His Band of Gold

by Melissa McClone

  Feeling the familiar tightening of his heart, Will flicked on the right turn signal and turned off the emotion welling within him. He pulled into the long driveway and stopped in front of his house.

  Only two weeks and Kelsey would be gone, he reminded himself. Gone.

  Facing her, he pasted on his my-home-is-your-home resort owner smile. “Welcome to my home.”

  She stared at the house. “It’s lovely. I expected to see a smaller version of the Starr inn, not a Victorian.”

  Across the wide expanse of the front porch, the golden hue of interior lights shining through the pane-glass windows emanated warmth. “My grandparents originally owned it, then gave it to my parents for a wedding present. My mom and dad turned it into a B and B. The humble beginnings of Starr Properties.”

  “You grew up in this house?”

  “Yes. My parents had another house built a few years ago and, following tradition, passed the house down to the firstborn. Traditions are big in my family,” he explained.

  “I guessed as much.” She smiled. “With all this snow, it looks like a winter wonderland. Something from a Thomas Kinkade painting. You know, it would be a charming site for a wedding.”

  “This one isn’t part of our deal.”

  “I meant Faith’s wedding. Imagine the bride and groom leaving in a horse-drawn sled.”

  “And you say you’re not a romantic.”

  “I design weddings. By definition, weddings should be romantic. That doesn’t mean I have to be.”

  One tough cookie. Will felt sorry for her. She didn’t know what she was missing.

  He slid out of the truck and removed Kelsey’s bag from the back. A breeze blew through the trees, sending more snow to the ground. Will walked next to Kelsey.

  “Be careful.” Snow covering the walkway crunched beneath his feet. “You don’t want to slip.”

  “I won’t slip.” Confidence laced each of her words. He wouldn’t have expected any less from her. “I’ve spent lots of time in cold-weather country.”

  He shortened his stride to match hers. Just in case. “Do you ski?”

  “Excuse me?”

  “You said you’ve spent time in cold-weather country. That usually means you ski or snowshoe or ice fish. You don’t look like an ice-fishing enthusiast or snow-shoer.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “I’m not. I ski.”

  “Cross-country or downhill?”

  “Downhill. My family, the Armstrong side, spends part of the holidays skiing in Colorado. Every other year, my brother and I join them.”

  “And the other years?”

  She pursed her lips. “We spend it with my father’s side of the family.”

  “Have you skied recently?”

  “To be honest, it’s been a while. Work keeps me busy. People get married all year ’round.”

  “Thanks again for giving up your vacation to help us out.”

  She looked up at the dark sky. A snowflake landed on her mouth and she licked it off. “It feels good to be out of L.A.”

  He’d been in Los Angeles for less than a day, but he knew how she felt. “Fresh air is good for the soul.”

  “Anything has to be better than inhaling smog.”

  “Why do you stay?”

  “It’s home,” she admitted. “You get used to the traffic, the air quality and the people after a while.”

  He could never get used to those things. Not when places like this existed. “You seem pretty normal for a SoCal resident.”

  She laughed. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

  “It was meant as one.” Will took her elbow and helped her up the stairs.

  “Thanks.” Kelsey grinned. “Do you open doors and pull out chairs, too?”

  “Always.” He smiled. “My parents raised me right.”

  He opened the front door. She stepped inside and gasped. “Oh, Will. This is absolutely beautiful. I can picture it now. Faith could enter down the staircase for the wedding ceremony. We could drape the banister with a floral garland. Very old-fashioned. Victorian to match the house.”

  Will stared at her, trying to figure her out. He couldn’t. “How do you do it?”

  “Do what?”

  “Picture exactly how a wedding will look. How beautiful, romantic, whatever, when you believe it’ll make no difference in the long run?”

  “It’s a gift.” Kelsey shrugged off her coat, and Will hung it on a coatrack. “Who do we have here?” she asked. Before Will could answer, she bent over and held her hand in front of Midas’s nose, who sniffed her fingers. “You sure are a sweet kitty, aren’t you? What’s your name, handsome?”

  “Midas,” Will answered, not believing what he was seeing.

  Midas meowed. He lapped up the attention and rubbed against her hand. Will’s chest tightened. Most people kept there distance from Midas with only three legs and scars not even his long orange hair could disguise. Yet Kelsey picked Midas up and held him as if he were no different than any other cat. She hugged him close. Nuzzled him. And Midas ate it up. He loved to be cuddled more than anything.

  “Listen to you purr,” she said. “Any louder and you’d need a muffler.”

  Will laughed. “Why do you think we named him Midas?”

  Kelsey grinned. “And to think I thought everything you touched turned to gold.” She kissed the cat’s forehead, then placed him on the hardwood floor. The orange fur ball rubbed against her calf and wouldn’t leave her side.

  Not that Will blamed him. There could much worse things in life than rubbing against those long legs of hers.

  He raised his gaze to hers. She stared at him unwavering, as if she knew he was checking her out and was curious about his assessment. Nice package, he had to admit. Not that he was interested in said package, he told himself. If only the voice in his head would stop laughing, stop mocking him. “I’ll show you to your room.”

  “Thanks.”

  He followed her up the stairs and tried to ignore the seductive sway of her hips. Everything about her oozed sensuality. It would be so easy to…

  He couldn’t.

  Not with Kelsey. She was dangerous. Only a few hours in her presence had made his numb heart start feeling prickly, as if a million pins and needles were trying to bring to life something that had been dormant for much too long.

  “Do you mind telling me what happened to Midas?”

  “He was in a car accident. He survived. Sara…didn’t.”

  “Oh, Will.”

  He stopped walking. Memories of that time always made it hard to for him to do more than one thing at a time. “At first I hated Midas for living. He was never my cat. Always Sara’s. I kept thinking, Why couldn’t he have died instead?”

  Kelsey touched Will’s arm. He ignored how good the small gesture felt, ignored how much he wanted, needed, to be touched. He concentrated on his cat and started walking down the hall.

  “But watching him recover…it would have been easier on him if he hadn’t survived.” Will rubbed Midas. “He’s on his sixth or seventh life by now.”

  Will opened the door to what used to be his sister Hope’s room. Faith still considered her old room to be hers and would want to stay there when she arrived for the wedding. Hope, on the other hand, couldn’t care less where she slept as long as her three children were within earshot. “Make yourself at home.”

  “Thanks.” Kelsey placed her purse on the bed. “Like everything else in the house, it’s perfect.”

  Her compliment brought a smile to his face. “I’ll bring in your suitcase after I fix dinner.”

  “I’m not hungry, so don’t go to any trouble.”

  “I won’t.”

  His gaze met hers. He wanted to leave, but something held him in place. It was almost as if the distance between them wasn’t empty space but a thick cord, connecting them. He hadn’t felt this way since…

  No, he’d had his chance at love.

  He wouldn’t get another one.

  It wasn’t
so bad living alone. He had his family; he had his work. Children of his own would have been nice, but that hadn’t been in the cards for him and Sara. But he had two nephews and a niece. Hope’s kids. And once Faith married, she would have a few of her own. That was more than enough for him.

  “I’ll freshen up,” Kelsey said, finally breaking the silence.

  “I’ll be downstairs when you’re ready.” He stopped at the doorway to call for Midas only to watch the cat follow Kelsey into the bathroom. “Traitor,” he mumbled, feeling both betrayed and envious at the same time.

  Chapter Four

  February 1

  Standing at the front door of Bill and Starr Addison’s not-so-humble abode with Will at her side, Kelsey had one question running through her mind. How had she wound up here? The obvious answer was via Will’s Yukon and, to take it a step further, by Will’s plane. But the obvious wasn’t what she was looking for.

  Something was happening to her. And she didn’t like it. This morning she’d woken up from the most strange yet sublime dream she’d ever had. A dream of fairytale weddings, magical kisses, enchanted bridal bouquets and a groom who bore a strong resemblance to Will Addison. No doubt wearing the veil yesterday had fueled her subconscious and the kiss they’d shared had stoked the fire, but it still made zero sense.

  She wasn’t the sort to remember dreams or even care about them, but she couldn’t get this one—or Will—out of her mind. What was happening to her? She never got carried away by this sort of stuff.

  Okay, that wasn’t completely true. Kelsey had gotten caught up in San Montico’s Legend of the Ring when the royal engagement ring was stuck on her cousin Christina’s finger. The legend claimed whoever wore the ring was the prince’s one true love, and that’s how it turned out. Christina had fallen in love and married the prince. But legends didn’t come true every day.

  A bell rang. It took a moment for Kelsey to realize it was Will ringing the doorbell and not some bit of magic left over from the enchanted engagement ring. Talk about relief. The door opened.

  “It’s so good to see you again, Kelsey.” Bill Addison greeted her with a hug. With salt-and-pepper hair, he was a more mature version of his son. Same smile, same eyes, same charm. “We’re so happy you could help us with Faith’s wedding. Starr is excited to see you.”

  At least someone was happy this morning. Kelsey forced a smile. “Thanks. I’m glad to…help.” She stared at father and son and noticed even more similarities between the two, including their names. “Bill and Will? Are you both Williams?”

  “I’m William Drake Addison III.” Bill motioned to his son. “He’s the fourth. I didn’t want to upset Starr when all the girls started calling and asking for him so we used different names.”

  “Dad,” Will said in a cautious tone. “I’m sure Kelsey doesn’t want to hear this.”

  “Don’t worry, son. I won’t start reminiscing about your childhood. Not yet, anyway.”

  Kelsey chuckled. Will and his father were lucky. She and her brother shared that kind of relationship, but the one between her and her parents was still strained. Years hadn’t erased the painful tug-of-war battle they’d put her and her brother through even after the divorce was final.

  Will blew out a puff of air. “Just don’t pull out the photo albums, okay?”

  Bill laughed, deepening the lines on his face. Lines that only added to his attractiveness. Like father, like son. “You’d better get inside before I get in trouble for keeping you out in the cold too long.”

  Will’s forehead wrinkled. “How is Mom feeling this morning?”

  “Good. She’s feeling very good.” Bill’s eyes softened to match his voice. “She slept well last night.”

  “Great.” Will’s megawatt smile could melt the snow and chase away the most bitter cold. “Let’s not keep her waiting.”

  “She’s in the living room.”

  After hanging up their jackets in the entryway, the two men led Kelsey into the living room. The Stickley furniture—mission-style furnishings—fit perfectly with the craftsman architecture of the house. Wood paneling covered the walls, and beams lined the ceiling. Sunlight flowed in from the windows and illuminated the room. The natural light helped the greener-than-green plants thrive. The windows also provided a stunning view of Lake Tahoe. A crackling fire in the river-rock fireplace warmed the inviting room and completed the picture. Well, almost.

  Next to the fireplace sat Starr, looking as lovely as ever. Except for more gray in her brown hair and a simpler hairstyle, she didn’t look different except for the wheelchair. Of course, that didn’t mean much. Kelsey knew the unseen consequences of a stroke could be the worst.

  As soon as Starr saw her, she smiled. Kelsey noticed the slight droop on one side of Starr’s mouth and the way her right hand curled as if keeping a treasure hidden from sight.

  Will headed directly to his mother and kissed her cheek. “Miss me?”

  She caressed his cheek with her left hand. “Always.”

  Will smiled. “Kelsey agreed to help with the wedding.”

  “Kelsey.” Starr said the name slowly with only a slight slur. “Thank you for coming.”

  Each word was pronounced carefully, as if it took effort and energy. An enormous amount of relief washed over Kelsey. Thank goodness Starr could talk and make sense. Kelsey remembered her grandmother, who’d found it hard if not impossible to communicate. Aphasia, the doctor had called it. Kelsey pushed the memory aside. It was too late for her grandmother, but Starr… “I hear we have a wedding to put on.”

  Starr nodded. “Faith has finally found ‘the one.”’

  Not Starr, too. No doubt the optimism ran in the family. As long as it wasn’t contagious…Kelsey pasted on a smile. “Good for Faith.”

  “But Valentine’s isn’t too far away.” Concern laced Starr’s words.

  “Don’t worry. Everything will be done in time,” Kelsey reassured her.

  “Knew I c-c-could count on you.”

  Kelsey grinned at the vote of confidence and caught Will staring at her, a thoughtful smile on his face. Okay, it was better than a frown, but it was a wasted effort. She wasn’t about to be intrigued by him, not again. So she ignored him, ignored the way her heart beat in triple time, and focused on Starr instead. “Tell me what you have in mind for the wedding.”

  Excitement glimmered in Starr’s green eyes. She pointed to an alcove off the living room. “My files…”

  Bill placed his hand on his wife’s shoulder. “Before you girls get wrapped up in wedding talk, we need to eat breakfast, darling.”

  Love shone in his eyes, and Kelsey realized this couple was one of the lucky ones. One of the few who hadn’t abandoned the matrimony ship with the majority of others.

  “There’s no rush, Mom,” Will added. “We have all morning, all day for that matter. Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither will Faith’s wedding. Remember what the doctor said about overdoing it.”

  Starr started to say something, then stopped. Even though she nodded as if she agreed, the light faded from her eyes. Kelsey wasn’t sure whether Starr was having trouble articulating or if Will’s overprotectiveness was getting to her. His love for his mother touched Kelsey’s heart, but this wasn’t the time for him to be overbearing.

  Wanting to put the sparkle back in Starr’s eyes, Kelsey kneeled next to her and rested her palm on the smooth metal of the wheelchair. “I want to get started, too,” Kelsey whispered, “but trust me, waiting an hour or so won’t keep us from planning Faith’s wedding.”

  “Not just any w-w-wedding. This isn’t like the other four. We must give her the wedding of her dreams.”

  Kelsey wasn’t sure what the wedding of Faith’s dreams entailed. After four completely different weddings, the dream wedding kept changing. And now with the fifth…Kelsey’s stomach knotted at the thought. “We can do that.”

  Touching Kelsey’s hand, Starr’s eyes reflected her gratitude. “That’s why I knew we had to have y
our help. My family wanted to p-p-postpone the wedding, but it must go on. It’s important my baby has someone to look out for her, take care of her. I…Bill and I won’t be around forever.”

  “Don’t say that.”

  “But it’s true, and if this wedding isn’t perfect…”

  Starr sounded so defeated. In the three years Kelsey had known her, Starr had never admitted defeat. Not after Faith’s four canceled weddings. Not even after a Starr Properties’ Caribbean resort was demolished by a hurricane. Tears pooled in Kelsey’s eyes. However subtle, there had been changes due to the stroke. Starr was still determined, but her unwavering self-confidence had disappeared.

  “It must be p-p-perfect,” Starr insisted.

  “I promise you, the wedding will be perfect.” And Kelsey knew it would be. No matter what it took, she would not disappoint Starr. Kelsey would give Faith the wedding of her dreams even if it killed her.

  It was killing him.

  No, Will corrected himself, she was killing him. She, as in Kelsey Armstrong Waters. These past few hours had passed slower than being stuck in a plane at O’Hare waiting for a takeoff slot during a thunderstorm.

  Damn Kelsey. Why did she have to be the one making his parents so happy? Starr’s recovery and rehabilitation had taken its toll on his parents. Not even Faith or Hope and her kids with their frequent visits over the past few months had managed to make them look so relaxed, so like their old selves, as Kelsey had. Her ability to set people at ease must be useful in her business, but he had to admit with his parents it seemed sincere. Will didn’t know whether to be concerned or relieved.

  And that made him feel guilty because he saw the changes in his parents. Good changes. Not only had his mother been smiling most of the morning, an improvement over the depression that had plagued her since the stroke, her speech had improved. She still spoke slowly, but talking about the wedding made her pronunciation better with little to no stuttering. Will couldn’t believe it. And his father…Over breakfast, he had been completely charmed by Kelsey’s witty manner and seemed to shed some of the weight he’d been carrying on his shoulders.