The Winter Wedding Plan--An unforgettable story of love, betrayal, and sisterhood

by Olivia Miles

  Greg was standing near the tree in the front room, and Charlotte hurried to him, her stride long with purpose.

  “I’ll stay as your date,” she said.

  His eyes widened for a moment and then he grinned. “Good.”

  “But I have one condition,” she said.

  “What’s that?” he asked, frowning.

  “Tell me what you would have done tonight if I hadn’t come. I want to know what you meant when you said that you had another way of showing them Frost is a family-focused company.”

  Greg grinned and tipped his head to the back of the room, where a collage of photos had been set up, of Greg, of his mother, of his grandfather, who had started it all. And there, next to each photo, was an ornament, a Frost ornament, that captured a moment in time.

  “I always thought these were just ornaments,” Greg said, picking up the one of the little boy looking at his grandfather. “But they’re memories. My grandfather made sure of that. And I will, too.” He patted his pocket. “That reminds me of something.”

  Charlotte watched as he pulled out one small pink ornament.

  “Baby’s first Christmas,” she gasped.

  “I want you to have this. So you’ll always remember how Audrey’s first Christmas was spent. And I was hoping…maybe we could hang it on the tree?”

  Charlotte brushed away the tears that had started to fall, and only then did she notice her sister, standing near the fireplace, overseeing the waitstaff, grinning from ear to ear.

  About the Author

  Olivia Miles writes women’s fiction and contemporary romance. A city girl with a fondness for small-town charm, Olivia enjoys highlighting both ways of life in her stories. She lives just outside Chicago with her husband, young daughter, and two ridiculously pampered pups.

  You can learn more at:

  http://oliviamilesbooks.com/

  Twitter at @MsOliviaMiles

  Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/authoroliviamiles

  Sign up for Olivia’s newsletter to get more information on new releases and insider information!

  http://oliviamilesbooks.com/newsletter/

  Also by Olivia Miles:

  Mistletoe on Main Street

  A Match Made on Main Street

  Hope Springs on Main Street

  Love Blooms on Main Street

  Christmas Comes to Main Street

  One Week to the Wedding

  ACCLAIM FOR OLIVIA MILES

  The Winter Wedding Plan

  “A charming holiday tale of fresh starts, friendship, and love with a heroine even Scrooge couldn't resist.”

  —Sheila Roberts, New York Times bestselling author

  One Week to the Wedding

  “An emotional ride for all of the characters in this amazing story…This book took me through an array of emotions, laughter, tears, and in the end, my heart was light with the love between these friends and families.”

  —HarlequinJunkie.com

  “A poignant tale of forgiveness and moving forward.”

  —WritingPearls.com

  “I was hooked from page one and did not want to stop reading. I love Ms. Olivia Miles’s writing.”

  —AlwaysReadingReview.blogspot.com

  “The town of Misty Point comes to life with charm, heart, and a sweet romance.”

  —RT Book Reviews

  Reading Group Guide

  Discussion Questions

  When Charlotte is visiting with her single, childless cousin, Bree, she gets a little bit jealous of Bree’s life, thinking, Oh, the luxury. To live without a care in the world. To live only for yourself and your own whims. But Bree is lonely and heartbroken. Can we ever really tell how happy another person is? What strategies do both Bree and Charlotte use to hide their sadness from their friends and family?

  As Charlotte struggles to stand on her own two feet, she worries that she’s not independent enough to be a good role model for Audrey. Is she right about showing Audrey the value of independence, or is it also important for her to show her daughter how (and when) to ask for help? What makes a mother a good role model?

  Charlotte agrees to pretend to be Greg’s fiancée for the Frost holiday party to land the account for Kate’s event planner firm. Was this the right move, professionally? How would you feel if your employee made the same deal? Would you have reacted the same way Kate did, or would you have handled it differently?

  Greg’s mother, Rita, was also a single mother with no support from Greg’s father. How was her approach to single motherhood different from Charlotte’s? What other events and obstacles may have influenced her more reserved style of parenting?

  Charlotte is not a great cook, and yet she’s able to pull together a somewhat decent meal for Greg and Rita at the last minute. Have you ever had a similar “fake it until you make it” moment? What was that like? If you were in a similar situation, what would your go-to recipe be?

  In what ways did motherhood change Charlotte? In general, how does becoming a parent shift a person’s identity?

  Later in the book, Charlotte and Greg debate whether the Christmas holidays bring out the best or the worst in people. What do you think? How do the holidays change the characters in the story, for better or worse? What are some examples from your own life of people behaving exceptionally well or exceptionally badly around the holidays?

  Charlotte spends so much of the book worried about making Audrey’s first Christmas special. What do you think is the ideal “baby’s first Christmas”? If you have kids, what was your first Christmas with them like? If you don’t, can you imagine what kind of traditions you’d like to introduce to your children, should you choose to have them?

  Author Questions

  1. The book opens with Charlotte making a “Thanksgiving Day resolution.” Have you ever made a resolution at a nontraditional time? If so, what prompted that resolution?

  I don’t tend to make New Year’s resolutions, but instead, randomly promise to change and grow as things pop up throughout the year. As in Charlotte’s case, some things just can’t wait until year end!

  2. This novel is filled with wonderful Christmas traditions, from the town tree lighting to the cookie swap at the local tea shop. What are some of your favorite holiday traditions?

  One of my favorite holiday traditions is high tea with my daughter, and she also participates in the Nutcracker (on ice!) every year. Christmas through a child’s eyes is so much more magical, and this was something I tried to tap into with Charlotte and Audrey. The holiday is no longer about Charlotte, but in trying to make it special for her daughter, she is able to relive some of her fondest memories and traditions and create new ones, too.

  3. There are so many different, vibrant characters in Misty Point. Do you have any favorites? Are there any characters you relate to more than others?

  I relate to Bree quite a bit. I’m a vegetarian, as is she, and I’ve been known to tackle home remodeling projects that I then wished I had never started. But in fairness, I’m also impulsive like Charlotte and a perfectionist like Kate, so I relate to each character in my own way. While I couldn’t say that one character is my absolute favorite, Charlotte holds a special place. She’s very real to me.

  4. What’s your favorite holiday book?

  I always read my daughter ’Twas the Night Before Christmas around the holidays, and I’d have to say it’s a personal favorite.

  5. Over the course of your last book, One Week to the Wedding, and in this novel, Charlotte really comes into her own and grows as a person. Is your writing process for character development different when it happens over the course of two books instead of one? Why or why not?

  Yes, my process is different when a character is developed over multiple books rather than one, because it affects the pacing and allows me to build up their backstory in a more present and impactful way. I enjoyed having the time to show the two sides of Charlotte and better explain her conflict and choices in a way that I think makes her more
relatable to my readers.

  Event planner Kate Daniels thought nothing could be worse than learning her fiancé had cheated. Until she found out it was with her younger sister. Now Kate has just seven days to hide her heartbreak, host her best friend’s wedding–and stumble into true love.

  A preview of

  One Week to the Wedding

  follows.

  Chapter One

  If there was one part of her job that wedding planner Kate Daniels struggled with most these days, it was the dress fitting. She used to enjoy these appointments, finding it a true perk to sit in a beautiful, sun-filled boutique, surrounded by breathtaking gowns made of satin, lace, or tulle. What wasn’t to love other than the occasional meltdown of a bride who hadn’t had much success with that crash diet, or the long, patience-testing afternoon spent with a bride who tried on every dress in the store—twice—and still couldn’t make a decision? The wedding dress was the focal point of the entire ceremony, a symbol of hope and happiness and dreams that had finally come true.

  Except not all dreams come true, Kate thought as she wrestled with the overstuffed silk pillow wedged behind her back. Her stomach roiled with bad memories, and she tried to stay focused on the reason she was here at all. Her best friend was getting married. She could have a good cry about her own misfortune when she went home, and if recent history proved anything, she probably would. But right now she would hold herself together, show her support, and not let her self-pity taint what should be a very special moment.

  “Do you need any help?” she called out. It would be easier to make herself useful, assist with a zipper or buttons or a train. Anything would be better than sitting on this too-stiff velvet love seat, trying not to let her gaze drift too far to the left, where another bride was trying on the very dress Kate had chosen for herself not so long ago, her girlfriends fawning over her selection.

  “I’m fine. I just…Well, let’s see what you think.” Elizabeth stepped out from behind the pink satin curtain of the dressing room wearing the classic strapless ivory gown she’d selected months back when William first popped the question to her, and despite the ache in her chest, Kate couldn’t help but smile.

  “You look stunning,” she whispered. She had known Elizabeth since they were five years old and placed next to each other in Ms. Richardson’s kindergarten class, bonding over their love of Barbie dolls and their mutual affection for Ken. She had been there every step of the way that had led to this day. How many summer afternoons had been spent twirling in their mothers’ lingerie, clutching dandelion bouquets, Elizabeth’s reluctant younger brother bribed with candy into playing the groom, even though he always took off across the lawn before the vows were complete.

  Elizabeth turned uncertainly in the gilded three-way mirror that anchored the small store. “I was planning on wearing my grandmother’s pearls, but now I think a necklace might be too much.”

  Kate nodded her head in agreement. “They’re too formal for a beach ceremony. Besides, the gown speaks for itself.” And it did. Some gowns could be heavy or overly formal, but this one gave just enough of a nod to the bride’s classic style while still feeling summery and light. With its low back and subtle details near the waistline, it was perfectly pretty; there was no other word for it.

  “I think you’re right.” Elizabeth scrutinized herself in the mirror and released a nervous breath. “I just want everything to be perfect.”

  Kate smiled tightly. Every bride said the same thing. She’d said it herself at one time not so long ago.

  She frowned. It felt like a lifetime ago. In fact, it felt like another person altogether. Some strange alternate reality where she was the blushing bride pondering menus and color schemes and the band list. Now she was back to doing it for other people.

  “It will be perfect,” Kate said, standing up to fluff the back of the dress. “I’m seeing to it myself.”

  “You know why I’m so nervous, don’t you?” Elizabeth turned to face her properly, her eyes clouding over as her mouth thinned.

  Kate squeezed her friend’s shoulder, saying nothing. Elizabeth was still recovering from her first and only meeting with William’s family, which hadn’t gone very well. It had been a bit of a disaster, really, not that Kate would be saying that today. No need to bother with the wedding just a few days away!

  “I’m sure it will be different this time,” she assured her, even though she wasn’t so sure about that. “They were probably just surprised is all. You and William hadn’t dated very long,” she pointed out, not that an engagement after six months was entirely unheard of, though it was quick. Six months to plan a wedding on the other hand…that was rushing it a bit, if anyone asked her.

  “I’m just worried that they’ll come to town and make trouble. Especially William’s brother.” Elizabeth gave her a long look.

  Every wedding Kate planned had some element of familial tension, and in this case, the source was rooted with the best man. Oh, she’d dealt with her share of unruly wedding party members—groomsmen who hit the bar a little too hard during the cocktail hour, bridesmaids throwing hissy fits over their ugly dresses, mothers-in-law showing up in white—and Alec Montgomery was no different, really. Though she hadn’t met him yet, she knew enough about him to know that he’d show up and play the role as dutiful brother. He and William were close, after all. And society weddings didn’t leave room for public outburst or noticeable drama.

  No, that was usually left behind the scenes, she thought, chuckling to herself when she considered all she heard and saw.

  She checked the row of satin-covered buttons on the back of the gown, making sure none were loose. “You’ll be so caught up in the excitement of the day, you won’t even notice he’s there,” Kate assured her, knowing this was true. People claimed they barely remembered their wedding days, that it was all a blur. That it was too surreal to capture. Too overwhelming in its emotion.

  Kate released a soft sigh. Not that she would know firsthand. “I emailed with him a few times about the rehearsal dinner. He was very laid-back about the whole thing.”

  “Probably because he was too busy to care,” Elizabeth said. She shook her head as she stared at herself in the mirror. “I’m still amazed he even agreed to come to town for the bachelor party tonight, what with how glued to that office he is.”

  “Well, it’s a Saturday,” Kate said.

  Elizabeth turned to face her. “So? That man works seven days a week. William used to, too.” Elizabeth tutted as she took her veil from the sales associate and set it on her head. “I know I sound dramatic, or like some anxious bride, but I’m nervous, Kate. He really doesn’t like me; I can tell. It’s like I’m not good enough for him or something. It’s hard enough knowing your new family doesn’t like you, but given how he disapproves of William marrying me or, should I say, marrying into my average American family, I wouldn’t put anything past him.”

  If it were any other bride, she’d chalk it up to high emotions, but Elizabeth was levelheaded and not prone to exaggeration. When she’d come back from Boston, weeping into her Chardonnay and recounted the chilly reception she’d received from William’s father and brother, Kate had known that there was no drama or enhanced details for the sake of telling a better story. Kate had seen the red flags then, braced herself for a time when William might call the whole thing off, but time moved forward and now she didn’t see that happening. William adored Elizabeth and their life in Misty Point. There was no reason to project her own disappointment onto her friend’s situation, even if there were some unsettling parallels.

  “You’ve been watching too many of those reality shows again,” Kate said now, and a sharp pain hit her at the thought of their beloved weekly tradition of wine and bad television and endless laughter. They’d been doing that in some shape or form all their lives, really. It was soap operas and pints of ice cream as teenagers—two spoons, no bowls—and later coffee and tabloid magazines. Once they hit their twenties, and even lived t
ogether for a brief time after college, it was wine and dating shows.

  Would that tradition end now that Elizabeth was getting married? Maybe not right away, but eventually…Elizabeth and William would want to start a family. They’d find other couples to hang out with. And Kate was single. Again. Maybe indefinitely. After all, there’d only been one real boyfriend in her entire life, and the whole town knew how that had ended.

  “If you’re referring to the season where Tiana, who was kicked off in episode one and had to be removed by ambulance for her hysteria, returned for the final flower ceremony and hovered ominously in the background, hiding behind a rosebush, then, okay, maybe I have been a tiny bit swayed.” Elizabeth laughed, but she soon frowned again. “I mean it, Kate. I’m worried. I can’t stop thinking about the way Alec just stared at me through that entire dinner. He doesn’t like me.”

  “Well, you’re not going to be best friends. It’s more common than you think.” Kate laughed nervously, wishing she could better disguise her growing alarm. There was no way that anything or anyone could upset this wedding. If that happened, Elizabeth wouldn’t be the only one in tears on Saturday. Kate would be crying all the way to the unemployment line. “It will be the happiest day of your life. I promise.”

  Elizabeth looked unconvinced. “If you say so.”

  “I do say so.” If she had any control over it, at least one of them would have the wedding day that she deserved. Kate turned her friend’s shoulders to face the mirror, admiring their reflection. “I still can’t believe you’re getting married,” she said, feeling that tug in her chest again.

  “Me neither,” Elizabeth said, her tone laced with wonder. Kate recognized the sound of it—the disbelief that all your dreams could actually be coming true. That years of hoping and waiting were over. That you could be so lucky. That your entire future was decided, and bright.