Celebrations and Confetti At Cedarwood Lodge: The cosy romantic comedy to fall in love with!. Rebecca Raisin

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      “Here’s an interesting twist… it’s come out that he had her sign a watertight pre-nup the night before the wedding, so that’s why she did a runner. You were just the perfect scapegoat. She’s denying that of course.”

      I groaned. “Celebrities. I will never understand them.”

      Still, even after all the A-list weddings I’d planned, I believed true love conquered all. Nothing would take away the pleasure I got out of organizing nuptials between two people who were truly smitten, even if they were on the never-heard-of-you list. Monica was driven by greed – she was just a reality TV starlet whose show was cancelled after one season, but she still craved the limelight and would do anything she could to get tabloid attention. I was unlucky to get caught up in her schemes.

      “Celebrities,” she agreed. “You don’t know how lucky you are, Clio. Granted it wasn’t an ideal exit from the agency but look where it’s taken you! I’m wildly envious. In time you’ll see it was the best decision you’ve ever made, and you’ll think of us scrabbling after every high profile party with pity.”

      This was Amory’s way, to silver line every cloud. “I hope you’re right. Otherwise I’ve bought a lodge on a whim because of what happened. In Evergreen. A town with a population of five hundred and three people!”

      “That’s the spirit!” she shouted and I could just see her swinging in her office chair, throwing her head back and laughing, as if I was sitting across from her. “Now turn off Bonnie Tyler, please, I can almost hear your sobs from here – leave Bonnie for the broken hearted. And get back to work. You’re the boss now, darling, so square those shoulders and own it.”

      She knew me so well, even what my choice of music meant.

      Once I hung up, I turned the volume up and listened to Bonnie’s gravelly voice, not sobbing… not quite.

      After all, what did I have to cry about? My reputation in New York was ruined. I’d invested every last dollar into a rundown lodge in a small town. There was nothing to worry about!

      When I did something, like mess up my life, I did it right. And that included listening to music and crying like it was an Olympic sport. Who cares if they said I loved some random celebrity and ruined his marriage? It would be yesterday’s news eventually, right? And being blacklisted by every New York event planning agency? Pffft. Big deal. I’d make my own success. In a town with five-oh-three people. Easy.

      Oh, god, what had I done?

Chapter Four

      “Is that Kai?” Micah asked as we watched the new arrival jump down deftly as a dancer from the cab of his truck. Even in the shadows, Kai stood out – with his wavy sun-bleached hair and surfer’s body. I hadn’t expected… that. Builders were weathered, ruddy men who wore expressions of weariness from overwork, didn’t they? Kai looked more like a pro surfer than someone who did manual labor. Golly, if Amory was here she’d be elbowing me forward by now.

      “Yes, Kai, the project manager,” I stage whispered. “He had to finish up his last contract but he’s here for good now, well, at least until the lodge is done.” I adopted a disinterested expression and hoped Micah hadn’t caught my moment of surprise when I clapped eyes on Kai.

      Micah smiled, and waggled his brows insinuating something untoward.

      “And what does that eyebrow jiggle mean?” I asked, crossing my arms and staring him down. Even after all these years I could still interpret Micah’s body language, though it wasn’t hard when he was being so obvious about it.

      “It means you hired some surfer god and…”

      I poked him in the ribs to be quiet and hissed, “Oh jeez, Micah, I didn’t know he was…” What was he? “… he was… a surfer,” I finished lamely, watching Kai who was rummaging in his truck for something.

      He did resemble the perfect leading man in a romantic comedy, a polar opposite to the heroine… wait, what was I even thinking? Did I picture myself as the leading lady? Ridiculous! My heart was a no-go zone for the foreseeable future. My one true love at this point had to be Cedarwood Lodge.

      “We’ve only spoken on the phone. And for the record I wouldn’t date anyone who worked here out of principle.” There, that sounded believable.

      Micah went to retort but was called over by one of the painters. “Saved by the bell,” he joked before jogging off.

      “Morning,” I said to Kai, hoping I wasn’t blushing after Micah practically accused me of hiring someone for their looks! It was absurd. But those eyes… mesmerizing.

      “Hey,” he responded with a bright smile. His blond hair was mussed, windblown.

      I shaded my face as the fall sun climbed higher and warmth seeped into my bones. Kai’s arrival meant I could knuckle down and focus on building marketing campaigns and our social media pages, spreading the word about the lodge while he instructed the team.

      “You look familiar,” he said, narrowing his eyes. “I know we’ve had a hundred conversations on the phone, but…” he surveyed me, and I blushed under his scrutiny. Damn it to hell and back. Had he read about me in the paper or on one of those dodgy online gossip sites?

      I gritted my teeth so tight I almost gave myself lockjaw. Managing to prize my mouth open a notch I said, as casually as I could, “Where did you say your last job was?”

       Please, do not say New York or any of its boroughs!

      He cocked his head, scrutinizing me as if we were long lost cousins or something. “Georgia.”

      I almost collapsed in relief. “Georgia. Hear it’s pretty this time of year.”

      “It’s pretty,” he agreed. “But not as pretty as here.” He stretched, his shirt rode up, exposing toned, tanned skin. I tried so hard not to eye the ripple of his muscles, or imagine how they’d feel under hand. I wasn’t used to seeing men sans suits, and it gave me a jolt. Surely, as a boss I shouldn’t even be thinking such a way? But I was merely admiring the newcomer for his sporting prowess. Over the phone I’d got to know him – he was one of those keen athletic types. Surfing and hiking and all the exercise he did sculpted him, and we all knew a healthy body led to a healthy mind. I made a promise to myself to run some laps of the lodge later. It wouldn’t hurt to get in shape, would it?

      “So,” I said, business-like, casting my gaze away from his exposed skin and back to his face. “I’ll show you where you can stash your things.”

      “Perfect.” He bent to the cab and picked up a leather tool belt and satchel full of paperwork. The nuts and bolts of code and health and safety missives hurt my brain and I was glad I had someone professional to oversee it all. While Kai had been finishing up on another building site, he’d also been choreographing behind the scenes with the tradespeople at Cedarwood via phone and email and checking in with me at the end of each day. Having him here in the flesh would be even better.

      Micah wandered outside with one of the painters, pointing and gesticulating to the eaves above the lodge which had been painted the wrong color. I waved him over, and he excused himself and jogged the short distance and I made introductions.

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