“Oh, goodness!”
Riley’s eyes flew open at the sound of her mother’s voice. “Mom!” She’d been so lost in Josh, she’d forgotten that anyone could walk in. She had Josh’s shirt up around his shoulders, her legs around his waist. She tried to shimmy out of Josh’s arms, but he moved carefully, slowing her down, and she knew he was being careful because of the baby. She loved him for it, but with her mother turning bright red and her father sauntering into the kitchen behind her, she really needed to put some space between them. Her parents didn’t need to see her practically tearing off Josh’s clothes.
“I’m sorry,” her mother said with a knowing grin that unsettled Riley even more. “We knocked, but no one answered.”
“We were…um…just…” Nearly going at it right here in the kitchen! Riley frantically smoothed her top and tried to blink away the lust fog from her brain. The fact that Josh was rearranging his shirt to hide his hard-on wasn’t making it any easier.
Josh kissed her cheek, smiling in that easy way that usually made her sigh—but this time it just felt unfair. How did he remain calm every single time something went awry?
“We were making out,” he said without apology. “But we’ll all pretend we weren’t.”
Her mother laughed. “Why on earth would we pretend that? Love is a beautiful thing.” Her mother stepped forward and hugged Josh, while Riley tried to get over feeling like a naughty teenager caught behind the bleachers.
“Come over here, sunshine.” Her father pulled her into a warm embrace. He was tall and slim, so different from Josh’s father, quieter, too. He held her for a long moment, then kissed the top of her head and greeted Josh while her mother hugged the daylights out of her.
“I’m sorry we’re so late,” her mother said. “One thing after another went wrong when we were trying to get out of the house. Then we got halfway here and realized we had forgotten our bags. So we had to drive back home and get them. I swear my brain has gone on vacation.”
“I’m sorry it was such a hassle, but I’m glad you’re here,” Riley said. “You can help me finish making the cake.”
“I have to admit,” her father said. “I was a little worried that because of your social status in the city, you’d feel pressure to give the public what they so obviously want. I’m glad you went with an intimate gathering.”
“It was an easy decision for us, although it wasn’t easy avoiding the cameras.” Josh put his arm around Riley and kissed her temple. “But it was worth the sneaking around to get the wedding we both wanted.”
“Have you heard from Jake or the others since you left the Bahamas?” her mother asked.
“Yes. As a matter of fact, Jake called earlier and said he let it leak to the press that Riley and I came down with food poisoning,” Josh said, surprising Riley. “We are supposedly holed up in the honeymoon suite at the resort right this very second.”
She’d like to be holed up with Josh somewhere despite how happy she was to see them.
“It’s a shame your extended family couldn’t be together,” her mother said. “You could have had a triple wedding.”
“It would have been nice to have everyone together, and we talked about it, but we really didn’t want the chaos that came along with it,” Riley explained. “Just getting out of the Bahamas was crazy enough. I still feel guilty that everyone had to play along with our ruse.”
Josh pulled her tight against his side. “They didn’t mind. And besides, you shouldn’t feel too bad. Jake and Ross are marrying their fiancées in a double ceremony tomorrow at the resort.”
“I know, but still.” When they’d put the ruse together, Josh’s cousins Jake and Ross had decided it was silly to waste a gorgeous wedding venue. They and their fiancées didn’t seem to mind a little publicity.
Jade, Savannah, and Lacy came into the kitchen with Max and Brianna on their heels.
“You made it!” Jade hugged Riley’s mother, which started a flurry of eager greetings.
Josh kissed Riley and whispered, “I think I’ll save your dad from the estrogen overload and take him out back with the guys.” He pulled her into his arms and kissed her.
Riley wound her arms around his neck. “This is our last night as a unmarried couple. I had fun doing the dishes with you.”
“Baby, I’d do so much more with you if we had privacy. Maybe we should ditch these guys and find a quiet coatroom.” A spark of heat flared in his eyes.
“We do have an affinity for coatrooms.” She and Josh had snuck into a coatroom at Christos to fool around the night Josh proposed.
His hands slid to her butt and he squeezed. “I have an affinity for you, babe. In the coatroom, the boardroom, the bedroom, the dining room…” He kissed her again, long and lovingly, and it was so good to be in his arms, having her wits about her this time, she didn’t mind that her parents were in the room. She could control herself.
For a little while, anyway.
IT WAS AFTER eleven, and the men had turned in already in preparation for the early-rising babies. There was no way the girls would be up early, since they were all spending the night together in the biggest suite at the resort. Riley told them they didn’t have to sleep in the same room with her, but they insisted. Not only that, they moved mattresses to the floor with fluffy pillows and blankets, like a giant sleepover. Even her mother said she was going to stay with them, for most of the night, anyway. Riley couldn’t wait. As ridiculous as it sounded, she was excited to have this time alone with the girls. They’d broken out the wine and the box of brownies Elisabeth had given Riley, and everyone was sipping the good stuff and chowing down. Except Riley. She couldn’t drink because of her pregnancy, and after the ganache fiasco, she was too nervous about preparing the cake to even think about eating.
They’d finally stopped chatting long enough to frost the cakes with the jam Charlotte had given them. They’d used several jars, and Riley was pleased with the addition to the recipe. She kneaded the fondant until it was the perfect consistency, just as Molly had taught her to do, and now they were taking turns rolling four portions of fondant to frost each layer of the cake.
“What do you think Hal did to keep his sons from turning into self-centered jerks?” Max stood in the open doorway, looking out over the deck. “Because whatever it is, I want to do it with Dylan. I hate jerky guys.”
Jade laughed and grabbed another brownie. “You mean because of their good looks, or as I like to call it, the ‘Braden curse’? Haven’t you learned that Hal’s influence is bigger than any curse could ever be?”
“Hey, way to leave me out. I’m a Braden, too,” Savannah complained, stuffing another piece of brownie in her mouth.
“And gorgeous as the day is long,” Riley said.
“Aw, thanks almost-sis-in-law.” Savannah gave her a sticky kiss on her cheek. “Dad would never have put up with us being jerks, but my brothers had their moments. While I was a perfect angel,” she said with an air of sarcasm.
“Looks don’t make the jerk. Jerks make the jerk.” Lacy laughed at her own joke. “Sometimes I try to imagine Dane bald.”
Max laughed, and a piece of brownie shot out of her mouth, causing an uproar of hysterical laughter.
“Shh,” Riley said. “Everyone’s sleeping.”
“It wouldn’t matter if Jack were bald. I’d still be all over him.” Savannah opened a cabinet and pulled out a bag of chips. As she dumped them into a bowl, Brianna grabbed two and put them on either side of her brownie. Savannah arched a brow.
“What?” Brianna took a bite of the chip-brownie sandwich. With a mouthful, she said, “Sweet and salty is the bomb.”
At that, Savannah and Max each piled chips on their brownies and stuffed them into their mouths, emitting a loud, “Mm.”
“I’d like to add ‘Banks curse’ to that, please,” Riley’s mother said. “My hubby might not be rugged, but he’s strong in all the ways that matter, and I adore him.”
Riley looked up from the fo
ndant she was working with, feeling thankful for the love in her mother’s voice. There was a time when she thought her parents had a less-than-passionate marriage. Her mother had explained that in any marriage desires waxed and waned, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t a good marriage that was full of love and commitment. When those amorous feelings waned, she and Riley’s father worked harder to rekindle the passion. Riley couldn’t imagine ever not getting all revved up by merely catching sight of her smoking-hot fiancé, but if that time ever came, she hoped they could take a page from her mother’s marriage book and rekindle the spark rather than let it go out.
“He’s definitely on the list, Mrs. B,” Jade said, handing the roller to Lacy so she could take her turn rolling the fondant. “I need to get another brownie and try it with chips. Want one?”
“Of course. Everyone knows you can’t have just one.” Lacy began rolling the fondant.
“Mrs. B,” Jade said as she made two chip-brownie sandwiches. “Your man is as cursed as the rest of them, and I adore him, too. Even if he was a little strict with my girl Riley when she was younger.”
“Let’s not relive my teen years,” Riley pleaded. “Besides, it’s time to finish the cake, and I’m sure I need all hands on deck for this one.”
“You mean you don’t want to remember how you pined for Josh every minute of the day?” Jade asked.
The girls and her mother gathered around the table, licking their fingers and nibbling on chips.
Riley figured she must be really on edge, because all she could hear was one smacking noise after another. “I didn’t pine.”
Her mother’s brows lifted over amused eyes.
Riley sighed. “Whatever. Maybe there was a little pining going on, but I don’t think it was that obvious.”
Savannah giggled.
“Was it that obvious?” Lacy stuffed her brownie into her mouth, making her cheeks puffy.
“You look like a chipmunk hoarding nuts,” Max pointed out.
“I bet Dane has big nuts,” Brianna said with a laugh, then smacked her hand over her mouth like she couldn’t believe she’d said that.
“Bree! My mother is in the room!” Riley reminded her.
“Sorry,” Bree mumbled from behind her hand, but there was no hiding the laughter coming from her and from Max.
“Oh, honey,” her mother said, picking up a crumb from the now empty brownie box and licking it off her fingers. “I like nuts just as much as any other woman does.”
Riley felt her cheeks burn. “Mom. That is not something I need to know about you.”
“Thinking about my parents doing dirty stuff isn’t a great visual,” Jade said, and quickly added, “Not that you aren’t hot, Mrs. B. It’s just—”
“Trust me.” Her mother took a gulp of her wine. “When you get to be my age, it’s not about how hard the body is. It’s about if the body has the ability to get hard.”
“Mom!” Mortified, Riley took her mother’s wineglass and set it on the counter. “I think you’ve had enough. Your eyes are glassy. How much have you had to drink?”
Her mother grabbed the glass and waved Riley off. “Since when did you become so prudish, Riley Roo? It’s your pre-wedding night. Live a little.”
“Ohmygod.” Riley rolled her eyes.
“Riley’s not a prude, Mrs. B,” Max said. “She’s as naughty as the rest of them.”
“Including you,” Brianna said around a mouthful of chips.
Riley ran her eyes around the table and realized they were all eating chips. Over the fondant. “Oh my God. No, no, no. Please don’t get crumbs in the fondant.” She walked around the table gently moving each of them back a few steps. “I’m having visions of salty, chip-tasting fondant on my wedding cake. What is up with you guys? It’s like you haven’t eaten in a month. Why don’t you bring out the leftovers from dinner while you’re at it?”
Savannah’s eyes widened. “Great idea!” She and Lacy headed for the refrigerator. “Did you know there are haunted rooms here?”
“No way.” Lacy carried a plate of chicken to the counter, and Riley’s mother began cutting it up.
“Way,” Savannah said. She set a bowl of potato salad beside the chicken. “Charlotte told me that the suite we’re staying in is one of them.”
“We totally have to exorcise them,” Lacy said. “I can do that. I read about it.”
“I’m reading this book about auras,” Max said as she handed forks to each of the girls. “Kaylie Crew lent it to me, and I swear, Mrs. B, yours is violet, which fits you perfectly because you’re very wise.” Max had met Treat at her boss Chaz’s wedding. Kaylie was Chaz’s wife.
Her mom laughed. “I don’t think I’m very wise.”
“Yes, you are, Mom. You’re reading about auras, Max?” Riley asked. “That doesn’t seem like your thing.” While the girls gobbled down food like there was no tomorrow, Riley began applying the fondant.
Max spread her hands out in front of her as if she were presenting something and said, “I’m expanding my horizons.”
“What’s my aura?” Lacy patted her wild blond curls and wiggled her shoulders. “Blue? Because I love blue. Or maybe red. That means passionate, doesn’t it? That’s me.” She giggled and popped a piece of chicken into her mouth. “I’m all about passion.”
“Orange,” Max said, waving her hands like she was mimicking washing windows. “Big and orange.”
“I need air.” Savannah grabbed Brianna’s hand. “Walk with me.”
Brianna grabbed a handful of chips as Savannah dragged her out the door.
“Be careful!” Riley called after them.
“I am not orange. I look awful in orange.” Lacy paced. “Your aura detector is broken.”
“Nope. Orange,” Max said.
“Like Cheetos?” Jade asked. “Lacy, Cheetos are to die for. Maybe that’s not so bad.”
“We have to fix it!” Lacy nodded, her eyes wide and glassy. “Fix my aura, please. And why is it big? Is big good or bad?”
“Orange won’t do,” Riley’s mother said. “Big is okay…I think.”
“Fix me, please!” Lacy grabbed Max’s hand. “You have to fix it. I can’t be orange. Dane hates orange.”
As if they were speaking in some strange tongue Riley didn’t understand, the rest of them—including her mother—hurried toward the stairs with promises of new auras. And with the bowl of chips. Leaving Riley to wonder why the hell everyone had lost their minds. That must have been some potent wine they were drinking. Longing for a sip of the nectar, she glanced at her mother’s glass, and her hand drifted to her belly.
It’s worth giving up a few things for you, little one.
Remembering how quickly fondant set, she picked up her pace, applying it on top of the jam as the girls disappeared up the stairs. Riley was thankful for a little quiet so she could concentrate on making each layer perfect. She smoothed and edged and rubbed out air bubbles, then carefully stacked the layers and smoothed each one again. Once that was done, she began applying the decorative pearls around the base of the bottom two layers. She worked tirelessly, meticulously pressing each pearl into the fondant, creating waves of the tiny white and silver beads. Finally, she spelled out “R & J” on opposite sides of the second layer. When that was done, she let out a long breath, feeling as though she’d just run a marathon. How could concentrating be so exhausting?
Stepping back from the table, she admired her work. The layers weren’t entirely even, and there was a tiny pinch in the fondant that she didn’t want to wrestle with for fear of the cake toppling over. Even still, her gift to Josh was done, and it looked pretty damn good. All that was left was placing the small red, pink, and white rose bouquet she’d had Jade bring with her on the top of the cake, and a few sweetheart roses on the layers to really bring it to life.
In the quiet of the kitchen, with the cool mountain air streaming in through the open door, she washed her hands and caught a peek of the canopied altar Josh and the others ha
d built. It was exactly as they’d pictured it, equally elegant and casual, and bold without being overbearing. She loved knowing it was built at the hands of Josh’s family.
Built with love. Just like the cake.
Returning her attention to the cake, she splayed her hand over her belly, thinking about how much their lives were about to change. When the inevitable what ifs came, she refused to give them any credence. This was a sight she would remember forever, and she wasn’t going to allow anything to ruin it.
Wanting to capture the moment, she reached into her pocket for her phone to take pictures of the cake and the canopy and saw that she’d missed two calls and several text messages from Elisabeth. She’d silenced her phone when Finn had fallen asleep in Lacy’s arms after dinner, and she must have forgotten to turn it back on.
She quickly scrolled through the text bubbles.
Don’t eat the brownies! I accidentally gave you the medicinal brownies I made for Mrs. Phillips!
Are you there? Answer your phone!
They’re marijuana brownies!
Holy. Shit.
Riley didn’t bother reading the rest of the messages. Her eyes snapped to the empty brownie box. No wonder they were eating everything in sight. They were all high. They had the munchies! Her mind darted in a hundred directions at once, and she realized Savannah and Brianna hadn’t come back inside. Her heart raced as she ran outside and scanned the grounds. It was too dark to see very far. She hurried down the steps and called out in a hushed whisper so as not to wake anyone up.
“Bree? Savannah?” She hurried across the backyard, racing the full length of the massive resort, scanning the property and calling for them. “Savannah? Bree?”
Panic swelled in her chest with every passing second. She caught sight of movement by the lake and sprinted toward it. “Savannah? Bree?”
Hope neighed, and Riley followed the noise. The chestnut horse came into view at the water’s edge. Her big head bobbed up and down toward the water. Riley squinted into the darkness as she ran, praying they hadn’t drowned.
“Savannah? Brianna?” she shouted, not caring who she woke up.
Anything For Love Page 33