A Winter Wedding

“Wow. Sounds like she’s already told you what’s going on—and you’re protective of her,” Brandon said.

Kyle scowled. “I’m just trying to give her the space and privacy she requested.”

“Is she here by herself?” Callie asked.

Grateful for the distraction, he moved his attention away from Brandon and Olivia as he nodded.

“Oh, no!” she exclaimed. “Don’t tell me she and Derrick have broken up.”

“You know her boyfriend’s name?” Kyle said. “You really are a fan.”

Callie pressed a hand to her swollen stomach. He got the impression her baby was moving, but she didn’t say so. She was too caught up in his news. “Anyone who follows her on Twitter knows Derrick’s name. For a while there, they were talking about getting married. She even posted a few pictures of various engagement rings she liked. But he hasn’t given her one yet—not that she’s revealed, anyway. What’s going on?”

Kyle shrugged. “Every relationship has its ups and downs.”

Eve frowned at him. “Really? That’s all you’re going to say?”

“I’m trying to be discreet.”

“With us?” Callie acted wounded.

He sighed. “They’re having some problems, okay? Just like you’ve guessed.”

“Is that why she came here?” Callie asked. “To get away from him?”

Shit. He’d already said too much. “No. She’s here on business, to write her next album. She needs peace and quiet. So...let’s all keep our mouths shut.”

Callie shifted again. She was obviously at the uncomfortable stage of pregnancy. “Is this a country album?”

“Of course,” he replied. “Why wouldn’t it be?”

“Because her last one wasn’t, and it didn’t do very well.” Cheyenne lifted her chubby baby from his carrier. “As far as I’m concerned, it was too much of a departure from what made her famous.”

“I haven’t heard it,” Kyle said, and several others, mostly the guys, said the same.

“It was more...pop,” Cheyenne explained as Dylan helped her ready a bottle.

“I didn’t like it as much as her other work, either,” Addy agreed. “And I love pop music. Lourdes Bennett is just more...authentic as a country artist, if that makes sense.”

“You listen to her, too?” Kyle asked.

“Don’t you?” she replied.

“I’ve heard a few of her songs on the radio, but it’s not like I’ve ever downloaded them onto my iPod.”

Addy wadded up a napkin and dropped it on her empty side plate. “Is she as pretty in person as she is in her pictures?”

“I think so.” That was the truth, but Kyle said it nonchalantly so he wouldn’t give away how strong his feelings actually were on that subject. Then, eager to avoid all the attention he was receiving, he checked the order line at the register. It had been winding out the door when he arrived. He still needed to get his coffee and a muffin but had been trying to outwait the rush.

“She must really be something.” The tone of Addy’s voice said she wasn’t fooled. “And she’s staying at the farmhouse? That’s very close to your place.”

“I suggest you see if she needs dinner out occasionally,” Noah chimed in, catching on to the implication.

“Or, better yet, you might want to bring dinner in,” Dylan joked.

The line hadn’t shortened. If anything, it’d gotten longer, and Kyle wasn’t willing to wait, not when he could have Morgan bring him a cup of coffee once he started work. “Why hold off until dinner? She’s at my house right now, not the farmhouse. I could bring her breakfast.” He knew better than to get them excited but couldn’t resist having a little fun.

Eve put her coffee down so fast it sloshed over the side. “So she did break up with her boyfriend.”

“No.”

“Then what’s she doing at your house?” Riley asked.

“She was sleeping when I left,” he replied, pushing the joke a bit further.

“Holy shit!” Brandon exclaimed. “You spent the night with Lourdes Bennett?”

“Kyle, you should be more careful!” Eve warned. “You don’t want an angry boyfriend to come calling.”

Having provoked the reaction he’d been looking for, Kyle lifted a hand. “I’m just messing with you guys.”

Brandon did a double take. “So she’s not at your house?”

“She is, but strictly for practical reasons. We couldn’t get the heat to come on in the farmhouse yesterday, and I didn’t want her to freeze to death. So I let her stay in one of my spare bedrooms.”

“She agreed to that?” Noah asked. “She went home with you?”

He shrugged. “I offered to get her a room at Eve’s B and B but she wouldn’t hear of it.”

“What’s wrong with my B and B?” Eve demanded. “It’s the best in town—no matter what A Room With A View has done to steal my business.”

“It had nothing to do with your B and B,” Kyle said. “She wouldn’t go to A Room With A View, either. She doesn’t want to be seen in public, needs a break from all that, like I told you.”

Brandon clapped him on the back. “Lucky you. She’s rich and famous. I say you help her forget this Derrick dude. Sweep her off her feet.”

Of course Brandon would say that. He had to be tired of trying to ignore the fact that his brother was in love with his wife.

Ted Dixon, a bestselling novelist who took a more measured approach to everything, moved the sugar packets closer to Levi. “Do you like her?”

“I do. Surprisingly, she’s as nice as she is pretty.” Kyle couldn’t help wondering if Olivia cared that he was admiring another woman. He was ashamed for even having that thought; it was the kind of thing that had made him start avoiding family events. He’d once believed that, with time, he’d get over her, and all the weirdness would go away. But after six years, the feelings themselves hadn’t gone anywhere. He just felt worse for having them.

Dylan dusted the crumbs of his muffin from his hands. “Then I’d say she’s fair game.”

Kyle waved them off. “She’s only staying in town for a few months. And I’m sure she’ll stick with Derrick in the end. He’s perfect for her.”

“In what way?” Eve asked. “You haven’t met him, too, have you?”

“No, but he works with her, understands the music business, supports her career, doesn’t mind the travel. I want...something else.” He stretched out his legs and crossed them at the ankles, hoping he’d said enough to put an end to the subject. “Don’t we have some things to go over for the wedding?” He grinned at Riley. “Like who’ll be performing the ceremony?”

“Riley said you’re doing it,” Brandon replied, and, fortunately, the conversation moved on from there. They discussed other aspects of the wedding, how to make the most of the “winter wonderland” theme, how they’d all help set up and when they should schedule the bachelor and bachelorette parties. Once they’d hammered out those details, Noah said he’d heard that Baxter would be moving back before Christmas for sure, so they used Noah’s phone to call him and put him on speaker. He told them his last day of work was supposed to be the fifteenth, but even if he didn’t get moved right away, he could easily make the bachelor party on the twenty-third—good news.

Fortunately, no one mentioned to Baxter that Lourdes Bennett was in town, so Kyle didn’t have to swear yet another person to secrecy.

As soon as they hung up, he stood.

“You getting your muffin?” Brandon jerked his head toward the cash register to signify that the line was shorter.

“Yeah,” Kyle said, “but I’m getting it to go. I’ve got a lot to do.”

Brandon’s eyebrows shot up. “You’re leaving already?”

“Busy day ahead. I have to get the guy who installed the HVAC system in the farmhouse to fix it before the weekend.”

“Why rush to have it repaired?” Riley gave him a meaningful grin. “If you like having Lourdes Bennett at your place, you could always have the HVAC guy come on Monday.”

Kyle rolled his eyes. “She’s not my type.”

“What do you mean, she’s not your type?” Ted asked. “You said you like her.”

“She’s probably only twenty-eight or twenty-nine, so I’ve got a few years on her. And I wouldn’t want her kind of life,” he explained.

“Maybe she’ll retire,” Eve said.

Kyle scowled at her. “Are you kidding? She’s had a good taste of fame. It’s in her blood.”

“I can understand why you’d hesitate,” Dylan said. “I wouldn’t want to be with someone who’s in the public eye. Gail and Simon handle it well, but I’m too private. I like being in my own space and not having to travel all the time. And I’d hate it if Cheyenne was always gone.”

“I wouldn’t like it if Phoenix was gone a lot, either,” Riley admitted.

Eve pushed her coffee cup away. “It takes a special kind of person to handle the challenges that come with having your spouse in such demand. You have to be able to share him or her.”

“Not an easy thing,” Sophia said.

“Then I’m glad we all agree.” But whether they agreed or not, after Noelle, Kyle understood his limitations.

He checked his watch. “Great to see everyone. I’d better roll.”

“Thanks for giving Noelle that water heater.” Olivia spoke before he could walk away. “That was really nice of you.”

What Noelle had done to get him to marry her had driven a wedge between her and Olivia for years. But last Christmas they’d made inroads toward rebuilding their relationship, and although it must have taken a great deal of patience, understanding and forgiveness on Olivia’s part (that was the case with anyone who had to put up with Noelle), they were acting more like sisters now than ever. Kyle was relieved there’d been progress in that area, at least.

“It was nothing,” he said, shrugging off her thanks. Although she claimed she’d forgiven him, and he’d been the one left hurting the longest, she had to be thinking he got what he deserved—having to put up with Noelle’s shit all the time.

“If you decide to have a Christmas party so we can all come over and meet Lourdes, let us know,” Callie joked.

“I don’t even have a tree,” he said.

Eve beamed up at him. “You’ve seen my B and B at Christmastime. I can fix that.”

“We’ll see if the opportunity arises.” He loved getting together with his friends on Friday. But ever since Brandon and Olivia had started joining them, that weekly ritual had become a form of torture. So the moment he stepped outside, he took a deep breath, as relieved to get on with his day as he’d been eager to come.

* * *

Lourdes was just getting out of the shower when Kyle returned. She hadn’t been able to fit everything she’d wanted to bring to California in her suitcase and didn’t have a robe with her, so he caught her in nothing but a towel as she walked down the hall to her room. His eyes swept over her, obviously taking note of her near nudity, but he didn’t make her feel threatened in any way, or even particularly self-conscious. He acted as if it wasn’t any big deal—as if they were roommates and seeing her like this was a common occurrence.

Lourdes didn’t know whether to be relieved that he respected appropriate boundaries, or disappointed that he didn’t seem compelled to push beyond them. It was a strange reaction on her part—evidence of the state of her self-esteem. Now that she was losing her grip on everything she’d once had, she wanted to be reassured that she still had the ability to attract a handsome man—especially one who didn’t care about her fame. There was something stimulating about that alone.

Or maybe she just didn’t want to admit that she was attracted to Kyle. She wasn’t sure how that could be possible when she was in love with someone else...

“Brought you some breakfast.” He held up a sack with a logo that said Black Gold Coffee. “I’ll put it on the counter for when you’re dressed.”

“That was nice of you.” Her eyes were red and swollen again. But she made no excuses, and he pretended not to notice. He understood what she was going through. He hadn’t told her much about his life when they were talking last night, but he had said he was in love with a woman he’d dated for two years—who was now married to his stepbrother. That had to involve some pain.

“No problem,” he said. “I have some bad news, though. So...when you’re ready, why don’t you come out and we can talk about it.”

“Just a sec.” She hurried into her room and pulled on the sweats she’d been wearing yesterday. She would’ve liked to dry her hair; it was dripping down her back. But she was too eager to hear Kyle’s bad news so that she could determine if she had a new crisis to worry about. These days she wouldn’t be surprised if someone had gone to repair the HVAC in her rental and discovered black mold, which would mean she’d have to find some other safe haven—without Derrick’s help.

She would’ve had time to make herself presentable, however. When she found Kyle in the kitchen, he was on a business call.

Instead of going back to dry her hair, she sat down. Besides coping with a great deal of anger, she was so busy vacillating between determination to overcome Derrick’s defection and the most debilitating discouragement she’d ever experienced that she didn’t have enough energy to obsess over her hair and clothes.

“What’s going on?” she asked as soon as he hung up.

He pushed the sack he’d brought home closer to her. “I bought the HVAC unit for the farmhouse from Owen’s Heating & Air. I called them not long after they opened this morning, but Owen was already on a big job in Stockton.”

“Stockton’s what...an hour away?”

“That’s about right. But he doubts he’ll get back before late this evening, and he’s taking his wife to Lake Tahoe for the weekend to celebrate her birthday.”

Relieved that this was only about getting the furnace fixed and not the house itself, she removed a cardboard cup of coffee from the bag, along with a cheese Danish, a bagel and a blueberry muffin. “Is this all for me?”

“Yeah. I wasn’t sure which one you’d like.”

“Unfortunately, I like them all.” She was sad enough to eat them all, too. If she wasn’t careful, she’d gain so much weight while she was here that she wouldn’t fit into any of the clothes she wore when she performed.

A little something extra to worry about...

“Did you hear what I said about Owen’s Heating & Air?” he asked.

“I did. You’re telling me I won’t have heat until Monday.”

“I’m sorry. I could call a few other companies, but even those places will probably tell me it’ll be the first of the week before they can get a tech out here. I figure if that’s the case, we might as well wait for Owen. He should guarantee his work.” He bent his head to peer into her face. “I hope you’re not too upset...”

She’d probably lost the man she’d expected to spend the rest of her life with and, unless she could come up with a Hail Mary pass, she was looking at the demise of her career. Waiting a couple of days to have heat in her rental seemed like a fairly minor problem by comparison. “I’m not.” She felt him watching her while she tried the coffee. “This is good.”

“Glad you like it. No one has better coffee than Black Gold. So...what do you want to do? Again, I’m happy to pay for a bed-and-breakfast. But you’re perfectly welcome to stay here until I get the furnace working.”

She didn’t care to go anywhere else, wasn’t convinced—in her current state—that she’d be able to summon a brave smile for the strangers she might encounter. Besides, the prospect of hanging out at Kyle’s place a bit longer didn’t sound unpleasant. He had a clean, comfortable house with plenty of room. And, considering her situation with Derrick, it might actually be helpful to have the right kind of company. She didn’t want to break down and call Derrick. Last night, during their final conversation, she’d told him not to contact her again unless he passed Crystal on to some other manager. She was afraid she’d be more prone to give in if she was staying on her own. “It’s only for the weekend,” she said. “As long as you can put up with me, I should be fine.”

He seemed surprised. “You’d rather stay here?”

She nodded. “Having someone to talk to last night... That helped,” she said. “But don’t worry. I won’t keep crying on your shoulder.”

“Did you have the chance to work things out with Derrick?”

“No. But I did what I felt I had to do.”

He didn’t ask, although she could tell he was wondering, so she said, “I’ve put everything on hold for now, until he decides how he feels about Crystal.”

“He admitted being involved with her?”

“No. He’d never admit that. I didn’t want to tell you earlier, but...he cheated on his wife when he was married. With an intern who works at one of the major record labels.”

“He was married?”

“Yes, but it didn’t last long.” She’d believed him when he’d told her how demanding his wife had been, how he’d been so frustrated and unhappy and how things had unintentionally gotten out of control when that intern had started flirting with him. Now she felt like an idiot. Was it a onetime mistake, as he’d said? Or was he a serial cheater, more to blame for his divorce than he’d ever taken responsibility for?

Kyle had indicated that his marriage hadn’t lasted long, either, but he made no mention of that now. “Was it the cheating that broke them up?”

“Who can really say what goes on in a marriage? I only have his side. I can tell you that his ex is still bitter about it, though.”

“So you know he’s had at least one extramarital affair.”

“Yes, and I don’t care how many times he swears he’s a changed man, something is going on. I can feel the difference in him. So unless he’s willing to let go of Crystal completely, I can’t stay with him.”

“I admire you for taking a stand.”

“If I was the one he wanted, he’d make it plain. There wouldn’t be all this suspicion and angst and heartbreak, right?”

Obviously recognizing the doubt that had crept into her voice, he gave her a kind smile. “I’m sorry.”

She felt a familiar lump rise in her throat but fought the tears that went with it. “You understand how it feels, don’t you? That it hurts like hell?”

“I do.”

“Great. We have heartbreak in common.” She laughed humorlessly. “Any chance you could bring home another bottle of wine when you get off work tonight?”

“I can manage that. But will you be okay here alone?”

Did he think she might hurt herself? She hoped not, but she could see why he’d wonder. He didn’t know her well enough to determine how she might react to what she was going through. “Of course. I’ve never been suicidal, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“Good. Because you have a lot to live for. Remember your new album? It’s going to shoot you into the stratosphere. So maybe you should get started on it.”

She frowned, implying that she wasn’t too sure she could tackle such a big challenge at the moment.

“Working might take your mind off...things. Provide an outlet,” he went on.

Her feelings were too raw to be able to concentrate. She’d checked her phone before getting in the shower. Derrick hadn’t tried to reach her. She’d thought, after the way they’d ended their conversation last night, he’d call first thing this morning to say he’d told Crystal she’d have to find another manager. It was two hours later in Nashville, almost eleven. He had to be up. And yet he hadn’t even texted her.

Were they really over? After three years and the hope that they’d soon be married?

It was almost inconceivable that so much could change so fast. How could he do this to her, on top of the huge helping of disappointment she’d been served in the past year? He knew what she was dealing with, and yet he didn’t seem to care. All he could talk about—when she overheard him talking to others—was how talented Crystal was. It felt as if the whole music industry had turned its attention to Crystal and forgotten about her.

“I’ll try,” she said, but as soon as Kyle left, she barely cast her guitar a glance before crawling back into bed.

6

After a brief hello to Morgan, who updated him on how production was going in the plant, Kyle went straight to his office, closed the door and searched the internet for HVAC companies in the area. Lourdes seemed to be okay with staying at his place for a few more days. He could drop the matter, just wait for Owen to show up next week. But he suspected that wasn’t the best or smartest decision. Feeling that the man she loved was passing her over for another woman left Lourdes in a vulnerable position—and considering how his body had reacted when he saw her in that towel, he was in a vulnerable position, too. He didn’t want what had started out as a promising friendship to take a wrong turn. But there was always the threat. He’d gone without sex long enough that he was thinking about it too often and at inappropriate times and places. That wouldn’t help him maintain much discretion about who he got involved with.

His search engine pulled up quite a few heating and air-conditioning companies. Most were in Stockton, Modesto, Sacramento or the Bay Area. But he called several, despite the distance. By offering a bonus to compensate for the short notice, he figured he might convince someone to handle the job right away. The storm had already passed, so it wasn’t as if they’d have particularly bad weather to contend with.

After several tries, he reached a woman who said she’d send out a repairman. Feeling encouraged that his life would soon be back to normal, he clicked away from the list of HVAC companies and began to search various websites for information on how to legally perform a wedding in Amador County. He hadn’t even finished learning all he needed to know, however, when the receptionist for A Better HVAC Company called back to say she couldn’t arrange for a tech to drive over to Whiskey Creek, after all.

So he’d simply leave Lourdes on her own at night, he decided as he ended the call. There was no need to get any closer to her. She’d come to Whiskey Creek to be alone and to concentrate on her work. Besides, it’d been ages since he’d gone out for a drink.

But where would he go? Noelle worked at the only bar in town, so he couldn’t go there—not if he planned on enjoying himself. And if he went elsewhere, he wouldn’t know anyone.

The vision of Lourdes in that towel popped into his mind again. So he grabbed the phone on his desk and called Riley, who answered on the first ring. “Hey, man, what’s going on?”

“I’ve submitted my application to be ordained an American Marriage Minister,” Kyle announced.

“You have to become a minister? That isn’t what I understood.”

“It’s in name only. Says on the website that I don’t need any prior education or experience, and I can be of any belief or background. I don’t even have to register with the state. There seems to be one hard-and-fast rule—I have to be over eighteen.”

“It’s been a while since either of us has seen eighteen, so we’re good there,” he said wryly. “How much will it cost?”

“Nothing, and it never expires. They only charge for extra documents. There was a link that showed how to fill out a marriage license, so it can be recorded afterward. Easy.”

“That’s a relief. You won’t be nervous?”

“Why would I be nervous?” he said. He didn’t see any point in causing Riley to worry, but of course he’d be nervous. He’d never performed a marriage ceremony before and wouldn’t want to screw up Riley and Phoenix’s wedding, especially since it had taken them both so long to find happiness. Their son was a senior in high school, and they were only now getting together.

His mind reverted to Lourdes and his current dilemma. “What are you doing tonight?” he asked.

“Phoenix and I are taking her mother out to see the Christmas lights.”

“Lizzie Fuller is leaving her trailer?” That was guaranteed to be an epic event. Phoenix’s mom was a severely obese woman who’d refused to be seen in public for years and years.

“She’s not too happy about it, but with Phoenix cooking for her, she’s lost some weight. And we’ve hired a limo, which should be big enough to fit her. She has to get out of that damn trailer once in a while or she won’t be able to handle the wedding. And despite all her bluster, she doesn’t want to miss seeing her daughter say I do, even if it is to me.”