Page 99 of Make-Believe Match

He sat on the edge of the bed and touched my shoulder. “Hey. You’ll be okay while I’m gone, right?”

I sat up taller and hugged a pillow to my chest. “Yes. It just feels weird that you’re leaving. We haven’t spent a single night apart since...since Vegas.”

“You won’t even miss me. You’re sleeping at Winnie’s tonight, right?”

“Yes.” Winnie, Ellie, and I were getting together at Winnie’s house for a home spa night and sleepover. Her stepdaughters would be with their mom this weekend, so she’d invited me to crash in their bedroom.

I was looking forward to the girl time, but as he kissed me goodbye and told me he’d call me later, my chest felt hollow. My throat was tight. It was only after I heard the front door slam that I whispered the words I wished I could have said while he was listening.

“I love you.”

* * *

The door at Winnie’s house was opened by two young girls, both wearing aprons and name tags. “Welcome to Halluna Day Spa,” said the shorter one, whose name tag said Luna. Her blond curls escaped from a bun on the top of her head.

“Your premiere destination for luxury and relaxation, offering services for hair, skin, and nails,” added the taller one, who had her dad’s dark hair and eyes. Her name tag said Hallie. “May we take your coat?”

“Sure.” I laughed as I shrugged out of my jacket, suddenly glad I’d come. I’d been feeling so down since Devlin left, I’d almost canceled.

“Hey,” Winnie said, coming from the kitchen into the front hall to give me a hug. “Sorry about the change in plans. The girls’ mom had some kind of work function, so they’re with us tonight. And Ellie’s morning sickness was really bad all day, so she’s out. But Michael is with my parents, thank goodness, and Dex is at the firehouse tonight. So it’s still girl time.”

“No problem,” I said, smiling at Dex’s daughters. “I can always head home after a spa treatment or two.”

“Actually, the girls are all excited about camping out in the family room,” Winnie said. “So you’ve still got a room here for the night.”

“Yes,” said Luna. “The spa area is going to transform into a fairy tale woods after dark.”

“That sounds so fun.” I smiled at them. “So tell me about Halluna Day Spa.”

“We’ve got a menu for you to look at,” said Hallie, handing me a folded piece of paper with a logo drawn on the front. “Come right this way. Can we offer you some lemon water?”

“Don’t worry, I have wine for after the lemon water,” mumbled Winnie as we followed the girls into the family room. There were two spa stations set up, with buckets of water for our feet, thick terrycloth headbands, and plates of cucumber slices for our eyes. Fragrant candles were burning on the coffee table, filling the room with the scent of lemongrass.

“Please sit here, Miss, um...” Luna paused. “Wait, what’s your last name?”

“McInt—actually, it’s Buckley,” I said, lowering myself onto the couch where Luna indicated. “I’m Mrs. Buckley.”

“Did you really change your name?” Winnie asked, dropping down next to me.

I nodded. “I did.”

Winnie eyeballed the girls, who were testing the water in the buckets to make sure it was warm enough. “After the spa portion of the evening concludes, I need to heareverything.”

* * *

The girls pampered Winnie and me with a fizzy foot soak, a face mask, a lip scrub, manicures, and aromatherapy. When they were done, we helped them clean up, tipped them generously, and moved into the kitchen for wine and a charcuterie board Winnie had prepared.

“So how’s it going?” she asked, pouring me a glass of pinot noir.

“Which part?”

“Let’s start with Snowberry.” Winnie sat down across from me and reached for a cracker.

“Everything is going really well at Snowberry. Want to see photos?”

“Yes!” Winnie topped her cracker with cheese and took a bite.

Bringing out my phone, I showed her the renderings for the new lobby, the restaurant and bar, the guest rooms, and the spa. Then I showed her the current state of the construction area. “That’s all phase one. Phase two is the mountaintop bar, which won’t be done until next spring after the snow melts and the ground thaws.” I set my phone aside and reached for my wine.