by Gina Wilkins
“Gordon and I will be checking out right after breakfast,” Travis told her regretfully. “We’ve had a wonderful time, Kinley. We’ll definitely be back in the future.”
“It’s been a pleasure to meet you both,” she assured him warmly. “You’d be welcome back anytime.”
She paused by the small table where the honeymooning Mayberrys were dining and exchanged some cheery small talk with them before moving on. When she turned again, Dan stood in front of her with a well-filled plate in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other.
She felt her smile twitch a bit, but hoped she managed to mask the reaction by greeting him brightly. “Good morning, Dan.”
“Good morning.” He nodded toward the coffee cup in her hand. “Have you eaten already?”
“No, not yet.”
“Will you join me?”
Aware of the surreptitious attention they were getting from the other diners, she couldn’t think of a gracious way to decline. “Just let me get a plate.”
Bonnie was refilling the coffee carafe when Kinley filled her plate. “Having breakfast with Dan, hmm?” Bonnie teased in a murmur. “So maybe you listened to me, after all?”
Kinley gave her sister a look, then turned with her plate to cross the room to the window-side table Dan had chosen.
Dan nodded a bit sheepishly toward the generous helpings of food on his plate. “For someone trained in the management part of the hospitality business, your sister is an excellent chef.”
Cutting into her own smaller serving, Kinley agreed. “She trained in that, too. Bonnie’s prepared for this since she was a child. She used to play hotel with her dolls and stuffed animals. She checked them in, then fed them and suggested interesting things for them to do to entertain themselves. And then she cleaned their rooms.”
Dan laughed. “Seriously?”
“She made the rooms out of cardboard boxes, decorated them and stacked them like a hotel with the front wall sliced off. She used to charge me a nickel to let my dolls spend the night in her inn. She was five then; I was eight.”
“That’s really funny.”
“Is it any wonder she was Uncle Leo’s favorite? Every time we came to visit she tagged at his heels asking a million questions about running the inn.”
“And about the ghost?”
Kinley paused only a moment in her eating, then swallowed and reached for her coffee. She really wished Dan would forget all about the ghost. “He didn’t tell her about that until she was older. He said he was concerned that hearing about a ghost would make her nervous about staying here. Bonnie thought the real reason was because he couldn’t bear to think about that night for a long time after Aunt Helen died because it made him too sad.”
“What about your brother?” Dan asked, picking up her signals and obligingly changing the subject. “Did he bring his toys to Bonnie’s hotel?”
“No, he was much too cool for that,” she quipped, grateful for the diversion. “He’s almost two years older than I am. Even as a kid he was obsessed with computers and blueprints and that sort of thing. He designed a handicap-accessible playground for our church with a desktop computer and a CAD program when he was only fourteen years old.”
“Impressive.”
“He is.”
“It was obvious during dinner last night that you and Bonnie are both crazy about your brother, even though you both seem to get frustrated with him fairly often.”
“I’d say those are both accurate assessments,” she agreed with a faint smile. Every time she thought of their brother’s devastating illness in his early twenties, her chest tightened. She wouldn’t mention that painful year to Dan now—Logan wouldn’t want her talking about it—but she didn’t try to hide the affection that underlay her frequent exasperation with her big brother.
“I enjoyed meeting with him,” Dan said, “but he’s a bit hard to get to know, I think. Very reserved.”
“That’s accurate, too. Our brother is a great guy, but he’s had some serious challenges to overcome. That’s left him a little grouchy, but Bonnie and I are working on that.”
She could tell he was curious about the challenges she’d mentioned, but he didn’t follow up, saying merely, “It’s nice that the three of you are so close.”
Once again, she had a funny suspicion that he was comparing his own family to hers and that his came up short. Though he’d spoken rather lightly about his parents’ disapproval, she’d sensed the old pain in his voice. He’d said his parents hadn’t approved of him since his teens. It had been a throwaway line, but something in his tone had made her believe there was at least some truth to his words. She had spent almost all day with him yesterday, so in some ways it felt as though she’d gotten to know him rather quickly, but of course there was still much about him she didn’t know. And she couldn’t help being increasingly curious.
“What’s on your schedule for today?” he asked, interrupting her musings.
“I have a busy day planned getting ready for the wedding rehearsal and dinner this evening. This afternoon I have a meeting with a prospective bride and then a phone conference with a supplier. And I’m expecting another counteroffer from the sellers of the house deal I was working last night.”
“So just a typical day for Kinley,” he said over his coffee cup.
She nodded. “Pretty much. I had originally planned to give you the grand tour and answer questions this morning, but we got that out of the way yesterday. You’d be welcome to tag along with me today and observe some of the behind-the-scenes preparation for a wedding, if you wouldn’t find that too boring. Or I can direct you to some more of the local attractions, which might be more fun for you. It’s going to be a beautiful day for sightseeing.”
“I can’t imagine I’d get bored spending the day with you.”
It was the first time that morning he’d openly flirted with her again. And her little jolt of reaction reminded her that she liked it. Realizing she was sitting there gazing at his sexy mouth—and remembering too vividly how it felt pressed to hers—she snapped out of it and said briskly, “I wouldn’t be so sure about that. It’s going to be a long, detail-filled day. Feel free to cut out whenever you get restless, and let us know if we can give you any assistance.”
“And now she’s back in hostess mode,” he murmured teasingly, earning himself a look that only made him laugh.
* * *
They were almost finished with breakfast when Eva Sossaman swept into the dining room with Serena and young Grayson. Eva and her husband lived only a twenty-minute drive from the inn, close enough that there was no need for them to stay overnight, and Serena was living with them, leaving the inn’s limited accommodations free for their out-of-town guests. The boy made a beeline straight for the buffet table, though he had undoubtedly already been fed breakfast at his grandmother’s house.
“Don’t touch anything, Grayson,” Eva said automatically, then immediately turned away to leave Bonnie to protect the food. Bonnie sat the boy at a table with a small pastry and a glass of juice, then hovered nearby to make sure he stayed there.
Eva homed in directly on Kinley and Dan. She sashayed toward them, her sparkly clothes fluttering around her. She’d definitely dressed to impress today, Kinley thought wryly. Her hair was sprayed into an ash-blond helmet of curls, and diamonds flashed from her ears and fingers. There was no doubt she’d dressed with cameras in mind. Serena, on the other hand, had chosen a more conservative outfit, a cap-sleeve knit dress in a muted beige color that was a bit too close to her skin tone, making her look somewhat washed out. She’d left her brown hair loose, and wore little makeup. Kinley thought she looked tired.
“I was happy to see that young man was starting to paint the new post when we arrived,” Eva announced. “I pointed out a few places he needed to be sure not to miss, but it already looks much better than it did yesterday. Serena and I are greatly relieved.”
“Mom, Kinley and Mr. Phelan are having breakfast,” Serena murmure
d, tugging at her mother’s arm. “Why don’t you wait until they’re finished?”
“It’s okay, Serena, I’m finished.” Kinley gave Dan a quick, apologetic look, then rose. She gathered her dishes to carry to the table designated for that purpose; Rhoda would collect them later and stack them in the dishwasher. Dan followed with his.
“I want another one,” Grayson called out loudly, pointing toward the glass-dome-covered tray of pastries.
“You’ve had enough, Grayson,” his grandmother replied firmly, setting off high-pitched whining that made Kinley’s ears ring.
“He’s going to be bored out of his mind today,” Serena muttered. “There really was no need for us to be here so early, Mom.”
“Now, Serena, you want to make sure everything is just perfect for your rehearsal this evening and for the wedding tomorrow.”
“No, Mother, you want to make sure of that,” her daughter snapped.
Kinley moved quickly to intercede. In the months she’d been working with them, she had seen Serena stand up to her mother only rarely, and Eva never reacted well. “I can understand why you both want to keep an eye on things, but there isn’t a lot you can do for now. Bonnie and Rhoda have the rooms ready for your guests, Logan and his crew are setting up outside. As soon as breakfast service is cleared away, Bonnie and Rhoda will start getting the dining room ready for the rehearsal dinner. So, really, everything is under control here.”
“See, Mom? It’s all under control,” Serena repeated. “We should leave them to their work and go take care of our own list of things to do today. Connor and Alicia are supposed to meet us at our house this afternoon, remember, so we can all arrive for the rehearsal together. Grayson will be happy to see his mom and dad again after almost a week. So let’s just go, okay?”
“Yes, we will,” her mother said with a dismissive wave of her hand. “But first I want to go out and check on the progress around the gazebo. I’ll just have a word with Logan and make sure—”
“I think it would be much better if you let me check with my brother,” Kinley suggested quickly. “He can get a little, um, curt when he’s focused on a project, and he’ll be directing his entire attention to getting ready for the wedding, I assure you.”
Dan inched forward, drawing attention to himself with a diffident smile. “Actually, Mrs. Sossaman, I wonder if you and your lovely daughter could spare a minute to chat with me this morning. We haven’t had a chance to talk for the article I’m writing. I’d love to have your input—you know, why you chose the inn as a setting for the wedding, any advice you might have to offer other future brides. That sort of thing.”
He was totally playing her, of course, but Eva was either too oblivious or too vain to care. Her attention immediately diverted from the activities outside, she graciously consented to an interview with Dan, assuring him she had quite a few valuable suggestions to offer to prospective brides. Serena rolled her eyes, but looked relieved that yet another confrontation had been avoided.
“I’m so sorry,” she murmured to Kinley, hanging back for a moment when Dan walked toward the parlor with Eva and Grayson—who had been slightly mollified with a handful of grapes from Bonnie. “I’m sure you’ll be very glad when this wedding is over and you won’t have to deal with my mother anymore.”
“Your mother simply wants her only daughter’s wedding to be perfect,” Kinley replied with a faint smile. “That’s understandable.”
Serena pushed a hand through her hair and scowled. “Well, she’s driving me crazy. Not to mention poor Chris. He’s been avoiding me for the past week just so he doesn’t have to deal with my mother haranguing him about all the details the groom and his family are supposed to be responsible for. I keep telling her to just let them take care of things their way, but she never listens.”
Resting a soothing hand on the younger woman’s shoulder, Kinley said, “Trust me, Serena, I’ve seen plenty of family meltdowns during the last hours before a wedding. People just get overwhelmed by what they perceive to be an overabundance of details to take care of. They start thinking of everything that could go wrong, and they end up snapping at the ones closest to them. Just relax and try to enjoy this special time. Let us deal with the worries, okay? I’m sure there will be a couple of minor mishaps, but usually those just give you something to laugh about in years to come, you know?”
Drawing a deep, ragged breath, Serena pushed back her hair again and nodded. “Thanks, Kinley. I’ll try to hold on to my patience with her.”
“That would be best.” She was making a massive effort to do the same.
Serena relaxed enough to give just a slight smile. “Thank goodness for your friend. Mom will be less likely to cause any problems in front of him, although she’ll certainly put on airs for him.”
“My, um—”
“He seems very nice,” Serena added, glancing in the direction of the parlor. “Have you known him long?”
“I met him yesterday for the first time. He’s here on assignment for the magazine for a series of articles profiling small Southern wedding venues.”
“Really? You only met him yesterday?” Serena looked surprised.
“Yes.” Kinley, too, found it a bit hard to believe, especially when she thought of that interlude in the garden last night.
“Huh. I’d have thought you knew each other longer. Something about the way he smiles at you, I guess.”
“Serena!” Eva called from the hallway. “Are you coming? Dan wants to talk to you, too. After all, you are the bride.”
“Glad she remembers that occasionally,” Serena muttered, but obligingly headed in the direction of her mother’s voice. “Let me know if you need anything from me today, Kinley,” she said over her shoulder.
“Same to you. You have my number.” Ordering herself to concentrate solely on business for now, Kinley hurried toward the office to start making her calls, leaving Bonnie and Rhoda to clear away the now-emptied dining room.
* * *
It was inevitable, of course, that some things would go wrong that day. Kinley pretty much planned for unexpected problems so she would be prepared to deal with whatever cropped up. She hoped she could take care of whatever she encountered quickly and discreetly, as she always tried to do, but especially with Dan there.
Dan was able to keep Eva occupied for almost an hour, during which Kinley accomplished quite a bit. He caught up with her later that morning back in the dining room, where she was helping Rhoda and Bonnie set up tables for the rehearsal dinner that evening. By moving the four usual tables closer together and bringing down another round folding table and six more chairs from the attic, they had provided seating for thirty, plus a kids’ table that would hold six. Dan jumped in to help when he saw Bonnie carrying two chairs, taking them from her and placing them where she indicated.
Having just set the smaller chairs in place at the kids’ table, Kinley brushed off her hands absently as she looked at Dan. “Well? How did it go?”
He smiled and shrugged. “Let’s just say I have much more information on tomorrow’s wedding than I’ll need to use in the article. Not to mention the life story of both the bride and the groom, and the bride’s mother’s role in bringing them together.”
Kinley grimaced apologetically. “I’m really sorry about that.”
He shrugged. “All part of the job. How’s it going with you?”
“Great,” she said brightly, pushing out of her mind any thoughts of vendor delays, miscommunications and other issues she’d dealt with in the past hour. “Did Serena and Eva leave?”
“I walked them to the door. I hope they went straight to their car from there, which is what Serena was strongly urging they do. By the way, you might want to send someone in to tidy the parlor. Young Grayson is very, um, curious. Not to mention energetic.”
“Thanks. I’ll take care of that.”
“Is there anything I can do to help?”
“Oh, no, thanks. Everything’s under control. Maybe y
ou’d like to—”
“Kinley.” Logan appeared in the doorway to the deck, which had been left open to keep the fresh air circulating in the room. “Keep her away from me, will you?”
Wincing, Kinley hurried to her brother. She didn’t have to ask who he meant by her, of course. “What happened?”
“She came back giving orders to my crew, telling me what I was doing wrong—nothing, by the way. Telling me better ways of doing my job—which weren’t better.”
“Where is she?”
“She left. Her daughter burst into tears and dragged her away.”
Kinley put a hand to her head. “You made Serena cry?”
Logan snorted in offense. “I did not. Her mother made her cry. I just told them I knew what I was doing and didn’t really need them to supervise.”
“Please tell me you were at least reasonably polite about it.”
“I know how to do my job,” he repeated slowly for her benefit. “I was as polite as I could be. She should just be damned glad I didn’t throw something at her.”
Still rubbing her temple with one hand, Kinley waved off her brother with the other. “Just go back to work. Maybe she’ll stay away for a while now.”
“She’d better.”
Just as Logan turned and stalked away, Bonnie rushed in from the kitchen. “Kinley, I can’t find those place-card holders Eva wanted to use tonight. You did pick them up, right?”
“Yes, of course I did. I put them… Oh, crap.” She had a sudden, vividly detailed mental picture of the box of holders. Sitting on the coffee table in her living room. “I left them at home. I’ll have to run and get them.”
Bonnie glanced at her watch. “You have about an hour and forty-five minutes before the meeting with the prospective clients. You might as well have lunch while you’re out, then be back in time for the meeting. Rhoda and I will make sure everything is ready in here for the caterer.”
Automatically checking the time on her phone, Kinley nodded. “Yes, that will work. Is there anything else you need me to pick up for you while I’m out?”