Love Out of Focus

by Rebecca Connolly

  “This is without a doubt,” Mal managed, “the most bizarre thing I have ever done.”

  “Best assistantship ever,” Taryn said as she stood upright, wiping her tears of mirth away. “Oh man, sorry, boss. I just embarrassed all of us.”

  Mal shook her head, smiling broadly. “No worries. At least I can laugh with you guys. Who knows what the rest of the week will be like?”

  “Very well dressed,” Dan said dryly, which made her grin spread even further.

  “Mal!” Jenna called, linking her arm with Tom’s. “The boys just finished a tour of the place, but we want to see it too. Wanna go? You can get ideas for your shoot.”

  That was an idea Mal could certainly get behind. She nodded and turned to the others. “Let’s get primary shots for now, one camera. We can use phones for the others for landmarking. Anything good we can come back and get.”

  All business now, the other two nodded and went to the trunk of the limo to finish unloading. Mal took off her blazer and tucked it under her arm, then grabbed the hair tie on her wrist and twisted her hair back. It was too hot for the jacket if she was going to work, and she needed her arms free. The sheer color-block shell she was wearing wasn’t what she was used to working in, but it would do. She was grateful she’d worn a black tank beneath it. With the flock of females parading around here, there was too much being revealed as it was.

  “The resort concierge will take your stuff to the houses,” Jenna called as she and Tom headed for the golf cart with Caroline. “Just pull it out of the limo and set it aside. No, wait, Mal!”

  Mal turned as she had begun hauling her stuff toward where Taryn and Dan had set theirs. “What?” she called back.

  “Silly girl, you’re not staying with them.” Jenna laughed as she got into her cart. “They’ll have their own place. You’re staying with us girls. Won’t that be fun?”

  “What?” Mal bleated in shock, dropping her blazer on the ground. She glanced back at Taryn and Dan, who mirrored her horrified expression.

  Jenna was too busy laughing with her fiancé and sister as they backed up and took off to notice her.

  “Mal-Mal!” Lucas yelled as he settled himself into a driver’s seat. “Come on! I called y’all for my cart. Let’s go, heifer!”

  Mal swallowed the wave of nausea that rolled over her and picked up her jacket, setting it with the rest of her equipment. Then she took the camera Taryn held out to her and, blinking hard to erase the sudden blurriness, wandered over to her cousin.

  Hunter had never seen any woman turn that shade of greenish pale before, particularly over something as basic as staying with a bunch of girls before a wedding. She was the photographer. Why wouldn’t she stay with the bridal party during something like this? And when it was a girl like Jenna, it should have been a natural assumption. But she looked as though she’d rather eat the dirt beneath her ballet flats.

  She jerked as she finally seemed to come back to the present thanks to Lucas’s annoying honking. It was nice to see her look less zombielike—and for her to be toned down a bit.

  He hadn’t been paying attention to anybody when they’d come back from driving around. Tom and Lucas and the rest of the guys had gone over to mingle and talk, and no doubt flirt, but Hunter didn’t care about any of that. He wasn’t a particularly social person unless he had to be. He was here for Tom and for the years of friendship they’d had and for Jenna because he couldn’t help but like her. But as for the rest, he really couldn’t have cared less.

  He had noticed enough to wonder why the small brunette and her two friends kept their distance, but it wasn’t until he heard an unmistakable snort that he’d taken a good look.

  She was cute, he was honest enough to admit, and he couldn’t have said whether she was wearing makeup, which was interesting in a crowd like this. Her assistant wore enough for both of them, but she seemed to be the type of character who collected attention the way others collected stamps or key chains. The three of them had been huddled together, talking so quietly he couldn’t catch any of it.

  Then the photographer had laughed.

  There was nothing unusual or magical about her laugh. It held no musical qualities. It wasn’t infectious or adorable. It was absolutely nothing out of the ordinary. Except it was. It was absolutely extraordinary.

  It had completely transformed her from being merely cute into something incomprehensible. It lit her eyes and brightened her cheeks and made her hair dance in a way that clawed at him somehow. She radiated light when she laughed, and her smile afterward held glimmers of the same. And from then on, he couldn’t not notice her. It was as if a magnet had suddenly been held up and something, somewhere between the pit of his stomach and the beating of his heart, had caught fire and been tugged toward it. How he’d stayed in place by the golf cart was a mystery, but he was grateful for it.

  He was usually a man of calm and control, and this tiny, strange, confusing photographer was not going to make him a man of impulses and instinct. Not to mention the fact that this was one week of wedding madness, and he was not about to become one of those guys who took it as an opportunity for a free hookup.

  That wasn’t him.

  She started to get into the cart when her assistant cleared her throat, hands on her hips, tilting her head so that the chopsticks she wore in her two-toned chocolate-and-maroon hair looked ready to puncture her shoulders. “Uh, boss? You forgetting something?” the assistant called.

  Mal—he thought that was her name, at least—turned in confusion. “Huh?”

  Her assistant, dragging her stuff to a pile, pointed at a lone suitcase.

  Mal’s brows snapped down. “Shasta,” she hissed, marching toward it.

  Hunter looked at the other assistant, who was about five feet from him now, getting into Lucas’s cart. “What did she say?” he asked.

  He grinned, loosening his tie. “Mal makes up her own swear words. You get used to it.”

  Hunter opened his mouth to respond, then thought better of it. He sat down in his own cart and waited for the other girls to decide who was going to ride and who was going to stay. Meanwhile, he kept an eye on Mal. She only had the one suitcase, which was absurdly small compared with everyone else’s. He’d seen what the other girls had brought, and he’d seen what his sister packed for trips of this length. There couldn’t be much in Mal’s suitcase except for bare essentials, and she had been ready to forget it.

  This was the photographer he’d been convinced to hire for the resort? He hoped she was far more organized in other respects than she was with her own stuff.

  Lucas grinned at Mal as she came back, and he threw an arm around her shoulder as she sat next to him. Pulling her in tight against his shoulder, he said something that made her roll her eyes, but she smiled and didn’t push him away.

  Something about that made Hunter frown. He didn’t know Jenna’s brother well, but he seemed like a good guy. That didn’t explain why he was so familiar with Mal, or why he’d called her a heifer, and that set Hunter’s teeth on edge.

  “Ready to go?” Bethany asked in a too-chipper voice as she sat beside him. “Oh … are you supposed to hold the steering wheel that tight?”

  Hunter looked down and saw that his knuckles had gone white. “Precautionary,” he said as he forced them to relax. “Brakes don’t always work.”

  Bethany nodded, eyes wide, not intelligent enough to know he was lying.

  He exhaled and shook himself, then turned on the cart and followed the trail Tom had taken, frustrated by the sudden tension in his chest. That wasn’t a good sign.

  They caught up to Tom quickly, and Lucas slid up beside him, joking loudly with the people in his cart and making them laugh just as loudly. Above all of them, he heard her laugh, and it jolted his senses.

  Tom, Jenna, and Caroline got out of their cart as Tom talked about the house in front of them. It was one of Hunter’s favorites, which was why he had given it to Tom and his family for their regular visits. No one
else stayed there but the Yardleys, and it was empty for the moment. Tom’s parents and siblings were arriving in a few hours, so this brief window was the only time they would be able to see it.

  He had to admit, though he had seen this house so often over the years, he was still impressed with it. Its view was one of the best from any of the houses around the resort, and the layout was one of the most natural he’d ever seen. The architect who had designed it was retired now, but he still consulted with Hunter and his family over new projects and renovations as a favor. And because he now had the prime piece of property he’d always wanted on the other side of the lake.

  Tom was saying something now, and everybody had gathered around to listen. Tom had that effect on people. It explained why he was so good as a CEO; the business world was falling to its knees for him.

  The group moved like an awkward museum tour group around the house toward the vista. Hunter hung back and walked slowly, hands in his pockets, letting everyone else see what he had already memorized.

  “I thought they said we were going to a resort,” he heard Alexis whisper to Bethany.

  “I know, right?” Bethany whispered, her accent a bizarre twist of Valley girl meets southern belle. “All they’ve got here is … nature.”

  “Yeah. Is there always so much wood?”

  A faint snort behind him echoed the thoughts in his head perfectly. He glanced behind him to see Mal shaking her head as she shifted around, camera raised. If she moved too far to her left, she would—

  She lost her footing, and he heard her small gasp.

  He lunged for her and seized her arm hard, pulling her back over to safety. He should tell her that the ground near the edge of the ravine wasn’t as firm as it looked. He should tell her that it had rained last night, so it was going to be slicker than normal. He should tell her … something.

  She exhaled heavily and flashed him a grin. “Thanks for that. Guess I should watch my footing, huh?”

  He swallowed roughly and let go of her arm as if he’d been burned. “Yeah,” he managed, and shifted away to collect what remained of his thoughts.

  How had he known she was going to do that? How had he been moving before she’d actually slipped? Why … why was getting to her so important even though he didn’t know a thing about her?

  He heard the camera clicking behind him, and it might as well have been the beat of his heart.

  This was not good.

  Chapter 3

  “I thought she said casual dress.”

  Mal sighed, pushed her loose braid off her shoulder, and shrugged as she put her camera down and looked at Taryn and Dan, who had just arrived. “So did I. Here I thought I was going to look cute in my flannel and skinnies, so I dressed quickly and told Jenna I’d come up to the lodge and take some pictures while everyone else was getting ready. Then when they showed up … ,” she trailed off, gesturing faintly.

  Really, no explanation was needed. All the girls, including Jenna and Caroline, were in designer clothing. It might have been casual for the red carpet, but beyond that, it was anything but.

  “Do I have time to change?” Taryn asked, adjusting her thrifty T.J. Maxx ensemble uncertainly.

  “Doesn’t look like it,” Dan muttered as he buttoned his shirt and tucked it in, tossing his hat into a corner of the room.

  Mal looked over to see her aunt and uncle come into the room just ahead of Tom and his parents. They were all smiles, and they, too, could only be considered casually dressed if this were a five-star hotel in New York.

  She sighed and shook her head. No matter how deep her family blood ran, she was never going to be like these people.

  “There you are!” Jenna said, pretending at exasperation. She went to her fiancé and planted a kiss on him that earned a few whoops and hollers. Then the smiling couple turned to face everyone.

  “We want to thank you all for coming to this wedding extravaganza,” Tom said. “And to this introductory dinner. I know it’s cheesy, but we’re gonna go around the room and make sure we all know each other. It’s a long week ahead, and we gotta get real comfortable.”

  That earned him a few good-natured chuckles.

  One by one, they went around, and Jenna or Tom made sure to give full introductions for their respective families or friends. Aunt Cady and Uncle Drake got their introduction and praise, complete with applause and whistles from all. Tom’s parents, who looked like stiff oil portraits, got a similarly warm introduction and said some nice things, though they had no hint of North Carolina accents. Thomas Jr. and Corinne Yardley had more money than some governments, and they looked like it. Aunt Cady and Uncle Drake at least looked like they were from the South. The Yardleys might have been plucked from a different country.

  The bridesmaids came next, all of them looking plastic except for Caroline, whose pale-peach forties-style dress made her look like a natural starlet off the screen. She got a sweet introduction and blew a kiss to her twin. The rest of the introductions followed without too much fluff. Alexis and Grace were friends of Jenna’s from high school, Brittany and Bethany she’d met in college, and Sophie she’d met during a music video shoot for Kenny Chesney that Jenna had starred in. Mal was confused by that, since Sophie looked as if any proximity to pickup trucks and cowboy boots would give her hives, but she went with it. No doubt she’d learn more about the girls, as she would be cooped up with them the entire week.

  Lucas took the trouble to introduce himself with much flair, which made her roll her eyes, and then it was time for the groomsmen.

  She’d been snapping candid shots, with Taryn on second camera, when she saw the guy from this morning. His eyes were suddenly on her, and she shuddered under his potent gaze. The man looked like he’d be a magnet for sensation and appeal, and staring back at him seemed like a natural reaction though it made her lose control of her breath. Yet he was so unaffected by everyone and everything. He was achingly gorgeous in crisp black trousers and a silvery-gray button-down, which was open at the collar, exposing a tanned and muscular throat.

  Who knew throats could be muscular?

  She was faintly relieved that his shirt wasn’t that tacky, shiny, metallic shade of gray. He was attractive enough to pull off a garbage bag and make people want him, but good taste was a huge advantage, and this was no high school prom or late-nineties dating show.

  Taryn made a throaty humming sound from beside her, and Mal glanced over to find her looking at him as well. “He looks like Fifty Shades of Yes Please,” Taryn murmured.

  Mal snorted in surprise and covered her mouth, but she could not say she entirely disagreed.

  “You are a vulgar chick, you know that?” Dan muttered with a look of disgust. “This isn’t a meat market.”

  “Speak for yourself,” Taryn shot back, lifting her camera once more.

  Mal turned her attention back to introductions, knowing she’d have to remember names and faces for later. Tom’s brother whom she’d seen earlier was Dave, and a second, nearly identical brother, Trent, now joined him. One friend from this morning, Paul, was from Tom’s college frat, which explained a lot. Paul had decided, most unfortunately, to wear a pale-pink polo shirt to the event.

  Taryn grunted beside Mal, shaking her head. “What, is he golfing after this?”

  This time, Dan did not disagree. “Nope, definitely not golfing. He’s wearing loafers. Ponce.”

  Mal fought hard to keep from laughing out loud. The next friend was …

  “O … M … G … ,” Taryn breathed, twirling a chocolate-and-maroon strand of hair around her finger.

  “What?” Mal asked out of the side of her mouth, still looking at the friend with the dark hair and shockingly blue eyes.

  “That’s … That’s Reed Summerfield.”

  Dan choked on something, and Mal was confused. “Summerfield? As in …”

  “As in the Hollywood Summerfields!” Taryn squeaked.

  “You sure?” Dan asked, leaning closer.

  Ta
ryn sighed breathily. “Positive. Hollywood’s heartthrob is here. With me. Someone gimme a fan.”

  Dan snickered. “How about a bucket instead?”

  “Whatever. I need something.”

  Mal gave up trying to make sense of her assistants and frowned, wondering how Tom and his business world had connected with a silver-spoon, Hollywood-dynasty producer. They said it was a humanitarian trip in college, which seemed out of character for him. Reed seemed way too much like a playboy for that.

  If she was any judge.

  He was … really pretty.

  She swallowed and took some pictures that would probably be crap, but she didn’t care. Pretty people were everywhere, and that was scary.

  Then Tom got to him and paused. “And that is my best friend, and consequently best man, Hunter, whom I’ve known since high school, through rowing and rugby in college, and into our business lives, and beyond. The greatest guy I know and the most generous and the single reason I didn’t fail out of the business program at UNC. I am who I am because of him.”

  Hunter raised one dark brow, and his mouth curved. “This is your wedding, Tom. I’m supposed to flatter you.”

  The room chuckled, and Tom grinned at his friend warmly.

  “His name is Hunter?” Taryn murmured. “I volunteer as tribute.”

  “Stop that!” Dan hissed, though he grinned as well.

  Tom’s two sisters and their families were introduced, with a surprising number of kids. Mal would never keep them straight, but tomorrow was Kids’ Day, and she was supposed to do a shoot with them on the playground in the afternoon. They were adorable, so that could be a lot of fun. And they, at least, were casual.

  It suddenly occurred to her that the room was silent and that everyone was staring at her. She, Taryn, and Dan had been in a corner, intentionally out of the way and unobtrusive, trying to blend in and be invisible. That wasn’t going to work now.