Page 19 of The Legend of Lovers Hollow

“I hope so,” he mutters, and his arms tighten around me. “I really hope so.”

5

Icrack one bleary eye open as my sluggish brain surfaces from sleep. Lifting my head from the pillow that smells so much like Ellis, I’m tempted to bury my face back in it and drift back to sleep. But as that thought occurs to me, I realise my bed partner is not, in fact, in bed with me. Blinking a few times to focus, I peer over my shoulder and see him standing in front of his mirror, meticulously knotting his tie. I roll over and watch him for a few seconds. There’s a quiet hush in this small, cosy room of his, and as I watch my love smooth his tie down over his chest and reach for his suit jacket, an unfamiliar sense of peace washes over me.

“What time is it?” I finally say, aiming for nonchalance when the reality is that my heart has picked up the pace at the sight of him and the memory of last night. “And why aren’t you still in bed naked?”

He turns towards me, his pretty face breaking into his trademark sunny smile. “It’s six a.m. I need to be downstairs, helping set up the breakfast buffet for the new guests.”

“Ah, Yes. The new guests.” I hum in contemplation. “And what assortment of misfits has your latest idea to save the hotel swept in on the unforgiving winter winds?”

“Well, eight have arrived so far. The Schäfers—Anselm, Siegbert, and Wilhelmina—from Germany.”

“They’re all called Schäfer? Are they siblings?”

“Only if they’re very close. There’s only one bed.” He winks and giggles. “They’re ever so nice though. Then we have Mr and Mrs Taylor-Jones, who’re in their fifties. Their children have all grown up and left home, and they’re trying to inject some excitement back into their marriage. There’s also a single elderly gentleman, Mr Clutterbuck. His daughter keeps trying to put him in a home, so he’s hiding out here because, and I quote, this is the last place on this godforsaken earth she’d think to look. ”

“Charming. Make sure you use that in the marketing reviews.”

“He also said that, since it’s a ghost hunt, he might be able to pick up some tips for when he’s dead and decides to haunt his daughter so she can experience what it’s like to be constantly hounded by a shrill spectre.”

I blink slowly. “How do you know all this?”

“Because I’m very good at my job.” He picks up his phone and unplugs it from the charger before slipping it into his pocket. “And then we have Haruto Börjesson, who is adorable. He’s a baby Instagram influencer and goes by the handle CosmoHaru7. He’s got pastel pink hair and is so cute, like he’s eaten rainbows for breakfast.”

“You two should get along famously, then.”

“He’s like a real-life chibi.”

I frown. “What’s a chibi?”

“Never mind.” He chuckles. “You’ll meet him later at the welcome meet and mingle.”

“Do I have to? I have a lot of paperwork to get through. Can’t I just–”

He leans down beside the bed and kisses my lips tenderly. “No, you can’t. You’re not just going to hide away. Come and meet the others, it’ll be good for you.”

“So’s a colonic, but you don’t see me rushing to sign up for–”

“Stop making excuses,” he says, his voice soft and amused. He kisses me again, and I forget what I was saying. “Come and meet everyone. It’s as much your hotel as your grandfather’s.”

“And that’s why we put you in charge.” I huff. “You like the weirdos and oddballs this place seems to attract.”

“So do you.” He pinches my chin affectionately. “You just don’t want to admit it.”

I huff again.

“So who’ve we got other than the German throuple, the middle-aged thrill-seekers trying to save their marriage, the OAP escapee, and the Insta baby?”

“Just one more so far. Her name is Amelia Spendle, she’s lovely and a little shy. She only started her transition a year ago, and this is the first trip she’s taken on her own. I get the feeling she’s a little nervous. I’m going to introduce her to Haruto. I think they could be friends. Oh, you know what we should do? We should get little trans pins—no,allthe LGBTQ+ pins—so the staff can wear them, and everyone will know this is a safe space for them. Oh! Oh!” His eyes widen in excitement. “We should do an event for Pride month! I need my notebook.”

I watch in amusement as he pats his tight pants pockets like he might magically find one in there.

“Huh. It must be downstairs. I’ll make a note on my phone.” He pulls it back out of his pocket and taps away at the screen. “Right, all done. I need to head downstairs before Aggie gets… well, Aggie.” Giving me one last kiss, he checks his watch. “Why don’t you go back to sleep for a while?”

“No,” I sigh. “I’m up now. I need a shower.”

“You can use our bathroom,” he offers. “It’s three doors down on the left. You can use any of the bottles labelled Ellis. Not that you’ll be using Rosie’s Soap and Glory shower crème. Well, unless you want to. It does smell really nice but may be a bit feminine for you. Wally also shares our bathroom, but try not use his toiletries by mistake, please. He says he’s on a tight budget right now.”