Just A Kiss

by Elks, Carrie

  Her parents – Deenie and Wallace – lived in a sprawling bungalow a half mile inland from the bay. Caitie steered the car onto the blacktop driveway, turning off the engine when she came to a stop. Letting her head fall against the headrest, she inhaled a final lungful of stale air, before closing her eyes, and letting the oxygen seep into her bloodstream. It wasn’t hard to imagine she was seventeen again, climbing into her mom’s old Honda to make the journey to L.A. then onward to New England, her heart full of hope at the fresh start she was about to make.

  “Caitie!”

  She opened her eyes to see her mom running down the steps of their Spanish bungalow. Her white hair was streaming behind, revealing her still-youthful face and broad smile. Caitie climbed out of the car and ran toward her, letting her mother wrap her in her warm, strong arms.

  Deenie Russell wasn’t like other moms. Caitie had worked that out at a young age. A hippie at heart, and a free spirit to her soul, she’d embraced parenthood the same way she embraced everything else in her life. Coming at it from a different angle, being laid-back to the point of being horizontal. All of Caitie’s friends had been jealous of her since she had such a chilled-out mom.

  Plus she ran the town’s bookstore, which was super cool when you were a kid. Caitie’s friends used to love hanging out there with her.

  “How was your trip? I told you we could’ve come and picked you up. You didn’t need to rent a car.” Deenie wrapped an arm around Caitie’s waist, leading her up the steps to the bungalow.

  “In that old hunk of junk?” Caitie teased, turning her head to the eighteen-year-old Toyota. “Is it even legal to drive that on the highway?”

  Deenie shook her head, grinning. “It’s more reliable than the tin cans they make nowadays. I’ve never had a problem with it. Now come inside, you must be exhausted. Would you like a cup of chai tea?”

  “Do you have coffee?”

  Deenie shook her head. “I don’t, but I’ll pick some up in the morning. We’ve stopped drinking it. Your father’s blood pressure was way too high at his last checkup. They wanted to put him on diuretics. He told them no thank you, he can control this with diet and lifestyle. So no more caffeine for your dad.”

  Caitie tried to suppress her smile. There was something ironic about a man who’d spent his life researching pharmaceuticals refusing them when faced with illness. “Is it helping?”

  “Absolutely. It’s already dropped quite a bit.”

  Caitie sat down on a stool behind the breakfast bar while her mom made their drinks. It all felt so strange yet familiar. She could have easily just gotten home from school and thrown her books onto the counter while her mom was asking her about her day.

  “And how are things going with Lucas and Ember? Are they all ready for the party?” Caitie couldn’t help but smile. Her big brother was finally settling down. For a while they’d thought he was married to his job as a firefighter. Until he’d met Ember Kennedy, the one woman who made him think about something other than the service. Now they were engaged, and she was here for their party. Caitie couldn’t help but feel delighted for them both.

  “I think so. Ember’s arranged most of it. Everybody in town is going to be there. It should be a good night.” Deenie cleared her throat. “Actually, they wanted to ask you something while you’re here.”

  Caitie blinked. “Ember already asked me to be in the bridal party. I said yes.”

  “She did? How lovely.” Deenie smiled. “But that’s not what I’m talking about. They want your help organizing the wedding. They’re both so out of their depth.”

  “They want my help?” Caitie repeated, frowning. “But I don’t know a thing about organizing a wedding.”

  “You run events. That’s the same thing, isn’t it?” Deenie pointed out, pouring out their drinks.

  “I don’t plan events, Mom, I consult on them.” Caitie bit her lip. She consulted on way too many of them, in fact. She was running herself ragged. “I could probably point them in the direction of some good event planners, but unless they want a winter wonderland I’m not going to be able to help them too much.”

  Caitie’s business was always the cause of interest in the Russell family. When she’d first told her parents she was going to be a Holiday Consultant, they’d been confused. Her father had asked her what she planned on doing for the other eleven months of the year.

  “It’s a year-round job, Dad,” she’d told him. “It’s not just businesses and retailers, there’s the movie and TV industry, too. They all need consultants to help them plan their holiday themes. It can take months to get everything done.”

  “People think about Christmas in February?” He sounded skeptical. “Isn’t that a little weird?”

  “It’s normal. It’s not like you can make a movie in a month. And TV series are taped months ahead. Plus, the retail industry has long order times. I promise it’s a real thing.”

  As it turned out, she was right. And her father had been the first to congratulate her when her business started to grow. She was lucky to have such supportive parents, even if she didn’t see them very often.

  “I think your brother and Ember will take whatever help you can give them,” her mom said, sliding her cup of chai in front of her. “Neither of them has organized something like this before. They need you, Caitlin.”

  A little voice in Caitie’s head told her to run right now. She was way too busy with her work to organize a wedding.

  But he was her big brother. She couldn’t let him down.

  “Of course I’ll help them,” she said, taking a sip of chai. “What else are sisters for?”

  2

  “Are you sure you don’t want to ride with us, honey?” Deenie asked, poking her head around the door to Caitie’s childhood bedroom. Caitie was set up at her laptop, replying to a raft of urgent emails her assistant had forwarded to her. One of the worst parts of being your own boss – it was almost impossible to take time off without some kind of crisis occurring.

  “It’s okay, I’ll drive myself over once I’ve finished this,” Caitie replied, smiling at her mom. Her eyes widened. “Oh my goodness, you look gorgeous.” She stood to admire her mom’s outfit. A long silver dress and purple scarf which brought out the platinum strands in Deenie’s hair. With her youthful skin and sun kissed smile, Deenie didn’t look anywhere near her sixty years. Was it wrong to hope she’d inherited those same genes?

  Caitie leaned forward to kiss her mother, pressing her lips against Deenie’s cheek. Her mom smelled of apple blossoms and roses, a scent that sparked an olfactory memory. The Christmas, back when Caitie was fifteen, she’d given her mom a gift set from the local beauty store. It was the same Christmas when Lucas’s friend, Breck and his brother, had stayed with them, right before her heart had broken for the first time.

  “We sit down to dinner at nine,” her mom told her. “Make sure you’re there before we do.”

  Caitie glanced at her watch. It was a bit past seven. “I’ll jump in the shower as soon as I finish this. I promise not to be late.” Knowing when to stop and put her laptop away was one of the hardest parts of being the boss. Her work was never done. When she wasn’t working on a project she was writing proposals for the next. And because her work took her all over the country, the different time zones meant she was getting emails twenty-four-seven.

  But an hour later, she managed to pull into the parking lot of the Angel Sands Beach Club looking far more put together than she felt. Her dark hair was freshly washed and dried, her red strapless dress was zipped up tight around her chest, and she’d even remembered to move her wallet and phone into a silver clutch Harper had loaned her.

  She eased her car into a space about a hundred yards away from the Beach Club. Through the open car windows she could smell the sulfur coming up from the sea, and hear the gentle sound of the waves as they hit the beach. She took a deep breath and held it for a moment longer than necessary.

  She could do this. She really could.
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  When her brother had told her his engagement party was taking place at the Beach Club, Caitie had felt her heart drop. Not because of anything to do with him or his wife-to-be, but because the beach always brought out this reaction in her. She hated the way it could bring her to her knees. There was nothing logical in the way it made her feel like a child again. The child who was pulled under the surface of the ocean by a riptide, and almost drowned.

  She swallowed hard. She wasn’t a child any more. She was an adult, and she could do this. It was her brother’s engagement party, and she wasn’t going to miss it for the world.

  As she stepped inside the door, a waiter offered her a glass of champagne from a silver tray. Caitie shook her head, grabbing a tumbler of water instead, downing it in one long gulp. She could feel the liquid filling her stomach, ice cold against her body heat, but still it wasn’t enough. Her entire body felt on fire. She pressed the glass to her cheek, but it was no help.

  “You made it. Lucas has been looking everywhere for you. My god, you look gorgeous. That dress is to die for.” Her sister-in-law to-be, Ember, was standing in the doorway, welcoming guests to the party. She grabbed Caitie’s hand, pulling her in for a hug.

  “Congratulations,” Caitie said, hugging her back. “I’m so happy for you both.”

  Ember gave her a happy grin. She looked beautiful, her tanned skin set off by the palest of yellow dresses. The spaghetti straps were intricately woven with gemstones, the bodice tight across her chest. Her dark hair was twisted into a low bun, tendrils spilling out onto her smooth neck. “Thank you for traveling to be with us. Lucas is so excited to see you.”

  “I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. I know I’m not around much. I’m so sorry…” Caitie had always liked Ember Kennedy. They were the same age and had attended Angel Sands High at the same time as each other. Though they’d not hung around in the same group, Caitie’d always had time for the studious brunette with the kind heart.

  Ember released her from her hug. “It’s our fault, too. We keep talking about visiting you in New York, but life gets so busy. I’d love to get to know you again now that we’ll be sisters.”

  “I’d like that a lot.” Caitie’s voice was thick. “Maybe once the wedding is over we can agree on a date. I’d love to show you around the big city.”

  Ember grinned. “That would be great. Lucas keeps telling me about your business and how well it’s going. I’d love to see what you’re working on. You have my dream job. I can’t imagine anything better than working on Christmas all year round.”

  “You’d be surprised how many people think it’s a terrible job,” Caitie confessed. “I get a lot of people telling me they can’t stand Christmas.”

  Ember’s mouth dropped open. “Who are these people?” she asked. “Christmas is my favorite time of year.”

  “Mine too,” Caitie said, grinning. “And of course I’ll show you where I work. Though it’s not much to look at. Most of the things I do are at clients’ locations.” She licked her lips, remembering the conversation she’d had with her mom earlier. Now would probably be a good time to bring it up. “Mom told me you might need a little help with your wedding?”

  “She did?” Ember’s shoulders dropped with relief. “Oh thank goodness. I wasn’t sure whether to ask you. I know how busy you are…”

  “I’m never too busy for family,” Caitie said firmly. She’d find the time, somehow. “So what do you need?”

  Ember grimaced. “Everything. We’ve agreed on a date but that’s all. We have just over two months to arrange the rest.”

  “Two months?” Caitie tried to keep the panic from her voice.

  “I know. It’s crazy.” Ember shook her head. “But if we don’t get married in December, we won’t get another chance until next summer. I don’t get much time off between Christmas and June.”

  “The pitfalls of being a teacher,” Caitie commiserated.

  “We really don’t want to wait until next June. Plus I love the idea of a Christmas wedding.”

  “Have you chosen a venue?” Caitie asked her. “I’m guessing a lot of places are already booked up for the holidays.”

  “We haven’t found anywhere yet,” Ember confessed. “Even this place is booked up for Christmas parties, not that it’s my first choice. I really want to get married somewhere a little different. Out of town, but not so far that people can’t travel for the day. I just can’t find the right location.”

  Caitie could sense Ember beginning to panic. She reached out and took her hand, squeezing it tight. “Why don’t we get together tomorrow to discuss it?” she said, trying to keep her voice as positive as possible. “I’m sure we can work something out. And in the meantime, forget about it and enjoy your night.”

  Ember let out a mouthful of air. “Thank you so much. I can’t tell you how relieved I am to know you can help. And we’ll pay you, of course.”

  “You’ll do no such thing.” Caitie shook her head. “You’re family. This one’s on me.”

  Four women around their age walked out of the ballroom and into the entrance where the two of them were standing. “Ember,” one of them called. “Your mom is looking for you. She wanted to talk to you about the seating arrangements.”

  Ember’s eyes flickered over to Caitie’s. “I should go,” she said, giving her a big smile. “But before I do, let me introduce you to my friends. This is Brooke and Ally, you might remember them from school?”

  Caitie shook their hands. She thought she recognized the two of them, but that was par for the course in Angel Sands. It was that kind of town.

  “Hi,” she said, smiling. “It’s great to meet you.”

  “This is my sister, Chelsea,” she said. Caitie grinned at the petite brunette. She looked like a younger version of Ember.

  Ember turned to the final girl, standing on her left. “And this is Rachel. We work together. Everybody, this is Caitie, Lucas’s sister. You’ll all be my bridesmaids together.”

  After greeting them, Caitie excused herself to find her parents and let them know she’d finally made it. Grabbing another glass – this time filled with orange juice – she made her way into the main dining room. It was full of people milling around, some holding glasses of champagne, others grabbing appetizers from the trays as waiters weaved their way through the throng. A band was setting up on the raised stage in the corner, testing their instruments before setting them carefully out for later. One side of the room was open where the glass doors had been pulled back, and guests spilled out onto the wooden deck. Beyond were the tennis courts and swimming pools, which led to the private club beach.

  So many of Caitie’s friends had summer jobs here when they were growing up, wearing the requisite purple shorts and white polo shirts, the club logo printed on the left. But never her. Despite her parents’ urging, she’d claimed she was too busy studying, reading, and doing anything else to avoid working there. Eventually she’d found a weekend job at a small home goods boutique in the mall, far, far away from the beach and surf. That was where she’d started to get an eye for design, a passion that grew into her degree, and finally her business.

  “You made it.” Deenie waved at her from the crowd. She was surrounded by neighbors Caitie had known since she was a kid. The next few minutes passed in a flurry of hellos, of telling them how she liked living in New York, of explaining the role of a Holiday Consultant, and reassuring them it really was a paying job.

  Caitie was in mid conversation with Frank Megassey, her parents’ old friend, when a shout of laughter cut through her words. She looked over, flashing Mr. Megassey a smile of apology, to see her brother and his friends doubled over in amusement.

  “Lucas seems to be enjoying himself,” Mr. Megassey said. “I remember when you guys were kids; he was always playing tricks on everybody. I’ll never forget the time when he put food dye in my swimming pool. Boy was your father mad.”

  “He grounded him for a week and made him come and scrub all the
tiles with a toothbrush.” Caitie grinned, remembering the way her brother had complained about being covered in blue dye for days.

  “He’s grown up to be a good man,” Frank said, nodding approvingly. “Everybody at the fire station raves about him. And of course your parents are very proud.” Frank raised his eyebrows at her. “They’re proud of you, too. They talk about you non-stop.”

  “It’s all thanks to them.” Caitie shrugged. “And don’t forget to email me about the Christmas decorations you need for the town this year. I’ve found a few places that will provide them for free in return for the sponsorship.”

  “That’s wonderful.” Frank grinned. “We’re always very grateful for your support.”

  Caitie glanced over to the bar again. Lucas was talking rapidly to his friend, Griff, while his other friend, Jack, handed each a bottle of beer. A fourth man was standing in their circle, his broad muscular back facing her. She frowned, trying to figure out who it was. Lucas’s group of friends had been tight for as long as she could remember. He, Griff, and Jack were practically glued together all through school.

  “Who’s that?” she murmured, leaning across to her mom.

  Deenie turned around, smiling at Lucas’s antics. “Oh that’s…”

  But she didn’t need to say anything more, because at that moment, he turned, his dark-blond hair catching the light from the chandeliers. Caitie took in his profile; his strong nose, his razor-sharp jawline, and those lips she’d never forgotten.

  Her hand shook, juice almost sloshing over the rim. She stilled it with her other hand, feeling herself flush with embarrassment at her reaction.

  “Is that Brecken?” she asked, her voice thin. “Brecken Miller?” She turned to look at her mom for confirmation.

  “Yes.” Deenie nodded. “He moved back to town a few months ago. Lucas was over the moon when he found out he was back.”

  Caitie hadn’t laid eyes on Brecken Miller for almost half of her life. Not since the Christmas thirteen years ago when he’d arrived at their house with his brother, both of them grieving their mother’s death from cancer. For nearly three days they’d stayed with the Russell family, waiting for their father to fly across the country to pick them up. When he’d left for Boston, he promised to keep in touch.