Risking the Crown

by Violet Paige

  Sasha appeared from behind the curtain and stepped onto a pedestal.

  “Sasha, you look amazing.” I walked toward her. Miss Maria was holding a veil to the side, ready to plant on her head.

  “Thank you. You like it?” She faced her reflection in the mirror.

  “I love it. Cal is going to go nuts when he sees you in this.” I admired her silhouette and the lines of the dress. It was made for her.

  She twirled a few times. “I think I’m ready.” She looked down from her perch. “What’s that dress? Are you going to try it on?”

  I forgot I was holding the blue gown. “I was thinking about it.”

  Miss Maria reached for the garment. “Right this way, dear. You can change in here.” She pulled back a curtain, revealing a full-length mirror and a chair. “Let me know if you need any help.” She hustled back to the bride.

  With the wedding only a few weeks away, I needed a dress to wear. I hadn’t planned on trying any on today, but when the dress speaks to you, you have to listen. I walked out to show them the dress. Mary Ellen and Sasha were laughing about something.

  “Look at you.” Mary Ellen whistled. “You have to get it.”

  Sasha smiled. “Is it for the wedding?”

  I nodded. “I think it would be perfect.”

  She agreed. “Get it. Cole will love it.”

  “All right. This is the one.”

  Sasha stepped down from the stage in front of the mirrors. “Mary Ellen and I were talking, and we have come up with an idea for tonight.”

  “What’s that?”

  Mary Ellen squealed. “We’re going to have a bonfire. Sasha said she would invite all of Cal’s friends. I might meet a cowboy after all.”

  “Sounds fun.”

  “Do you think Cole will be up for it?” Sasha asked.

  “I don’t know. His leg is still bothering him, but I’m sure we can go for a little while.”

  “Ok. It’s settled. I have a wedding dress. You have a dress to wear to the wedding, and tonight we are having a big party.” She giggled and walked to the curtain. “The bride has spoken.”

  17

  Cole

  I tightened the straps on my leg brace. The crutches leaned against the bed. I had agreed to go tonight, but I’d rather spend the night with Kaitlyn. We needed a night at home as a family.

  “What’s wrong, pretty girl?” I pulled himself up from the bed, and arranged the crutches for support. I was fucking done with these things.

  Her cheeks flushed “Nothing. I’m ready. Are you?”

  I eyed her. Something was up. “You sure? Want to cancel?”

  Her eyes widened. “What? No. We have to go.”

  “We don’t have to do anything.” My eyes lowered to her tits. I had been out of commission too long. All I wanted was to spend the night with her.

  “It will be fun,” she explained.

  “All right. But if Polly texts me for anything, I’m out.”

  She nodded. “I know. I’m going to tell Grayson good night.”

  I gave Polly instructions, kissed my son, and opened the door for Kaitlyn.

  Mary Ellen was waiting for us at the bottom of the stairs. She had walked over from the Dunes.

  “Hey, girl. Hey, Cole.”

  “Hey.” Kaitlyn hugged her when she reached the sand. “Ready to meet cowboys?”

  The fire was roaring by the time we met the crowd. There weren’t as many people as we usually had in the summer, but it was during the week and people had jobs and school.

  Sasha and Cal were standing near the coolers. “Carolina!” Cal shouted and headed in our direction.

  “Cal, this is my friend, Mary Ellen. We were roommates in college,” Kaitlyn introduced the group.

  He grinned. “Oh yeah, Sasha made me invite all my friends for you. Welcome to our little beach party.”

  Mary Ellen giggled. “Thanks for the party. Ok, point out your hottest friends.”

  Cal looked at me. I shrugged. The girl was on a mission.

  She surveyed the crowd in front of us. A small group was gathered around the speaker and another was pouring drinks into red cups.

  Mary Ellen tapped Cal on the shoulder. “Who is he?” She nodded across the fire.

  “Who invited that son of a bitch?” I started around the circle.

  “Cole, wait.” Kaitlyn tried to hold me back, but I was ready to confront Aiden.

  Mary Ellen looked at Kaitlyn. “What’s going on? Who is that guy?”

  “Trouble.”

  “Wait. Is that the uncle?” she asked.

  I anchored my crutches in the sand.

  “What in the hell are you doing here?” My eyes narrowed.

  Aiden smiled like a pirate and held up his cup. “Good party, nephew.” He chugged a few sips.

  “I asked you what you’re doing here. You’re not welcome at this party.”

  Aiden’s eyes widened. “Is that so? Because that girl over there invited me.” He pointed to a brunette I had never seen before.

  “She’s new.” I tipped forward, my chest expanding.

  “Come on, I don’t see why we can’t all just get along.” Aiden chuckled. “Kaitlyn doesn’t feel that way about me. She likes having me around.”

  I lunged forward. I didn’t care where we were. I didn’t give a shit all our friends were here. He was a fucking dick. “You think she likes the daily lists and insults you shove under the door?”

  “Aww, she knows I’m trying to help her. Right, Kaitlyn?”

  I growled, “Leave her out of this. It’s between you and me. You shouldn’t be at the Dunes and you shouldn’t be here.”

  “Look, nephew. You don’t own the whole beach or all the women.”

  The vein in my neck pulsed. He was lucky I was on crutches or I would have slugged him by now.

  “Hey, I brought a round of drinks.” Mary Ellen skipped toward us with a stack of red cups in her arms. The interruption cut the growing tension.

  “Thanks. Perfect timing.” Kaitlyn took one from her arm and held one for me.

  “I’m Mary Ellen.” She extended her hand to Aiden, her eyes glowing.

  “Aiden. Nice to meet you.” I saw the look in his eye. This was not good. “Would you be interested in a walk on the beach? My nephew and I need some space.”

  Mary Ellen looked like she might devour him on the spot. “Lead the way.”

  I watched as they walked into the dark closer to the shore, Aiden tucking a hand around Mary Ellen’s waist.

  “Damn it.” I held out the crutches to sit on one of the logs. “See what I mean about him?” I searched Kaitlyn’s eyes.

  She sat next to me.

  “He’s trying to get to you. It’s obvious. And you let him.”

  I sighed, staring into the fire. “I know. He’s got an angle. I hate angles.”

  “I think right now his angle is my friend.” She frowned.

  I took another swig of the drink. “At least it’s not you.”

  Her hand rested on my leg. I relaxed with each flick of the flames. The fire had a way of doing that for me.

  “Did I tell you I found a dress for Sasha and Cal’s wedding?” Kaitlyn asked.

  Sometimes I forgot about the wedding. “What color?” I studied her throat.

  The air between us was thick. It was hot next to the fire. She bit down on her lip.

  “It’s blue. I would probably call it Carolina blue.”

  “What about that black one you wore in Mexico?” My fingertips trailed over her hand.

  “You’ve already seen it. I wanted something different for the wedding.”

  I whispered, “I can’t wait to get rid of these crutches, and this brace.” I pulled her hand farther up my leg.

  She faced me, reading my hungry eyes.

  “Cole…” Her voice trailed off as my lips moved closer.

  “There you are!” Sasha piped in over the music.

  I sat up, straightening my leg. I grimaced every time I
moved it too fast.

  “Sorry.” Sasha laughed. “Kaitlyn, I had a quick question for you. Cole, can I steal her for a minute?”

  “No problem.” I squeezed her hand.

  The girls wandered out of earshot. I stared at the fire. A few minutes later she wandered back.

  “What was that about?” I looked at her.

  “Sasha asked me to be a bridesmaid in the wedding.”

  “Uh oh.”

  She sat.“What? Are you against bridesmaids?”

  “No, but that means you’ll have to do all the girl stuff. Showers, bachelorette party, and whatever else goes with that job. You are going to be busy between now and the wedding.”

  She looked worry. “Do you need me at home? Is it too much with Grayson? Maybe I should have talked it through first.”

  I laughed. “No, darlin’. I know it’s a big deal for you and Sasha. I can handle a few lonely nights. We’ll have guys’ night with his train show.” I twirled a lock of hair over her shoulder, drawing her to lean closer.

  “Want me to get another drink for you?”

  “No. I have to get up early for work. I should probably head back anyway. My leg is starting to take over.”

  Her brow furrowed. “I can’t leave without making sure Mary Ellen is ok.”

  “She’s a big girl. I think she can take care of herself. Swim with sharks and—”

  “Aiden isn’t going to hurt her. He’s not like that.”

  “I’m not saying that, but you can’t try to tell me he’s one of the good guys.”

  She sighed. “I don’t know what he is. But maybe I should stay to make sure Mary Ellen’s ok.”

  I saw the disappointment in her eyes. “Come home with me, baby.”

  She looked over her shoulder at the beach. Her gaze met mine.

  I leaned toward her lips, brushing them with a hungry kiss. “Come on. She’ll be fine.”

  Kaitlyn nodded and we walked back to the house together.

  18

  Kaitlyn

  This could not be happening. I watched from the office window as my best friend locked lips with Aiden, and it wasn’t an innocent kiss. It was a primal, I-might-rip-your-clothes-off-in-the-parking-lot, hot, heavy, and slow kiss. It might go on for days the way they were lost in each other. I turned several times, but every time I swiveled in my chair, I caught a peek of Aiden’s arms wrapped around her, the edge of her T-shirt sneaking up her hip. They were all over each other. I hung my head. Well, this explained why there wasn’t Aiden’s usual to-do list under the door this morning when I walked in the office.

  I clutched my coffee in my hand as Mary Ellen tore herself off him. He hopped in the convertible, honked twice as he passed the office, and sped down Gulf Boulevard.

  Thirty minutes later, Mary Ellen appeared in the office, glowing. I couldn’t pinpoint what it was exactly. Her skin, her eyes, the smile that wouldn’t fade.

  “Kaitlyn, that was the best night of my entire life.” She fell into the open chair.

  “I’m glad you had fun at the bonfire.” I stood to pour a cup of coffee for her.

  “I’m not talking about the bonfire.”

  I spun on my heels. “Tell me you did not sleep with him the first night.”

  “I did.” She grinned.

  I stared at her in disbelief. “But that’s Aiden. The Aiden.” It wasn’t her first one-night stand; that part didn’t bother me. This had more to do with the complicated drama Aiden had dropped in our laps.

  “I know who he is and now I know all about what he can do.” She giggled. “You told me he was good-looking, but I think you really downplayed it.”

  I shrugged. “I wasn’t trying to grade his hotness.”

  Mary Ellen pretended to fan herself. “I have never had a night like that.”

  “Ok, ok. I don’t need details.” Imagining my best friend with Aiden was weird. Cole was going to flip.

  “I think it’s serious.” She crossed the room to retrieve the cup of coffee I had for her.

  “Serious? You just met him last night.” Granted sex had a way of escalating things, but this was crazy. It couldn’t be serious in less than twenty-four hours. Could it?

  “I have this feeling about him.” She settled into the chair again. “We just had this immediate connection. Like we were supposed to meet. Isn’t that how it happened for you and Cole?”

  “You know I was in love with him since I was in high school. Our connection didn’t happen until I could finally see him away from Ryan.”

  I was annoyed she didn’t see the problem with this relationship. Aiden and Cole were not alike.

  “You’re the one who invited Aiden to stay here. You know he’s not all that bad.”

  My shoulders tensed. “I invited him so he wouldn’t tear the place down. I was hoping he would change his mind on the lawsuit and the demolition.” My plan had failed miserably. Mary Ellen knew the short Aiden history.

  “We didn’t talk about any of that stuff,” she admitted.

  “Of course you didn’t. He wasn’t interested in that.” My voice rose louder than I meant it to. Mary Ellen stared at me. “Sorry. I just wish you could see how awkward it’s going to be if you end up in a relationship with someone who is trying to sue my boyfriend and subsequently put me out of work. It’s a nightmare. You have to see that, Mary Ellen.”

  She stood from the chair. “I don’t know what I think right now. I was hoping my best friend would be happy I found an amazing guy the same way she did. That’s what I wanted to see.”

  She quietly closed the door behind her and walked to room twenty-four.

  Mary Ellen turned down my lunch invitation. She said she wasn’t feeling well, but I knew it had nothing to do with her stomach and everything to do with our disagreement. Her flight to North Carolina was tomorrow night. I couldn’t let her leave like this. I tried to think of how I could patch things up on our last night together. Knowing she thought she had just met the love of her life, I realized she was going to want to spend her Saturday night with Aiden.

  It was one o’clock in the afternoon, but I hadn’t had a single phone call at the Dunes. I decided to close the office. Cole was somewhere in the motel working on a room. I started at the end and checked each room until I found him replacing lightbulbs in a double room.

  “There you are.” I smiled.

  “Hey, darlin’.” He tossed the old bulb on the bed. “You closing up for the day? Where’s Mary Ellen? You two have plans today?”

  I shifted uncomfortably in the doorway. “She’s not happy with me.”

  “Really? Why?” He opened a new pack of bulbs and moved to the next lamp.

  “She thinks she’s in love with Aiden.”

  He stopped and looked at me. “What in the hell? Is she crazy or something?”

  “No, but she’s crazy about him. They have some kind of connection.” I walked into the room and sat on the bed. “I don’t know what to do.”

  “And she knows about the lawsuit? You told her everything about him?” Cole was acting calmer than I expected.

  “Mmm-hmm. She thinks I should put that aside and be happy for her.”

  “What do you think?” He eased himself on the bed across from me.

  His question surprised me. “I told her it was a ridiculous idea. How can I be friends with someone who is dating the man who is trying to take everything away from you?” It sounded absurd.

  Cole nodded his head. “Ridiculous, huh?”

  My eyes lowered to the floor. “I guess that’s how you felt when I let Aiden stay here, but I was trying to convince him to drop the suit. It was different.”

  “Doesn’t matter. Hurt the same way.” Cole’s eyes softened. “You always want to help, Kaitlyn. That’s what you do.”

  “What am I supposed to do this time? Let her ruin our friendship? Get her heart broken when she finds out Aiden is just using her?” I felt defeated by the whole thing. I couldn’t lose Mary Ellen to Aiden.

  “S
he’s leaving tomorrow, right?” he asked.

  “Yes. Tonight’s her last night.” My stomach kept flipping with nausea. Part of me wondered how much was the beginning of morning sickness. “I don’t know when I’ll see her again.”

  “I’m sure you’ll come up with a way to make everybody happy. It’s one of your many talents.” He winked and stood, then hopped on one foot to the dresser. Another bulb needed changing. “Ryan and I are good. If you could convince your brother, you can convince anyone.”

  It was ludicrous, but I did have one idea that would bring both my plans together. It would involve convincing Cole, calming rocky waters, and playing peacemaker.

  “Cole, before you say ‘no,’ think about this. What if we have Mary Ellen and Aiden over for dinner tonight?”

  He spun on his good heel then grimaced as his knee banged into the dresser. “Damn it.” He steadied himself to face me. “You can’t be serious. Aiden in our house?”

  I nodded. “I know it will be awkward, but it’s a peace offering I can extend to Mary Ellen, and it’s one more chance we have to try to talk him out of the lawsuit. You’ve never had a civil conversation with him. Maybe you two could talk without throwing punches and come to a resolution.”

  Cole shook his head. “Only you would come up with something like this.”

  “I’ll do the cooking. I’ll take care of everything. We’ll do it after Grayson goes to bed so we don’t disrupt his routine. All you have to do is be nice and promise not to knock Aiden out.” I waited for an answer. The new lightbulbs might burn out before Cole answered.

  Finally, he spoke. “All right.”

  “All right?” I couldn’t believe it.

  “Yes, but the minute he starts his asshole tricks, he’s out. Agreed? And I get to toss him out.”

  I nodded. “Agreed.” I jumped from the bed ready to tackle Cole. I stopped short of the crutches and pecked him on the lips. “Ok, I’m going to go ask Mary Ellen right now. Thank you.” I ran out of the room.

  “I think it looks fine.” Cole poked his head out of our bedroom door. He had just showered.

  I crossed my eyes and stared at the patio table I had just set.