It Started At Christmas…. Jo McNally

      She smiled, but it faded quickly at his next question.

      “Are you taking the job?”

      “I don’t know, Blake. It’s a bit overwhelming.”

      “You don’t think you’re capable of a project like this?”

      She sat up sharply. “Of course I’m capable. I specialize in period homes. I can handle this.” She gestured around her.

      Blake gave her a triumphant grin.

      “You are taking the job. And you can do it by Christmas?” It was suddenly imperative that he give Zach a happy Christmas this year to erase the memory of the last one.

      “It’s a lot of work to get done in a few months.”

      “You’ve convinced me this place can be a home, and I happen to need one. By Christmas.”

      Her forehead furrowed. “You don’t have a home?”

      “I use the owner suites at whatever resort I’m at.”

      “How many resorts do you own?”

      He shrugged. “Five. You still haven’t answered my question. Can you have it done by the holidays?”

      “Some of the furniture will need to be ordered and may not be here in time…” Amanda looked around, and he could tell she was calculating in her head. It was a hot look on her. Damn it. He stood and moved away. Where the hell did that thought come from?

      Her face scrunched, then relaxed, as if coming to a conclusion she approved of. “With enough skilled people, I could probably get most of the work done in time. I’ll need a place to live…”

      “If you want to commute from the city, I can send a car for you.”

      “Umm… I’m actually…between apartments right now. It would be easier to find a rental here in town.”

      He kicked himself. He forgot Mel had told him Amanda was losing her apartment.

      “Stay here at the house.”

      He probably should have thought that idea through before saying it out loud.

      “What?” She stood, her gaze darting around the empty hall. “Here? No.”

      “Look, it’s a big place. There’s a nice suite upstairs with a balcony. I’m leaving for Hawaii and Bali in mid-September—I won’t even be here part of the time. I’d give you a room down at the resort, but September’s probably booked solid for leaf season.” He could tell she was considering it. “You can order your meals from the resort, of course. We’ll configure lodging and meals as part of the package. I’ll have Julie make all the arrangements. Her brother’s a contractor, and he’s done good work at the resort and around town. Bobby can handle what you’re planning to do, and he can find workers locally. And don’t worry about being alone here. The security system is excellent…” He was practically begging, and he had no clue why. He just knew he wanted her to say yes. She stared at him for a long moment, then nodded, all business.

      “I’ll need a week or two to pack my things and get settled. I’ll need to meet with the contractor as soon as possible so we can set up a schedule.”

      “I’ll call Bobby in the morning to set up a meeting.”

      He wasn’t prepared for her next question.

      “You don’t even like this place, so why spend the money? Why the rush to be ready for Christmas?”

      He started to answer, but emotion tangled up his words and kept them from coming out. He looked up at the high ceilings and blew out a deep breath.

      “I have a nephew. He’s my responsibility now that my sister is dead.” He ignored her small sound of sympathy. “Being a nomad worked for me before, but that needs to change. I’d never considered this place an option before you showed up. It’s close enough to the city to be workable for me. And Zach…well, a boy should like living in a castle, right?”

      She started to laugh, then apparently realized he was serious. Yeah, he was damned serious. He had no clue what a ten-year-old boy liked.

      “Blake, every child in the world would love to live in a castle.” She patted his arm affectionately. “I’ll make sure he loves this one when I’m done with it.”

      They exchanged business cards and cell phone numbers, then Blake called the resort and had someone pick her up so she wouldn’t have to walk. He watched her go down the front steps. Her long blond curls swayed in counter rhythm to her hips. Damn, she was the real deal. Talented. Creative. And drop-dead sexy.

      She was working for him now. Her voice and face changed when she talked about design work. She lost her nervousness. And she’d be living in his house. He closed his eyes and grimaced. What the hell had he just done? He may have just created his very own hell here at Halcyon.

      The sooner he was off to Hawaii, the better.