The Christmas Inn (21 page)

“It’s beautiful,” she whispered, “but I feel so bad—”

He stopped her with a kiss. “I have the right to buy you
something special without you feeling you have to do something in return.”

She nodded, her eyes shining with joy.

They settled on the sofa, their arms wrapped around each other.
Glancing up at the glowing tree, Luke let the moment wash over him, the love,
the happiness and how good she felt next to him.

“If I’m staying the night—”

“There’s no ‘if.’ You’re staying.”

“What will Ethan say?”

“Do you think he’ll have eyes for anything but Santa’s gifts
when he wakes up?” He kissed her lips, and ran his fingers through her hair,
seeing the way her eyes widened in pleasure. “I’ll bet you could run naked
through the living room tomorrow morning and Ethan wouldn’t even notice.”

“Should we test your theory?”

“I’m game if you are,” he said, pouring more champagne.

“I’ll have to get a few things from my room.”

“Like what?”

“Toothbrush. Nightie.”

“I’ve got spare toothbrushes and you won’t need the nightie.
You’re not leaving me tonight no matter what.”

“That’s easily the best offer I’ve ever had.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” he whispered against her cheek as he
took her champagne flute from her hand. “We have a long night ahead of us,” he
warned as he began to undress her.

EPILOGUE

Two days before
Christmas

One year later

L
UKE
HIT
R
EDIAL
ON
HIS
cell phone. Where was Marnie?
She’d gone into Wakesfield hours ago, and should’ve been back by now. He glanced
at his watch as the numbers he dialed sounded over the line. She didn’t pick
up.

He put the phone down on his desk and tried to concentrate on
the printout in front of him. He and Marnie had bought the inn together almost a
year ago, beating out another potential buyer with a little help from Marnie’s
brothers—men who Luke now considered his friends. He’d consulted with them after
a Boston Celtic’s game about his intention to marry Marnie, and they’d given him
their full support on the condition that they could throw the bachelor
party.

In return he’d sworn them to secrecy, emphasizing that he
wanted this to be a surprise for Marnie, and if she got wind that they knew
about it before she did, it would add fuel to her argument that her brothers
were still trying to meddle in her life.

They’d wholeheartedly agreed, which meant he would be facing a
bachelor party put on by four guys who loved nothing more than a good party. He
was a little concerned, in light of some of the stories Marnie had told him
about her brothers and their escapades.

But he’d do just about anything to tie the knot with the woman.
God only knew how complicated planning a wedding might be with Marnie’s family
wanting to be so involved in everything. But he was up to the challenge. He’d
never been happier in his life. Since they’d bought the property and Marnie had
become a partner in the business, their relationship had thrived. He was
thrilled to discover how easily they worked together, and they had all kinds of
ideas for making The Mirabel Inn one of the top vacation destinations in the
region.

It all seemed almost too perfect. And that made him a little
uneasy—and reminded him of another night during the Christmas season.

Don’t go there.

Ethan was with Marnie, as she’d taken him to his last dress
rehearsal before the local theater production of the Christmas pageant. Ethan
was one of the sheep in the nativity scene. They were coming home long enough to
get Ethan his dinner, and then going back for the performance, after which Luke
planned to propose to Marnie in front of their Christmas tree with Ethan tucked
quietly away in his bed.

He reached into his desk drawer and took out the navy blue
velvet box containing a diamond ring he’d bought for her a few weeks ago in
Boston. His excuse to Marnie for making the trip was that he needed to talk to
Scott about promotion possibilities for the inn. Luke had managed to get through
the meeting while keeping the ring a secret from Scott. Marnie would be the
first to know…if she ever got home.

His concern rising, he hit Redial again, and again the call
went to voice mail. He glanced at his watch. Had she turned her phone off? He
supposed she might during the rehearsal, but the rehearsal was over at five. He
tapped the desk in thought.

Marnie had been a little preoccupied the past few weeks. He’d
found her a couple of times sitting in the library staring out the window, and
she’d been slower than usual to get out of bed in the morning. He’d teased her
about it, but she didn’t seem to care.

Things had been pretty frantic around the inn, while they’d
organized this year’s Christmas Getaway event, but it had sold out early, much
to their delight. Maybe all the anxiety around getting things ready was the
reason for her change in behavior. She probably needed a break from the pressure
of running an inn.

Luke had insisted that they celebrate their success this
evening with an intimate dinner—his cover for the surprise proposal he had
planned.

Now all he needed was Marnie and Ethan to come through the
door. Unable to sit at his desk any longer, he got up and went out into the main
lobby, past the reception desk to the front door. From the dining room he could
hear one of the guests playing “Silent Night” while others sang along.

As he peered out through the glass panels, watching for the
lights of Marnie’s SUV, he was reminded of the night he’d paced in front of this
same door, waiting for her to come back to the inn so he could tell her how much
he loved her. He’d failed miserably in his plan that night, but tonight would be
different. He was proposing to Marnie tonight.

* * *

M
ARNIE
HELD
E
THAN
’
S
HAND
in hers as they
exited the theater with his sheep costume tucked away in a bag, serenaded by
Ethan’s version of “Away in a Manager.” Any other time she would have sung
along, but her visit to Dr. Spencer had left her at a loss for words. She’d left
Ethan with Francine earlier in the afternoon while she kept her appointment with
the doctor, believing that she was simply overtired and needed a vacation.

Instead, she and Luke were expecting a baby.

A baby she’d never believed she’d have. The surgeon who had
performed the surgery on her pelvis and hip after the accident had warned her
that she might have difficulty getting pregnant, and because of that, she had
always been cautiously realistic when it came to the prospect of having
children.

She told herself she was managing her family and Luke’s
expectations. The truth was somewhat different. She had been afraid that she
might never conceive and if she did, she would be unable to carry the child to
term. Now it seemed fate had intervened and made the decision for her. In
roughly seven months she and Luke would have a baby.

“Marnie, listen to me.” Ethan pulled on her hand.

Startled, she glanced down at the boy she had come to love so
much. “I’m listening.”

“No, you’re not.” He let go of her hand and raced ahead to
Marnie’s SUV parked on the side of the street.

“Be careful, Ethan,” she called, moving quickly to catch up
with him.

He reached the back door of the vehicle and grasped the handle.
“Will you sing with me on the way home?”

“Of course, honey,” she said as she helped him into his car
seat.

She checked the trunk of the SUV to make sure the antique
office chair she’d purchased to match Luke’s antique desk was packed in tight
before getting in the front and starting the engine. She’d found the chair at an
antiques auction in October, and couldn’t resist buying it for Luke for
Christmas. Concerned that he might discover her gift and ruin the surprise,
she’d asked Francine to keep it at her house until today.

She pulled away from the curb, her mind on the idea that next
year at this time she could have a baby car seat in the back next to Ethan. Her
heart warmed at the idea that Ethan would have a baby brother or sister.

Suddenly a horn blared. She glanced sideways to see another car
pass them, the driver glaring at her.

“You almost had an accident,” Ethan announced.

“I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”
Pay
attention!
“We’re fine. Not to worry.”

“Marnie! You be careful!” He kicked the back of the front
passenger seat for emphasis. “Miss Brown says we should all practice safety
first.”

Miss Brown was Ethan’s kindergarten teacher, a woman whose
opinions were offered up by Ethan on a regular basis. “I promise to be more
careful,” Marnie said as she drove slowly along the main street in Wakesfield,
the windshield pushing the wet snowflakes out of the way. Thankfully Luke would
be driving when they returned for the Christmas pageant.

She was so excited to share her news with Luke, but worried at
the same time. Dr. Spencer had reviewed the gynecologist’s report written a year
after she’d had her accident, and he was well aware of her concerns.

Would telling Luke now be the best decision? Given her medical
issues, should she wait for another month, until the end of her first trimester?
And would that be fair to Luke?

As she headed back out onto the highway, she was reminded of
the beauty of the landscape around her. She hadn’t regretted moving here for a
single minute, and her life was about as perfect as it could be. And
that
was her major problem when it came to telling
Luke. Sure, they’d talked about having a family, but only in the most general
terms because of her fear that she might not be able to carry the child to term.
How could she tell him about the baby if they might lose it?

They were so happy, and so busy with things as they were—she’d
turned The Mirabel’s spa into the best facility anywhere in northern New York
State, and it was fully booked most days either by hotel guests or day-trippers
from the surrounding communities.

As the inn came into view, Marnie smiled in pleasure.

She pulled into the long driveway and navigated the narrow
turns leading to the entrance. Glancing at the clock on the dashboard, she saw
it was after five, which meant Luke was probably beginning to worry.

Sure enough, Luke came out the door before she’d even put the
SUV in Park.

“I was about to send out a search team,” he said, opening the
front passenger door.

“Sorry I’m so slow, but Ethan sang us home,” she said, smiling
across at Luke.

“I imagine he did,” Luke said. He leaned across the console and
kissed her. “I missed you.”

How could she ever keep anything from this man? They were in
this together. “I missed you, too.”

“Dad, I’m singing tonight! So are the shepherds.” A pout
appeared on Ethan’s. “Emily got to be a shepherd and she’s a girl!”

“Got something against girl shepherds, do you?” Luke asked, his
eyes on Marnie, his smile tugging at her heart.

Ethan wasted no time in getting out of his seat and opening the
door before running around and throwing himself into his father’s arms. “I don’t
want to be late for the play.”

“We won’t be. We’re going to get there on time, buddy, but
first you need to have dinner,” he said, giving Ethan a hug.

As Marnie watched Luke with his son, there was one other small
matter that had been niggling away at the back of her mind. When she first
suspected she might be pregnant, she thought right away that she wanted to be
married. Sure it was probably an old-fashioned idea for some people, but not for
her.

She wasn’t sure if being married was all that important to
Luke. Although he’d been happily married before, he seldom talked about marriage
with her, and she’d taken her cue from him, believing there was no pressing
reason to consider a change.

But now there was. Being married to the father of her child was
very important to her. She wanted both her children to grow up with a mom and
dad who were married.

* * *

L
UKE
AND
M
ARNIE
PREPARED
Ethan’s dinner to the sound of Ethan
singing “Away in a Manager” off-key. They were about to leave for the pageant
when Julie called to say she and Shane had a party planned for Luke and Marnie
when they got to Boston the day after Christmas. Julie sounded happier than she
had for years, and Shane, as well. Gina had left Shane last February, but he
didn’t seem to mind. He and Julie were now partners in Total Elegance, and
loving it.

Luke and Marnie, along with Ethan in his sheep costume, made it
to the play just in time. They sat as close to the front as possible, eager to
watch Ethan perform. He didn’t disappoint as his slightly off-key voice rang out
over the other children’s voices.

Back in the apartment, they listened to Ethan’s chatter while
they bathed him and got him into bed. When he had finally fallen asleep, they
stretched out in front of the tree with the sofa against their backs and gazed
up into the brightly decorated branches.

“Happy?” he asked, enjoying having Marnie to himself.

She linked her fingers with his, and smiled up into his eyes.
“Never more so,” she answered.

Now was the moment he’d been waiting for, and yet he found
himself searching for the right words. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t done this
before, but that had been another time and place, and he’d been so much more
confident back then. He reached into his pants pocket, checking to make sure the
velvet box was still there.

“What are you thinking?” she asked, studying him.

“That this is the perfect Christmas,” he said, marshaling his
thoughts.

Do it now, before you lose your
nerve!

“I couldn’t agree more.” She squeezed his hand. “Luke, I have
something I need to tell you, and I’m a little nervous about saying it.”

“I know that feeling,” he mused, suddenly aware that her voice
was trembling.

Marnie nestled closer to him. “I went to the doctor today.”

Fear constricted his throat. “Why?”

She toyed with his fingers. “I haven’t been feeling all that
great lately, and so I made an appointment with Dr. Spencer a few weeks
ago.”

“Marnie, whatever it is, we’re in this together,” he said, his
heart pounding in his chest.

“Yes, that would be true… You could say that, especially under
the circumstances.”

He looked at her dumbfounded. “What? What would be true?”

“That we’re in this together. You’re as guilty as I am.”

She wasn’t making any sense.

“Of what? What are you talking about?”

She climbed into his lap, cupping his cheeks in her hands the
way Ethan so often did. “Look at me,” she ordered.

He looked at her, at the smug expression on her face, the way
her upper lip formed a perfect bow. “I’m the luckiest man alive.”

“No, silly, not that. Thanks, but that’s not what I’m talking
about at all.”

“Feel free to tell me, sooner rather than later if possible.”
He couldn’t resist kissing her lips. “We still have our Santa duties to perform,
and after that I’ve got a celebration dinner planned for us.”