Chapter Thirteen

“Wow!” Lincoln stepped out of his car in front of the wedding venue. It was about a half an hour drive outside of the city in Genesee. No tall buildings or sidewalks here, nothing but a forest of dark green pines and stark leafless aspens. “This place is amazing.”

This past week had been a rush of helping Marie and Kenneth get all the last-minute details in place. Max had been fully trained and assured his bosses he could handle the coffee shop for the next week while they were on their honeymoon. Lincoln had also promised them he’d check in and make sure everything was running smoothly. It was a small favor he would gladly perform in order to ensure his best friends could enjoy their special day and the start of their new life together as a married couple.

They sure as hell deserved it.

“Hey, man.” Kenneth came strolling out of the huge log cabin Lincoln had just parked in front of. “Amazing, right?”

Lincoln stared up at the—well, it was a disservice to call the thing a simple cabin. This was no pioneer home, built to keep out the elements. This was a stunning display of craftsmanship. Architecture weaved into nature with a seamless beauty that both awed and inspired. The house loomed three stories high. Floor-to-ceiling windows covered the entire front of the structure, allowing natural light to pour in. The second floor sported a large wraparound deck where weddings took place in the summer months. Ken and Marie planned to have their ceremony inside. Good thing, too, because the wind had a bite to it.

Lincoln sniffed the air, the tip of his nose freezing slightly with the chill. It smelled damp, cold, like an impending snow.

“Don’t even say it,” Kenneth warned.

“What?”

“I saw you sniff.” His friend glanced around, lowering his voice. “The weather report said a storm was coming in over the next forty-eight hours. I’ve managed to keep Marie from hearing about it, because if she hears snow is coming, she’ll freak.”

“How are you going to keep her from seeing the flakes when they fall down?” He pointed to the sky. “Because I’m pretty sure that’s going to happen any moment now.”

Kenneth looked up with a scowl, as if he could keep the snow from falling by sheer force of will.

“I’m hoping it’ll hold off until after the wedding. It’s less than twenty-four hours away. We might get lucky.”

Lincoln laughed at his friend’s optimism. “And you might get snowed in.”

Kenneth glared at him. “Do you have to be such a pessimist?”

With a laugh, he held up his hands. “Hey, man. I’m simply being a realist.”

“Yeah? Well, I’m really hoping it doesn’t start snowing until after the wedding. A storm could ruin everything.”

“Probably shouldn’t have planned a wedding during one of the snowiest months of the year, then.”

Kenneth flipped him off. “It was the only time we could get all the family together, jerk.”

He laughed, grabbing his overnight bag and tux from the car. “For Marie’s sake, I will wish the snow to hold off.”

“Thanks.” The groom-to-be motioned to him. “Come on inside. I’ll show you to our room and give you the lay of the place before the rehearsal starts.”

He followed his friend inside, listening as the man explained about the rental Mile High Happiness had helped them secure. The eight-thousand-square-foot cabin was a full-service rental that boasted a full gourmet kitchen, a great room—where the wedding would be held—six bathrooms, eight bedrooms, and a sauna. Fancy digs.

“We’ll drop off your stuff and head to the great room,” Ken said as they entered the first floor, where half of the bedrooms and the kitchen were located. “Marie’s already there with the Mile High Happiness women. The rehearsal is in a few hours, but I think they’re doing some last-minute decorating or something.”

His friends weren’t the kind to freak out over things—they ran their own business; they knew how to deal with a crisis—but he sensed tension coming off Kenneth.

“Everything okay, man?”

Kenneth opened a door to the bedroom, glancing over his shoulder. “What? Oh, yeah. I just…I just want everything to be perfect for her.” The man sighed. “She deserves the best.”

Lincoln placed a comforting hand on his buddy’s shoulder. “She’s getting the best. She’s getting you. That’s all she cares about, I promise.”

Kenneth shook his head. “You’re wrong. She deserves better than me, but I’m not going to be stupid enough to tell her. I’m a lucky bastard, and I’ll do everything in my power to make her happy for the rest of our lives.”

He smiled. “Even threaten the weather?”

“Mother Nature better keep her precipitation locked up if she knows what’s good for her.”

He laughed, slapping Kenneth on the back as the men entered the room.

“Damn!” He let out a low whistle. “Is this a room or a suite?”

The large room boasted a huge bay window with a cushioned window seat that looked ideal for napping on a lazy Sunday. Two plush-looking high-back chairs sat in one corner, a coffee table in between them, while a dark red chaise longue took up the far wall. He spied an open door that appeared to lead to a private bathroom. The room rocked—except for one thing.

“Dude, is that the only bed?” He pointed to the large king taking up a significant portion of the back wall.

“Yes,” Kenneth answered. “All the other rooms are filled with out-of-town guests. Marie wanted to bunk with her bridesmaids. Something about not sleeping together the night before the wedding being romantic. So you and I are bedmates.” His friend pointed a finger at him. “And don’t get any wild ideas. I’m a promised man. We can share like civilized adults, but no funny business.”

Lincoln smiled. “I’m getting a weird flashback to sophomore year when we went to Key West for Spring Break and stayed in that awful rental.”

Kenneth laughed. “Oh yeah! The one that said it had two beds, but it was one full and a pull-out sofa with no mattress. That sucked.”

They’d shared the tiny bed for the night, scouring the small island until they found a hotel that had two beds with an opening the next morning. It had maxed out their credit cards, but it had been worth it. Two grown men sharing a full bed was not the most comfortable of situations.

“At least this is a king,” he said with a shrug. There’d be much more room.

“And it’s only for tonight. Everyone is leaving after the wedding tomorrow.” A look of pure joy lit up Kenneth’s face. “In twenty-four hours, Marie and I will be on our way to Cancún for our honeymoon.”

His friend’s happiness was infectious, and Lincoln found himself smiling. “I can’t believe you and Marie are finally getting married.”

Kenneth’s jaw tightened, eyes misting over. “There was a time I thought this day might never come. When she was fighting for her—”

Lincoln wrapped an arm around his friend, pulling the guy in for a hug as the words clogged his throat.

“I know, man. But she’s okay now. You guys are going to get married, live happily ever after, and be one of those annoying couples who make everyone jealous with their bliss.”

He could attest to that firsthand.

“My goodness, the love abounds today,” a soft voice spoke from the doorway. “I just left Marie hugging and happy crying with her bridesmaids. Don’t witness too much of it with the menfolk, but it’s great to see.”

Lincoln pulled back to stare at the woman filling the bedroom doorway. The woman who’d been haunting his dreams for far too long, the woman who made him hard with nothing but a simple glance, the woman he hoped to have under him again the second this wedding was over.

“Hey, Lilly.” Kenneth grinned. “Is it time to start the rehearsal?”

“Almost.” She smiled at them both. “We’re just waiting on a few more people, but if you guys want to head up now, that would be great.”

Kenneth gave him a hard slap to the back before heading out of the room.

“Hey.” He walked over to her, cupping her cheek. Her eyes darted to the side, checking for people who weren’t there, before she leaned into his touch.

“Hi. Drive okay?”

“Mm-hmm.” He stroked his thumb along the softness of her skin. Her eyes closed for a brief moment before they snapped open, emerald depths hazy with desire.

“We should get up there.”

“Yeah, we should.”

But neither of them made a move.

“There’s a lot to do before the wedding.” She leaned into him, face tilting up.

“Yup, a lot,” he agreed, stepping closer until her breasts brushed against his chest.

“I have things to…”

Her words trailed off, eyes closing as she tilted her head up, lips parting. How could he refuse? He leaned down slightly. Not too far, because Lilly was a tall woman, the perfect height for him to brush his lips against hers. She moaned, the sound making him hard as granite. He grasped her hip, pulling her body flush against his as he deepened the kiss. She opened for him, greedily thrusting her tongue against his, devouring his lips with her own.

Damn! The woman was going to kill him.

Then, just as quickly, she was gone.

“Fuck.”

He laughed at her curse. “I’d like to, but we have a rehearsal to get to.”

She shook her head, smiling. “Ass. Come on, Romeo.”

Adjusting his jeans, he followed her out of the room and up the stairs. He enjoyed the view as he watched the sway of her hips in her dark blue pencil skirt, the material hugging her curves with each rise of the steps. Noise filtered into his brain as they ascended to the main floor, which held the great room.

“Oh no!”

Marie’s cry brought him out of his lust-induced stupor. Glancing at the large windows, he winced. Large, fat flakes fell from the sky, swirling to the ground in a beautiful yet ominous dance. He glanced around the room, focusing on Marie, who stood in the center, staring straight out the window, Kenneth behind her, holding her in his arms.

“At least it’s pretty?” Lincoln heard his friend say.

“It’s beautiful, babe, but now the roads are going to be a nightmare.” Marie turned, burying her head in Kenneth’s chest. “What if people can’t make it up?”

The heartbroken voice, muffled by his friend’s chest, struck a chord in Lincoln. This wasn’t fair. Marie and Ken were an amazing couple. Too much of life had tried to mess with them. They deserved to have one day free of disaster. He wanted to help, but he had no idea what to do.

“Marie.” Lilly made her way over to the forlorn bride-to-be. “Everything will be okay.”

“But it’s snowing!”

The wedding planner smiled. “Yes, I can see, but Colorado is used to February snow. You’ve lived here long enough to know that, right?” Marie nodded. “Don’t you worry about a thing. Let me makes some calls and see what I can do.”

He hurried to his friend’s side as he watched Lilly pull out her phone and speak in hushed tones to whoever was on the other end of the line.

“Okay, everyone.” Mo—sporting purple stripes in her blond hair—called everyone over to the center of the room. “While Lilly works her magic, why don’t we go over what’s going to happen tomorrow? We want to do two run-throughs so we get everything down pat for the big day.”

Everyone gathered at the small woman’s command. He lined up next to Rachel, half his concentration on the woman standing off to the side of the room, pacing as she spoke on the phone. He had no idea who Lilly was calling or what she was trying to orchestrate, but he’d bet his hard drive if anyone could push the weather back to make this wedding perfect, it would be her.

They ran through the motions of the rehearsal twice—easy enough to walk down an aisle and stand there—as the snow continued to fall outside the windows. The majestic sight added both beauty and worry to the proceedings. Once the rehearsal was completed, everyone was dismissed. Mo announced the rehearsal dinner would be in an hour, downstairs in the large dining area. Kenneth’s parents had talked about using a restaurant in the area but decided to hire the staff of the wedding to prepare and serve the rehearsal dinner after all.

Everyone headed to their rooms save for him, Marie, and Kenneth. He stood with his friends, a solid presence behind them as they anxiously waited for Lilly to get off the phone. He had no idea what she’d done, but judging by the satisfied grin on her face, he’d bet she just pulled off a miracle for his best friends. Every time he thought this woman had impressed the hell out of him, she went and one-upped it.

“Fantastic. Consider the favor repaid. Thanks, Twyla.” Lilly smiled, slipped her phone into the pocket of her skirt, and headed their way. “I have great news.”

“You got Boreas to agree to tone it down a bit?”

Everyone stared at Marie. The woman shrugged.

“He’s the Greek God of winter.” At their continued silence, she threw up her hands. “Geesh, no one appreciates a history minor.”

“I do, babe.” Kenneth kissed her cheek. “Nerds are hot.”

She elbowed him gently but smiled. “Damn right we are.”

Lilly motioned to the snow outside. “The snow is making the roads slick and icy, but I called in a favor with a limo company. They agreed to meet the vendors who aren’t here yet and the guests who will be arriving tomorrow at their business and drive everyone up and back.”

Marie let out a high-pitched shriek. “Lilly, you are the absolute best!”

The woman flung her arms around the wedding planner. Lincoln held back a snort of laughter at the panicked look on Lilly’s face as the woman tried to gently pat his friend’s back and extricate herself from the hug.

“I’m simply here to make sure your special day runs smoothly.”

He called bullshit on that. Lilly went above and beyond for her clients. And from what he learned of her the other day, that giving extended into her personal life. Sure, her mom might be paying her to organize her latest wedding, but he knew Lilly would have done it no matter what. The woman might try to hide behind a wall of propriety and ice, but inside she was a big ol’ softie who just wanted the people around her to be happy.

Damn, she was amazing.

“Oh.” Marie sniffed, wiping at her eyes with the back of her hand. “Now I have to fix my makeup.”

“You look amazing,” Lilly said with a shake of her head.

“You do, babe, but I can take you to your room if you want to freshen up before dinner.”

“Yes, I think that would be for the best. Thank you, Lilly.”

“Just doing my job.”

He watched as his friends headed upstairs to where he assumed Marie was staying. Lilly stood, watching them go with a longing smile on her face. He could relate. His friends had the kind of relationship people dreamed about. The kind you only read about in books or saw in movies. There’d been many a time over the years he’d compared his own failed marriage to his friends’ relationship and wondered where he went wrong. Fair? No, but hard not to do.

“Admit it,” he said as he stepped up to her side. “You’re some kind of superhero, aren’t you?”

She laughed, her eyes still on the spot where Marie and Kenneth had disappeared. “Not a superhero. Just really good at my job.”

“Really good at making people happy.”

“I like making people happy.” She sighed. “The world needs more happy.”

“And what about you?”

She turned to face him. “What about me?”

“What would make you happy?”

Her gaze traced over him, eyes heating, waking up every cell in his body. It took all his willpower to hold still when what he really wanted to do was haul her into him and worship every single inch of her body with his tongue.

“You.” The word whispered out of her of its own volition.

“That can be arranged, sweetheart.” His voice was so low and husky he almost didn’t recognize it.

“You’re still a client.” She shrugged. “Sort of.”

He lifted a brow, clenching his hands into fists to keep from reaching out to touch her. “Not after tomorrow at five, I’m not.”

A cheeky grin tilted her lips. “Technically, the wedding ends at ten.”

He couldn’t help it—he threw his head back and laughed. “Okay, you win. Ten. But after ten…”

She bit her lip. He wanted nothing more than to soothe the small pain with his tongue.

“Tomorrow.” The word whispered out of her. “The place is booked until Sunday. Mo and I usually hang around to make sure the place is all cleaned up, so if you want to stay after the wedding, we can…”

His eyes widened in shock. “Seriously?” They’d been talking, flirting, even gotten a little naughty over the phone, but he was still surprised she’d finally agreed.

She nodded. “After the wedding.”

“After,” he agreed.

“Now let’s hurry up. There’s a rehearsal dinner to get to.” She winked, heading down the stairs.

It took a moment for his brain and body to catch up. Tomorrow. After the wedding, he would be with Lilly Walsh again. His body vibrated with such a fierce need he almost couldn’t take it. Just over twenty-four hours. Didn’t seem like much in the long run, but right now…he feared waiting for Lilly would be the longest day of his life.