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but he kept hoping his ads in fishing magazines would pay off. But spring was here, and the bookings hadn’t picked up.
    Yesterday’s cancellation would really hurt.
    Brian shrugged. “People love the look of cabins. They just want the amenities inside.”
    “I’m not sure how to begin,” Carson said. “I guess I could hire a designer.”
    “Or talk to Natalie. She’s got a notebook of pictures that shows what she has in mind.”
    Carson kept his expression passive. “I’ll figure it out.”
    He left the office with a promise to drop off estimates of how much he would need by tomorrow.
    No way would he go crawling back to that maddening woman and ask for her list of suggested changes. Never mind the thought that being around her gave a blip to his pulse.

C HAPTER F IVE
    I t was a gorgeous spring day with crocuses popping up and a light breeze playing through the treetops, but Natalie’s heart wasn’t in the experience when she thought of what she should be doing. “I can’t believe you talked us into this, Reese Mackenzie,” she grumbled. Her breath whooshed out of her mouth as she trudged up the mountain slope to keep up with her friends. “How could you inflict this torture on your best friends? And you know I hate heights.”
    Reese widened her eyes in mock innocence. “It’s good for you, Nat. Just walking isn’t strenuous enough for optimal health. And we all know how health conscious you are.”
    Hoist by her own petard . “Oh, sure, throw that in my face.”
    Reese gave a cheeky grin and blew her bangs out of her eyes.
    “Besides, any excuse to forget about my job is a good time.”
    “Still hate it, huh?”
    “My boss is a dragon. I just get things organized, and she dumps a bunch of files on my desk that are totally mixed up. I never feel like I’m making any progress.”
    Natalie stopped and bent over as she tried to draw air into her burning lungs. “That’s gotta be totally annoying. You, Miss Organization Extraordinaire.”
    Reese grinned. “Okay, maybe I take it a little far, but things run better when they are orderly.”
    “I’ll agree with that.” Natalie straightened and glanced at the path down Sugarcreek Mountain. “Have we climbed high enough for our first excursion? I’m done in and ready for coffee.”
    Reese checked her watch. “Twenty minutes up and another fifteen down. Perfect.” She waved at the other girls. “Back to the coffee shop!” she called to them.
    Natalie stumbled down the path behind her friends. When they reached the lane back to town by the lake, she squinted in the sunshine. “Here comes Aunt Violet. So much for coffee.”
    The woman was dressed in bright pink shorts with a matching shirt that clashed horribly with her red hair. She waved at Natalie and her friends. “I’ve just had the best idea!” she said as she reached the group. “My sisters and I are going to play every Friday and Saturday night in the town square.”
    The Garner Sisters were a Smitten institution. Aunt Violet had played the cello once upon a time in the Boston Symphony, and Rose and Petunia were accomplished on violin and viola.
    “What a great idea!”
    “I ordered some Frank Sinatra love songs,” Aunt Violet said, then crooned a few lines of “The Very Thought of You.”
    Natalie barely held back a wince. The woman’s singing didn’t match the skill of her cello playing.
    Shelby unzipped her sleek jogging jacket. “Uh, maybe you ought to learn some more current ones. Our honeymooners will probably be in their twenties and thirties.”
    Violet stiffened. “Classics never go out of style.” She glanced around the lake. “I’ll see you later, girls. I have a lot to discuss with Rose and Petunia.” She hurried off to meet up with the other women.
    “I need coffee after that,” Julia said.
    Natalie led the way to the coffee shop. “I have a new treat for you to try too.”
    Julia groaned. “Give it up, Nat. Those gluten-free things you make are