by Jo McNally
“Yes, Julie, I’m happy with everything Amanda has done at Halcyon.”
Her shoulders visibly relaxed. “Good. She’s working so hard to make that place a home. Zach’s a great kid. We’d all miss him if he had to leave. And Amanda—”
“Neither of them will be leaving.” Not if he had anything to do with it.
“Oh! Well, that’s good news.”
She saw something she didn’t like near the front door and frowned at one of the doormen. He caught her expression and jumped to attention, looking around frantically for the infraction. He finally saw the crumpled piece of discarded paper on the floor and scooped it up, disposing of it. He glanced back for Julie’s approval. Blake bit back a smile. When the general manager retired that coming winter as planned, Blake couldn’t imagine anyone other than Julie taking the job. She ran a tight ship.
A silver Rolls-Royce came to a stop in front of the front doors, which were propped open on this crisp but sunny morning.
“Is it just me,” Blake asked, “or are there an unusual number of very expensive cars rolling up to the resort this morning?”
Julie nodded, glancing at the two clerks manning the busy reception desk. “Yes. The entire west wing is booked with guests for the Fitzgerald wedding tomorrow. Very upscale. A lot of guests are arriving today from the city.”
“How’d we land something that big?” Blake watched a silver-haired woman stride through the front doors draped in a fur cape, carrying a tiny dog in her arms. “And when did we start allowing pets?”
“Remember that Times bridal magazine ad you thought would be a waste of money? Too expensive for a one-time deal?” Julie’s voice stayed cool while she kept a sharp eye on the doorman carrying Dog Lady’s Louis Vuitton luggage. Blake gave Julie a sharp look and caught the barely perceptible shrug she gave him. “We ran it, and the phones have been busy ever since.”
No wonder Julie and Amanda had become friends. They were both smart, sassy women who had no problem challenging him. “We started allowing dogs weighing less than fifteen pounds in August as an experiment. Manhattan socialites love to take their little fashion-accessory doggies everywhere. We only allow them in certain rooms, and guests pay a very large, nonrefundable deposit for the privilege.”
There was a time when he would have been furious to find out about these policy changes after the fact. No Surprises Lifestyle and all that. It must be the lack of sleep that was making him so complacent.
“Sounds like you’ve got everything under control here, Julie. Nice work.”
He didn’t miss her self-satisfied smile, gone as fast as it had appeared. “Thank you, Mr. Randall. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think I should step in and help at the desk.”
“No problem.” She started to turn away, but stopped when he rested his hand on her arm. “Julie...thank you for being there for Amanda and Zachary while I was gone.”
There was an awkward silence. It was unlike him to be so personal with his employees. Then she patted his hand softly.
“Mr. Randall, it was my pleasure. You’re a lucky man to have both of them in your life.”
He watched her walk away. There was a time not long ago when he made sure there was a very clear line between his all-consuming business life and barely existent personal life. That line had become increasingly blurred lately.
* * *
Amanda busied herself with dinner that evening, trying to determine how she felt about everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours. The kiss in Zach’s bathroom. Blake asking questions about her past she couldn’t answer. And then the nightmare, which answered all those questions anyway.
She placed a pot of water on the stove. She’d woken during the night and watched him sleeping next to her. She’d reached out and touched the dark, curling hair on his chest with her fingertips, then pulled away when he moaned and rolled onto his side. He’d wrapped his arm around her and drew her close, and she’d let him. No panic. No fear. His arms felt like a safe place to be. She felt oddly bereft when she woke later and realized he’d left her, and she hadn’t seen or heard from him all day. She wasn’t even sure he’d show up for the ravioli dinner she was cooking right now.
Did he feel differently now that he knew her past? Would things be weird between them? She chuckled to herself. How much weirder could they be? The two of them continued to dance around each other, pretending to be no more than friends, walking on eggshells unless, of course, they were kissing. When they kissed, they couldn’t get enough of each other.
But something was. Ever since the work started in Blake’s office, she’d felt this sense of impending...something. It wasn’t the protesters, although Blake said there’d been a few acts of minor vandalism recently. It wasn’t her usual panic-driven imagination. It was deeper than that. For all the joy of watching Blake and Zachary become a family, and whatever was blossoming between her and Blake, it still felt like there was trouble simmering in this house. The kind of trouble that couldn’t be blamed on an imaginary ghost.
She was dumping the pasta into the boiling water when her skin warmed and her pulse quickened. She turned to find Blake leaning against the door frame in virtually the same pose he’d used weeks ago when she’d cooked that first meal for him. His eyes sparkled with knowing humor. “I have some very fond memories of this kitchen.” He pushed away from the doorway and moved deliberately in her direction. She had a wooden spoon in her hand and ended up holding it between them as if to ward him off. He didn’t stop until the spoon was resting lightly against his chest.
“I have to go into the city tomorrow morning for a meeting. I’ll be back in time for dinner, but you’re not cooking. I’m taking you to Galantè. Just the two of us.”
“What about Zach?”
“Jamal’s wife, Annie, will stay here with Zach for a few hours.” His face grew serious. “I know we’re coming at this whole thing backward and sideways, but now that we’ve kissed and fought and made up and agreed to be friends and are raising a young child together and sharing our deepest secrets...well, I think it’s time for us to have a first date, don’t you?”
She chuckled at the absurdity of the relationship he’d just outlined. “Yeah, I guess that would be the logical next step in this entirely illogical relationship.”
But a date? A real date? That would make this relationship a lot more serious. A lot more real. It would move them a giant step forward, and she wasn’t sure she was ready for what that might mean.
Blake put his hand on her cheek and she leaned into it without thinking. It was just the natural thing to do. She closed her eyes as he bent to kiss her softly. He whispered her name, and the kiss quickly deepened to something meaningful and special and intimate. This kiss wasn’t about their physical attraction, it was about something more, and she knew he felt it, too. It carried a promise of what was to come. He pulled away with a look of frustrated regret and whispered in her ear.
“Wear something pretty tomorrow.” And he was gone, calling Zach to dinner as he left the kitchen. She leaned back against the counter, touching her lips with her fingertips. Tomorrow she was going to have a first date with a man who already knew her better than any other.
* * *
The following evening, as promised, they were seated together at a small table near the windows in Galantè. He’d asked her to wear something nice, so she’d pulled out a long velvet skirt Mel had sent her last winter. It was dark peacock blue, and flared just enough to dance around her ankles when she walked. The matching satin blouse was styled like a man’s oxford shirt, and she’d tied it casually at the waist.
Blake was devilishly handsome in his dark suit and red tie. The flickering candlelight accentuated the strong lines of his face as well as the deep cleft in his chin. He was watching her in obvious amusement.
“What?” She wiped steak sauce from the corner of her mouth with her napkin.
“I’m just wondering where you put it all. Do you have a hollow leg I don’t know about?” He was admiring her for eating. Terrific. Their waitress swooped in to whisk their dinner plates away and ask if they wanted dessert. Blake nodded.
“We’ll share a caramel lava cake, Sarah. And bring two cappuccinos, please.”
“Of course, Mr. Randall.” And then she was gone. Amanda looked out at the peaceful lake shimmering in the moonlight, shadowed by mountains. “How did you get here?”
“What do you mean?”
“You own hotels in Barbados, Miami, Bali, Las Vegas. What brought you to a little blue-collar town in upstate New York?”
Blake followed her gaze toward the lake, his voice soft and low. “I’m really not sure. One of my advisors saw the resort on the market and did some recon on the viability of putting a casino here. It would be difficult, but not impossible. I liked the idea of something this close to Manhattan. Halcyon was on the market, too, and I figured we’d need the extra land, so I bought a castle.”
“How did you get in the resort business in the first place? Were you following your father’s footsteps?”
“Hell, no. My great-grandfather started a commercial real estate business—office buildings, mostly—and my grandfather grew it into an empire in New York and New Jersey.” Blake emptied the second bottle of cabernet into their wineglasses and took a sip. “My grandfather died the same year I graduated college. I insisted on taking my portion of the inheritance in cash instead of joining the business, because I knew my father would run it into the ground. Father only agreed because he figured I’d fail and come crawling back.”
“But you didn’t.” She felt a jolt of pride that he had risen to the challenge at such a young age.
“No, I didn’t. I bought a struggling hotel in Miami and turned it around. And things just progressed from there. I bought a couple more hotels. I bought the land in Bali where I’m building a resort. And, of course, Gallant Lake.”
Sarah brought their dessert to the table, an impressive tower of chocolate cake and caramel sauce topped with whipped cream, nutmeg under a cage of spun sugar.
“What’s next?” Amanda asked, picking up her spoon.
“I’m looking at Europe. And I need to do something with this place, just in case the Gallant Lake Preservation Society, or anyone else for that matter, keeps me from building my casino.”
She returned his grin. “Julie and I were talking about that last week. This would be a terrific venue for destination weddings, especially if you used Halcyon. It’s so close to the city, and...”
“Use Halcyon?” He sat back and looked at her with interest.
She grinned at his confusion. “The house would be a perfect setting for a wedding. Rent out the lawn for outdoor ceremonies and have the receptions out there under tents or here at the resort. You could even rent out the house itself for weddings. That grand staircase would make an amazing entrance for a bride.”
“You’ve really given this some thought.”
“I was trying to come up with options to convince you not to tear down the resort.”
He was silent, then shook his head.
“I don’t want Halcyon to be part of the resort. I want it to be my home.”
“I thought you didn’t want a home?”
He gave her a crooked grin. The one that always made her heart beat faster. “Zach needs it. And I think I do, too. I’m not worried about the resort. It’s smaller than my other properties, but I like the idea of a boutique hotel just outside the city. Between the spa and the new golf course, it’ll do just fine.”
“Even if you don’t get your casino?”
“Is the idea of a casino that could generate hundreds of jobs really that awful?”
“Not awful. Just misguided.”
He stood with a chuckle and reached for her hand. “Come on.” He rested his hand lightly on her waist and headed for the kitchen. “I want to make a quick check on the wedding reception going on tonight.”
The kitchen was a noisy madhouse of activity, but the chef saw them the minute they entered. Dario ignored his employer and rushed up to Amanda, giving her a big kiss on each cheek.
“Eh! My bambolina! How are you tonight, bella mia? You look so beautiful!”
She laughed and gave him a hug.
“Dario, mi angelo bello,” she said, “the filet mignon was fantastic. You have to teach me how to make that cognac sauce.” He just laughed and shook his finger at her. She knew how tightly the chef protected his recipes. He turned to Blake.
“Signor Randall, you have a treasure in Miss Amanda and your little boy. They make my life brighter here in Gallant Lake.”
Blake just nodded, his eyes dark with emotion. “Yes, Dario, they brighten my life, too.”
She felt her cheeks flushing. As they walked away, Blake leaned over and spoke softly into her ear.
“My dear Miss Lowery, you seem to have completely charmed my staff. Whatever is your secret?”
She gave him a playful laugh. “I think it’s the magic of Halcyon, Mr. Randall.”
“Still waiting for Madeleine’s ghost to appear up there?”
“What makes you think I haven’t already seen her?”
They both laughed. He’d think she was crazy, but sometimes she wondered if there might be something to the legend of Halcyon. What else explained how she and Zach and Blake ended up together in Gallant Lake?
They walked through the kitchen to the long hallway leading to the ballroom, and they could hear the wedding band finishing up a popular line dance. After a smattering of applause, the music slowed. The singer had a beautiful voice, and the song was one of Amanda’s favorites.
Blake pulled her close and she tensed out of habit. With her issues about intimacy, slow dancing had never been her thing. He spoke softly, his lips brushing her ear.
“I told you this was a date.” His fingers started to move gently across her back, and she began to relax. He started to hum to the music. “What song is this?”
“It’s the theme song from one of those silly vampire movies. It’s probably the best thing to come from them.”
He chuckled. “That’s rich coming from a woman who believes in ghosts, don’t you think?”
Blake gave her a gentle squeeze, resting his cheek on top of her head and pressing her closer.
Her fear whispered to her from the shadows. What if Blake’s feelings for her were just mixed up with the excitement of the house and his new relationship with Zach? If she gave her trust to Blake and he betrayed her, it would break her. She silently prayed that he was different from all the other men in her life.
She finally sighed and focused on the sultry rhythm of the music, letting the warmth of his body push away all fears as they danced together.
Chapter Fifteen
Blake watched Amanda stare pensively into the fire. They’d walked back up to the house in silence after their hallway dance at the resort. Zach was asleep, and Annie said he’d been no problem at all. So Amanda wasn’t worried about that. Which left only one thing for her to worry about. Him.
“Hey,” he said. She swept her eyelashes up and sent him a piercing look. God, her blue eyes slayed him every time. “What’s wrong?”
“What do you mean?” Her innocent expression didn’t fool him for a minute.
“You seem distracted. What’s on your mind?”
She looked down again without answering, staring into the fire. He heard distant music, probably from the wedding reception down the hill.
“Is that piano music coming all the way from the resort?”
Amanda gave him a soft, knowing smile. “Maybe it’s courtesy of that ghost you don’t believe in.”
He knew she was a romantic, but he never thought she was delusional. “Are you telling me you think Madeleine Pendleton
is playing a ghostly piano in my house?”
“Maybe she likes music.” She caught his expression and laughed softly. “I know it sounds crazy, but sometimes I wonder, you know? The legend had to start somewhere.”
The tension on her face earlier was gone as she stared calmly into the fire, which was now crackling merrily. Her profile, with her mane of hair pulled up on top of her head in a messy knot of curls, looked like a Grecian sculpture. Her entire body seemed relaxed and at peace.
If a haunted Halcyon had that effect on her, then he was okay with a haunted Halcyon. If she wanted him to believe in ghosts, then by God, he believed in ghosts. It was that simple. But he wasn’t ready to admit it out loud.
“Yeah, the legend came from people who believe in fairy tales. Just because it’s a castle doesn’t mean it’s enchanted.”
“Who knows?” Amanda shrugged. “Maybe Madeleine’s happy that Halcyon is becoming a home for you and Zach.”
“And you.” He said the words more forcefully than he’d intended, and she looked at him in surprise.
“Whatever happened to taking things a step at a time?”
He stood and pulled her up with him. “I swear I’m doing my best with the one-step-at-a-time thing. You’re already living here at Halcyon.” He pressed his lips to her forehead. “I’m not ready to let you go. Not when I’m just learning who you are. You amaze me every freaking day, Amanda, and I don’t want to lose you.”
Her hands rested lightly on his chest. “You see me whole, Blake. I’ve never seen myself that way. Not since...” Her eyes clouded. “I was broken for so long. But when I’m with you, I feel complete. I’m not afraid. I can’t describe it but—”
He silenced her with a kiss. A long, slow, tender kiss. He took his time getting into her mouth and he heard a trembling moan coming from her throat as he explored her. His hands moved down her body and he pulled her close. She didn’t pull away this time. He lifted his head and stared into those blue oceans. She whispered that magic word.
