His Band of Gold

by Melissa McClone

  With a laugh, she smacked his arm. Will opened the door to Faith’s room. Kelsey stepped in and nearly fell over.

  She glanced around in surprise—no, shock. Romantic, soft and fluffy described the room and the furnishings. Three adjectives Kelsey would never have used to describe the fifth-time bride-to-be. Three adjectives that perfectly described Kelsey’s room at her father’s house. “This is Faith’s room?”

  Will nodded. “You’re pale. Is something wrong?”

  Wrong, everything was wrong. This had to be an anomaly. Kelsey thought she and Faith had nothing in common except their gender. Kelsey was totally different than the fickle starlet. Faith had four ex-fiancés and a current one; Kelsey had never been nor planned on being engaged. Faith was adored by millions; Kelsey preferred to remain in the background. Yet you’d never know there was a difference walking in here.

  “This…this could be my room. My room when I was growing up.”

  “I don’t picture you in a room like this.”

  “I didn’t picture Faith in a room like this.” Kelsey ran her fingers over the wedding-ring-patterned quilt covering the queen-size oak four-poster. Okay, her own bed was cherry, but close enough. Too close. Had Faith’s grandmother quilted her bedcover as Kelsey’s had? “But the similarities…it’s kind of eerie.”

  His brows furrowed. “Your bedroom was really like this?”

  She nodded. “My bedroom at my father’s house. When he finally convinced a judge to give him visitation rights, he set up rooms for us.” She picked up one of the teddy bears sitting on top of the quilt in front of a pile of lacy pillows of various shapes and sizes. “We got to help decorate the rooms when we went to live with him after my mother married husband number two. Otto was allergic to children. Or so he claimed. My brother had to share a room with Samuel, one of our ex-stepbrothers, and later with Jimmy, another one of them, but I had my own room. Cade and I would spend hours in my room. It was our…”

  “Your what?”

  “Our safe place,” Kelsey admitted, remembering how walking into her room had made her feel. Safe and secure and whole. “The room has always been the one constant in our life. Mom was always moving into whatever new house came with her new husband, but Dad tried to keep whatever he could the same. The room hasn’t changed except I have a new stepsister living there now.”

  “I can’t imagine,” Will said.

  “Don’t even try.” Kelsey walked to the vanity table and traced one of the hand-painted roses with her fingertip. “I had one of these. And a chaise like Faith’s.” As childhood memories washed over Kelsey, she smiled. “Cade and I used them to play shrink.”

  “Shrink?”

  “One of us would be the psychiatrist and sit at the vanity. The other would lie on the chaise and tell the shrink what was bothering us. It was easier talking to each other than all the professionals our parents kept taking us to so we’d stay well adjusted.”

  “Kelsey, this marriage aversion really runs deep for you, doesn’t it?”

  Before she could answer, Will touched her shoulder. The small gesture of comfort meant more than it should, and she ignored the impulse to move closer to him. Safe and strong and perfect. All the things Will was; all things he could never be for her. A dull ache spread through her, and she shrugged away from his hand.

  “It’s okay.” Kelsey forced a smile. “Lots of people grow up in dysfunctional families. Present company excluded.”

  Will smiled. “I never knew functional was the minority.”

  “You’d be surprised. But I must admit, I envy your childhood, growing up with parents who loved and respected each other must have been nice.”

  “Don’t forget, childhood is only a small part of our lives. It’s who we are now that counts.”

  “So true.” She glanced around the room one last time. Time to be who she was. “Where’s the dress?”

  “Hanging in the closet.” Will motioned to the double closet doors. “I’m going to wait in the hall. Let me know when you’re done.”

  “You don’t want to take a peek?”

  “And suffer the wrath of Faith? No thanks.” He walked to the doorway. “You might want to prepare yourself.”

  “Prepare myself?”

  “My mother said this gown was different.”

  How different could different be? Each of Faith’s four wedding dresses were different. A beaded mermaid gown for the Under the Sea wedding extravaganza; an empire-waist period gown for the Jane Austin Regency wedding ball; a Vera Wang original for the New Year’s Eve millennium bash, and a silk sarong for the barefoot-on-the-beach soiree. Funny how all her weddings seemed to correspond with whatever movie Faith was making at the time. Speaking of which…

  “What is Faith filming right now?”

  “It’s a high-tech, high-budget alien-from-outer-space movie. She’s saves the universe from destruction and falls in love during the process.” Will stepped into the doorway and turned his back to her so he faced the hallway. “Go ahead and look.”

  Kelsey wasn’t sure she wanted to. Aliens and a Valentine’s wedding? Laser guns and hearts. Picturing a silver lamé wedding gown, she sighed. That wouldn’t quite go with the wedding she and Starr had discussed. Oh, well…

  Kelsey took a deep breath and opened the closet door. The dress was covered with a piece of muslin. Hello, sci-fi bride. She pulled the muslin away and gasped.

  “Is it that bad?” Will called.

  “Yes. I mean, no. Not bad. Not at all. Different, yes, but…” Kelsey struggled for the right words to say. “It’s breathtaking.”

  Her pulse raced, and her heart felt as if it had lodged in her throat. Forget about high-tech and aliens. Faith had stepped back in time when selecting this gown. Edwardian. That was the time period. And Kelsey couldn’t believe it. The vintage-style lace gown looked as if it had been made for the veil and wreath she’d been trying on when Will walked in her office.

  Talk about a perfect match. What was the word for it—synchronicity. She should have been disappointed Faith would be wearing the ensemble, but Kelsey wasn’t. Not when all three pieces looked as if they were made for one another. Destiny? Kelsey wondered. Even a realist such as her couldn’t ignore Fate. Not when it was right under your nose and making you take notice.

  Kelsey fought the urge to touch the lace. She didn’t want to snag the delicate fabric or smudge it with oil from her fingertips.

  What she really wanted to do was to try the dress on for herself. Talk about a first. Even with all the gowns she’d seen over the years, not one had ever appealed to her the way this one did. This gown was practically calling her name, begging her to put it on to see how it looked.

  The scent of roses filled the air. Kelsey glanced around the room. More stuffed animals, a few pictures in pewter frames. But no flowers or potpourri she could see. Must be a sachet in the closet somewhere. Kelsey had sachets all over her room. No doubt with all the other similarities, Faith had the same.

  Will cleared his throat. “Have you seen enough?”

  No. Kelsey blinked. She could never get enough of this dress. Lace covered the entire gown except for a small amount of netting at the neckline. The long sleeves tapered to a slight point. Intricate flowers had been woven into the lace. Flowers she thought would match those on the wreath. And the flowers for the bouquet…

  Kelsey clasped her hands together. She knew exactly what type of bouquet and flowers would go perfectly.

  With a sigh, she dropped the muslin over the dress and closed the closet door. Turning, Kelsey stared at Will’s backside. “I’ve seen enough.”

  For now, she thought to herself and smiled.

  February 2

  It was too early to get up. Not even Midas was about to stir at this hour. Will hit the snooze button on his alarm and yawned. He needed more sleep. No, he actually needed to go to sleep. Too bad his mind wouldn’t turn off. He wanted to blame his restlessness on his mother’s letter, but that had only kept him up half
the night. The other half was Kelsey’s fault.

  Thoughts of her were messing with his head. A physical attraction was one thing, but he was drawn to much more than her hair and her smile and her kiss. Last night had only been the beginning. He wanted to spend more time with her, to learn more about her and to peel away the layers until he could see exactly who she was.

  Too bad she was his sister’s wedding consultant. And, if his mother had his way, she’d be his, too.

  The alarm sounded again. This time Will got up. He’d promised to take Kelsey to the inn bright and early this morning. It was early, but forget about bright. Not even the sun was up.

  Thirty minutes later they were off. Using a flashlight to light the way, he led Kelsey down the path to the inn. Driving would have been warmer, but it wouldn’t have been as fast or as secluded. No matter what, they couldn’t let the press see Kelsey. And he could use the walk to clear his head.

  Their boots crunched on the layer of new snow. The sound filled the silence of the frosty dawn. Not even a bird was up at this hour.

  “We’re almost there.” Will glanced back and aimed his flashlight at Kelsey. He almost didn’t recognize her. A wool cap covered her hair. Gloves kept her fingers warm. Her cheeks and nose looked pink. She looked young and vulnerable. Protectiveness crept in, but the last person he felt like was her older brother. “Cold?” he asked.

  “A little.” She shoved one of her hands into her pocket. “But I’ll survive.”

  Survive. That’s what he’d been doing each and every day since Sara died. Suddenly it didn’t seem like enough.

  His gaze met hers. Will stood transfixed, watching each cloud of breath rise from Kelsey’s mouth, from her lips. He remembered how those lips felt against his. Warm and soft and seductive. Lips made for kissing. Kissing him.

  Forget about the freezing temperature outside. He was feeling so warm at the moment, he might as well have been in the tropics not Tahoe. He didn’t need his jacket. Or his hat. Or his gloves. He continued to stare.

  She glanced down at the snow, breaking the invisible bond between them. The silence lengthened between them.

  Will needed more sleep to clear the fog in his brain. He hadn’t wanted to think about her kiss again. Not when he couldn’t stop thinking about her. She was messing up his nice orderly world. Where were his memories of Sara and her kisses? He was going to have to keep his distance from Kelsey. Maybe it would be better if she stayed somewhere else.

  “You said the inn isn’t much farther,” she said finally.

  “It’s not.” He started back up the path. “We’re almost there.”

  When they reached the inn, Will concentrated on getting to the service entrance without being seen. Once inside, the heat warmed them. As did the cups of coffee he snagged from the kitchen. He led Kelsey through a pair of double doors and flicked on the lights. The wood parquet floors gleamed. Crisp, white linen tablecloths covered the tables. Each chair was perfectly aligned in front of an elaborately folded linen napkin. Another fine job by the Starr Properties’ staff. Will smiled. “What do you think?”

  “The room is lovely.” She stared up at one of the four iron chandeliers hanging from the beamed ceiling. Kelsey’s chestnut braid fell back. The tilt of her head emphasized the curve of her neck. A neck that seemed to be asking for nibbles and kisses. But not from him. Definitely not from him. She touched one of the chair backs. “Have you made alternate dining arrangements for your hotel guests on the day of the event?”

  Event, not wedding. She was good, very good. “We have.”

  She studied every inch of the room, including the wood molding and the pictures gracing the wall. She measured every inch, too.

  Will tried not to notice how her well-worn, well-fitting jeans cupped her bottom so nicely. He failed. Not a big deal, he rationalized. No crime in looking.

  She stood in front of the walk-in-size fireplace. “Wow, what a huge fireplace. It’s beautiful.”

  Will smiled. “When we were younger, Faith saw these life-size stockings and asked if we could buy them and hang them here for Santa.”

  “What did your parents say?”

  “Yes. Faith was a real cutie and usually got what she wanted. Good thing in this instance. We still have those same stockings, and Santa fills them every year.”

  “We had so many different stockings I think Santa sometimes got confused.” With a faraway look in her eyes, she stared into the fireplace. “Before we left Chicago and moved to Beverly Hills, Cade and I would spend Christmas Eve with one of my parents and Christmas day with the other. My parents always tried to outdo the other with presents. One year there were so many presents we couldn’t even step into my mother’s living room. It was obscene. My dad’s house was almost as bad.”

  “Every kid dreams of a Christmas like that.”

  Kelsey nodded. “You know what my favorite gift was that year?”

  “A stuffed animal or piece of jewelry?”

  “A framed picture of my family. My mom, Dad, Cade and me.” Kelsey’s smile reached all the way to her eyes. “My grandmother had my mother pick a picture so she could have it framed, and my mom actually gave her one of the four of us taken before the divorce.”

  Will not only heard but saw on her face how much one photograph of her family had meant to Kelsey. He tried to imagine what her life was like as a child, pushed and pulled between two parents who didn’t love each other. Not only at Christmastime, but every day of her life. He couldn’t. “Kelsey—”

  “This is the perfect setting for the reception, but the ceremony—” she clicked the top of her pen “—we shouldn’t have the ceremony here.”

  Back to business. Just when it was getting interesting again. He wished he knew where her On/Off switch was located. Still, he respected how hard she worked. “Why?”

  “If we hold the ceremony elsewhere and Faith cancels, none of the party guests will know a wedding was in the works. They’ll think they were only invited to your parents’ anniversary celebration. No decorations to remove. No sitting to rearrange. No explanations necessary.”

  “None will be needed,” Will said with confidence. “Faith isn’t going to cancel.”

  “You sound so certain.”

  “If you could see her and Trent together…It’s the real thing.”

  “What about Faith’s four other weddings and fiancés?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You and your parents are die-hard romantics. What happened to Faith?”

  “Nothing happened to her. She got engaged to the wrong men, but now that she’s found Trent, everything will work out fine.”

  The intense look in Kelsey’s eyes cut through him, made him feel naked and on view. He didn’t like the feeling. “You honestly believe that?” she asked.

  “Heart and soul.”

  She hesitated, her eyes full of questions. “I’d still like to have a backup plan in case Trent turns out not to be ‘the one.’ We can have the minister renew your parents’ vows if the wedding gets canceled. The renewal can take place here and we’ll clean up the wedding ceremony site later.”

  “Where do you want to hold the ceremony?”

  “At your house. What do you think?”

  He remembered how she described the wedding decorations when she’d first walked into his house. “My mother told you to do what you want. To act as if it’s your wedding. Would you like to get married at my house?”

  “It’s Faith’s wedding, and I believe she would like it.” Kelsey spoke the words in that cool businesslike manner of hers, but not before he saw the slight quiver of her lower lip.

  Not so cool and collected, after all. Another layer to figure out. Will smiled. “Would you like it?”

  “This isn’t about me.”

  But it was. He could tell by her voice and her eyes. That hard shell of hers was showing signs of cracking and Will wanted to be the one to rip it apart. “Would you like it?” he repeated.

  “Yes,
but it’s your house.”

  Watching the anticipation mount in Kelsey’s expressive eyes as she waited for his answer made Will want to take forever to reply. Knowing he was treading into dangerous waters, he looked away. “We can hold the ceremony at my house.”

  She rewarded him with a wide grin. A kiss would have been better. But kissing Kelsey was a no-no as his sister Hope would say to his niece and nephews. A big no-no. As was thinking about her lips, her neck, and anything else. No touching, either. He brushed his hand through his hair.

  “Thanks,” Kelsey said. “I thank you, and I’m sure Faith will thank you, too.”

  Chapter Six

  It was nearly midnight. The comfortable bed upstairs had Kelsey’s name written all over it, but sleep could wait a few hours. The more she got done tonight, the better handle she would have on the wedding. Besides, ever since she’d snuck into Faith’s room two hours ago and stolen another look at her gown, Kelsey had been inspired. Okay, she stifled a yawn, she was a little tired, but inspired nonetheless. She placed her water glass in the kitchen sink.

  Will entered and stretched his arms over his head. “This wedding planning reminds me of cramming for finals.”

  She smiled. “It’s not that bad.”

  “No, but we deserve a break.” He motioned to the coffeemaker on the counter. “Coffee?”

  “Sounds good to me.” She tucked a stray strand of hair back into her braid. “We might need the caffeine to stay awake.”

  “Don’t tell me we’re going to be pulling an all-nighter.”

  “Okay, I won’t tell you.”

  He groaned. “I’m having a finals week flashback.” As she removed the pot, he plugged in the coffeemaker. “At least it’s a pleasant memory of opening one of my care packages.”

  “Care packages?”

  He placed a filter inside the coffeemaker. “My mom always sent care packages during finals week. She filled them with of all sorts of goodies to keep me going as I studied and crammed. I can still taste the homemade chocolate-chip cookies.”

  A familiar ache and longing squeezed Kelsey’s heart. She turned on the faucet and water streamed out. “The only thing my parents ever sent were checks to cover tuition and my living expenses.”