Page 47 of The Wedding Twist

Showing up here with flowers was probably inappropriate. But the idea of going another day without seeing Celeste didn’t feel like an option. He missed her badly, and besides, she’d invited him to drop off his marketing materials.

He would leave the flowers on the front seat just in case. Hopefully she was available for dinner.

He pulled into the lodge parking lot and brought his truck to a stop beside Celeste’s Jeep and flipped down his visor to check his hair in the mirror. It was time for a haircut. He pulled on his ballcap, grabbed the envelope of pamphlets and scaled the front steps of the lodge, then paused for a moment before entering, peering through the window to see what was going on in the reception area.

Bingo. Celeste was alone, standing at the desk working on her laptop. His heart swelled. She looked focused on whatever she was doing, her hair pulled back into a ponytail and lower lip jutting out a bit as she leaned in to examine something on her screen. She’d done this in class when she’d been concentrating. It was adorable.

Jack pushed the heavy wooden door open, and Celeste glanced up as he entered. Surprise registered, then a grin spread across her face. For a second, he could see it. Coming home to Celeste, to her sparkling smile and warm energy. The touch of her lips. Falling asleep with her in his arms.

“Hey,” Celeste said. She flipped her laptop lid half-closed, then emerged from behind the desk. “This is a nice surprise.”

The emerald-green dress she was wearing matched her eyes and hugged her body in a way that conjured images in his mind from the day before. He cleared his throat. “Just thought I’d bring these pamphlets by. Thanks for offering to put them out.”

“Of course,” she said. She took the stack from the envelope, and he watched as she made room for them in the wooden display at the side of the reception desk. “I’m giving you the most prominent spot. People take these all the time.”

“Thanks,” said Jack. “Appreciate it.”

Celeste tossed the empty manila envelope onto the front desk. She looked at her watch. “Come on in. Can you stay for a few minutes?”

“Actually, I was wondering if you wanted to go for a bite to eat or something. We could walk into town. It’s pretty nice out.”

She looked behind her. “I heard some footsteps upstairs a few minutes ago. Happy hour’s still going for another thirty minutes, so I should probably stick around. But can I get you a drink or something? I have some exciting news to tell you.”

He wasn’t sure he could take much more excitement than he was feeling, fighting the urge to reach out and take a hold of her hand, pull her close and kiss her the way he had the other day, when the small moan that had escaped her mouth had taken him to a place he’d never been before. But he could be patient. “Oh yeah?” Jack said. “What’s that?”

“I would have texted you, but I wanted to tell you in person. So, this is perfect.” Her eyes sparkled with excitement. “I got a call from the Keystone Ridge Resort!”

“That’s incredible,” Jack said. He wasn’t at all surprised, but she’d been doubting herself, and this was important to her. He opened his arms and wrapped her in a big hug, drawing in a long breath as he kissed the top of her head, basking in her soft floral scent and the feeling of her body under the silky fabric of her dress.

He pulled back and grinned at her. “You got the job?” His mind raced, considering what he could do to help her celebrate. He could take her somewhere nice, maybe an overnight at a nice place in Yoho. No distractions. No family around. Just him and Celeste and some time to indulge in each other.

“No,” she said. She ran her hand down the edge of his open jacket, then slid her arm around his waist. He wanted nothing more than to take her somewhere they could be alone. “But they offered me something else.” She looked up at him with a bright smile.

He loved seeing her excited like this. “And what’s that?”

She took a deep breath. “I still don’t know what to think about it, but it could be great. It’s a brand-new resort they’ve built off Port Hardy. It’s super remote. Which, I know, what am I going to do in the middle of nowhere, right? But at least there’s a spa, so manicures are available.”

Celeste kept talking, but all Jack could focus on was the same gut punch he’d experienced when Christine had told him she was leaving him. His mind whirled with what Celeste was telling him as he struggled to maintain a steady facial expression.

He watched as the bright light in her eyes dimmed and her smile turned down a little. “What?”

Jack’s mind raced. She was expecting congratulations and for him to be happy, though he felt anything but. “What do you mean, what?”

“That look on your face.” She stepped back, searching his expression.

Jack dug deep but couldn’t do it. “I don’t know what you—”

He stopped when a young couple appeared at the foot of the staircase, two men holding hands and seemingly aware they were interrupting a private moment. “We’re sorry to intrude,” said one of the men. “But any chance we could order a bottle of wine in front of the fire?”

“And if you have any more of those pretzel bites…” the other man said.

“Of course,” said Celeste. “The wine menu is on the table. Please have a look, and I’ll be there shortly.” The men disappeared to the great room, and she looked back at Jack, confusion in her eyes. “Can you stick around for a few minutes?” she said.

And what? Hear all about the job that was going to take her to a remote area of a different province? “Ah, no, I’ve gotta get back. Bodie needs a walk,” he said. He zipped up his jacket all the way and made for the door.

“Wait,” Celeste said quietly.

The insistence in her voice almost stopped him in his tracks, but he needed out. Jack reached for the door handle. “You go ahead—I know you’re busy,” he said.

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