“You must be Delphinium,” he said as he got off the bike. His eyes flicked over her, caution in his face.
“Call me Delphi.” She crossed to him with a hand out. Their gazes met and she was intrigued by the punch of attraction. “So you’re Jeremy Litster?” Better and better. As DiCarlo Resort’s events coordinator she’d be spending lots of time in this man’s company in the future—if his work passed muster.
His hand surrounded hers with warm firmness, though he didn’t return her smile of pleasure at the meeting. “Guilty as charged. Sorry about not being here when you arrived.” He tucked his helmet under his arm and turned toward the studio. “I usually arrive early for appointments.”
“Good to know.” Delphi wondered if he was blowing cold or if it was her imagination. And she’d see for herself in the future how punctual he generally was.
They walked in and she took in the warm red tone of the wall behind the counter contrasting against the off-mustard color of the others. It shouldn’t have worked, but it did. If Jeremy had done the decorating, he had a good eye. And, she decided, if the portraits on the walls were any indication of his skill, that good eye extended to his creativity behind the camera as well. “Nice pics. No wonder Dad insisted I come to you to work with our clients. You have quite an eye. I might bring you in for some publicity shots before we open.” She looked over her shoulder and smiled at him. “I love finding someone who knows their stuff.”
He deposited the helmet under the counter and turned to her, his hands on his hips and a bit of a sneer on his mouth. “Just to clear the air,” he said, “I’m not looking for marriage, no matter how much money your father left you.”
Stymied by his declaration, she shifted her whole body to stare at him. “I don’t recall proposing.” What was with the men in this area? Just because Cami, her older sister—well, half-sister—seemed happy to hook up with Jeremy’s best friend practically at first sight didn’t mean Delphi was looking for love. She still had a boyfriend back home.
“I saw the way you looked at me when I pulled up.” He slid his hands into his pockets and crossed to her. “And I know plenty about your family agenda.” He stopped about a foot away from her, challenging her to deny it.
His arrogance floored her, and made her want to make him squirm, so she decided to give it her best shot. “I was looking at your bike. That’s the BMW S1000RR, isn’t it? Do you race? Because I can’t imagine why else you’d own a bike that’s been known to clock in the 180 mile-per-hour range. And what do you think of the rain setting? Have you had a chance to try it out yet?” What she wouldn’t do to get a chance to drive a bike like that. She’d kept her old Yamaha mostly for sentimental value. It was ready to be replaced, when she decided she could stand to let it go. Right now it would still feel too much like letting Fallon go, so couldn’t do that yet.
Jeremy blinked a few times in surprise and when he answered, his words were a little halting. “Yeah, the rain setting comes in handy on these windy mountain roads. And I’ve been known to join a race or two.”
Feeling triumphant at managing to take him by surprise, she smirked. “It’s a hot ride.”
“Yeah.”
“And for your information,” she said with as much ice as she could gather, still fuming about the way he’d acted. “Your bike is way hotter than you are.” She gave him two heartbeats to absorb that before she gestured to the counter. “Now that we’ve got that out of the way, are you going to show me your portfolio or not?”
His shock lasted only a second more before he appeared to shake it off and moved to grab a big binder. “Of course. That’s what you’re here for.”
“Yes. It is.” Delphi didn’t think she imagined his gratitude for the change of subject. She decided to be the bigger person and focus on work. For now. There would be plenty more chances to make him squirm in the future.
January 28
Delphi double-checked her bag to make sure she had her laptop, her phone and her emergency kit. The house her father had bought for his daughters to live in practically echoed with quiet since Jonquil, Rosemary and Cleo had gone skiing early this morning and the others were married and living with their husbands now. Not that she minded—being alone was better than dealing with the women who had taken so much of her father’s love and attention. She told herself that most of them were in the same boat as she was—unacknowledged as far as society was concerned until his death. It didn’t help her deal with the fact that they had part of his love and attention she hadn’t been able to garner for herself when she’d needed it.
Delphi had a client’s wedding to oversee, so she wouldn’t be having fun. Not that she considered skiing fun—with her lack of grace, she would be sure to end the day with a broken limb.
The garage echoed with each click of her Gucci heels. They were three seasons old, but they looked awesome so she wasn’t about to give them up. She passed Rosemary’s and Jonquil’s cars, pausing to run a loving hand over Fallon’s beat up old motorcycle.
She should have given away or sold the old machine ages ago—he’d been dead for eight years—but she hadn’t been able to give it up. The mountain roads being what they were, she hadn’t taken it out for a couple of months, but she couldn’t wait until the weather cleared. Being on the bike always reminded her of their ride together when he’d picked her up for their first date. Of the night he’d proposed—the two of them sitting on the back of the bike, a full moon and sky full of stars overhead. And of riding away from the wedding reception for their honeymoon, knowing her mother wore a disapproving frown. Zelda had never approved of her daughter marrying at only nineteen. Her tune might have changed if her daughter had married a doctor or lawyer, but Delphi hadn’t cared about that—all she had wanted was Fallon.
Her father had been different, questioning, then accepting, even supporting her decision after he met Fallon. She’d thought he understood her then, but his insistence on making all of his daughters move to the Rocky Mountains proved otherwise.
Delphi and Fallon had so little time together but every moment was perfect. Until he got sick and a few weeks later he was gone. She still missed him every day. The anniversary of his death was only a few days away, making all of the emotions seem worse somehow.
She sucked in a breath and continued to her car. She had someone else’s happy-ever-after to see to now. Another nervous bride and disapproving mom. She was going to make this day as perfect as she possibly could.
Jeremy snapped a few more photos of the wedding cake, pausing to arrange the bride’s bouquet alongside it and take a few more shots. He couldn’t remember a time when he didn’t want to be a photographer. Being able to make a living working in his hometown was even better than he’d hoped it would be. The job definitely came with its less-appealing sides too, but overall, he couldn’t complain. Getting first pick for the gigs through the DiCarlo hotel had taken his struggling business and put it on a more even keel. A few more months like this and he’d be able to pick up the new equipment he’d been drooling over for three years.
He heard the voices of the bride and her mother arguing on the other side of the flower-covered lattice and saw Delphi cross the hotel’s grand ballroom toward them, every movement brisk and efficient as usual.
Her short cap of blond hair was getting long, due for a cut and now brushed along her jaw. Her blue eyes held the confidence of someone who was always in control. Today’s suit skirt was pale green with elegant lines and, no doubt, designer labels. He wondered if she’d ever been inside a Walmart. The three-inch heels certainly hadn’t come from there. It had taken him a few months to realize the clothing was a shield, one with cracks—he thought he’d glimpsed moments where she wasn’t worrying about what everyone else thought, but they were barely blips, leaving him to wonder if he’d been mistaken.
He’d come to regret the way he’d acted the first time he’d met her. She wasn’t anything like he’d thought and he had spent the past several months trying to ove
rcome their bad start. She was efficient, organized and made sure he was paid on schedule—all things he appreciated and more than reason enough to have been civil to begin with. If he hadn’t been so certain that the DiCarlo daughters approved of their father’s plans to hook them up with men of his choosing—even from beyond the grave—Jeremy wouldn’t have jumped down her throat like that.
Sometimes he was a real moron.
The fact that he’d been shaking off his father’s nagging about how Jeremy needed to settle down with a good woman hadn’t helped.
“Hey, it looks like everything is in place,” Delphi said brightly to her clients. “Do you want to move down to the bride’s room now to get into your dress? Rumor has it your groom is on his way.” Her voice was full of anticipation.
“I don’t know,” the bride whined. “I need a minute to myself. Mom, just go away for a little while. I already know how you feel. Why are you trying to ruin my special day?”
“Chelsea, I’m just making sure you know what you’re doing,” the mother of the bride said.
Delphi’s voice fell into a soothing tone. “Hey, Mom, how about if you take a break, get a drink of water and let me talk to her.”
Jeremy had seen Delphi in placation mode before, but there was something more in her voice that he hadn’t expected. Understanding? Empathy? He moved closer to the lattice to listen in, pretending he was considering different angles, though he’d shot more than enough of the cake already.
The mother walked off, irritation in every jerky movement.
Delphi’s voice was lower, but still audible. “Now, tell me what’s going on.”
“Mom thinks this is all a big mistake.” Emotion filled Chelsea’s voice and a sniffle punctuated the phrase. “She says I’m too young to know what I want. You’d think after this long she’d realize I’m not going to change my mind.”
“Too young. I’ve heard that one a few times,” Delphi said. The sound of chairs brushing against the carpets filled the next couple of seconds and then the voices changed places, indicating that they had taken a seat. “Tell me why you love Rick.”
“What?”
“Why do you love him? What makes it so he’s the one you want to be with for the rest of your life?” Delphi prompted.
“Well, he makes me laugh. A lot. And we can talk about anything and everything. Even when we don’t agree on something, we always manage to find a middle ground. Rick always tells me that I can do anything I want and he supports me in the things I want to do. He’s sweet and thoughtful and cares what matters to me. We have the same dreams and goals and he just makes me want to be with him all the time because he makes me feel good.” She paused and when she poke again there was a teasing tone in her voice. “And man, when we’re alone together the chemistry just sparks like nothing else.”
Delphi chuckled. “Yeah, that does help, doesn’t it? Now, why does Rick love you?”
That was an angle Jeremy hadn’t expected.
“I don’t know.” Chelsea’s voice was thoughtful and a few seconds passed before she spoke up again. “When he proposed he said I was his best friend, that he loved how determined I am and how I have dreams. And he said he couldn’t imagine living without me.”
“There you go. If you two have all of that, does it really matter what anyone else thinks?”
There was a short pause before Chelsea asked, “You’re not saying this because it’s your job, are you?”
That pulled a full laugh from Delphi. “Honey, at this point, I get paid whether you get married today or not. This has nothing to do with my paycheck and everything to do with you. If you and Rick really love each other and you have similar goals and put your relationship first, it doesn’t matter what anyone else says or thinks. Love is special, and you don’t want to waste a day of it.” Her voice was tight as she said these last words.
There was a sniffle, though Jeremy wasn’t sure if it came from the bride or Delphi.
“Really?” Chelsea’s voice was hopeful.
“Really. Don’t you let anyone tell you you’re too young to know what you want or that you’re making a mistake. If this is really love, if you’ve got the kind of relationship you say you have, you march into that bride’s room and get ready. And ignore your mom’s worries. She loves you and wants what’s best for you. Sometimes parents forget that their girls grow up and are able to make those kinds of decisions for themselves.”
“Thank you.” There was a crinkle of fabric and through a break in the lattice, Jeremy saw the bride lean in to hug Delphi.
“You’re welcome. Now, go get into that dress and touch up the makeup,” Delphi said. “You have a mascara smudge.”
Jeremy strolled toward the door, glancing in the women’s direction as casually as he could. The bride wore an expression of confidence he hadn’t seen earlier, and Delphi looked a little wistful through her smile. It was another crack in her persona, one that increased the intrigue and attraction he’d been feeling as he’d learned more about her.
Delphi watched Chelsea walk away and then took a deep breath and turned toward him, sliding her usual professional mask back in place and tugging slightly on the jacket of her perfectly coordinated outfit. He didn’t think he’d ever seen her wear anything that wasn’t perfectly put together, or with a makeup smudge or a hair out of place.
Probably because of that, something inside him was dying to reach out and muss her up a little. And to kiss that prim mouth—it had been calling to him from the first. But he didn’t want to get slapped down. She was a queen at the verbal freeze and probably not a wimp when it came to a physical slap, either.
“Do you need something?” she asked coolly.
“No. I think I’ve got it under control. Have them let me know when she’s in her dress so I can get some shots in the dressing room.”
“Will do.” Delphi nodded and veered to the left to talk to one of the setup crew.
Jeremy watched her go, thinking about her little pep talk and what was behind it. Her speech sounded a little too much like experience, and major buckets of empathy. After working with her on and off for half a year, he’d thought he understood her—as much as anyone could when she kept a barrier between herself and everyone around her. Apparently she had a lot of twists and turns he hadn’t known existed.
He filed that away as he moved on to the front of the building.
A few days later Jeremy slung the camera bag over his shoulder and made his way toward the exit at the Denver hotel where he had been shooting a college buddy’s wedding. Snow fell steadily outside and he was glad he was heading back up the mountain before it got too late. The roads were going to be icy enough as it was. She flipped through his text messages. One from Tiffany—the previous night’s date, and one from a girl he’d gone out with a couple of weeks back inviting him to a movie in a few days. He responded that it would be fun and slid his phone back into his pocket.
He had planned to grab a burger on his way out of town, but when he glanced over and saw Delphi being seated in the restaurant, he gave into the impulse to talk to her. She was the last person he’d expected to see in a hotel without the DiCarlo emblem on the front. Here, now, away from a slew of watching sisters and employees might be the best time to approach her. Jeremy had been seriously attracted to her from the moment he laid eyes on her trim figure, the tight cap of blond hair and snapping blue eyes. But he’d been determined not to take any interest in the DiCarlo heir her father had hand-picked him to marry—as if he was ever going to settle down with a city girl. He knew where he belonged and he was already there.
As he walked over to Delphi, she looked tired and a little lonely—or was that his imagination? He took the seat across from her. “I didn’t expect to run into you here,” he said.
She had been staring out the window and startled a little when he spoke. Then she clasped her hands together on the table and straightened in her chair. “What are you doing here?”
“I had a wedding earlier
. Remember? It was on my schedule.” They worked closely enough that she could check his calendar when planning events with photography. “And don’t you have an event at the resort today? Why aren’t you there?” Jeremy studied her for a moment, intrigued by the confusion on her face. He lightened his tone. “Are you taking a busman’s holiday?”
“Claire is handling the event.” Delphi pressed creases into the cloth napkin in front of her. “You should get back to your apartment before the roads get worse.”
He smiled slightly at the dismissal. “You too.”
She shook her head. “I’m staying here tonight.”
A waiter approached and asked about drinks to start things off. She ordered a glass of champagne—which surprised Jeremy since she rarely drank, even when the rest of her assorted half-sisters were drinking. He’d paid attention to her at Vince and Cami’s wedding and the few other occasions when they’d been in company in a non-work capacity.
“May I see your ID, ma’am?” the waiter asked.
“I think you may be my new favorite person.” She smiled as she pulled it out of her tiny off-white purse and passed it over. She must have a dozen of those purses and they always coordinated with her outfit perfectly. Jeremy didn’t understand it, but it intrigued him anyway.
The waiter grinned back at her as he took it, then turned to Jeremy, “And you, sir?”
“He’s not staying.” Delphi’s words were quick and automatic.
Jeremy lifted his brows at her. “Ouch.” He redirected his attention to the waiter. “Apparently I’m not staying.” He tried to make light of her comment, adding a lazy smile to his words, but her vehemence did leave a little sting. Over the past few months he’d been trying to make up for the way he’d acted when they met, but she was as prickly as ever.
Wild Hearts (The DiCarlo Brides) Page 2