Caught in the Frame

by ReGina Welling

  Chloe searched for Lila among the tables while the others stared, slack-jawed at the sight; she wasn’t immune to the magical scene spread before her, but since she had been here several times before, Chloe’s eyes were more capable of piercing through the crowd than anyone else’s.

  Eventually, Chloe spotted her mother in the farthest, quietest corner of the room. Lila, dressed to the nines, leaned toward an unquestionably handsome man who grasped her dainty hand in his, Heads together, it was a tender moment. Chloe took the opportunity to observe the body language between the pair, before moving to join them at an intimate table tucked against the windowed wall. Lila was clearly smitten; that much Chloe already knew, so she brushed the thought aside and instead focused on Javier’s response to her mother’s gentle touches and sparkling-eyed glances.

  From this vantage point, with the two completely unaware they were being watched—and also judged—Chloe would have been willing to bet Javier returned Lila’s love in kind. His awed smile conveyed an underlying incredulity at his good fortune; he was clearly dazzled, and it wasn’t hard to understand why. Lila was a blond flame, scorching nearly every man who had attempted to get close to her since Chloe’s father’s unfortunate passing more than thirty years before. Perhaps she was finally sated; Chloe took a certain amount of comfort at the thought.

  “Over here,” she guided EV and Nate toward Lila’s table. When Lila turned her head and noticed them coming, Chloe tossed her a jaunty wave.

  “Welcome, my loves.” Lila drawled, kissing Chloe, EV and Nate on each cheek in turn, then ushering them toward Javier for another round of niceties. “This is Javier, my fiancé.” Her tongue rolled over the word.

  Chloe whirled to face Javier, taking in his deep, tawny skin, soft eyes the color of tanned leather, and perfectly symmetrical nose up close for the first time. For once, Lila had picked a man closer to her own age, but who, like herself, looked at least a decade younger. Perhaps it was a leisurely lifestyle that stalled the ravages of age, or maybe just good genes. Either way, Javier’s appearance was the perfect yin to Lila’s yang.

  He rose to greet the new arrivals with a warm smile and a handshake. Chloe was glad he hadn’t gone for the awkward cheek kissing thing—or worse, a back of the hand kiss.

  “I’m so happy to meet all of you.” His voice was smooth, with only the hint of an accent, which meant he’d probably spent a lot of time away from home. “Lila has told me many stories of her family and friends. Forgive me if this sounds rude, Chloe, but I feel like we are already family.”

  Turning to Lila with an arched brow, Chloe made the dry comment, “She wasn’t quite as forthcoming with stories about you.” She turned back to Javier, “Tell me about yourself.” The words had the flavor of a dare; just the slightest confrontational edge.

  Nate nudged her ankle under the table.

  Before Chloe had a chance to push, EV said, “Lila tells us you work for a security company. That sounds like an interesting field. Do you do primarily residential or commercial work?” Reading Chloe’s aggression as protectiveness, she thought establishing Javier’s financial credentials might ease the notion that he was after Lila’s money. He wouldn’t have been the first man to find that aspect of her worth pursuing.

  Answering for him, Lila said, “Javi owns Garritek.”

  “I’ve heard of them. Excellent reputation,” Nate’s eyes went unfocused for a minute while he pinned down the particulars in his mind. “Global tech company. No defense contracts, but big in the private sector.” He shot Javier a raised eyebrow, “You guys work with some serious tech.” His tone was a high-five of admiration.

  “We’ve done well over the years.” Javier downplayed his success in a self-deprecating way.

  Not a pauper, then. Chloe thought. With that worry off her back, she determined to relax and try to enjoy the meal.

  “Tell us how the two of you met.” EV said.

  Lila and Javier exchanged besotted grins.

  “It’s a funny story.” Lila began. “You know that little bakery we love in St. Tropez, Chlo? L’amie du Pain? Well, I got an early morning craving, so I walked over from the flat I was renting, and on the way back I got my heel caught between two cobblestones.”

  “I found her there, cursing fluently in four different languages. What a sight; clutching a giant purse in one hand, and a boule in the other, this vision of golden beauty in two inch heels at six o’clock in the morning. Her shoe, it was stuck fast, and not a hand did she have to aid herself. I did the gallant thing, and set her free.”

  “One inch heels, love. Barely higher than flats. And you laughed at me first.” Her indulgent smile drew a shrug from his shoulders.

  “I laughed only at my good fortune. It isn’t every day a humble man like me finds his goddess stuck to a street.”

  Just as Chloe began to think she could like the man, everything changed, and she wondered whether she had relaxed a little too soon. Unless her highly-honed investigative reporting skills had deteriorated, there was something off about him. Once talk turned to how many people were free to attend the wedding on such short notice, this close to the start of the holiday season—and to his family in particular—Javier’s countenance turned guarded. Nearly every family-related question he passed off with an agility that Chloe felt could have only been developed with considerable practice.

  “So, Javier, tell us about your family. Are they able to attend the wedding?” Chloe prodded, a skeptical edge to her voice that prompted a scathing look from Lila and bewildered expressions from both Nate and EV. She ignored a kick in the shins from beneath the table and waited patiently for Javier’s response.

  Javier slowly finished chewing before answering vaguely, “Many of them will attend, yes. But they won’t arrive until just before the ceremony.”

  Lila interrupted before Javier could say much more. “Javier’s sister-in-law, Baylee, is here already; they’re very close. Actually, she’s an amazing photographer and has graciously agreed to shoot the wedding. When you see her portfolio you’ll understand why we accepted, even though there’s a perfectly competent photographer on staff here at the castle.”

  As Chloe opened her mouth to ask another intrusive question, their dinner was interrupted by Antoine, who asked to speak to Javier in private.

  “Please excuse me while I attend to some business.” He kissed Lila on the cheek before departing.

  “What was that all about?” Chloe demanded, suspicion evident in her clipped tone.

  Lila sighed. “Back off, Chlo. Javier just told you he’s in security. His company oversaw the installation of a high-tech system here about six months ago, and agreed to perform a security scan during our stay. In exchange, they’ve comped all our suites. Not that we can’t afford it, but the wedding rates here are pricey, and we were happy to accept the rate reduction. Besides, it will keep him occupied while we attend to wedding plans.”

  Wanting clarification, she pressed, but Lila adeptly sidestepped Chloe’s onslaught of questions; waxing on about her dress, the ceremony, and the minutiae of other details necessary to pull off an event of this magnitude on such short notice.

  Until she changed the subject altogether with a startling question: “Not to be blunt, but what are your intentions toward my daughter?” Lila turned a gimlet-eyed stare toward Nate.

  “Did we just time travel back to the dark ages? Who asks that kind of question?” Chloe ignored the snort EV hastily covered by clearing her throat. The woman had been extraordinarily quiet all evening long.

  “It’s fine,” Nate laid a hand over Chloe’s to calm her down. “I love her. I’ve always loved her, and my intentions are to keep on loving her. Will that do it for you?”

  Thankfully, Javier returned just in time to put an end to that discussion. He’d barely seated himself when dessert was served.

  “Is anything wrong, Dear?”

  “I apologize; a guest reported something stolen from her room. It’s all been taken care of.” Wi
th the subject of family no longer taking center stage, he was back to his effusive self.

  Conversation centered around the trivial, until the last delicious morsel was scraped off the last delicate plate.

  “I think it’s time to turn in. EV is almost asleep at the table. Remember, we’ve got a busy day tomorrow, ladies. I hope you’re not opposed to dinner for breakfast. Our tasting with catering starts right here at 9:00 am sharp. I’ll see you then.” Lila pulled Chloe close for one last, clingy hug before leaving the table with Javier’s protective hand at her back.

  “All right, sourpuss, what’s your deal?” EV demanded when the coast was clear. Nothing about Javier had set off any alarm bells with her.

  Nate nodded in agreement. “He seems nice enough. A little nervous about his family, but you’re not exactly making it easy on the guy, are you?”

  “I know when something is off, and there’s definitely something wonky going on with him. And I’d appreciate it if you’d both climb off of my butt. I have every right to scrutinize. It’s not like she isn’t watching you and me like a hawk. You think she would hesitate to grill you like a steak if she hadn’t seen you in diapers?” came Chloe’s irritated retort. “Trust me, she’s trying to figure out our relationship just as much as I’m trying to figure out theirs. Why do you think she stuck you in a room as far away as she could find? She wants to catch us sneaking into each other’s beds. She probably gotten Mr. Security to set up some kind of alarm on my room.”

  “All the same, let’s just put a pin in it for now. You’ve been dead set against Javier from the second Lila mentioned she was seeing someone seriously. Do you doubt that we are also good judges of character?”

  Chloe crossed her arms and refused to respond. EV hoped a good night’s sleep would calm her friend’s nerves. “I’ll let you two say goodnight. I’m heading to bed. 9:00 am, remember?”

  Chapter 5

  The restaurant dining room looked entirely different in the harsh light of morning. Empty of guests—other than the three women ensconced at a table dressed with flawless white linen—the vast space echoed with quiet. Breakfast was served in another banquet room, buffet-style. As always, a team of servers and attendants milled around wherever Lila went, some more obtrusively than others.

  Even Antoine, whose list of responsibilities bordered on myriad status, skulked nearby whenever he had the time. The only person in the group who dared give Lila the side-eye was the wedding planner employed by the management whom Lila had cut out of the proceedings with surgical precision. Brides often brought in outside help, but rarely planned their own nuptials. Lila’s insistence on doing so was a slap in the face.

  Considering the speed with which she was putting this whole thing together, Chloe was amazed to see no trace of impatience or stress in her mother’s behavior. She simply moved from one laborious task to the next, confident in her decisions down to the most minute detail.

  Who are you, and what have you done with my mother? If proximity to Javier brought out this calm and collected persona, Chloe might have to change her mind about him. Clearly, he’d found some way to soothe the beast—something no one else had ever come close to doing. Chloe considered the idea, briefly. On second thought, it can’t last. Maybe she should start up a bet with EV over how long it would take for Lila to melt down.

  One of the impeccably starched and pressed waiters delivered a platter of appetizer options to the center of the table with a flourish. EV reached for a mini tart that looked like a quiche, but turned out to be filled with goat cheese and zucchini. Not exactly breakfast fare, it was, nevertheless, delicious.

  “Try one of these,” she handed one to Chloe, who rolled her eyes heavenward in appreciation at the first bite.

  “Yum. Mom, you have to serve these. They’re amazing.”

  Lila tasted, hummed with pleasure, and made a note on the pad provided her by the chef.

  Fifteen bites later, the appetizer menu expanded to include pan seared steak in lettuce cups; toasted brioche with creme fraiche and caviar; bacon-wrapped oysters; and crostini with a variety of toppings. It took another hour to sample their way through all of the entree and side options.

  Some quick, albeit approximate, math told Chloe this much food would feed far more people than were expected to attend the wedding.

  “Mom, the entire castle staff is going to be taking home leftovers if you order all that. How many people did you say RSVP’d?”

  Lila stared blankly at Chloe for a moment before responding. “What difference does that make, Dear? We want people to have choices, don’t we? After all, our guests are coming from all over the world.” She tilted her head slightly to one side, the gesture a mimic of Chloe’s own expression. “Oh, for crying out…Antoine? Come here a moment!” The little man nearly hopped over a table in his haste to do Lila’s bidding. “Can you ensure that the leftover food from the wedding will get eaten by someone, and not thrown away?”

  “Of course, Miss Lila—” He was cut short by Lila’s impatient sigh, and without another glance at the simpering man, she turned back to Chloe.

  “Happy, daughter of mine?” Lila’s raised right eyebrow indicated that anything other than confirmation would not be tolerated.

  “Fine, fine, do whatever you want. Your guests’ high cholesterol is all on you, though. Speaking of—when we’re done here, I’d say we’d all better hit the gym.” Chloe rubbed her stomach and stifled a yawn.

  “After this, we’re going to choose place settings and party favors,” Lila reminded, exasperation filling her voice at her daughter’s obvious unfamiliarity with the itinerary she had emailed to Chloe and EV just this morning. “Cake tasting tomorrow. Ring any bells?”

  “And a partridge in a pear tree…” Chloe sung under her breath, just loud enough to force a poorly-stifled giggle from EV.

  * * *

  After a day spent in the backwash of Lila’s wake as she barreled through her list, EV thought if she saw one more china pattern—and for the love of tiny pickles, what difference did it make if the edge pattern on one white-on-white plate was a quarter inch wider than another—she might just toss something. Maybe her cookies, or maybe the china. Or maybe Lila herself.

  Several times during the day, her phone had signaled incoming texts. Each time she pulled it out to check, Lila ordered her to put it away. To keep peace, she humored the bride-to-be, but not without a silent, narrow-eyed look of protest.

  Owing to a town-wide commitment to honor any and all forms of religious and secular observations, Ponderosa Pines put on a Yule celebration incorporating a diversity of symbols—without rhyme, reason, or the least nod toward political correctness. Santa and his sleigh topping the manger scene was probably the least offensive mixing of traditions, but their hearts were in the right place, and it was all meant in the spirit of love and acceptance.

  Now that she finally had a minute to look, she found a series of texts from Allegra. Expecting multiple requests for putting out fires, EV was pleasantly surprised to see images and terse descriptions of everything moving along exactly as laid out in her notes. With a low whistle, she called Chloe over to check it out.

  “Allegra’s got the Yule under control, take a look.”

  “Is that Lottie setting up Rudolph? Check out the look on her face. She’s not happy.”

  “There’s an email here from her as well,” EV grinned. “It’s a very restrained tirade. I’ve decided not to respond.” She did, however, shoot off a missive complimenting Allegra on her organizational skills. The woman had untapped depths, of that EV was now certain.

  Chapter 6

  Spread like a deflated balloon over a lounge chair, EV never even twitched when Chloe settled into the adjacent seat with a sigh. Though the winter air here was warmer than Ponderosa Pines at this time of year, EV had draped a blanket over herself while relishing the crisp, clean air.

  Several minutes passed before Chloe spoke into the silence, “I never thought it was possible to dre
ad seeing another bite of cake.”

  EV groaned. “Five cake flavors, seven types of icing. That’s thirty-five different combinations. Thirty-five. By the end of it, I couldn’t tell the difference. I think I’m suffering sugar shock.”

  “It was all I could do to keep from screaming, just pick one.”

  “But not the rum cake.” They said it in unison then laughed at themselves for thinking alike.

  “I actually think I’m a little buzzed from it.” Chloe said. “I’m surprised it didn’t slosh onto the plate.”

  “And what about the one with the raspberry preserves between the layers? With that much rum in the cake, it tasted like cough syrup.” A shudder ran though EV. “Your mother is certifiable.”

  “Could you believe the way she acted toward that poor florist? I had just been thinking how I hadn’t seen her blow up yet, and then…BOOM!” The first glimmer of Bridezilla-type behavior out of Lila had slipped through when the castle’s resident florist crashed the cake tasting by wheeling in a cart of fresh-cut flowers heavily laden with scent.

  “She really ripped that lady a new one. As if a florist doesn’t understand that strong odors affect taste buds!” Lila’s condescending tone had driven the woman to tears, and only softened infinitesimally when it became clear that Lila herself had double-booked the two appointments.

  Through the open balcony doors, they heard the shrill sound of the phone in their suite ringing.

  “You get it, it’s probably your mother wanting us to taste forty different kinds of candy for the wedding favors.” Just thinking about it made EV feel nauseated.

  “You get it, then. I can’t say no to her; you’ll have to do it.”