“No problem,” she said with a smile. “You’ve only been working with us for a short time, but you’ve worked so hard. You deserve an extended holiday.”
“I just hope you’ll be okay without me,” he said.
She focused her gaze on him. “Of course. I mean, I’ve gotten used to having you by my side, but I think I can survive.”
“Good. I’ll still miss you, though.” He touched her shoulder gently. “Just... make sure you take care of yourself.”
His face turned red and he adjusted his glasses. It was a habit of his to fidget whenever he was nervous about something. Cameron was such a sweet and caring guy. Of course, he was concerned about her. She just hoped that her husband would one day understand what she had done with Cameron. And what she was about to do.
Dane had never taken a liking to Cameron, and she worried that her husband would never forgive her for what she had done. A slight amount of jealousy had made Dane suspicious of Cameron’s motives since the day she had hired her assistant. She supposed it made sense. Cameron was handsome, young, and very charming. It was no wonder the women at Prescott’s New York office all seemed to have massive crushes on him.
“I will,” she said finally. “It’s been a hectic few weeks, but things will be sorted out soon.”
He nodded. “I hope everything at your appointment goes well.”
Guilt gnawed away at her. Today was the twenty-first, and the appointment was the day after tomorrow. Cameron had arranged everything, so all she had to do was show up. Without Dane. Without telling her husband. Keeping secrets from Dane was the last thing she wanted to do, but that couldn’t be helped under the circumstances. That didn’t stop her from feeling awful about being so secretive. Especially around the holidays, when everything was supposed to be about family.
Finally, they made it to the Snow Canyon Hotel and Cameron helped her out of the car. The hotel was immense, and it looked more like an enormous Swiss chalet than a hotel. The sky was turning hazy, casting the property in a grayish golden light. All the hotel lights had been turned on now that darkness was approaching, and the lights glowed cheerfully through the windows.
They headed upstairs, and Cameron stopped her on the way to her room.
“I have a surprise for you,” he said.
“Oh?”
He grinned. “Give me a second to get it and I can give it to you in your room.”
“Okay,” she said, and hurried into her room.
Casting off her scarf, gloves, and coat, she sank down onto the plush sofa in the sitting area. Exhaustion seeped into her muscles, down to her bones. Cameron had been right. She really had been running herself ragged lately. Her joints ached; her entire body was stiff. Not to mention her mind was filled with anxious thoughts. Thoughts about holiday plans, not seeing enough of Dane, and the appointment that only Cameron knew about.
With a sigh, she leaned back in the chair. Everything would be fine as long as the Christmas she was planning for her family went off without a hitch. Dane would be here soon, and then they’d fly back to New York together. Their families would meet at his parents’ townhouse for drinks and gift-swapping on Christmas Eve, then they could all spend Christmas Day at the new house. The thought of finally spending quality time with her loved ones in her new home had kept her going all these hectic weeks.
A knock on the door broke through her thoughts, and she rushed across the room to let Cameron in.
Hands behind his back, Cameron stepped inside. “Close your eyes.”
“What is it?” she asked breathlessly.
“I can’t give you a surprise if your eyes are open,” he pointed out.
Taking a deep breath, she shut her eyes. She felt Cameron take her hands and place a heavy object in her hands.
“Can I open my eyes now?” she asked, curious.
“Yes.”
She opened her eyes and stared down. The box was silver, and wrapped around it was a red ribbon tied up in a bow. Suddenly she felt like a kid again, excitement rushing through her as she untied the ribbon and opened the box.
A gasp escaped her lips when she retrieved the gift inside. “It’s a snow globe!”
“I know it’s a little cheesy,” Cameron said. “But you told me that you collected snow globes when you were a kid, so I thought you might want to start doing that again.”