His Band of Gold

by Melissa McClone

  “Go ahead and take it,” he said. “It’ll be a stellar addition to your divorce book.”

  She ripped the page out of the paper. “It’s a scrap-book, not a divorce book.”

  “It’s sad, that’s what it is.” He stared at her, an observant gleam in his eyes. “Show business marriages must have a higher rate of divorce than other marriages. Bet that validates your unhappily-ever-after belief. Is that why you became the Wedding Consultant to the Stars?”

  “No, I had contacts in the entertainment industry. It just happened.”

  “You allowed it to happen. With your reputation and skills, you could work anywhere, with anyone. Yet you stay in Tinseltown catering to divorce-happy celebrities. You can’t lose.”

  “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Yes, I do.”

  She heard his challenge and wanted to respond, but her tongue felt thick in her mouth. Her brain wouldn’t function. His words were spinning around in her brain. She couldn’t tell her right hand from her left. Nothing made sense. Nothing at all. He was wrong. He had to be wrong. If not…

  He was definitely wrong. Kelsey straightened. “Divorce is a fact of life whether you’re in Hollywood or Hoboken. The latest statistics show—”

  “Marriage isn’t about statistics.” Will sat next to her, throwing her senses into even further chaos. “It’s about a man and a woman who want to spend the rest of their lives going to bed and waking up next to one another.”

  “Waking up next to the same person every single day of your life?” She shuddered. “Now that’s a scary thought.”

  “Marriage is beyond scary. It’s about a love so all-consuming you can’t see beyond it. You don’t want to see beyond it.”

  Maybe in his world, not in hers. Love meant misery and pain. All the things she’d seen her parents go through time and time again. Kelsey shrugged. “I can’t imagine ever feeling that way about anyone.”

  “That’s only because you haven’t met the right person. Once you do, everything falls into place like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. You feel complete. It’s like magic.”

  She’d never felt anything remotely like that. An empty space in her heart ached.

  “I’m not trying to upset you, Kelsey. I don’t want to argue or goad you, either. But you push my buttons like no one else and…” He blew out a puff of air and smiled. “I only want to show you what you’re missing out on. What you can’t afford to miss out on. Love. It’s a wonderful thing.”

  At that moment she realized how lucky Sara was to have found a man like Will even if they hadn’t had long together. Will Addison was one in a million. “I’ll take your word on it.” Kelsey worked hard to sound as if she couldn’t have cared less. But she cared so much it hurt.

  “No, you have to find out for yourself.”

  His gaze held hers for what seemed like forever. “Find out what?” she asked finally.

  “How it feels to share your secrets and your dreams and a piece of yourself with one special person.”

  Let me share them with you. Kelsey’s heart lodged in her throat.

  “He’s out there waiting for you.”

  No, he’s right here.

  Will wanted to get to his parents’ house A.S.A.P. He cranked up the speed of his wiper to keep his windshield clear of the falling snow and focused on the road. At least the snow wasn’t sticking. Dad sounded so excited on the phone. Will couldn’t wait to see Mom’s progress with the walker for himself.

  Part of him felt guilty for leaving. But the other part was relieved to get out of the house. Away from anything and everything related to the upcoming wedding. Away from Kelsey.

  Kelsey.

  This morning he’d only said what needed to be said. About divorce, marriage and love. She hadn’t wanted to hear it, but he owed it to her to tell the truth. Love was a wonderful thing and she needed to know what she was missing. He’d said each and every word for her own good. But it hadn’t been for his own good. Will found that out the hard way.

  Kelsey’s special someone was out there. Will knew in his heart, and he’d never been so envious of a total stranger as he’d been at that moment. As he was right now. One lucky guy was waiting for her. Thinking about it, about him, felt weird and wrong and a lot of other things.

  But what was he supposed to do about it? That was the million-dollar question, and he needed a final answer.

  A memory of Sara came to mind. His sweet Sara on their wedding day. And another on the day she brought Midas home with her for summer break. The memory changed. Only this time it was Kelsey and the first time he’d seen her in her office. And one of Kelsey when she’d picked up Midas for the first time and cuddled him. And yet another of Kelsey kissing him yesterday outside in the snow. Jumbled memories of Sara and Kelsey assaulted him until he could barely see straight let alone drive.

  Will turned into his parents’ driveway and stopped.

  Sweat beaded on his forehead. He tugged on his shirt collar. The only sounds were the engine and the wiper blades. Swish-swish. Swish-swish. Back and forth like the thoughts running through his head. He brushed his hand through his hair.

  His memories of Sara were still there. All present and accounted for. Kelsey hadn’t eclipsed them, but she had carved her own memories into his mind. And right now he was even more confused than before.

  This couldn’t be happening.

  Standing in Faith’s room in front of the movie star’s mirror, Kelsey blinked, but nothing changed. She hadn’t been dreaming. She had really…

  “Whatever it is,” Christina said on the opposite end of the phone line. “It can’t be that bad.”

  “It’s worse than bad.” Kelsey gripped the phone. “I—I’m wearing Faith’s wedding gown.”

  Once the words were out, it didn’t seem quite so bad. For about a second. Another look at her reflection and Kelsey bit her lip. Hard.

  A loud thud sounded in her ear, and she cringed.

  Christina shrieked. “Have you lost your mind?”

  “That’s one explanation.” Kelsey turned to the side to see how the profile of the dress looked. The skirt puddled elegantly at her feet. It would look lovely bustled. On Faith, not her. Kelsey was losing her mind. “This must be an ethical violation of the code of conduct for wedding consultants. Not that I’ve ever read such a thing. But I’m sure one exists—”

  “Stop. Right this minute.” Christina had never sounded so harried. Must be her pregnancy and all those hormones. Kelsey never should have called her. “Why are you wearing a wedding dress?”

  Kelsey wasn’t quite sure herself. Blaming it on aliens or ghosts wouldn’t cut it. Not with Christina. Kelsey took a deep breath.

  “I’m waiting,” Christina said.

  “Let’s see…Will went over to visit his mother. She’s been going to rehab to learn to use a walker, and I wanted to put the wreath and veil in Faith’s closet so they’d be here when she arrived. And…well…it just sort of happened.”

  “Putting on a wedding dress does not just happen.”

  “No, it was hard work to get all the buttons fastened by myself. I now know why brides always need help dressing.”

  “Kelsey.”

  The minute the urge hit her to try on the dress, she should have packed her bags and gotten out of town, away from all this wedding nonsense, away from Will. He was the real reason she looked as if she’d stepped out of wedding album from 1910. He’d made her want to feel loved, like a bride. “I uncovered the dress and held up the veil and wreath. It looked so perfect together, I had to see what it would look like on.”

  “I take it you’re not only wearing the dress.”

  “No.” Kelsey adjusted the wreath. “In my defense, can I say the gown and the headpiece look as if they were made for me? And I swear the dress was asking me to put it on.”

  “A talking wedding dress?” Christina sighed. “Okay, who is this? What have you done with my cousin Kelsey?”

  “I di
dn’t mean literally, but it was sort of magical. And I kept smelling roses.”

  “You caught my bouquet. There were roses in my bouquet.”

  “That was months ago.”

  “Maybe there’s some leftover magic from the Legend of the Ring.”

  Magic would be much easier for Kelsey to buy. “You think?”

  “I don’t know, but it’s strange. Even your voice sounds different.”

  “I feel different, too.” It wasn’t only the wedding gown and headpiece she wore, either. Her skin glowed, a radiant glow not even the best makeup artists could give her. Her cheeks were flushed, not from the cold, not from heat, not even embarrassment for what she’d done. Her eyes were clear and bright and sparkling. If she could bottle this up, add a catchy name and sell it, she’d be every woman’s new best friend.

  “What exactly is going on out there?” Concern filled Christina’s voice.

  “I’m putting together a Valentine’s wedding.”

  “You’ve planned more weddings than I can count and you’ve never tried on a wedding dress before. Who is he? There has to be a man involved. Tell me his name.”

  Christina knew Kelsey too well. “Will. His name is Will Addison. He’s the brother of the bride.”

  “Start at the beginning and tell me everything.”

  Kelsey imagined Christina plopping down on her bed and sitting cross-legged. Would that be uncomfortable in her position? “You’re pregnant and have a lot more to deal with than—”

  “Tell me now.”

  And Kelsey did. She told Christina everything. “I’ve never met anyone like Will. He’s smart, funny, kind, loving, romantic. I’m falling for him, but it will never work because he’s still in love with his late wife. He even wears his wedding ring. He believes his wife was perfect and they had the perfect marriage.” The words tumbled from her lips faster than tears from a flock of bridesmaids during a wedding ceremony. But Kelsey couldn’t stop them, didn’t want to stop them. It felt so good to get it off her chest and to say the words out loud. “Will believes in one true love and thinks he’s already had his chance. He even told me there was someone special waiting for me. Another man, Christina. It’s a totally hopeless situation.”

  “Look at Richard and me. He wanted to prove the legend wrong, and I wanted nothing to do with a prince. At first it seemed like an impossible situation, but everything worked out in the end.”

  “But that’s you.” Kelsey removed the headpiece. “A happily-ever-after has been waiting for you ever since you were a little girl. Remember how Grandfather Armstrong called you Princess and now you are one. Talk about Fate.”

  “Well, he used to call you Tinker Bell.”

  “Exactly. A girl who hangs out with a boy who never wants to grow up. Need I say more. I’m not like you. I’ve never wanted nor tried to find Prince Charming. And now that I have—”

  “Will is your Prince Charming?”

  Kelsey’s mouth parted in surprise. “Did I say that?”

  “You did.”

  She learned something new every day. Not that it changed anything in this case. In fact, it only made it worse. Maybe when she got back to L.A. she could throw herself a pity party. Send out invitations, order in an obscene amount of chocolate—ice cream, cake, cookies and candy.

  “You can’t let this chance pass you by,” Christina said. “You have to tell him how you feel.”

  “How can I do that when I’m not even sure myself?”

  “Are you in love with him?”

  “Love?” Kelsey’s voice cracked. “It couldn’t be love.”

  Love was what drove couples to marry. Love was what brought her parents so much misery and heartache. Love was the one thing she wasn’t looking for. A lump formed in Kelsey’s throat.

  But she didn’t know how to describe all these new feelings coming to life within her, her heightened senses that made snowflakes come alive, the perpetual smile on her face when she thought about Will.

  It couldn’t be love.

  Could it?

  The wind howled, but Will couldn’t see anything outside the window except a blanket of white falling from the sky. No moon, no stars, no trees, no mountains. Only snow. Lots and lots of snow. At least Kelsey would be happy. She really seemed to like the white stuff. Of course, there was too much of a good thing. And with Faith and Trent and Hope due in tomorrow for the rehearsal, Will hoped the storm passed by morning.

  Wanting to keep busy, he opened a bottle of Merlot and placed it on the coffee table next to a plate of cheese and crackers. With a push of a button on his stereo, the sound of music filled the living room. He added a log to the fireplace and stoked the fire until it blazed.

  Above the music, footsteps sounded on the stairs. Kelsey had been upstairs squirreled away hard at work as usual. He hadn’t seen her since returning from his parents’ house after dinner.

  Will turned away from the window and sucked in a breath. Kelsey stood in the doorway, a shy smile on her lips. She wore her hair down, the way he liked best, and the strands gleamed in the lights. Even from this distance, he could smell her perfume.

  She took a step toward him. “How did it go?”

  He didn’t know how a woman could make a pair of black jeans and a white turtleneck look like high fashion, but Kelsey could. “My mom made it across the length of the living room.”

  Kelsey joined him at the window. “That’s wonderful.”

  He nodded. “She told us to hold our applause until she walked up the stairs.”

  Kelsey smiled. “That sounds like Starr.”

  “You think so?”

  It was Kelsey’s turn to nod. “You sound surprised.”

  He shrugged. This wasn’t something he felt comfortable talking about, but with Kelsey…even the uncomfortable seemed easy. “She seems so different now.”

  “There will be differences, but I hope you know it could have been a lot worse.”

  “I know,” he admitted. “But it still seems pretty bad to me.” He stared at the fireplace. Once his mother had been like those flames. Warm and full of energy. “And…”

  Kelsey touched his shoulder. “What?”

  “Her risk for another stroke is higher.” There, he’d said it, said what had been weighing on him since the first stroke. He took a deep breath. “Another stroke could kill her or completely disable her.”

  “True, but a million other things could happen and do the same thing. To your mother, to you.” Kelsey squeezed his shoulder, then let go. “You can’t worry about what-ifs. That’s not good for your mother or for yourself.”

  But the risk was real, too real. “If anything happens to her…”

  “Something already did. She had a stroke and survived. Your family has survived, too.”

  “No, we haven’t. We’ve been floundering like a ship lost at sea without its captain. We even had to bring in a hired gun to help with the wedding.”

  Kelsey arched a brow. “I’ve been called a lot of things in my life, but never a hired gun.”

  “It was a compliment.”

  “Thank you.” The look in her eyes softened. “And Will, not every family can handle a wedding on their own. Lots of people use…hired guns.”

  “It’s not only the wedding.” Will wished Kelsey would touch him again. Her touch reassured him, made him feel stronger. “My mom’s the one who holds this family together. She always has. Even my dad admits it. Any time there’s a problem or something needs to be done or a million other things, my mom’s the one to do it or to see that it gets done. And now there’s no one.”

  A thoughtful smile curved Kelsey’s lips. “There’s someone. A co-captain, so to speak.”

  Will furrowed his brows. “Who?”

  “You.” Her smile widened. “You came to get me. You’ve done a lot of the work on Faith’s wedding. You keep tabs on your mother’s progress. Make sure your father isn’t getting overwhelmed. You even made travel arrangements for Hope and her family.” The warmth in
Kelsey’s eyes touched Will’s heart. “Those are all things your mother would have done.”

  Her words had such a profound effect on him. He wasn’t used to feeling this way, and wasn’t sure if he liked it. “So I’m turning into my mom. Just what a guy wants to hear.”

  Kelsey chuckled. “You’re simply stepping up, taking her place for now, like a…pinch runner. I think that’s what its called. I’m not much into spectator sports like football.”

  He laughed. “It’s baseball.”

  “Same difference.” She flipped her hair behind her shoulder. “Two teams, a ball, a score, and lots of commercials.”

  He smiled. “Thanks.”

  Her forehead wrinkled. “For what?”

  “For making me feel better.”

  All of a sudden he was very aware of his surroundings. The crackling fire. A seductive jazz CD playing on the stereo. The wine, cheese and crackers. The only things missing were candles.

  What the hell was he doing?

  Will motioned to the coffee table. “I, uh, put out some food in case you were hungry.”

  Her eyes widened with appreciation. “I’m starving. I skipped lunch and dinner.”

  “There was a plate for you in the fridge.”

  “I, um, forgot.”

  He sat on the couch. “You were really busy today.”

  “I had a few things I needed to do.” She sat on the opposite end of the couch. It was better this way, he told himself. “But I failed to get to the most important thing on my list. Maybe food is what I need to fuel my creativity. I’ve procrastinated way too long.”

  “You?” He poured the wine into glasses. “I don’t believe it.”

  “Believe it.” She took the glass he offered. “The wedding vows have to be ready by tomorrow. Which leaves tonight. It’s just…”

  “What?”

  “Don’t you think it’s kind of weird to have someone else write the vows? I mean, if you were getting married, wouldn’t you want to write your own?”

  “Sara wrote ours.”

  “Forget I said anything.”

  “This is no big deal,” he said. “Faith’s used to reading lines. This won’t be any different for her.”