I leaned forward, eyebrows raised. “I’m listening.”
“Okay, so a few years ago, right before Garrick and I started dating, Levi had a fiancé.”
“A fiancé?” I asked incredulously. “On purpose?”
I couldn’t imagine Levi ever stooping so low as to love someone, nor could I imagine what kind of horrible woman might be inclined to love him back.
“Big time on purpose. Apparently he adored her, and for all he knew she adored him too. Then one day he went back to their place, and all her stuff was gone and her ring was sitting on the kitchen counter. He had to hear from a friend that she’d picked up and moved down to California, but to this day he still doesn’t know why.”
My mouth dropped open. That sucked. I could imagine a few reasons why Levi’s fiancé might have wanted to hightail it out of there, but nobody deserved that. I could empathize with him. If it were anything like what happened between Aaron and me, Levi must’ve been crushed.
“Has he talked to her since then?” I asked.
Val shook her head. “Nor about her. I don’t even know her name. Nobody in their family talks about it. Levi wasn’t a ray of sunshine before it happened, but since then he’s had difficulties trusting strangers.”
“Huh.” I sat back in my chair. “Doesn’t excuse him for how much of an ass he is though.”
She shook her head. “Certainly not. But like I said, it’s not you. I get upset when people don’t like me, and I was pretty cut up about Levi’s coldness until Garrick told me what happened. After yesterday I figured you had a right to know.”
“Thanks, Val.”
She reached across the table and squeezed my hand. Hers were warm from resting on her coffee cup, and I felt that warmth permeate down to my bones.
“Do you feel any better?” she asked.
“Tons,” I replied. “And I think you’ve just helped me crack my writer’s block.”
Chapter 9
Levi
I opened my closet doors and frowned. My closet ran the entire length of my bedroom and was filled with clothes, but the vast majority of pieces were unsuitable for the weekend ahead. Just another reason I shouldn’t have to go on this stupid skiing weekend.
I rifled through my sweaters, digging beneath the cashmere and Merino wool to find the couple of chunky knitted ones that Garrick had bought me last Christmas. The earth had nearly done a full rotation, and they still hadn’t left the bottom of my drawer. Garrick probably had at least ten in a similar style. I should’ve just raided his closet for clothes.
Why did I have to go on this trip anyway? Val insisted it would help the wedding party bond with one another, which was a complete sham when we all knew the ones who were going to bond already had. Val, Garrick, and Frankie got along like a house on fire. I told Val they would have a better time without me, but she wouldn’t hear of it.
I finished my packing by tossing a few balled-up pairs of socks into the top of my suitcase. Then I threw a few more. One thing I couldn’t stand about snow was getting cold and wet feet—or cold and wet anything, for that matter. The fact that my brother was having his wedding on Mount Hood during the middle of winter was bad enough. That I was being dragged there now for an awkward weekend with two women who hated me just added insult to injury.
I zipped up my bag and stepped out into the living room. Dark clouds made it seem later than it was, and a few flakes of snow drifted past the window. For all its faults, at least snow was pretty to watch. I had fond childhood memories of Garrick and I plastered to the window at my family’s cabin on Mount Bachelor, watching the snow pile up outside while our mom made us hot chocolate and my dad yelled at the football game on TV.
My phone rang and I checked the screen, then answered.
“On your way already?” I asked.
Garrick and Valerie were picking up Frankie first, then swinging by to get me. My plan for the car ride was to sit and answer emails on my phone. Or really do anything on my phone that didn’t involve participating.
“Actually, I’ve got a favor to ask,” he said.
I chewed my bottom lip and frowned. “Yeah?”
“There’s an emergency at Feisty Fox, and Val’s dad needs her help. It’s going to take a few hours to sort out, so she’s not going to make it to the resort today. I’m going to drive up with her in the morning, and I was hoping you could take Frankie up this afternoon.”
“Absolutely not. If you’re going in the morning, we’ll all go in the morning. Frankie and I will kill each other if we have to spend the night together alone.”
“Which is exactly what I said to Val when she suggested it,” Garrick said. “Only problem is she and Frankie have an appointment with the hotel manager this afternoon. Something to do with special requests for the wedding. Anyway, the manager is leaving for her Christmas holiday right after that meeting so she won’t be around tomorrow.”
“Can’t they just skip the meeting? Do it over Skype? Do these girls have no creativity?”
“Levi.” Garrick’s low tone warned me that I was dancing on his last nerve.
At the end of the day, this wasn’t worth throwing a fit over. Worst case scenario, and also the most likely scenario, Frankie and I could go to our separate rooms until the morning and we wouldn’t have to talk at all.
I sighed. “Fine. I’ll do it.”
“Don’t sound so excited,” Garrick replied. “Frankie might get the wrong idea.”
“We wouldn’t want that to happen. You’re coming up first thing in the morning?”
“As long as everything’s sorted out at Feisty, which Val says won’t be a problem.”
At least if the entire brewery exploded in the middle of the night or something, we could just cut the trip short and come home.
“I guess I better hit the road then,” I muttered.
“That’s the spirit. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Sure thing.”
“And hey, Levi?”
I paused. “What?”
“Be nice, please. Frankie’s a good girl. I know you two don’t get along, but if Val’s wedding planner quits because you were too busy being a diva to remember your manners, she will kill you. Painfully. And I won’t do anything to stop it.”
I rolled my eyes. “Trust me, that girl is not a quitter.”
“All the same. Don’t be a dick.”
“Sure. See you tomorrow.”
I hung up the phone and let out a frustrated groan. This wedding was turning out to be more trouble for me than it was the groom. I was going to have a stiff drink the minute I stepped into our hotel.
I grabbed my bag from the bedroom and headed down to the parking garage, where my black Range Rover waited. Garrick was lucky my car was mountain appropriate.
I had Frankie’s number scribbled on a note somewhere, courtesy of Val, but didn’t think to bring it with me. Instead, I parked in front of her building and walked up to the front door to buzz her.
Her voice crackled through the speaker. “Hello?”
“Your ride is here.”
“Great! I’ll be right down!”
The cheery tone of her voice indicated she thought it was Garrick at her door and not me. She was in for a shock.
I was back at the car by the time Frankie stepped out the front door. I watched her face fall when she realized there was nobody else in the car.
For a moment I thought she was going to go back inside, but then she frowned and marched forward, her wheelie suitcase clattering across the pavement. She yanked the trunk open with more force than necessary and shoved her bag inside without sparing a word of greeting. Garrick would have probably waited outside to help her. I wasn’t Garrick.
A moment later, Frankie opened the passenger door but didn’t get in. “Where’s everyone else?”
“It’s just you and me,” I replied, staring out the windshield. “Val’s got a brewery emergency. She and Garrick will be up in the morning.”
From her hesit
ance to get in the car I gathered Frankie was running the mental math and trying to figure out if she could somehow skip her meeting. Finally, she sighed and hopped up into the cab.
Even though I also didn’t enjoy the idea of us spending the night alone together, something about her reaction hit a nerve.
“Look, I’m not thrilled about it either,” I said, pulling out onto the road. “Let’s just try not to kill each other.”
She snorted. “Awfully diplomatic of you, considering you’ve been a jerk from the start.”
I glanced over and found her staring determinately ahead, her lips set in a haughty line that made them pout ever so slightly.
“What? You’ve given up on me now?” I remarked dryly. “Must be a chilly day in hell.”
She gestured toward the snowflakes peppering the windshield but said nothing else. She’d made her point.
Frankie started to root in her purse, pulling out a pair of headphones that she shoved into her ears. Two could play at that game. I turned on the radio, and together we ignored each other for the entire car ride.
Chapter 10
Frankie
The whole drive to Mount Hood, I reminded myself I had bigger things to worry about in my life than Levi Wheeler’s indomitable ego. First of all, my father had just gotten out of surgery. He was doing well, but Mom still worried and fussed like she always did when somebody she cared about was sick. I used to secretly love getting the flu when I was a kid because she’d devote her entire day to looking after me, bringing me soup and reading me stories and speaking in calm, comforting tones that were more healing than any medicine she shoved down my throat. My dad was getting the same treatment now, and there was no way for him not to recover when under the care of his helicopter wife.
I only wished I could see them at Christmas. It was a tough call, deciding to stay in Portland, but there was no way I could afford the flight this year. My parents and siblings understood since Dad’s surgery was the reason I had to stay put, but we were all sad about it.
I hoped this skiing weekend—all expenses paid courtesy of my very generous and very rich bride—would buoy my spirits a little. The only work I had to do was one quick meeting, and the rest of the time I would be free to relax and have fun. I was looking forward to getting to spend time with Valerie, too, since she’d been busy with Christmas promotions all month and we’d barely seen each other.
The only thing I didn’t find tempting about this weekend was seeing Levi. The irony of my current situation, spending the night alone with the one person I wanted to avoid most, would have been hilarious if it weren’t so frustrating. I hadn’t seen him since “the event” and my plan for the weekend had been to have a blast with Val and Garrick and ignore the hell out of Levi unless he decided to hit me up with an apology. The chances of said apology were slim, but it gave me a good reason to pretend he wasn’t even there.
Now there could be no pretending. Until tomorrow, at least.
I stared out the window the entire way up Mount Hood. The further up the mountain we went, the harder the snow fell. By the time we reached the ski chalet, the snow was falling so heavily that the windshield wipers could hardly keep up and my nerves were shot. Levi was calm as ever, but I didn’t release my grip on my seatbelt until he pulled into the underground parking lot.
Cheery Christmas tunes filled the otherwise silent elevator ride to the lobby, and when the doors opened I marched toward the front desk with purpose.
The pictures on the hotel’s website didn’t do it justice. Thick timber beams crisscrossed the vaulted ceiling, contrasting with the modern crystal chandeliers that hung high in the air. The soft carpet and undulating electric fireplace gave the place a warm, homey feel, as did the smile of the man waiting behind the stonework front desk.
“Welcome to the Mount Hood Manor,” he greeted. “How can I assist you?”
I offered our details for check-in, explaining that the rest of our party would be in tomorrow. While he found our reservation, I checked the time.
I still had a couple of hours before my meeting with the manager, but the idea of having to spend that time in Levi’s company after I’d already spent over two hours with him on the drive up put a bad taste in my mouth.
“I have a meeting with Laurie Kellar later this afternoon,” I said. “If she’s around, would you mind checking with her and seeing if she’d be available any earlier?”
“Certainly.”
The receptionist finished checking us in and handed us keys before picking up the phone and calling Laurie.
“I’m going to the room,” Levi muttered, swiping his key off the counter. He departed without another word, and I had the urge to shake my fist at his back.
A moment later, the receptionist ended the call and met my gaze with a polite smile.
“She’ll be out in just a moment. Would you like to place your bags behind the desk until you’re finished?”
“That would be great, thank you.”
We’d only just stowed away my bags when Laurie emerged from a door across the lobby and walked toward us. She was an elegant woman in her mid-forties, with gray streaks in her dark hair and the kind of welcoming smile only years in hospitality can shape.
“Welcome, welcome!” she said cheerily, shaking my hand. “You must be Frankie. It’s such a pleasure to have you here. Where is our lovely bride?”
“It’s a pleasure to be here,” I said. “Valerie couldn’t make it, I’m afraid. She’ll be up in the morning, but you’ll miss her.”
“No matter, no matter.” She led me across the room and into a long hallway, at the end of which was a door into her office.
A window at the back of the room overlooked a snowy courtyard, where thick flakes were still hurtling down from the sky. Laurie’s desk was cluttered with papers, family photographs, and at least four pens. She walked around the desk and gestured to the chair in front of me.
“Please, sit.”
“I’m sorry for intruding on you like this,” I said. My sudden arrival had given Laurie no time to prepare, and it didn’t seem fair for me to rearrange her day just because I needed a break from Levi.
Laurie shook her head and smiled. “No, please don’t be. I’m delighted you wanted to meet earlier. There’s going to be a massive snowfall tonight, and I was a little worried that we wouldn’t be able to get down the mountain if we left later.”
“Oh, good.” I tried not to think about the possible implications of that prediction. They had plows and stuff, right? Surely the roads would be clear enough for Garrick and Val to come up in the morning. Anyway, I was here now. No point worrying about it.
We transitioned into our meeting. Val and Garrick’s families—though mostly Val’s—had some special requests for the wedding, including serving their beers in the hotel bars for the weekend. They were using the wedding as a promotional opportunity. Val and Garrick agreed they would be stupid not to do so, though they weren’t thrilled about it. It didn’t take us long to iron out the details, and Laurie gave me some documents for the Wheelers and Fieldmans to sign and fax back. All finished, Laurie walked me back to the lobby.
“I hope you have a great Christmas,” I told her as we shook hands in front of the fireplace.
Laurie grinned. “You as well. I’ve told the staff to take care of you, so if there’s anything you need during your stay, please don’t hesitate to ask. We’re honored to have you.”
Rolling with Portland royalty sure had its perks. I’d never been an honored guest at a hotel before, and I was close to letting it get to my head. No wonder Levi was so...Levi.
Laurie hurried off back to her office, and I grabbed my bags from the reception desk before heading to my room.
We’d taken one of the ground floor suites that occupied the backside of the hotel. The three bedroom suite would have been generous with the four of us in it, but with only two occupants I was comfortable knowing that I’d have plenty of room to wiggle around Levi. On the way to
the suite, I passed a plate glass window overlooking a treed garden and paused to watch the snow. It was starting to darken outside, though the lights of the village reflected on the heavy cloud cover and made the sky glow burnt orange. Unease flitted under my skin. Was it really going to snow enough to block the roads? Should Levi and I leave? Better yet, should I steal his keys and abandon him here?
The thought was tempting.
No, I decided. It was just a little bit of snow, and Levi would throw a fit if I made him drive us down tonight, only to have to come back up with Val and Garrick in the morning. I could do this.
I continued down the hall until I reached our room. The door opened into a small tiled foyer, where I hung my coat and kicked off my shoes. From somewhere further in the suite came the sound of cheers and the nasally voice of a sports announcer. I went to investigate and found Levi sprawled on the white leather couch with his head lying on the armrest. The look of his tattooed arms, muscular and strong, sent a shiver of desire through my body.
“You’ve made yourself at home,” I observed.
“Yep.” His eyes stayed glued to the football on the flat screen TV just above the fireplace.
The room was massive, with the same timber beams as the lobby and wood accents around the windows and doors. It was an elegant blend of rustic and modern, an electric fireplace set inside a massive stone hearth, leather furniture, aged oak floors. I moved my exploration to the equally stunning kitchen. It was outfitted with white shaker cabinets, black granite countertops, and stainless steel appliances that gleamed in the low light. Too bad I was a horrible cook.
I circled back to the French doors in the living room, staring out at the snow-dusted covered deck and the vast sheet of white beyond it, which only disappeared once it met the towering tree line.
“This place is incredible,” I breathed, fogging up the glass.
Levi’s only response was turn up the volume on the TV. I gritted my teeth and decided to go check out my bedroom.
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