Tempting The Billionaire (The Sherbrookes of Newport Book 13)

by Christina Tetreault

  “That’s not what I said.” She turned away from the windows and joined him by the fireplace. “I love it. It’s different from what I’m used to. I’m glad we came up this weekend.” Courtney reached for his hand. “How about we go for a walk before you start the fire?” She led them over to where they’d left their jackets and handed him his first. “You do know how to get one going, right?” Courtney had one arm in her jacket when she asked the question. “Because we’ll need it to warm up when we come back inside.”

  He could think of a great way to warm them up, no fire needed. “Don’t worry.”

  While Courtney’s hands and feet remained comfortable, her face was another story. By the time they returned from their walk, Courtney feared she’d never have any feeling in it again. If they spent any significant amount of time outside again on this trip, she’d ask if Josh had a ski mask hanging around she could borrow.

  Right now, thanks to the fire and a mug of hot chocolate topped with whipped cream, the cold was a distant memory. Courtney sipped her drink and watched the flames dance. She didn’t know why, but she found it oddly hypnotic. Somewhat mesmerized by the fire, it took a moment for her brain to register that the 1812 Overture was coming from her purse. With Josh upstairs getting his chess set, she had no good reason not to answer the phone—except for the fact she didn’t want to be bothered. With their wedding day closing in, she couldn’t afford to miss a call pertaining to it.

  Courtney took her time getting to her feet and retrieving her purse from the other side of the sofa. By the time she pulled out her phone, it had stopped ringing, but the words missed call along with Mom remained on the screen. Her mom hadn’t said anything else about pushing back the wedding since the night she’d brought Josh by to meet the family. Instead, she’d helped with any task Courtney passed along, not that she’d handed over many responsibilities.

  After hitting redial, Courtney resumed her spot near the fireplace. The way she saw it, there was no reason she couldn’t talk to her mom and be toasty warm. Marilyn answered immediately.

  “Have you been following the weather forecast?” Marilyn asked once greetings were out of the way.

  Sometimes she’d check the weather app on her phone when she was trying to decide how to dress or if she was traveling somewhere, but she didn’t do so on a daily basis. And she never switched on any of the various weather channels. As far as she was concerned, she could look outside and see that it was raining or sunny. She didn’t need a meteorologist to tell her a day in advance that it might rain, especially when there was nothing she could do to change it anyway.

  “No. Why, are we getting snow this weekend?” As long as she was back in Providence in time for her meeting on Wednesday, she didn’t care what kind of weather they got over the next day or two.

  “Not this weekend,” Marilyn replied. “But a severe winter storm with blizzard-like conditions might hit our area next Saturday or Sunday.”

  When she looked at her phone’s weather app yesterday morning, she’d noticed the snowflake icon beside next Saturday. Honestly, she’d dismissed it. She’d never studied meteorology, but she knew the farther out they tried to predict the weather, the less accurate they were. While today they might be telling the public to expect several feet of snow next weekend, in another three or four days they might be saying to expect heavy rain.

  “That’s a week away, Mom. It might turn into some rain or nothing at all.”

  “It’s possible, but I think you should keep a close eye on the forecast. Maybe even consider pushing the wedding back a week.”

  Courtney couldn’t argue with her mom about following the forecast. She’d rather not postpone the wedding, because if they did it’d be for at least three weeks, which Josh wouldn’t like. She knew for a fact Scott and Paige wouldn’t be able to come if they pushed it back one week. They were visiting Paige’s brother in Virginia the weekend after her wedding. Even if she told him not to change his plans, he’d insist on doing it so he could be there. And the weekend of Valentine’s Day was out because her cousin Leah was getting married then. No way did she want to take the spotlight off her cousin’s special day. At the same time, she didn’t want her family and friends to get stranded in Newport either.

  “I’ll talk to Josh.”

  Her mom sighed. “For what it’s worth, your dad agrees it would be wise to postpone.”

  No big surprise there. Her parents tended to agree on most things. It got annoying sometimes.

  “And even if the storm isn’t as bad as they’re predicting here, it’s possible not everyone will make it depending on how the weather is in their area. They’re saying it’s going to affect much of the East Coast,” Mom continued, intent on convincing Courtney to take her advice.

  “Mom, I’m not making any decision this minute. But I’ll follow the forecast, I promise. When we decide, you’ll be the first to know.”

  This time her mom didn’t argue. And after another minute or two of conversation, Courtney ended the call and pulled up her internet browser so she could find a detailed weather report. Sure enough, the meteorologist for one of the Providence-based news stations was predicting that a possible nor’easter would hit the area next weekend, bringing with it several feet of snow. But even he stated it was too early to know for certain if and when the storm would hit. Still, she couldn’t dismiss the possibility either.

  Josh set the marble chessboard on the coffee table and opened the box containing the black and green pieces that matched the board. “Black or green?” he asked as he started to remove the pieces.

  “Doesn’t matter.”

  He moved the green pieces closer to her and then started to place the black ones on the board.

  “You look annoyed.” Courtney started on her row of pawns.

  Finished with the back row, he placed his first pawn on the board. “A little. I planned to wake us up early and take you to Cadillac Mountain tomorrow to watch the sunrise.”

  With her pawns all on the board, she added the two knights and then reached for the bishops. “I’m guessing it’s nearby.”

  “It’s one of the mountains in Acadia National Park. But I checked while I was upstairs, and the road to the top is closed for the winter. It won’t open again until mid-April.”

  “Makes sense. It’s easier to close it than clear the snow all winter.” After running through a few different opening moves in her head, she moved a pawn. “We can get up early and watch the sunrise here.”

  “Between October and March, the mountain is the first place in the US to see the sunrise. I drove up after I first moved here to see it. There is something different about watching it there.” Unlike her, Josh moved his knight first. “We’ll have to go in the fall before they close the road.”

  Not knowing exactly when the custody issue would be settled, they hadn’t set an exact end date for their marriage. Instead, they’d agreed to make a decision once the court did. But October was eight months away, and a lot could happen in eight months.

  Josh reached for his hot chocolate and waited for her to make another move. “Have you ever visited the park?”

  Shaking her head, she concentrated on the various chess strategies she knew. When it came to the game, she wasn’t an expert but could usually hold her own against most opponents. “This is the first time I’ve been up here.”

  “When it’s nicer, we’ll have to do some hiking.”

  The only hiking she’d ever done had been with Josh in Hawaii. The trail they took had been long but relatively flat. She expected anything they tried here wouldn’t be the same. “I’ve never done any real hiking.”

  “There are some basic trails that even Adalynn can handle. We can start with those and work up to the more challenging ones.”

  “We’ll definitely need a trail equivalent to a bunny slope.” If his four-year-old daughter could handle hiking, she better be able to as well. “While you were upstairs, my mom called. Next weekend we might be getting a nor’easter
. She thinks we should postpone the wedding.” Courtney moved her next piece and leaned back against the sofa. “I checked the weather forecast. If the storm hits, we could get several feet of snow. But right now it’s still an if.”

  “Damn it.” Josh raked a hand through his hair and frowned. “What do you want to do?”

  “It’s a week away. Half the time they don’t get the weather for tomorrow right, so we might be worrying about nothing. And rescheduling everyone might be hard.” If the band and photographer she’d hired couldn’t accommodate whatever new date they selected, she’d have to find new ones. She didn’t relish the idea. “But if we do get the storm, it’ll make travel tough. Maybe impossible for some.”

  The frown lines on his forehead deepened. “Would we just push it back a week?”

  She shook her head. “It’d have to be more like three. Scott has plans the following weekend. I don’t want him to cancel them for this. And we’re not getting married the same weekend as Leah.”

  The game forgotten, Josh leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. “We could cancel the wedding altogether and have your uncle marry us in his office when we get back to Providence. Problem solved.”

  Her reply required no thought. “No. It’s too late for that route. Mom gave me a hard enough time when I told her we were getting married so soon. If we have Uncle Mark marry us in his office, she’ll start again. And she wouldn’t be the only one to find it strange if we did that.” And Courtney wouldn’t blame her. In her mom’s shoes, she’d be suspicious too.

  “Then what do we do?”

  “It’s only Friday. Let’s wait until Sunday night and see what the forecast says. If it still looks like we going to get the storm, we postpone. And try to reschedule for the weekend after Valentine’s Day.”

  She’d prefer a more definitive solution, but for now, it was the best she had.

  Fourteen

  Josh had planned it all out on the drive up yesterday. He’d grab some muffins or bagels from the kitchen, fill a couple of travel mugs with coffee, and wake Courtney up early. Then they could enjoy breakfast at the top of the mountain and watch the sunrise. It never entered his mind that the road up would be closed this time of year. At least he’d checked before putting his plan into action. And they’d still watched the sun come up this morning while eating cinnamon chip muffins and drinking coffee. They simply did it from the comfort of the living room. As far as mornings went, they didn’t get much better. After breakfast, they headed to Acadia and drove along the two portions of Park Loop Road that remained open all year. The first of the two had taken them along the ocean and by Sand Beach and Thunder Hole, a natural rock inlet that got its name thanks to the thunderous sound produced in the area when the right size wave rolled into it. The second brought them over toward Jordan Pond. From there they’d driven to the downtown area and parked. During vacation season, it was almost impossible to find a place to park. Actually, the local community encouraged visitors to use the Island Explorer shuttle, a free public transportation system that operated during the peak months to get around the area. This time of year, not many people visited, and today he’d had his choice of spots.

  Unlike yesterday when the temps lingered in the teens, right now they were in the high thirties. Since the weather seemed to be cooperating, at least today, they were taking advantage of it. And for the past hour or so they’d been exploring the various stores and art galleries.

  “A café for dogs.” Courtney stopped in front of the store on their right. A sign in the shape of light brown dog biscuit hung over the door with the words Your Best Friend’s Café carved into it. Another dog bone was on the glass door with the words Your Best Friend’s Cafe: Gourmet Baked Goods and Gifts. In the window, there was a display of cupcakes similar to what you’d see in a regular bakery along with toys and coffee mugs, each one featuring a different dog breed.

  Josh moved closer to the window for a better look inside. “It’s for dogs with more refined tastes.” Although not crowded, guests sat at several of the café’s tables while their furry best friends lounged on the floor near them. “Do you want to go inside? They have normal bakery stuff too.”

  “Up to you. I’m not starving, but if you’re hungry, we can get something.”

  Hungry, no. Curious, yes. He loved dogs, but it’d been years since he owned one. He opened the door and held it for her. “You can pick the next stop.”

  Two long display cases flanked either side of the counter. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what case contained the bakery treats for the four-legged customers and which one held those for the customers on two legs, thanks to the labels inside. While the café occupied half the store, anything and everything a dog owner could want for their best friend or themselves filled the other side.

  A woman stood in front of them at the counter. A dog dressed in a blue flannel jacket and boots stood by her feet.

  “Do you know what you want?” Josh eyed the various beverages listed on the board. After getting a good look at the bakery items available for dogs, he’d half expected to see premium beverages listed for them too. But it looked like the only drink served to dogs was water.

  “White chocolate latte and a cinnamon biscotti.”

  “Human or dog variety?” He couldn’t resist, especially since everything in both cases looked tasty. In fact, if someone handed him a cookie or cupcake intended for a dog, he wouldn’t have known it just by looking at it.

  “Human. But if you want to get yourself a Carob Woof biscuit, I won’t let Aimee Trainor or any of your fans know.”

  “It does look good. I think the golden retriever over there might be eating one.” The dog in question was going to town on something. “But the Corgi Cupcake with peanut butter frosting looks good too.”

  Tray in hand, the customer ahead of them and her four-legged friend walked away, and they moved forward as more customers entered the store and joined the line.

  “Get one of each,” Courtney suggested with a shrug. “You can take one home with you.”

  The employee behind the counter didn’t look in their direction as she popped something into the microwave. “Be right with you,” she said before walking through the door behind the counter.

  When the employee returned, she carried a new tray of frosted cookies. Josh couldn’t tell whether the cookies were for people or dogs.

  “Sorry about….” The woman’s voice trailed off as she stared at Josh. Her eyes darted in Courtney’s direction before zooming back toward Josh. “Oh. My. God. J.T. Williamson.” Keegan, according to her name tag, glanced at Courtney again. “You were both on the cover of Today Magazine this week. I read it every week. I can’t believe you’re in here.” She pulled a cell phone from her back pocket. “No one will believe me without a picture.”

  A handful of pictures later, Josh set their tray down and pulled out a chair. Right away the dog at the next table, a breed he didn’t recognize, came over to say hello.

  “Sorry about that. Max likes to make new friends,” the dog’s owner said.

  Josh gave the pooch a scratch behind the ears. “Don’t worry about it. What kind of dog is he?” He looked a bit like a pug but not quite.

  “A jug.” The woman piled her napkin and empty plate back on her tray.

  Maybe he needed his hearing checked. Had the woman called her dog a jug?

  “A jug?” Courtney asked.

  Good, at least she’d heard the same thing as him.

  Max’s owner smiled and nodded. “Silly name, I know. He’s part Jack Russell and part pug.” Picking up her tray, she slipped the dog’s leash back on her wrist and left.

  He watched the dog leave. It’d be the perfect size for Adalynn. She’d been after him since the previous winter for a dog. When she mentioned it during a video call in the fall, he’d promised they would talk about it later. There hadn’t been enough time during his two short visits with her since then.

  “My last dog was a Jack Russell. Her
energy level was through the roof.”

  Across from him, Courtney removed her gloves and set them aside. “You had a dog? I pictured you as more of a cat person.”

  There’d been two of those in the house growing up, but they’d been his sister’s pets. “Nope. Dog guy. Lizzie died in her sleep five years ago.” And he’d been relieved she’d gone on her own. “She was about fourteen.” He wasn’t positive of her age. When he adopted her from the shelter, they estimated she was already seven. “Adalynn wants a dog. And I miss having one. After the court case and stuff is settled, I might start looking for one.”

  “Why wait? Look when we get back.” She stirred her drink and then lifted the mug, which featured a picture of a Collie on one side and a dog bone with the name of the café on the other. “I like dogs.”

  “Maybe.”

  She’d lost her mind. What other explanation could there be for her telling Josh to look for a dog when they got back? It wasn’t that Courtney hated dogs. Even though she’d only had one in her life, she liked them. But the last thing she wanted was to get attached to a dog, because at some point Josh would move out and take the dog with him. Whether it happened two months from now or in eight months, it would be difficult enough. She saw no need to add to the pain.

  And no question about it, there would be a lot of pain—a fact she could only blame on her herself. She’d told herself from the beginning to keep her distance and make sure their relationship stayed platonic. But had she listened to her advice?

  Nope.

  She’d done the complete opposite and let him into every aspect of her life. Now there was no turning back.

  Yep, her heart was fully invested in their charade, whether or not she liked it.

  With a sigh, Courtney tore her eyes away from Josh, who was working on a fire, and back toward the chess game they’d started when they returned. He’d won last night’s game, and she wanted to beat him tonight.