One Hot Summer

by Melissa Cutler

  In other words, her family’s legacy at the resort was almost equal to that of the Briscoe family itself. Skye was no dummy, which was exactly why she’d name-dropped her parents. It was a tactic Remedy had often used to great effect in Los Angeles when the need arose.

  For the record, Remedy was no dummy, either, and she would rather aid and abet an unsanctioned tablecloth loan than start a war between the event staff and the housekeeping staff during her first month on the job, so she smiled brightly at Skye. “Then it’s especially nice to meet you. I’ll just be on my way and let you two get back to whatever perfectly lawful activity you’re currently engaging in.”

  “We’re not stealing,” Skye said.

  Remedy eyed the minivan, her eyebrow raised in question.

  Skye lifted her chin higher. “We’re borrowing these for the evening. We’ll have them back before dawn. Please, if you could just keep that to yourself.”

  “I was planning on it,” Remedy said. “Is this a common practice that I’m not aware of? Does Alex know?”

  Skye’s stony expression cracked. “He wouldn’t understand.”

  Litzy clutched Remedy’s arm. “Please don’t tell him. He’d freak out. We’ll never do this again; it’s just—”

  “I swear, I’m not going to tell anybody. Just have them back before anyone notices.” Remedy tipped her head toward the minivan. “Out of curiosity, though, what are you using them for? A family party?”

  Litzy squirmed. “A wedding. In town.”

  Good thing Remedy hadn’t taken a drink from her water bottle, because she would’ve spewed it everywhere. “Uh, can you say ‘conflict of interest’?”

  Skye shook her head. “It’s for Albert Dorcchi’s wedding. He grew up in Dulcet and left to join the army. He came home this week to tell his family that he’s shipping out on deployment to the Middle East and to propose to his girlfriend Tabby.”

  “She’s not a cat. Tabby’s short for Tabitha,” Litzy blurted out.

  Skye set a hand on Litzy’s arm. “Anyway, Albert and Tabby decided to get married before he leaves. They were prepared to go to a justice of the peace, but his mother wants a wedding. So the whole town is coming together today to give them one. Believe me that these tablecloths are for a noble cause.”

  “You had me at deployment,” Remedy said. Her dad had always devoted most of his charitable work to organizations that aided veterans, which meant she’d grown up visiting VA rehab centers with him, helping build houses for wounded vets, and sitting at VIP tables at charity balls next to the veterans who were attending as guests of honor. There were fewer causes nearer or dearer to her than those supporting soldiers.

  Litzy just about melted, she was so relieved. “Oh, thank you, Remedy.”

  “The wedding’s tonight?”

  Skye nodded. “Yes. At Great Redeemer Church. The reception will be in the fellowship hall. Like I said, we’ll have the linens returned before anyone else notices they’re gone.”

  Remedy ran through her mental list of wedding musts. “Do Tabby and Albert have centerpieces? Flowers?”

  Skye and Litzy exchanged befuddled looks. “We’re not sure. We only volunteered to take care of the tablecloths and punch.”

  Hmm. Remedy would have to get details about the reception décor herself. White tablecloths alone did not a once-in-a-lifetime memory make. “What do you mean by punch?”

  “For the reception,” Litzy said. “You know, a classic wedding punch.”

  “I’ve never heard of that. I thought champagne was the classic wedding drink.” That and tequila shots, naturally.

  “I don’t think champagne is in their budget.” Skye enumerated on her fingers. “All you need for wedding punch is a quart of orange sherbet, lemon-lime soda, and pineapple juice.”

  That sounded disgusting.

  “Will you do it, Remedy? Will you keep our secret?” Litzy said. “Do it for the army. Do it for love.”

  Oh boy. “I’ll like to do more than keep your secret, if you could use the extra hands. Let’s get these linens in the minivan and get them over to the church.”

  “You’re coming with us?” Skye asked delicately.

  “I’ll follow you over, in case I need to run back here and grab something else for the wedding. If I’m going to be an accessory to your crime, then we might as well see if Albert and Tabby need anything else from the resort.”

  “You’re serious about this?” Litzy said.

  “I really am. I can’t think of anything I’d rather do today than give Albert and Tabby the best day of their lives.”

  Great Redeemer was an imposing brick building set behind a long green lawn. The parking lot was already crowded with cars and trucks when Remedy pulled in behind Skye’s minivan. A wall of smoke and yummy smells of barbecued meat wafted over her when she stepped out of her car.

  Behind an impressive line of grills on the far end of the lot was an even more formidable line of strapping Texas men, Micah in the middle of them, his signature ball cap pulled low over his forehead, a tight charcoal gray T-shirt stretched over his hard body, and a pair of tongs in his hand.

  Remedy’s heart did a little jump. Before she’d moved to Texas, when she’d thought of the state her mind never took her to runaway trained elephants or communities pitching in to throw a last-minute wedding. It never took her to shady creeks or never-ending kisses on a champagne-soaked picnic blanket. It never led her to the likes of Micah Garrity.

  He’d looked mighty fine on Sunday evening when he’d picked her up for dinner at an upscale bistro on the outskirts of San Antonio, dressed in a sports coat and with his hair slicked back and styled. But she preferred him like he was today—a down-home country boy manning a grill, a local hero right in the middle of the action in the town he’d sworn his life to protect.

  After dinner on Sunday, they’d fallen into her bed with the familiarity of longtime lovers. He hadn’t slept over, though. He might have if she’d asked him to, but he’d seemed restless to check in with the fire station. Which was fine. They both led busy lives, and neither was quite certain how to navigate the terrain of their relationship given the demanding nature of their jobs.

  Today, he didn’t notice her right away, so Remedy pitched in with Skye and Litzy to unload the tablecloths and carry them inside by hand.

  Remedy was headed back to the minivan for a second load when Micah ambled her way. “Well, well, well. If it isn’t California. What are you doing here?”

  “I’m helping, same as you. After all, true love must prevail.” She didn’t register the sarcasm she’d let slip into that phrase until it was too late.

  Micah pressed his lips together, amused. “Is that a fact?”

  “Oh, yes. That’s the number-one rule of life. True love must prevail.” Damn it, it’d come out sarcastic again.

  “Why do I get the impression you think of that sentiment as more of a corporate motto and not a rule of life?” he said.

  “Why can’t it be one and the same? When you’re a wedding planner, true love is your business.”

  He regarded her for a long minute, though she couldn’t fathom what he was thinking; then he hooked his thumb over his shoulder, gesturing to the line of barbecue grills. “As much as I’d love to stand around and talk about true love, I’d better scoot. I’ve got meat to tend to.”

  A half-dozen dirty replies popped into her head. “We are at a church, so I’m going to just let that one go.”

  The desire smoldering in his expression took her right back to Sunday night and the look in his eyes when he’d raised his head from between her thighs to croon filthy compliments to her. A rowdy, reckless lust seized hold of her.

  “Hey, Chief!” Chet called from behind one of the grills. “Need a second opinion on this brisket.”

  Remedy tipped her chin in Chet’s direction. “Duty calls. You’d better go tend to your meat.”

  Micah’s attention didn’t waver from Remedy. His jaw tightened and his attention dropp
ed to her lips. Then his eyes shifted, taking in the bustling activities all around them in the parking lot. “There are way too many people around right now.”

  She knew exactly what he meant. Probably they shouldn’t even be flirting like this, talking low and making fuck me eyes at each other in front of his firefighting crew and Litzy and Skye and a town’s worth of people who would probably love a fresh piece of gossip about their fire chief and the new wedding planner in town.

  “You and me again. Soon,” she said.

  He smeared a hand over his chin as though fighting for composure. “Oh, it’s on,” he said in a husky whisper. “Tonight. Here, your place, my place, the resort. First time I catch you alone, it’s on. Mark my words.”

  He looked her up and down; then, with a head shake and a growl, he turned on his boot heel and returned to the line of grills with a loose-limbed swagger that she couldn’t take her eyes off of. Hot damn, she loved the way that man moved. He walked like he made love, all alpha confidence and muscled, masculine grace.

  “Promise?” she called after him.

  She caught notes of a low, deep chuckle as he tucked his chin over his shoulder and sent her one last heated look that curled her toes.

  An elbow nudged her ribs. “You’re watching him.”

  Shaking herself out of the spell she’d fallen into, she turned to find Litzy grinning at her.

  “What? No. I don’t know who you’re talking about,” Remedy said. “I was just wondering who I should talk to about centerpieces and smelling all that grilled meat cooking. Makes me wish I could stay for the reception.”

  “I’m sure you could. Albert and Tabby invited the whole town—including Chief Garrity,” Litzy added along with a shoulder shimmy.

  Remedy fought a cringe. “Can you pretend not to know about that?”

  “Don’t worry. Every woman with a pulse in Dulcet has a crush on him, so you’re in good company. Oh, and I checked with Tabby. She said you’ll want to talk to Barbara Kline about centerpieces. Bright red hair, pink jogging suit. She’s inside. You can’t miss her.”

  Could it be the same Barbara who’d ignored Remedy at Petey’s Diner? She was about to find out. Inside the fellowship hall Remedy saw some faces she recognized from the resort, but none with names she knew. A handful of women, including Skye, were adorning the tables with the tablecloths already, and one even had a centerpiece in place. Remedy buzzed the table, admiring the ingenuity of the centerpiece, a mason jar tied with a raffia bow and filled with wildflowers. A box along the wall was stuffed with similar arrangements. Sweet, simple, and perfect for a spontaneous summer wedding.

  It was, indeed, the same Barbara from Petey’s whom Remedy found wearing a pink jogging suit. She was standing near the buffet table laying out trivets and serving spoons.

  “Barbara? I don’t know if you remember me, but I’m a friend of Litzy’s named Remedy. I’m wondering if there’s anything I can help with.”

  Barbara set her hands on her hips and seemed to look right through Remedy. “Of course I know you. You’re that wedding planner. We’ve got everything pretty near done, but thanks.”

  And dismissed.

  But Remedy was nothing if not persistent. “What about wedding favors?”

  Barbara’s sigh of impatience was audible. “We’re going to worry about those tonight. The food’s all taken care of, I’ve got Jimmy running the dance music, Bob’s daughter taking the pictures, the Randolph girls out buying sheet cakes, and I can’t remember who’s donating a cake cutter, but someone is. This isn’t some fancy schmancy wedding like your type are used to.”

  Geez, she sounded like Micah. “No, it was an offer to donate them, if that would please Albert and Tabby.”

  Barbara’s peeved expression softened. “Well, that’s … That’d be nice.”

  Remedy had a huge order of pastel butter mints sitting in her office, neatly packaged in mesh pouches. That would do for tonight. “What about champagne?”

  “That’s too much money, even for you. We got Albert and Tabby a bottle, and the rest of us can toast with the drink we have in our hands at the time.”

  Champagne for a whole church of people would be pricey but not outrageous, and Remedy had two cases of it at her house. She’d swing by and get those first, then go to the grocery store to load up on more bottles, then stop at the resort for the mints and to borrow some champagne flutes from the catering kitchen supply room.

  A sliver of dread snaked through her. She was certain that Ty Briscoe wouldn’t approve of this. Neither would Alex or Emily or any of the other bigwigs at the resort. But if Ty was truly planning to use Remedy, as Micah believed, then he wasn’t going to fire her for this minor infraction.

  With only a few hours until the wedding, it was time to get to work. After a quick stop at her house, she drove her car right up to the resort’s employee exit near where Skye had parked her minivan. She loaded boxes of champagne flutes onto a dolly on top of the box of butter mints, then crept back down the hall, out the door, and onto the final exterior walkway to her car, her heart pounding the whole time. Just because she didn’t think she’d get fired didn’t mean she wanted to get caught, either.

  “Remedy!”

  Shit. Remedy gritted her teeth. “Hi, Emily.”

  Emily was dressed in a worn chef’s jacket, black leggings, and army green clogs. Her hair had been gathered under a red-and-green bandanna, though sweaty tendrils of curly hair had escaped around the edges. “I need a new oven.”

  “I know.” As it had been explained to Remedy by Alex, Emily’s favorite lineup of ovens were failing holdovers from a bygone era, but Emily hadn’t found a suitable replacement in all the ones the hotel had attempted to install. “What happened this time?”

  “Those wedding bell cookies that my pastry chef was baking for Friday’s wedding are coming out uneven. Again. That stupid oven never works right when I need it most and Alex is such a cheap ass that he won’t buy me a new one until next quarter. So now my pastry chef is pissed and I’ve got to waste my night helping her bake a whole new batch instead of perfecting the menu for the firefighter ball.”

  “Do you have a new oven in mind this time?”

  “That’s not the point. The point is you need to talk to Alex.”

  Not likely anytime soon, given Emily’s track record and Alex’s annoyance about it, but she wasn’t going to stand around and debate it while standing with a stack of pilfered champagne flutes and butter mints. “Will do, next time I see him.”

  Then genius struck. After a moment’s pause to debate the wisdom of her idea, Remedy said, “Instead of tossing those wedding bell cookies out, could I have them? I’m attending a wedding in town tonight.”

  “You are? For real?”

  “Yes. I was invited.”

  “By Micah,” Emily said.

  “No, Skye Martinez.” Sort of.

  “And you want to give them the burnt cookies?”

  Remedy feigned a casual shrug. “If you don’t mind.”

  “The only thing I would mind is if you told anyone they came from my kitchen. I will not have my professional name associated with imperfection.”

  “Noted.” On a wild hair, Remedy added, “You should come with me to the wedding tonight. Let your pastry chef make the cookies. The groom’s family invited the whole town. I’ll be there and so will Litzy and Skye. We could hang out.”

  Emily adjusted her bandanna, not quite meeting Remedy’s eyes. “Oh. No, that’s okay. I never know what to do with myself at things like that. Parties, you know? All those flashbacks of high school. So awkward. I’d probably end up in the church’s kitchen trying to help, and that’s stupid because, like I said, I’ve got a fresh batch of cookies to bake here before I can go home for the night.”

  Remedy hadn’t known Emily was capable of rambling or insecurities. She gave in to the urge to hug Emily, she looked so discomfited by the idea of relaxing at the reception as a guest.

  Emily stiffened in h
er embrace. “What are you doing?”

  “Sorry.” Speaking of awkward. What had gotten into Remedy? She and Emily weren’t on hugging terms. “I’ll just grab those cookies and get out of your hair.”

  By the time Remedy returned to the church there were some seriously mouthwatering smells coming out of the grills in the parking lot. The men manning them, Micah not among them, filled the air with gregarious laughs and loud stories, which probably had something to do with the nearby trash bag that was stuffed with empty beer bottles and cans.

  Chet raised his tongs in greeting but kept his distance until Remedy hauled the dolly out of her backseat and popped the trunk. Then he was beside her, scooting her out of his way and stacking the boxes. He insisted on pushing the loaded dolly through the fellowship hall to the kitchen.

  Micah had his back to them at the kitchen sink, elbow deep in dishwater and scrubbing a pan. When he glanced in Chet and Remedy’s direction, he did a double take, then nodded discreetly at her.

  “Thank you, Chet. How’s the barbecue coming along?”

  “It’s going to be the best meat you’ve ever had.”

  She waited until Chet had left again before whispering, “Doubtful,” just loud enough for Micah to hear.

  He took a long look at her lips before shaking his head and getting back to tackling the dishes.

  Barbara buzzed across the room with speedy purpose, but Remedy managed to snag her attention. This time, Barbara looked right at her and offered a tentative smile. “You’re back.”

  “Yes, with party favors. Cookies and mints.” She opened a plastic bin filled to the brim with sugar cookies in the shape of wedding bells, their edges turned a slight toasty shade.

  “My goodness, thank you. I’ll get someone to set those cookies on a tray and put the mints around on the tables.”

  Remedy held a flap of the box open so Barbara could see the champagne bottles within. “Oh, and, um, I was handed these boxes in the parking lot by someone who asked me to keep her identity anonymous. She said she wanted to help Albert and Tabby.”