Chapter 1

 

 

Haven checked in her eighth guest of the day at Baker Bed & Breakfast – a ten-bedroom, suite-styled log cabin nestled in the Smoky Mountains, surrounded by snowcapped evergreens, wildlife nature and rocks. Most of the guests were usually couples – people celebrating honeymoons and anniversaries – looking for a wintry, romantic escape from the norm. So when she saw the tall, chocolatey handsome man wearing an adorable snowflake cap walk into the lobby brushing snow from his black overcoat, she didn’t think any different. Surely he wasn’t here alone. The lady who’d be spending the week with him was indeed lucky.

Haven shivered at the rush of cold air that followed him inside. At least that’s why she thought she was shivering. It could’ve been his good looks that made her quiver. She put on her game face. Her business face. “Hi. Are you checking in?” she asked, looking up at the man. His eyes were as brown as his skin. Chocolate on chocolate, smoother than anything Russell Stover made. Couldn’t go wrong with that…

“Yes, I’m checkin’ in,” he said, removing his gloves, leaving them on the counter. “It’s nice and warm in here. Thank God.”

“Of course. Our guests’ comfort is my number one concern.” Haven immediately noticed he wasn’t wearing a ring. She didn’t make it a habit of checking men for wedding bands, but this particular instance couldn’t be helped. He was too fine for her to not know his relationship status.

“Are you the owner of this place?” he asked breathily like he was still recovering from the elements. Still warming up.

“No. I’m the manager. My parents own it.”

He sniffled. “Ah. The family business, huh?”

“Something like that.”

He looked around, took in the décor of the place. He loved the sitting area, red poinsettias, interesting rugs and the faux fireplace. It may have been fake but the thing felt like it was putting out some real heat.

“Nice place you have here,” he said then smiled.

Haven’s lips automatically curved to match his. Amazing…

He had one of those smiles that made her heart skip a beat. That made her forget what she was doing. Made her pulse rate ramp up to a level it’s probably never been before. She cleared her throat – an odd, out-of-place attempt to catch her breath and got her thoughts back.

“Um, what’s your name?” she asked so she could check him in.

“Titus Cassidy.”

Haven typed his name in the computer to bring up his reservation. Titus Cassidy – sounded like the name of a warrior. Like the kind of guy who didn’t retreat but fought to the end. A real man. One who didn’t give up.

“There you are,” she said once she found his reservation in the system. “Looks like you prepaid for a week,” she said, looking at the $718 bill. Most people didn’t prepay for their entire stay at the time of booking. They’d only pay the deposit and the rest upon check-in. Titus had paid his in full which made her realize this trip was a definite for him. He wouldn’t have missed it and he must have been confident with the place to drop that amount of cash before ever visiting it. Or had he visited it…?

“I did. It was going to get paid either way, right?”

“Yeah. That’s true.”

Why was she secretly happy that he’d be around for a week? He was probably waiting on his girlfriend to arrive. Or maybe even his wife. He wasn’t wearing a ring, but that didn’t mean much these days…

She printed off the receipt, placed it flat on the counter and handed him a pen. She instructed him to initial next to a nonsmoking policy and showed him where to write the make, model and color of his car. When he was done, she took the signed copy and printed him another receipt for his records.

“Have you stayed with us before?”

“No, I haven’t.”

“Okay, so let me make you aware of a few things that’ll make your stay a bit more comfortable. Breakfast is included in your rate and is served in the room to the back and right of me from 6:30 to 9:30. It’s sort of buffet style – eggs, sausage, toast, grits, cereal, fruit, oatmeal, coffee, tea – there’s a good variety to suit everyone.”

“Sounds good.”

“Also, there’s a basket outside of your room. This is for linens and towels. Whenever you need new ones, just drop the old ones in the basket and I will deliver new ones to your room.”

“Cool.”

“How many keys do you need?”

“Just one,” he replied.

“One?” she asked to be sure. If he needed one key, that meant…

“Yes. I’m traveling solo.”

“Oh,” she said, curiosity piqued while a silent relief spiked her adrenaline. Why would he come here alone when there were so many other hotels in the area that would suit him just fine? Unless he picked her place specifically for some reason. Had someone recommended it to him? Or, maybe he chose Baker Bed & Breakfast based on the high ratings and glowing reviews the place received online. Whatever the case, she was grateful for the business and the eye candy.

She activated his room key, then said, “Here you go. One key. Your suite, room eight, is up the stairs and on the right. Second door.

“Great,” Titus said glancing around at the log cabin-style place again. It was just the kind of cozy retreat he needed to relax. “Thank you, ah—I didn’t get your name.”

“It’s Haven.”

“Haven—how fitting for a place like this.”

“I get that all the time,” she said. She failed to mention how much it had irritated her. Well, now that he’d said it, she no longer found it an irritant. With a voice like his, he could make anything sound good. “I hope you enjoy your stay.”

“I’m sure I will, Haven. I feel safe here.” He winked at her then turned to walk away, probably back out to the car to get his bags or bag. Singular. Men usually packed light. It was the women who packed like they were preparing for the world’s end.

As he continued to the door, Haven gave him further examination. He was tall, looked decent and well built. Nice posture. She didn’t have a lot to go on since he was wearing a long coat but from what she could tell, he had a nice body. He wasn’t married and was traveling solo – surely a man like him had a woman somewhere.

That was the problem with most men she met these days. They were always taken. Unavailable. Already knee-deep in relationships. Being stuck at the B&B didn’t afford her the opportunity to meet people. She didn’t have time outside of work to go see her friends, all of whom moved away after college. Her time was limited. The bed and breakfast was her life and it would be for the foreseeable future.

 

* * *

 

After all the guests were checked in and comfortable, she went outside and turned on the electric fire pit on the deck and prepared herself for the last task of the night. It was cold and dark except for the deck lighting, but this was the best time of day to remove snow without interrupting her guests.

Back in the kitchen, she fixed herself a cup of hot chocolate, put on a black jacket, pink gloves and headed back outside with her hot drink. She took a moment to enjoy the scenery – what she could see anyway since it was so dark out in the distance. No matter how long she worked here, she would never get used to the beauty of the Smoky Mountains. And she especially loved to see their peaks crowned in snow. What could be more romantic than this? There was a reason so many couples flocked to the mountains in the winter. There was something about snow, candles, open fireplaces and warm drinks that brought out the chill in people.

“I thought I saw somebody sitting out here,” she heard a deep voice say from behind her.

She turned around and saw her guest – Titus Cassidy – or as she preferred to call him in her head, Hot Chocolate. He had on a sweater, no gloves and that same adorable snowflake hat. With a sweater on, she could see the true length of his legs as he rocked a pair of gray stonewash jeans that fit him to a tee. That’s the way a man’s supposed to wear his jeans. Goodness.

Heat filled her face. In thirty-degree temperature, the man had her in need of a fan. How in the world was that possible?

“Hi, Titus. What are you doing out here?”

“I was checking out the place when I saw you through the glass doors. Is this a nightly ritual for you?”

“No. I just needed the fresh air tonight.”

“I bet so after all the check-ins.”

“Yep.” She took a sip.

“So what do you think?”

“About what?”

“The place?”

“I like it. It’s built well—I love the natural boulders and the cabin-like feel to it. The mountain charm has been well preserved even in the slightest detail.”

“Thanks for that. My father took meticulous care to ensure that it was. He said people come to the mountains to actually feel like they’re in the mountains and not at some rinky-dink hotel.”

“That’s true. You definitely can’t get this kind of feeling from a hotel, especially the standard chain ones.”

Haven smiled. “Hey, would you like a cup of hot chocolate?”

“No. I’m watching my weight,” he told her.

“Oh,” she said.

“I’m kidding.” He laughed. “I would love some.”

“Okay. Good. I was beginning to think you were a weirdo.”

“Why? Men can’t watch their weight?”

“They can. They usually don’t tell anyone about it though, you know, out loud. I’ll be right back.” Haven walked to the kitchen, whipped up another one of the hot drinks, rewarmed her own in the microwave and then walked back out to the deck, her Timberlands flattening settled snow. “Here you go. One cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows on top.”

“Thank you,” he said, accepting the cup.

“You’re welcome.”

She took a sip and settled back into her chair. It would take a few minutes for her body heat to get it back warm again. “So what’s a guy like you doing out here all by yourself?”

He chuckled. “A guy like me?”

“Yes. Unmarried. Alone. Handsome. I could go on.”

He chuckled some more. “Well thank you…I think.” It was after he took a sip of cocoa that he said, “I’m in town doing some research on the area, and while I’m here, my sister Adina has me doing some research for her as well.” It was the truth. He was doing research…

“Does she live in Greensboro, too?”

“She does. Wait—how did you know I lived there?”

“When you made your reservation, remember? I had to get your address…”

“Oh. Right.”

“Don’t worry…I’ve been called many things, but I’m proud to say stalker isn’t one of them.”

He laughed and glanced over at her, digging her low-key sense of humor.

“What kind of research are you doing? Maybe I can help?”

Titus stared down into his cup watching the few remaining marshmallows melt into a heat wave of chocolate. His research involved mostly finding out everything he could about Baker Bed and Breakfast for a client who basically vowed him to secrecy. He couldn’t tell her that so he said, “My sister is looking for a bed and breakfast to rent for an entire month while she celebrates her honeymoon.”

He knew it sounded ridiculous. Only his sister would do something so extreme – honeymoon for a month instead of a week, even a few days like most normal people. “Besides that, I’m working on a piece for a magazine about things to do in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.”

“Oh, you’re a writer.”

Something like that if he took into consideration all the notes he’d be writing about her…

“Ye-yes. I dabble here and there.”

“Ah. Gotcha. You’re a dabbler.”

He grinned. “Yeah. What about you? How long have you been running this place?”

“For two years now. My parents retired and turned the day-to-day operations over to me, although my father still handles accounting.”

He nodded. “Do they live in the area?”

“They do and not far from here, actually. They have a log cabin about five miles from here.”

“That’s nice.” Titus sipped his drink. “I always told myself that when I retire, it would either be on a beach somewhere or in the mountains.”

“Both are equally nice, but I’m a mountain girl. Been a mountain girl my whole life. Besides, I won’t be retiring anytime soon.”

“You like living here? Working here?”

“I do. I like it so much that I decided to major in hospitality and tourism.”

“Is that right?”

“Yes. I’m a woman who knows what guests want.”

Titus nodded. That’s probably why bookings are up as Daniel had told him a month ago…

“And besides that pretty smile of yours and steaming cups of hot chocolate, what’s that?”

She was blushing when she said, “They want clean rooms, free breakfast, Wi-Fi, cable, a whimsical atmosphere with good views. Baker Bed & Breakfast provides all of that.”

Haven placed her cup on the table, got up and went to the storage shed to retrieve a snow shovel.

“What are you doing?” Titus asked.

“I’m about to clear the deck. Guests like to come out here in the morning, and since the snow has stopped, now’s my chance.”

“You don’t hire groundskeepers to take care of that?” Titus asked, standing up, walking over to her.

“No. I do it all. I only call someone when it’s absolutely necessary, like let’s say we get twelve inches in one day.”

Titus took the shovel from her gloved hands.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“I’m taking care of this for you.”

“No. I can’t let you do that, Titus. You’re my guest.”

“And you’re a woman. This is a man’s job.”

She crossed her arms. “Are you saying a woman can’t shovel snow?”

“Not at all,” he said using the shovel to scoop up a thin layer of snow and tossed it over the railing. “What I am saying is, if a man is around, a woman shouldn’t be shoveling snow. It’s like pumping gas. If I’m in the car with a woman, she never pumps her own gas. Now, if she’s by herself, then of course she’ll take care of it.”

“Hmm…okay.” A chivalrous man – it had been a long time since she ran into one of those.

“You don’t agree?” he asked her.

“No—I mean—yes.”

“Good. Enjoy your drink. I’ll have this done in no time.”

She sat down and watched him work. All the years she’d worked at this place with her parents and she’d never seen a man – a guest – step up and offer to do work. This was a first.

When he finished the task, he put the shovel back in the shed and walked back over to her.

Haven stood up. “I really appreciate that, Titus. Thank you.”

He waved it off. “It ain’t nothing. I got the muscles for it.”

She couldn’t see what muscles he had beneath that hoodie, but she had no reason to doubt him. Everything else about him was looking right – the jawline, the stature, big, gloved hands…

“Well, I’m going to call it a night,” Haven said. “I have an early morning tomorrow.”

“I should probably get some shut-eye as well.”

He followed her to the door, opening it so she could go in ahead of him. “I’m sure I’ll see you at some point tomorrow.”

“Yep.” They approached the staircase that led up to the upper-level suites. There were six up and four down including her own. “Have a good night Titus.”

She reached to shake his hand. When he took hers in his grasp, she found his hands still cold, yet there was an instant spark that she couldn’t ignore. One that gave her all the warmth she needed. When he released her hand, she immediately unzipped her coat hoping to find relief from the heat that suddenly flooded through her veins.

“Have a good night, Haven,” he said.

Haven noticed he offered up a half smile, a sneaky, loaded one that made her realize then and there that the savory man had a playful side. She already couldn’t wait to see more of it.