“Don’t you think it’s kind of weird to have someone else write the vows? I mean, if you were getting married, wouldn’t you want to write your own?”
“Sara wrote ours.”
“Forget I said anything.”
“This is no big deal. Faith’s used to reading lines. This won’t be any different for her.”
“What about Trent?”
“He’s a guy.” Will grabbed a cracker from the plate. “Do you really think he wants to write his own?”
“I guess not.”
The hushed tone of Kelsey’s voice told him she was still concerned. She really was sweet. “Whatever we give them will be more personal than the vows the minister brings, but they can use those if they prefer. No big deal. I’ll even help you.”
“I’m making more out of this than I should. How difficult can it be?” Kelsey placed her glass on the table and picked up her notebook and pen. “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here again and again and again and again and again.”
“To unite Faith and—insert groom’s name here—in the state of holy matrimony.”
Kelsey laughed. “If anyone—four previous grooms excluded—has any reason why these two should not wed…”
He chuckled. “See, this isn’t so hard.”
She smiled. “No, but we haven’t reached the vows yet.”
“We have all night for that.”
The lights flickered once. The music stopped playing right on a beautiful high note. Another flicker of the lights, and everything went dark except for the glow from the fireplace.
“The storm must have caused a blackout,” Will said.
“I hope the electricity comes back on soon.”
“Out here, you never know how long these things will last. Stay where you are. I’ll get some candles.”
As he walked to the kitchen, Will sighed. Writing wedding vows by candlelight with a woman he wanted to kiss but couldn’t. Not exactly how he imagined spending this evening.
But nothing ever seemed to turn out the way he expected.
* * *
Waiting for Will to return, Kelsey settled back against the cushions on the couch and wrapped her hands around her knees. The crackle of the fire, Midas’s breathing, and the sounds of the storm more than filled the living room. Sitting in near-darkness was relaxing, and she relished this moment of peace.
Starting tomorrow, the activity would be nonstop until the bride and groom departed on their honeymoon. Two days of putting all her planning and organizational skills to the test. Two days until Faith Starr married Trent Jeffreys. Three days until Kelsey headed home to Los Angeles.
Time was running out. She needed to sort through and figure out her feelings for Will. The sooner, the better. She wanted to have things resolved, even if only within herself, before she left.
Will returned with two lit candles and placed them on the coffee table. The tapers provided a soft glow—a romantic glow—of light. Combined with the fire, it was the perfect environment for a kiss. Kelsey’s mouth went dry.
No more kisses. She and Will had agreed. Kisses would only interfere with what she needed to do. One kiss and she’d be unable to focus on anything except more kisses.
Will tossed another log on the fire. The muscles of his back strained his shirt. She caught herself staring and looked away. This was about staying warm, nothing else. Kelsey readied her pen. If only her mind would ready itself as easily.
He grabbed several pillows from the couch and tossed them onto the rug in front of the fireplace. “Sit closer to the fire. I want you to stay warm.”
Candlelight, a crackling fire, a bearskin rug. Okay, it was an Aubusson, not a bearskin. That didn’t change the images running through her mind. She kept seeing herself kissing Will, except she was wearing Faith’s wedding gown and he was in a black tux. Man, he looked handsome in formal attire. Her dry mouth got drier.
“Come on.”
