Unexpected Gifts: (The Steamy Version) (A Castle Mountain Lodge Romance Series Book 1) by Elena Aitken Page B

be,” she said and jumped to her feet. She headed for the door but before she left, she turned back to see him watching her.
    “And then there won’t be any more excuses,” he said.
    She opened her mouth before realizing she didn’t have any protests. She closed her mouth and blew him a kiss before turning and running down the hall to her own room.

    Colin moved quickly through the halls of the main Lodge. Andi had put him in charge of making sure the party room was set up properly and he wanted to be certain that it was perfect. She was really excited about planning the Holly Berry Ball, which felt like a big deal since up until a few days before, she hadn’t wanted anything to do with Christmas. Besides, it was a total turn-on to see her in her party planning element.
    By the time he got to the banquet room, most of the work had already been done. Buffet tables had been set up in two stations. Andi told him the food would be mostly children’s finger food, with a few selections for the parents thrown in. Traditionally, the ball had catered mostly to adults, which she said was ridiculous since the Lodge was filled with families for Christmas. She wanted to make it more fun for the kids. Every time Andi mentioned children, she got a sad, distant look in her eyes. He’d noticed it when they met Kirk and his family at the pond but there was something else going on there too. Something she hadn’t told him yet.
    Colin wove through the tables and chairs, checking that everything had been positioned according to the hand-drawn plan Andi had given him. There were small stages set up throughout the space that would hold minor performances throughout the night. Everything looked just as it should.
    “So, what do you think?” a woman’s voice said. Colin turned and saw a tall, striking blonde, with a body to rival any he’d seen on the Caribbean beaches. “You must be Colin,” she said, and thrust her hand out.
    He took her hand and shook it, realization dawning. “And you must be Eva.”
    “How did you know?” She put her hands to her chest in mock surprise before laughing.
    “How on earth did you get here so fast?” he asked.
    “Let me tell you, Colin. When I have somewhere to be, I get there. I like to think that I drive with purpose.”
    He laughed along with her. She was an easy woman to be around and it wasn’t a stretch to see why she was in the party planning business. “Have you seen Andi yet?” he asked. “She sent me to check on the room, but honestly, I don’t really know what I’m doing.”
    Eva started walking and gestured for Colin to follow, which he did. “She has you working already, does she? Well, the room looks great. The staff here are total pros. When Andi told me about organizing the ball last minute, I was worried. But I think with a staff like this, I could pull off any event in only two days. This is amazing. And you should have seen how professional they were when I gave them the costumes.”
    “Costumes?”
    “Andi didn’t tell you?” She glanced at him. “It’ll be a surprise then.” She adjusted chairs as she moved through the room, talking non-stop. “You know, Colin, I don’t know what you did to her, but she was dead set against Christmas this year. After everything she’s gone through the past few months…” Eva trailed off, shaking her head.
    “What do you—“
    “Anyway,” she cut him off as if he hadn’t spoken, “I think she would have skipped the holiday altogether if she could have. But after only a few days with you, she’s ready to plan the biggest Christmas party around.”
    What had Andi gone through in the last year? Colin’s mind whirled. She hadn’t mentioned anything besides breaking it off with Blaine. Had the breakup been that bad? The anger for his old friend flared up again.
    Eva stopped walking and stared at him. “You must be pretty special.” She was smiling, but there was something else behind it. A warning played in her eyes and