Page 16 of Maybe This Christmas
If anything, she was surer now of her decision.
“Am I the type of person to make jokes like this?”
A storm cloud blew in over his face.He stood so suddenly that his chair toppled to the ground.He stopped only to snatch up the diamond ring before leaving in a huff.
* * * *
Caleb spent the afternoon holed up in Sabrina’s office, watching training videos.Despite him being an employee in the loosest terms, he still had to be trained before he could officially work on his own.
Of course, Sabrina and Brandon had filmed the videos themselves, with scripts provided by the Westmore Group.They must’ve taken some serious liberties because these videos were insane.
“What do we say when a guest propositions us?”
Brandon appeared from behind Sabrina, dressed in a football referee’s outfit.
“That’s a flag!”He tossed the flag in front of Sabrina.“At Sky House Lodge, we keep things professional.”
A knock on the door had Caleb reaching for the remote.
Brandon stuck his head in.“How are you liking the videos?”
Caleb gestured to the screen.“You look ridiculous, I hope you know that.”
Brandon chuckled as he shut the door behind him.“It was Sabrina’s idea.You know how she is when she gets an idea in her head.”
“I do, which is why I still find it surprising you married her.”
“Well, you know how love is.”
Caleb yawned.“Can I head home now?I promise I’ll watch the rest of these videos in my downtime.I need to head to a Santa suit fitting with Mom, and I’d rather get it over with.”
“Sure, no problem.You doing okay, otherwise?I know Sabrina strong-armed you into the position.”
He didn’t want to admit the only exciting thing about the job so far had been Emma Dale’s appearance.But now even that was off limits.
“It’s better than rotting on my couch, I guess.”
“That’s an endorsement if I’ve ever heard one.”
As they made their way down to the lobby, they chatted about the packed Christmas schedule both at the lodge and in town.This was the kind of place where no one was left behind, even if you were dragged kicking and screaming into the Christmas spirit.
* * * *
Any trace of Davis was gone when she returned to the cabin.Save the Post-it he’d scribbled and left on the counter.
I’m headed to NYC.When you return to DC, please make arrangements to clear your things.I’m putting the condo on the market the second week of January.
D
She wasn’t sure if he had ignored her when she’d told him she’d do pretty much exactly that, or if he was being his usual bossy-ass self.
She let the note flutter from her fingertips to the floor.Somehow, it didn’t seem real.They were well and truly over now.And she was stuck here without a ride back to the city.
Or a home or a job to go back to when she got there.
She let out a nervous laugh and walked around the cabin.What had prompted her to do thisnow?Then she thought about how awful it would’ve been to spend the next two weeks with Davis somewhere he clearlydidn’t want to be.While she thought Sky House was adorable, it was a far cry from the luxury resorts Davis frequented.Those places were soulless and empty, no matter how much the rooms cost per night.
A tiny part of her had expected to find him waiting for her when she returned.If he’d been there, she wouldn’t have apologized…but she would’ve at least heard him out.
