Royal Engagement

by Chance Carter

  Woah. Smolder alert. My gaze dropped to the menu.

  “Trust me, nothing for you to worry about there.”

  “Good. He’s an asshole and you’re sweet.”

  Levi isn’t an asshole, I wanted to say. Not really.

  Levi might play the big scary lion, but he had a good heart under it all. I knew. I’d seen it. I’d listened to it beat as he rubbed gentle circles on my naked back.

  But I didn’t say any of that. It would have been pointless to defend him, especially since letting myself hate Levi was probably my best option for surviving the next five days without going crazy.

  Without finding an excuse to slip into his bed for the night.

  “I’m glad you think so,” I said.

  The waitress arrived and took our orders. When she left, I turned the conversation away from talk of Levi, or any of the Wheelers. We chatted about Josh’s firm, my business, and our mutual love of Portland’s rainy streets.

  Josh was a good talker, and I enjoyed our lunch together, but something was missing. When he looked at me, I didn’t get the same electric thrill that I did just from being in the same room as Levi. But hey, he would be a good distraction—and it was more evident by the second that I was going to need one.

  Chapter 27

  Levi

  Garrick and I were quiet on the walk to our room. I would’ve preferred my own room, but Val booked them and she thought it would be more romantic if they slept in separate rooms until their wedding night. She seemed to also think it would be fun for Garrick and me to room together until then, like her and Frankie were doing. We were humoring her.

  The room was simple but elegant—two queen beds, a lounge area, and a desk with a generous spread of coffee and tea. It was nothing compared to the master bedroom Frankie and I slept in our last time here, but the view was good. I walked over to the window and looked out.

  Our room faced the back of the property, just like the one I shared with Frankie had. We were above the tree line, and thousands of snow-covered pines stretched into the distance, undulating with the uneven terrain. Below me somewhere was the slope that had served as our sledding hill, but I couldn’t make it out from the rest of the great swathe of white.

  Garrick started unpacking behind me. He put his tux in the closet first, breathing a sigh of relief that he hadn’t gotten it dirty between home and now.

  I turned from the window and crossed my arms. The question that I’d been trying to ignore for the past several minutes spilled from my lips.

  “Why do you think Josh was talking to Frankie?”

  Garrick blinked in surprise. “Why do you care?”

  “I’m just curious,” I replied.

  “Sure you are.” His eyes sparkled with mischief and I wanted to sock him. Luckily for him, Val would kill me if he had bruises on his wedding day.

  “Come on, Garrick. The guy’s a roach and he hates us,” I said. “What does he want from Frankie?”

  “I don’t know,” Garrick replied airily, strolling to the window with his hands clasped behind his back. “Could it be that she’s a beautiful woman?”

  My jaw tensed. “I don’t think it’s that simple.”

  “You know what it sounds like to me?” Garrick leaned in close, smirking. “It sounds like you’re jealous.”

  “Jealous? Of that idiot?” I snorted. “Not likely.”

  “Then why does it bother you that he’s all over Frankie?”

  “I never said it bothered me,” I replied haughtily. “I just asked what you thought his deal was.”

  “Sure.” Garrick raised his brows.

  “Don’t be a dick, Garrick.”

  “I’m not.”

  I forced a blank expression and stepped around him, hauling my suitcase onto the bed and opening it to unpack. Garrick went back to unpacking, and I tried to ignore the way his lips curled with amusement at his own private joke. I really tried.

  “Josh is an asshole!” I said finally. “I have every right to wonder what foul trick he’s got up his sleeve regarding the wedding planner.”

  “Oh, so you’re a knight in shining armor now, are you?”

  “More like a concerned citizen.” I dropped my pile of folded shirts into one of the closet drawers and slammed it closed. “I’m going to get something eat.”

  “Do,” Garrick said. “You always get grumpy when you’re hungry.”

  I ground my teeth and grabbed my room key. Garrick’s chuckle chased me out into the hallway.

  Again, he was lucky it was his wedding.

  I headed toward the cafe. I realized about halfway to the lobby that I was storming and tapered my gait to appear more casual. Why was I so on edge? Garrick hadn’t helped matters, but I’d been pissed off from the second I first walked into the lobby and saw Josh Lendal practically dripping off Frankie. And she ate it up.

  I made it about two steps into the cafe before I stopped, fists clenching at my sides.

  Josh and Frankie were at a table by the window, laughing together like old friends.

  As I watched, Josh leaned forward and placed his hand on Frankie’s arm. I couldn’t see her face but I knew her cheeks would be pink with an adorable blush.

  Of course they were here. How could I forget about their little lunch date? My stomach grumbled angrily but I turned and left the cafe. Who needed lunch? I decided to grab a drink instead.

  Ah, the hotel bar. It was just as I remembered it, right down to the wiry bartender that Frankie had swayed to her cause on our last visit. I didn’t think he would remember me, but the moment I sat down he happily traipsed down to my side of the bar and stood with his hand on his hip.

  “Now there’s a sight for sore eyes,” he said. “Glenmorangie?”

  “Please.” I scanned his name tag for the first time. Xavier. It looked like Xavier was going to be my best friend for the next five days.

  He went to work pouring my drink, glancing over his shoulder at me. “Where’s your girl?”

  I ground my teeth. Maybe we wouldn’t be best friends.

  “She’s not my girl.”

  He smiled and slid my glass across the bar. “She’s something to you.”

  “Why does everyone think that?” I muttered, grabbing the glass and downing the whiskey in one go. Xavier started pouring me another.

  “Because of the look on your face when I asked you where she was,” he replied.

  “Do they pay you extra for that?”

  Xavier picked up on my bitter tone and offered only a polite smile. He knew when to back away, at least. I didn’t fancy getting in another argument, not when I’d been here less than an hour.

  “Holler if you want another,” he said, moving down the bar to check on his other customers.

  I didn’t feel like sitting at the bar anymore. I snatched up my glass and stood, taking stock of the room. It was a quiet afternoon and only a couple tables were occupied. I decided the little one at the back by the window was the best option for drinking alone and made my way over. I sat down, ironed my features into ennui, and took a sip of my drink.

  What the hell was I going to do for the next five days? I couldn’t sit around and stew about Valerie’s shit for brains cousin, that was for damn sure. Only problem was right now I couldn’t think of anything else. I kept seeing his hand on Frankie’s arm, that smarmy grin on his face like he thought he was the funniest person in the whole world.

  I looked around the bar to distract myself. As I did, a pretty redhead came in and approached the bar, wearing a brightly colored ski jacket and matching headband. She looked like she’d skied in straight from the eighties, but it was cute.

  As I made my assessment, she looked over at me. Our eyes met and she flashed a shy smile, batting her lashes. My invitation to approach. I broke contact, turning my gaze to the window instead.

  I should go over there. Hadn’t I just been lamenting the fact that I was going to be bored out of my mind for the next few days? My parents would arrive later this
afternoon, but I couldn’t spend the whole trip hanging out with them. I wasn’t that sad.

  No matter what I told myself, though, I had no desire to get up. I didn’t feel like being charming right now. I wasn’t feeling sociable, and she probably wasn’t all that interesting anyways. Besides, did I really want to get stuck with some strange girl tailing me around for the next few days?

  I stayed put, and soon the girl’s friends joined her and they took a table on the other side of the room. I felt her eyes fall on me a few times while I finished my drink, but my mind was made up. There were a bevy of reasons why I didn’t want to go over there. Tons of them. At least that was what I told myself.

  I couldn’t admit that the only thing really holding me back was that no matter how beautiful and keen that girl was, she wasn’t Frankie.

  Chapter 28

  Frankie

  Josh walked me to my room after lunch, playing the role of gentleman suitor to a tee. He all but kissed my hand and bowed as we said goodbye at the doorway.

  “Until next time,” he said in a smooth, melodic voice. It felt like he was putting it on. “I hope to find myself in your company again very soon.”

  “You too. Thanks for lunch.” I waved shortly and unlocked the door.

  Once inside, I fell onto my bed and looked around for any sign of Val. The bathroom door was closed and a strip of light showed underneath, and when I listened carefully I could hear water running.

  I didn’t know how to feel about Josh and I was anxious to talk it over with Val. I could already tell I was overthinking it. He seemed like a nice guy, but I didn’t get the impression he really listened to anything I said. Not like the way Levi listened.

  And there I went thinking about Levi again. Josh would only be a good distraction if I didn’t constantly compare him to Levi. I flicked on the TV and put the kibosh on thinking about either of them until Valerie came out of the shower. I surfed the channels until I found a nature show to zone out to, and concentrated all my thoughts on the exotic wonders of the Amazon.

  Luckily, Val wasn’t in the shower for long. She emerged a few minutes later, one towel wrapped around her head and the other around her torso.

  “Oh, hey,” she said, grinning. “When did you get back in?”

  “Only a few minutes ago.” I turned off the TV and sat up in bed, crossing my legs underneath me.

  Val stepped over to the full-length mirror and started applying moisturizer. “How was your date?”

  “Let’s not call it a date. I’m not sure what to make of Josh.”

  She met my eyes in the mirror and nodded. “Good instincts. I love him but he’s got his faults. He said a couple nasty things about the Wheelers, right?”

  “Yeah. How’d you know?”

  Val gave a knowing smile. “That boy’s got a massive chip on his shoulder about them. He takes the family rivalry to another level.”

  “Why?”

  Val shook her head, chuckling. “Bitterness, mostly. He went to school with Garrick and Levi, and they always outshone him. Josh has a habit of taking everything a little too personally.”

  “Huh.” I reclined on the pillows and stretched my arms behind my head.

  “Don’t let that put you off if you like him though,” Val continued. “I would just take everything he says about them with a grain of salt.”

  “Duly noted,” I replied. “He’s nice, though. We had a really good talk.”

  Val chortled, pulling the towel from her hair. “Yeah, he’s good at that.” She started raking her fingers through her blonde tresses and picked up the hair dryer.

  “Aren’t you supposed to be with Garrick right now?” I asked. “I thought you guys were spending the day together.”

  “Right!” Val spun. “I forgot to tell you. My parents, in the surprise play of the year, have decided to come up this afternoon. They’re going to be here in an hour or so and have requested my presence for the day.”

  “That is surprising. I thought they couldn’t make it until the day before the wedding?”

  She shrugged. “Honestly, it probably has more to do with the fact that Molly and Gerhart are here for the week than their desire to spend time with me. They can’t stand to be outdone.” She turned back to the mirror and sighed. “We’re all having dinner together tonight. Molly and Gerhart too. You’ll come?”

  “Of course.”

  Val smiled at me in the mirror and started blow-drying her hair.

  A year of wedding planning and I still hadn’t met Val’s parents. The opinion I’d formed of them thus far was unfavorable, and I wondered how they would behave at dinner. It would make things interesting, that was for sure.

  The door slammed and I bolted upright in bed.

  “Sorry!” Val said, wincing. “I didn’t realize you were asleep.”

  I blinked at her, then turned to the window. It was just starting to get dark outside.

  “I didn’t realize I was asleep either,” I said. “I must’ve dozed off.” I reached for the remote and turned off the TV, which was playing a home renovation show.

  “I just came back to get ready for dinner,” she said. “We’re meeting at the restaurant in an hour.”

  “You need an hour to get ready for dinner?” I asked.

  Val smirked. “I need an hour of peace before I have to go back into the lion’s den.”

  “Fair call,” I said. “Your parents have met Garrick’s before, right?”

  “Here and there.” She collapsed onto her bed, sighing. “They haven’t seen each other since our engagement dinner, but they’ll be fine. It’s more posturing and subtle one-ups than any open hostility when they get together.”

  “How was your day with them?”

  She flopped her head to the side to look at me. “I swear we talked about work for half of it. The other half was bearable but not something I would look forward to doing again anytime soon.”

  I scooted to the edge of my bed and hopped over to Val’s, sending her bouncing on the mattress. She giggled.

  “We need to turn that frown upside down,” I said, poking her in the ribs. “You’re on vacation and you’re getting married to the love of your life. Who cares if your parents are being their typical selves? Let’s do everything we can to have fun tonight.”

  She grinned at me, returning my poke to the ribs. “I’m glad you’re here. It wouldn’t be the same without you.”

  “Does that mean you’ll let me throw you a bachelorette party?” I asked, wiggling my eyebrows.

  Val snorted but shook her head. “Who would we invite? My mom? Molly?”

  “We don’t have to invite anyone. It can be just the two of us.” I prodded the tip of her nose.

  “Just the two of us getting shit faced at the hotel bar? You know I love you, but I’m not sure that’s worth being hungover on my wedding for.”

  “You need to think outside of the box, Val,” I said. “Tell you what. Leave it to me and I promise you’ll have a good time. And that you won’t be hungover on your wedding.”

  She studied me, deliberating, before finally giving a short shake of her head. “Fine. I trust you.”

  I pumped my fist in the air and Val rolled her eyes.

  “I’m going to go have a soak in the bath,” she said, shifting to the side of the bed. “Do we have any wine in here?”

  “My bag.” I pointed to the closet, where I’d tucked my backpack in just behind the door. “I brought some of that merlot you like.”

  “You’re the wind beneath my wings.”

  I blew her a kiss.

  Val grabbed the bottle of wine and poured each of us a glass, then retreated to the bathroom humming happily. I moved back to my own bed and turned the TV back on, though I didn’t pay attention. I was too busy running through options for Val’s bachelorette party. It had to be a success.

  I’d been to more weddings than I could count, but this one was different. I always strove for perfection, but it was more important this time. Val meant
a lot to me. Her happiness was my happiness, and this wedding was so important to her that she’d called to book me almost the second she got engaged.

  An hour later, I had a plan, and Val had a wine buzz. We tumbled out of our room, giggling, and I nearly ran face first into Levi’s chest. I wheeled backward in surprise and his hand shot out to steady me. One touch and electricity crackled under my skin.

  “Steady there,” he said.

  “I’m good.” I twisted out of his grasp. “Thanks.”

  “Garrick!” Val exclaimed, throwing her arms around her fiancé. The next thing I knew they were making out like teenagers against the wall.

  “I let her get a little drunk,” I admitted quietly.

  Levi crooked a brow. I answered with a shrug. Once the two lovers came up for air, I smacked Val on the butt and gestured down the hall.

  “We’re gonna be late,” I said.

  Val grabbed Garrick’s hand. “Sorry. I haven’t seen him all day.”

  “How are you doing, wifey?” Garrick asked, brushing his lips over her knuckles.

  I got behind the two and gave them a gentle push as they started catching up. You wouldn’t think that a few hours of separation would give them that much to talk about, but Val and Garrick started chattering away like they hadn’t seen each other in years.

  Levi and I trailed behind them. I figured after his limited greeting earlier, we would walk to the restaurant in silence. I intended to, anyway.

  “Did you have a nice date?” Levi asked.

  I swiveled my head to look at him but he stared off into the distance.

  “I did. Thanks for asking.”

  He sucked on his bottom lip. “You should be careful with Josh.”

  I let out a bitter laugh. “Yeah. I know all about your little rivalry,” I said, looking ahead. “Thanks for the warning, but frankly it’s none of your business.”

  “Just looking out for you.”

  “If this criticism of who I choose to spend time with wasn’t the first thing you’ve said to me all day, I might believe that.”

  I was finished talking to him. I walked faster until I caught up with Garrick and Val, plastering on a smile and joining their conversation. Levi’s stare burned a hole in my back the whole way to the restaurant.