His Band of Gold

by Melissa McClone

  “At least they paid for your college.”

  She filled the pot and poured it into the coffeemaker. “Didn’t your parents?”

  “Yes, but not everyone is as lucky.”

  Will was more than lucky. He’d been blessed to be born into a family like the Addisons. Not a messed-up family like hers. “You can say that again.”

  He measured out the dark grounds and dumped them inside the filter. “What do you mean?

  “Your family is ‘Leave it to Beaver’ or ‘Father Knows Best’ come to life. I wish they could adopt me.” Guilt raced through her. Her family might not be perfect, but they loved her. Still the Addisons held such an appeal to her. Kelsey replaced the pot.

  As Will turned on the coffeemaker, he laughed, a rich sound that was as smooth as warm caramel sauce. “Sorry, two sisters are more than enough. Now your brother would be a different story. I always wanted a younger brother.”

  Now that was funny. Kelsey chuckled. “Cade doesn’t even like to claim any relation to the Armstrongs. He would never cut it as an Addison. Your family is so normal, he’d say you’re abnormal.”

  “We’re not that different from other families,” Will said.

  She rolled her eyes. “Your family is perfect.”

  “No one is perfect, especially my family.”

  “Your parents are still together.”

  “True, but they’ve had their ups and downs.”

  “I don’t believe it.” As she grabbed the sugar holder, the scent of freshly brewing coffee filled the air. “What about the Addisons claim to one love in a lifetime?”

  “Even true love hits a bump every now and then.” Will removed two mugs from the cupboard and placed them on the counter. “My parents didn’t always get along. I remember this one time I was asleep, but their yelling woke me up. My sisters, too. We stood at the top of the stairs listening to the screaming and the shouting. I still remember the tears streaming down Faith’s cheeks. She stood between Hope and me, holding on to our hands.”

  Similar memories washed over Kelsey. The fear of watching her world fall apart, of having everything she’d come to count on torn away. Her stomach knotted and bile rose in her throat. “You just described a scene from my house. Cade and I would wake up to the yelling and the screaming. We’d sit together in his closet until we heard the doors slam, and it would be over. For a little while at least.”

  “The doors never slammed at our house. But that didn’t make it any better. Especially this time. My mom broke down crying. I’d never heard her sob like that. She was so exhausted, raising me and my sisters, running the Starr B and B and helping to renovate the inn. But my father couldn’t understand why she couldn’t give him the attention he wanted. Mom said she didn’t have any energy left for him by the end of the day. My father said she just didn’t love him anymore.”

  Kelsey knew how much that must have hurt Will and his sisters to hear. Her parents once claimed they’d never loved each other to begin with. Pain gripped her heart, and she slouched against the counter. “What happened?”

  “Faith ran down the stairs begging them not to get a divorce. She always had a flair for the dramatic, even when she was little.” Will poured the steaming coffee into the mugs and handed Kelsey one. “My parents were mortified when they realized we were there and had witnessed everything. They had the three of us sit with them in the living room for a long talk about what we’d heard. They apologized and told us not to worry about a divorce and explained how they would work through their problems.”

  Kelsey had heard that over and over again. Until it had become white noise to her and Cade. She added a teaspoon of sugar to her coffee and stirred. “Easier said than done.”

  “They did exactly what they said they would do.”

  She held the spoon in midair. “How?”

  “They made a weekly date night and would never cancel unless blood, a fever, or a trip to the hospital was involved.” Coffee in hand, Will leaned against the counter. “My dad took over some of the B and B work, hired a project manager for the inn remodeling and brought home a pizza every Friday night so my mom didn’t have to cook.”

  “That’s…amazing. It’s hard to believe they worked it out.” A stab of envy pierced her heart. “If that were my parents, my father would have gone out and found the attention he wanted elsewhere. Who am I kidding?” Kelsey stared into her coffee. “That’s what he did. My mother, too. I just wish…”

  “What?”

  “That my parents could have been more like your parents and thought about how their actions affected us.” Her hand trembled as she held on to her mug. “They didn’t even come and tell us they were getting a divorce. My mom said to pack a bag because we were going on a trip. She stashed us away with a distant Armstrong cousin so my father couldn’t find us. She didn’t even let us say goodbye to him. My dad was frantic, and my mother loved every minute of it. Things went downhill from there.” Kelsey gripped her mug with both hands so she wouldn’t drop it. “My parents couldn’t work through anything, not even when it came to me and my brother.”

  “We aren’t destined to follow in our parents’ footsteps.”

  “I suppose not, but we can learn from their mistakes.” The heat from the mug warmed her hands, took away the chill that had taken hold of her. “I’ve over-analyzed what happened to my parents and their subsequent spouses. There’s no chance of ever getting it right. I’m certain of that.”

  “Sure, with that attitude. But, Kelsey, you can get it right.” The sincerity in his eyes tugged at her heart. Such a romantic. “When I married Sara, I didn’t expect to have smooth sailing, but I knew no matter what came up we’d make it. We’d have a couple of kids, a cat and a dog.” Will shrugged. “I got the cat.”

  “You got more than that.”

  His faint smile held a touch of sadness. “I know.”

  “You could try again. Go on a few dates,” Kelsey suggested.

  “I date,” he said quickly. “I’m only human.”

  “Thanks for clarifying that point.”

  He chuckled. “Dating is okay, but in the end it never goes anywhere. What Sara and I had…you don’t find that every day.”

  “I’m sure you don’t.” Kelsey took a sip of her coffee. “You must miss her.”

  His smile disappeared and he placed his empty cup on the counter. “I do.”

  Kelsey couldn’t imagine what he’d gone through. From falling in love to losing the love of his life, all those feelings, emotions, were so foreign to her.

  She refilled his mug. “So are you ready to pull an all-nighter?”

  February 3

  So much for pulling an all-nighter.

  The crick in Will’s neck was about to kill him, but that’s what he got for falling asleep on the couch. He stretched only to find his legs tangled in something warm and soft and…His eyes sprang open.

  Kelsey.

  She was sound asleep on the opposite end of the couch. Her legs entwined with his across the large sofa. Her lips curved upward, and Will wondered what dream had put the peaceful smile on her face. Her dark lashes shadowed her fair skin. The mole on her cheek seemed to wink at him as if it wanted a kiss.

  Right here, right now, all her barriers were down, and he liked that. She wasn’t the hardworking wedding consultant. She wasn’t the cynical realist who didn’t believe in happily-ever-afters. She was Sleeping Beauty. All she needed was a kiss to wake her up…

  His chest tightened.

  He was no Prince Charming. Not even close. Prince Charming wouldn’t be watching her sleep like this. He wouldn’t be feeling like such a trespasser.

  But something about her drove his curiosity. Nothing about Kelsey was surface level, and there was more to her cynicism than met the eye. Thanks to their conversation last night, he had a better understanding of why Kelsey felt the way she did about love and marriage. He couldn’t blame her after everything she and her brother had been through. But Will blamed her parents.r />
  A sigh escaped Kelsey’s lips. She shifted, rubbing her calf against his. A rush of heat raced through him. He allowed himself a minute to enjoy the moment. Lying together this way with Kelsey felt so good, so natural.

  His muscles tensed. There was nothing natural about it. Strange. That’s what it was.

  Will had been surrounded by women his entire life. His mother, his sisters, his wife. But Kelsey didn’t fit into any of the usual categories. She wasn’t even a lover. Yet he was feeling things he hadn’t felt since Sara…

  Will untangled his legs and sat up straight. How could the feelings be the same? Kelsey was nothing like Sara. Tall and brunette, Kelsey was the antithesis of his petite, blond wife.

  But the differences went deeper than the physical. Gentle, soft-spoken Sara would have been bowled over by tell-it-like-it-is Kelsey. His wife had been easygoing without Kelsey’s drive and determination. Sara was the perfect wife; Kelsey didn’t believe in marriage. One was milk and apple pie, the other champagne and crème brûlée.

  Yet both women made him smile, made him laugh, made him feel a certain something he couldn’t quite name. A feeling that wasn’t going away even after he’d thought about it for a minute or two.

  Kelsey blinked open her eyes. “Wh-what happened?”

  “Resting our eyes turned into a rest-of-the-night snooze session.”

  As she sat upright, worry creased her forehead. “We slept here? Together?”

  She sounded like a puritan. Will bit back a chuckle. “If you’re worried about your virtue, don’t be. We had a chaperon.”

  Midas slept on the back of the couch. Kelsey looked at him. “What’s that noise he’s making?”

  “That’s how he breathes.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Positive.” A memory of a similar conversation brought a smile to Will’s face. Maybe Kelsey and Sara had something in common—a concern for Midas.

  “You noisy kitty you.” Kelsey kissed Midas’s head. “You just have to do everything your own way, including breathe. But that’s okay, handsome.”

  As she nuzzled her cheek against Midas’s fur, a tender warmth wrapped around Will like a blanket. Kelsey glanced over and saw him staring at her, but she didn’t look away. Two lines formed above her nose, and she straightened. “We have an appointment at the bakery. We don’t want to be late, and I need a shower.”

  In the space of a second, Sleeping Beauty had been replaced by the Ultimate Wedding Planner. Will shouldn’t have been disappointed, but for some strange reason he was. He liked the softer, more playful Kelsey.

  Half an hour later, she met him downstairs again. She’d tucked her hair into a wool cap and was wearing a pair of black slacks and a red sweater. She’d put on a pair of round sunglasses and shrugged on a long, oversize black coat he’d borrowed from Hope’s closet. “Do you think anyone will recognize me?”

  He barely recognized her, especially in the baggy coat. If he remembered correctly, Hope had worn that when she was pregnant with his nephew, Connor. He wondered if Kelsey ever thought about having kids. “You’re safe.”

  She smiled. “Are you ready to go?”

  No complaints, no yawns. Nothing. Not even a word about sleeping on the couch with him.

  No big deal, he figured.

  Yeah, right, an inner voice mocked.

  Will ignored it. Ignored the strange feelings clamoring for attention inside him. Ignored how all of this had to do with Kelsey, not Sara.

  Kelsey stood outside the bakery with Will. Her disguise seemed to be working. No one seemed to be paying any attention to them. She probably could have come up with something more clever than a big coat, hat and sunglasses, but there hadn’t been time. She needed to order a wedding cake and to do that she needed to taste cake samples.

  From the street, Fitzpatrick’s Baked Goods looked like a quaint bakery, a mom-and-pop shop you might find on any main street, in any small town in America. According to Will, the Fitzpatrick family supplied baked goods to local restaurants, ski resorts and hotels, including Starr Lake Inn.

  The bakery was also gaining a reputation for its cakes—birthday, wedding, you name it. The Fitzpatrick’s oldest daughter, Molly, baked cakes that Will described as sinful. This, Kelsey had to taste. Not only the cake, but what Will considered sinful. That in itself warranted a visit to the bakery.

  Will opened the glass door for her and a bell jangled. Kelsey entered the bakery. The smell of vanilla, chocolate and a hint of cinnamon lingered in the air, greeting her like an old friend. Glass display cases held a variety of cakes, pastries, tortes, breads and cookies. Round tables covered with blue-and-white checked tablecloths and white wood tole-painted chairs filled the bakery and were crowded with customers dressed in every type of ski attire imaginable. The din of the crowd rose above the morning’s ski report being broadcast over speakers placed in the ceiling.

  A woman in her early twenties with a fair complexion and copper-colored hair greeted Will with a hug and kiss. Kelsey’s stomach flip-flopped at the sight.

  Will kept his arm around the woman’s shoulders. “Kelsey Armstrong Waters meet Molly Fitzpatrick.”

  The woman was the cake-maker he’d talked about. Kelsey didn’t understand why that made the knot in her stomach loosen. She extended her hand. “Nice to meet you.”

  As Molly shook her hand, she smiled, a friendly smile full of warmth and enthusiasm. Freckles dotted the bridge of her nose and cheeks. “The pleasure is mine, Ms. Waters.”

  “Kelsey.”

  A dimple appeared on Molly’s left cheek. “Kelsey, it is. Follow me.”

  Molly led them to a room in the back. “Will said you were trying to keep a low profile, so I thought you might want to taste the samples in private.”

  “Thank you.” Inside the room, Kelsey removed her sunglasses. Not only were small plates with cake samples set out next to a pitcher of water and cups, but actual cakes of varying sizes and shapes covered the other tables. Cakes that made Kelsey’s mouth water. If they tasted as good as they looked… “I’ve heard glowing reports about your cakes.”

  “And I’ve heard the same about your weddings, though Will tells me this one is an anniversary party for his parents.”

  “Yes, they’ll be renewing their vows and the party will be a wedding reception for them.”

  Molly’s green-eyed gaze met Will’s. “How romantic for your parents.”

  “Isn’t it?” he said with his most charming smile. “I hope our visit hasn’t caused too much trouble.”

  Molly batted her eyelashes. “No trouble at all.”

  Kelsey watched the exchange with interest. She didn’t understand why Will’s relationship to Molly bothered her. Kelsey may find him attractive. She may have kissed him. She may find him easy to talk with, too. But she wasn’t interested in him. She didn’t want to flirt with him or to date him. The only thing they had in common was planning Faith’s wedding. If Molly could look beyond the band of gold on Will’s finger, more power to her.

  Will headed toward the samples. “Good thing we haven’t eaten breakfast yet.”

  Molly laughed. “My portfolio is here if you want to see some of the cakes I’ve made. There are lists of cake, filling and frosting combinations as well as paper and pencils to keep track of your tastings. I’ll be in the kitchen if you have any questions.” With that, she left.

  “Look at all this cake.” Will’s eyes were wide as he pulled out a chair for Kelsey, then sat in another. “I don’t know where to start.”

  Kelsey knew exactly where she wanted to start. So she was a bit curious? It was only natural given how closely she was working with Will. “Do you know Molly well?”

  “I’ve known her since she was a little kid.” He grabbed a piece of chocolate cake with some sort of red filling. She glanced at her list. Must be the raspberry. “Hope baby-sat her.”

  Kelsey picked up a piece of white chiffon cake with fudge filling. “So the Addisons and Fitzpatricks are old friends?
”

  “We go way back.” He glanced up from his sample of cake. “Why do you ask?”

  “It must have been a lot of work for her to go to so much trouble for you.”

  “I’ve had women go to lots of trouble for me, but Molly isn’t one of them.” He laughed. “She didn’t do all this for me. She did it for you.”

  “Me?”

  “You’re the Wedding Consultant to the Stars.” Will’s laughter relaxed into a smile. “If you like her cakes, you might want to use her again. Why else do you think she agreed to bake a wedding cake at such short notice? She’s in high demand around here.”

  Duh. It was all Kelsey could do not to slap herself in the forehead. She felt like a complete moron. She was a professional wedding consultant, not his girlfriend, a jealous one at that. Kelsey took a deep breath. Thank you, Will Addison, for turning me into a complete fool.

  He took a bite of a piece of chocolate. “This chocolate fudge is a slam dunk.”

  “Is that a good thing?”

  “It’s a very good thing.”

  “Don’t eat it all.” Chocolate always made things better. “I want a taste.”

  He broke off a piece and raised it to her mouth. She stared in his eyes, unsure for a moment.

  “Open up,” he said finally. “So you can taste it. This is how wedding cake was meant to be eaten.”

  She parted her lips. His fingers brushed her lips as he fed her the taste of cake. The gesture was so intimate, it took her a moment to remember to chew. But when she did… “This is incredible.”

  “I told you. But wait until you try this one.” He fed her another piece. “What do you think?”

  “Yummy.” She picked up a sample of her own and took a bite. She penciled a few marks on her preference sheet. “This lemon melts in your mouth.”

  “Let me try.”

  Somehow her hand remained steady as she brought a piece to his lips and placed it into his mouth.

  “This is so delicious.” The look in his eyes made her wonder if he was talking about the cake or being fed. She wasn’t sure of the difference herself. “Can I have another taste?” he asked.