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“I don’t care what everyone else thinks of me as long as they do the work I pay them to do,” I snap. “Now give my secretary the phone.”
“Mary called in sick, so I had your calls forwarded to my office.”
I’m not surprised he would learn of Mary’s illness before me. Eric’s position as the managing director of my company and his jovial personality make it easier for the other employees to approach him, including, apparently, my personal secretary.
“I assume you are on your way to the office and about to ruin everyone’s Christmas Eve with endless amounts of work, right? I swear the Walsh Corporation is the only company not closed for the holidays. If it weren’t for the generous bonus, they would probably all quit.”
“I’m hanging up,” I say, done with this conversation.
“Wait, wait . . . Don’t hang up yet,” he calls out, his voice suddenly turning serious, which tells me that I need to listen to whatever he has to say. “Remember that property we saw off Blackrock Road? Well, I heard from a friend that the owner recently passed away and his son is selling the estate. I think we could really do something with the place.”
His words bring me pause. I have been thinking of investing in a large-scale renovation project, but there hasn’t been a place large enough in our city to accommodate my vision. Except this one, but the previous owner refused to sell. Excitement courses through me. Eric would never joke about something like this. Even he knows better than that.
“I’ll have to set aside time after New Year's to go look at it—”
“No!” he yells before letting out a strained chuckle, his voice a bit calmer when he speaks next. “I spoke to the owner’s son already. The property is still in probate and won’t be on the market for another few weeks, but it’s empty. I convinced him to let you stay there for the weekend to check out the property.”
“That’s short notice, Eric.”
“Yes, I know Mr. CEO would rather spend every breathing moment in his office, but it won’t hurt to be away for a weekend. C’mon, Nick, just go check this place out. You are going to want to buy it right away.”
My brows draw in confusion even as my curiosity piques. After working closely with Eric for so long, I trust him to know what attracts me when it comes to making investments, and I have had my eye on this property for a while.
“I’ll have to run home and pack a bag,” I say finally, pulling over to the side of the road to turn around.
“No need. I had my assistant drop off the weekend bag that you keep at the office along with some food since no one has been staying at the house for a while. The owner’s son said you can have the run of the property. He will have a representative there to meet you, but he gave me the code for the front door.”
I frown. Eric has already thought of everything. He must have been confident that I’d agree to his plan.
“If this is just a ploy to keep me away from the office, I will make everyone work from Christmas to New Year’s without a break, and they will have you to blame for it.”
“I have no doubt you will, Scrooge,” he mocks. “But trust me, you’ll love the place. I sent the directions and the door code to your phone.”
He hangs up before I can deliver more threats. With a sigh, I follow the directions he sent, pulling off the main road onto a narrow, dirt drive. It’s long and winding; thick trees block the house from view.
Snow is falling hard as I drive deeper into the woods, wondering if it would be better to just turn this car around. The flakes falling are far too heavy for me to even consider driving in reverse down the narrow lane without risking bumping into a tree. I am beginning to question whether my best friend plotted for me to disappear into some forest when I finally see the house through the trees.
For a second, I think I’ve imagined it with the snow falling heavily and obscuring my view, but there it is.
A mansion emerges from the snowy haze as I keep driving, its grandeur drawing me in. It seems to grow in size the closer I get, the snowflakes dancing around me only adding to the enchantment.
I stop the car in front of the mansion before climbing out. It’s freezing cold, but I ignore the chill as I stare up at the massive building. It stands tall, with a magnificent view of this wintry landscape. The snow-covered exterior glistens against the fading sun, casting an ethereal glow, and I can’t help but imagine all the things I could do with a place like this.
I walk to the massive oak doors and type in the code that Eric sent before pushing them open and stepping into a foyer adorned with intricate chandeliers that cast a warm and inviting light. The marble floors gleam under my feet, and as I look around, I notice my overnight bag sitting just inside the front door. I pick it up, and I am just about to head for the staircase to see if the rest of the place matches up with the opulence and charm of what I have seen so far, when the front door slowly pushes open again.
I stop with one foot on the staircase and turn back to the door.
Did the owner’s son invite someone else to come check out the place? If that is the case, then I will be livid. I don’t like it when people play games with me, and the thought of someone competing for this place has my eyes narrowing on the door.
I step down from the staircase and start for the door, my mouth drawn in a firm line as I grab the handle and jerk it open to find myself staring at . . .an angel?
A scantily dressed one at that.
“Mr. Walsh?” the angel whispers, lifting deep brown eyes to mine. The single move sucks all my breath from my lungs. Her dazed eyes stare up at me, her dark hair, wet with snow, sticks to her face, and pouty lips part as she takes me in. I can’t move. I am frozen to the spot as I stare at this angel that either fell from the heavens or possibly lost her way in the forest.
Neither of the options seems plausible as we are surrounded by trees and the highway is miles away. Lifting my eyes, I notice the red glow of a car’s taillights heading back down the winding lane. Ah, that makes sense. Someone dropped her off, but why? Who is she, and why is she here?
“What did you just call me?” I ask.
