We join the other guests arriving at the gondola plaza for the quick trip up the mountain to the wedding location. I find my friends in the cluster of people waiting to board, and we join them.
Everyone looks gorgeous and fancy, like we’re going to adult prom in the middle of the afternoon.
Zoe arches an eyebrow at my date. “Did you upgrade your Roberts brother?”
“What happened to Landon? Is he locked in a closet somewhere?” Grinning, Sage appears delighted by the idea.
“Is this approved by your mother?” Mara giggles.
I answer all of their questions in order. “Yes. I don’t know because he has apparently ditched me. Most definitely not approved and I don’t care.”
Our turn to board comes, and we squeeze together in the gondola. Wrapping his arms around my waist, Aiden presses his front against my back while we enjoy the views during the ascent.
At the top, we disembark into a long line of open-sided but heated tents. A calm woman—with the voice of a patient pre-school teacher—instructs us to leave our coats at the coat check before moving along. Elegant heat towers line the path to the seating area in front of a huge arch covered with white and pale blush roses, birch branches, and clumps of silvery greens with gold accents. Beyond the flat area, the slope drops into the valley below. Snow dusted peaks surround us, creating an incredible backdrop. This view will never get old.
“It’s perfect,” I whisper before catching myself.
A blonde cellist plays softly from her chair off to the side of the altar. We’re greeted by waiters holding trays of champagne and sparkling water.
“Your cousin went all out, didn’t she?” Mara asks, holding a flute and twisting her head to take in every detail.
“It’s the wedding of the year,” I mumble, scanning the crowd for Landon and my parents. “Anyone see Landon?”
“I’ll go find my mother and ask her.” Aiden walks away, winding through the crowd.
“Spill everything,” Zoe demands. “Quick before he comes back or Landon shows up.”
“Save the details for Taco Tuesday,” Mara suggests, “when we have more time for the good stuff.”
“Aiden and I are together as of last night. It’s been building since the raft trip, maybe even the night at the museum.” I give them the very basics.
“I knew you’d find a better date.” Sage squeezes my arm. “Everything works out as it should.”
Aiden returns, flanked by both of our mothers, who wear matching perturbed expressions.
“Found them,” he says with a flash of a smile.
“Where’s your date?” Mom asks me.
I point to Aiden. “Right there.”
Mrs. Roberts sighs. “She means Landon. You were in charge of him.”
“I was?” I ask, confused. “No one told me.”
My mother’s sigh is even more exasperated. “You had one job, Mae. To keep Landon distracted.”
I glance at my friends and their boyfriends to confirm I’m not the only one lost in this conversation.
Aiden rests a hand on my waist. “Apparently, at the request of your aunt, our mothers were in cahoots before the bridal shower.”
“Aunt Cecily wanted me to be Landon’s date? Why?” I stare at my mother.
“She knew you two had a thing in high school and figured your long history meant you could deal with him,” Mom explains.
“Why the elaborate scheming?” Aiden asks, sounding amused.
“Apparently,” my mother lowers her voice, “there was concern about Landon’s behavior given his feelings for Twyla.”
My eyebrows can’t crawl any higher on my face. “Landon has feelings?”
Beside me, Sage snorts.
The cello music switches to the prelude for Bach’s first Cello Suite as uniformed staff encourage people to take their seats.
Our mothers give me one last frown of disapproval before finding their seats.
“Can you believe this? I was hired to be a babysitter for your brother?” I laugh, expecting Aiden to join me. “Unpaid, too.”
He doesn’t even crack a smile. Instead, he pulls out his phone and makes a call.
I can hear the ringing on the other end, and then Landon’s voicemail message. “What’s happening?”
“Either nothing and Landon’s late. Or we’re about to witness the scandal of the year.” Aiden’s mouth is set in a grim line. “Shall we sit?”
Perplexed by his vague answer, I allow him to guide me to a row of seats near the back.
Once we’re settled, I twist in my chair to face him. “Spill.”
He holds a finger up to his mouth. “Later. The groom has arrived.”
Topher stands to the right of the altar, looking as bland as ever despite wearing an elegant tuxedo. Beside him, his groomsmen fidget and shuffle their feet. After Mr. and Mrs. Tierney take their seats, my cousin, Ailey escorts his mother to her place in the front row. Twyla’s bridesmaids do the step, together, step, together down the aisle.
It’s all lovely and perfect with the sun shining down and small, puffy white clouds dotting the sky.
We all patiently wait for the music to shift to the first notes of “Here Comes the Bride.” Instead, the cellist loops through another Cello Suite.
The gondola arrives and I cast a glance over my shoulder, expecting my uncle and Twyla to make a grand entrance.
I’m not the only one who’s shocked when the doors open and my frazzled looking uncle steps out alone. A collective gasp sweeps through the guests.
In full panic mode, my aunt jumps out of her chair and dashes down the aisle. Topher and his parents follow quickly behind, joining my uncle at the gondola.
Two hundred sets of ears strain to hear their conversation.
The only word I can clearly make out is Landon.
Standing, Aiden swears and takes his phone out of his jacket pocket again. Hitting dial, he listens to it ring before voicemail picks up.
“What the fuck is going on?” Mara asks the question we’re all thinking.
“We should go now before there’s a huge line for the gondolas,” Zoe suggests, completely serious. “There’s not enough champagne on this mountain to smooth over this scandal.”
I switch off airplane mode on my phone and try calling Landon, thinking maybe he’ll speak to me if he won’t take his brother’s call.
It doesn’t even ring, going straight to voicemail.
I try Twyla’s number. Same.
“No,” I gasp. “You don’t think she left all this to run off with Landon, do you?”
“Why would she walk away from this perfect wedding?” Zoe echoes me.
Aiden stares at his phone.
Sage’s face is a mask of confusion. “I can’t believe anyone would choose Landon over a decent guy like Topher.”
Lee drapes his arm around her shoulders. “Not all women come to their senses like you did.”
“Wow. I didn’t think the cocky little shit had balls to do something like this,” Aiden mumbles, mostly to himself.
“Come on, people are starting to catch on and line up for the gondola. I don’t want to get stuck on this mountain any longer than we need to.” Zoe hurries down our row.
Mara makes a beeline for one of the waiters and speaks to him. He nods and leaves, returning a few seconds later with a case of champagne. Jesse laughs as she hands it to him.
“Don’t judge me. This has all been paid for and it would be a shame if it wasn’t enjoyed.” Mara gives me a wink.
Zoe spies the box in Jesse’s arms. “If we can take champagne, do you think we could swing by the Jerome and rescue some of the cake? There’s probably an entire table full of cupcakes going to waste.”
Justin kisses her temple. “We’ll organize a rescue mission.”
She grins at him and then says to the group, “Meet back at Sage and Lee’s condos? They have the most room.”
Everyone agrees with varying degrees of enthusiasm as we make our way toward the gondola.
“You know something, don’t you?” I whisper so only Aiden can hear me.
With a solemn nod, he confirms what I’ve suspected since last night.
“Spill.”
“I caught Landon and Twyla kissing in the bathroom at the hotel,” he says with a low voice, keeping his attention forward as we follow Zoe.
“No way,” I gasp. “At her rehearsal dinner?”
He nods again. “Landon told me it was a last hurrah, but obviously he was lying.”
“Do you think they really ran off together?” I still can’t believe she’d choose him.
“Guess we’ll have to wait and see. They’ll turn up eventually.” He presses his hand against my lower back to guide me onto the waiting gondola.
As the doors close, I catch my mother smiling at me from the line. At least she doesn’t appear to be in a murderous snit anymore. I’m shocked when she gives me a thumbs-up and tilts her head toward Aiden.
Guess he’s her favorite Roberts brother, too.
*Hey.*
Landon’s name appears in the text window on my home screen.
I show my phone to Aiden. “He’s alive.”
“Why is he texting you?” he asks, right before his phone pings with a new message.
“I don’t know. This is all he’s written.” I shift closer to Aiden on the couch. We’re still at Sage’s condo. The rest of the gang are scattered around the room, some sprawled on the other end of the sectional or sitting on stools at the kitchen island. Multiple champagne bottles sit empty next to a half-eaten tray of cupcakes.
“Looks like he’s started a group text.” He opens up his messages.
“Should we write something or wait for him to say more?” I stare at the screen.
Aiden types something and then erases it. “Let’s let him take the lead.”
A few seconds later, dots appear, indicating Landon’s typing.
“He needs to type faster.” I stare at my screen, willing him to be using both thumbs and not pecking out each letter with one finger. No one has time for that.
Landon: *If anyone is looking for Twyla, tell them she’s with me.*
Aiden: *And where are you?*
Landon: *Denver.*
Me: *You might want to stay there. Or go into hiding.*
Beside me, Aiden laughs.
Landon: *Yeah, I imagine people are pissed.*
Aiden: *A little.*
Landon: *It had to be done. I love her and she loves me.*
“Whoa,” I say out loud.
Me: *You couldn’t have figured this out before her wedding day to another man?*
Landon: *Yeah, my timing might suck.*
Me: *You think?*
“You’re coming in hot.” Aiden chuckles.
“His actions are selfish and hurtful.” I defend my anger. “What about Topher in all of this? Completely humiliated in front of Aspen’s finest. He probably won’t be able to listen to Lionel Ritchie ever again. Landon has ruined one of his great joys as well as stolen his wife.”
Landon: *Mae, you should know, anything Aiden did was because I asked him to. I think he cares for you, so don’t be too mad at him.*
Aiden: *Shut up. Stop before you make things worse.*
“What’s he talking about?” I face Aiden.
Blowing out a deep breath, he slips my phone from my hand. “You have every right to be mad, but try to remember you like me, and I like you. What’s between us is real.”
I glance around at my friends. I have a bad feeling about whatever he’s going to say next. “I think we should take this conversation outside.”
“Let’s go back to your place and I’ll explain everything.” Standing, he holds out his hand to me.
“How bad is it?” I ask, refusing his gesture.
“Hopefully not as terrible as you’re imagining.” He gives me a small smile.
We say our goodbyes and walk down the path to the street.
“Tell me now.” I stop when I reach the sidewalk.
He brushes his hand over his hair and then rests it on the back of his neck. “How familiar are you with Cyrano?”
“The book we had to read in high school?” I ask, wondering why he wants to discuss classic literature.
“You know the basic premise?”
And then it clicks. “The texts were from you?”
He nods. “Some of them. Not the ones involving eggplants and peaches.”
“The champagne?” I ask, surprised and not surprised about the texts. The inconsistency of tone never made sense.
“My idea, but I made him pay for it.” His brow crinkles with worry. “How mad are you?”
“I’m not sure.” I rub my temples. “Why would you trick me?”
“A whole bunch of reasons, most of them stupid and embarrassing.” He winces. “At first, I wanted to help Landon out, because he’s my brother. Then I did it for you.”
Scrunching up my face, I stare at him. “You wanted me to fall for Landon?”
“Never. Not after I saw you at the fundraiser. You deserve better than him. I knew you were stuck with him as your date, and I wanted to make it a better experience for you by trying to make him into a decent guy.”
“By pretending to be him?” Several different emotions go to battle inside of my head. Anger, confusion, and hurt are winning right now.
“Only a few times. My coaching suggestions were mostly ignored, as you can tell from your interactions with him. Despite my best efforts, I failed to improve his personality,” he says, resigned. “I think the project was doomed from the start.”
“Landon is hopeless.” I smile in spite of the mixed emotions swirling inside of me.
“You don’t hate me?” he asks, a nervous edge to his voice.
“I’m not not mad, but I could never hate you.” I touch his hand. “Landon, on the other hand, is off the birthday party list.”
Aiden chuckles. “You have a list of invites for your birthday parties?”
“It’s more a figure of speech.” The tension between us evaporates. I don’t want to be mad at Aiden. Anger is a toxic emotion.
“I will make it up to you.” Holding my hand, he slides his fingers between mine.
“How?” I know I’m going to forgive him, but I’m curious to hear his plans.
“I’m thinking lots of over-the-top romantic gestures intended to sweep you off your feet.” He ducks his head to brush his lips over mine.
“Sounds kind of vague.” I’m not going to let him off with some random promises.
With his mouth a few inches away from mine, he asks, “What are you doing tomorrow morning?”
“Is this your way of asking me to spend the night again? Maybe I need time alone to sulk and stew.” I want to do neither of those things.
“My place is closer for what I have planned. We can stop by your condo for you to change and pack an overnight bag with some warm layers for tomorrow’s surprise.” His confidence returns, and damn if it isn’t intoxicating.
“This so-called plan of yours doesn’t involve a cold, watery death, does it? Because I’m not going rafting with you.”
“No rafts. No water. Death is unlikely.” He smirks and then kisses me before I can ask another snarky question. “Say yes. To my crazy plan. To forgiving me for being a sneaky bastard. Say yes to me.”
“Yes.”