A Winter Wedding (Whiskey Creek)

by Brenda Novak

  “Actually, I do,” she said. “Maybe it’ll take my mind off my own screwed-up life. What’s going on?”

  “Basically, she’s unhappy that I’m not more receptive to her advances.”

  Once he was finished with it, Lourdes took the knife. “More of the same? Why would that ruin dinner?”

  “Because she seems to have turned a corner. She’s figured out that we’re never getting back together—and now she’s angry.”

  “Good thing I’ve committed to do the cooking from now on.”

  He added several slices of turkey to his sandwich before handing over the meat. “Are you sure you’re up to it?”

  “Of course. Don’t let my tear-streaked face fool you.”

  His smile slipped away, replaced by a rueful expression. “I just hope she leaves it at what she’s done already.”

  “Which is...” She piled on some more turkey but skipped the cheese. She didn’t want the extra calories.

  “She’s been telling lies, spreading rumors, trying to make me look bad.”

  Lourdes dabbed mustard on her sandwich. “You can’t be worried that anyone will believe her. Everyone around here knows you—and her. Don’t they?”

  “For the most part, but we each have our own circles. Thanks to what she’s been telling her parents, they hate me. And I’m getting the feeling that Olivia is torn. She wants to believe her sister and fall in line with her family for a change, even though she’s well aware that Noelle is hardly reliable.”

  “How could she want to side with the same sister who purposely stole you away from her?”

  “Now that she’s happily married, I guess it’s easier to forget the past. Anyway, bottom line, I don’t need all the shit Noelle brings into my life, and I’m getting tired of it.”

  Lourdes placed a slice of tomato on her turkey. “So that’s what has you bugged.”

  He put the top on his sandwich and grabbed it with both hands. “Bugged is too mild a word for what I’m feeling. I’ve put up with her for years. I’ve even tried to be good to her. I keep telling myself there’s no reason exes have to be nasty to each other. But nothing seems to get her out of my life.”

  “She sounds like a very troubled person.”

  “She’s not deep enough to be troubled. I’d leave it at difficult.”

  “So what are you going to do?”

  “Ignore her. What else can I do? With any luck she’ll get bored and go in search of someone who’s more interesting to torment.”

  “And if it doesn’t happen that way?”

  “We’ll see what she does and take it from there,” he said, but no sooner were those words out of his mouth than his phone began to buzz—and when he looked down he frowned as if he didn’t like what he saw.

  “What is it?” she asked.

  “I can’t believe this.”

  “Tell me what’s wrong.”

  “It’s Ed Hamilton, the editor of the local paper.”

  A cold chill ran down her spine. “Do you have any idea why someone from the paper would want to get hold of you?”

  “No.”

  “You think he’s calling about me.”

  When he gave her a sympathetic look, she understood she’d lost her temporary safe haven.

  15

  Kyle paced back and forth while he spoke to Ed. As he’d thought when he first saw Ed’s number, Noelle had struck again. She’d alerted the editor, who also served as the paper’s only staff reporter, to the fact that they had a celebrity in town. She’d even told him about the furnace in the farmhouse not working and that Lourdes was currently staying with him. Now Ed was following up to see if he could get an interview.

  The privacy that Lourdes needed would be much harder to get after this...

  “It’s not every day we have a country music star in our midst,” Ed said. “Especially one who’s hit the top of the charts, like Lourdes Bennett.”

  Kyle pivoted at the fireplace. “But we do have a famous movie star who stays in Whiskey Creek from time to time, and Simon has given you plenty of interviews.”

  “That may be true, but he’s not coming back for Christmas this year,” Ed argued. “At least not that I’ve heard.”

  “What does that have to do with anything?” Kyle asked.

  “I’m looking for good content. A paper needs new content in every issue. What was published three or four months ago isn’t relevant anymore. So what Simon’s done in the past is great, but I need to find more things like that. Folks here are familiar with him. It’s time they learned more about Lourdes.”

  “Why? She’s not interested in doing media interviews. She’s looking for some quiet during the holidays. You can understand that, can’t you?”

  “What I don’t understand is why you’re so hot under the collar,” he said. “I won’t bother her. I just want to talk to her for a few minutes.”

  He didn’t seem to understand that talking to her was bothering her. But Kyle had to continue to live here after she left, and he liked Ed. Lowering his voice, he said, “That may be true. One interview wouldn’t be a big deal. But after you print that she’s in town, everyone else will want to talk to her, too. So I’m sorry, she’s not willing to do an interview.”

  “Wait! You haven’t even asked her.”

  Kyle stabbed a hand through his hair. Damn Noelle. He’d wanted to throttle her for a long time, but never more than now. She didn’t give a shit about Ed or the paper. He doubted she’d ever read more than a handful of issues. She’d done this simply because she knew he wouldn’t want her to—that it would cause problems.

  She was probably hoping he’d lose his tenant...

  “I’ll tell Lourdes you called, and she can contact you if she’s interested,” he said. “How’s that?”

  “It’s not what I’d hoped for,” he admitted. “If she’s staying with you, why can’t I just stop over? I won’t be there long...”

  “Have you been listening to me, Ed? Do not come over.”

  “Jeez, calm down, Kyle. I’m only doing my job.”

  “And I’m only protecting my friend!”

  “From what? I’m not going to hurt her! Oh, forget it. I’ll wait until the heat’s back on at the farmhouse and swing by when she’s moved in and I can catch her alone. You won’t be able to run interference then,” he said and hung up.

  Incensed that Ed wasn’t willing to drop the matter, Kyle called him right back. But Ed wouldn’t answer. “Don’t. Bother. Her,” he said when Ed’s voice mail came on.

  Lourdes looked a little pale as she sat on the couch. He could tell she was as upset as he was, but his argument with Ed seemed to be affecting her differently. She sat frozen in one spot while he couldn’t stop moving.

  “See what I mean?” he said as he tossed his phone on the couch. “See what she’s like?”

  Lourdes clasped her hands in her lap. “Maybe I should do the interview. Get it over with. It never works to make an enemy of the media.”

  He shook his head. “You should have the choice of taking some time off. It’s Christmas, for God’s sake.”

  “But I don’t have a choice! Not really. I can’t afford any negative press right now.”

  “If you do the interview, everyone in town will be out to catch a glimpse of you. You’ll probably have a parade of well-wishers coming by. They’ll be carrying plates of Christmas cookies, because this is Whiskey Creek and they’re nice folks, but they’ll be interrupting your solitude all the same.” And if she didn’t want that, he’d rather not subject her to it.

  “He could write that I’m here whether I give him permission or not, Kyle. He could even put in a snippet about me renting your farmhouse, and then everyone in town will know where to find me.”

  “Good thing you’ll
be here with me instead of at the farmhouse,” he said. “I’ll turn them away at the door.”

  “You’ll be at work most of the time. Besides, I can’t continue to stay with you now that word’s getting out. What do you think the tabloids will make of it? I’ve had a steady and very public boyfriend for years. They’ll describe us—you and me—as lovers, because that’s the most salacious slant they can take, which will mean I’ll bear the blame for the breakup with Derrick. And you’ll be scrutinized along with me.”

  “I can’t believe she went after you. What’s her problem?” he muttered, talking about Noelle.

  “She’s out to punish you for rejecting her. Maybe she’s seriously dangerous.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Just what I said. You don’t think she’d ever show up with a gun and shoot you or...or something.”

  “No...”

  “I wouldn’t discount the possibility out of hand. Stranger things have happened.”

  He had a hard time seeing someone he’d known for so many years as a threat to his life. But there was no question that Noelle could be vengeful and narcissistic in the extreme. “I doubt she’d ever go so far as to bring a weapon here, but that aside, maybe you should move to another town,” he said. “Somewhere like Placerville, where you’d have a shot at maintaining some anonymity.”

  “And what guarantee do I have that it won’t happen there, too? That people won’t figure out where I am?”

  “Placerville’s not that far away. I could bring you groceries and whatever else you need. You wouldn’t have to leave the house.”

  “That would be too much trouble for you.”

  “So what do you think you should do? Go home?” He was strangely reluctant to suggest that, but he thought it might be what she’d wind up doing—and maybe it was even best for her.

  “I won’t go back where Derrick is. I’m not ready yet.”

  “Then what?”

  “I’ll do the interview. Suck it up and act as if I don’t mind, as if I’m just here to experience Christmas in Gold Country. The more I act as if I don’t want press, the more of it I’ll get. We need to rethink this, sell it right.”

  “And if some of your old friends from Angel’s Camp see the paper and turn up at the door?”

  “They won’t know how to find your farmhouse, like folks here do. It’s a bit of a drive, which will deter them, too. So they’ll call, and when they do, I’ll tell them I’m coming to visit after Christmas, once I have my next album done.”

  “You’ll put them off.”

  “Yes.”

  Finally, he sat down. “I’m sorry about this.”

  “It’s not your fault,” she said.

  Suddenly determined to overcome whatever Noelle threw his way, he draped a lap blanket over Lourdes’s shoulders and held it together under her chin. “Don’t worry,” he said. “You do the damn interview, and I’ll take care of everything else.”

  “How?” she asked, gazing up at him.

  “I’ll turn them all away, like I said—make sure no one bothers you.”

  “So you think I should still room with you? Despite the furor that might cause in the tabloids when they find out?”

  “Let them print whatever they want. Can’t be any worse than having them report the truth about Derrick.”

  “True,” she muttered. “It’s hurtful and embarrassing enough that he’d cheat—but with my biggest competitor? That’ll ensure it’s gossiped about much longer than it would’ve been otherwise.”

  “You might as well get your story out first. Besides, I love the fact that knowing you’re sleeping down the hall from me will drive Noelle mad.”

  If only having Lourdes so close wouldn’t drive him mad at the same time. As she slipped her hand in his to confirm that they’d stick together, he had the sudden urge to pull her closer so he could kiss her, and had to stand up and move away.

  * * *

  Lourdes looked spectacular, every bit the beautiful music icon he’d seen in the media before he met her. She’d done her hair and makeup and gotten out of the sweats she’d been wearing since she moved in with him. And nothing about her smile suggested she was ill at ease. Ed Hamilton had to believe she didn’t have a care in the world.

  She was putting on a brave front, and Kyle couldn’t have been prouder of her.

  “How did you come to know Kyle?” Ed asked.

  Kyle tried not to be annoyed with Ed’s overly solicitous manner. He owned a newspaper, so of course he’d pursue interesting stories to go in it. Times were difficult for his industry, what with most people getting their news online or via television. But, bottom line, Kyle felt more protective of his guest than sympathetic to his fellow townsman.

  “I met him online a few months ago,” she replied. “On my Facebook page.”

  Kyle was surprised by the implication that their relationship had started sooner than it had. He was pretty sure Noelle and everyone else would be surprised by it, too, but he didn’t care. It could be true. No one knew what he did on his computer except him.

  “So you came out to see him.”

  “I rented the farmhouse, thinking it might give us a chance to get to know each other better.”

  “And then the furnace wouldn’t work.”

  “Right, and it was too cold to stay.”

  “So you came here, but...you could’ve gone to a B and B. There are two in town.”

  “Derrick and I’ve been having some...disagreements. I didn’t feel like being out in public. And there wasn’t any need, since Kyle was kind enough to take me in.”

  “But just until he can get the heat back on, right?”

  That was a leading statement if Kyle had ever heard one.

  “Actually, I’m not sure I’ll move back.” She flashed him a smile. “Kyle and I have been having too much fun.”

  Ed straightened in his chair. “You might continue to live here? With Kyle?”

  “Why not?” She shrugged. “He’s easy to get along with.”

  When Ed’s gaze landed on him, Kyle could feel the man’s shock, but he didn’t look directly back at him. He couldn’t jump in to elaborate, because he wasn’t sure where Lourdes was going with this.

  Ed cleared his throat. “Then...you’re friends?” he asked, trying to press her into a definitive answer on their relationship.

  Kyle expected Lourdes to say they were, that although they’d only recently met in person, it felt as if they’d known each other their whole lives or something similar that would be ambiguous as to whether their connection included any romantic elements. So his jaw dropped when she said, “I wouldn’t limit it to friendship, no.”

  As Ed scribbled on his notepad, Kyle raised his eyebrows at Lourdes, and she winked. Apparently, if she had to do this interview, she was going to use it to exact a little revenge on Derrick.

  It would make Noelle squirm, too, but she’d asked for it. Why not let her assume his sex life had suddenly improved? There were worse things than to have people think he was Lourdes Bennett’s new lover. Maybe folks around Whiskey Creek would finally believe he’d gotten over Olivia, which should stop the pitying looks and whispered comments that seemed to follow him more and more as time went on and he didn’t get married.

  Problem was...implying to other people that they were sleeping together also made him think the kinds of thoughts he’d been trying to avoid.

  * * *

  “So how would you say it went?” Lourdes had gone in and put on her sweats again. Now she was sitting cross-legged on the couch facing Kyle so they could discuss the meeting.

  “You gave him one hell of an interview,” Kyle replied. “Ed was so excited to get home and write his darn article, he was nearly tripping over his own feet as he rushed out of here.”

>   She studied him more closely. “Do you mind?”

  “That you strongly hinted we were having sex?” He chuckled. “No.”

  “I figured it’d be smarter not to leave Ed, or the next reporter, anywhere to go. There’s no point in accusing people of something they freely admit. Takes all the fun out of it.”

  “That’s ironic.”

  “What?”

  “That you feel you have to admit to things you didn’t do just to get some peace...”

  She’d learned a few tricks over the course of her career. “The life of a celebrity. It’s great on the way up. But coming down? That’s a bumpy ride.”

  “You’ll be back on top again someday. Someday soon.”

  She liked how he encouraged her. She got the impression he really believed it was true, and that helped.

  “So you think the press will leave us alone now?” he asked.

  “I’m hoping. Since I basically told him we’re romantically involved, there’s no big secret to reveal, no reason to keep badgering me or digging for dirt.”

  “Smart.”

  “But you’ll have to play along while I’m here—to make it believable.”

  “No problem.”

  “Okay, thanks. I’m sorry I didn’t have the chance to discuss it with you beforehand. I didn’t go into the interview planning to say what I did. I thought of it when he started asking questions and went with it because I decided it might be as good for Olivia to read as Derrick.”

  He propped his hands behind his head. “Olivia doesn’t care who I sleep with.”

  Lourdes wasn’t so sure. Kyle had made some mistakes, but he was still special. No one could miss seeing that. “It’s always hard when an ex-lover moves on,” she argued. “There’s nostalgia attached to it, if nothing else. Anyway, even if Olivia doesn’t care, Brandon will be happy. Your folks, too. Now maybe the past can stay in the past, and she can view you as her brother-in-law and not her ex-lover.”

  “It’ll make Sunday dinners easier to tolerate—although my folks will certainly wonder when you don’t show up with me.”

  “Maybe I’ll go.” She imagined holding his hand and gazing up at him as if she was in love and didn’t think that would be very difficult to feign. “We could put on quite a show.”