He’d seen firsthand what happened when the dreaded disease was discovered too late. He’d watched how it had eaten away at his mother, leaving behind a shell of the woman she’d once been with no treatment, no cure, no hope in sight.
“She was lucky, and it was caught early, but not as early as it could have been. My aunt was so busy running the hotel that she hadn’t been taking care of herself. She wasn’t keeping up with physicals and doctor’s appointments, and if I’d been here—”
“Don’t, Evie!” Griffin cut her off, grabbing her hand and squeezing hard, his heart breaking for the pain and worry written on her face. “Don’t take that on yourself. Be thankful that your aunt has made a full recovery and that you have this second chance. Not everybody gets one.”
He hadn’t, but this wasn’t about him or the chances he’d lost when he lost his mother. He didn’t talk about his mother. Not ever.
They’d wandered quite a distance from the hotel along a flagstone path meandering through the grounds. They walked past the arched trellis that led to the rose garden, dormant now but waiting for the first hint of spring for the leaves to turn green and the fragrant blossoms to unfurl. As they rounded the bend, Griffin realized the path had led them straight to the gazebo adorned with twinkle lights and red and gold bows along the lattice fascia.
“I used to love it here,” Evie said softly.
That was when Griffin knew. Where better to have a June wedding than at the elegant, airy gazebo nestled between the fragrant evergreens? Despite the overcast skies, the structure gleamed, its lacy scrollwork, intricate lattice and carved pillars brilliantly white against a verdant green backdrop.
“You must have a lot of good memories here.”
“I did once.” Her hand still in his, he felt her resistance, the tension telegraphing from the trembling of her slender fingers straight to his heart, but he stayed on the path toward the gazebo steps.
“Maybe it’s time to make some new ones.” He stopped shy of the first stair, waiting for Evie to make that move. Either back toward the shadow of the past or forward into a brighter future.
“It’s funny, you know,” she said so softly he could barely hear the words. “How important a role this very spot has played in all our lives. Rory and Jamison fell in love here while making some repairs on the gazebo. And this is where Alexa told Chance she was pregnant.”
New beginnings for her cousins at the very spot where her own dreams had ended. “You know what else it is?” At the slight shake of her head, he said, “This is the place where you kiss me for the very first time.”
“We’ve already kissed. Or don’t you remember?”
The bridal shop dressing room with mirrors on every side, a kaleidoscope of reflected images of Evie in his arms, her eyes dark with passion, her lips parted for his kiss... How could he not remember?
His voice rough with desire, Griffin promised, “I’ll never forget. But I kissed you.”
“I didn’t realize we were keeping score.”
Good thing, he thought vaguely as Evie set her slender foot on the first step. The added height brought her mouth level with his. As her lips brushed against his, any hope of playing by her rules fell by the wayside, and Griffin knew he was already lost.
Her fingers were cool against the heated skin at the back of his neck, and he burned even brighter when he imagined a more intimate touch. He wrapped an arm around her waist, bringing her body close to his on such a perfect level—her mouth even with his, the softness of her breasts at his chest, his hard arousal against the juncture of her thighs.
The last thing Griffin wanted to do was to take advantage when she was in an emotionally vulnerable state. He tried keeping the kiss gentle, under control, but she was quick to remind him this was her kiss.
As her lips parted beneath his, all thoughts of control disappeared. He’d had a plane engine stall on him once, and that sensation of freefall was nothing compared to falling for Evie McClaren. But even as he let go, diving headlong into her kiss, her taste, her touch, Griffin couldn’t help thinking that this time he was going to find out what it felt like to crash and burn.
* * *
Standing in the Primrose Suite the following afternoon, Evie studied the flower arrangement on the dining table with a critical eye. “What do you think? Is it perfect?” she asked Alexa as she adjusted the cut-glass vase. “It needs to be perfect.”
“You do realize I am the bride, right?” her cousin’s fiancée asked, a small smile on her beautiful face. “I should be the one obsessing over every detail.”
“I’m not obsessing,” Evie argued, ignoring the look the other woman shot her. She shifted the arrangement again and, recognizing she’d pretty much returned the thing back to its original position, she dropped her shoulders in a sigh. “Okay, so maybe I’m obsessing.”
“As someone who’s spent too much of her life striving for perfection, trust me when I tell you it’s overrated.”
Easy for Alexa to say. Even six months pregnant, the tall, elegant blonde didn’t have a single hair out of place. Wearing a charcoal sweater dress that hugged her curves and the baby bump, which was the only weight she seemed to have gained, Alexa glanced around. “The room looks amazing, and it’s not like my grandmother hasn’t stayed here before.”
“I know. But this is your wedding. This is special... It’s important.”
“Well, I certainly think so.” Amusement filled the bride-to-be’s voice.
“For Hillcrest House, I mean.”
“Oh, of course.” Though Alexa nodded solemnly, Evie realized she was still messing with the flowers. But instead of adjusting the arrangement this way and that, she’d plucked a pale pink rosebud from the mix and held the fragrant velvet-soft petals against her nose.
Clearing her throat, Evie stuck the stem back into the vase. “I’m glad we had this room available with your grandmother arriving a day earlier than expected.”
Alexa rolled her eyes. “She’d insisted she wanted her chauffeur to drive her, but now she wants to fly. So thank goodness for Griffin.”
“For Griffin?”
“Didn’t he tell you?”
“He mentioned running some kind of prewedding errand today.” Or, at least, Evie thought he’d said something of the sort.
She’d never intended to open up about Eric’s betrayal the way she had yesterday. She liked to think she’d closed the door on a time in her life that made her feel stupidly foolish and naive. But she hadn’t left the past behind at all—something Griffin had forced her to recognize.
In trying to slam the door to her past shut, she’d ended up trapping herself inside. When it came to taking that first step into the gazebo, the first step in truly facing Eric’s betrayal, Griffin hadn’t forced her at all. He’d simply stood by her side, encouraging her, waiting for her, believing in her.
The exhilarating rush of freedom had left her giddy and light-headed. Or maybe that had been the result of Griffin’s kiss. Or was it her kiss since, as he’d pointed out, she was the one to kiss him?
But the moment her lips touched his, Evie hadn’t cared who kissed who first or where one kiss ended and the next began. All she knew was that she never wanted to stop. And if Griffin had pressed, even a little, she would have been tempted to take him back to the cottage, where they could have made even more memories without the distraction of clothes getting in the way.
Instead, he had gradually and reluctantly pulled back. Or so she’d thought at the time. But when he’d made the comment about being busy with the upcoming wedding, Evie couldn’t help but wonder if that hadn’t been some kind of brush-off. Uncertainty had pushed its way to the forefront of her mind, crowding out the memories of the kiss with doubts and second thoughts.
At the sound of Alexa’s grateful laugher, Evie turned her focus back to the conversation. “It’s a bit more than an errand.
Due to my grandmother’s last-minute change of plans, she wasn’t able to book her normal pilot and my grandmother can be...particular. Fortunately Griffin volunteered to pick her up. He isn’t exactly leaping tall buildings in a single bound, but he is flying in to save the day. Or at least flying down to LA.”
“He’s... Oh, well. That is something, isn’t it?” Evie had thought little of Griffin’s ability. Flying planes had seemed to her like another way of flaunting the privileges that came with his family’s wealth. Fast planes, fast cars, fast women...
Alexa’s imperious eightysomething grandmother Virginia did not exactly make it into that category. And maybe, just maybe, the wealthy playboy role didn’t fit Griffin as well as Evie thought it had a few days ago.
“Griffin’s a good guy. One of the best.”
Despite the lighthearted comment, Evie didn’t miss Alexa’s weighted sidelong glance. She could sense the other woman digging to see how deep Evie’s feelings ran when she was unwilling to even scrape the surface.
“Alexa—”
“I know. I know. I’m sticking my nose where it doesn’t belong. But Griffin’s my best friend and has been for years, so that makes this my business, don’t you think?”
“I think Griffin’s probably dated plenty of women during all those years of friendship. His heart seems to have stayed very much intact.”
“True, but don’t fool yourself, Evie,” Alexa advised gently. “Just because he keeps his heart well guarded, that doesn’t mean it won’t break. After all, aren’t the most fragile things the ones we do our best to protect?”
* * *
As Evie spent the next hour preparing for Virginia Mayhew’s arrival—making sure the chef had a list of specially requested meals, that they had her favorite tea on hand, that a car and driver would be available as needed—she told herself she didn’t have time to think of her conversation with Alexa. She was far too busy to give a second thought to the absurd idea that Griffin James might be falling for her.
After all, they had a plan. One that came with a very specific set of rules. Rule number one: do not fall in love. Rule number two: do not fall in love. It was ridiculous to think that Griffin’s heart was in any danger—least of all from her.
But when her phone sounded with his text later that afternoon, the skip in her heartbeat had little to do with the news that Alexa’s grandmother had arrived.
Adjusting the hem of her short burgundy jacket and smoothing her hands down the matching skirt, Evie put on her most professional smile. As she stepped into the lobby, she took a moment to try to view the elegant entrance with a critical eye. The way a woman like Virginia Mayhew might.
Instead, Evie found herself noticing the Christmas decorations Rory kept adding—the red-and-white poinsettia floral arrangements on the concierge desk, a few ribbon-trimmed sprigs of mistletoe hanging from the walnut-paneled ceiling. As if they were drawn to the very air of romance, everywhere she looked, Evie saw couples matched up together. Checking in at the front desk, talking with the concierge, glancing through the brochures touting the Holly and Vine event that evening...
One pair in particular caught Evie’s attention. She watched as Trisha stopped Aaron on his way back to the kitchen. The brief moment could have been nothing more than another argument over mushrooms, but Evie doubted it. Tension fairly sizzled between the two, and as Trisha tossed her head and met Aaron’s scrutiny with a glare, Evie recognized a woman fighting her own attraction.
She should. The battle was one she was all too familiar with...and one she was close to losing.
Shaking off the thought, Evie turned her focus back to where it should have been and scanned the lobby again. As she finally spotted Alexa’s grandmother, she couldn’t help but smile. Not her professional, pasted-on smile, but a genuine tugged-straight-from-her-heartstrings smile.
With his arm supporting the austere octogenarian, Griffin slowed his typical take-charge stride to match her more careful steps. He bent his head to take a few inches off his impressive height and stoop closer to Virginia’s level. Although he nodded in all seriousness at what looked to be a dressing-down by the older woman, Evie didn’t miss the spark in his eyes. Not as he looked down at Alexa’s grandmother and not when he glanced up and winked at Evie.
“Mrs. Mayhew.” Striding over to greet the woman, Evie added, “Welcome back to Hillcrest House. We have our finest suite ready for you if you’d like to relax after your trip.”
“I doubt I could possibly relax after that dreadful flight.”
“Oh, come on, Mrs. M. I only took the plane into a death spiral twice, and you know you loved it.”
“Griffin,” Evie muttered in warning beneath her breath. After all the years of friendship between Griffin and Alexa, the elderly woman was no doubt familiar with his humor, but this wasn’t the impression Evie wanted to make.
“Pay no attention to him, Ms. McClaren. He’s been impossible ever since he was a young boy.” Despite the woman’s words, Evie saw a hint of fondness in Virginia Mayhew’s faded blue eyes. “Now, if you would show me to my room, perhaps I will take a few moments to lie down after my near-death experience.”
Undaunted, Griffin leaned in to kiss the woman’s lined cheek. “As always, thank you for flying Griffin Air.” Turning to Evie, he said, “I’ll see you tonight.” At her blank look, he added, “At Holly and Vine. From the sound of things, there’s going to be quite a turnout. I’m sure everyone will be expecting us to go.”
“Oh, right.” Evie hadn’t thought of asking Griffin to attend with her since she hadn’t planned to make more than a five-minute appearance at the Hillcrest House booth. But Griffin was right. Between the shops staying open late on Main Street and the Christmas festival in the square, the whole town would be on hand. “I’ll see you tonight.”
As he brushed his lips against her cheek as well, he murmured, “And anytime you want me to show you the friendly skies, just say the word.”
When she turned her attention away from Griffin’s retreating figure, Virginia Mayhew was watching closely, an elegant eyebrow arched in disapproval.
“Right this way, Mrs. Mayhew.” As Evie led the woman down the hallway to the Primrose Suite, she said, “We have you in the same suite as last time.”
As they stepped inside, Virginia barely spared the room a glance before turning her somewhat intimidating focus back to Evie. “You should know that I wanted Alexa to get married at my estate. Southern California is beautiful this time of year.”
Southern California was beautiful anytime of year; that was what made it Southern California. “We’re all thrilled that she chose Hillcrest House. And considering your granddaughter is marrying the wedding coordinator’s brother, I assure you the ceremony has been planned down to the tiniest detail.”
“With such an important event, I would hate to think your attention might be split due to certain...distractions.”
Perfect. What was it about the Primrose Suite that made Mayhew women think they needed to offer advice on Evie’s relationship with Griffin? “Mrs. Mayhew—”
“You should know Griffin has never been the settling-down type. I’ve seen how women throw themselves at him. After all, he’s handsome, charming...rich. But Griffin isn’t a man to get serious about. Not when he isn’t serious about anything.”
Evie sucked in a deep breath, trying to cool the heat rising inside her. It shouldn’t have bothered her as much as it did. Not after the older woman’s careless dismissal of Hillcrest House. Not when Virginia had lumped Evie in with the scores of women who would shamelessly chase after the wealthy, eligible bachelor.
It shouldn’t have been Virginia Mayhew’s criticism of Griffin that had Evie fighting to hold on to her temper. After all, she’d accused him of the very same thing. But wasn’t she also starting to realize she’d misjudged him?
“Griffin does like to joke around.”
Was Alexa right? Was Griffin’s outwardly carefree attitude some kind of defense mechanism? Not a superficial response because he didn’t care, but a carefully thought-out deflection to keep people from learning he cared too deeply?
“But that doesn’t mean he isn’t serious when it comes to the people close to him. People like Alexa. I doubt there’s anything he wouldn’t do for her.” Meeting Virginia’s eyes, Evie added, “Like making an unexpected round-trip flight so that her grandmother is in the front row when Alexa says ‘I do.’”
Chapter Ten
Downtown Clearville had pulled out all the stops for the first annual Holly and Vine event. The shops along Main Street sported green, red and white awnings over every door, and the windows were decorated with wreaths and silver bells. Every tree along either side of the street was wrapped in hundreds of twinkling lights, and silver stars and snowflake ornaments glittered in the branches. Christmas carols and laughter surrounded Evie as she made her way toward the town square. Everywhere she turned, couples strolled hand in hand. The very air around her smelled like hot cocoa and roasted, cinnamon-sugar-coated nuts.
“Sweets for a sweet.” Sliding a hand around her waist, Griffin held out a star-shaped chocolate lollipop.
“No one thinks I’m sweet,” Evie protested, though she couldn’t resist a smile as she accepted the treat and bit off a corner.
“Maybe no one’s kissed you like I have.”
There was no maybe about it. No one kissed her, teased her, annoyed her, emboldened her, the way Griffin did. Holding up the lollipop for him, Evie said, “I’m pretty sure last time I kissed you.”
The flirtatious challenge coming from her lips sounded nothing like her, but Evie wasn’t surprised. She didn’t feel like the same person. At least, not like the same person she’d been since her broken engagement. Being with Griffin, telling him about Eric when she hadn’t even told her family or friends the real reason behind the breakup, had freed something inside her.
Their Yuletide Promise Page 10