by Eliza Ellis
Kat sat agape. “Who is Steven?” she whispered.
“Don’t mind me.”
“Oh no, Mom. You don’t get to drop that kind of a bombshell and not follow it up. Who is Steven? Tell me!”
“Aren’t you bossy?” She let out a wistful sigh. “Steven is the first boy I ever kissed. My…soulmate, if they exist.”
They definitely existed, if you asked Kat. Drew was hers. She knew it from the time they met, although she didn’t understand what was behind her desire to be with him all the time.
“Soulmate? Mom! Tell me more. What happened?”
She frowned. “Steven wanted to be with me, I think, but…he was dating Elnora at the time.”
Kat’s hands flew to her mouth. “You mean to tell me you were stealing Steven away from Elnora while they were dating?”
Her mom’s face turned stern. “No! It…it was one kiss. A moment of weakness.”
Kat cocked a brow. “Or a stolen moment of desire?”
“What are you, a romance writer?”
Kat laughed loudly. “Tell me more! Why didn’t he leave Elnora? Probably because he was an idiot, right? Men are…men are idiots.”
Mary sighed. “Yes, they are. Steven was wild talking about us being together, but I was so torn up with guilt over our kiss—Elnora was one of my best friends—that I told him no and…and then I met your father not long after.”
Kat sat in silence.
“Your father was quite a charmer, and I was besotted almost immediately.” Her voice sounded sad.
“Do you regret your decision?” Kat whispered. “Telling Steven no? Not going after him?”
“Every day of my life,” her mother said softly. “I don’t regret having you and your sisters, don’t mistake me. But…I regret not marrying for the love I knew existed. I regret not giving you three the father you deserved. I regret lost happiness.”
A tear slipped down her cheek, and Kat wiped it away. “Thanks, sweetie. Anyway”—she wiped her other cheek—“I say all that to say that you have to go after what you want. If people get hurt in the process, then…well…” She shrugged.
Kat figured her mother now no longer cared about her relationship with Elnora. Kat had never heard the woman’s name before today. “You and Elnora aren’t still friends?”
“Nope. Not after high school. I heard Steven married her and they moved away. I…I always did wonder if he regretted his choice. Probably not.”
Kat rubbed her mom’s arm. “Why would you say that? I think he would’ve regretted losing you.”
She shook her head. “That’s nice of you, Kat. You were always my sweet one. I don’t think he would’ve liked who I’ve become.”
Kat’s blood heated. Gregory Kaye continued to leave his mark even in death. “That wasn’t entirely your fault.”
“No, but enough of it was.” She looked quickly at her daughter before her gaze went back to the road. “That’s why I want you to fight for what you want. If you want that bakery, then go for it—again. If you want your man, then…”
“Steal him from Parker?” Kat sputtered a laugh. Her mother was right; she was too sweet of a girl to do that.
“Eh.” She shrugged. “Maybe that’s more Parker’s style.”
Now that was true.
They turned onto a dirt road alongside an open field. Kat noticed the Civil War trail sign that marked important sites in many of the states. For another mile or so, they traveled the bumpy road until they saw a large number of cars parked off to the side in a cleared area.
“This is it! We’ll have to meet up with Muriel so she can tell you what to do.”
“Will I have to get dressed up?”
“Of course you will.” Mary gave her daughter a don’t-you-know-what-a-reenactment-is look. “You have to play the part.”
“What was an 1860s wedding like?”
Her mother smiled. “Aren’t you lucky you get to find out?”
Kat narrowed her eyes. “Now I know you’re in on it.”
Mary’s own eyes widened. “In on what?”
“Ugh!” Kat exited the vehicle with a huff.
She and her mother walked through the rough parking lot and met with other period-dressed people who were standing in a line to check in. Kat traveled to and from the registration booth with boxes of treats she had prepared the previous evening while practicing different recipes.
Muriel rushed up to them in her own period costume of a dress with a ruffled bodice and large sleeves. “Oh, good. You’re here. I was hoping your mother could convince you to come. Let me take you back to meet the groom. You know him, of course.”
“I do?”
Muriel took her hand, and soon they stood in front of a large tent. “This is the changing area for those without costumes or who didn’t bother to put theirs on before coming. Space is limited, so you may have to double up with a few of the other girls. Let’s get you into the dress first, and then I’ll let you know what you have to do.”
Muriel shoved aside the flap, and they entered the tent. She called to someone who dragged Kat into a small changing area. Soon, Kat stared at herself in a small standup mirror. She looked glamorous, 1860s-style. A simple, dark blue with gold trim cotton dress with a dusting of lace at the high-neck collar, simple long bell sleeves that ended in lace that graced her wrists, a wide belt that cinched her small waist, and a not-too-puffy petticoat beneath the skirt to fill out the dress.
“Isn’t this supposed to be a reenactment?” a blondish girl said from across the tent. “I said I’d be happy to play the part of the bride so it’s factually accurate.”
“If you don’t shut your trap, you’ll be playing the part of a nurse who gets shot on the battlefield from a stray bullet,” Muriel snapped. “I’m in charge here, and I get to say who plays the bride.”
Kat’s gaze volleyed from Muriel to the girl who stood with her arms crossed. “Look, I understand that this is a reenactment and things should be factual. Muriel, I don’t mind—”
“Well, I do. Let’s go meet the groom.”
She marched out of the tent. Kat held her head high but ignored her nemesis who started chatting with the girls next to her.
“Drew! Your bride is here.”
And it all made sense why the other girl felt Kat was out of place. Muriel had wanted Kat to play opposite her grandson. Kat shook her head. Her mother had to be in on it. It would explain her advice to steal Drew from Parker. Acting in a fake marriage would be the perfect inspiration.
Drew turned, and Kat caught her breath. He wasn’t dressed in a tux, but he certainly knew how to wear the style of the 1860s. Kat allowed her eyes to drift down over his athletic body. Hugged at the arms was a well-fitting dark jacket garnished with brass-colored buttons, and across his thighs were pants that were a teeny bit too tight for him. She raised her eyes slowly, taking in every inch of him. She heard her own breath and clamped her mouth shut.
“Wow,” he said with a smile that blinded her. “You look beautiful.”
“So do you. Handsome, I mean.”
He chuckled. “Thanks. I think I make the suit.”
He certainly did.
“Pants are a little tight though, don’t you think?”
She couldn’t look down again, or she might never meet his eyes ever again. “Uh-huh, maybe.”
“That dress… You look like a bride.”
“I hope so.”
“How did you get dragged into this?”
“My mom said the bride ate some bad sushi. You?”
He smirked. “Grandma said the groom got sick. She said I should take a day off and come out here and get some history and make out with a cute girl.”
Even though it was still early in the morning, the July sun had started to take effect. Now Kat was simply ablaze. “Oh, so a make-out session convinced you?”
He cocked his head to one side. “Very funny. I thought she was joking, and now I’m not so sure.”
“Why?”
&n
bsp; He stared at her. “You know why.”
Did she? She looked away.
Muriel came up with hands clasped in front of her chest, her face illuminated by her bright smile. “Okay, you two, let’s get you to the chapel.”
They followed Muriel to the location where the wedding was going to take place. Kat smiled at the rows of chairs facing a small archway adorned with roses and a lovely field of flowers behind it. “It’s very pretty,” she breathed.
“You’d like an outdoor wedding?” Drew asked casually.
“I think it would be peaceful, don’t you? Something small with our closest friends.”
“Our?” A brow rose.
“I mean mine and my…whoever I’m going to marry.” Kat turned her head and rolled her eyes. She blamed Muriel and her mother. She didn’t believe this wedding was really on the agenda. Well, she had to get an agenda to prove it.
He grinned. “I agree. An intimate wedding somewhere like this.”
“Or by the lake. I think by the lake would be really wonderful. Lots of wildflowers, the soft sounds of nature.”
He got a far-off look in his eyes. “Yeah, that would be nice.”
“You and Parker are already booked for a hotel downtown, right?” She already knew the answer. She had read Parker’s brief email that basically gave the name of the hotel and the types of flowers she’d like to see at her wedding.
He sighed. “Yup. Married in a hotel,” he said dryly.
Kat silently agreed with his distaste. She had guessed that would be his reaction.
Muriel explained that Drew would be standing underneath the archway and all they’d have to do is recite the vows stated by the man playing the pastor. Drew and Kat nodded. In thirty minutes, a crowd of onlookers had gathered, and Drew took his place at the alter.
“Nervous?” Mary whispered from behind Kat, who stood at the other end of the aisle, waiting for the signal.
“I don’t know why. It’s a fake wedding.”
Mary handed her a bouquet of fresh wildflowers. “Because he’s your Steven.” She winked.
Kat narrowed her eyes. “I blame you for this.”
She giggled. “Good luck, honey.” She kissed her on the cheek and took a seat in the back row.
“Okay everyone!” Muriel called them all to attention. “After the nuptials, we’ll have a reception where you’ll get to eat a few of the foods that you would’ve seen in the 1860s. If you look at our bride, Kat, she’s wearing her Sunday’s best, which would be a typical wedding dress of a girl who wasn’t wealthy. Same goes for our handsome groom, Drew, dressed in his best clothes.”
Slowly, Kat walked down the aisle and met Drew, who looked incredibly relaxed. He mouthed the words “I love you” and grinned wider.
Kat’s eyes saucered.
Drew chuckled. “Nervous?” he whispered while the preacher went on about why they were all gathered here today.
Kat nodded.
Drew took her hands in his and squeezed. He recited his vows, and Kat followed in a shaky voice. Drew winked at her and squeezed her hands again, which Kat was sure were being drenched with her sweat. There was no reason for her to be this nervous. Drew didn’t love her, this wasn’t a real wedding, and her heart was safe and sound. No risks.
No Steven.
“You may now kiss the bride.”
Kat’s eyes shot to her mother’s who nodded furiously, her grin so wide Kat thought to have her doctor make sure she was on the right medicine. Was she this happy because it might be the only time to witness her daughter get married? Fake married, rather? Muriel sat in the front row, shoving her hands together in the air.
The pastor leaned in close. “Uh, you don’t have to, if you don’t want—”
“We got this pastor.” A warm hand circled her waist, and Kat’s gaze vaulted to Drew’s. “Make it look real,” he whispered.
Kat closed her eyes as Drew’s lips covered hers.
Finally.
Warm lips glided gently over hers. Kat tasted the sweet flavor of icing she had used to frost some of the cupcakes she’d brought. His smooth facial hair smelled like spice and lightly tickled her mouth. She moaned slightly, thoroughly enjoying the taste of him.
Drew brought her flush against his chest, and she melted into his body. She wrapped her arms around his neck, slipping her fingers into his hair and holding him firmly to her. He parted her lips, and they slowly, eagerly explored each other in a way Kat hadn’t dared dream.
People hollered and cheered, but Kat barely heard anything above the pounding of her own heart. Her lips clung earnestly to his, desperate for the moment to never end.
Mom was right: Drew was her Steven. She didn’t want to live regretting not being with him. And the way he held her to him, she couldn’t be the only one thinking this was real.
Make it look real.
The words came rushing back to her in a tidal wave of ice-cold water that hit her square on, and she stiffened. Drew abruptly ended the kiss and searched her eyes.
This wasn’t real.
It was a reenactment. Drew was only playing the part of a groom in love. He was in love, just not with her.
Kat felt sick to her stomach. How had she allowed herself to really kiss him? Did he know she wasn’t acting at all?
He grinned at the crowd and waved. He tucked her hand underneath his arm, and he practically had to support her weight as they walked down the aisle to a cheering crowd.
Kat caught Muriel’s pleased look while passing and then saw her mother’s worried one. She must’ve read Kat’s face, read how Kat had finally given in to her feelings and they weren’t going to be reciprocated.
At the end of the aisle, Drew pulled her in for another quick kiss before lifting her up and carrying her over some imaginary threshold. Kat managed to give a wave to the crowd before allowing Drew to carry her somewhere away from the scene. Hopefully, back to the changing tent so she could get out of these clothes and go hide in the car.
She couldn’t even look up at her handsome fake-groom. He had to have known she was kissing him for real. And he was too nice of a friend to give her away.
He was no longer Steven, the boy in love. She was.
Stevenette, maybe…
There really wasn’t a good girl’s name.
Chapter 15
Okay, so maybe that last kiss was for himself. And he had the perfect excuse of it being a reenactment. He had to make it look real. If he had actually married Kat, he would’ve definitely kissed her more than once.
And longer.
And deeper.
She wasn’t even looking at him anymore in the adoringly loving way a new bride was supposed to gaze at her husband. Maybe because this whole thing was fake. Or maybe because she was a terrible actress. After all, her talent lay in baking.
Soon after he carried her away from the crowd, she felt stiffer and heavier in his arms, even though she was as light as a feather with about twenty pounds of fabric. He didn’t want to set her down. Holding her felt too comfortable and just…fun. He wanted this reenactment to last a bit longer, so he carried her toward the changing tent.
As soon as he saw her, he knew this whole wedding thing was a setup by his grandmother. He wasn’t even sure there actually was a bride and groom who had gotten sick the night before. Too convenient. And Mrs. Kaye was definitely in on the ruse by getting her daughter here. A couple of matchmakers forgetting he was already engaged. He stifled a groan.
“Please, put me down.”
“We’re almost there,” he said.
“I have legs. I can walk.”
He set her down immediately. “I was only playing the part.” Half-true.
“Well, the part is over.” She shook out her dress.
“You gotta admit that kiss was something.”
“You said make it look real.” She still ruffled her dress, although it looked perfectly fine to him.
“You saying it was fake?”
She held his gaze. �
��That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
“And I’m calling your bluff. That was real, and we both know.”
“So what if it was?” Her arms came shooting up and then fell heavily against her sides. “So what?” She about-faced, heading right back the way they’d come.
“Katrina.”
She halted. With a hand on her arm, he spun her around to face him.
When her eyes rose to his, his heart constricted. They held pain, and the longer she stared at him, the more they flooded with moisture. Was he the cause? Guilt twisted his gut.
“I have to go now.” She darted away. Ran, actually.
“Don’t change out of your clothes!” Muriel said from behind Drew. “You’re playing the loving couple all day! We have the reception.”
Kat didn’t turn around. She ducked inside the tent.
Drew closed his eyes. “Smooth, Grandma. Really smooth.”
She shrugged with false innocence. “It’s a reenactment. These things last all day.”
He pivoted. “You really think she wants to play the part of a loving newlywed all day?”
Her smile was devious. “That kiss looked real to me. Might as well play the part.”
“Grandma—”
“Don’t try to deny it. You’re not exactly an Oscar-worthy actor.”
“Why?” He put his hands on his hips. “You know I’m still engaged to Parker.”
She cocked a brow. “Are you? I thought she’d be gone by now. Hmm…”
“You know I am. Why would you orchestrate this?”
“Because I knew there was something between you two ever since you were kids. I figured all I had to do was get you into each other’s arms to prove it. And I did.” She crossed her arms and lifted her chin. “I make no apologies for trying to orchestrate what’s already fated.”
“Fated! Grandma, you’re crazy.”
She laughed. “Your father said I was crazy, too.”
“And you were.” He pointed an accusing finger at her. “You were wrong about my mother. They’re still together and very happy.”
She frowned and tapped her chin, her gaze to the sky. “Well, maybe I was wrong about her”—her eyes came back to his—“but I am right about you and Kat. Parker doesn’t deserve you, and you should be with Kat. If you had seen the way she kissed you… You were there. I’m surprised you’re not on the phone right now breaking things off with Parker. She’s an ocean away. Makes a breakup easier, if you ask me.”