Mistaken Gifts

by Elena Aitken

  "Going back where?" Bo asked as he entered the kitchen. He dropped his jacket over the back of a chair and pulled Morgan into an embrace that made Jeff look away.

  "Get a room," he said and focused on his tea.

  "This is our room," Bo said with a laugh. "What's up, buddy? Have you become a big star yet?"

  Bo grabbed a beer from the fridge and handed it to Jeff without asking if he wanted one. He took one for himself before sitting down at the table as well. "Cheers," Bo said. "Welcome back."

  Morgan made a face at them and took a pointed sip of her tea. "Jeff was just telling me about the next time he goes on set," she said.

  "You're going back?" Bo took a swig of his beer. "I thought it was a one-time deal. A pilot or something."

  Jeff took a deep breath. There was no point keeping it from his closest friends, but somehow, talking about it out loud would make it real. Which meant he'd have to make a decision. And that was the whole problem. He was pretty sure he already knew what his decision would be. "It looks like the show will be picked up. And it's not official yet. But according to the producers, it's in the bag so they're starting to sort out their staff."

  "And let me guess," Bo said. "They want the best horse wrangler in the country on set?"

  "They’ve made me an offer, yes," Jeff said. He tipped the beer back and took a long drink so he wouldn't have to meet Morgan's eyes.

  "That's great." Bo put his beer down and let out a small whoop of triumph. "What a great opportunity."

  "How would you manage your time between the set and the Lodge?" Morgan asked.

  Jeff didn't even have to look at her to know what she was thinking.

  "I wouldn't," he said, keeping his eyes on Bo. "It would be full-time on set."

  Morgan stood so abruptly the table shook as she pushed back. She grabbed up his untouched mug of tea and took it to the sink where she poured it out and dropped the mug in with a clatter. Before Jeff had a chance to say anything, she’d stormed out of the room.

  "What was that all about?" Jeff asked his friend, who didn’t seem fazed by the outburst.

  "I told her before you went to work on set that I didn’t think you’d be coming back," Bo said. He tipped his beer up and drained the bottle. "When you came back, she thought I was wrong. Morgan doesn’t like the idea of you leaving. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but she’s gotten kind of used to having you around."

  Jeff smiled and nodded. The feeling was mutual.

  "Anyway," Bo continued. "She was pretty happy to prove me wrong. She said you’d never leave the Lodge, that you loved it here too much. But apparently she was wrong, wasn’t she?"

  Jeff nodded and then shook his head. "Wait. You didn’t think I’d come back?" His leg bounced and he pushed up from the table, unable to sit any longer. "The Lodge is my home."

  Bo waited and watched before leaning back in his chair. "No, Jeff. The Lodge is where you work. You can’t stay here forever and we both know it."

  Jeff walked to the window over the sink that looked out into the forest. He sighed and released a breath. Bo was right. They both knew it, but only one of them was willing to admit it.

  "Tell me about the job," Bo said. "And then you can tell me why you haven’t accepted it yet."

  ~ ~

  Jeff and Bo were working on their third beer by the time Jeff finished telling Bo about the job offer. As Jeff knew he would be, Bo was totally onboard with the idea of his buddy trying something new and he couldn’t see why Jeff was dragging his feet.

  "Take the offer," Bo said for at least the tenth time. "Before they give it to someone else. Hollywood doesn’t wait for anybody, especially a horse wrangler. If you don’t take the job, you’re going to lose it, buddy."

  Jeff swirled the bottle around in his hand. "I know it. In fact, I expect Marianne Marshall up here any day to demand a signature on the contract. She’s the type of woman who doesn’t take no for an answer."

  "Then don’t say no." Bo pushed up from the table and opened the fridge. "You hungry?" He grabbed some leftover chicken and returned to the table. "Tell me the real reason why you haven’t accepted the offer yet."

  Jeff snatched a piece of cold chicken and took a bite to keep from answering.

  "You don’t have to answer me," Bo said. "But it sounds like you’re running out of time to figure it out." Bo took a bite of a drumstick at the exact moment the door opened and Morgan returned.

  "You’re going to ruin your dinner," she admonished him.

  "I am? Were you going to make some? Because I certainly wasn’t." Bo laughed and pulled Morgan onto his lap. It was a running joke between the two of them that neither of them liked to cook and they had most of their meals up at the Lodge except when Bruno or one of the other chefs brought them something.

  "Maybe I was going to heat something up," Morgan teased and bent down to kiss Bo.

  Their ease with each other tugged at something inside Jeff. Just as Bo had been before Morgan came along, Jeff had always been happy with playing the field. They’d both had something of a reputation for being ladies’ men. Jeff had never given a second thought to having a serious relationship before. At least not until he’d watched his best friend fall in love. Things changed. And with little Ella looking up to him, his own dating life had taken a serious turn. Somehow when a little girl was paying attention and asking questions, it wasn’t so easy to bounce from bed to bed.

  Just as Jeff stood to get up and excuse himself, Morgan looked over in his direction. "I’m sorry I got so upset," she said. "I shouldn’t have left like that."

  He waved away her apology. "It’s fine," he said. "It probably came as a bit of a surprise. Besides, I don’t even know if I’m going to take it yet."

  Morgan slid off Bo’s lap and pulled Jeff into a hug. "It wasn’t a surprise, Jeff. You can’t stay here forever. But knowing that doesn’t make it any easier. Ella will be heartbroken to see you go."

  Jeff flinched and pulled away. "Can we not tell her yet?" he asked. "At least until it’s official. I don’t want to upset her for no reason."

  Morgan smiled. "You tell her when you’re ready," she said.

  "Okay, okay," Bo interrupted. "It’s not like he’s moving to Tibet. It’s just a job. Everyone needs to stop making such a big deal about it all."

  They all looked at Bo and burst into laughter because he was right.

  "And speaking of a job," Jeff said. "I should head over to the Lodge. I had a very interesting visit this morning about a woman who needed a horse for the wedding."

  "Andi and Colin’s wedding?" Morgan asked. "Andi and I used to work together, that’s how I came to work up at the Lodge." She exchanged a glance with Bo, no doubt remembering how they’d met. "You’ve met her before, haven’t you?" She turned back to Jeff.

  He nodded. "Of course. Only once or twice though."

  "Well, she’s just lovely," Morgan continued. "I’ve missed her. But I’ve never seen her so stressed. She came to talk to me about her half-brothers who would be coming. They’re twins and total terrors, according to her. It should be fun to find activities for them to do this week." Morgan smiled, because she meant it. She loved nothing more than a challenge when children were concerned.

  "Well, I don’t think it’s just the kids who are the problem," Jeff said. "Her best friend is a piece of work, too."

  "Eva?" Morgan gave him a strange look.

  "Sounds interesting," Bo said and winked at him.

  "Not like that at all," he said, but couldn’t help but feel like he was lying to his friends. "She’s the exact opposite of my type. The only time I’ve met a girl more city than Eva was on set. And believe me, I don’t need any more of that in my life. Would you believe she came tromping through the snow in tiny little heels and then gave me attitude because she was slipping and sliding and falling in the snow?"

  "Unbelievable," Morgan said with a giggle.

  Jeff looked between both of his friends, taking in their smiles and knowing looks.
"Forget it," Jeff said. "It’s not like that at all. You two need to stop thinking of every woman I meet as a potential girlfriend. Especially this one. She’s not even remotely my type. Besides, I’m not interested."

  "Whatever you say, buddy."

  Morgan giggled again and Jeff threw up his arms.

  "She’s not. Besides, I don’t think she’s very happy with me. I told her no way was she getting a horse for the wedding, and I get the feeling Eva isn’t used to hearing the word no."

  "Sounds like a real piece of work," Bo said with a wink.

  "Forget it." Jeff threw up his hands in frustration. "I’m outta here. I’ll see you both later. Give Ella a hug for me and tell her I still want an ice skating date with her."

  He left the cottage and headed out into the crisp afternoon. The sun was quickly disappearing behind the mountains, and it would be dark before too long. He walked quickly, trying to clear his head of everything they’d talked about. But it wasn’t the concern over the job that was occupying Jeff’s thoughts; it was a certain blond with an attitude he couldn’t get clear from his mind.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Dressed much more sensibly for the weather than she had been the day before, in heavy winter boots she’d borrowed from Carmen, and a down-filled parka she normally reserved for skiing, Eva tugged a knit cap over her ears and headed out into the crisp air for her morning walk.

  It was early enough that most of the guests at the Lodge were still sleeping. Wrapped cozily into their beds, snuggling with their loved ones, no doubt. She snorted in disgust at the thought. Even if she did have someone special to keep her warm on a cold winter day, she still wouldn’t waste such a beautiful morning by lazing around in bed.

  Or would she? An image of Jeff’s strong arms wrapped around her, holding her hostage in a toasty bed, occupied her thoughts.

  Where did that come from? Eva kicked at the snow on the pathway and stuffed her hands deeper into her parka. She didn’t need anybody’s arms wrapped around her, especially not that bulky, self-important, horse man’s arms. Besides, she had more important things to concern herself with. The last thing she needed was to let Jeff take up room in her mind. Especially with only a few days before the wedding.

  Eva picked up her pace and tucked her face further into the collar of her coat. She forced her mind to focus on the details she still needed to take care of. Andi wanted a winter wonderland wedding and Eva knew she’d be able to give it to her. For Andi, anything. But that meant she needed to focus. And the very first thing on her list for the day was centerpieces. In the picture she’d shown Andi, there were pine cones and twigs. It was rustic and beautiful. But it still wasn’t right. The concept was too plain; it was missing something.

  She scanned the snow-dusted landscape and out to the ridge beyond. It was a stunning view and the green from the pine trees popped against their backdrop of white. If only she could transfer that look indoors. Eva spun slowly, taking in all of her surroundings. A spot of red caught her attention and she stepped forward, leaving the plowed trail to investigate. The snow was deep, but her borrowed boots did the job and soon she was crouching down in front of a fallen log, with a cluster of holly berries growing in a small bush beneath it.

  A pop of red. It was perfect. With her phone, Eva snapped a quick picture of the plant before attempting to pick the prickly little sprig.

  She should have known better. After all, it wasn’t the first time she’d seen holly. But Eva was too excited to use caution and in return was rewarded with the sting of the prickly leaves as it bit into her flesh.

  "Ow. Dammit." She put her finger to her mouth and sucked on the cut for a second. When the initial shock subsided, she attempted to pick it again, this time using more caution. Eva was able to snap the little branch and pull away the sprig of berries. She stood from her crouch and admired her find. They were perfect and she could hardly believe she hadn’t thought of it before. The berries were exactly what she needed. But she would need a whole lot more than one little sprig to adorn all the centerpieces. Someone would have to know where she could get more. If there was one plant nearby, there was bound to be more.

  Re-energized, Eva picked her way through the snow and back to the path. It was next to impossible to run in the clunky boots, but she managed a fast walk and headed straight to the Lodge where she could put together a sample centerpiece to show Andi when they met for breakfast. With any luck, she’d be able to put something together right away so she could get at least one thing crossed off her list.

  ~ ~

  "I’m not sitting next to your mother and her…her friend," Andi’s father said at the same moment Eva came upon the table.

  Running late for their breakfast date, it looked as if Andi had found a replacement, but she didn’t look happy about it. Eva slid into the seat next to her friend. "Sorry I’m late," she said. "Mr. Williams, it’s nice to see you again." Eva smiled her most dazzling smile at him. The one she reserved for problematic clients. Andi shot her a look of gratitude and turned back to her cup of tea.

  "Eva," Mr. Williams said. "It’s lovely to see you again, dear. But I have to ask, are you in charge of the seating arrangement? Because Andi’s telling me it can’t be changed and I have to tell you, I’m not sitting next to my ex-wife and her…her partner. It just won’t do. How can I explain that to the boys?"

  Eva caught the waitress’ attention and had her coffee cup filled before calmly answering him. "A wedding is a celebration of love, don’t you agree, Mr. Williams?"

  He nodded.

  "And Bonnie and Val are in love, just as you and Roxanne are. So my suggestion to you would be, if the boys ask, which I’m not sure they would since five-year-old boys aren’t known for their interest in adult relationships, you simply tell them that all of Andi’s parents are happy and involved in loving relationships and you all wish that for Andi and Colin as well. But as I said, I doubt very much the question will come up."

  Andi flicked a smile in Eva’s direction, but both of them remained serious.

  "But—"

  "Dad," Andi interrupted. "It means a lot that you are all willing to be here for me, and I would love it if I could have all my family sitting together. As you know, it’s not a very big place and the wedding is really quite small. It seems silly to have you all spread out in the room."

  "And it really would throw everything off as far as the seating arrangements go," Eva chimed in. "I’m sure you agree, Mr. Williams, there are far more important details to take care of for the wedding. Especially with it only being days away." Eva smiled sweetly and stirred some sugar into her coffee.

  Andi’s dad cleared his throat and took the napkin from his lap. "Yes," he said. "You’re both absolutely right. I’m sure the seating arrangement will be fine. As long as it’s okay with Bonnie, it will be fine with me."

  "I’m sure Mom will be okay with it," Andi said. "But Roxanne?" she asked, getting to the heart of the matter.

  "I’ll handle Roxanne," he said. "Now, if you’ll excuse me. I need to get the boys to the Cub Club. I understand they’re going to be doing some snowshoeing or something."

  "Sounds fun," Eva lied. "It was nice to see you, Mr. Williams. We’ll talk more later about the details of the ceremony."

  "Absolutely," he said. "Have fun, girls." And with that he was gone, leaving Eva and Andi alone.

  She waited until he was out of sight, but then Andi let out a deep sigh and said, "Thank you. Honestly, I don’t know if I could have handled it so calmly if you hadn’t showed up."

  "Sorry I was late," Eva said. She took a sip of her coffee. "But he seems okay now. What got him so worked up?"

  "It’s not him. It’s Roxanne," Andi said. She dropped her head into her hands and squeezed her temples. "I swear, if I knew it was going to be so difficult just handling my family all in one place, we would have eloped. This is too much."

  The waitress delivered a basket of muffins to the center of the table before leaving them alone. Eva waited an
d watched her best friend for a moment. Something was wrong. Something more than the stress of the wedding. Andi was a professional and she knew better than anyone how to handle a difficult family when it came to planning an event. Andi never shut down. "Are you okay?" Eva asked her.

  Andi nodded, but didn’t look up. "Of course I am."

  "You’re sure? I can’t remember the last time I saw you so worked up. I mean, it’s just a seating arrangement. We’ve handled a whole lot worse."

  Andi’s head shot up and she stared at Eva. "We’ve never handled my wedding before," she said. "It’s different. It’s totally different. And now I know what the bride feels like when she loses her mind and starts crying over stupid things like music choices and centerpieces."

  "Speaking of centerpieces…"

  "We weren’t," Andi snapped. Her face crumpled and tears leaked from the corners of her eyes. "I’m sorry, Eva. You don’t deserve that. You’ve been absolutely wonderful. I’m just really on edge right now and I need Colin to wrap up his business meetings and get here already. I’m just feeling really overwhelmed."

  Eva reached out and squeezed Andi’s hand. "It’s okay. Just let me handle things, okay? Maybe we can book you into the spa for a massage while I sort out some details."

  Andi nodded. "That sounds good."

  It did sound good. Eva made a mental note to book her own massage for the day after the wedding. The way the week was shaping up, she wouldn’t have a spare moment to breathe until everything was over. "Good," she said. "I’ll get Carmen to book it for you." She reached for a muffin and split it in two.

  "And what are you going to do?" Andi asked. "There’s still such a big list. I’m sorry, Eva. It’s not fair for me to leave everything to you."

  Eva waved her protests away. "It’s totally fair. If the roles were reversed, you’d do the exact same thing. As for me, I have a plan for the day. I was actually going to tell you that I figured out the perfect addition to the centerpieces this morning. Holly berries. I just need to find someone around here to help me gather enough of them and then I can finish those up. I did a sample one, but I left it in the banquet room, sorry."