“What? Oh, right. Yeah, that. When Kelsey and Jayce were planning their wedding, she was sad because both her parents are gone. I remember thinking about how devastated I would be if my parents weren’t there. They were when I married Adam, and they’ll be there when I marry Connor. I get that men don’t always look at things like that as a big deal, but…” Pausing, she groaned. “I know I’m going to sound like a total dork here, but just bear with me.”
They all nodded.
“I just think that if the Winslowes were there when we got married, Connor would feel…respected. Like his parents were finally understanding his wishes and boundaries and it would be a good beginning for our marriage.”
“Wow. You don’t sound like a dork,” Harlow commented. “But maybe a little delusional. Although, I get it. Walker’s grandparents hated me when we met and it nearly broke us up. Then his grandmother came and apologized because she knew she was wrong and shouldn’t have interfered. I’m not saying it took all the hurt away, but it certainly helped. Plus, it’s not like we have to see her all the time.”
“The two of you looked like you were having a great time at the grand opening,” Maisie recalled. “I saw you with her a lot.”
“That’s only because she’s really going out of her way to make things right and prove to Walker that everything’s fine.” She shrugged. “He knows she’s being a little over the top, but, again, we don’t see them very often.”
“Wow, you all have a lot of complicated family issues,” Nora said.
“Oh, please. We haven’t even gotten to mine!” Maisie told her before sharing how she was basically disowned and how she ended up here at the resort.
“Wait, so you’re like…an heiress?”
“Ugh…I hate that word. Axel uses it all the time, and I get that it’s kind of accurate, but I personally just don’t like it. I have my decorating business, and I get a monthly allowance from my family, and then I’ll get my trust fund when I turn thirty. But that’s just money. I never see my parents and me being at a point where things are good, you know? Too much has happened, and I don’t like the person I am when I’m around them. The person I learned to become since showing up here at the resort? I like her. A lot.”
“We all do,” Harlow told her, giving her hand a squeeze. Looking at Nora, she studied her for a moment. “Any weird family issues?”
“Um…no? We’re pretty normal. My dad’s a dentist and has a pilot’s license, and my mom’s a teacher who used to be a competitive skier. I had a pretty typical upbringing, but we used to always be doing stuff on our school breaks.”
“Do you have siblings?” Lexi asked.
Nodding, Nora replied, “Two sisters, one brother. And yes, they’re all adrenaline junkies too.” She shifted in her chair. “My dad’s brother—my uncle Seth—was a helicopter pilot with a business in Vegas. He used to do tours of the Grand Canyon and all the places around there. I worked a few summers with him and have my pilot’s license too, but I prefer to be on the land. I love hiking and nature, and I’m kind of digging working with the kids. That was a first for me. My groups were always adults, but pitching in with the camp has really been a lot of fun.”
“You were great with them,” Lexi told her.
“Thanks, but…ugh…we got off topic again!” Nora said with a laugh. “We were talking about weddings and families, Lexi, and we ended up on me again. Sorry!”
“Nothing to be sorry about, and this is what girls’ night is like. We bounce around from one topic to another. My whole thing is that I don’t want Connor to regret that his parents weren’t there. Otherwise, we’d be at the justice of the peace like…next week.”
“Really?” Maisie asked. “You don’t want a big wedding?”
She shrugged. “I had a semi-big wedding with Adam, and it was a lot of stress, and it didn’t really mean anything. Ultimately, we were divorced within two years. I’d be so happy with something like Jayce and Kelsey did. Small. Intimate. And here.” She felt oddly emotional just thinking about it. “This is where we met and where we reconnected, so it just seems fitting for it to be here.”
“You just have to hope that Connor would let the event planners do their thing and not try to take over,” Harlow teased.
“I know, right?” Lexi said with a small laugh. “I know we all think about weddings being these massive celebrations, and that’s totally fine. But for us, the fairytale is that we’re finally together. A ceremony is nice, but I’m actually looking forward to it being low stress.”
“That is the dream,” Harlow agreed before looking at Maisie. “And what about you?
Wide-eyed, Maisie almost choked on her drink. “Me? What about me?”
“Have you and Axel talked about getting engaged?”
Her sigh made Lexi feel sad, like this was something that was weighing on her.
“Axel is very insecure because of the difference in our…finances,” she said slowly. “I think he’s intimidated and thinks he needs to save a million dollars before we can get married. But it’s not like that, and it’s not what I want. I don’t need an enormous ring or a giant wedding. There was a time when I was pretty adamant about the giant wedding, but that’s not me anymore.”
“I know you guys have probably had the talk about money, but I don’t know any guy who would totally feel at ease with there being that much of an imbalance,” Harlow said. “And if they are, then they’re not the kind of guy you want to marry.”
“Exactly! But I can’t change the fact that I come from a wealthy family, just like he can’t change where he’s from,” Maisie reasoned.
“So how do you want to handle it?” Lexi asked. “You know, if you both decided that you’re ready to take that next step?”
“I’d love for us to go and look at rings together. We have some joint accounts now, and I just think when he’s ready, it’s something we should do as a couple. You know, picking out a ring.”
