Autumn Skies: 3 (A Bluebell Inn Romance)

by Denise Hunter

  “Will it be very big?”

  Grace shook her head. “It’s only family and a few close friends. Mia’s best friend is flying in Friday and her dad, stepmom, and their kids are coming Saturday—Mia only reunited with her dad a couple years ago.”

  “And her mom?”

  “She passed away.”

  “That’s too bad.”

  “Everyone who’s flying in is being picked up at the airport by Skeeter—our resident floatplane guy—and flown straight to our dock. Hopefully we can keep this under wraps through the wedding. We’d like to avoid hovering helicopters.”

  “They’d do that?”

  “You have no idea. They could turn this place into a media circus.”

  After they regrouped Wyatt squared up with Grace.

  “This one’s a grab from behind. You’re going to incapacitate the attacker this time before you run. Turn around and face the other direction.” After she did as he asked, he stepped close and wrapped his arms around her waist, bringing him flush against her.

  She softened in his arms, and it took every bit of his discipline to block out the feel of her body against his, the delicious scent of her hair. “Okay, this one involves some punches and knees to the groin, so we’re going to be very careful. We’re just going to simulate those until we have pads.”

  “Trying to preserve future generations of Jennings?”

  “Among other things. Grab my arms. Good.” He instructed her to pull herself in at the waist, swing her hips to the side, make a fist, and strike the groin.

  After she completed this he said, “Now pivot and reach around my neck, interlocking your hands.”

  She did as he asked, peering up at him. They were inches apart. His hands clenched at her sides.

  “This is nice right now,” she said. “But it’s the last thing I’d feel like doing in the middle of an attack.”

  “It goes against instinct to get closer to the threat, but it works. Now’s when you drive your knee upward into the groin once or twice. You’ll want to do all this quickly, catch him off guard. An attacker won’t be expecting this—that gives you the element of surprise.”

  They went through the motions. There were more moves to this one, but she was a fast learner, so it didn’t take long. In a short time she had two defensive moves down pretty solidly. It was rewarding, teaching her to protect herself.

  He thought back to his conversation with the gym owner. Jim had asked if Wyatt would be interested in teaching a course, but he wouldn’t be around long enough to do so. Too bad, because that was something he’d always wanted to do. Teaching women to defend themselves was a worthy cause. His schedule just didn’t allow for it.

  “I think that’s enough for today,” he said as she drank from her water bottle.

  “Just one more?”

  “You need to work on the ones I just showed you. Practice them for a few minutes every day if you can. Maybe midweek we can go to the gym and spar for real—if you have time with all the wedding stuff you’ve got going on.”

  “Now that Mia’s here, she’s taken all that on. But what about your search? I have Thursday off. And I get off Wednesday at three—that’s a little late in the day to get started, I know.”

  Wyatt had been giving that some thought the last few days.

  “About that . . .” He stepped closer and took her hand, running his thumb along the soft skin on the back of it. “I’d like to have you along, but I don’t know about the nights, Gracie. The camping.”

  Understanding dawned on her face. “Things have changed a little since last time.”

  “We’ve definitely crossed a certain line. And as much as I might want to share a sleeping bag with you, it’s probably not the smartest idea.”

  “Did I say you could share my sleeping bag?” she teased. “But yeah, you’re right. We’ll have to work around that somehow, the overnight part.”

  He stepped closer and set his hands gently at her waist. “Let’s practice the frontal hold.”

  “Is that a thing?”

  “It’s a very good thing.” He pulled her closer until their faces were inches apart. He took in the beautiful planes, the perfect little nose, the lush lips, slightly parted and ready for him.

  “Would now be a good time for me to practice that knee move?”

  “Only if you want me to stop.”

  “Hmm.” Grace stretched toward him like a flower toward the sun. “Never mind.”

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  The next week passed in a blur. It was a good thing they’d hired Miss Della’s granddaughter, Jada, to help out around the inn because the wedding preparations ended up absorbing extra time. The bridal party had one more dress fitting. There were extra errands and last-minute glitches. Grace and Molly pitched in wherever they could to take the stress off Levi and Mia.

  On Tuesday evening Grace slipped away to practice the defense moves with Wyatt at the gym. As promised, he didn’t take it easy on her. He was formidably strong and difficult to escape. She was worried about hurting his shoulder, but he insisted he was fine. As they executed the moves he was very encouraging, always praising her efforts.

  She had the moves down, and he continually pushed her to use all her strength, to be bold and aggressive. He even had her shouting as she went through the motions. She felt silly at first, but something about using her voice freed her up to be more forceful. Their demonstration gathered a small crowd, and afterward several people expressed interest in learning self-defense.

  Unfortunately, due to the wedding preparations, Grace had to call off the hike with Wyatt on Thursday. He went on without her, leaving Wednesday morning. She spent the day transporting tables and chairs from the church and stringing white twinkle lights on the back patio with Mia and Molly.

  Mia and Levi could’ve easily afforded to hire out the grunt work, but the more people involved in the wedding, the likelier that the news would leak. Grace didn’t really mind. They were used to pulling their own weight around here, and their small circle of friends were pitching in.

  They’d had some good news this week. Two brothers from Chicago were interested in seeing the inn. Grace had been emailing them all week, answering questions. One of them was an accountant, so Levi sent them the financials. After they had a couple days to review them, they wanted a tour as soon as possible. There would be no time before the wedding, so Grace had set it up for next week.

  On Friday, they turned on the No Vacancy sign. They’d blocked out Friday through Sunday to give them privacy for the wedding—Wyatt being the sole exception.

  Mia’s best friend, Brooke, arrived on Friday, and that night they went through a brief rehearsal. Miss Della topped it off with a big dinner, complete with all of Levi’s favorite foods and Mia’s favorite dessert—crème brûlée. There was much love and laughter as they gathered around the table to celebrate the upcoming nuptials.

  Saturday dawned clear and sunny. The weather forecasted a beautiful day with a high temperature of seventy-eight. Levi and Mia decided to shun the tradition of the groom not seeing the bride on the day of the wedding. The logistics were too difficult, given the secrecy and need for all hands on deck.

  They waited until afternoon to set up the backyard, as the property was visible from the lake. Throughout the afternoon Levi and Mia could be found off to the side, whispering into each other’s ears or canoodling in various nooks and crannies in the house and backyard.

  “Get a room,” Grace called as she passed with another armful of chairs. “Or better yet, grab a few chairs.”

  They didn’t even respond.

  Mia’s family arrived by floatplane midafternoon, and by four o’clock the girls were upstairs getting ready, a trusted photographer documenting the occasion. Their nails had been done earlier, and they had three hours to get ready for the sunset service.

  The bridal party took over the suite, and the men crammed into Levi’s room downstairs. Brooke had worked as a makeup artist, so she had t
he very easy task of making Mia beautiful.

  Molly dressed early and hovered around Mia, bringing drinks, adjusting the room temperature, and otherwise fluttering about like a fairy godmother. Grace’s dress fit her perfectly, and her heels didn’t even squeeze her toes.

  “It’s a mystery to me why you don’t wear dresses every day,” Molly said when Grace emerged from the bathroom.

  “There are women in Hollywood who’d kill for those legs,” Mia said. “The single men are going to be all over you tonight.”

  “They won’t be able to take their eyes off you long enough to notice anyone else,” Grace said.

  “Besides,” Molly offered, “I don’t think Wyatt’ll let anyone else near her.”

  A moment later Brooke brought the gown to Mia. “Time for the big moment.”

  Mia stood in her slip, and Brooke helped her into the gown while Molly stood back, hands folded as if in prayer.

  Mia’s long blonde hair was worn in a loose updo with artfully arranged curls framing her face. She was gorgeous. And she was just as beautiful on the inside.

  Even Grace’s breath caught as Brooke slid the bodice into place. The dress was as elegant as the bride with a halter neckline that showed off her square shoulders and slender arms. Once Brooke buttoned up the bodice, the gown fit like a dream. Delicate sequins sparkled under the lights, and the gently flaring skirt swirled around Mia’s legs as she turned to look in the full-length mirror.

  Molly clapped, her eyes shiny. “You look amazing. Levi’s going to faint dead away at the sight of you.”

  “I hope not. He has some vows to get through first.”

  Grace wasn’t one to cry at weddings. She really wasn’t much of a crier at all. But seeing the two empty front-row chairs in honor of their parents challenged that quality. As did seeing Mia’s long-lost father escort her proudly down the aisle.

  And watching Levi’s expression shift as his bride walked toward him . . .

  He looked so happy. So in love. He’d sacrificed a lot for Grace and Molly. He’d given up his job, his apartment, his whole life in Denver to come here and run this inn. And then he’d stuck with them for four years while they’d made a go of it. Yeah, he was annoying sometimes. Bossy. Intrusive. But he’d gotten better about that. And Grace didn’t know many brothers who’d have done what he had. She loved the big lug, and he deserved happiness more than anyone she knew.

  And these thoughts were doing nothing to help with the teary situation. When she blinked a tear streamed down her face, probably wrecking all of Brooke’s hard work.

  Grace looked away from her brother, seeking distraction, and her gaze collided with Wyatt’s. He was sitting in the third row, watching her intently. Saying a thousand things with just his eyes. His dark hair was neatly combed, his jaw freshly shaven. He looked so handsome in the black suit and crisp white shirt. He must’ve gone shopping. Worth every dime.

  His lips tipped up just then, and her heart stuttered. Literally, a chest palpitation. She almost clutched her heart.

  Grace swallowed hard and looked back at Mia, who was joining Levi at the front. But all Grace could think of was Wyatt and the feelings that had just zipped through her. She’d never felt this way before—not even close. Was she falling in love with him? Had she already fallen in love? Impossible. It hadn’t even been three weeks.

  Did Wyatt feel the same? Or was this some little fling to fill the time? He had so much more experience in this area.

  Maybe it was just the wedding. Maybe she was having one of those ridiculous girly moments. A flight of fantasy where as she watched the celebration of true love, she wished it into being for herself. That was so uncharacteristic of her though.

  She wanted to seek out Wyatt’s gaze again, try to determine if she’d seen love in his eyes or maybe just affection. But she was afraid her feelings were written all over her face right now.

  She forced herself to pay attention as the pastor prayed, then segued into a beautiful explanation of married love. The ceremony was brief and poignant, the love the couple shared so apparent in the looks they exchanged, in the words they shared. There were no songs, no poems, just a heartfelt message by the pastor and the quiet exchange of vows.

  Throughout the ceremony Grace periodically checked the skies and the lake, fearful they’d have unwelcome guests. But it appeared all their work had paid off. The twenty-seven guests and all those who’d helped make this day happen had managed to pull off a quiet celebrity wedding.

  In no time at all the pastor pronounced them husband and wife. Levi took Mia into his arms and placed a loving kiss on her lips. When they broke apart the smiles on their faces could’ve lit an entire city.

  * * *

  It was taking forever to get to the part Wyatt was most anticipating—the dancing. Not because he’d been blessed with great rhythm, but because he couldn’t wait to get his arms around Grace.

  He’d hardly been able to take his eyes off her tonight, from the time she’d walked out the back door until now, as she watched Levi and Mia share their first dance on the makeshift dance floor.

  The sun had set during the ceremony, and darkness had slowly fallen. The small crowd gathered on the large patio where round tables were set up. Now the meal was finished, and the bride and groom swayed together under the twinkling lights to the soft strains of a string quartet.

  “It was a beautiful wedding, wasn’t it?” Grace’s chin was propped on her palm as she watched the couple. A wayward curl had fallen from her updo and kissed the curve of her cheek.

  “Beautiful,” he said.

  “The weather sure cooperated. And the sunset was—”

  “Perfect.”

  She must’ve caught the tone of his voice, because she turned his way.

  “Did I tell you that you look amazing tonight?” he asked.

  “At least three times, not that I don’t appreciate it. And you should know it’s a real rarity to see me in a dress. Like sighting an American coot or something—that’s a bird.”

  “As beautiful as you are right now, you’re also pretty cute in a ponytail and that big purple T-shirt. I like how it falls off your shoulder.”

  She blushed prettily. “You’re especially handsome in your suit tonight.”

  “I caught you staring at me earlier, from up front.”

  Something drifted across her face. Something uncertain. “You were staring at me too.”

  “I was.”

  She fiddled with the edge of the tablecloth. “And what were you thinking, Mr. Jennings?”

  The final note of the song played out, and Levi swept Mia into a dramatic dip to the applause of the delighted crowd. The quartet struck up another tune, and guests were invited to join the couple on the dance floor.

  Finally. He held out his hand to Grace. “I’ve been waiting all night for this.”

  The dancing went on a long while—almost long enough for Wyatt to get his fill. Finally the bride and groom tossed the bouquet and garter, then cut the cake. It wasn’t even ten o’clock yet, but Wyatt sensed their eagerness to be off and away.

  A short while later they disappeared inside the house to change. Grace went inside with Molly to say their private good-byes while the rest of the party lined up outside the back door.

  Soon the crowd cheered as the couple exited the house in their travel clothes and ran down the lawn hand in hand. They continued all the way to the end of the pier where they slipped into the waiting floatplane. Moments later they took off across the water and lifted into the dark sky. They were headed to Charlotte where they’d catch a flight in the morning and set off for a romantic week in Paris.

  The crowd slowly dispersed after that, and Wyatt helped their friends and neighbors clean up. It wasn’t quite midnight when he was walking Grace to her door.

  She looked satisfied but tired as she turned at her door and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Thank you for being my plus one tonight. It was a lot of fun.”

  “Thank you for i
nviting me. You’re a good dance partner.”

  “Is it awful that I’m glad to have the wedding behind us? It’ll be good to get back to some normalcy and focus on finding a buyer for the inn.”

  “Normalcy is good. You’re excited about that bungalow, aren’t you?”

  “And afraid I’m going to lose it. Pamela’s having an open house tomorrow. Pray that nobody puts in an offer?”

  “Of course. But have a little faith. If it’s meant to be, it’ll be.” Wyatt took her face in his hands and pressed a soft kiss to her lips.

  Grace gave a contented sigh.

  He didn’t let the kiss go on and on but made proper use of the time. Then he pulled away and brushed her cheek with his thumb. “You’re tired. I’ll let you get to bed.”

  “I’m so sleeping in tomorrow.”

  “Late service?”

  “Deal.”

  “I’ll plan on hiking afterward.” He was running out of time and starting to feel a little desperate. His leave was officially up in a week and two days, and he was no closer to a resolution.

  “I wish I could go with you.”

  “I know.” He set a kiss on her brow and said good night.

  It was only as he closed his own door that he realized he’d never answered Grace’s question about what he’d been thinking earlier. That was just as well, because he’d been thinking that he might be falling in love with the woman.

  A pleasant sensation spread throughout him at the thought. He’d never felt this way, as if he were floating. Who knew it would take a woman like Grace to reach a place so deep inside him?

  But even as he enjoyed the heady feeling, an ache pressed in, bringing his feet back down to the ground. Because his and Grace’s lives were not compatible, and no amount of wishing would make it otherwise.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Molly led the Johnson brothers down the inn’s staircase. They’d spent almost two hours poring over every inch of the place, and she’d been very careful to avoid the subjects that had gotten her in trouble with her siblings.