Even with a busy morning ahead, it was still too early to head over to the B&B. The electrician and gasman were due there sometime after 10am, and hopefully they would give the place the all-clear so the B&B could get back on track. After pulling a brush through her hair and dabbing concealer on a spot on her chin that had sprouted from nowhere overnight, Julia powered up her laptop and thought back to last night. It had been a wonderful evening, the food was divine and the wine flowed freely. They’d all sat out in the secret garden until just after midnight, except Meredith who needed to get back to help Fraser at the pub.
As soon as she’d typed in her password, Julia flicked onto the B&B’s Facebook page and was amazed by the number of new notifications, and began to click on them. To her dismay, there had been a number of reviews left by the guests in the last twenty-four hours, and even though they weren’t exactly putting the B&B in a bad light, they were singing the praises of Starcross Manor:
Mr Cullen… B&B four stars. ‘My family and I have stayed in the B&B on numerous occasions. The atmosphere is friendly, the place clean and easily accessible to all amenities, however a new hotel is opening up in the village which includes a pool, spa and gym, and restaurants at affordable rates, do give Starcross Manor a go!’
Mrs Williams… B&B three and a half stars. ‘We have stayed at this fabulous B&B for a number of years. Unfortunately, due to a flood we were transferred to a brand-new hotel less than a mile away and what an absolute treat. Starcross Manor was amazing, the kids loved the pool, I loved the spa while my husband disappeared to the gym. The grounds are beautiful and the mouth-watering food is not to be missed by celebrity chef Andrew Glossop.’
Will Blake… B&B four stars…
Julia couldn’t read any more. It wasn’t as though any of the reviews were putting the B&B in a bad light – and they were absolutely right about how fabulous Starcross Manor was. But she needed to talk to Flynn before all of her regular guests began to jump ship. But what if Flynn didn’t go for her idea? She gave herself a little shake, she was worrying for no reason. Of course he was going to go for her idea, as she was certain he didn’t want to be on the wrong side of the villagers. She knew the proposal she was about to put to him meant exciting times for the community of Heartcross. Feeling much more positive, she determined to talk to Flynn as soon as she set eyes on him.
With time still to kill, Julia shut down the lid of her laptop and packed her swimwear inside her rucksack with the latest book she was reading, and decided to explore the pool area. After closing the bedroom door behind her, Julia wandered down the vast corridors towards the spa area. This would be the perfect place for some quiet contemplation before heading over to the B&B. Julia had read the welcome pack in the room and knew the contents of the brochure back to front, from the beanbags, twinkly lights and floating canopies of the snooze room, to the light and airy atrium lounge, she was looking forward to finding her own little haven for the next hour.
Stepping inside the starlit cave Julia grabbed a towel from behind the reception desk. Everywhere looked so peaceful, there was no doubt this place was going to be an instant hit. After slipping into her swimming costume and pulling a fluffy white robe around her body, Julia dipped her toe in the salt-water vitality pool. There were jet massage pools, luxury whirlpools – this hotel had everything. For a second she felt all her stresses melt away, and sat on the steps in the warm waters of the hydrotherapy pool, the gentle currents and body massage jets making her skin tingle. She opened her book and began to read until she heard footsteps padding down the corridor and the creak of a door. The noise made Julia jump and she was startled to meet Flynn’s gaze.
His chest was bare, his hair slicked back, and his lounge pants looked super sexy clinging to his toned waistline. Julia’s stomach churned nervously. For a second she was distracted by the aroma of his aftershave, her whole body tingling in his presence. She averted her gaze and gave herself a little shake to pull herself together. This was the perfect timing to talk to him about how she thought the community could all work together, and she couldn’t afford to be distracted by Flynn’s hot body.
‘Good morning, what a lovely surprise, you are up with the larks,’ he said, walking over towards her with a beam on his face. ‘I wasn’t expecting to see anyone here.’
Julia closed her book and put it on the side. She noticed he was carrying a package which he placed on the bottom of the sun lounger before sitting next to it.
‘Me neither,’ she replied warmly.
‘I always start my day with a quick swim. The joys of owning a hotel.’
‘How was your business meeting?’ asked Julia, remembering back to last night when she’d watched Flynn climb aboard the helicopter.
‘Very successful, it must have been down to the tie,’ he said with a playful glint in his eye. ‘And how was your food?’
She tipped her head to one side and felt a flush of warmth surge through her body. ‘Definitely must have been down to the tie – and last night’s food was amazing. Absolutely exquisite. Andrew is going to be a huge hit, especially with his masterclasses too.’
‘He is, isn’t he? And now we have the contractors back on board, thank you so much.’
‘I couldn’t have a cancelled wedding on my conscience.’ As soon as the words left her mouth, she wanted the ground to swallow her up. She hadn’t been thinking about Anais’s wedding, but it may have sounded like a little dig.
Thankfully, Flynn didn’t seem to notice and stood up. ‘Have you got a minute? Your eye for detail is better than mine. Come and tell me what you think.’ Flynn stood up and Julia pulled the robe around her and slipped her feet back into her shoes. She followed him through a door and immediately Julia was taken aback by her surroundings. This room was a lounge area with brown leather wingback chairs dotted around coffee tables, the walls dressed in gold and beige with another impressive chandelier. Flynn led Julia over to a table laid out with limited-edition luxury candles.
‘What have we here?’ she asked immediately picking up a candle and taking in the aroma. ‘That is heaven, I’d say a flirtatious fragrance…’
Flynn was looking at her with amusement. Julia inhaled the scent again. ‘Peony… I can definitely smell Peony.’
Flynn took the card next to the candle. ‘It is indeed, Peony and Blush Suede.’ He was clearly impressed. ‘Here, what about this one?’ Flynn passed her another candle.
Once again Julia inhaled. ‘That’s Honeysuckle. My absolute favourite.’ She read the card next to the candle. ‘Yes, it’s Honeysuckle! I’m good at this. What are all these for?’
‘This is something I need help with, I may be able to build hotels and design the most luxurious of rooms with breath-taking chandeliers, but all this is beyond me. As soon as I smell one candle, they all seem to merge into one.’
Julia worked her way through the samples on the table, smelling each one before choosing. ‘Honeysuckle, it’s got to be Honeysuckle. That is just heaven. What are they for?’
‘To put in the wedding guests’ rooms as a little extra. I’ve been left in the lurch. My usual wedding planner has relocated to London, leaving all these finer details to me and I’ve no idea what’s needed.’