Reyna knew a thing or two about the healing power of tattoos, and she was relieved that Chynna had found a way to start the one for Lexi. She’d known that Lexi should get it done in advance, but there was no changing her friend’s mind once it was set on something. Reyna could understand the desire to commemorate this day with this work though.
She would get Lexi’s make-up and hair done as quickly as she could, to leave Chynna as much time as possible. The wedding would be at two, with the brunch buffet remaining open until one so even guests who arrived late could get something to eat. She knew there was going to be some sorcery in the restaurant and kitchen to get Spencer’s roast turkey dinner with vegetarian options ready for seventy-five guests for six.
She also knew it would be delicious.
She tried not to look out the window too often, because the clouds were getting darker and Kade still hadn’t gotten back from Portland. She hoped he was okay, and hated that she couldn’t phone him and risk being a distraction. Patience seemed elusive but she focused on Lexi’s transformation.
When she added the last stroke of blush to Lexi’s cheek, she stood back. “Now you can look.” She’d had Lexi sit with her back to the mirror so she couldn’t complain about too much make-up.
Lexi spun around to consider her reflection and her lips parted in surprise. “You are amazing,” she said as she looked closer. “How can I look like I have no make-up on at all when you’ve been at it all this time?”
“The natural look isn’t quite,” Reyna teased.
“I look like me but better.”
“You look beautiful, because you are,” Reyna said and Lexi gave her a hug.
“Thank you so much.”
“We’ll do your lipstick after you get dressed,” she told her.
“I hope Chynna’s ready.” Lexi changed from her jeans to a loose sleeveless dress so her jeans wouldn’t touch the stencil, then tugged on Gabe’s shirt and a pair of Uggs. “I look like my mom,” she said with a laugh, then led the way to the room Chynna had been given.
The door was open and the maids had already cleaned the room. The drapes had been pushed back and the view of the snow-covered lake was both pretty and bright—so long as Reyna didn’t look at the snow clouds. She feared the storm might have started earlier near the coast. Chynna had placed a chair by the window where the light was best and pulled on a pair of latex gloves when Lexi tapped on the door. They considered the stencil together and Lexi approved it, then Lexi kicked off her boot and Chynna carefully applied the stencil to her ankle. Lexi was watching and talking quietly to Chynna about the placement. Reyna stood back, closer to the door, just worrying about Kade—until she felt someone’s presence behind her.
A girl of maybe ten years old stood there. She had Lexi’s dark hair, but her neat appearance was the very opposite of Lexi. Her eyes were dark, like Gabe’s, and there was something of his serene confidence in her manner. A woman stood behind her, one hand on her shoulder, and they were both dressed both well and conservatively.
They hesitated together, watching Chynna and Lexi, who were unaware of them.
“You must be Teresa,” Reyna said and offered her hand. “I’m Reyna, Lexi’s friend.”
“I am. How nice to meet you.” Teresa was probably a few years older than Reyna but could have been from a different planet. She hid her surprise well when she took Reyna’s hand, but couldn’t keep herself from a quick survey of Reyna’s ink and her rockabilly style. “And this is Kristen.”
“It’s good to meet you, too,” Reyna said, shaking the girl’s hand. “I’m really glad that you were able to come today.”
Teresa smiled a little, her gaze dropping to Kristen. “Kristen wanted to come. We’ll head back to Boston in the morning and have Christmas at home.”
Reyna nodded, well aware that Lexi and Chynna had realized they had company. Chynna smoothed the stencil in place, then straightened and stepped back.
Lexi rose to her feet, looking awed and uncertain. “Hi,” she said finally. “Thank you for coming.” She swallowed. “And thank you, Teresa, for making it possible.”
The two moms smiled at each other tentatively. They were both uncertain but their love for this girl had brought them together.
“This is Chynna,” Reyna said, moving into the room, hoping to encourage Teresa and Kristen to do the same. “She’s from New York and has done most of my tattoos.”
“Hello. I hope you had a good trip.” Chynna removed her glove to shake hands with both of them.
“We made good time,” Teresa said. “They forecast snow, but since it hadn’t started yet, we decided to come.”
“Now they say it’ll be tomorrow,” Lexi said.
Kristen had moved to look at Chynna’s tattoo gun. She’d brought it in the stainless briefcase that she always carried, the one with foam inserts to securely hold two of her guns as well as ink and other supplies. The girl was evidently fascinated.
“Have you seen a tattoo gun before?” Chynna asked and Kristen shook her head. Chynna put her glove back on and explained how it worked, filling what might have been an uncomfortable situation. Lexi sank back into the chair, watching and listening. Chynna showed her the stencil and explained the process, and Teresa stood beside her daughter, listening.
“But you have a tattoo already,” Kristen said to Lexi, indicating the elephants.
“I do. We’re going to add to it today, because I want it to be about the future.”
The girl frowned and really resembled Gabe. “It has a meaning?”
“Tattoos often have personal meanings,” Chynna said. “Sometimes people get a tattoo to commemorate something or someone, or to indicate a change in their lives. It can be a change of perspective, or a fresh start, like a wedding or a graduation. A tattoo can be a reminder or a sign of membership in a group or even a means of attracting a certain kind of energy.”
Kristen eyed Chynna’s tattoos. “Is it rude to ask what they mean?”
“No, not really, so long as you respect that some people want to keep the meanings of their tattoos private.”
“Do you?”
Chynna smiled. “I’ll give you a short version. Once upon a time, I was very much in love with a man who was also a tattoo artist. We were partners and then we were married and when he died, I felt more alone than I’d ever felt in my life. Another friend of mine gave me the roses so I’d remember the power of that love.”
“But not him?”
Chynna’s smile turned sad. “I’ll never forget him.”
“What about you?” Kristen asked Reyna.
“I’m one of those people who keep their secrets,” Reyna said and the girl nodded.
She slanted a glance at Lexi, then back at the stencil, and Reyna recognized that this was the question she really wanted to ask. “What does yours mean?” she blurted out, again flicking a look at Lexi. “And why are you changing it?”
Lexi swallowed and looked down at her tattoo. She traced the shape of the elephants with a fingertip, and her words were husky when she spoke. “This is me and this is you,” she admitted. “I chose elephants because they never forget.”
“You thought you would forget me?”
“I knew I never would.” Lexi looked up at her daughter. “I was hoping we’d have a chance to talk about this one day, but maybe we should do it right now. Maybe we need to do it right now.” She didn’t move but she kept her gaze on Kristen. “When I found out that I was pregnant, I made a choice. I thought I couldn’t tell anyone about my pregnancy, because I was afraid of what they might say or do, so I chose to keep it secret. In the end, that just meant I was alone. I could have told my brother, Spencer. In fact, he asked me a lot of times what was wrong, but I was sure he wouldn’t understand. I could have told my mom, but she was in the middle of a divorce from my dad, and I didn’t think she had time for me. I was wrong. She would have made time for me.” Lexi shook her head. “I would never have told my dad, though, and that was a good choice.”
They smiled at each other.
“But I was alone because of my choices, and that meant I had to think of the future. I might not have planned to conceive a child, but once I was pregnant, I wanted to have my child. I wanted to have you. I wanted to keep you and raise you, and watch you grow up. I didn’t want to miss one moment of your life.” Lexi blinked back her tears, and traced the outline of the smaller elephant. “I wanted you to have everything,” she said with heat. “But I couldn’t give you much of anything.” She raised her gaze. “I gave you up because I loved you, not because I didn’t. Because I loved you so much, I let you go.”
Kristen sniffled and Teresa gave her a tissue. She looked to be blinking back tears of her own.
Lexi took a shaking breath. “And because the one thing I could do for you was choose your parents, I was pretty relentless in researching the candidates.”
“There’s an understatement,” Teresa said, with laughter in her tone.
The two moms smiled at each other. “I’m really glad that Teresa and Brad put up with me and kept answering my questions. I knew that day when you were born and they came to the hospital, when I saw them even though I wasn’t supposed to, that they were going to be the most awesome parents. I hope you agree that I picked well.”
“I do,” Kristen said, her voice shaky.
“Good,” Lexi said. “We agree on something important, then.”
Kristen laughed a little and some of the tension slid out of Teresa’s stance.
Lexi turned to the stencil and indicated the other big elephant in the stencil. “See, this is Gabe, the man I love more than life itself, the man who is your father. I think we recognized something in each other from the first moment and knew we’d found our soul mates.”
“And that’s your baby,” Kristen guessed.
Lexi nodded. “And this is the way we connect to each other and to the world, the way we support and encourage each other, the way we reach out to make families of choice as well as families of blood.” She swallowed again. “I think the very worst thing was feeling so alone, not knowing what to do and not trusting anyone enough to ask for help. I hope that if there’s one thing I can give you, it’s another person to call. No matter what you do, no matter what happens, no matter where you are or when you feel alone, I’ll listen. You don’t have to take my advice or agree with any solutions I suggest, but you can always call and I’ll always listen. I want to give you the belief that you’ll never be alone, Kristen.”
“Thank you,” Kristen said quietly, and Reyna guessed from Lexi’s dawning smile that Kristen was smiling at her.
Lexi exhaled. “So, we did that part and I feel better. How about you?”
Kristen nodded. “Can I watch you get the tattoo?”
“I won’t get all of it today, just a little bit.” She glanced at Chynna who looked at her watch.
“How about the outline of the other big elephant?” she suggested.
“For Gabe,” Lexi agreed, her eyes lighting with love. “Yes, please.” She looked at Kristen, obviously intending to make an impulsive suggestion. “We don’t have many attendants today. No bridesmaids or ushers. Reyna is my maid-of-honor, and Spencer is standing up with Gabe. Would you—” she dropped her gaze and took a breath before looking at Kristen again. “Would you consider bearing the rings for us? You don’t have to, if you’d rather not, but since you were part of the beginning for Gabe and me, I’d love it you were part of this day, too.”
Kristen turned to look at Teresa.
“It’s your choice, honey,” Teresa said softly.
“I would like that,” Kristen said to Lexi and Lexi rose from the chair, her eyes alight.
“Thank you!” she said, but stopped short of embracing her daughter.
Kristen took a step closer. “What should I call you?”
“Whatever you want. You have a Mom already. How about Lexi?”
“Okay, Lexi,” Kristen said, then reached out to touch Lexi’s hand. They eased closer, studying each other, and then Kristen moved to give Lexi a hug. Lexi hugged her back, two tears of relief slipping free of her lashes. Reyna saw Teresa wipe her eyes, then made a joke to lighten the mood.
“Thank goodness for waterproof mascara,” she said brightly and Lexi laughed as she stepped back. “Don’t wipe!” Reyna scolded, then moved to dab Lexi’s tears. “You’d better let Chynna get started or you won’t even have that outline done.”
The women laughed together and Kristen pulled up a chair to watch Chynna work. Reyna left with Teresa when the other woman went to their room to unpack. Reyna headed for the kitchen to put the finishing touches on her cupcakes. She felt shaky but relieved.
“All good?” Gabe asked in an undertone when she came out of the walk-in fridge with the first load.
“Kristen’s going to be your ring bearer.”
“Excellent!” Gabe’s pleasure was obvious. “And Lexi’s okay?”
“They’re both great. She said what she wanted to say and it went really well.”
“Good.” Gabe exhaled. “Kade called,” he said and she spun to face him, fearing the worst. “He wanted to know if we needed anything else, because he said once he gets to the lodge, he’s staying put. He’s in Honey Hill. I told him to get his butt back here.”
“Thank you!” Reyna put down the tray of cupcakes before she dropped them in her relief. Her hands were shaking, which was a sign of how much this man meant to her. “I know you can’t see the bride today, Gabe, but why don’t you have lunch with Brad, Teresa and Kristen? Kristen is watching Lexi get her tattoo and Teresa is unpacking, but after that drive, they’ll all need to eat before the service.”
“I’ll talk to Spencer about keeping the buffet open for them,” Gabe agreed and headed off with purpose.
“Good plan,” Trevor said from the other side of the kitchen. Reyna hadn’t realized he was there. “It’s always good for the groom to have something to do.”
She laughed. “You could give him one of your jobs today.”
“I could, but I’m being too much of a control freak. Besides, Kade picked up the slack on the tough one. Did Gabe say he was in Honey Hill?”
Reyna nodded.
“Moments away, then. Good.” Trevor sobered, focusing on the business at hand in a way that Reyna appreciated. “How do you want to set up the cake? I had a trolley left for you, but am not sure it’s big enough for your display. Would you rather have a table set aside now, maybe with a curtain around it...”
The wedding venue was gorgeous.
Chynna had the privilege of just sitting back to watch the festivities unfold, since she had no part to play herself. She was glad that she’d gotten the outline done on Gabe’s elephant in time and could enjoy being a guest.
She wasn’t sure she would enjoy it, actually. This was the first wedding she’d attended since losing Tristan, by choice, and weddings always made her remember her own special day of making her vows to him. It was nearly Christmas, too, and she’d been honest with Theo about how difficult the holiday season was for her. She squared her shoulders and reminded herself that it was past time to join the living again.
The room set up for the service was a conference room, just down the corridor from the restaurant. One long wall was all glass windows and doors, overlooking both that long deck and the frozen lake beyond. In contrast to the cozy atmosphere of the restaurant, this room was brighter and simpler, with a high ceiling. With the decorations, Chynna could easily think of it as sacred space. The decor was wintery but not Christmas-y, which she hoped would make the wedding easier. Chynna would have named the theme “winter wonderland,” and there was a lot of silver.
The chairs had been arranged in rows with an aisle leading toward the windows. Tree branches had been painted white and silver, then arranged to make a bower against the windows. The branches were adorned with fake snow and clear icicles, wound with fairy lights and hung with white and silver ornaments—many of fanciful snowflakes. There were a lot of evergreen boughs arranged in clusters with pine cones, and Chynna could smell both eucalyptus and lavender. There were touches of blue, teal and purple in the decor, but the silver and white were predominant.
There were silver lanterns lining the aisle, one at the end of each row of seats, with a fat beeswax candle burning inside. The aisle had a white carpet and a garland was draped from chair to chair on either side. The chairs all had silver slipcovers. There were fairy lights strung everywhere and the entire room glittered.
Snow was falling lightly beyond the windows, not yet accumulating very much. A pianist and a harpist played a duet and Chynna thought it was just perfect. Everything sparkled and there was an air of excitement. Chynna took a seat at the end of the second row, leaving the closer ones for family.
She saw Trevor quietly lighting the last of the candles and ensuring that everything was right. He spared her a wink but didn’t stop to talk. She thought about their night ahead and anticipation flooded through her. Liv came to sit beside her and Chynna noticed the silver ring on her left hand when it caught the light.
“Is that new?”
Liv’s cheeks turned pink when she smiled. “Yes.”
Chynna smiled. “Am I right to guess that Spencer has one, too?”
The younger woman nodded and showed Chynna the ring. “His is a little thicker. See? It has bees. He saw them and just knew I’d love them.”
Of course. “When was the big day?”
“Friday, the day before yesterday. We wanted to do it quietly and not steal any of Lexi’s thunder. This is her big day and she’s waited for it.”
“What about you?”
“I just wanted my mom there, and she was. My brother Brandon and I were never very close, and I couldn’t see a good reason to spend so much money on a service. Spencer’s family are all here for this one so we can share the news with them later today.”
“You didn’t want to be the bride at the middle of it all?” Even as she asked the question, Chynna thought she knew the answer. Liv tended to retreat from the spotlight so she might not enjoy being the focus of a big wedding. And Chynna wondered whether Spencer’s partnership in the lodge meant that he didn’t have a lot of spare cash. He was a practical person, too, and Chynna guessed that this pair would want to use the money for an investment in more than one beautiful day.
Liv shook her head. “I just want to be with Spencer forever. Thank you for convincing me to take a chance.”
“You’re welcome.”
“I thought I only wanted one night, but he convinced me to dream of more.” Her smile was filled with love. “I would never have known without your help.”
Chynna reached over and gave Liv a hug, then had a closer look at her ring as she considered her words. The bees were cleverly done, just a few strokes of engraving that perfectly conveyed their essence.
How interesting that Liv had only wanted a night, but Spencer wanted more. She knew that Reyna had only wanted a night but Kade had convinced her to make a more permanent connection. And Lexi had been rootless since her single night with Gabe, years before, convinced that she would remain that way for good. It was impossible not to think of Trevor’s hopes, and to wonder at her own prospects.
Then she wondered about her own secret heart tattoos. Maybe they did carry a little bit of magic of their own. Maybe they opened the recipient’s eyes to a truth unnoticed.
Still, she couldn’t believe it would work the same way for her. She had the original secret heart tattoo, the one that had brought her together with Tristan. It couldn’t work again. She wouldn’t want it to.
“When are you going to tell everyone?” she asked Liv, wanting to still her thoughts.
“Maybe later tonight.” Liv smiled. “Maybe not until tomorrow.”
“A nice Christmas present?”
“The very best one.” Liv was clearly happy and Chynna was fiercely glad to have played even a small part in that.
The music became a little louder then and the last of the guests hurried in to take their seats. Gabe and Spencer were first down the aisle and took their places in the gazebo. Both were wearing dark suits with white shirts and looked elegant. The officiant was a woman in flowing white robes who joked a little with Gabe, prompting him to smile. Trevor appeared out of nowhere with Kade, and Kade took a box to Gabe and Spencer. There were boutonnieres inside, each with a white rose and a sprig of evergreen, tied with a silver and teal ribbon. The officiant helped to pin them to their lapels, showing a knack with the task that the men lacked. They all chuckled together at that and Chynna wasn’t the only guest who smiled as she watched.
The first row of seats were claimed by close family: Lexi and Spencer’s mom and her partner were seated there, as well as an older gentleman with a younger woman who Chynna didn’t know. There was a gap between the two couples, though they both sat on the bride’s side.
Liv leaned closer and whispered. “That’s Lexi and Spencer’s dad and his wife, Gillian,” she explained. “They only just arrived but I’m not sure they’re staying for dinner.”
Chynna felt her brows rise but she didn’t say anything.
“They don’t spend much time here,” Liv said.
A pretty woman sat in the first row on the groom’s side with another man and two kids. Kristen’s parents sat beside them and they’d been chatting.
“That’s Gabe’s ex-wife, Daphne, with her partner Ned Wilcox and his kids, Cameron and Grace. I’m so glad they’re here.”
“You didn’t think they would be?”
“It’s a long way from New Mexico, but I was hoping they’d want to see the end of the story.”
Chynna smiled at that. “A perfect ending.”
Liv nodded happy agreement as the music changed. Her gaze was fixed on Spencer and Chynna noticed that he glanced at his new bride more than once. Kade took the seat beside Liv and Chynna was pleased when Trevor appeared beside her. He gave her a quick smile as he claimed the end seat in the row and she was impressed that he had made time to be with her.
He looked unshakable and reliable, and she almost smiled to think of him as a volunteer rock.
“How are the crises?” she asked in an undertone.
“Under control,” he replied and gave her hand a squeeze. She guessed from his expression that he was juggling a lot and saw him check his watch.
But he’d kept his word to her. This man would be easy to get used to—unless, of course, he was on a mission and once he was on to the next one, his previous quests would be forgotten. Chynna wondered about his attention span then. Maybe she was just his current fascination.
He glanced down at her. “How about you?”
Chynna smiled. “Better than expected, but the music will get to me. It always does.”
Trevor nodded and closed his hand more tightly over hers.
A hush fell over the guests as the music changed to the Wedding March. The music sent a predictable thrill through Chynna, but also made her heart tremble in exactly the way she’d anticipated. She and Tristan had gotten married at City Hall, but there had been a boombox and that song. Had he really been gone ten years? It seemed like yesterday that she’d been a nervous bride. The guests all stood and turned to look at the doorway, and Chynna was glad of Trevor’s strong grip. She felt in need of a little support.
Kristen appeared first, her concentration fixed upon the purple velvet pillow she carried. Two golden rings gleamed against the dark velvet. The dress she’d brought to wear to the wedding was pink, but it matched everything well enough. Chynna saw Teresa smiling with pride. Kristen stopped in front of the officiant and that woman smiled at her, then said something quietly. Kristen beamed and moved to stand in front of Gabe.
Reyna was next, elegant in a silver dress and heels. The dress was sleeveless, but then had a fitted overdress in sheer matching chiffon, which both showed her tattoos to advantage and muted their color. She carried a bouquet of white roses mixed with evergreen and eucalyptus, trailing with silver and teal ribbons. She gave Gabe a kiss on the cheek, then took her place and turned to watch for Lexi.
All the guests caught their breath as one when she appeared.
Lexi was a beautiful bride, but Chynna hadn’t expected otherwise. Her dress was surprisingly traditional in cut, fitted through the bust, long-sleeved and trailing across the carpet behind her. It was made of layers of chiffon and she looked as if she floated down the aisle. The unusual thing was the color of her dress—most of the chiffon was in shades of silver and grey, except for the topmost layer, which was teal. Lexi wore a tiara that sparkled in the light and no veil. She looked like a fairy maiden stepping down to earth, just for Gabe. Chynna glanced his way and saw his awe, knowing that Lexi’s joy and Gabe’s wonder were a perfect recipe for their future happiness.
When they all turned to face the silvery bower, Trevor captured Chynna’s hand in his and didn’t let go. She didn’t really hear the greeting of the officiant but sat down with the other guests, a lump in her throat. She was fighting her tears, but they were tears of happiness, not as much of pain as she’d feared they would be.
She remembered her own wedding day.
She remembered seeing Tristan waiting for her and how tightly her heart had clenched at the sight of him.
If she had known how few years they’d have together, she wouldn’t have changed one thing. His love had been glorious and their happiness had been a gift unexpected. She was glad she had known him and glad he had loved her and it was only natural that she missed him with all her heart and soul.
But Trevor’s grasp on her hand reminded her that life went on. There would be other celebrations and other joys, and Tristan himself had urged her to continue to live. Chynna took a deep breath as Lexi and Gabe exchanged their vows and interlaced her fingers with Trevor’s. His interest in her was another gift and one she was going to appreciate. She’d be going home the next day, but would make their second and last night together something to remember.
Chynna was trembling.
Trevor would never have guessed by looking at her, but he could feel the slight shaking of her hand. That only meant he wasn’t going to let go. He sensed that she was drawing strength from him, and thought it was maybe like the pain of getting a tattoo helping someone to move through their grief. If she and Tristan had been married, this service would remind her of their exchange of vows. Even if they hadn’t technically been married, watching two people express their love to each other would evoke powerful memories.
He was more than glad to help her through this day.
He’d seen futures built on smaller foundations than that, and dared to hope.
He had to make sure everything was right for the reception, but he’d coax Chynna to smile before he left her. When the bride and groom kissed, he leaned down to murmur to her. “Do you think true love lasts forever?”
“It’s not your turn,” she whispered, fighting a smile already.
“I’m not really good at following rules.”
“Me, neither,” she admitted with a wicked little smile that made his heart skip a beat.
“Something else in common,” he teased and her eyes sparkled.
“Relentless,” she whispered.
“Probably my best quality. Persistence under another name.”
She shook her head then considered Gabe and Lexi. “Why do I feel like that’s a trick question?”
Trevor shrugged, striving to look innocent.
She laughed a little and nudged him. “Because it is. Okay, I still say yes. You?”
“No.” He watched her eyes widen with surprise, then bent to whisper in her ear. She smelled fabulous and his grip tightened on her hand without him intending for that to happen. This lodge needed more mistletoe. “True love lasts forever if it’s nurtured, but not if it’s ignored or denied. It can’t survive in a vacuum.”
Chynna nodded slowly. “That’s a good answer.”
“Thank you.” He let his tone turn teasing. “You really need to catch up here. I can’t play this game alone. It’s no fun.”
“But you look like you’re having fun.”
“Do I?”
She met his gaze and that sizzle started again. She laughed and he squeezed her hand before releasing it. “All right. I will. Don’t you have work to do?”
He blew her a kiss from his fingertips, drank in the sight of her smile, and headed back to work.
He liked that he could feel her watching him.
He liked the sense that he was on track to his goal.
He also liked that it had started to snow.
Kade didn’t miss the flash of silver on Liv’s left hand.
It hadn’t been a great drive to Portland and back, but it had been better than he’d expected—the roads had been slippery—but the flash of relief in Reyna’s expression when he walked into the lodge, burdened with flowers, had been worth every tense second.
Seeing Liv’s ring made him aware that Reyna was standing up for Lexi, who was getting married, and that Liv, the third of the threesome of friends, had apparently also quietly tied the knot. He could see a silver band on Spencer’s left hand, too.
He didn’t think that Reyna would believe herself to be left out—she wasn’t one for following the crowd—but he didn’t want her to have any doubts about his feelings or his hopes for their shared future. They’d bought real estate together, which indicated permanence, and shared both vehicles and beds, but he wanted more.
Was it too soon for Reyna?
He’d planned to ask her to marry him on New Year’s Eve but as he watched the service and the woman who held his heart, Kade decided there was no time like the present.
He’d ask her before the day was through. It might have been nice to be sure of her reply in advance, but then she wouldn’t be Reyna, the queen of surprises who kept him on his toes. That she could surprise him was part of the reason he loved her, and Kade wouldn’t have her change for anything.
Not even him.
Chynna could only admire how smoothly the wedding guests were guided and managed. Trevor had vanished, but she liked that he had teased her before going back to work. He was thoughtful in ways she didn’t anticipate. Now that the service was over, she felt more like her usual self.
The guests were invited back to the restaurant, some of them already having followed the sound of popping corks. Trevor was opening bottles of champagne at the bar. A waiter was pouring glasses to the brim with the bubbles and two others were circulating with trays. There were platters of crackers, cheese and fruit laid out for nibbling.
The tables were set and the room decorated in similar style to the wedding chapel. Tables were arranged for four or six guests and draped with silvery cloths. There were flowers on each table, with sparkly snowflakes in each arrangement, and glittering favors at each place. A silver lantern with a burning candle inside had pride of place on each table. Once again, there were fairy lights everywhere and a view of the lake. Fires were roaring in the fireplaces. A hostess with a list of the seating arrangements moved through the crowd, ensuring that the guests knew where they were to be seated.
At the far end, the wedding cake was displayed and Chynna went with Liv to admire it. It was on the top tier of a display taller than any Chynna had seen before. The cupcakes were topped with swirled teal or white icing, silver sparkles, and snowflakes made of icing. There were six layers of them, then a small cake on the top tier, also decorated with snowflakes and topped with a bride and groom.
“She matched Lexi’s dress!” Liv said with delight.
“It’s too pretty to eat,” Chynna said.
“But it’s going to be delicious,” Liv said. “I just know it.”
“The teal ones are chocolate,” Kade supplied and Chynna turned to find him behind them. “And the white ones are lemon.”
“Variety is the spice of life?” Liv asked and he smiled.
“They couldn’t decide on just one flavor so Reyna said she’d make both. And the cake is traditional fruit cake. They’ll cut it later.” He smiled. “I’ve heard all the plans.”
The happy couple had gone outside for pictures in the snow. Several guests went out on the deck to take pictures of their own, and Chynna had a peek at the proceedings. It was chilly, though, and she didn’t have a fur wrap like Lexi and Reyna.
They came along the deck then through the big doors into the restaurant to join the party, a dusting of snow on their shoulders and shoes. They accepted good wishes from the guests and glasses of champagne just as Chynna realized that Trevor had disappeared again. Chynna saw Spencer shed his suit jacket on the way to the kitchen. Within moments, she could smell warm hors d’oeuvres being prepared. She was to sit with Liv, Kade, and Jane, the woman who kept the bees in Honey Hill, for dinner and felt as if she’d be amongst friends.
A few guests looked out the window and made their excuses. Lexi’s dad was the first to go, but Chynna saw that no one had expected differently. Lexi was obviously disappointed when Teresa and Brad decided to head back to Portland for the night, but encouraged them to leave sooner rather than later if that was their intention.
Chynna was glad to see Kristen give both Lexi and Gabe a hug, then Teresa and Lexi embraced and the men shook hands. Lexi looked shaken as she watched them go, but then she turned and gave Gabe a brilliant smile.
It had gone well, then. Chynna decided she’d suggest to Lexi that they invite Kristen to watch the completion of her tattoo. She thought of Theo with Tristan then, wondered if the bird had been a pest, and checked her phone for the first time in hours.
She found notifications for the holiday pop-ups for Flatiron Five Fitness, and smiled as she watched Theo and Kyle do their competitive lip-syncs, Theo in Manhattan and Kyle in San Francisco. They looked like they were having fun, and she was glad that Theo was stepping out of his comfort zone. She sent him a quick message, congratulating him and asking if Tristan was behaving himself, then smiled at the quick reply.
The raven was consistently stealing Theo’s silver cufflinks.
Chynna typed a promise that she’d make sure Theo got them back. She put her phone away, still smiling, and looked around the room. She’d helped three couples find love and knew that Theo was making changes that could only lead to his own happiness, too. The little heart that Tristan had given her, the very first one, felt warm and she took that as a sign that she should reach for a little more happiness herself.
Another night with Trevor was the perfect plan.