Free Holiday Magic (Second Chance) by Susanne Matthews Page B

nursed the hurt and humiliation. She couldn’t just let it go like that, but the least she could do was listen to his side of things before making a decision.
    He might not want you anymore , her conscience prodded, pouring vinegar in the open wound in her heart. But he might, she hoped.
    It was well after three when Georgia went to bed, but she slept soundly and awoke determined to move ahead, hopefully with Mark as her friend. Wherever the relationship went from there was in fate’s hands.
    Friday morning, Georgia waited impatiently for Mark to arrive. She was relieved when he pulled into the loading area. She needed to tell him what she had learned from Lucy, but it wasn’t something they could discuss while he drove. She hoped to have the opportunity to raise the topic at the chalet; however, another matter weighed heavily on her mind. She wanted to talk to him about Eleni, and was glad that they would have this time together. There was something strange about that contract and the elusive Mr. Simmons. Although she wasn’t quite as distrustful of Joe, especially after his support last night, she was worried that Eleni could be forming a serious attachment to a man who was essentially a stranger.
    While Mark finished loading the van, Georgia grabbed her coat and the overnight bag Eleni had insisted she pack, and put them in the van. She got two down sleeping bags from a camping themed wedding package, and handed them to Mark. She saw the surprise on his face and the raised eyebrows. His surprise made her defensive.
    “Eleni says it’s a precaution. Apparently there is snow in the forecast, and she thinks it could be worse in the mountains. The last time she told me to do something, and I didn’t listen to her, I regretted it. I won’t make that mistake again.”
    She wouldn’t tell him the thing Eleni had told her to do was call Lucy, instead of going over the morning after her bachelorette party. She wondered what would have happened if she hadn’t? Would she ever have learned of Lucy’s prank? Would Mark have confessed it to her?
    How can you be sure he wasn’t involved? How do you know she was telling the truth when she said nothing had happened? You only have her word on that, and trusting her is the last thing you should do , uttered her pesky conscience, the same one that kept telling her she had to stay away from Mark even though she yearned to be in his arms again. She definitely didn’t want to talk about that, at least not yet.
    Mark indicated the heavy blankets and pillows he’d placed in the van.
    “I wasn’t sure how you’d react to the news about the weather. I didn’t have any sleeping bags, but I did bring blankets. Georgia noticed that they were the hand-woven, wool blankets they had purchased in Williamsburg, but didn’t say anything. How many of the things they had purchased together had he kept?  The car, the blankets… she had taken nothing, ordering Eleni to get rid of it all… She had never asked what her sister had done with the trousseau she had been collecting for over ten years. She hoped that whoever had gotten it had appreciated the hours of work that had gone into the embroidered pillow cases and other things she and her grandmother had made.
    She climbed into the van and put on her seatbelt. She had taken off her coat and tossed it into the back. Mark had purchased take-out coffee for himself, peppermint tea for her, and chocolate chip cookies from the coffee shop. She waited until he merged onto Highway 476 before bringing up her sister, the issue that was causing her the most confusion at the moment.
    “Eleni says hi. It’s quite the set-up she has there, but I don’t know, there’s something strange going on, and I can’t put my finger on it.”
    “ What do you mean?” Concern gave his voice an edge.
    “ Well, he wants her there, but she hasn’t met him; and that attendant he’s given her… the man may be attractive, but a guard is a guard. He didn’t even