The door closes behind me, and the night air hits me like a million little needles. It’s only then that I realize that the tears have already spilled. I’m not sure what has come over me, but I know that my head is spinning and I need to sit down. I need to sit down right here and right now because my legs are givingout. I feel strong arms wrap around me, pulling me into their embrace.
“Easy, easy, are you okay?” Gavin asks, and the next thing I know I am burying my face in his chest. “What happened?”
“I don’t know. I feel like I can’t breathe,” I sob.
“It’s okay,” he shushes me gently, holding me firmly but softly against him.
“I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” I sniff, wiping my nose on my wrist and hoping I didn’t get any snot on his sweater.
“I do,” he says, and I blink tearfully, looking up at him.
“You do?” I ask.
“Well yeah. It’s obvious,” he says, and I hold my breath. Suddenly I wonder how long he’s been standing here. What did he hear? Did I say anything about Ben when I walked outside? I know I was blubbering and have a tendency to speak my thoughts aloud. Of course, I am usually alone.
“It is?” I ask.
“Yes. You have been planning every detail of this wedding and you’re exhausted,” he says.
“Oh. Yeah. I mean, yes. I’m exhausted,” I say.
“Charlotte, honey, you don’t have to feel ashamed about that. Even the best wedding planner on the planet would be overwhelmed by this one,” he smiles. I am caught by the way he called me,honey.“Sometimes having a bride who is indifferent to everything almost makes it harder. But you know what I think?” he asks.
He’s not entirely right about why I am so upset right now. He can’t because I can’t tell him the truth. I can’t tell him I want the dress Holly is wearing on her wedding day, and I certainly can’t tell him he’s my ex’s father. But I do want to know what he thinks because somehow, I believe it can make things better.
“What’s that?” I whisper as my voice becomes less shaky.
“You need a break,” he says simply, and I chuckle a little.
“Right. I don’t think it works that way. Pretty sure I’m on the clock until your son and his bride run off into the sunset.”
“Well, I’m your boss, and I say you need to take ten,” Gavin says. “I know exactly where you’re going to take it. Go put on some warm clothes and meet me back out here.”
“What are you talking about?” I ask. “It’s the middle of the night.”
“Which is why we have to hurry. The moon is finally out from behind the clouds, so the view is perfect,” he says.
“The view?” I ask, still lost.
“Warm clothes!” he says, shooing me away. With nothing else to do, I head towards my cabin to put more clothes on.
When I come back, I’m in jeans, a long sleeve, a jacket, gloves and a hat. I find Gavin in the same clothes as before, but also with a hat and gloves.
“Glad to see I didn’t overdress,” I say, but he just grabs my hand and pulls me along down the path. A moment later we come up on a snowmobile.
“Where are we going?” I ask as he helps me onto the back of it. He hops on the front. “Gavin?” I ask again.
“You might wanna hold on,” he says over his shoulder. The next thing I know, he’s turning the engine over and we are off.
I wrap my arms around him just in time not to go flying off the back. I do lose my hat in the process, though.
“Gavin!” I shriek. We head towards the slopes, and I can’t figure out where we are going or what he’s up to. When we finally come to a stop, he kills the engine, hops off, and holds out his hand.
“Don’t tell me we are going skiing again,” I say as I take his hand.
“Nope,” he says with a smirk, leading me towards the lift. I stop as if I’m cemented to the ground. “Just the lift.”
“The lift?” I ask shakily. “I think I’ll pass.”
