by Lily Thorn
That would be $47,500. The sum made Cade’s head swim.
“Stay with me, Cade. This is budget work, so we won’t be able to hire extra hands. It’ll probably take us three solid months to build this sucker. If you don’t want to miss the start of the season, we need to break ground as soon as possible. Next Monday, if we can swing it.”
“All right.” Cade took a shuddering breath. “That sounds good. Expensive, but good.”
Joe laughed. “If you really want expensive, talk to me about gondolas.” He clapped Cade on the back, then swung back into his truck.
“Don’t worry,” he said, leaning out the window. “We’ll make it work.”
For $95,000, Cade certainly hoped so.
With a last wave, Joe revved his truck. He drove off, cigar held firmly between his teeth.
Cade stood in the drive, trying not to think about the fact that he was about to sign away his family’s entire savings.
He clenched his fists. Bearview was worth it. Mount Bliss was worth it.
Turning, he made his way back toward the double doors.
He had a wedding to prepare for.
***
Tess ran her fingers through her hair. At least the knot on the side of her head had finally gone down. She was still relieved that all she’d gotten for trying to head-butt a river rock was a little bit of swelling. If Cade hadn’t been there…
Putting a fresh battery into her camera, she closed the compartment with a snap. She couldn’t start thinking about Cade. She had to focus on this wedding for the next five hours or so. Nervously, Tess scrolled through the pictures she’d already taken. Here were the bride and her maids, then the groom and his men. They all looked rather majestic with Mount Bliss in the background.
She examined the guests who had gathered in the glade. The wedding wasn’t scheduled to start for another half hour, but the space was shaded enough that no one seemed to mind waiting.
Tess snapped off a few shots, then headed back to the lobby. She had already taken pictures of the bride getting ready, but she didn’t want to miss any important shots. The bride, Olivia, seemed a bit high-strung, and Tess didn’t want to disappoint her.
Olivia had declined to do a first look session—she said she didn’t want Henry to see her until she was walking down the aisle. Tess understood completely, but she wished Olivia had been willing. A first look shoot would have taken some pressure off Tess during the walk down the aisle. Plus, since Tess was the only photographer, she could only capture the bride or groom’s face in the aisle shots. With a first look, she could have captured both of their reactions.
Reviewing the pictures she’d already taken, Tess sighed. Olivia had been adamant about what she wanted, which was only fair. It was her wedding. Tess was just there to document it.
“Going all right so far?”
Too involved in her camera screen, Tess had almost walked right into Cade. “Sorry.” She looked up at him, startled. He was wearing a suit and tie. Though he looked rather dashing, the clothes seemed wrong on him somehow, like they were a costume.
“Do you like my suit?” he asked.
“I do.” She straightened his tie for him.
“You think I should wear it more often?”
“No!”
He laughed at her vehemence. “I was going to wear my nice jeans, but I don’t think Olivia’s a jeans kind of bride.”
“Probably not.” Tess thought that he would look best with no jeans at all, but she didn’t want him to get an inflated ego. “I was just about to check on her. Do you think she’s ready?”
“Almost. I’m supposed to pass the word to Henry.” Cade flashed her a grin. “Are you ready?”
“I guess so.” Her heart was beating awfully fast. When had she last been this nervous about a shoot?
“You’ll be great,” Cade said. “Olivia and Henry don’t know how lucky they are to have you.” He gave her hand a quick squeeze, then headed toward the glade.
Tess watched him go. She wished she could follow him instead of taking photos. Grab a bottle of champagne, ask him for a dance or two…
She pinched herself, hard. She had a job to do. Walking swiftly, she made her way to the lodge.
Camera in hand, Tess slipped inside.
“Just what do you think you’re doing?”
Tess froze. What had she done wrong?
“You lost my bouquet?” Olivia was rounding on a bridesmaid, her eyes wild with rage. “What am I supposed to carry now, a handful of weeds? Stop crying and go find it! If I can’t walk down the aisle, it’ll all be your fault!”
She sounded just like Tess’s mother. Wanting nothing more than to escape, Tess backed out the way she’d come. Olivia was paying her to take photos, not to endure her blistering wrath.
Tess strode back toward the glade, trying to breathe evenly. She hated that yelling unsettled her so much. She needed to be able to concentrate all her energy on the wedding shoot.
Thankfully, the light was cooperating. Brilliant afternoon sunlight had begun to filter through the trees. Though the bride hadn’t remained calm, at least the weather had. The clear sky promised that the fantastic light would continue until nightfall.
Tess checked the settings on her camera one last time as she took her place beside the gazebo. It was pointless, as the settings were flawless, but the task still comforted her.
“Is she ready?” The gangly groom stood next to her.
Tess was startled. She hadn’t heard him speak more than three words this entire time. “I think so,” she said, trying to sound reassuring. She suddenly felt very sorry for him.
“You’ll get lots of pictures as she comes down the aisle, won’t you?” He looked down the grassy space, as if he were already imagining her there. “I never want to forget that moment.”
“I will,” she assured him. “Lots of pictures.”
“She’s beautiful, isn’t she?”
“Oh, yes,” Tess said, though she found it hard to focus on Olivia’s beauty when she was screaming.
He sighed. “I hope she’s happy. Olivia wanted to get married at the beach, but this was all I could afford.”
“Oh, I’m sure she’s happy,” Tess lied. “She’s marrying you, isn’t she?”
Henry brightened. “Did she say that?”
Luckily, the musicians began to play, sparing Tess from having to lie again. Henry forgot all about her, looking across the glade to where Olivia was approaching.
Resigning herself, Tess hoisted her camera.
Olivia smiled serenely, as if she was the type of person who would never scream at a bridesmaid. Her attendants filed after her, some of them looking a little shell-shocked. One had red and puffy eyes, but she was trying valiantly to smile.
Tess focused her camera on the bride, who had just taken her father’s arm. Hopefully tempers would cool by the time the reception came around.
Olivia glided down the aisle, carrying a huge bouquet. Sparing a brief second to look aside, Tess realized that the bridesmaids no longer carried their flowers. They must have bundled them up for the bride at the last minute.
At least Olivia seemed happy.
As the ceremony began, Tess circled around the site. She knelt at the end of the aisle, snapping off a shot exactly when the couple kissed. Without even looking at her screen, she knew it was a perfect image. Henry strode down the aisle, new bride on his arm. Tess clicked away, feeling on top of the world. Even if things had gotten off to a rough start, she knew she was going to deliver incredible photos.
Cade and his brothers had put up tents that day, and the guests began to move under them. They made their way to their marked seats, calling congratulations to the bride and groom.
Tess looked up at the slowly darkening sky. There wouldn’t be too much natural light left.
With the help of the maid of honor, Tess wrangled family and friends for group portraits. Those didn’t last long, because Olivia complained that her feet were tired.
/> So were Tess’s, but she said nothing. Part of her job was to keep Olivia happy, after all.
The bride was heading back under the tent when Tess pulled her aside.
“Hey,” Tess said, “I’m going to be taking candid photos now, but let me know if there are any shots you really want.”
“Oh.” Olivia’s eyes lit up. “Do you know what would look amazing? I saw this picture online where the bride was in a forest like this one, and there were hundreds of candles everywhere. She was in the center, and her dress was so flowy, and there were candles all around. Can you do something like that?”
“Um…” Tess searched for words. “Did you bring any candles?”
“No, you’re supposed to set those up!” Olivia huffed.
“I’m sorry.” Tess took a step back like she was dealing with a wild animal. “I’m not a decorator. I’m just the photographer.”
Olivia threw up her arms. “I don’t want to hear excuses! I want candles!”
“Come on, honey, let’s get some champagne.” Henry wrapped an arm around his new bride. “I’m sure the photographer can find you some candles, right?” He shot Tess a pleading look.
Tess blinked. Really? She was starting to feel less sorry for him. “I can try…” she said.
“Good. And make it fast.” Olivia scowled. “I want those pictures before it gets too dark.”
Tess watched them go, stunned. Where the hell was she supposed to find candles?
“Is everything okay?” Cade came out of the tent, looking concerned.
Somehow, just the low rumble of his voice made her feel better. “Apparently, we need candles. Hundreds of them. For a photoshoot… tonight.”
Cade frowned. “Says who?”
“The bride, unfortunately.”
He crinkled his nose. “What a delight,” he said under his breath. “All right, I’ll head up to the lodge and look for some. We have a few boxes for when we lose power, but that hasn’t happened much since we got the generator installed. I’ll see what I can do.”
“Good luck,” Tess said. “She wants them arranged in the forest.”
“Would that even make a good photo?”
Tess shrugged. “I can try to make it good.”
“Okay, I’ll get some candles. And set them up where nothing can catch fire.” Shaking his head, Cade jogged away.
She wished that he didn’t have to go, and that neither of them had to work. Tess would rather have spent the night swimming with him in the lake. Maybe next time she wouldn’t take so damn long getting her clothes off.
Tess sighed, ducking into the tent and trying to find the lovely couple. She wondered when she would get another quiet moment with Cade. She’d have to make sure not to squander it.
She took more photos of Olivia and Henry through the speeches and dinner. Sometimes she had to stay her shutter, especially when Olivia was clearly nagging Henry and he was clearly tired of it.
Tess gritted her teeth. Couldn’t she ever have a couple who made things easy on her?
When Olivia and Henry cut the cake, Tess was close enough that she could hear the bride hissing instructions to the groom.
“You have to press down,” Olivia said. “What are you doing? You’re not even cutting straight.”
“I know how to cut a cake, Livy!” Henry snapped. “It doesn’t exactly take an Ivy League degree.”
“Smile!” Tess said. Miraculously, the couple managed to hold convincing smiles on their faces just long enough for a single photo.
As soon as the cake was cut, Olivia marched up to Tess. “Where are my candles? Are they ready by now?”
“Of course they are.”
Tess whirled to find Cade behind her.
He smiled brilliantly at Olivia. “This way,” he said.
Olivia squealed, grabbing Henry and following Cade. Tess trailed them. She knew that Cade was in customer service mode, that he didn’t like Olivia and that he never would. But still, irrationally, she hated that he had wasted his stunning smile on her.
Stepping outside the tent, Tess could only stare. Cade had transformed the glade. There weren’t hundreds of candles, but there were at least fifty of them. He had positioned them in clusters on logs and stumps. It was breathtaking.
Olivia crossed her arms. “What is this?”
“These are the candles you asked for.” Cade’s smile didn’t falter. “You can stand right here, and it’ll look like they’re all around you.”
“No.” Olivia actually stomped her foot. “There aren’t enough of them. This looks horrible.”
“I can add more in editing,” Tess said. “It’ll look great, I promise.”
Olivia looked sullen. “I wanted more candles.”
“You’ll get more,” Tess said. “But not if I don’t take the photo.” She checked her camera, widening the aperture. She was going to need all the light she could get. At least there was a steady glow from the tents.
Still pouting, Olivia flounced into the ring of candles.
“Careful,” Cade said. “Your dress is probably flammable.”
“It better be. It’s made of silk.”
Cade and Tess exchanged an incredulous glance.
Henry looked at his watch. “Can I go back inside, honey? I still haven’t talked to my cousins yet.”
“Don’t leave me here alone,” Olivia whined. “You can talk to them later.”
“When? They’re going back to California tomorrow.”
“I don’t care.”
“Smile,” Tess said. “Please? Okay, let’s just get a couple more. Look away from the camera for these. But you still probably want to smile.”
“Are you saying I’m not smiling?” Olivia snarled.
“You should try it at least once today,” Henry said.
Tess tried to keep herself from throwing her camera to the ground. Could these two stop bickering for a single moment?
“They’re never going to last,” she muttered under her breath.
Behind her, someone gasped.
“What did you say?” It was the bridesmaid who had lost the bouquet.
“I… I…” Tess felt like a deer caught in the headlights of a speeding truck.
“She said you’re not going to last!” the bridesmaid said shrilly.
Across the meadow, Cade’s mouth hung open. Tess’s stomach roiled.
“I didn’t—” she started.
“Get… out…” Olivia said in a low voice.
“But I—”
“Get out!”
Tess turned and practically ran out of the glade. As sick and humiliated as she felt, the worst part of all was the disappointed look on Cade’s face.
She stumbled on into the night, tears beginning to blind her. She had failed him.
Chapter Ten
CADE HAD MANAGED to keep things quiet until the next morning, when Adam related an overheard rumor at the breakfast table.
“She said what?” Dean shouted.
Logan turned to Cade. “Is this true?”
Cade sighed. “Unfortunately, it is.”
His six brothers stared back at him, incredulous.
“I know. It’s bad.” Cade took a deep breath. “Luckily, I smoothed things over with the couple. All I needed to do was comp the honeymoon cabin.”
Ethan covered his face with one hand.
“That’s just what we need right now,” Dean said, “less money.”
Cade held back a growl. “You weren’t there. That bride was awful.”
“It doesn’t matter. She could ask you to set up a dais for a human sacrifice, and you should say you’ll see what you can do.”
“Since you think you can do a better job, how about you take point at the next wedding?”
“I can’t believe this,” Jake said. “You’re actually defending her?”
Adam stabbed a fork into his eggs. “Cade’s gone soft for her. Isn’t that why you only interviewed one person for this job?”
“She was the
only person who showed up to interview!” This was beginning to feel like so many childhood arguments—six against one.
“At least she didn’t say the bride was fat,” Sawyer said. “There’s no coming back from that.”
“This is only the second wedding she’s photographed,” Cade said, “and she made a mistake. I’m sure she won’t make it again.”
Adam crossed his arms. “She shouldn’t get a chance to make that big of a mistake again, because you should fire her.”
This time, Cade did growl. “I’m not firing her.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I thought you wanted the lodge to make money, not lose it all.”
“Adam…” Cade’s bear was close to the surface, roaring to protect his mate. They couldn’t fight here, but if he got mad enough, his bear wouldn’t care.
“He’s right, Cade,” Ethan said. “How can we trust her now?”
The words were like a knife in his gut. Not even Ethan was on his side. He was alone.
“She’s a great photographer,” Cade said in low, measured tones to try and avoid riling his bear. “She made a mistake that she won’t repeat. We won’t find another photographer as good as she is.”
“We don’t need a great photographer,” Dean said. “We need someone who won’t piss off our guests.”
“Do you want the job, then? Any of you?” Cade stared at each of them in turn. “Do you want to have to deal with a bride’s insane demands? Do you want to make sure you don’t miss moments that can never be replicated? Do you even know how to edit photos?”
“I don’t mean one of us,” Dean muttered. “We should just get another photographer.”
“Great. Then put out an ad. Interview candidates. Draw up a contract for them.”
Dean shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “I don’t have time for that.”
“Neither do I,” Cade snapped. “But since I’m the one setting up the new lift system, you’ll have to find a new photographer if you’re so unhappy.”
“Damn, Cade,” Adam said. “Did you actually sit on a beehive this time? Is that why I hear buzzing?”
Cade fixed him with an unflappable stare. “I’m giving Tess one more chance. If any of you have a problem with that, you’re welcome to find another photographer yourself.”