The Reluctant Heart: Moments of the Heart, #2

Dedication

TO MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY who have encouraged me to follow my dream. You’ve kept me going when I wasn’t sure I had anything left to give. Your love and support is extraordinary, and my life has been enriched beyond words.

The Reluctant Heart

Chapter 1

Morning sunlight danced on Maggie’s face as she lay half-awake in bed. Never able to get a good night’s sleep anywhere but home, she’d been in that state of unrest most of the night. Shielding her eyes with the back of her hand, she swung her long, slender legs over the edge of the bed and stood. The hardwood floor cold under her bare feet as she walked to the window and drew back the sheer cream-colored curtains. She peered down at the three large white delivery trucks parked in the circular driveway below. Dozens of workers were busily unloading food trays and bouquets of flowers into the back. Today is the day. She sighed, watching the curtain fall back into place.

She went to the bedside table, took a chocolate truffle from the small gold-plated dish sitting there, unwrapped it, and put the whole thing in her mouth. Closing her eyes, she let it melt. There was something about the creamy goodness of chocolate that always made her relax. Feeling content, she opened her eyes and headed for the bathroom.

Staring at her reflection in the gilded mirror hanging over the sink, she piled her sleep-tousled auburn locks on top of her head and secured them with a barrette. She leaned in, looking closer at the black mascara smudges under each eye, and the quarter-size smear of red lipstick on her left cheek. She'd been too tired the night before to remove the make-up before bed. With the cucumber scented scrub she’d brought from home, She washed her face then patted it dry with a fluffy, white monogramed towel.

Back in the bedroom, she sat on the bed and picked up the phone receiver. Room twenty-two, please.  As she sat there listening to the ringing on the other end, she found it impossible to resist unwrapping another truffle and eating it.

The ringing continued until the operator came back on the line and offered to leave a message. Maggie politely told her she would call later, then hung up, and picked up the small, purple case from the floor in front of the nightstand. Promising herself just one more, she ate yet another piece of chocolate then went to the bathroom. As she showered, warm water cascading over her head and down her body, her thoughts focused on the day’s events. It was hard to believe in a few hours she would be at an engagement party, her engagement party!

Every time she thought about it she felt queasy. It wasn’t that she didn’t care for Desmond, but Maggie had spent the last seven of her twenty-five years living alone, keeping herself and her heart safely out of reach. It was a hard habit to break.

Maggie poured a generous dollop of shampoo on her hair and scrubbed vigorously.  Watching the bubbles run down her legs to the drain below brought back a memory from her childhood. Her mother used to fill the bathtub with so many bubbles that Maggie could playfully hide in them and would stay there until her fingers looked like wrinkled prunes. When her mother came into the bathroom to check on her, she would pretend she couldn’t find her. Then Maggie, giggling, would shoot up out of the tub, splashing water everywhere, the two of them, soaking wet, would sit on the edge of the tub wrapped in each other’s arms and laugh.

She’d been thinking about her mother more than usual since Desmond had proposed and it wasn’t hard to figure out why. Her mother wasn’t going to be at the engagement party this afternoon because she had drowned in the family lake behind the family house when Maggie was only twelve.

And her father had been very little comfort, having started drinking heavily almost from the very moment he lost his wife. Though Maggie’s older sister Jilly, who was seventeen at the time, tried to keep the family going, it had proved impossible. If their grandmother hadn’t stepped in, who knows what would have happened to the sisters.

Maggie turned and rinsed her hair, letting the water wash away her thoughts. She opened a bottle of body wash and took a big whiff of the vanilla raspberry scent.  It was a gift from her sister, given to her when they’d arrived at the hotel yesterday. Suppose to calm you and make you happy.  Maggie was skeptical as she lathered a washcloth.

She didn’t really believe in happiness. When her father had died only a year after her mother, the doctor said it was liver failure. But Maggie knew he had really died of a broken heart, for her own unhappiness came from the same lingering pain.

And on a particularly bad day seven years ago, she’d decided the only way to escape the pain was to leave the family farm. So, on her eighteenth birthday, she had packed up everything she owned and left for California. Severing all contact with her family was difficult and lonely, but at the time going back home would have been a worse fate. She’d still be in California, alone, with her only companion and friend, a yellow tabby named George, if Jilly hadn’t insisted she come home for their grandmother’s ninetieth birthday party celebration. Was funny how life turned out. If she hadn’t come home she’d never have met Desmond.

The sound of water hitting the shower curtain brought Maggie back to the present. She quickly rinsed off and wrapped her shivering body in a towel. She heard the phone ring just as she finished drying off. Grabbing the bathrobe hanging on the back of the door, she quickly answered the phone, Hello?

Hello to you! Jilly sounded annoyingly cheerful on the other end. Are you awake?

Yes, I’m awake. Maggie tied the bathrobe closed.

And have you showered?

Yes and I’m standing here in my robe, Miss Nosy.

I tell you, Maggs, this is some hotel your fiancé owns. I’ve never slept so well in my life!

I’m glad one of us did. Maggie could hear a woman’s laughter and a man’s voice coming through the phone line. What’s going on over there?

Sophia has a crush on one of the kitchen staff so this morning she’s ordered just about everything on the room service menu for breakfast.

I did not, I’m just hungry, that’s all! Maggie heard her nineteen-year-old soon-to-be sister-in-law say in the background. Besides, Desmond said to order anything I want.

And I’m sure he’s going to be thrilled with that decision when he gets the bill. Jilly sounded amused. As soon as I’m dressed, we’re coming to see you and I’ll bring some of this breakfast if Sophia hasn’t eaten it all by then.

Actually, Desmond phoned last night and said he’s taking me somewhere special for breakfast, Maggie said, twirling the phone cord looking at the few remaining truffles in the bowl.

Oh, that sounds romantic. Where’s he taking you?

I have no idea. But I don’t think I’ll have much time after that to come back to the hotel, so we’d better meet at the winery...say around two? Maggie voice gargled as she tried to speak around the chocolate she’d just put in her mouth.

How many pieces of chocolate have you eaten?

Chocolate? Maggie quickly took what was left out of her mouth. The last thing she wanted was for Jilly to know she was just five pieces from easting them all.

Come on, fess up. The minute I came into our room last night and I saw chocolate on the nightstand, I knew you’d have them devoured by morning! I know how you get around chocolate when you’re nervous.

I’m not nervous, the crackling of her voice saying otherwise.

Right, Jilly giggled. Besides a chocolate intervention, is there anything else I can do for you this morning?

Cancel the party? Maggie made her voice sound light, but the thought of all those people coming to the engagement party made her so panicky she could have eaten every last remaining chocolate in the hotel, wrappers and all.

No can do, little sister. See you at the winery. Love you! Jilly blew a kiss into the phone, then hung up.

Love you, too, Maggie whispered, putting the half-eaten chocolate back in her mouth. After using a tissue to wipe off the chocolate that had melted down her arm, she dressed in dark denim jeans and a long-sleeved silver sweater. Brushed her hair, applied a pale pink lipstick, and went downstairs to wait for Desmond.

Sitting on one of the high-back blue lounge sofas in the lobby, Maggie kept herself busy while waiting watching the flow of guests coming and going. Most seemed to be in too much of a hurry to admire the beautiful furnishings or the expensive artwork hanging on the walls and she doubted they even looked twice at the breathtaking landscape just outside the door.

But Maggie had noticed. Napa Valley’s rolling hills and majestic homes were very different from the farmhouse she’d grown up on. Desmond had never really talked much about money, although she knew he owned not only the hotel, but also three homes. One was here in Napa Valley, and one was just a few miles from Gram’s house, with a small guest house on the same estate.  He also happened to own a very successful winery where the engagement party was to be held. But none of this had had an influence on her accepting his marriage proposal.  As a matter of fact, if someone had told her that Desmond was wealthy when they’d first met, she wouldn’t have believed it.

The second time she’d seen him, the first being briefly at Jilly’s when he was returning tools, he was lying under her grandmother’s sink, dressed in a dirty old pair of gray coveralls and trying to fix a hopeless leak in the sixty-year-old pipes. Although she had immediately thought he was very handsome, they hadn’t exactly hit it off. Almost from the minute they’d met, Desmond had accused her of being a horrible granddaughter who had turned her back on the family when she’d left years earlier. She could still hear his belittling voice: You probably thought you’d better make a quick trip home to see your grandmother before it’s too late.  Very wise, although I don’t know why any of them want anything to do with you. Needless to say, she was furious with Desmond for his cruel remarks and with herself for thinking he was handsome. She’d  even considered taking the wrench off the counter and knocking him over the head, and probably would have if Gram hadn’t walked in.

Chuckling to herself and shaking her head at the memory, Maggie looked down at her watch. Desmond was late. When it came to business he was always punctual, but Maggie had learned in the last few months since their engagement that work came first even if it meant spending less time with her.

Desmond’s work ethic was one of the things she admired about him even if it meant a few canceled movies or dinner dates. But the thing that had finally won her heart was the way he cared for Gram. From the very start, Gram and Desmond had been inseparable, which at first had made Maggie very uneasy. Then one month after their rocky meeting, during a dinner party at Desmond’s, Gram had suffered a stroke, shaking up Maggie’s world once again.

Excuse me, are you Maggie Campbell?

Startled, Maggie put her hand over her now rapidly beating heart and smiled at the young woman standing in front of her in a hotel uniform. Yes.

Mr. Kinsley is on the phone for you. If you would come with me, please. The woman pointed to the left of the lobby.

Maggie followed her to a small red table that held a sleek, black phone. The woman picked up the receiver. Maggie Campbell for Mr. Kinsley, she announced, and a moment later, smiling, she handed Maggie the receiver before giving her some privacy.

Maggie sat on the red chair next to the phone. Hello?

How is the most beautiful woman in Napa Valley doing this morning? came Desmond’s velvety voice.

Starving and wondering why she’s sitting alone in the lobby and not eating breakfast.

The sound of his husky laughter made Maggie forgive his tardiness.  Because your breakfast date is still in a meeting with three buyers that will unfortunately take another two hours. His voice became more serious. I tried to postpone it until next week, but one of the buyers is leaving in the morning and won’t be back for six months. Unless I can get him interested in waiting, I’m afraid you’ll have to eat breakfast alone.

I wouldn’t be so sure, Maggie said in a playful tone, I may be able to find another breakfast date in short order, Mr. Kinsley.

Oh?

According to your sister, one of the kitchen staff is rather good looking, and he delivers!

Now, Maggie, you wouldn’t want to be responsible for some guy losing his job, would you? His voice was playful too, although Maggie knew his words held a