One More for Christmas(70)

“You and your sister are close.”

“It’s obvious?”

“Yes. And also you mentioned it on the phone. You said you spoke every day.”

Was there anything about that phone call that he’d forgotten? She felt herself blush. “Kyle used to get a little frustrated that Ella and I were always talking.”

Brodie made no comment.

But what was there to say?

“Ella and I are close in age, too.” She made no reference to the rest of that conversation. “There’s only ten months between us, although I’m still the oldest and the bossiest. You’re the oldest, too?”

“By four years. But Kirstie is definitely the bossiest. So I know you’re the protective older sister. I know you run a successful company. What do you do when you’re not working?”

“Not working?”

“I assume there are moments when you do other things.” He gave her a quick smile. “I already know you like opera and champagne.”

She sighed. “Mr. McIntyre—”

“Brodie. And I like opera and champagne too, by the way.”

“Brodie—if we could just forget that conversation ever happened, I’d appreciate it.”

“Why? That conversation is part of the reason you’re here.”

“Excuse me?”

“Did that sound suggestive?” It was his turn to be embarrassed. “I apologize. What I meant was, you were open and honest. Authentic. It was unbelievably refreshing. These days people filter everything, as if only perfection is acceptable even though we all know that doesn’t exist. Flaws are not allowed. Before you got in touch, I was contacted by another company who were interested in using the lodge for house parties.”

“You were?”

“Yes. I turned them down. They didn’t understand what we’re trying to do here. Kirstie always accuses me of being insensitive and responding to nothing but numbers, but it isn’t true. I know that if this plan is going to bring in what we need financially, then we have to look beyond the numbers. We need someone who understands this place. Someone who will bring in the right people. People who will love what we have here and want to come back. People who will appreciate it the way it already is. The company I contacted weren’t interested in our goals, or in the history of this land. They asked questions about Wi-Fi signal, phone signal, how we handle snow clearing, how we could try and minimize the fact that we’re remote.”

“That’s where your anxiety about the location came from?”

“It was part of it. I don’t want this place to be presented through a filter, and then have to deal with people who were expecting something different.”

“Sensible. It’s the way to ensure satisfied clients.”

“And that’s what we need. I know nothing about your job, but presumably it’s a relationship. Like all relationships, to be successful it has to be based on trust and honesty. If you’re hiding who you really are, how is that ever going to work?”

Were they still talking about Kinleven?

She swallowed. “You’re right.”

“I don’t need someone to do numerical calculations. I can do that part.” He looked at her. “What I need is someone who can see the human side. Someone who can offer an honest assessment of our strengths and weaknesses, because I can’t make a mistake.”

“Because of your family.”

“Yes. It’s tough when you’re inviting strangers into your home—you want to know it will be sensitively handled. In my case it was even more important because Kirstie has been dead against the idea from the start, even though she can’t come up with an alternative. I have to show her this is going to work. That it’s possible to find a way to share what our family has built here, without changing it. After my conversation with that company, I doubted my strategy. I was having second thoughts. And then you contacted me to express interest.”

“I read an article. It was a couple of years old.”

He nodded. “The one about my father? He sent me that one. It was good. After you contacted me the first time, I looked you up. Read a few interviews. You talked about passion and the importance of having life experiences that would stay with you and how much you love organizing that for people.”

“Memories are forever. They’re important.”

“True, but I admit I did wonder if it was a clever marketing spiel. Anyone can use words that sound impressive. But with you, I didn’t think it was verbal manipulation.”

“But you thought it might be,” Samantha said. “Which is why you insisted on meeting in person.”

“It’s hard to judge someone unless you can look them in the eyes while they’re talking. And then your assistant Charlotte said you were on the phone for me, and—”

“We don’t have to relive that part.”

“You’re still embarrassed? Don’t be. That accidental phone call proved to me that you were the right person to advise us even before I met you. You weren’t applying a filter to yourself.”

“Please don’t remind me.” Wild Samantha.

The car bumped over a rut in the track and with a soft curse, he pulled to the side of the road and stopped.

“Would it help if I told you that compared to my life experience, that phone call was nothing?” He killed the engine and rubbed his fingers over his forehead. “What if I told you that embarrassment has been my life partner?”