Bride & Seek

by Samantha Chase

  It meant she was working all weekend, and with her new shift in schedule, she’d have to go for four days without seeing Cade–unless she invited him over Monday after work. The mere thought of having him over to her place and making him dinner and just…being alone…sent tingles down her spine.

  “Note to self–invite Cade to dinner,” she murmured and then went back to scanning the menus for the weekend.

  The morning flew by, and when Dixie came over a little before lunch, Cammie was more than ready to hit the kitchens.

  “Are you ready to do a little tasting and a lot of sitting around and watching people cook?” she asked with a grin.

  “Absolutely!” Cammie agreed. “I spent about an hour looking over all the menus for the weekend and I’m surprised there isn’t a puddle of drool on my desk!”

  Dixie laughed. “Trust me, they’re all even better than they sound.”

  Standing, Cammie followed her boss out of the office and down the hall to the lobby. “Any run-ins with Preston and Whitney?”

  “A close encounter yesterday, but I managed to duck out of the way in time.”

  “They asked to come in and ask some questions today, so I set up their appointment for after lunch and Anna May’s going to handle them. Guests aren’t allowed in the kitchen so you won’t have to worry about dealing with them.”

  “I really am sorry about all of this. It’s so embarrassing.”

  Dixie stopped and waited for Cammie to face her. “I’m a fairly decent judge of character, and let me tell you what I see. I see a strong and intelligent woman who clearly dodged a bullet, and she’s doing a damn fine job of creating a new life for herself.”

  “Thank you.”

  “And I see a rather shallow couple,” she went on, her voice slightly lowered, “who are really rubbing a lot of people the wrong way. While I don’t normally agree with having to alter your life to avoid an awkward situation, in this case, it’s completely warranted.”

  Cammie breathed a little sigh of relief at the kind words. “I’m just glad all couples aren’t this demanding.”

  “I don’t think this has anything to do with them being demanding. I think Whitney knows you’re here and she’s just trying to find you so she can try to rub it in how they’re getting married. She’s little more than an overindulged brat.”

  “Dixie!” Cammie said, giggling.

  In response, Dixie simply shrugged. “Come on, let’s go take a quick look at the new arbor we’re setting up, and then we’ll head over to the kitchen.”

  “Sounds like a plan!”

  Together they walked outside and Cammie shielded her eyes for a moment to block out the sunlight. There was a small crew off to the right setting up the tent, and beside them, another crew was putting the arbor together.

  “I can’t believe how many different kinds of arbors there are or how specific people can be when they request one, but I have to admit, I think this new one is going to be my favorite,” Dixie said as she walked toward it.

  Cammie was about to follow when she saw Cade heading her way. She gave him a small wave and a smile and sighed at the sight of him. His hair was mussed and his dark t-shirt and khakis shouldn’t be the least bit sexy–but they were. He had on sunglasses and yet she knew he was looking at her in that way he had. And as usual, it left her tingly.

  “Inspecting the work again?” he teased when he got close. Cammie wished she could kiss him, but she didn’t think it would be appropriate with so many people around.

  “I’m on kitchen duty today. I’m going to learn how to oversee the menus and the kitchen for our events.”

  “Will you get lunch out of it?”

  “And dessert,” Dixie said as she walked over, smiling. “Hi, Cade.”

  “Hey, Dix. So, kitchen duty today, huh?”

  She nodded in response. “We’re hoping to have Cammie well-versed in all areas of the business so she’ll be able to step in wherever she’s needed. It’s beneficial when we’re all well-rounded in our skills. Of course, we all have our strengths and weaknesses, but in a pinch, we all pitch in where we can.”

  “You have an amazing system. Everyone here thinks so,” Cade said.

  “Thank you,” she replied, clearly pleased with the praise. “So I was wondering if…”

  When Dixie stopped talking, Cammie turned and looked around. She heard the voices too and groaned. “I’ll just go around the long way to the kitchen,” she said quickly, and then squealed with shock when Dixie gave her a hard shove into the tent. She stumbled and almost fell, with one of her shoes coming off in the process. Bending over, she slipped off the other one since she was on the sand and was just about to straighten when Cade slammed into her. His arms immediately banded around her waist to steady them both. Reaching out, he pulled a cord that closed part of the opening in the tent and guided her toward the corner.

  “Not our most gracious escape,” she whispered.

  Cade chuckled, resting his forehead against hers. “No, but the end result is just as good,” he murmured, placing a soft kiss on her lips.

  “Mmm…when I saw you walking toward me, I was thinking about how I wish I could kiss you. I didn’t want to do it in front of everyone.”

  “There’s no one in here right now.” His voice was low and gruff and delicious.

  “It would seem that way…”

  Looping her arms around his neck, she went up on tiptoes and pressed her lips against his. As far as kisses went, it was fairly chaste. There were a lot of people milling around outside the tent, and really, she wanted to know when the coast was clear.

  “…Anna May is expecting you both at one,” she heard Dixie saying. “Have you had a chance to explore the resort? Maybe check with the front desk and see if any of the cabins are available for you to tour? Maybe you can even pick one for your wedding night!”

  “Well…we were going to…” Whitney began.

  “Or maybe go on a hot-air balloon ride! The view from one of those is spectacular! And it’s a great way to see the area! I’m sure I can get you a complimentary tour since you’re a future bride and groom to the resort,” Dixie went on.

  “Actually,” Preston interrupted, “I was hoping to get Whitney an appointment at the spa. One of those packages where she gets a massage and pampered for an afternoon. Do you think you can help us arrange that for this afternoon?”

  “Absolutely! Follow me inside and I’ll help you get set up with an appointment and then I need to head off to one of my own.” Dixie’s voice began to fade, but Cammie and Cade waited a solid minute before he poked his head out of the tent to make sure the coast was clear.

  He gave Cammie the thumbs-up signal and she stepped outside with him. “Maybe I should just let them see me and get it over with,” she said. “It’s going to happen eventually.”

  “And miss out on all the fun we have every time you hide?” he teased. “No way! I look forward to moments like this!”

  She couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re crazy. You know that, right?”

  “Nah. I just like any excuse to get you alone and kiss you,” he said, his tone light.

  “Speaking of being alone…I was wondering if you wanted to come to dinner on Monday. I’ll have off, and I thought I could make us some dinner. We can just…stay in and relax.”

  Why not just wear a sign that says, “This is an excuse for sex”? Cammie silently mocked herself.

  “I’d like that a lot, Cammie. Thank you.”

  “Good,” she smiled and then looked around and saw Dixie heading back toward them. “I guess she got them settled and it’s time to hit the kitchen. I’ll see you later.”

  He nodded, sliding his hands into his pockets. “Yes, you will.”

  The next day was borderline chaos as far as Cade was concerned. There was a weather system moving in that everyone had hoped would be a non-event. It meant the outdoor ceremony needed an indoor alternative. He lent a hand where he could–moving plants and flowers and doing w
hatever grunt work was needed to help everyone stay on schedule.

  It wasn’t anything new, and it wasn’t merely because of Cammie. It was what they all did at the resort. Everyone helped out, and it didn’t matter what department you were in or what your job title was. He’d seen the owners planting shrubs and even caught them washing dishes a time or two. And if the owners were going to roll up their sleeves and pitch in, they all could.

  “What’s going on here?”

  Cade didn’t have to turn to know whose snooty voice he was hearing. Plastering a pleasant smile on his face–she was a guest after all–he turned and faced Whitney. “We’re moving things inside for tonight’s event. Rain is in the forecast and we don’t want to take a chance of the guests getting rained on.”

  “Isn’t that what the tent is for?” she asked, her voice more than a little condescending.

  “Guests would still have to get from the main building to the sand,” he said, continuing with his task and hoping she’d just go away.

  Preston stepped up beside her. “What’s all this about?”

  “It’s going to rain so they’re moving everything inside. I know I’d be pissed if it happened to us. If I’m paying for an outdoor wedding–a ceremony on the lake!–then that’s what I want!”

  Preston sighed, and for a minute, Cade actually felt bad for the guy. “Whitney, no one can control the weather. Not the wedding coordinators and not you. This seems like a perfectly fine alternative.”

  “How do you know?” she snapped. “You haven’t seen where they’re moving everything to. For all you know, it’s a tiny, cramped room!”

  Another sigh from Preston. “Excuse me?”

  Crap. Unfortunately, Cade knew he was talking to him. “Yes?”

  “Is there a way we could get a look at the room where the wedding is going to be?”

  “’Fraid not,” Cade said firmly. “There are a lot of people trying to get everything set up on short notice and we can’t allow guests to come wandering in.”

  “But we’re going to be getting married here!” Whitney cried. “We should be allowed to see what’s going on!”

  Even though he knew it wasn’t his place, there was no way he was going to give in to these two. If Dixie ended up having a problem with how he handled the situation, he’d talk to her about it. Later.

  “I’m sorry, but no can do. If you have a problem, you’ll have to contact one of the owners yourself. Now if you’ll excuse me…”

  “You can’t stop us,” Whitney said, her haughty tone back. “You don’t have any authority to tell us what we can and cannot do. You’re a gardener. How dare you tell us we can’t go inside and look around. When I find your boss, I’ll make sure you’re written up and punished for this.”

  Was this woman for real? Punished? What was he, twelve? Putting the two potted plants he’d been holding down, Cade took a step toward them and liked the fact that he towered over them both. “You go right ahead and do that,” he said, his voice deadly calm. “But if you go in there and get in anyone’s way and cause any issues where we can’t have the room ready for tonight’s wedding, I don’t think it will look so good for you having your wedding here.” He paused and glared. “But that’s your call. And you just think about how you’d like it if someone got in the way when it’s your wedding being set up.”

  He left them both with their mouths open and stormed into the main building in hopes of finding one of the girls and giving them the heads-up.

  “Such bullshit,” he murmured, stalking across the lobby and down toward the banquet room. It didn’t take long for him to spot Dixie. “Hey,” he said as he approached her. “You got a minute?”

  She was a little breathless and harried-looking, but she forced a smile and said, “Sure. What’s up?”

  He gave her the abbreviated version of what happened outside and then sighed. “I know I probably should have just kept my mouth shut, but…”

  She held up a hand to stop him. “Don’t give it another thought. You handled it perfectly. We don’t allow guests to come around while we’re setting up–especially with an extenuating circumstance like this. We’re already crunched for time and don’t need a bunch of nosy-bodies walking around asking questions.” She let out a breath and shook her head. “I swear those two are going to be the death of me.”

  “And Cammie,” he said.

  “I know. Poor kid. I hate how they’re making things difficult for her. I say let her keep avoiding them for now. With any luck, they’ll get bored or realize they’re making a huge mistake and cancel the wedding.”

  Cade couldn’t help but laugh. “No offense, but…wouldn’t that be a bad thing for you? For business?”

  Dixie shook her head and gave him an angelic smile. “Are you kidding? There are some clients I’d gladly pay to take their business elsewhere.”

  “That bad, huh?”

  “Worse,” she said with a hearty laugh. Behind them, there was a loud crashing sound, and she jumped. “Thanks for the heads up, Cade. I’ll spread the word around. If you wouldn’t mind, can you go tell Cammie too? She may want to work in the kitchen for a little while.”

  “Will do,” he said agreeably. He’d gladly take any chance he got to spend time with her.

  He found her in the far corner of the room, arranging flowers. When she spotted him, she gave him a tired smile. “Hey, you.”

  Without thought, he came up beside her and began helping her. She was doing a great job, but he figured they could use another set of hands here too. “Kind of crazy here tonight, huh?”

  “That’s an understatement. We met with the bride and her parents, and the plan is that we’re leaving the arbor and tent set up outside. It’s going to be a last-minute call on whether or not the ceremony is held out there. They definitely wanted the reception moved inside, but they really wanted to be married on the lake at sunset.”

  “It is an amazing view out there when the weather cooperates.”

  “Mmm-hmm,” she purred. “That’s my dream spot.”

  She sounded a little distracted, and Cade wondered if she even knew she’d spoken them out loud. They worked in silence for a few minutes and when she took a step back and smiled, he knew he needed to tell her what he’d initially come to tell her.

  “I ran into Preston and Whitney outside. They’re trying to crash the setup and see what’s going on in here.”

  “Oh, good grief…”

  He told her about his conversation with them and was glad she could find humor in that too. “I saw Dixie on my way in and she said maybe you’d want to work in the kitchen for a little while. You know, until the threat of invasion is over.”

  Cammie laughed out loud. “This is all just so ridiculous.” Then she paused. “But you know what, I could use a little something to drink, and maybe Chef Ian will take pity on me and let me snack on a crab cake or two.”

  With a quick kiss on her forehead, he sent her on her way.

  8

  “So you had no other near misses over the weekend?” Cade asked her Monday night.

  Cammie shook her head. “Although there was a brief moment when I thought I heard Preston coming into the kitchen and I jumped into the walk-in refrigerator.”

  Cade laughed and poured them each a glass of wine. “How long did you stay there?”

  “Two minutes. My teeth started to chatter and when I stumbled out, the kitchen staff thought I’d lost my mind.” She shook her head and started to laugh too. “I think there was a collective sigh of relief at the resort when they checked out yesterday. I’m hoping since they came for so many days, it will be awhile before they come back.”

  He handed her a glass and then lifted his. “Here’s to hoping.”

  “I’ll drink to that.” They tapped glasses and then she took a sip of the wine. “Mmm…that’s good. And it will go perfectly with dinner.”

  “I probably should have asked what you were making before I picked it up, but…”

  She shook
her head and turned back to the stove. Lifting the lid off of the pan, she stirred the contents. “I made a seafood risotto and a salad.”

  “Sounds delicious.”

  Looking at him over her shoulder, she smiled. “It is.” Then she winked and lowered the burner down before replacing the lid on the pan. “And for dessert, I got a salted caramel cheesecake. I hope that’s something you like.”

  Cade put his glass down and walked around the small butcher block island toward her. With his arms around her waist, he said, “I think I’d like anything you make.”

  Cammie looked up at him, looping her arms around his shoulders. “You say that now. For all you know, I’m a terrible cook.”

  He shook his head. “Smells too good in here.”

  “I did pick up the cheesecake in town today instead of making dessert myself. I always loved CC’s Bakery.”

  “I don’t see a problem with that.”

  “Well…I know a lot of people enjoy a complete homemade meal. I just happen to know my strengths.”

  “And that’s a good thing,” he agreed.

  Cammie took a step back and picked up her wine glass again because it would be far too easy to stay wrapped around Cade and forget about dinner. “What about you? How was your weekend?”

  “It was good. Relaxing. I took care of some yard work on Saturday and then went to visit my parents on Sunday. Big family dinner. It’s kind of our thing. Once a month we all get together for dinner. My mom loves it. My dad says he wouldn’t mind a little more peace and quiet.”

  Cammie walked around making final preparations for their dinner and listened to Cade talk about his family. They all sounded so sweet, and it made her realize how his family helped make him into such an extraordinary man. And he seemed to truly appreciate them all–which made her fall just a little bit more in love with him.