No Time for Romance

by Raine English

  Emilia’s pulse began to beat erratically. “You’re scaring me. Please, try to calm down and tell me what happened.” She scooted across the bed to sit beside her sister and then draped an arm across Lizzy’s trembling shoulders.

  Swallowing hard, her twin said, in a voice that was thick and unsteady, “It’s not what you think. Chase had no idea that I’d swapped places with you. It was a little nerve-wracking when I first got there, and he commented on my cologne. It hadn’t occurred to me to wear yours, but I told him it was new, and that was the end of it.”

  “So, what’s wrong? Why are you so upset?” Emilia dropped her arm from Lizzy’s shoulders so she could look her straight in the eyes. “He didn’t try to put a move on you or kiss you, did he?” Her voice quivered a little when she spoke.

  “No, no. Nothing like that. I didn’t even go back to his apartment after dinner. I left the restaurant alone. Actually, ran out of the place. I just wanted to get home as quickly as possible.”

  Emilia was losing her patience. “Lizzy, you’ve got to tell me what’s going on?” she said a lot louder than she’d intended.

  Tears welled in her eyes and then spilled over onto her cheeks. “I’m so sorry, Em. I didn’t mean to be wrong about the time.”

  “What are you talking about?” Emilia asked with deceptive calm.

  Lizzy’s lips quivered. “I really thought it had been at least three hours after you left for the park that I lost your phone.”

  “Are you talking about ten years ago when I was supposed to meet Chase in Brooklyn Bridge Park?”

  Her sister nodded, yes.

  “What does that have to do with what happened tonight, and why you’re so upset?”

  Lizzy looked away. It took her a moment to answer, and when she did, she bit back a sob. “Because Chase called to tell you to wait there for him. He left messages too. His dad had been taken to the hospital. He did go to the park, but it was after you’d left.”

  Emilia’s heart was pounding so hard and so fast, it felt like it would go right through her chest. “Oh, Lizzy!”

  “There’s no way I can tell you how sorry I am. I totally messed up.”

  Emilia watched the play of emotions on her sister’s face. Lizzy couldn’t have known about the events that would transpire that night. Just like she couldn’t be sure of what time she dropped the phone in the lake. She was at a party. It was dark. Obviously, it happened much sooner than she’d thought. Emilia put her arm back around her sister and then hugged her tight. “It’s not your fault,” she whispered against her ear. “Please don’t blame yourself. Promise me you won’t.”

  She’d expected Lizzy’s expression to clear. Instead, she scrunched up her face and blurted, “For three years, Chase sent you letters. Lots of them.”

  “What?” The room began to spin, and for a moment, Emilia feared she might pass out. As she tried to slow her breathing, her thoughts ricocheted in a million different directions. “How is that possible? I never received even one. Either they never got delivered, or someone took them.”

  “I have a theory, but I’m not sure you’re going to want to hear it,” Lizzy said sadly.

  “I want to hear anything, and everything you think might have happened.” Anger was starting to numb her mind. For ten long years she’d thought Chase had deceived her, and that hadn’t been true.

  “He said after he went to the park and you weren’t there, he went to our house. Dad answered the door,” Lizzy informed her.

  Emilia’s jaw dropped open. “Oh, no! Do you think Chase being back in town and looking for me late at night, might have made Dad suspicious?”

  Lizzy’s slate-colored eyes darkened to almost black. “It’s more than possible.”

  “But to take my letters?” Even the thought seemed shameful and disloyal. They were a close-knit family. She and Lizzy meant the world to him. He’d set them up in business…

  “I know it seems crazy, but there’s only one way to find out.”

  “Find the letters, if they even still exist,” Emilia replied, getting off the bed and walking over to the closet.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Getting dressed so I can go look for them.”

  Lizzy jumped to her feet. “I’m coming with you.”

  When they arrived at their parents’ house in Brooklyn, it was after ten o’clock. All the lights were off, except for the one over the kitchen sink, which was left on all night in case Dad came down for a drink of water, as he often did during the night. Emilia and Lizzy tiptoed into the study. Blake Sullivan used it as his home office, and if he were to hide something, it would most likely be in there. Lizzy began searching the desk, while Emilia went through the file cabinet beside it. One of the drawers was locked.

  “Are Dad’s keys in the desk?” Emilia asked.

  Lizzy ran her hand along the back of the center drawer and then pulled out a steel wire loop that held several keys. One of them opened the locked cabinet.

  Emilia nervously searched through files and came across a large manila envelope stuffed with something and sealed with tape. Her dad was an attorney, so it was possible the items inside had to do with a case. But then again, they might not. For a brief moment, she debated whether she should open it, but her uneasiness quickly disappeared. She had to find out if her letters were there. Without further delay, and with trembling hands, she tore it open. A stream of letters addressed to her fell onto the floor.

  With tears running down her face, Emilia got down on her knees. She picked up a letter and began to read. Chase’s words tore at her heart. How could her father have done this? He’d intentionally manipulated her life, making sure that she and Chase would never be together.

  She tried to force her confused emotions into order, but that was impossible. Her dad had betrayed her trust—a sacred trust between father and daughter—one where he would always look out for her.

  She felt an acute sense of loss. Not just for the decade that she’d lost with Chase, but for the future as well. What would he think if she told him what her father had done? Yet how could they move forward without honesty? She rocked back and forth, sobs shaking her entire body. Lizzy got down on the floor beside her and cradled Emilia in her arms.

  “What’s going on here?” Blake’s powerful baritone rang out, taking both Emilia and Lizzy by surprise.

  Fury almost choked her as she glared at him, standing rigidly in the doorway. When she found her voice, it was cold and lashing. “How could you?” She grabbed a handful of letters and held them in front of her.

  His broad shoulders slumped. “I’ve only ever done what I thought was best for you.”

  “So you thought to decide how I should spend the rest of my life? How dare you be so self-serving? This wasn’t done for me. It was done for you—to keep me here and away from the man I love.”

  “Em, I—”

  “There’s nothing you can say that will change how I feel right now, so save your breath,” she snapped, cutting him off.

  Using both hands, she scooped up all the letters, stuffing those that would fit back into the torn manila envelope and the rest into her purse. After that, she got up and stormed out of the room, with Lizzy close behind.

  “Elizabeth,” he called.

  Lizzy turned, and with clenched teeth said, “I don’t have anything to say to you that you’d want to hear.”

  When they reached the foyer, their mother was coming down the stairs. Emilia held up the envelope containing the letters. “Did you know about this?” she asked.

  The older woman’s expression was one of confusion. “About what? What have you got there?”

  “That’s the only answer I need. Good night, Mom.” Emilia brushed by her and out the front door.

  “Girls, what’s going on here?” There was real worry in her voice.

  Before Lizzy stepped outside, she answered, “You need to ask your husband that.” And then, when she caught up with Emilia, said, “I think it would be a good id
ea if I drove.”

  “You’re right about that.” She handed her sister her purse and let her fish around in it for the keys.

  On the way home, Emilia’s feelings catapulted between rage and despair. Her family was broken, and she had no idea if it could ever be repaired.

  11

  Chase loaded the last item into the van. All the equipment needed for Kinsley’s wedding was inside. There were serving platters and utensils; plates, silverware, and glassware; special display trays and tiered food platters; chafing dishes with liquid fuel burners; linens, napkins, and buffet table decorations; not to mention all the food.

  It had been quite a job packing it all up, but his team had helped, allowing him plenty of time for the trip to Camille. The food preparation staff had left a few minutes ago, and Karen was inside, making sure everything was set for little eight-year-old Patti Clark’s birthday party tomorrow. It wouldn’t be long before his assistant chef was on the road too. A temp agency was providing the servers, and they would be arriving around noon.

  As long as his people all made it to Forever Wild by mid-morning, they’d be in good shape. That would allow plenty of time for set up and to cook those items that couldn’t be done ahead of time, therefore needed to be made in Kinsley’s kitchen. Having gone with a buffet had made his life a lot easier. They were able to prepare ahead a lot more than a sit-down dinner would’ve allowed. The roast beef had been cooked yesterday, as had the ham. The fish, though, needed to be made just before the guests arrived. And the chocolate chip cookies were to be served hot, so those too would be made later.

  The wedding was at four, with a cocktail and hors d’oeuvre hour to follow, and dinner after that. It was going to be a crazy day, no doubt, but Chase felt certain that everything was under control.

  While he made the drive upstate, his thoughts drifted to Emmy. He hadn’t seen her since the night they had dinner. When he’d asked why she’d never responded to his letters, he’d been stunned by her response. He never expected her to say that she hadn’t received them. That was shocking, and he was still trying to digest it. What could’ve happened to them? He could understand a few getting lost in the mail, but not all of them. So that meant someone had taken them. But who would do that? One of her family members? The thought left him sick to his stomach.

  Emmy had been so upset that she’d run out of the restaurant. He’d waited a few days before calling to give her some needed time, but even then, he only got her voice mail. It didn’t surprise him that she never called him back.

  After that, he had so much to do to prepare for Kinsley’s wedding that he didn’t try again, figuring he’d try to get some alone time with her this weekend. They both had reason to be upset by this latest turn of events, but he felt strongly that they should work through it together. How could there be any future for them if they shut each other out?

  When he arrived at the sanctuary, there were cars parked everywhere, along with a steady buzz of people going in and out of the old Victorian. Huge white tents were already set up for the reception. A florist’s truck pulled in behind him, and then one with sound equipment. He parked as close to the house as he could, and then went inside to look for his prep crew to get some help unloading the van.

  In the front hall, he spotted Emmy talking to some workers carrying large vases of flowers. She had her back to him, so he tapped her on the shoulder. “Em, is it okay if I take over the kitchen? I don’t want to intrude on Kinsley if she’s using it. I can wait a little bit if need be.”

  She spun around and said, “Hi Chase. I’m Lizzy. Emmy’s over at Dylan’s house with Kins. The kitchen’s all yours.” Although she sounded friendly enough, there was an awkwardness in her tone that made him think she knew about what happened at the restaurant, and maybe even what happened to the letters. Not that he thought she’d taken them. He really couldn’t see Mrs. Sullivan doing that either. So that left Blake. As much as he hated to think Emmy’s father would do such a thing, it certainly was possible. He’d never tried to hide the fact that he wasn’t in favor of them getting serious. He thought Emmy was too young and wanted to be sure that she went to a good college where she could further her music education. Chase couldn’t blame him for that. Any good, caring father would want that for his daughter. But there were plenty of schools in Minnesota too. Not that he knew that she’d planned to move there. Or did he?

  Chase recalled going to Emmy’s house after he left Brooklyn Bridge Park and having a brief uncomfortable conversation with her father. Could he have gotten wind of their plan? It was certainly possible. That would explain why he’d want to intercept the letters. A terrible sinking feeling came over him. Em would be devastated if that were true, and it had been her dad. She’d always looked up to him, respecting what she called his high standard of ethics. It would be quite a blow if he’d stooped so low as to steal from her.

  “Do you need help with anything?” Lizzy asked, interrupting his thoughts.

  “Have you seen any of my staff?”

  “You mean the ones wearing the Naturally Delicious shirts?” she asked, sounding more like her usual upbeat self.

  “Those would be the ones.”

  “Last I saw, they were headed out to the food tent carrying the buffet tables.”

  “Great. Thanks! When you see Em, would you tell her I’d like to talk to her for a minute?”

  She hesitated briefly. “Okay, but I don’t know when that’ll be.”

  “No rush. I’ll be in the kitchen most of the day.” As he walked away, he could feel her eyes on his back, and he wondered if she really would pass his message on to Emmy. Seemed like something was up with her. He just didn’t know what.

  It didn’t take him long to find his staff, unload the van, and then get cooking. He had a pot of potatoes boiling and was just about to get started on a pasta dish when Karen called to tell him she had a flat tire. Unfortunately, she didn’t have a spare. A tow truck was on its way, but she didn’t know when she’d make it to Camille.

  Chase had expected things to go wrong today. They always did. Especially when doing an event as big as this one, but he didn’t expect to be without his assistant chef. That was a big problem. Without her, he’d have double the work and might have to eliminate some dishes. How was he going to explain that to Emmy and Kinsley?

  12

  Emilia took a bite of her croissant and then washed it down with a sip of coffee. “It was a good idea to have breakfast here, away from all the craziness at the house.”

  “I agree. Thanks for thinking of it, honey,” Kinsley replied, kissing Dylan’s cheek.

  “I thought a few minutes of peace and quiet would do you good. You seemed a little uptight,” he said to his bride-to-be.

  “Like I don’t have reason to be. It’s only the most important day of my life,” she shot back.

  It was apparent they both were on edge. Maybe giving them a bit of alone time would help. Emilia had to get to work, anyway. Lizzy wouldn’t take kindly to her being gone so long.

  When she got up to leave, Newt stood up as well—he’d been asleep next to her chair—and followed her to the door. “You get to stay here, buddy, and hang out with your dog friends today.”

  He looked at her with sad eyes, until Sunny trotted over, wanting to play, and then the two of them took off down the hall.

  “I really appreciate your letting me bring him today,” she said to Kinsley and Dylan. “He doesn’t do well in doggie daycare. Correction. I should say, I don’t do well with him in daycare. He comes home so wound up it takes days for him to settle down.”

  “We’re glad you did. Our guys love having a new playmate,” Kinsley said. “I’ll be over at the house soon to start getting ready. Would you let my hairdresser know that if you happen to run into her?”

  “Of course.” As Emilia walked over to the Victorian, she was glad to get a little alone time too. The day had been hectic already, and it had just barely begun. The centerpiece for the head table didn
’t get put on the truck. One of the florists was supposed to be bringing it over soon. The rental company had arrived with the exact number of chairs needed for the ceremony, but one had a broken leg. They were repairing it now. What next? At least the weather was cooperating. With temperatures in the seventies and the sky a gorgeous bright robin’s egg blue, she couldn’t ask for a more beautiful day than this for the wedding.

  “Thank goodness, you’re finally here,” Lizzy said when she entered the house. “I need you to look at the arbor. I’m not sure if it needs more roses.”

  She followed her sister into the yard where a boxwood-lined aisle culminated into a romantic fourteen-foot arch covered in vines, fresh ferns, drum roses, and gardenias. It was a beautiful backdrop and complimented the outdoor setting well.

  “I think it can use a few more pink roses here.” Emilia pointed to a spot near the top.

  “I agree. I’ll let the florist know. By the way, they brought the missing centerpiece, so we’re set.”

  “That’s a relief.” As Emilia turned to go check on the wiring for the band, Lizzy said, “I almost forgot. Chase wants to talk to you. He’s in the kitchen.”

  A warning voice whispered in her head. She hoped there wasn’t a problem with the food. “How did he seem?”

  “Fine. A little frazzled, but that’s to be expected. We all are.”

  She’d wanted to talk to him too. Just not now. Not at the wedding. At some point, she’d have to tell him that her dad had taken the letters. She’d been tempted to return his phone call last week and do it then but chickened out. What if it ended things between them for good this time? She wasn’t ready to take that chance. The thought of never seeing him again terrified her.

  Finding out that she’d been wrong about him, that he hadn’t left her after all, had been the catalyst needed to open her heart to love again. If she lost him now, before being given a second chance, she didn’t know if even Lizzy could help her pick up the pieces of her shattered life. Not wanting to think about such a thing, she hurried into the kitchen and found Chase at the stove. He had his hair pulled back in a ponytail and had on a white chef’s apron. He looked professional and extremely sexy.