His Band of Gold

by Melissa McClone

  Kelsey nodded. “And divorced him twice, too.”

  Will frowned. “Your family sounds a lot different than mine.”

  “I know. Your parents have been together forever. Starr was very proud about that.”

  Will smiled. “Divorce is a four-letter word in our house. No Addison has ever been divorced.”

  “None of them?”

  “No grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins or siblings.”

  “That’s…unbelievable.”

  “But true.” Pride rang out in his voice, and Kelsey felt a stab of envy. “We’ve all been fortunate to find the right person.”

  “Not Faith.”

  “She hasn’t married yet.”

  “You don’t have to remind me.” Kelsey stared at him. “So, do Addisons stay in miserable marriages to avoid divorce?”

  “We don’t have miserable marriages.”

  And there was a pot of gold at the end of every rainbow. “Seems to me most marriages end up that way eventually, unless you are lucky.”

  He raised a brow. “This from a wedding consultant?”

  She nodded. “That’s why I take my job so seriously. Every bride deserves to feel like a princess and every groom a prince. The least I can do is give a couple a day to remember, a day to hold close to their hearts after things sour.”

  “Is that why you keep a scrapbook of your clients’ divorces? Not one showing the successful marriages, the pictures of babies and children that come from the ones that work?”

  A mixture of embarrassment and anger washed over her, yet she contained her temper. Like it or not, Will was a client. And as she’d learned from her parents, blowing up over something that couldn’t be changed never solved anything. She shrugged, but the last thing she felt was indifference. No one had ever seen her scrapbooks. Until that moment she’d forgotten she’d put them in the ottoman instead of their usual hiding place. “Not many of the marriages I coordinate last.”

  “No doubt because of your Wedding Consultant to the Stars moniker.” Sarcasm laced his voice. “You haven’t seen what real marriages are all about, how good, how strong they can be.”

  “Is that how you feel about your marriage?”

  “Yes.”

  She’d seen too many failed marriages to believe the Addisons had the market cornered on happy ones. “You think you found your soul mate?”

  “I have no doubt.”

  Kelsey heard the conviction in his voice. Such a romantic. She couldn’t ignore her curiosity about his wife, the woman who’d captured Will Addison’s heart. “How did you know she was the ‘one’?”

  He got a faraway look in his eyes. “It happened the day I met her.”

  Love at first sight? Talk about a fairy tale. This she had to hear. “How did you meet?”

  Will glanced out the window to the red-streaked sky. The sun was setting slowly. “It was Sadie Hawkin’s day. I was in sixth grade. All the boys tied their names on their belt loops and the girls got to chase us. If a girl managed to get your name, you were hers for the day.”

  He and his wife had been childhood sweethearts and still together after all this time. Kelsey found that hard to believe in this day and age. “Sounds…fun.”

  “For the girls maybe,” he admitted. “Sara, my wife, was new to the school. I’d never really paid much attention to her before because she was so shy and quiet…” His voice trailed off.

  “Go on.”

  He hesitated. “Sometime during the chase, one of the girls pushed her. Sara fell. Her knee was bloody and she was crying. I went over to help her up.”

  “Don’t tell me she grabbed your name tag?”

  He nodded.

  “And that’s how you knew?”

  He moistened his lips. “Sara was holding on to my name and she smiled, a wide grin with a mouthful of braces, and I knew.”

  “Knew what?”

  “That one day I would marry her.” He glanced away. “And I did. Two days after I graduated from college. That was ten years ago.”

  “You were young.”

  “I wish I’d married her sooner.”

  “That’s sweet.” Saccharine sweet, Kelsey thought. How could he feel that way after ten years? Longer if one counted how long they’d been together. Maybe he’d gotten lucky, like his parents and grandparents.

  His eyes glimmered. Tears? Kelsey found that almost as hard to believe as being married forever. Maybe he wore contacts and had a piece of grit in one of his eyes. That would explain it.

  “I’m looking forward to meeting her,” Kelsey said to break the silence.

  “You can’t meet her.” The green of Will’s eyes darkened and his lips tightened. “Sara…is dead. She was killed in a car crash eight years ago.”

  Chapter Three

  The air whooshed from Kelsey’s lungs. Talk about open-foot-insert-mouth. She struggled for a breath and the right—appropriate—words to say. Even though she was able to handle even the most awkward situations, this one left her speechless. Not wanting the uncomfortable silence to stretch any further, she settled for the most obvious yet overused sentiment. “I’m so sorry, Will.”

  “Thanks.”

  No pain in his voice; no anguish on his face, but that didn’t make her feel any better. Okay, his wife had died eight years ago not eight days, but Kelsey still felt about a quarter of an inch tall. It was obvious from everything he’d said about love and marriage that his heart still belonged to one woman and one woman only—his late wife, Sara. “I hope I didn’t—”

  “You didn’t.”

  “I thought since you wore a wedding band…”

  “It’s okay, Kelsey. Really.”

  She nodded, wanting to believe him and not wanting to say another word. Her brother would have a good laugh. Cade always called her Ms. Manners and teased her about writing an etiquette book when she tired of designing weddings. So much for handling any situation with aplomb and ease.

  The muted whine of the plane’s engine filled the cabin, kept the silence from becoming unbearable. Kelsey straightened in her seat and dug the toes of her black boots into the carpet. It couldn’t be too much longer until they arrived at the airport. Yet each passing minute felt like an hour. She’d never heard Starr or Faith mention Will being a widower. They’d never even mentioned he’d been married. Questions about him filled Kelsey’s mind. She wanted to know the answers, but she didn’t dare ask.

  Will looked to be in his early thirties. If Sara was his soul mate and one true love, did that mean he planned to spend the rest of his days alone? Kelsey wasn’t sure whether his answer would make him the world’s biggest romantic or the biggest fool. Surely he must have loved Sara—still loved her—if her memory was enough for him. Kelsey found it hard to believe anyone could love another that much.

  Will cleared his throat. “Once we arrive, we’ll head to the Lake Inn. You’ll have the use of one of our suites.”

  “Thank you.” The edges of Kelsey’s mouth turned up slightly. “You were confident I’d come if you saved a room.”

  “Let’s say I was hopeful,” he admitted. “Tonight you can unpack and get settled in. We’ll have breakfast at my parents’ house and start work tomorrow.”

  She hesitated. This required the right amount of tact. “I appreciate your offer to help, but I’m sure it would be a huge inconvenience to both you and Starr Properties to spend the next two weeks working with me.”

  He chuckled. “I appreciate your concern, but Starr Properties has been doing quite well these past few months without me working eighty hours a week. My staff knows how to find me if they need anything. And you know Faith. She’d kill me if I didn’t keep her informed about everything you were doing. Trust me, it will be easier if I’m completely involved.”

  Easier for whom? Faith, sure. But what about her? Kelsey was beginning to think a free-fall descent onto a parking lot would be easier to survive than spending the next fourteen days with Will. Of course, she was simply overreacting.
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br />   Working with Will Addison wouldn’t be difficult. So he was interesting? Charming and handsome, too? He was also a die-hard romantic. Kelsey wouldn’t want to touch that with a ten-foot—make that a twenty-foot—pole. Not even a slight flirtation appealed to her. She settled back in her seat. These next two weeks were going to be a snap.

  The drive from the airport to Lake Tahoe’s North Shore passed without incident. It was dark by the time Will pulled his Yukon into the parking lot of the Starr Lake Inn.

  Kelsey climbed out. Falling snowflakes greeted her and clung like confetti. Her breath hung in the chilly night air. She tugged the front of her jacket together.

  As she faced the hotel, the sight warmed her. She almost thought she was in the Swiss Alps instead of the Sierra Nevadas. The charming inn with its horse-drawn sleigh waiting for passengers and its gingerbread-trimmed balconies on each of the floors was movie-facade perfect, but better than a set designer could fabricate on a sound stage because this was real.

  She walked next to Will. A few yards from the lobby entrance, she noticed two men talking to a bellhop.

  Kelsey froze. Every nerve ending went on alert. Garrett Malloy and Fred Silvers were reporters/photographers for Weekly Secrets, a cheesy tabloid that reported on celebrities with an almost-stalker-obsessive slant. If the dynamic duo caught sight of Kelsey and put two and two together, all bets for an intimate, private wedding would be off. She tried to stay out of sight. “We have a problem.”

  Will glanced back. “Only one?”

  “No, two.” Kelsey motioned to the men standing outside the entrance to the inn. “Sleazy tabloid reporters,” she whispered. “They would kill for a scoop about Faith’s wedding.”

  Will frowned. “I haven’t told anyone except my personal assistant. There’s no way they could have found out.”

  The two men walked toward them. A few more yards and they would see her. Kelsey couldn’t take the chance. She glanced at Will. “Desperate times call for desperate measures.”

  Kelsey wrapped her arms around him and nuzzled her face against his neck. Warmth emanated from him. Even though he wore a jacket, she could feel how solid he was underneath. And boy, did he smell good. Even better close up. She took another sniff.

  His sharp intake of air brought her back to reality. She shouldn’t be enjoying this as much as she was. She shouldn’t be enjoying this at all.

  “What are you doing?” Tension filled his voice, made him stiffen.

  “Hiding.”

  “You’re only bringing attention to—”

  “Just go with it,” she whispered, “for Faith’s sake.”

  Will blew out a puff of air. As the sound of footsteps crunching on the snow grew louder, he pulled Kelsey closer. And closer.

  One of the reporters snickered.

  This wasn’t going to work. The reporters would recognize her. Put two and two together and…

  Will covered her mouth with his own. Oh, my. The feel of his lips moving against hers made her close her eyes and moan. This was better than a kiss in a dream. Way better. Hot. Knee-melting hot. Soft. Purest cashmere soft. And delicious. Mouthwatering-soufflé delicious. She wanted more, so much more. Kelsey leaned into him, taking what she wanted.

  “Get a room,” a man—one of the reporters?—said.

  Will deepened the kiss. The taste of him, the feel of him, the scent—all of it intoxicating. She could easily become addicted to this.

  Before Kelsey knew what was happening Will stepped back and she nearly fell forward. She struggled to regain her composure, to make her heartbeat stop racing, to calm her ragged breathing.

  “They’re gone.” He whipped out his cell phone and punched in a number as if the kiss hadn’t had any effect on him.

  And it hadn’t, she realized. At least not on Will. But on her…

  She might as well have just run the hundred-yard dash at the equator. Her blood boiled and her pulse raced and her heart pounded. Not even the cold night air managed to cool her down. Never before had she been kissed so thoroughly. And never before had she been so shaken.

  Will closed his cell phone. “They haven’t been the only reporters hanging around.”

  She struggled to forget about the kiss, forget about the ache building within her. “C-could your assistant—”

  “No.” His lips tightened. “Confidentiality is a priority at all Starr resorts. Besides, most people, including the guests, think we’re throwing a thirty-fifth wedding anniversary party for my parents, not a wedding.”

  Kelsey did a double take. The kiss had muddied her mind, her senses. “An anniversary party?”

  “My parents were married on Valentine’s Day, too,” Will explained. “My mother thought it would be romantic to have Faith marry on the same day as she and my father did.”

  The dash of romance was enough to clear Kelsey’s head and force her to focus on the task at hand. Maybe sharing the same wedding date would be enough impetus for Faith to follow through this once. “At least it won’t look odd for Faith to fly in for the anniversary party.”

  Will stared at Kelsey. “But it will look odd for you to be here.”

  Remember, the customer is always right. At least until you can get them to change their minds. Kelsey took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “How am I supposed to coordinate a wedding without being on-site?”

  “You can be on-site, but you’ll have to keep a low profile. At least until the day of the event.”

  That she could handle. “A couple of weeks of room service won’t be bad. I can work early in the mornings or late at night when the guests have retired to their rooms.”

  Will furrowed his brow. “What about meeting with suppliers?”

  “I’ll manage,” she said. “I’ve worked on top-secret weddings before.”

  “But the press still could find out.”

  “I’ll stay at another hotel.” She was used to last-minute changes. “If anyone asks why I’m here, I can say I’m scouting wedding sites. I’ll rent a car and—”

  “No.” Will stared at her, his eyes cloudy. “You can stay with me.”

  “With you?”

  “A path connects my house to the inn. It’s a nice walk and you can enter and exit through the service entrance without being seen by the guests or the press. It’s the only thing that makes sense.”

  Only if one were certifiable. “I don’t want to impose.”

  “You won’t,” he said. “The press will get bored waiting for Faith to show up and then you can move into the inn. It’ll be a few days at the most.”

  A few days. That didn’t sound so bad to Kelsey as long as no more kisses were involved. And why in the world would they kiss again? “I’m sure it’ll work out fine.”

  Fine. Her definition of the word and Will’s had to be miles apart. The only way to make things work out fine was to get away from her—A.S.A.P. Will concentrated on his driving.

  “Would you mind if I turned on the radio?” Kelsey asked.

  “Go ahead.” His voice sounded cool, even to him. “There’s a case of CDs between the seats if you’d rather listen to one of those.”

  She reached for the case. “Thanks.”

  So polite. Just an act, Will was certain. If she were truly polite, she wouldn’t have kissed him back the way she had. The kiss had been nothing more than an act, and he wanted to pretend he hadn’t felt anything. Pretend his space-shuttle-launch-explosive reaction hadn’t been real. But it had. Will didn’t like that, didn’t like the way Kelsey had made him drop his guard if only for a few moments. There had been other women in his life since Sara’s death, but not one a relationship he considered remotely serious. Nothing he couldn’t forget or live without. Nothing he’d wanted to take to the next level.

  But with Kelsey…

  It had only been one kiss, but it had felt like coming home. Home to a place he’d forgotten existed after years of exile. He wanted to go back. Again and again.

  And that made absolutely no sense. />
  Sara was the only one who had made him feel that way.

  As Kelsey leaned forward to insert the CD in the player, he caught another tantalizing whiff of her perfume. The scent reminded him of her kiss. Passionate, seductive, hot. The perfume filled his nostrils the same way it had during the flight from L.A. Will tightened his grip on the steering wheel. He should have bought a Hummer instead. The front seats had to be farther apart than the ones in his Yukon. Who was he kidding? He could be sitting at the opposite end of a 747-400 and he’d still be able to smell her.

  Her perfume, he corrected himself. Maybe she applied the scent with a heavy hand. Or maybe…

  Don’t go there.

  And he didn’t. Instead, Will searched the recesses of his memory. He glanced at his wedding band and struggled to remember the fragrance Sara had worn. Something light. Floral perhaps? Sweet and gentle as the woman herself. But he couldn’t remember the scent, the name…nothing. What was happening to him? He should remember it, remember all of it.

  “This is one of my favorites.” Kelsey pushed Play. “I have it at home.”

  The sound of blues filled the confines of the truck. It was one of Will’s favorite CDs, too, but right now anything would be better than music that brought smoky and sultry and seductive images to mind. He shifted in his seat. At least they didn’t have far to drive.

  Once again, he questioned what he was doing. Kiss or no kiss, taking her home with him was pure insanity. Eight bedrooms and six bathrooms aside. Unfortunately he hadn’t had a choice. The words had been out of his mouth before he could stop them. An instinctive reaction. A way of changing what couldn’t be changed.

  I’ll rent a car.

  Those were the same words Sara had said to him over the telephone eight years ago. She had flown home from graduate school and arrived on time, but his flight from a business trip had been delayed. Not meeting him at the airport had dampened her spirits, but only for a moment. She was too excited about being finished with finals and spending an entire week with him. She offered to rent the car and leave his at the airport so he could make it home to her that much sooner. But a patch of black ice had changed everything. Ice had sent her car sliding into oncoming traffic. Ice had taken her young life and ruined his.