AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Don passed the plate of biscuits. Shaking her head, Bonnie knew she would choke on them. Was Flo sicker than she looked?
“Don’t panic, lass. Flo and I have an opportunity to travel, but we can’t leave the place unattended. Without a manager.”
Relief sank through her gut. “A holiday sounds a great idea.”
Flo beamed. “My niece is getting married in Scotland in September. Great-niece, I suppose. My brother’s granddaughter, Flora. She’s named for me. They thought Flora sounded more modern than Florence.” She went on to explain the convolutions of the exact relationship.
More information than Bonnie needed, but Flo was fond of her family, despite years passing between visits. “Of course you have to go. Will you see your mother?”
“We thought we might have Christmas at my brother’s place. Mum lives with him now, since she broke her hip. That way we can meet up with anyone who wasn’t at the wedding.”
Which explained why they needed someone until the New Year. By then it would be pointless going back overseas. The ski season would be in full swing and the resort would have filled their staff placements. This was the perfect excuse to stay. Even Xander couldn’t make anything of her decision to remain in the Crossing. She would do it for Flo and Don. Not because she wanted to stay close to Xander.
Xander?“What does Xander have to say about it? Will he be going too?”
“He’ll probably travel over with us for the wedding. He’s visited them before, so he knows Flora. Afterwards, he’ll come home and help you out with the inn between doing his music.”
It would be good if Xander travelled with them. It had been years since they last went back to their homeland and Flo would still be a little stiff from her injury. “I could stay. I’m sure we’ll manage between us. Tamara is great. She only needs more confidence.”
*
Back in thekitchen, Bonnie focused on preparing lunch. No one was eating in today. She really needed to be stricter with guests, especially when Flo and Don were away. There were a couple of garden weddings coming up, but they were both using outside caterers. She needed to remember Christmas was always a busy time too, with at least one wedding booked in the lead up and another possible one.
The bell on the front door jangled and she peeked into the hallway, in case it was a guest. Xander and Tamara were back, laughing together as they hung up their coats in the alcove in the hall. If he didn’t want the girl to fall in love, he shouldn’t be so damned gorgeous. So damned friendly. Withdrawing into the kitchen, careful not to draw attention to herself, she finished serving up the meals, hesitating over whether to put out meals for the other two.
Tamara poked her head around the swing door. “Xander and I had lunch out, so you don’t need to worry about us.”
Us. Like they were a couple. It shouldn’t bother her, except in terms of Tamara’s feelings if Xander encouraged her without following through. Why she’d made that absurd agreement to pretend to be an item with Xander, Bonnie had no idea. He didn’t seem to care about keeping his distance from Tamara, and the interview with the local reporter was over now. She should have learned how to resist his smile by now. She’d had years to become inured to the seductive lure of him looking at her like she was his heart’s delight. He looked at all the girls the same way, as far as she could tell from the paparazzi photographs.
He even managed to switch it on for the cameras, selling out a well-known international teen magazine in hours with the intensity of the smile and swoon-worthy smoulder when he first became a big name. Bonnie suspected a few mothers and grandmothers might have fallen for the wholesome yet sexy appeal too. She had her own copy stored in one of her boxes upstairs in the attic. They’d been there since Nan died and the inn took over the cottage for guests. She hadn’t looked at them since she arrived back from Canada.
It would be quiet after lunch, with no new guests arriving and Tamara could deal with the one room that needed cleaning and making up for a guest coming tomorrow. It was a good opportunity to check through her stuff and sort out things she’d kept in the rush to pack up before leaving for Canada but wouldn’t need. Her family photo albums, including those from her childhood, were up there. No one seemed to keep them these days, storing photos on a computer or in the cloud. If you wanted prints, you could get a book printed. Trudie had helped Xander organise one for his grandparents for their anniversary dinner not long before Bonnie left for Canada. The party had been the last one Nan had attended. She’d lost ground shortly after and passed on only a couple of weeks later.
Her chest tightened. She missed Nan so much. Her dry humour and rigid moral code had been the mainstay of Bonnie’s growing up years. She might not have been kind all the time, not allowing any wallowing in self-pity for minor or major hurts, yet there’d been a tremendous security knowing she was always there for advice and brusque comfort when necessary. Her blunt opinions would be helpful now, giving guidance in the Xander situation. Although, maybe not. Nan always had a bit of a blind spot about Xander. In her eyes, he could do no wrong. Another victim of his unfailing charm.
In the attic the afternoon winter sun shone hardily through the western window, sparking light off motes of dust lingering in the beam, spotlighting a circle on the centre of the timber floor.
Bonnie selected a neatly labelled box from the stack in one corner and placed it on the floor near the sheet covered sofa under the window. Settling herself on the seat, she slit the packing tape with a pair of scissors she’d brought with her and lifted out the Bubble-Wrapped parcel on the top. She only had the one album from before her parents died, which made it doubly precious.
She was flipping through the pages when a step on the stairs alerted her to another presence. It would be Xander. Tamara wouldn’t intrude into what was essentially private storage space for the immediate family. He dipped his head as he stepped into the room, wary of the low ceiling in that section of the attic.
“Hiding?”
Bonnie closed the heavy album, holding it with both hands on her lap. “No. I thought it would be a good idea to check through my things while I’m home.”
“You aren’t staying?” The tone of surprise indicated he’d been aware of his grandparents’ request.
“I am staying. Is it all right with you?” She wondered if he would say anything about their confrontation at the pub. In the past, any arguments had been totally ignored next time they met. His aversion to conflict usually meant everything went back to normal afterwards. It was why she’d made the effort to send him a message nearly four years ago to give him the opportunity to reset the relationship. He’d ignored it, so she’d got the message he hadn’t forgiven or forgotten her criticisms during that final argument. She’d been so hurt by his accusations about why she couldn’t join him, she’d lashed out. Maybe if she’d turned up in person in New York when he was playing at the New Year concert it would have made a difference. She’d never know now.
He strolled across the room, his boots thudding on the bare boards, diverting past the box of Christmas ornaments that had been dumped in the middle, ready to be repacked at the end of the Winter Festival. “I’m fine with it. They wouldn’t be comfortable going away for so long if they didn’t have someone they trust at the helm.”
“Flo said you’re going, too.”
“I’ll fly over to deliver them and attend the wedding. I’ve met the bride and groom and the rest of the family a couple of times when I’ve been touring in Britain. I’ll come home once I’ve caught up with all the relatives. Maybe a couple of weeks, all up.”
“You’re lucky to have family.” She remembered Trudie talking about it at the bar. “Do you remember your mother?”
His eyes narrowed. “Why do you ask?”
