Best Laid Wedding Plans

by Karen Booth

  “I can resist anything. I have incredible willpower.”

  “You don’t get tempted? Ever?” She peeled back the paper wrapper with her perfectly manicured fingertips and took a bite of the muffin. She closed her eyes as sheer bliss bloomed on her face. “Mmm. This is so good. Apple cinnamon. It’s like a sugary hug.” Her eyes slowly drifted open and she licked her lower lip.

  Suddenly Grey was thinking too much about temptation and Autumn’s mouth.

  Even though they were technically in a business meeting, the thought did cross his mind that he wouldn’t mind taking off her glasses and digging his hand into her hair, curling his fingertips into her nape and kissing her.

  It was a purely carnal thought, with no emotion attached. Grey didn’t believe in romance. But he did believe in sex.

  “I’ll take your word for it.”

  * * *

  Best Laid Wedding Plans by Karen Booth

  is part of the Moonlight Ridge series.

  Dear Reader,

  I’m thrilled to introduce my contribution to the Moonlight Ridge series! This collaboration with two of my best author friends, Joss Wood and Reese Ryan, was born at the 2019 Romance Writers of America conference in New York. Between drinks, meals out, long conversations and dancing for hours at the Harlequin party, we became nearly inseparable. We talked about how much we’ve loved collaborating on other Harlequin Desire series like Secrets of the A-List and Texas Cattleman’s Club. And that’s what got us thinking...

  So we came up with the Holloway family—Mack, Grey and Travis, along with patriarch Jameson. We wanted three heroes with different backgrounds, so we made them foster brothers. It worked well because Jameson, their adoptive father, has a huge heart. We set the series in beautiful Asheville, NC, because it made a lovely backdrop for these three very different heroes to return home, face the obstacles of their shared history and make room for love in their lives.

  I hope you love Best Laid Wedding Plans. Email me at karen@karenbooth.net and let me know!

  Karen

  Karen Booth

  Best Laid Wedding Plans

  Karen Booth is a Midwestern girl transplanted in the South, raised on ’80s music and repeated readings of Forever by Judy Blume. When she takes a break from the art of romance, she’s listening to music with her college-age kids or sweet-talking her husband into making her a cocktail. Learn more about Karen at karenbooth.net.

  Books by Karen Booth

  Harlequin Desire

  Blue Collar Billionaire

  The Sterling Wives

  Once Forbidden, Twice Tempted

  High Society Secrets

  All He Wants for Christmas

  Moonlight Ridge

  Best Laid Wedding Plans

  Visit her Author Profile page at Harlequin.com, or karenbooth.net, for more titles.

  You can also find Karen Booth on Facebook, along with other Harlequin Desire authors, at

  Facebook.com/HarlequinDesireAuthors!

  For Joss Wood and Reese Ryan,

  my dear friends and Harlequin Desire sisters.

  I love you both so much!

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Excerpt from Foolish Hearts by Synithia Williams

  Excerpt from How to Catch a Bad Boy by Cat Schield

  One

  Autumn Kincaid prided herself on being optimistic. She took every chance to live in the moment. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to keep her past from following her. Case in point, that morning’s loathsome headline on a gossip website: “Wedding Planner Left at the Altar; Daughter of Controversial Hollywood Producer Humiliated.”

  She squeezed the steering wheel of her silver BMW as she closed in on the entrance to Moonlight Ridge, the luxury mountain resort in Asheville, NC, where as an independent contractor she arranged all their weddings on a shared profit basis. It had been nearly three months since her fiancé dumped her. This was not a breaking story. No, the tabloid had chosen to rehash her sad tale of wedding planner–turned–jilted bride, a story they had covered when it happened, because it gave them an excuse to write about her dad. That meant clicks and dollar signs. Her dad was a powerful disgrace, and a great way for some people to make money. And just like she had for most of her life, Autumn was paying the price.

  She sighed as she pulled into a parking space, then climbed out of her car and marched up the walk to the main entrance of the historic inn at Moonlight Ridge. Inn was a complete misnomer. It was an inn the way a mansion is also a house. Nearly one hundred years old, it went on for days, with a maze of halls and rooms, all of it elegant and finely appointed with original details like hand-carved stone, exotic woods and marble floors. Autumn loved planning weddings for Moonlight Ridge, but her latest piece of negative publicity put her contract with the luxury resort in serious jeopardy. It was hard enough trying to convince modern brides that slightly outdated Moonlight Ridge was the go-to wedding venue. But that had been changing with recent renovations. She thought her job would get easier—until the tabloids interfered again.

  Her stomach soured at the thought of more damage control, but she had to look to the future and deal with her lot in life. So she held her head high, strolled inside and through the lobby, then started up the wide stairs to the third-floor administrative offices to meet with her best friend, Molly Haskell, who was also general manager at the luxury resort.

  Despite everything, Autumn could see two bright spots. First, she no longer lived in Los Angeles and she’d been smart enough to never move to New York, where the shock waves of the tabloid story would be impossible to escape. Her adopted home of Asheville was quiet and serene. The people were lovely. She could be relatively anonymous here. That was all she really wanted—to be free. To simply be Autumn, wedding planner. It was a simple ask.

  As Autumn stopped in the doorway of the manager’s office, her other bright spot came into view—her best friend, and the reason she’d come back to Asheville in the first place—Molly. Even knowing that they were set to discuss Autumn’s problems, Autumn felt immense relief knowing Molly was in charge.

  Molly glanced up from her desk, holding her phone to her ear. Her normally bright green eyes were clouded with concern. She waved Autumn in, then turned her chair and looked out over the lush mountain view outside her window. June in Asheville was truly lovely, and the trees and budding flowers showed it. Autumn quietly took a seat and patiently waited, even though her leg wouldn’t stop bobbing in place.

  “I understand. I hope you find another wedding venue,” Molly said to the person she was speaking to.

  Autumn’s stomach lurched. Had another bride canceled? This had happened before, right after the first spate of negative publicity over Autumn being unceremoniously left at the altar. As if a broken heart hadn’t been enough, humiliation and professional ruin came along with it.

  “Certainly. I’ll have the accounting department return your deposit check immediately. Please let us know if you change your mind.” Molly whirled around in her chair, hung up the phone and smiled sweetly at Autumn. The distinct aroma of pity was in the air. “How are you doing? Holding up okay?” she asked.

  “I was going to say I’m fine, but now I’m not so sure. Was t
hat another cancellation?”

  Molly noticeably winced. “I’m afraid so. Blair Morgan. Her mother called and said they were upset about the negative publicity. They also didn’t seem to realize who your father is.”

  The disappointment Autumn felt was immense. She’d worked hard to court Blair and her fiancé, but she’d known all along that she had a very skittish mother-of-the-bride on her hands. “I wish I could say that I’m surprised, but I’m not. I’m just disappointed. And embarrassed.”

  “I’m so sorry.”

  “Does Mr. Holloway know about the article this time? I know you were able to keep the first one out of sight.” Jameson Holloway was the owner of Moonlight Ridge. He’d been the manager decades ago and it had been willed to him by Tip O’Sullivan, the very appreciative but childless owner of the sprawling estate. Autumn hated the thought of disappointing Jameson. He was a kind and generous man. He also had a reputation to uphold. He was a beloved figure in Asheville.

  “I don’t think he knows. Mack and I are doing our best to keep any stressful news away from him. That and the cigars out of his mouth.”

  Autumn managed a quiet laugh. Jameson’s love for cigars was well known, but he’d had a brain episode a few months ago, which meant no more smoking. Molly told her a brain episode was another way of saying he narrowly avoided an actual aneurysm. Thankfully, he was reportedly recovering well in his home on the Moonlight Ridge property. Still, everyone was concerned, especially his three adopted sons—Mack, Grey and Travis. The brothers were returning to Asheville from their various homes across the US to look after Moonlight Ridge while Jameson recovered. Mack was up first, with Grey and Travis expected some time over the course of the next several months. It had been a bit of good luck for Molly—she and Mack, sweethearts from when they were young, had fallen back in love. Autumn was happy for her, even when her own romance hadn’t played out the way she’d hoped.

  “I hope they can keep this whole thing away from Mr. Holloway,” Autumn said. “I mean, Jared dumped me three months ago. Isn’t it old news?”

  Molly got up from her chair and walked around to the front of her desk, crouching down and taking Autumn’s hand. She peered up at Autumn with her big green eyes and tucked a few tendrils of her crazy blond curls behind one ear. “It is, and it isn’t. I think you’re so eager to move on that you forget it’s still fresh in some people’s minds.”

  Was that really true? Autumn didn’t want to believe so. “I’m a survivor. You know that. I dust myself off and move ahead.”

  “And I think you’re doing great. I know how hard you’re trying.”

  Autumn so appreciated Molly, whom she’d met when Molly and Autumn were eleven. Autumn’s family had traveled from Los Angeles to Asheville for a vacation at Moonlight Ridge. Molly’s dad had worked for Jameson and when he died, Jameson allowed the family to live on the property. Molly and Autumn hit it off when Autumn had been walking her family’s dog and it got off its leash down by the lake on the property. Molly had helped Autumn track down the pup before her difficult dad found out about it. A friendship was started then, but it got stronger when Autumn’s family returned the next summer. When Autumn’s family didn’t return for a third summer, the girls remained in contact, but it slowly faded as they got older. But they both knew theirs was the type of friendship where no matter the time passed or the distance, once reunited they would instantly be best friends again. The strength of their bond was what made Autumn feel comfortable with the idea of coming to Asheville when things in LA got to be too much.

  “Thank you. I appreciate that,” Autumn said. “I want you to know that I won’t let any more brides bail on us.”

  Molly bit down on her lower lip and Autumn sensed her hesitation. “Yeah. About that. Mack told me this morning that he thinks the brothers should be more hands-on with the wedding part of the business. At least for a while. Until this blows over and we’re on more stable ground. Maybe get a few more bookings.”

  Autumn had not bargained on this. She’d thought Molly might gently tighten the screws, but the brothers? “What do they know about weddings? Mack owns breweries, Travis is a chef, and the other brother’s an architect, isn’t he?”

  “Yes. Grey’s a green architect. He specializes in helping big companies build facilities that are eco-friendly. And I think Grey is who you’d be working with.”

  “Buildings and bridesmaids. Makes perfect sense.” Autumn didn’t want to roll her eyes, but this was Molly. She knew Autumn’s sense of humor.

  “Mack still needs to talk to him about it. He’s coming back to Asheville today.”

  “For how long?”

  “The summer. He’s adamant about that. He doesn’t want to stay any longer than he has to.”

  Autumn didn’t like the sound of Grey Holloway, but what choice did she have? She’d caused problems and she had to try to fix them. “Okay.”

  “Look. I think this will be good. Grey knows how to run a successful business and he’s incredibly good with numbers. He knows a lot of Asheville families from his time living here, so that could come in handy.” Molly stood up and returned to her chair.

  Autumn wrapped her arms around her waist. It was not the body language of a person who was feeling upbeat, but this was her natural reaction. Everything had been going great until Jared dumped her. He’d seemed perfect for her—a man with big aspirations and dreams who was also grounded and sincere. But their love—and their dream wedding—all fell apart when Jared received a job offer at a big brokerage firm in New York, one with an absurd number of zeroes attached to it. He’d asked Autumn to come with him, but it was a half-hearted request, and that was when she’d first sensed something was wrong. He was worried that the notoriety of her family might damage his new career prospects. He didn’t say it in so many words, but his face, and ultimately his actions told her all she needed to know. Autumn only wished he hadn’t chosen to make his decision three days before their wedding. Advance notice would’ve been nice.

  Despite the heartbreak, Autumn didn’t regret her choice to remain in Asheville. She’d carved out a career for herself here. She had Molly by her side. She felt safe. She wasn’t about to turn her back on that, but it did cast doubt on the feelings she’d thought she’d had for Jared. Their relationship had not been built on the strongest foundation. “It’s my fault. I fell for the wrong guy.”

  Molly eagerly nodded. “I know. I’m sorry.”

  Tears stung Autumn’s eyes, but she was not going to cry, not even in front of her best friend. She had to get it together. “It’s fine. Jared and I just weren’t meant to be.” Autumn removed her glasses and polished the lenses with the hem of her blouse. The world around her went fuzzy, so she was quick to put them back on.

  “Don’t worry. You’ll turn everything around, personally and professionally. With Grey’s help on the wedding side.”

  Autumn still wasn’t sure about this. “What if I say no? I’m not a Moonlight Ridge employee. I’m an independent contractor. Technically, I work for myself.”

  Molly twisted her lips, again seeming uncomfortable. “But because we share the profits from these weddings, you’d lose a substantial income. Can you afford to walk away? If I were you, I’d do whatever you can to make the Holloway brothers happy.”

  “Is my contract in jeopardy?”

  “Weddings are a huge source of revenue for the resort, and the brothers are overhauling every aspect of the business right now. They want to know that Jameson’s financial future is secure. Plus, if the money side doesn’t improve, there might not be a way to save Moonlight Ridge.”

  “So, that’s a yes.”

  “Let’s not think about worst-case scenarios. Focus on showing Grey how hard you work and everything you do to make weddings at Moonlight Ridge the best they can be.”

  Autumn wasn’t convinced, but her inner optimist was willing to try. “Okay. Obviously
, I’ll do whatever you think I should. I’m not about to give up because of a few bumps in the road. Or a mother-of-the-bride who decides I made her nervous.”

  “That’s the spirit.” Molly smiled wide and got up from her desk. Autumn took that as her cue that their informal meeting was over, and rose from her chair as well. “And look on the bright side.”

  “Bright side?”

  Molly gripped Autumn’s shoulder, offering some reassurance. “Yes. If it ends up being Grey, he’s super hot and single.”

  “It’s not a good idea to get involved with the man who holds my professional life in his hands.” It was more than that though, it was her whole future. She’d settled on staying here, she had to make it work.

  “Doesn’t mean it won’t be fun to work with him.” A quizzical look crossed Molly’s face. “Except, come to think of it, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen him actually be fun.”

  I can’t wait to meet him. “Slow down, Molly. Don’t sell the idea of Grey Holloway too hard.”

  * * *

  Even though Grey Holloway had recently been back in Asheville, crossing the threshold into his adoptive father Jameson’s home was like stepping back in time. “Hello? Mack?” he called into the grand foyer for his brother, who’d asked Grey to meet him.

  “Up here,” Mack yelled from somewhere up on the second floor.

  “On my way,” Grey muttered as he strode through the spacious open-plan kitchen and past the dining room to the back staircase. Jameson had lived in this house, a renovated barn on the sprawling grounds of Moonlight Ridge, for years. All around Grey were reminders of his history here—countless framed photographs of him and his brothers dotting the wall, the gleaming wood dining table with chairs lined up like soldiers, and out through the windows, the vistas of rolling hills, lush lawns and thick stands of trees.

  Some glimpses of the past were on display for all to see, but still more were tucked inside Grey’s head, precious to him as the air he breathed. Like the way Jameson had rescued eight-year-old Grey from his volatile family situation and welcomed him into this loving and stable household. He’d done the same for his adopted brothers Mack and Travis. More than twenty years later, Grey couldn’t be more grateful. He was certain Mack and Travis felt the same way.