by Olivia Miles
A warm breeze blew off the water, and Kate pushed a loose strand of light brown hair from her face, even though it was determined to flutter around her nose. Alec shifted the weight on his feet impatiently, refusing to give in to the lure of his surroundings the way his younger brother had done. Setting his heavy backpack next to the briefcase at his feet, he studied them both, frowning. He’d come outside to make a few important calls before the bachelor party tonight, but this wedding planner didn’t show any signs of budging. With a sigh, he rubbed the back of his neck, wincing at the knots that tensed his muscles. “I thought we were doing the rehearsal here at the hotel,” he said.
“Well, yes, everything for the wedding is going to be held here,” Kate said, nodding quickly as her eyes flashed from the slight encouragement. He fought off a grin. Damn, she was sort of cute. Cute, but annoying. “But there are still a few details to go over.”
“Such as?”
Kate tossed up her hands. “Where to start? The wine selection. The dessert tray. The seating arrangements.”
“Seating arrangements?” He didn’t even know half the people on the invitation list. William had always been the social one, and he’d clearly made himself at home in this little seaside town.
The wedding planner nodded firmly. “It’s my experience that guests are more comfortable being assigned a seat. It cuts out confusion and needless drama.”
Alec eyed her watchfully as she rattled off the mounting list of decisions that still needed to be made, wishing for the umpteenth time that he came from a normal family, where his parents stepped in and happily oversaw conventional traditions.
“How much time is this going to take?” he asked when she stopped to take a breath.
Kate’s eyes drifted to the doors and then back out to the stretch of lawn. “Oh…maybe half an hour?”
“An hour.” More like an hour from the shifty look in her gaze. Alec dragged a hand over his face, making a few quick calculations. Traffic out of the city had been hellish. The afternoon was already gone, and so were his plans for it. An entire day was lost, and with everything going on in the office right now, he wasn’t in the position to be taking days off to plan seating arrangements or taste wine. No, he was here to make the most of his time in Misty Point—playground to the multimillionaires who needed an escape from urban life.
Things at the family’s personal investment firm had been bad for months, and with no one else to blame, all fingers were pointed at him. It was a weight he couldn’t shrug, despite his sleepless efforts. But this week sparked a chance to get things back on track. The way they used to be.
And his meeting Monday with commercial real estate mogul Mason Lambert was his ticket.
She gave him a reassuring smile. “How about we just go over the menu and some other smaller details, and I’ll take care of the seating arrangements on my own?”
Okay, so maybe she wasn’t going to be so bad. Still, he wasn’t one to back off on a negotiation. “That the best offer you have for me?”
She tipped her head and offered a slow smile. “Well, you are the best man, after all. I can’t take away all your responsibilities.”
Best man. Was that really what he was? Once he would have said so, but more recently, he wasn’t so sure. He and William had come a long way from their days spent working side by side at the Montgomery Group. If Elizabeth had never come along, he and his brother would still be strolling the office halls, relishing in the sweetness of their mutual success, and celebrating with drinks after work. Now Alec was left to eat alone in his office most nights, scrambling to try to drum up new business to make up for the lack of revenue. Going home to an empty apartment he’d bought for views he was never even there to enjoy. Starting the routine all over again the next day.
Once he’d had drinks at the bar on the corner to look forward to after a long, hard day. Saturday mornings on the golf course or an afternoon catching a game at Fenway. William was more than his brother. He was his best friend.
A lot had changed since William left. Too much.
Turning back to Kate, he attempted a half smile. “And is it the duty of the best man to oversee the rehearsal dinner?”
“Well, it is traditionally the responsibility of the groom’s family, yes.”
“My father won’t be any help,” he said tightly.
Kate sat a little straighter, blinking rapidly. “Yes, of course. William explained everything.”
Everything? Now this was interesting. William was typically tight-lipped about their family dynamics—they both were. If he were a betting man, which he wasn’t, he’d wager that William had stopped far short of explaining everything. Some stories were best untold. “So, you’re friends with my brother, then?”
Kate looked at him in surprise. “Very good friends. He’s marrying my best friend, after all.”
Ah, there it was again. Best friend. Best man. “And how is Elizabeth?” he managed in a tone that was less sincere than he’d hoped, no doubt painting him as a less-than-ideal future brother-in-law, that much he was sure of.
“She’s fine,” Kate replied, careful to say nothing more. Silence stretched as she glanced up at him through hooded lids. She gave a soft sigh that made him realize he was testing her patience about as much as she was testing his.
Deciding it was time to admit defeat and deal with the inevitable, Alec offered her a slow smile. Business would have to wait until tomorrow—or tonight. He wasn’t much for sleep these days. “Okay. You win. Consider me at your service.”
Her gaze shot up to his as a relieved smile took over her face. “Oh, thank you,” she gushed, and he felt his eyes narrow with curiosity.
“This really means a lot to you, doesn’t it?”
Bristling, Kate tucked her shoulder-length hair behind her ears and hoisted a large binder to her chest. “Well, it’s my job. Besides, we both want everything perfect for William and Elizabeth’s big day, don’t we?”
Alec gave a curt nod and picked up his backpack and briefcase, sweeping the grand front porch for a bellhop. In a place as serene and idyllic as this, one would think he could finally settle down and relax. But resting was the last thing on his mind at the moment. Kate might think he was here to play the doting best man, but what she didn’t realize was that on Saturday, Alec had every intention of standing by his brother’s side back in their offices in Boston, not at the end of the aisle.
Dropping onto one of the white wooden rocking chairs that lined the porch, he tried his best to force an expression of interest while he listened to Kate describe the menu options for the rehearsal dinner, but it was becoming increasingly difficult to keep his heavy lids from drooping. He’d been up since four and hadn’t gotten to bed until after midnight, and if the urgent emails that kept lighting up his phone screen didn’t stop soon, he’d be pulling another all-nighter.
“Mind if we discuss this somewhere I can get some coffee?” he asked.
“Around the other side of the porch,” Kate informed him. He followed her around the side of the wraparound porch, quickening his pace to match her brisk stride toward the café tables.
Alec threw his body weight back into a wicker chair, feeling the knots in his back loosen a bit. “Can I get you anything?” he asked, signaling a passing waiter. Kate shook her head in response, and he placed an order for a large coffee. Deciding he needed a break from talking about all these wedding details that Kate was so passionate about, he inquired, “So William’s friend Eric is throwing the bachelor party tonight?”
Kate nodded. “At Nolan’s Pub.”
“A pub?” That wasn’t William’s style at all. William would want something sleek and modern. A high-end nightclub in Boston. A four-star restaurant. Not a pub. A wave of guilt washed over him. He should have planned the event himself. William was his brother, after all. Instead he’d spent his time picking up the pieces William had left when he quit the family business.
He shifted his eyes to Kate, holding her stare bluntl
y. Pinching her lips, she pulled her heavy bag onto her long, slender legs and sighed. “Yes, a pub. Is there a problem?”
Alec shook his head. “You do things pretty casually around here.”
“You haven’t even seen it. It’s a very nice pub. Besides, this is a beach town. It’s summer. You should try to relax a little more.”
Something told him she could do with a little of her own advice. Rather than arguing, he bantered, “Who said I’m not relaxed?”
She glared pointedly at the cell phone he held in his hand. She uncrossed and recrossed her legs, giving him a full view of the length of a smooth thigh in the long slit in her skirt. “Let’s get back to the menu for the rehearsal dinner.”
“Funny you should tell me I need to relax. You’re the one getting all bent out of shape over a dinner.” He settled back into his chair and folded his hands behind his head. “Judging from this place, I’m sure anything on the menu will be just fine.”
“Then it seems we have nothing more to discuss.” Without another word, she stood and began retracing her steps toward the staircase, showing no signs of stopping.
Well, now he had done it.
He leaned forward as he watched her walk away. “Hey, Kate!” he hollered, watching with a smile he couldn’t fight as she halted and then whipped around, her eyes blazing even from this distance. “How about we go with sushi?”
Kate’s mouth gaped. “That’s not an option.”
“Why not?” Alec asked with sudden interest.
“You can’t have sushi for the rehearsal dinner!” Kate scoffed. She returned to the table and sat down.
“Yes, I can,” Alec said, leaning back to rest his head in his hands. He shifted his back a little, wincing at the tension that had built up near his tailbone.
Kate widened her eyes. “No, you can’t. You saw the details I put into the décor. This is supposed to be rustic, casual…nautical.”
Nautical. Alec bit down on the inside of his cheek. If she thought he was laughing at her, she’d just storm off again. And he wasn’t laughing at her. He was just…amused. Intrigued, even. And damn it if he wasn’t enjoying her company just a little. “I thought you wanted me to be involved in the planning of this event.” He dropped his arms as the waiter delivered his coffee. He took a sip, drinking it black. Hot and strong.
Kate clutched her handbag to her chest. The waiter stepped back and then moved on to the next table. “That’s true.”
“So, now I’m planning it!” He would have thought she’d be relieved. Instead, she looked on the brink of tears. “My brother loves sushi.”
“But it’s all wrong for the occasion,” Kate insisted. “What about crab cakes or seafood risotto? William loves the crab cakes here.”
Alec took another sip of his coffee, hoping he could flag the waiter down for a refill. “Tell you what,” he acquiesced. “Go ahead with the crab cakes for the appetizer and the seafood risotto for the main course. You obviously know what you’re doing.”
Kate eyed him warily but her expression had softened. “Well, if you’re sure…” She frowned. “It’s just that I know how much William loves the crab cakes here.”
There it was again. He didn’t need a stranger telling him what his brother did and did not like. His gut burned as he considered her words. When had he and William stopped being best friends and started becoming distant relatives? Growing up, he would have done anything for that kid—he still would, even if that meant making sure that William didn’t go through with making the biggest mistake of his life.
“Back in Boston, William and I loved going to this sushi joint down the block from our office. Think they could maybe set up a raw bar on the buffet table?”
Kate nodded, looking more subdued. “I’ll see what I can do,” she said. After a slight pause she added, “But…it shouldn’t be a problem.”
Alec grinned. “Good!”
“Believe it or not, I have put a lot of planning into this event,” she insisted.
As if that much wasn’t obvious. Hoping to keep the conversation going until he’d at least finished his coffee, he said, “So you enjoy party planning?”
From across the table he watched her eyes simmer. “It’s a little more than party planning.”
“Well, it’s a party. And you’re planning it.” He should stop now. Something told him this wasn’t going to end well.
“Have you ever been married?” Kate asked, and the slight smile on her lips told him she knew the answer.
“Nope,” Alec said. And I don’t intend to, he didn’t bother adding. “Have you?”
Kate’s cheeks turned pink as she skirted her gaze to the left. “I’m asking only because if you had ever been married, then you would know how much goes into planning an event of this size. It isn’t just about sending out invitations and picking out a pizza and some balloons. There are a lot of moving parts. Some people spend two years planning their wedding. It’s more than just a party. It’s…a memory.”
Alec watched her shift in her chair and glance out to the sea. She was being decidedly evasive, and that intrigued him. A woman with something to hide was always more interesting than one who wore her every emotion on her sleeve.
His phone pinged again and he glanced down with a frown to see his father’s name on the screen. His jaw tightened, and he fought back the urge to silence the ringer, maybe chuck the whole device out in the ocean.
“I should probably take this one,” he said instead, starting to stand.
She pushed back her own chair, and he was suddenly aware of how close they were standing. She extended a hand, and he took it in his, lingering for a moment on the firm grip, wondering what it would be like to touch her in a different, softer way.
“I had scheduled your suit fitting for ten tomorrow, but I could try to shift it to later in the day now that you’re not rushing back to Boston,” she said.
“Ten will be fine,” he said, vaguely recalling the appointment but assuming it was on his calendar.
“Till tomorrow, then,” she said.
He said nothing as he connected his phone and held it to his ear. And even though he was standing on the porch of a beautiful country inn with a panoramic view of the Atlantic, suddenly he was right back in Boston. Back to reality.
Chapter Three
She’d left her car at the bridal salon, and after driving it back to her regular parking spot behind the vintage building off Harbor Street that housed her office, it took ten minutes of sitting in her car with the engine running and the cool stream of forced air blowing on her face before Kate trusted herself to finally turn off the ignition and go inside. Appearing even remotely flustered was not an option right now with her boss watching her every move.
This was nonsense. So the man was good at eye contact. It wasn’t like he was doing it on purpose. It was a sales tactic, no doubt, if not in business, then with women. And it was a red flag. Along with everything Elizabeth had said, of course.
And really, he was quite tiresome.
Turning off the car, Kate shook her muddled head clear and walked the three blocks to Bride by Design, the small wedding planning company owned and operated by Kate’s old classmate, Meredith Smith, who was even more unbearable now than she’d been in high school, back when she was cheerleading queen and Kate was secretly working up the courage to try out for the team. The office was located at a busy corner in the center of town, and its bright green door and crisp white window boxes spilling with colorful flowers lent a cheerful ambience. But despite its outward appearance, there was nothing happy about the place. Oh, it used to be a fine enough place to come every day. Her boss had always been a bit of a pill, but Kate hadn’t minded so much. It wasn’t like they needed to be friends. They were both perfectionists, and they had a mutual appreciation and understanding of each other.
But once you were on Meredith’s bad side, you stayed there—Kate had learned this sordid fact the hard way.
A familiar knot of dread mixe
d with fear twisted at her insides as Kate unlocked the door and stepped inside. Sweeping her eyes around the empty reception room, Kate held her breath and listened for her boss. It was a Saturday, and most of the planners had weddings this weekend.
The few other girls on the administrative staff were gone, of course, off enjoying their weekends with their boyfriends of the month or primping for a night down at Paddy’s, where they might catch the eye of one of the summer people—the ones who just came to Misty Point on weekends to enjoy the salty air and slower pace. The room was strangely quiet. She moved silently over the soft wool rug in shades of warm neutrals. She used to adore the chic and classic décor—the elegant touches like crystal chandeliers illuminating the soft blue walls and enormous bouquets of fresh flowers brightening every turn—but those days were long gone. If there had been any other wedding planning company in the small town of Misty Point, Kate wouldn’t even be sticking around. Not like Meredith would be offering her a glowing reference anyway.
She flitted with her favorite nocturnal fantasy of late—the one where she coolly handed Meredith her resignation letter and a week later opened her own bigger and better company. But then, like always, she thought of all the things that could go wrong. The money that could be spent and wasted. The house that would have to be second-mortgaged or worse. The feeling of having tried. And failed.
She frowned at herself. She really needed to do something about this cynical attitude she was developing. It didn’t bode well for a wedding planner. She was supposed to believe in the general goodness of people. She was supposed to believe in everlasting love.
She managed not to snort under her breath.
Closing the door to her small office behind her, Kate slipped her handbag onto the hook behind the door and tucked herself into her desk chair. She turned on her computer, and as she waited for it to power up, her eyes drifted to the space on her desk where she’d once kept a framed photograph of her and Jake. She had looked at it so many times over the duration of their two-year relationship that it was habit, and not one she wished to continue. Hastily, she slid her pencil jar to its place and made a mental note to bring in another, more suitable photograph instead. Like one of her dog.