Holiday Magic (Second Chance) by Susanne Matthews

want to leave her alone with me. She goes nowhere without him. I don’t like it. He acts as if she could be in some sort of danger. I know Atlantic City can be a rough place, but seriously, since when does a decorator need a bodyguard?”
    Mark grimaced. “I had Simmons checked out. He’s a recluse. There are no pictures of him anywhere, so maybe he’s a little paranoid and really wants to make sure nothing happens to her in his casino. Apparently, if he goes out, he’s in disguise. My contact says he’s not at the casino right now. He left for England the day your sister arrived, which is why she hasn’t met him. By the way, he sent a cashier’s check for the full amount of her fee the minute she registered at the hotel. The check cleared and is sitting in her bank account. From what I can tell, everything is on the up and up. He has no connection to the mob or any other shady organization anywhere in the world, and according to my sources, his casinos pay out more often than most.”
    “Well,” she scowled, “it still seems fishy to me, especially this Joe guy. Don’t get me wrong, he was nice, but way too protective of her for just an employee, and there was something about his manner… it’s as if he expects to be obeyed. I’ll bet he carries a gun… Did you think to look at his staff?”
    “ Georgia, don’t go borrowing trouble. Yes, I ran most of the names, but there was no Joe or Joseph on the list I had. Maybe it’s a middle name. I’ll have someone look into it right away, or I can do it myself when we get back,” he offered.
    “ It can wait until we get back. As you said, I’m probably worrying about nothing, but I don’t want to see her hurt. The fewer people know that we’re sticking our noses into her business, the better. I love my sister, but you know how she can be when she gets on her high horse.”
    Mark laughed. “I most certainly do. When your sister is in one of her moods, heads roll, and despite everything, I kind of like mine just where it is.”
    The rest of the conversation centered on the decorations they would put up, and where they would put the tree. They avoided talking about anything personal, and Georgia eventually lapsed into silence, guilt over keeping what she knew from Mark eating at her.
    The snow began to fall about an hour out of Philly. The big flakes were heavy and laden with moisture.
    Good snowman making weather, Grandma would have said, she thought.
    The snow quickly piled up on the road. So far, the winds were calm, but if they picked up, just getting to Palmerton would be difficult. Getting home would be out of the question. The frost forming on the window showed that the temperatures were falling as they moved into the higher altitudes.
    “I suggest we pick up the pine tree before we go to the chalet. At the rate this is coming down, we’ll definitely have to spend the night,” said Mark. “Mrs. Ingram said she’d make sure there was food, but why don’t we stop and pick up a few things just in case the janitor didn’t have time? I seem to remember that the first thing you need when you get up is a cup of tea and toast with peanut butter.” The look on his face indicated that he thought he had overstepped his boundaries and said something wrong.
    She looked at him with surprise, but she was not upset. In fact, she was flattered. She had not expected him to remember so many details about their time together. She didn’t think it was something most men would do. He had only stayed over half a dozen times. They had opted not to live together, wanting to make their married life special right from the start. They had planned to spend their wedding night in the loft, sharing that big bed together for the first time as man and wife. She smiled. It had been a good plan, but like so many good plans, it had failed.
    Instead of veering away from the conversation, Georgia used it as an opportunity to approach what had happened between them.
    “ I guess