nat couldn’t remember seeing a meeting ever on his schedule.

  “I like to get the team together every Monday to flesh out any issues and go over the weather forecasts. We usually do it outside so I guess you just haven’t seen it.”

  “Of course. That meeting, right.” She loved the sound of that. It was the kind of thing she’d do. In fact, she was surprised she’d never thought of it.

  “Don’t worry, Nat. I got this.” And then he turned and walked out of her office.

  Nat felt his absence more than she wanted to. Those feelings she’d barely admitted to Terry, the ones she wasn’t even sure she had, they were seeming stunningly real. But instead of dwelling on it, since she couldn’t do anything with them right now anyway, she got up and went to the study. She needed to figure out exactly how many roses to order from the florist.

  *

  Hudson

  Hudson had seen a side of Nat he didn’t think she had, both in the woods and on their brief night on the town. The relaxed Nat who knew how to have fun and take a joke seemed to just be a fleeting part of what made Natalie Keller, Natalie Keller. Sitting across from her in her office, Hudson hardly could believe that girl was real. And then she’d smile at him, not her customer service smile, her real one, and he’d see that glimpse.

  When he’d seen her sitting behind the desk with a tight bun and the pressed suit, part of him had been a little thrown off. He had half expected her to be there in a cozy sweater with her hair in a ponytail, or even better, loose around her shoulders. Of course, that was unrealistic, since she was back to doing her usual job, but it was just another reminder that their day together had been nothing more than a sliver of time, and now it was over.

  He also wished he was brave enough to bring up last night. But this was work; he couldn’t. Blurring those lines was something she’d certainly disapprove of. And that brought on the awkward. How was he supposed to act? And when you added that she was speaking to him without the warmth and sassy comments he was beginning to really enjoy, he almost wondered if he’d dreamed it.

  Of course, he didn’t have time to talk about it even if he’d wanted to. He had to work. Hudson hit the up elevator button in the lobby to go knock on Mr. Kent’s door to see if he wanted to have breakfast together when he heard Nat calling him. He wasn’t sure if they could be casual and light, or if she would expect him to act completely professional. He assumed since they were in the lobby, and in view of the guests milling around, he had to be professional. Those were the rules when she was in fancy clothes.

  He turned around. “Yes, Natalie?” Maybe he’d use her full name at work and call her Nat outside. It might help him keep th
e distance.

  She stopped for a second and frowned. Maybe she’d noticed he had called her by her full name. “Oh, um, I grabbed this cardstock from our supplies, and these felt markers. I thought it’d make a more romantic-looking note than the lodge stationary in the desk in the room. And here’s an envelope so he can address it to her, and well, also because the valets are nosy.”

  “Can’t have them reading the letter, can we?”

  “No, we can’t.” She handed him the supplies and their hands touched.

  Really it was just two of his fingers meeting with two of hers. All the same, it made him think of the nature walk and helping her swing a club. It made him eager to try and see her outside of work again. To confirm for himself that it wasn’t just a dream.

  “Is there anything else?” he asked her, suddenly desperate to get away before he said or did anything to let her know what he was thinking in this lobby. The name wouldn’t help. He couldn’t distance from the fact that he wanted to hold her in his arms.

  “No, Hudson. I think that’s everything.” But she looked like she wanted to say something else. In fact, she opened her mouth, then shut it quickly. Finally, she looked around the lobby and nodded at one of the bellhops who was pushing an empty luggage cart toward her. “Sorry, I’m needed.” And then she really was gone.

  Trying to push all of the nonsense with Nat aside, he went up to the Lake View Suite. As he was walking down the hall, he saw Mina looking relaxed in a casual pink leisure suit. Hudson quickly did the best he could to put the supplies behind his back so she wouldn’t see.

  “Good morning, Dr. Kent, how are you doing?”

  “Hello, Hudson. Please, call me Mina,” she cooed in a singsong voice he’d never heard from her. “And I’m doing beautifully, thank you for asking. I’m just on my way to have my hair done. There’s nothing like a trip to the spa to really boost your spirit.”

  “I’ll take your word for it, ma’am. I pay twenty bucks to a barber and kinda hope it works out alright.”

  She laughed and went into the elevator.

  Hudson continued down the hall and knocked on the Kent’s door. He was hoping that since Mina was in such a good mood, Marvin would be too.

  “Hey there, son, what are you doing here?” he asked when he came to the door.

  “I’m on Operation Valentine business. I’ve got a plan for tonight and we need to go over it.”

  “In that case, you better come on in.”

  Hudson went to sit on the couch and spread the supplies on the coffee table. Marvin sat in one of the armchairs and listened as he explained about the private salsa lesson and the note idea. “You see, you could start now and continue it at home. Just little notes. ‘Your perfume smelled lovely today,’ or ‘that color brings out your eyes,’ little things to make her feel good and wooed and all that good stuff.”

  “I like it. And that woman knows my handwriting, so it’ll mean something that I wrote them. Let’s see…” He picked up one of the creamy cards, then put it right back down on the small pile. “Actually, I think I’ll start on the pad the resort provided for the room. I’d hate to waste the good paper coming up with an idea.” Marvin disappeared into the bedroom for a moment and returned with a notepad. Then he sat back down, pulled out his glasses from his front pocket, and looked at the blank paper. He scribbled a few things down, crossing words out, and mumbling to himself.

  Hudson felt a little awkward, sitting silently in the room. What was he supposed to do? Marvin didn’t appear to want any help, and Hudson didn’t want to offer it. The notes would mean more if they were authentically Marvin, using his phrases and his terminology. The last thing they needed was for Mina to think they were trying to pull one over on her.

  Instead, Hudson read the news on his phone and got the latest updates on the Spartan Gym in California from his friends. Finally, about twenty minutes later, Marvin was satisfied. He signed the good paper, put it in the envelope, then handed it to Hudson.

  “Do you want a piece? Maybe leave it for Natalie?” Marvin asked with a sly grin. He slid a piece across the table to him.

  Hudson laughed loudly. This man had no idea. “We work together, sir. Trust me, I don’t think she’d appreciate something like that.”

  “I’m just saying, you won’t stay young long. Better find yourself a good woman before she finds herself a more courageous man.”

  “Hey there, Marvin, are you calling me a coward?”

  “Son, I’m on the verge of divorce and before you, I was willing to just let it happen. Trust me, it takes one to know one.”

  “No, it’s nothing like that. We went out to this sort of putting range last night. I thought it was great, you know, teaching her to swing a golf club and all that. And then, I saw her this morning at work and it was like last night never happened. She was all business. I’m not really sure how to do this whole dating a coworker thing. Frankly, it sounds like a bad idea.”

  “Hey, you’re young. It’s your choice, but if I were you, I wouldn’t wait. Women like that usually have a line of men ready to do whatever it takes to win them over.” Marvin stood up, then dropped one of the thin-tipped markers atop the paper. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, you’re going to have me shake and twist things that haven’t moved in thirty years. I have some stretching to do and maybe some cardio. I should’ve told you we liked to nap.”

  Hudson nodded and rose from his seat. He left the unused cardstock and markers so he could write Mina another note and left Marvin to his miniature workout. He wanted Marvin to be right, but he still wondered if she’d ever date a coworker. He’d never seriously dated one since he was always moving. If he were honest with himself, he didn’t really date seriously. And Nat, she didn’t seem like the casual dater. That opened up a whole other set of concerns for him. Just another thing they didn’t have in common.

  As he stepped into the elevator, he thought about the cardstock paper he’d left with Marvin. He’d never written anything remotely close to a letter like the one Marvin had pushed him to write. He wouldn’t exactly call it a love letter; he didn’t even know what he might write, but he did know that it wasn’t going to happen. He already felt a little on edge; the last thing he wanted to do was to put his feelings into words and have them physically there for all eternity. He had never been much of a gambling man, and this didn’t seem like the sort of risk he wanted to take.

  The hallway through the staff offices was empty, with most doors being closed. He walked a little slower when he reached Nat’s. He told himself it was because he wanted to tell her Marvin was on board, but he knew the truth. He wanted to see if he could read her feelings on her features. He wanted to see if she would smile up at him in the same way she had in the forest. Or if she would give him the customer service special. He felt like that moment would be very telling.

  Her office was empty. Hudson kept walking, pretending he wasn’t bothered by her absence. He needed to get his act together.

  *

  Nat

  Nat sifted through one of the racks of the charming boutique she and Mina had been in for the last half hour. Mina had just finished getting her nails painted when one of the concierges came into the spa bearing a letter on a silver tea tray with a single, long-stemmed red rose. Nat appreciated the attention to detail and gave Rebecca a grateful nod.

  Once Mina had rendered the note, her eyes getting misty and she’d immediately begun to fret. She had all sorts of worries; not having a nice dress, the right shoes, and rusty dance skills. But none of those meant anything to Nat. As soon as she was done being primped and polished, Nat had hustled her into one of the lodge’s cars for official business and drove her into town.

  “How about this pink one?” Nat asked, holding up a dress with white polka dots.

  “I’m not one for patterns,” Mina said thoughtfully. “Maybe something black. When we used to go dancing all the time, I would always where this one gorgeous black number that hit just above the knees and swirled in
the most immaculate way. It had this red sash and, wow, I kept that dress for years hoping we’d go out again. Actually, it may still be in my closet.”

  “Black it is then.” She began looking for anything that resembled Mina’s outfit. She wanted her to look beautiful, flirty, fun, and just have a spectacular evening. More than that though, she wanted to bring back that special feeling Mina used to have.

  Soon the pair had gathered up a handful of dresses for Mina to try on. Nat sat on a low settee beside the dressing room, listening to Mina critique herself in the mirror. So far, the dresses had either been too short, too long, too tight, too plain, or too flashy.

  “What about you?” Mina asked as Nat passed her a new dress over the top of the dressing room door.

  “What about me?”

  “Are you going to try anything on?”

  Nat looked around the store. It was full of charming things, flowy skirts, beaded jewelry, dresses with fringed hems, and a wall of shoes made for dancing. “I don’t know if any of these things are appropriate for work.”

  “Who said anything about work? You’re young, you’re pretty, don’t you need a thing or two for nights out with your friends? Maybe even a date?”

  “I don’t think so…” Her mind immediately went to Hudson. They’d gone to Topgolf the night before, but next time they could go dancing or maybe go to the orchestra, out to dinner, somewhere candlelit and quiet. If there was a next time that is. She wanted there to be one, but she also wasn’t exactly sure how to get that through to him at work. When he’d come into her office, she had to be professional, but she couldn’t help her thoughts. Thoughts about how handsome he’d look over a candlelit dinner in a crisp dinner jacket as he told her stories about his adventures. She’d talk about her upbringing, all the traveling that they’d done, and then, they’d begin to create a list of destinations to visit together. No, she had to be focused on New York and keeping her heels firmly on the ground.