When he finally noticed her, the tinge of red in his eyes and the fatigue she saw on his face told her he’d had a rough night. She’d swear he looked older than he had only a few days ago. She knew he was still grieving his wife, but she also recognized the signs of someone who’d been drinking too much. One of her college suite-mates had suffered from a drinking problem, and she’d eventually ended up in rehab. Her heart hurt for Mr. McQueen that he might be trying to drink away his sorrow. It wouldn’t work. The night after her father’s funeral, she’d tried it herself. The only thing it had done was make her feel like she’d died, too.

  Now, she didn’t touch anything more than the occasional single glass of wine, afraid she’d lose her head and let the truth spill out. No happy, relaxing buzz was worth that.

  “Justin send you to check up on us?” Mr. McQueen asked as he stood.

  The question surprised her, not only because she heard a hint of bitterness in it but also because he didn’t seem to know that Justin wasn’t at the lodge. Odd since she’d heard Justin and Wes both lived with their father. That living situation might seem odd to some, but it made total sense to her. After all, the house was large and all three men worked on the Peak View lands. From what she’d seen, she’d venture a guess the McQueen men mainly used the house as a place to sleep anyway. Why pay for three separate houses just to sleep and shower?

  “No, I haven’t seen him today,” she said in response to Mr. McQueen’s question.

  He shook his head. “Sorry. This headache is making me cranky.”

  “No worries. So how is the work going? I loved the sketches I saw of your ideas.”

  His face brightened a bit at her praise, and she was surprised by how happy that made her. She barely knew the man, but she was acquainted with the black hole of depression grief could pull you into. Maybe a kind word here and there could help Mr. McQueen find his way out.

  “I’m not much of an artist, but I’ve been working with my hands for as long as I can remember.”

  He led her back to a couple of long workbenches where several large pieces of wood had been cut into recognizable pieces—the front of a gingerbread house, a candy cane and a Christmas present.

  “We’ll get everything cut and then we’ll start painting,” he said.

  “Sounds great. Well, I don’t want to keep you. I was just curious and had a few minutes before I have to go in.” She turned and headed toward the exit, Mr. McQueen accompanying her.

  “Can I ask you a question?”

  She halted and turned toward him. “Of course.”

  “You work in housekeeping, right?”

  She’d expected him to ask about the project, but his actual question made warning flags start to flutter inside her.

  “That’s right.”

  “So how’d you get roped into this?”

  She answered as honestly as she could, leaving out the part where she was insanely attracted to his son. That part would be unprofessional and feed what she thought was a touch of suspicion in the older man’s eyes. She couldn’t blame him. With her background, she couldn’t honestly say she hadn’t been the target of a few guys who perhaps were more interested in the dollar signs attached to her name than they were in her as a person.

  “I resisted at first, but I’m glad I gave in because I’ve really been enjoying it. I think it’s going to be a great week of activities.”

  “Was the idea to target single people your idea or Justin’s?”

  “Mine.”

  “Oh.” That seemed to surprise him, and she wondered if he thought his sons were trying to get him to move on from his grief by finding another woman. She’d seen no evidence of that, but it wasn’t as if she was privy to all of the McQueens’ private affairs. “Why?”

  She glanced out the doorway when a couple of the ranch hands rode by. “I guess it was on my mind since I lost my father a couple of years ago and didn’t have anyone to spend holidays with anymore.”

  “I’m sorry about your dad.”

  She swallowed against the lump that always formed when she thought about how very alone she was now. “Thank you. And I’m very sorry about your wife. I know it’s not easy.”

  He pressed his lips together and gave a quick nod. Not wanting to make him more uncomfortable, she made a quick exit and headed back toward the lodge. She hoped she hadn’t made a mistake by mentioning Mrs. McQueen’s passing. Everyone dealt with grief in different ways, some wanting to talk about the person they’d lost in order to still feel close to them and others wanting to avoid the topic in hopes they could also avoid the pain.

  As she walked through the service entrance at the back of the lodge, she tried not to think that she’d inadvertently given Justin another reason to ax her. She forcefully shifted her thoughts to the items on her to-do list for the day. As she considered what to tackle first, she rounded the corner into the executive wing and nearly ran right into Justin.

  She pulled up short. “Oh, hey.”

  “Hey.” He looked as if he didn’t know whether he should maintain eye contact, and he took a step backward.

  She used her thumb to point back over her shoulder. “I just talked to your dad. Looks like the Christmas village prep is coming along nicely.”

  “He’s down there?” Justin sounded surprised as he looked past her as if he could see through the walls of the building to where his dad was working.

  “Yes, though he looked…tired.” She probably shouldn’t have said anything, but there was a part of her that wanted to help Justin and his dad on a personal level. She knew the storm of emotions they were going through, and things weren’t going to be helped if Mr. McQueen was dealing in a self-destructive way.

  “Um, yeah. He’s had trouble sleeping since my mom died.”

  Melody didn’t doubt the truth of that, but her instincts said more was going on. And that Justin obviously didn’t want to reveal whatever that might be.

  “Losing close family members is hard. I had a lot of nights like that myself after my dad passed.”

  Justin took a breath and on the exhale she saw some of the tension in his body relax.

  “When did things change for you?”

  “I won’t lie and say the pain totally goes away because it doesn’t, but it gradually becomes bearable and little by little you get back to normal life.” Or as normal a life as circumstances allowed. “I know this isn’t what you want to hear, but the timetable is different for everyone. I loved my father dearly, but I doubt it’s the same as being in love with someone, having shared a life with that person for years.”

  Justin’s gaze met hers, and her breath caught wondering what a life with him might be like. She broke eye contact, but she couldn’t slow down her racing heart as easily.

  “I better get to work,” she said and started to move past him toward the conference room.

  “Melody.”

  She stopped, soaking up the sound of him saying her name though she knew it wasn’t wise. She needed to have no reaction at all to something so simple. Trying not to let her feelings show on her face, she turned back toward him.

  “We’re okay, aren’t we?”

  His question surprised her, and she couldn’t help the nervous laugh that slipped out.

  “I can’t believe you’re worried about that, especially since I’ve been coming in the past several days thinking I might find myself without a job—either one of them.”

  Justin’s eyes widened a fraction. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to leave you with that impression.”

  She shook her head. “Honestly, you didn’t. It was just my imagination getting the better of me, expecting the worst.”

  He appeared as if he was going to step closer to her but stopped himself. For a moment, she wished he hadn’t. Against all common sense, she longed to know what it felt like to be held in his arms.

  “If you no longer feel comfortable working with me on the Christmas events, I understand.”

  She honestly couldn’t face losing that part of her life right now, and it only partly had to do with being near Justin. “If it’s okay with you, I’d like to continue. I’m really enjoying it.”

  A small smile tugged at the edges of his mouth, as if he wasn’t sure if he should give it free rein. “I’m glad to hear it.”

  The way he looked at her, she got the distinct impression he was glad for more than reasons pertaining to all the work it would take to pull off the Old-Fashioned Christmas week. And if she was being honest, she didn’t mind one bit.

  *

  Once they moved past the initial awkwardness after Justin had asked her out and she’d refused, Melody was amazed how well they worked together. Their skills seemed to complement each other, and by the end of the week they had crossed an amazing number of items off the to-do list with the help of several other Peak View employees. But even as they completed tasks, more got added to the list as other activities or specials popped into someone’s head. Thankfully, Christmas fever seemed to be spreading around the resort and across the ranch as new pairs of hands offered to help.

  Still, by the time the weekend rolled around, Melody was ready for a break. After a leisurely Saturday morning lounging around her apartment in her pajamas, she got dressed and headed over to Lottie’s. She’d spotted a set of ornate drawer pulls there that she now realized were perfect for the chest she’d refinished.

  As she stepped into the store, she was surprised to see Lottie sitting in a cushy chair with a cup of coffee in her hands. Melody was pretty sure she’d never seen the woman off her feet before.

  “Morning, hon,” Lottie said.

  “Hey, are you okay?”

  “Pulled a muscle in my back trying to get a box off a shelf last night. My body’s getting older, but my mind is resisting that truth.”

  Melody realized that she’d never seen another person working in the shop. It was always Lottie there to greet her, help her find the perfect project, taking her money at the counter.

  “You need some help here.”

  “I’d offer you a job, but I hear you have your hands full these days. Although I suppose working alongside that hunky Justin McQueen can’t be too much of a hardship.” Lottie’s mischievous grin kept Melody from being too annoyed.

  “We’re just working together, nothing more.”

  “Well, that makes me sad. You two would look great together.”

  “He’s my boss, Lottie.”

  “As long as things are consensual…”

  Melody rolled her eyes and walked toward where she’d seen the white wooden drawer pulls carved into intricate floral designs. When she saw they were still where she’d last seen them, she scooped them up and headed back toward the front.

  “I know you’re right,” Lottie said as if there hadn’t been a break in the conversation. “I need some help. Know anyone in the market for a job who’d be trustworthy and reliable?”

  Melody started to say no, but then a possibility occurred to her. “I actually might. Can you hold off on hiring anyone until I can check with my neighbor? He works up in Livingston now, but he doesn’t have what one would call a reliable car. I think he’d be better off with something local.”

  “Sure. I don’t exactly have customers arriving in droves this time of year.”

  “I’ll ask him today and let you know. In the meantime, is there anything I can do for you?”

  “No, sweetie. I’m good.” Lottie motioned toward the drawer pulls. “Don’t worry about paying for those right now. I’m pretty sure I’ll see you again, and we’ll just settle up then.”

  “Are you sure?”

  Lottie nodded. “I’m too busy communing with my heating pad at the moment.”

  After leaving Lottie’s, Melody decided to treat herself to lunch from the Big Sky Café. She remembered how Justin had told her one of his cousins owned the place, though she had no idea what the woman looked like. But when she walked up to the counter to order, she decided the pretty brunette with her hair pulled up into a high ponytail must be Lena. She seemed of a similar age to Justin and his brothers, and there was something about her eyes that said “McQueen.”

  “What can I get for you?”

  Melody glanced at the board listing the day’s specials. “I’ll take the soup and sandwich special to go.” As the woman Melody assumed was Lena started to turn away, Melody said, “Actually, make that two specials.”

  “You got it.”

  Melody slid onto a stool to wait for her order, keeping her back to the midday diners. Despite her efforts to change her looks, she still worried that she’d cross paths with someone who recognized her. The ironic thing was that had it not been for Jane’s trial and the subsequent attempt on Melody’s life, most people wouldn’t recognize her. How many people walking around had any idea who the head of pharmaceutical companies were?

  “You’re the one working with Justin, right?”

  Melody looked up from where she’d been perusing the little local newspaper, one that would fit onto the front page of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

  “Yes, I work at the lodge.”

  “I meant on the Christmas programming. Heard about it through the family grapevine. I’m Lena, Justin’s cousin.”

  Did everyone in town know about what they were planning and that Justin was working with one of his housekeepers on the project? So much for staying under the radar.

  “Nice to meet you.” She extended her hand for a shake. “Melody Shaw.”

  “It sounds as if you all are planning a great event. Hopefully the guests will make it into town, too.”

  “I’m sure we can put together a packet of information about what’s available in Logan Springs. Maybe some special events in town or a coupon booklet with discounts at various businesses.”

  Lena smiled. “Nadine was right. You do have a talent for coming up with spur-of-the-moment ideas.”

  “She said that?”

  “Indeed she did.”

  Melody couldn’t deny that it felt good to have her talents recognized even in this new life she was leading. It wasn’t the same as getting her old life back, but it was something.

  “How about I ask around to the other business owners in town and see what we can come up with?” Lena asked.

  “That sounds great.”

  As she left the café with her order, Melody tried not to panic that maybe the Christmas project was getting bigger and more complicated than she’d bargained for when she’d agreed to help Justin. But there was nothing she could do about it now. There was no going backward with things already under way, and she’d already told Justin she wanted to stay on board. Abandoning ship now would cause more questions—and potentially more exposure—than staying the course.

  As she drove the short distance back to the apartments, the leaden sky that had been threatening rain all day finally fulfilled its promise. When she parked in her usual space, she cursed the fact she hadn’t thought to bring her umbrella. The rain didn’t look as if it would let up anytime soon and her stomach was already growling, so she grabbed the bag of food and raced across the parking lot and up the steps to the second floor.

  She huddled below the narrow overhang as she knocked on Marty’s door. He had to be home because he still didn’t have his car back from the shop, unless he was walking around town in the rain. She hadn’t seen him, so she was pretty sure he was on the other side of the door. It opened right as she’d lifted her hand to knock again.

  She lifted the bag. “I brought lunch.”

  He looked at her as if she’d concussed herself.

  “I have something to ask you. Can I come in?”

  For some reason, Marty looked unsure.

  “Oh, unless you’re not alone.” She’d never seen Marty with a woman. Or anyone, for that matter. He was honestly a lot like her in that he kept to himself for the most part.

  He didn’t look thrilled, but Marty opened the door and motioned her in. One look at the living area of his apartment and she realized why she never saw anyone visiting him. The only furniture in evidence was a fold-up lawn chair, a TV tray table and a TV that was sitting on an upturned milk crate. In the corner were a sleeping bag and a couple of extra blankets. A quick glance toward the hallway revealed a closed door to the bedroom. Marty was worse off financially than she’d imagined. But she observed everything within a couple of seconds and pretended that nothing was out of the ordinary. Instead, she placed the bag with the food on his kitchen counter.

  “I came to ask you a question,” she said as she removed the takeout containers and the plastic utensils.

  “Is that question whether I’m hungry?”

  She smiled and slid one of the containers toward him, trying not to think that his kitchen cabinets might be as empty as his apartment. “You’re a guy. I took a gamble that the answer was going to be yes.”

  After a moment’s hesitation, he stepped up to the counter and opened his container. “Thanks, but you didn’t have to bring me food.”

  “I was already there. No big deal. So, my question. You know the store Second Time Around in town?”

  He nodded as he took a big bite of his sandwich.

  “Well, Lottie, the owner, is looking to hire someone to work for her. She’s been running her store alone and hurt her back, so she needs someone to haul stuff, do the stocking, things like you already do in your current job. Plus, it’s closer. You wouldn’t have to worry about bad weather and you’d use way less gas.” Thinking that he might take her words as her thinking he was a charity case, she continued, “Lottie is just the nicest person, but she’s not a spring chicken anymore. She shouldn’t be lugging all that furniture and heavy stuff around by herself. She’s lucky she only pulled a muscle.”

  She allowed him time to process what she’d just said while she dug into her own lunch.

  “I guess it wouldn’t hurt to check it out.”

  Melody held back a smile of victory. “Great. I think it’s a win-win. And between me and Lottie, you might start sounding Southern.”

 

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