Bourbon Springs Box Set: Volume II, Books 4-6 (Bourbon Springs Box Sets Book 2)

by Jennifer Bramseth

  They hugged and cried a little, and Hannah happened to return to the table at that moment.

  “Why the lovefest?” she asked as she sat.

  CiCi squeezed Lila’s hand. “Just happy to be here.”

  Because CiCi wasn’t only happy because she was in a wonderful relationship with Walker. She felt inexpressible gratitude for one of life’s greatest blessings: her friends.

  27

  It was no surprise to CiCi that a bunch of distillers would know how to throw one hell of a party.

  The location was the Galt House, the largest hotel in downtown Louisville and right on the Ohio River. Walker had driven them up the morning of the event, the day of his fortieth birthday, and they had some time before they checked into the room. Judging by his reticence on the subject of their accommodations, CiCi suspected they were going to have a very nice suite.

  After stowing their luggage at the front desk, they went to look at the banquet room on the second floor of the hotel. Walker told her that several hundred attendees were expected; she spotted numerous tables being set in the round, complete with white tablecloths and ornate flower arrangements in the middle. And she counted no less than six different bars.

  “What did you expect when a bunch of bourbon industry folks got together? It’s not like they’re gonna serve ice cream and lemonade,” Walker quipped.

  “Unless there’s bourbon in them,” CiCi shot back.

  With time to kill, the couple took off on foot to walk around the downtown area. Their first stop was the Louisville Slugger Museum, where Walker kept checking the time as they went through the displays. When CiCi finally called him on his clock-watching while they were in the gift shop and she was getting a tiny bat with her name engraved on it, he announced he had a surprise for her.

  “I’ve got lunch tickets for us on the Spirit of Jefferson,” he said. “Just a buffet and a kind of touristy thing, but I thought it would be fun.”

  Walker had booked them on a lunch cruise on the old paddle wheeler, a smaller sister vessel to the famed Belle of Louisville. CiCi was delighted and said she’d always wanted to go on a lunch or dinner cruise on the river.

  “Today’s the day that dream comes true.” He kissed her in front of the gigantic baseball bat that marked the museum’s entrance.

  The food on the cruise was nice, but that’s not what attracted passengers: it was the two-hour excursion up the broad, flat expanse of the Ohio River. The views of the Louisville skyline were spectacular, and as the craft moved farther away from the downtown area, the scenery became more bucolic along both shores. After eating a quick lunch inside, CiCi and Walker spent most of the voyage out on the deck against the railing, enjoying the sights and each other’s company.

  By the time they got back to the hotel, it was very warm and CiCi was ready for a shower. Their luggage had already been delivered to their room; it was nice not to have to haul it halfway across creation.

  She appreciated how nicely Walker was treating her: the museum, a lunch cruise, someone to lug her stuff around. Simple little things that made her feel very special.

  And when they got on the elevator, she started to feel like a queen.

  Walker slipped a key card into the elevator button panel to access one of the highest floors in the hotel.

  “Where are we going?” she asked excitedly.

  Walker put his arm around her and kissed the side of her head. “You’ll see.”

  They emerged onto the top floor, and CiCi spotted only three doors: two at the far ends of the hall and one directly across from the elevator. Walker took his key card and slipped it into the lock on the door in front of them.

  He had reserved the main penthouse suite.

  “Really?” was the only thing CiCi could think to say.

  “Yes. I want this to be a special night.”

  Walker gave her a quick kiss and opened the door.

  CiCi blinked as she entered the penthouse; the light was nearly blinding because there was no opposite wall, only a long bank of glass. As her eyes adjusted, she slowly became aware of her surroundings and took a few tentative steps inside as Walker closed the door behind them.

  They were in a small foyer with a full kitchen on the left and a large bathroom on the right. Moving farther into the space, CiCi discovered a large sitting area with a fully stocked bar and dining area on the left. Farther along the wall beyond the bar hung a flat-screen television with a large white leather couch facing it. Underfoot were gleaming hardwood floors, intensifying and reflecting the light pouring in from the river-facing windows.

  An open door to the left led to a large bedroom with a king-size bed, and that space appeared at a glance to be as spacious as the living area into which they had stepped.

  She moved slowly toward the windows, mesmerized by the surroundings and views, drawn there like a bee to a blossom to pay her respects to the beauty which unfolded before her.

  Below was the Ohio, wide, winding, and glistening in the midday summer sun. Long barges and other vessels inched up and down the watercourse, and CiCi spotted the Spirit of Jefferson docked below. Across the river was Indiana, stretching into a mist of blue and green infinity past the towns which dotted the state’s southern shore.

  He’d given her another exquisite view. Not a thing to keep and put on a shelf or a bottle of perfume or bourbon or even a piece of jewelry to wear. He’d given her an image, a vision of the beauty of this place that they would share for one night. Walker had given her another memory.

  “Gorgeous,” she whispered.

  “Sure as hell is,” Walker said, and she realized he was at her side, gazing down at her.

  Walker put his arms around her waist and kissed her, slowly moving his hands to her head and tangling his fingers into her curly locks.

  “You need a shower,” he declared, moving his lips to her neck.

  “The bathroom in this place is probably as big as the first floor of my house.” She tilted her head back to allow Walker to continue his attentions to the tender area beneath and around her right ear.

  “Let’s find out.” He took her by the hand and moved toward the bedroom she’d spied upon entering the penthouse.

  A knock at the door interrupted their short journey. Walker cursed, released CiCi’s hand, and went to the door. Upon checking the peephole, he opened the door, and a bellhop was there with a package in hand.

  “Ms. CiCi Summers?”

  CiCi walked to the door, revealed her identity, and was handed the package. Walker tipped the young man and shut the door.

  “What’s that?” Walker asked.

  “You don’t know? This isn’t from you?”

  “Nope,” he said. “Open it.”

  On top was an envelope with CiCi’s handwritten name on it and the instruction.

  Open note first and alone.

  “This is odd,” Walker said.

  CiCi examined the familiar handwriting on the envelope, and strongly suspected she knew the identity of the mystery gift giver. “It’s okay,” she said, moving into the bedroom. Walker followed her, and CiCi turned in the door between the living area and the bedroom. “No. Out,” she said, clutching the box to her chest and placing a hand on the doorknob. “My instructions were to open this alone.”

  “But you don’t know who sent that,” Walker protested and pointed to the package, frowning.

  “Actually, I think I do. And I don’t want to mess with that person.”

  And she shut the door in Walker’s face.

  Trying to ignore the still-stunning view and her palatial surroundings (there was a grand piano in the bedroom at the window!), CiCi placed the package on the bed and opened the card.

  It was as she had suspected. The package was from Hannah.

  Hope you’re alone—if not, kick Walker out of the bedroom, because that’s where I’m assuming you are right now.

  CiCi laughed out loud. The arrival of Hannah’s package had indeed interrupted their journey to the
bedroom. Well, to be more precise, their intended goal had been the bathroom, but she knew the ultimate destination. That big, wonderful bed that was right in front of her. She continued reading.

  Here’s a little gift for you. I felt bad buying this and you not having it, so I decided to remedy that problem. My only condition is that you wait until after the banquet tonight to put it to good use. This is the perfect opportunity for you to use that phrase ‘Let me slip into something more comfortable’—and have it mean something! Enjoy. This is such a fun time.

  Love, H.

  CiCi didn’t understand what Hannah meant about “fun time.” The gala? The evening? The time of year?

  CiCi opened the package, which had been wrapped in plain brown paper, and a hot pink and bright turquoise box from Booty-Teke was revealed.

  “Oh, my. She didn’t…,” CiCi said to herself as her fingers delicately brushed away the cocoon of tissue paper inside the box.

  Hannah had indeed done what CiCi suspected: she’d given her the gown CiCi had lusted after at the boutique, but in that wonderfully deep garnet color.

  She pulled the garment halfway out of the box by the straps, marveling as it glowed as though electrified from the natural light pouring into the room. CiCi got a little teary by the gift; it was exceptionally thoughtful and completely unexpected. And it hit her what Hannah had meant about the “fun time.”

  CiCi and Walker were in that period of their relationship where they were having fun being in love. No other attachments, responsibilities, or worries—only each other. They were consumed with each other’s existence and wanted nothing more than to be in each other’s presence. It was that sweet, slightly naïve period of a relationship when you can make love all night long and wake up the next morning (assuming you slept at all) and not feel sleep deprived at all. And once awake and parted, you could still sense the hands of your lover on you long after you left his arms, thinking you were gonna die until you found yourself in that same safe place once more.

  CiCi checked the package to see if there were any other items in it, and her hand hit a piece of paper.

  Were you looking for matching panties? As if any woman or man would want them with this thing. Get real.—H.

  CiCi snorted so hard it hurt.

  “Can I come in yet?” Walker asked as he knocked on the door.

  CiCi giggled at his question and proceeded to carefully replace the nightgown in its wrappings and box. She found a large closet and put the package on a shelf, hopefully out of Walker’s line of sight.

  “Come on in,” she said, and he was in the room before she said the last word.

  “Where’s the package?”

  “I put it away,” she said, keeping her eyes on his face. He was curious and eager. She aimed to keep him that way for the rest of the day and into the evening.

  “Who sent it? What was it?”

  “Little mysteries that will be revealed at an appropriate moment in the future,” she said as he approached her.

  “Sounds like fun,” he said, and she smiled, thinking of Hannah’s note.

  “I can promise you that.”

  “Now… where were we?”

  “I was going to take a shower.” She spied their luggage near the bedroom door behind Walker. CiCi hadn’t noticed it when she entered the room because she’d been so intrigued by Hannah’s package. She walked around him, retrieved her bag, and flung it onto the bed.

  “I thought we were going to take a shower,” he said.

  She removed her toiletries bag from her suitcase. “Not now.”

  He caught her by the waist. “So you’re going to make me wait?”

  She smiled wickedly and could not stop herself from laughing. “I think you’ll be pleased with what awaits you.”

  He released her, went to the closet, and retrieved his garment bag. “Good things come to those who wait?”

  “You’ll get to be the judge of that. But where are you going?”

  “To the other bedroom.” Walker picked up his duffel bag from the floor. “If we’re going to do this waiting thing, I want to get ready in the other bedroom on the other side of the penthouse. Watching you shower and get dressed—well, that would be too much torture and temptation.”

  “So we come out of our respective corners at what time?”

  “Cocktail party begins at six, and we’re supposed to meet everyone shortly before then in the lobby.”

  CiCi closed the bedroom door and began to contemplate her inevitable meeting with Walker’s father. They had never discussed whatever the problem was between the two men, and she had finally chalked it up to unresolved father-son crap that he’d tell her about in due time. For now, she was happy to look forward to seeing Evelyn and Nina once more. And she was beyond excited that she was going to see Walker named as Master Distiller of the Year.

  After a short nap, CiCi showered and readied herself. She was very happy with the fit of the black-and-garnet dress, and she silently thanked the goddesses of all foundational wear for women when she slipped into the frock. It fit perfectly, and she knew she looked hot.

  She enjoyed seeing Walker’s smirk vanish from his face when they met in the living area of the penthouse before heading down to the lobby. His eyes combed over her body, and she shivered just a little under his gaze, anticipating the time when they would be alone together later that evening and he would give her a similar look when he saw the red nightgown.

  Walker looked particularly delicious. He was in a dark suit, white shirt, and red tie. His hair was neatly combed, and he was so uptight he looked like a spring that could become uncoiled at any moment. She could feel the tension rolling off him—his nervousness about the evening as well as the intense sexual energy that was buzzing between them.

  The man needed a stiff drink and a good lay, and both of them would be easy for Walker to obtain that evening. She would guarantee it.

  28

  Walker gave CiCi a soft kiss on the lips, complimented her looks, and offered her his arm. She put her black clutch under her arm and adjusted her long silk scarf that served as a kind of wrap, and they were off to the lobby.

  “You look wonderful!” Lila gushed.

  As they waited for Walker’s family to arrive, they met the others from the Old Garnet group in the lobby. Hannah glowed as bright as a jewel in her red silk dress, while Lila looked sexily demure in her outfit. CiCi saw Bo put his hand on Lila’s hip, causing her to smile. He then patted her about the waist, moving his hand lower along her rear.

  “Bo!” Lila protested in a harsh whisper, although CiCi could clearly hear.

  Both then turned a very deep red and CiCi turned away before either of them could see her face. She knew what Bo had just discovered about his fiancée’s attire.

  Jana was there without a date.

  “I thought you told me you were going to bring a friend from Lexington,” Hannah said, mildly annoyed.

  “He broke his arm,” Jana said in explanation. “Fell off his bike.”

  Jana looked lovely in a deep navy-blue sleeveless sheath. Very simple, clean, and it effortlessly brought out the wonderful color of her red hair. She excused herself briefly to go to the bathroom and asked the group to wait on her before going into the banquet.

  “Thanks for the gift,” CiCi whispered to Hannah as the others fell into conversation.

  “Did he see it?” Hannah asked.

  “Nope, I did as you instructed. It was really too much, Hannah.”

  “Nonsense,” Hannah said, smiling. “Just remember to have fun.”

  CiCi smiled back, knowing that wouldn’t be a problem.

  “Hey, they’re here,” Walker said, nodding toward the large revolving door at the front of the hotel lobby.

  In walked Evelyn Cain in a black dress, holding an older gentleman’s hand. Nina followed in a purple silk dress with flutter sleeves and a low neckline.

  CiCi swallowed and tensed; Walker responded with a quick squeeze of her hand.

/>   “It’s okay,” he whispered.

  After Walker’s family offered him birthday greetings and the women said hello to CiCi, Walker turned to his father. “Dad, please let me introduce to you Catherine Summers,” he said.

  Jeb extended his hand, which CiCi took and shook. “Pleased to meet you,” he said. The man was polite, but stiff and formal and forcing a smile which made him look like he was in physical pain.

  Then Jeb’s face suddenly brightened, and he waved at someone over CiCi’s shoulder. CiCi turned to see who was behind her, but she instinctively knew the face she’d see.

  Jana.

  Jeb left CiCi and the group and made a beeline for Jana, whom he hugged.

  Walker pulled CiCi’s hand to his chest. “Let’s go.” He kissed her on the lips and told his mother and sister that they were heading upstairs to the banquet room to start enjoying the evening. “Sorry about that,” Walker said as they entered an elevator for the short trip.

  “Make it up to me and get me a drink,” she said, smiling and taking his proffered arm. CiCi was determined to not let anything ruin the evening.

  “Name it, and it’s yours.”

  “Garnet Center Cut, of course,” she demanded as the elevator doors opened and they walked out to the banquet level of the hotel.

  He stopped and looked stricken. “I didn’t bring my flask,” he said apologetically. “Damn, why didn’t I think about that?” He patted the front of his jacket as though he expected the flask to be there.

  CiCi held up her clutch. “Then it’s lucky I did, Mr. Master Distiller of the Year,” she lightly mocked.

  “You brought yours?”

  “Of course,” she said. “Of all nights, this night is most worthy of celebration, and that requires the best bourbon.”

  “How much do you have?”

  “About half a flask,” she said, and they walked toward the banquet hall hand in hand. Behind them, CiCi heard Hannah’s voice and figured that the rest of the Old Garnet crowd had caught up with them.