Page 47 of Heart of Stone
“You haven’t stopped by my office all day today.”
As I sat up a little straighter, a touch of disbelief moved through me. Had Reid been hoping I would stop by?
“I’m sorry,” I lamented. “Believe it or not, I do have some things that I need you to sign, but I had just a bit more work to do than I anticipated. I’m nearly finished, though, and after, I’m going to have lunch before I make my rounds.”
His brows pulled together as he crossed the room, making his way to the chair on the opposite side of my desk. As Reid lowered himself into it, he said, “Rounds?”
Laughing, I admitted, “I guess that does sound a bit strange. It’s just that I feel like it’s been far too long since I’ve been anywhere other than my cabin or this office, and I want to get out, check in with the rest of the staff, visit with the guests around the property, and make sure everything is running smoothly.”
Understanding dawned on his handsome features. The more I got to see this sweet side of Reid, the more attractive he became to me. “Would you… Would it be alright with you if I tagged along?”
And then there was that. His attentiveness and interest.
Obviously, when he first stayed at my place to care for me when I’d been so out of it, I wanted to brush it off as a simple thing he’d done for one of the employees at his family’s retreat. Adding to it the guilt he felt, he probably sensed an obligation to do what he’d done.
But when it became clear to him that I was on the mend and capable of taking care of myself again, he didn’t back down. He stayed. And ever since then, he’d been making an effort to be in my space. This visit to my office was proof enough of that. “You want to tag along with me?”
He shrugged. “If you wouldn’t mind having me with you. I think I unfairly judged this place years ago, and I haven’t given myself an opportunity to really see what it’s about. I think itmight be wise to give it a chance. Plus, you said that this is one of the best weeks here, so I thought I’d see what all the fuss was about.”
A thrill of excitement rushed through my veins. I loved this. I’d been devastated to learn about why Reid had been so standoffish with me over the first few weeks, but I was glad that he told me the truth. That he was now softening up and willing to give himself the option to fall in love with the retreat the way so many others had—myself included—meant everything.
I dropped my gaze to the folder on the corner of my desk, reached for it, and slid it over to him. “If you want to sign those papers for me while you’re here, I’ll finish up what I’m working on. Then we can grab a bite to eat before I give you the tour.”
His lips twitched. “That sounds wonderful.”
Reid reached for the stray pen on my desk, flipped open the folder, and began working his way through the documents. I watched him scribble his name on the first of those papers before I returned my attention to my work. And fifteen minutes later, we were walking out of my office, on our way to grab some lunch at the café perched near the main lodge.
Throughout lunch, the conversation remained casual. Reid merely questioned me about the work I’d been doing over the last two days to get myself caught up. Of course, he also insisted there was no need for me to push myself as hard as I had been. And that conversation only led to him wanting to check and double-check that I wasn’t feeling any new pain as a result of the assault.
Obviously, I answered all his questions, easing his concerns. But I couldn’t stop myself from teasing him, too. He’d done a full one hundred and eighty degree turn when it came to his interactions with me and his overall mood. If I hadn’t witnessed the side of him that had been so grouchy at the start, I never would have believed he had it in him. In a way, havingexperienced that side of him only made me appreciate this side that much more.
After lunch, I led Reid over to the main lodge. Since it was the closest to the café—and where a good majority of the fun happened—I thought it was the best place to start.
Unsurprisingly, we walked in and found Danielle working with several other team members—Candace, Mark, and Curtis—on last-minute preparations for the holiday festivities.
Reid and I walked right up to them, and I didn’t hesitate to interrupt. “Hello. What’s going on here?”
“Hey, Natalia.” Danielle slid her eyes to the side. “Reid, it’s great to see you here, too. We’re just finalizing the last of our plans for Thursday.”
They had no shortage of stuff spread out across three tables.
Before I could respond, Reid asked, “What are the plans for the holiday?”
Part of me was stunned. Sure, he’d been making changes in how he interacted with me, but to see him showing an interest in this was completely unexpected. I had anticipated him tagging along and merely allowing me to do all the talking.
Candace stepped forward and extended her hand. “Hi, Mr. Erickson. I’m not sure that we’ve officially met. I’m Candace.”
He shook her hand. “Nice to meet you, Candace. And please, call me Reid.”
“Of course. Well, we’ve gotten most of the planning done already, but these last couple of items are some of the fun things we have planned for the guests and staff on Thursday.”
Curtis chimed in. “There’s something about the holidays that leads to everyone seeming to want to be involved in group activities. So, while we do have things that offer a solitary experience for those who are interested, all of this is mostly group activities, like a Thanksgiving scavenger hunt, Turkey Day bingo, and the gratitude wall.” He smiled as he waved his handtoward each of the tables as he’d shared the specifics. “I’m Curtis, by the way.”
Reid shook his hand. “Reid. And you?”
“Mark.”
Shaking Mark’s hand, he said, “Nice to meet you. Looks like you all have a lot planned that should make for a great time for everyone.”
