by Jami Alden
There were several more, and Natalia scrolled through them, more horrified with every shot. Her brain was going to need a Silkwood shower after this if she wanted to get those images of Trey and his parts out of her mind. There were also screen shots of text exchanges that were even more graphic than the pictures.
When she scrolled to the bottom, she saw the message from Cora.
I’m sorry to say there won’t be a wedding today after all. But as you can see from these photos of my fiancé Trey Morehouse and my cousin, Krystal Lancaster. I cannot go through with today’s ceremony. Love to you all and thank you for being here to share what I thought was going to be one of the most special days of my life. Love, Cora.
Her heart felt like it was exploding in her chest. She couldn’t even imagine how painful this betrayal was for Cora.
Yet selfishly, Natalia’s stomach churned for herself. The daughter of one of Greenwich’s wealthiest families outing her cheating fiancé via text minutes before her wedding?
There was no way this wasn’t ending up on Page Six.
Chapter 9
They searched all over the big house, the barn and all of the other outbuildings but found no sign of Cora anywhere. All of the texts Natalia and, she imagined dozens of others, sent to Cora were ignored and all calls went straight to voicemail.
It was Wyatt who discovered that one of the ranch trucks was missing. How Cora managed to get out to it and drive away without anyone noticing, Natalia couldn’t imagine. Though she supposed with all of the guests seated in the back yard and all of the staff busy preparing for the reception no one would be on the lookout for a beautiful blonde in poufy white dress angling to steal an old Ford pickup.
Once the initial shock had worn off somewhat and Trey, along with his family and Krystal and her family had fled the premises, Louise, ever the gracious hostess insisted that everyone else stay and have dinner. “It would be a shame to let all of this wonderful food go to waste,” she said in a voice that quavered only slightly. The tremor in her hand as she took the first sip of a stiff martini was the only other indicator that she was shaken to the core by the afternoon’s events.
The cocktail reception and dinner that followed were awkward as hell. While feasting on gourmet food and sucking down top shelf booze, everyone whispered in hushed tones, as they speculated about how long Trey and Krystal had been carrying on and discussed the appropriateness of Cora outing the cheaters in such a shocking fashion.
The next morning, Natalia watched with eyes that were gritty from lack of sleep as the people from the rental company packed up tables, chairs, and all of the table settings to haul back to Bozeman. Even though Cora had finally texted her parents to let them know that she was safe, Natalia had spent the night tossing and turning.
Did it make her a selfish jerk to spend the night stressing about what this meant for her when her best friend’s life had just blown up? Yes. Did it stop her from obsessing about all of the hard work she’d put in over the last two weeks, all for nothing? No.
Now, as Natalia watched the fruits of her labor get packed up and loaded into a van, the knot that had formed in her stomach yesterday afternoon felt like it had grown to the size of a bowling ball.
She started at the feel of hands settling on her shoulders. When she turned and saw that it was Ian, his face shadowed by the brim of his straw cowboy hat, a little thrill shot through her core. Even another career disaster couldn’t quell her utter delight at the mere sight of him.
“I was really looking forward to dancing with you last night,” he said and gave her shoulders a squeeze. He bent his head low so his warm breath teased her ear. “Looking forward to some other things too.”
She gave a heavy sigh. “Yeah, there were a lot of things about last night that didn’t go the way I expected them to either.”
He turned her to face him and pulled her into his arms. “I know. I know how important this was to you and I’m sorry for what happened.”
She felt the backs of her eyes burn as a sob bubbled up in her throat. “I’m such an asshole.” She burrowed her face into the solid mass of his chest. “Cora’s whole life is falling apart, and I’m freaking out about a stupid party and some bad press.”
Natalia had checked her phone first thing this morning and sure enough, news of Cora McLaughlin’s wedding that wasn’t made it to Page Six. The reporter helpfully pointed out that Natalia, her wedding planner, had also planned the socialite’s birthday party that had landed Alexandria Chermovsky Pierce in the hospital. If you want your party to be remembered for all of the wrong reasons, hire Natalia Pachetti to plan it, the copy read.
“You can feel bad for her and bad for yourself at the same time,” Ian said as he rubbed her back in slow, soothing circles.
“Still, I can’t even imagine how awful Cora must feel. To find out that Trey has been cheating on her, and with her cousin? Who does that?” Fresh rage on her friend’s behalf roared through her. She pulled away from Ian’s embrace, and balled her hands into angry fists. “I fucking hate that fucker so much. And that stupid bitch Krystal. I’m going to send them both brownies laced with laxatives. Maybe Krystal will shit herself in the middle of pitching a client.”
Ian chuckled and shook his head. “I guess I should count myself lucky I never received a box of baked goods from you. Seriously though,” he said, his expression grew somber, “shitting themselves is too good for them. I personally believe there’s a special circle of hell reserved for cheaters.”
“Yeah,” Natalia nodded. “One where guys like Trey have their junk rot off and grow back every day over and over for all of eternity.”
Ian winced and cupped his hands protectively over his fly. “I have to go talk to Wyatt, but I’ll catch up with you later?”
She nodded.
“You’re not leaving until tomorrow, right?”
She nodded again and felt the knot in her gut swell with dread. Then she gave herself a mental shake. Who was she to feel sorry for herself for having to say goodbye to Ian, when Cora had just lost the man she thought she was going to spend the rest of her life with? “Yep. We have one last night.”
Something flashed in his eyes that looked an awful lot like regret. He covered it up with a smile that made her forget about the knot in her stomach and sent liquid heat pouring through her veins. “I guess I better make it count.”
The thought of that boosted her spirits a little as she watched the last of the rental equipment get packed up and helped Wyatt, Ian, and a couple of other hands take down the reception tent. By the time she went back to the big house it was after noon. Several suitcases were in the foyer, as Cora’s parents, along with Olivia and Emily, were scheduled to depart later that afternoon on the family jet.
She walked into the kitchen to find Louise looking harried. “Natalia, I don’t know what to do. I feel so terrible, leaving like this before we even know exactly where Cora is and when she’ll be back or what her plans are.”
Natalia placed a hand on her arm in an attempt to soothe her, but Louise was on a roll, talking a mile a minute, every word laced with anxiety and guilt. “I’m her mother, I should stay. Or at least Olivia should. Someone needs to be here for her. Of course, she could return to New York or fly off who knows where for that matter. Do you suppose she took her passport with her? What if she runs off to, to,-” she flung her hands in the air “ - Costa Rica or something for God’s sake!”
There were worse things to do than to run off to Costa Rica after discovering your fiancé was cheating on you, but Louise looked horrified at the thought. “I’m sure she’s not going to run off to Costa Rica, or anywhere else crazy. She just needs a few days to process this and get her head together. In the meantime, do you want me to stay here for a while longer in case she comes back?”
She ignored the little voice that remarked that this would conveniently allow her more time with Ian.
“Would you?” Louise brought her hands to her chest in a beseeching gesture.
“It would give me so much relief, knowing that you are here to support her.”
“It’s not like I have anything pressing to return to.” She meant for her comment to be light, but from the way Louise winced, she knew her bitter disappointment had leaked through.
Louise gave her a sympathetic smile. “That reminds me,” she said. “Give me just a minute.”
She left the kitchen and returned shortly after with her purse hanging from the crook of her elbow. She placed it on the island and rummaged for a moment until she found her checkbook.
“Louise, you don’t need to worry about this now,” she held up a hand in protest. “You have much bigger things to deal with right now. Besides, I don’t even know what you should pay me, considering the reception technically didn’t happen.”
Louise waved her off. “Whether it happened or not, there’s no question you worked your butt off.” She quickly wrote out the check and handed it to Natalia with a tired smile.
Natalia took it and thanked her, then did a double take when she saw how much Louise had made the check out for. She stared at Louise, mouth agape and shook her head. The check was for nearly as much as she made in a year working for Elite Events.
“This is way too much,” Natalia protested.
Louise waved her slender hands in a shooing motion. “Nonsense. I know how important this was to you and you did a phenomenal job. And, of course, I will tell everyone who will listen to hire you.” She continued, echoing Natalia’s thoughts, “However I also realize that praise from your best friend’s mother might not be enough to reinvigorate your career right away.”
“But . . . but this is more than double what I quoted you.”
Louise reached out and laid her hand on Natalia’s cheek. “Think of it as a bonus, one you have more than earned.” She pulled Natalia into a warm hug, engulfing her in the scent of clean laundry and Chanel No. 5 perfume.
Even though the money would provide a much needed financial buffer as she got her career back on track, she didn’t feel right accepting it. She told Louise as much.
“Nonsense,” Louise said leaning back so she could look Natalia in the eye. “You’ve been in my girls’ lives so long you’re practically another daughter to me. Of course, I’m going to take care of you as I would them.”
Tears welled in Natalia’s eyes and spilled down her cheeks. She’d always felt like she’d found a second family in Cora’s, especially after her mother died. It was incredibly touching to hear the sentiment echoed back to her.
Louise dabbed at her own tears, then excused herself to finish getting ready to leave.
The mood was bittersweet as Wyatt and Ian joined her at the big house to say goodbye to the McLaughlins and Emily. Hugs were exchanged, along with promises to let each other know as soon as anyone heard a peep from Cora.
“If you run into Trey,” Natalia said to Olivia, “kick him in the nuts for me.”
“Oh, I won’t stop there,” Olivia said fiercely. “If I see him, I’ll cut off his balls and feed them to him.”
“Or better yet, feed them to Krystal,” Emily chimed in. “I’ll sauté them up and serve them with a nice red wine sauce.”
Wyatt and Ian winced and sucked air through their teeth in unison at the image.
After the travelers loaded up in a Suburban to drive to the airport, Wyatt turned to Ian. “You still need to check the fence line along the county road,” he said pointedly.
“Yeah, so?” Ian replied.
Wyatt’s gaze darted between Natalia and his brother. “So, don’t get too distracted.”
Ian rolled his eyes at his brother’s retreating back, then settled his hands on Natalia’s hips to pull her close. “Guess we’ll have to wait a bit for our epic last night to start.”
A thrill of desire rippled through her as he bent his head towards hers. She felt his warm breath on her cheek as her lips tingled in anticipation of feeling the firm pressure of his against them. “This isn’t my last night,” she whispered.
He jerked his head up, a confused expression on his face. “It’s not?”
She quickly explained the situation, how Louise wanted her to stay until Cora returned or at least contacted someone to reveal her plans.
“So, you’re staying here…” his voice trailed off, his expression unreadable.
The knot in her stomach was swelling again, this time with the horrible realization that despite what he’d said about wanting more time, maybe this wasn’t what he wanted after all. Maybe that was all just bullshit, a line he was feeding her to keep her on the hook.
She licked her lips. “A few more days? I don’t really know for sure.”
A slow smile spread across his face as he brought a hand up to cup her cheek. “I really hope Cora takes her own sweet time getting her head straight, but I’ll take what I can get.”
She grinned back at him and tilted her head back as he bent to her. Her lips parted eagerly against his as she sucked his tongue into her mouth to tangle with hers.
“It gets better,” she said when they came up for air. She told him about the check Louise had given her.
“That’s a hell of a babysitting fee,” he chuckled.
“I feel bad taking it,” she confessed. “Kind of like I’m profiting off my friend’s misery. Not to mention, it’s not exactly a hardship having to stay here with you for a little longer.”
“Making the best of a bad situation doesn’t make you a bad friend.”
Natalia shrugged, hoping it was true.
He pulled her into his arms and rested his chin on the top of her head. He was quiet for a moment. “You might remember from the last time you were here,” he said as his hands slid up and down her back in a way that had her arching against him like a cat, “Montana is really beautiful in the summer. And there’s a lot to do, fishing, camping, horseback riding, hiking.”
“Thanks for the notice from the Montana Board of Tourism,” she teased.
He lifted his head and leaned back a little so he looked her in the eye. “Just wanted to point that out. And when you get bored with all of that, I bet there are plenty of people in Bozeman who need help planning their weddings and parties.”
Her head cocked to the side and her heart thudded in her chest.
“In fact,” he paused to take off his hat and run his fingers roughly through his hair, “a lot of celebrities and rich folks like the McLaughlins have places out here. I bet they’d love help from someone with your experience planning their fancy summer barbecues.” He held the hat in his hands. His gaze locked on his hat as he spun the brim through his fingers as though it was the most interesting thing in the universe.
“Where are you going with this?” Was he going where she thought he was going? If so, how was she going to respond?
He cleared his throat and she watched his Adam’s apple bob in his throat as he swallowed hard. “Nowhere in particular. Just, uh, making some observations. I was just thinking,” he paused again, and the ridges of his tanned cheekbones stained dark red. “With your finances covered and nothing in particular calling you back to New York, maybe you could just stay here for a while. Separate from what happens with Cora. See how you like it out here.” He swallowed again and lifted his gaze to meet hers. “Maybe we can see what happens when we have more than four weeks over the course of eleven years to get to know each other.”
Natalia’s stomach flipped and her breath caught in her chest as an electric thrill shot through her. She’d never felt anything like this before, as though her entire body was screaming an overwhelming, emphatic, YES!
NO! her brain immediately countered. The idea of staying here indefinitely was preposterous. She had a plan to go back to New York, a plan to get her career back on track. Staying in Montana indefinitely - possibly permanently - for a guy she barely knew, was definitely not part of that plan.
You know enough.
You know that he is funny. That he’s kind. That you love being around him, and the feeling appe
ars to be mutual. And let’s not forget that just looking at him is enough to make your panties melt off and he rocks your world in bed. You’ve had long term relationships based on less than that. What do you have to lose?
What indeed? To Ian’s point, thanks to Louise she wasn’t desperate to find work to cover her rent. Speaking of rent, she could sublet her apartment in a heartbeat. And thanks to Page Six, even though what happened at Cora’s wedding wasn’t her fault, she was being portrayed as some kind of curse. So even if she went back to New York and tried to drum up business, there was no way she would be hired to plan any clam bakes in the Hamptons as she had for the last five summers.
Hadn’t the past month shown her that she could plan everything in her life and work down to the smallest detail, and it could all still blow up in her face? What if for once, she just went with her gut? What if she let go of the plan and was open to wherever life took her?
She laughed nervously. “I’m not sure how the McLaughlins will feel about me squatting here indefinitely.”
His face broke into a grin. His blue eyes brightened as they crinkled around the corners. “I bet they wouldn’t mind.” He put his hat back on and moved closer. “And if they do, I may know someone willing to take you in.”
Her heart leapt to her throat and she felt a little tremor of delight at the prospect of waking up in Ian’s bed every morning. And going to bed with him every night.
She swallowed hard as she wondered if she was about to make the worst or the greatest decision of her life.
What do you have to lose? Except for a lifetime of regret for never taking this chance when you had it?
Any sense of doubt fell away as she looked into his eyes. She raised her hand up to brush against his cheek as her mouth stretched into a grin that mirrored his. “Let’s do this. Let’s see what happens.”
