“Of course not.” Reagan reached now for both her hands and laughed. “Sometimes girls just need to have their own pact of secrecy.”
Relief filled Kelly. She didn’t have many girlfriends and due to her long work hours she didn’t get out much to socialize. Reagan being close to Zeke just put her in close proximity to Kelly and she found the woman to be absolutely a joy and a treasure. Zeke had really lucked out.
“Thank you,” Kelly said, returning the smile. “I’m sorry, I didn’t tell you how amazing you look tonight.”
“Red is Zeke’s favorite color,” she stated with a naughty grin. “Sometimes we just have to remind our men what they’re dealing with.”
Our men. Kelly wasn’t sure how true that statement was, but she did like the sound of it. It reminded her of the conversation she wanted to have with Luke later. But, for now, nothing else mattered but this party and the success of Wingate’s relaunch. They needed this big push to get off on the right foot for the first of the year.
Over the next hour, Kelly and Reagan worked on making sure the centerpieces were perfect, leaving pamphlets at each place setting. They also displayed information about the new amenities/travel packages in oversize frames and set it out on the informational table where two employees from Wingate would be stationed all night to answer questions and start the booking process.
She couldn’t wait for Luke, Ava, and Zeke to see what all had been done to get this new plan off the ground. The idea had come on so quick, Kelly only hoped they weren’t missing anything.
“Is there anything else that we need to do before the guests arrive?”
Kelly turned to Reagan and shook her head. “I think we did it. I seriously appreciate all your help.”
Reagan moved toward the bar and motioned for the bartender to come over. “I’d say we deserve a celebratory glass of wine before everyone gets here.”
“I like how you think,” Kelly laughed. “But I might need the bottle to get through this night.”
“We’ve got the time.” Reagan smiled and lifted her glass in a mock cheer. “This is going to be a night to remember.”
Kelly took a sip of her pinot and welcomed the tart taste. This would indeed be a night to remember.
Eighteen
Luke stepped into the Texas Cattleman’s Club lodge and was blown away by the space and everything Kelly had accomplished in such a short time.
He tried to take in everything all at once as he adjusted his Stetson. There were easels propped up all around the ballroom with large, colorful posters exhibiting the new suites designed for romance, the prospected spa rooms, and the showcase also unveiled how the changes would look in the various locations by spring/summer.
His savvy assistant had managed to display everything in rich colors of gold and white, matching the Christmas decor the lodge already had in place.
There were twinkling lights draped like a canopy of stars from the peaked, wood ceilings. Tall Christmas trees adorned with gold accents and glittering ornaments flanked the entrance to the ballroom. And the tables had centerpieces that looked like something straight from the pages of a magazine.
This level of grandeur surpassed his every expectation, and he vowed to give Kelly a raise. Without her, the idea wouldn’t have been born and this party would not have met the high standard people had come to expect from the Wingates.
The caterers were setting up the tiered stands with food at each end of the ballroom. The music had started over in the corner and there was a space for dancing. The lodge doors in the back were open to let the crisp air in and allow members to mill about inside and out. Even though it was December, this was still Texas and the evenings weren’t too chilly.
Luke scanned the room once again, looking for Kelly. He hadn’t seen her before she’d left. He’d gotten up and gone for a run, then he’d gone to see Ava, and by the time he got home, she’d been gone. He knew she and Reagan were working here for the past couple of hours, so he hadn’t wanted to bother her. The party was due to start in thirty minutes and he wanted to steal her away for a moment before they were flooded with nearly all of Royal.
He saw a flash of red, but that was Reagan on the other side of the room. His sister-in-law was definitely a knockout, but Luke only had eyes for one woman.
Luke crossed the wood floor. “Reagan,” he called as he approached her. He grabbed her hands and kissed her cheek. “You look beautiful as always.”
“You don’t look so bad yourself,” she murmured, offering her signature smile. “If you’re looking for Kelly, she’s in the back office. She was touching up her hair.”
The back office sounded perfect for that alone time he wanted to have with her. Even five minutes of complete privacy would be great. He’d been so busy this week and, when he’d gotten home, he’d always had every intention of stripping her and making love.
Love? That wasn’t the term he should be using...not quite yet. But he did feel much more for her now than when they were in Oahu. Her loyalty, her compassion, her drive all matched his, and the more time he spent with her, even though they were back in reality, the more he realized he liked having her in his home. Knowing she was there waiting for him had him more eager to be home than he ever had been. Unfortunately, the timing of this project didn’t allow him all that he craved.
The back office door was cracked and he eased it open, glanced in, and nearly gasped at the beauty before him.
She stood at the decorative old floor mirror propped against the wall in the corner. Her hands were in her hair. which was draped over one shoulder. She wore a shade of green that did amazing things to her skin, her hair, and her eyes.
Kelly caught his gaze in the reflection and her hands instantly stilled. She spun around and that’s when he caught the full view of this dress that would surely bring him to his knees.
Man, he missed their intimacy and he missed when they could just be together without all of these outside complications.