Kelsey clasped her hands together. She knew exactly what type of bouquet and flowers would go perfectly.
With a sigh, she dropped the muslin back over the dress and closed the closet door. Turning, Kelsey stared at Will’s backside. “I’ve seen enough.”
For now,she thought to herself and smiled.
GROUP CHAT #3
Kelsey had ignored all the text notifications, but she finally realized Cade or Christina might need her. Her parents would survive without a reply, but her brother and cousin wouldn’t like that. She pulled up her messages. Surprisingly, all of them were from her friends.
Jane:You can’t just mic drop like that! Where are you?
Elle:This isn’t like you, Kelsey. What’s going on?
Serena:Proof of life, or I’m calling your mom and your dad.
Kelsey made sure nothing identifying was nearby and took a selfie. She uploaded it to their chat.
Kelsey:Here’s your proof of life.
Kelsey:See? Alive.
Kelsey:I’m in the continental US, but that’s all I can say right now.
Kelsey:And the money was too good to pass up.
She hoped that appeased them for a bit. But that was all she had time for right now. The clock was ticking, and she had a wedding to plan.
CHAPTER NINE
February 2
It was too early to get up. Not even Midas was ready to stir at this hour. Will hit the snooze button on his alarm and yawned. He needed more sleep. No, he actually needed to go to sleep. Too bad his mind wouldn’t turn off. He wanted to blame his restlessness on his mother’s letter, but that had only kept him up half the night. The other half was Kelsey’s fault.
Thoughts of her messed with his head. Physical attraction was one thing, but he was drawn to much more than her hair and her smile and her kiss. Spending that time with her last night hadn’t been enough. She’d sparked something inside of him, something he hadn't felt in so long. He wanted to spend more time with her, to learn more about her, to peel away the layers until he saw exactly who she was.
But she was his sister's wedding consultant, and if Mom had her way, Kelsey would be his, too. That was why he’d been up tossing and turning all night, torn between trying to push her out of his mind and enjoying having her there before the cycle continued again.
The alarm sounded again.
This time, Will got up. He’d promised to take Kelsey to the inn bright and early this morning. It was early, but forget about it being bright. Not even the sun was up.
Thirty minutes later, they were off. Using a flashlight to light the way, he led Kelsey along the path to the inn. Driving would have been warmer, but it wouldn’t have been as fast or as secluded. No matter what, they couldn’t let the press see Kelsey. And he could use the walk to clear his head.
Their boots crunched on the layer of new snow. The sound filled the silence of the frosty dawn. Not even a bird was up at this hour.
“We’re almost there.” Will glanced over his shoulder and aimed his flashlight at Kelsey. He almost didn’t recognize her. A wool cap covered her hair. Gloves kept her fingers warm. Her cheeks and nose were pink. She looked young and vulnerable. Protectiveness crept in, but the last person he felt like was her older brother.
“Cold?” he asked.
“A little.” She shoved one of her hands into her pocket. “I’ll survive.”
Survive.That was what he’d been doing every day since Sara died. Suddenly, surviving didn’t seem like enough.
His gaze met hers. Will stood transfixed, watching each cloud of breath rise from Kelsey’s mouth, from her lips. He remembered how those lips felt against his. Warm and soft and seductive. Lips made for kissing. Kissing him.
Forget about the freezing temperature outside. He was feeling so warm at the moment he might as well have been in the tropics, not Tahoe. He didn’t need his jacket. Or his hat. Or his gloves. He continued to stare.
She glanced at the snow, breaking the invisible bond between them. The silence lengthened between them.
