This wasn’t the time or the place to talk about that, though. Instead, he swallowed back what he really wanted to say. “I’m sure we can discuss all of that sometime next spring.”
That should’ve placated them for the time being, but Violet smoothed her hair back as though even a strand would dare be out of place. “Maybe he’s finally going to open up that ridiculous charity he’s talked about for years.” Her voice dripped with sarcasm.
“Of course he’s not.” Mom patted her lips with her napkin. “He wouldn’t start up a new hobby while we were out of the country.”
Despite every effort to maintain a cool composure, Wyatt’s eyebrows rose right along with his temper. Mom said this as though they hadn’t just now started to consider going to Paris. And hobby? Really?
He sat up straighter and brought his arm down from Chrissy’s chair. “Any plans I have for my stables were set in motion long before I heard about the possibility of this trip tonight.”
Dad had just finished his salad. He set his fork across the plate, wiped his hands off on the cloth napkin he’d laid across his lap, and leaned back in his chair. “Son, you work for me. If I need you to oversee the company while I take your mother on a well-earned trip to Paris, I expect you to do so. I’d hoped you’d gotten over that silly notion of opening a charity stable by now.”
Wyatt hadn’t realized he’d balled his hands into fists until Chrissy covered one of his hands with her own. He forcibly relaxed and focused on the feel of her soft palm against his.
“I think Wyatt’s plans are admirable,” Chrissy spoke from his side. “A place like that will help so many people.”
Her praise made Wyatt’s heart swell with pride. Not just because she was supporting his business idea, but because she’d spoken up for him.
Violet made a noise that sounded like a cross between a grunt and a laugh before addressing Chrissy. “I’m sure charity is something Chrissy is more than familiar with.”
Wyatt pointed a finger at her. “See here, Violet—”
His aunt sitting across the table cleared her throat loudly. “I heard a rumor that Gran wanted to set up a fireworks display during the bonfire this year. Was the resort not open to the idea?”
She was clearly trying to change the topic to something more neutral. Despite the expressions on Violet’s and Dad’s faces revealing that they’d rather continue the conversation, his aunt succeeded.
The wait staff brought in plates of steak and shrimp. This was the meal Wyatt always looked forward to each year. He couldn’t fathom eating right now, though, when it felt like his stomach was filled with a lead balloon.
He tried to focus on Chrissy instead. He told her about some of the past activities they’d had at the reunion. She shared about the time, not long after Emma had started working for the vet clinic, she’d brought home a litter of eight puppies they spent all night feeding from a bottle. Wyatt was able to eat the majority of his meal to the accompaniment of Chrissy’s beautiful laughter.
Dessert was served, although many people opted out in favor of s’mores around the bonfire. Wyatt suggested they do the same and was relieved when Chrissy quickly agreed. They excused themselves and escaped from the dining room.
He looked down at his slacks and nice button-up shirt. They’d changed clothes before dinner, knowing that it would be a fancier affair. “I think I’m going to change again before we go out to the bonfire. This feels entirely too stuffy for campfire smoke and s’mores.”
Chrissy giggled. “I have to say I agree.” She motioned to the pretty dress that flowed to her calves. “Shorts and a t-shirt seem like a much better outfit for that kind of event.”
The pastel blue fabric of her dress fit her perfectly. She was pretty no matter what she wore, but Wyatt had to admit that her choice of dresses was becoming one of his favorites. He was pretty sure the sundress she wore on the beach earlier that afternoon would forever be associated with ocean waves and sweet kisses.
They took the elevator upstairs and walked down the hall to pause in front of Chrissy’s room. Wyatt took her hand in his. “I’ll meet you in fifteen minutes?”
She gave a little nod. He kissed her hand and waited for her to disappear into her room before going into his.
Suggesting they go out together for real was going to be a gamble. But if how he felt now was any indication, Wyatt didn’t think he could go back to only running into Chrissy at the coffee shop after this.
For the first time in more years than he’d care to count, Wyatt finally allowed himself to hope for the family he’d always wanted.
Chapter Fifteen
Chrissy held a graham cracker with a piece of chocolate out for Wyatt. He put the roasted marshmallow over it, and then she used the other piece of cracker to slide the marshmallow off the stick, sandwiching it all together in layered gooey goodness. “Do you want this one?” She offered it to Wyatt.
He shook his head. “Go for it, I’ll roast another.”
“Okay. I’ll get the rest of it ready for you when you bring it back.”
He flashed her a grin.
Chrissy relaxed in one of the two chairs they’d claimed. They were close enough to the bonfire to enjoy the experience, but far enough away that it wasn’t too hot. She could see Wyatt against the dancing red and orange flames, although the sun would be setting soon.
She bit into her s’more and released a contended sigh. This was a fabulous way to end the day. Dinner aside, it’d been nearly perfect. Sure, watching the volleyball game and helping the kids had been a lot of fun. Spending time on the beach searching for seashells and chasing the waves had been amazing. She would’ve enjoyed all of that if it’d been just her.
What made it all special, though, was experiencing it with Wyatt. When she’d first decided to pose as his girlfriend for this reunion, she’d been sure it would be a mistake. She’d have to thank Mom and Emma for encouraging her to go and Wyatt for being so convincing when he insisted she would enjoy it.
It’d be difficult to go back to real life again tomorrow. Would he still come by the coffee shop as often as he had before? If Emma started working at the country club, would Wyatt mind if Chrissy swung by once in a while to say hello to both of them?
She couldn’t imagine going back to being just friends or whatever it was they were before this weekend.
Wyatt returned with his roasted marshmallow. She rushed to put together the graham crackers and chocolate for him then laughed when he took a bite and had melted marshmallow stringing from his mouth to his hand.
He licked his fingers and chuckled. “Classy.”
That had her laughing harder as she finished her own treat and tried to wipe away the sticky residue on her hands. “They’re almost too messy to be worthwhile, aren’t they?”
“Bite your tongue, woman. S’mores are always worthwhile.” He waggled his eyebrows and finished the rest of his in one bite. “Although, I do think one will be enough for tonight.”
Chrissy agreed. Despite the tense atmosphere at dinner, she’d still managed to eat more than she normally did. There was no way she was going to let any of that shrimp go to waste. And the steak? It’d been amazing. She’d wished she could’ve wrapped up the leftovers and taken them home.
Wyatt sank into the chair beside her and reached for her hand.
Yeah, she could easily get used to this.
Gran approached from one side, a large cane in her right hand, with Lucy holding on to her left arm. She used the bottom of the cane to tap Wyatt’s foot. “I hope you are both stuffing yourselves silly.”
They smiled, and he nodded. “We did. Have you roasted marshmallows yet, Gran?”
She tilted her head toward Lucy. “That’s what we’re about to do now. It’s a lovely evening for a bonfire, don’t you think?” She looked up at the sky.
Chrissy’s gaze followed, and she marveled at how she could already see some of the brightest stars in the darkening sky. “So who won the poker game this aftern
oon?”
“Let’s just say there are some individuals, who will remain nameless, that are already insisting on a rematch next year to make some of their money back.” Gran gave her a wink. “You two young people enjoy the evening.”
Lucy gave them a wave and continued to escort Gran to a spot on the other side of the bonfire. Chrissy watched Gran unfold her cane into a chair that she eased herself into. “Your grandmother is a seriously amazing lady.”
“She really is.” He squeezed her hand. “I don’t know about you, but that s’more made me thirsty. I think there are drinks up at the patio. Can I grab you something?”
“A bottle of water would be great, thank you.” Between the sweet dessert and the warmth from the bonfire, her throat was parched.
“You’re welcome. I’ll be back in a few minutes. Save my seat?”
“Absolutely.”
Wyatt stood and then bent to place a kiss on her cheek near her ear before disappearing into the darkness behind her.
Chrissy touched her cheek and sighed contentedly.
She was staring at the bonfire and admiring the way the flames danced in the breeze when someone sat in Wyatt’s chair. She was turning to tell the person the seat was already taken when she realized it was Violet. Fantastic. Apparently, she was in the habit of nabbing newly-vacated chairs. If the sour look on the woman’s face was any indication, she hadn’t stopped for a friendly chat.
“I see you and my brother are having fun together.”
“I’m having a great time. Wyatt’s the sweetest guy I’ve ever met.” Truth.
“Yeah.” Violet’s tone insinuated she didn’t entirely agree. “Ignorance is bliss, after all.”
What was that supposed to mean? The last thing Chrissy wanted to do was encourage Violet. But either there was something on her face that showed her curiosity, or Violet was going to tell her anyway, because clearly she wasn’t going to just let things be.
“You should know that Wyatt was engaged once.”
Chrissy kept her focus on the bonfire and tried not to react. He’d been engaged? When?
“He and Ashley were the perfect couple. They were suited to each other, had the same goals and interests. I think they would’ve been happy if…” Violet’s voice trailed off.
Clearly Chrissy was being baited. Violet wanted to tell her the whole story, but she wanted Chrissy to ask to hear it. Chrissy didn’t trust Violet any further than she could throw her, yet she couldn’t help but wonder why Wyatt had never told her about his engagement with Ashley. How long ago had that been?
Violet sighed, obviously displeased with Chrissy’s lack of interest. “Once poor Ashley found out my brother was only marrying her to get access to our father’s money, it was over. Ashley and I have been friends since grade school, and I’ve never seen her more devastated than she was that day.”
There was no way. Wyatt would never use someone like that. Chrissy leveled Violet with a look of warning and tried to ignore the way her stomach clenched. “I don’t believe it.”
“You should. Our parents refuse to hand Wyatt his inheritance until he’s married and settled down. If there’s one thing he cares about more than anything else, it’s that stupid charity of his. He’d do anything to get that money and put his plans into motion, including marrying someone he doesn’t love.” The look Violet gave her was one of pity. “You’re just the next Ashley, and I want to spare you the grief and embarrassment of letting this relationship go on any further. I’m so sorry you had to find out this way, Chrissy.” Her use of the word relationship was filled with loathing.
Part of Chrissy wanted to slap Violet for what she was insinuating. But another part of her wondered why Wyatt had never told her that he and Ashley were engaged. Was he trying to hide it? Surely he hadn’t tried to marry the woman strictly for his inheritance. He’d told her that he’d been expecting some money to come in, and when it didn’t, it pushed his plans back. Was this what he was talking about? She couldn’t imagine him doing something like that. She scanned the crowd around her for Wyatt’s face and didn’t see him anywhere in the fading daylight.
“Look, the reason I’m telling you all of this is because Ashley’s here. She told me she’s come to terms with the relationship she had with Wyatt, and she still wants to marry him.” Violet relaxed in the chair, a smug look on her face. “She always was suited to our lifestyle. And you’re…not.”
Tears pricked the back of her eyelids, but Chrissy refused to let them fall. All she wanted was for Violet to go away and leave her alone. Again, she searched for a sign of Wyatt and finally spotted him. To her surprise, a woman was holding onto his arm as though she were hanging onto his every word. Chrissy wished she could see their faces, but what dwindling daylight remained wasn’t bright enough for that.
Violet sat up straighter and smiled. “Oh, good! Ashley found him.” She had the nerve to pat Chrissy’s shoulder. “I’ll be happy to take you over and introduce you to her if you’d like.”
The tears she’d been holding back were past the point of containment. She wouldn’t give Violet the satisfaction of crying in front of her. “No. It’s actually getting late, and we need to drive back to Clearwater early tomorrow. I think I’m going to head to my room.”
“All right. I’ll let Wyatt know. Good night, Chrissy.” With that, Violet stood and walked away.
Chrissy sniffed and swiped at a tear that had escaped. How could she have been so stupid? She’d told herself when she came here that this was all an act. She’d known that she and Wyatt were far too different for anything to work between them. Then she’d allowed one amazing day to convince her that maybe, just maybe, she’d been wrong.
Her vision blurry, Chrissy picked her way through the crowd, avoided Wyatt and Ashley, and made her way back to the resort and her room. When she finally collapsed on the bed, the tears flowed freely.
~*~
Wyatt could barely contain his disgust the moment Ashley latched herself on his arm. What was she doing here? She wasn’t family, and he certainly hadn’t invited her.
“It’s SO good to see you, Wyatt.” She squeezed his arm in a hug and then didn’t let go. “It seems like forever. When Violet invited me to come for the bonfire and told me you’d be here, I jumped at the chance.” Her voice couldn’t be any more sugarcoated. “So what have you been up to?”
“Relaxing, visiting, enjoying the food.” He tried to pry his arm out of her grip, but she managed to exchange one of his arms for the other. “Have you run into Violet yet? I’m sure she’d be excited to see you. Maybe if you looked for her inside?”
Ashley sighed contentedly. “Oh, I found her earlier. She’s the one who told me you were heading to the deck. Maybe we should grab something cold to drink and visit for a while. I heard there’s an open bar inside.”
“I don’t drink.” He wanted to tell her he wouldn’t sit down and drink a glass of water with her, either. There was next to nothing she could say that would convince him to spend time with her. “Look, someone’s waiting for me.” He held up the two bottles of water he held for emphasis.
Either Wyatt’s hint went completely over her head, or she chose to ignore it. Either way, she attempted to turn him back around toward the resort. That’s when he decided he was going to have to be more forceful. He removed her arms from his and took a step back. “If Violet invited you, you should probably go find her. My girlfriend is waiting for me.”
Without glancing behind him, Wyatt strode down the pathway and across the sand back to where the large bonfire continued to burn. He reached their chairs. Not only was Chrissy nowhere to be seen, but they’d been claimed by someone else.
He searched around the bonfire and even asked Gran if she’d seen Chrissy. No one seemed to have noticed where she went.
The attempt to call her went directly to voicemail. It was so loud outside, she probably wouldn’t be able to hear her phone ring anyway.
Stamping down his frustration, he decided to head ba
ck to the deck in case she’d gone to find him. He was stopped by family members three times before he even made it there. He again tried to call her with the same result.
What was he supposed to do now? Worry morphed into dread when he saw Violet approaching him. “Are you looking for Chrissy?”
“Yes. Do you know where she is?”
“I’m pretty sure she went back inside.” Violet cringed dramatically. “I think she may have seen you and Ashley. She seemed pretty upset.”
“What did you tell her?” His voice came out deeper and harsher than he’d intended, but it had the desired result.
Violet flinched before pasting on her well-rehearsed wounded expression. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. I’d like to think Chrissy’s smart enough to draw her own conclusions.” She raised her eyebrows, turned, and disappeared into the darkness outside.
Wyatt frantically searched the main area and dining room, excusing himself twice when someone came up to visit with him. He jogged to the elevator and took it up to their floor. When he got to Chrissy’s room, he paused before knocking on the door. Nothing. He knocked again. “Chrissy, if you’re there, we need to talk.”
Only silence answered. He looked at the bottom of the door and noted that there no visible lights on inside. It was after eleven. If she had been upset, maybe she’d gone to bed.
There wasn’t a thing he could do if he couldn’t find her or get her to answer the door.
He finally went to his own room and kicked off his shoes before collapsing on the small couch. He pulled his phone out and sent Chrissy a text.
“I couldn’t find you. I hope everything’s okay. I checked your room, but you didn’t answer. We need to talk before we head home tomorrow. Call me, okay?”
Marrying Chrissy (Brides of Clearwater Book 3) Page 13
