Holiday Hook Up: (Bachelors of Buttermilk Falls Book 4)

by Robyn Neeley

  “Water damage,” Bethany repeated. “Oh, my God. You’re right. Mary’s dress would have been ruined if she drowned in it. This can’t possibly be hers then, right?” she asked, her voice full of hope.

  “There’s one way to find out.” Caitlin reached for her silver clutch and pulled out her phone.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Telling Abby to get her skinny butt up here. Perhaps she knows where this hope chest came from.”

  Bethany took a seat on the edge of the bed, and a few minutes later, Abby came in, waving her phone at Caitlin. “Just because you’re now my sister-in-law doesn’t mean I am at your beck and call.”

  Caitlin pulled Bethany off the bed. “Abby, do you recognize this dress?”

  Abby gave Bethany the same head to toe look that Josh and Caitlin had. “No.”

  “Your brother did. It’s Mary Reed’s.”

  “Get out! Where did you find it?” Abby came over and touched the fabric.

  Bethany tried not to flinch. People could stop touching her anytime now. At this point, she wanted to peel the darn dress off, throw her burgundy one back on, and go home. She pointed to the hope chest. “In there.”

  Abby spun around, her hands on her hips. “Where did that come from?”

  “We were hoping you could answer that question. You’ve never seen it before?” Caitlin asked.

  “No, and it definitely wasn’t in that spot when I brought up the masks and wigs you and Emma dropped off earlier. I would have seen it.” Abby walked over and bent down, opening the lid and peering in. “I’m pretty sure Brandon didn’t put this in here. He’s been at the bar all afternoon and evening.” Abby tapped a text to her husband and got an immediate reply saying he didn’t know anything about a hope chest.

  The three of them stood in silence, until Caitlin finally said, “So, a hope chest only holding what we think was Mary’s wedding dress just happened to appear out of nowhere. A gown, that, let’s remember, should be ruined since Mary was believed to be wearing it when she drowned, yet it doesn’t have one water stain on it.”

  Bethany gulped down her fear, but her hands were visibly shaking. “Can I take said dress off now, please?”

  “Yes, of course.” Abby crossed the room. “Let us help you.”

  Caitlin bent down and assisted Bethany out of the dress, while Abby handed her the outfit she’d come to the party in. Even though Bethany had loved the fearless, take-charge woman she’d become in the gown, she was more than ready to go back to being her less-mysterious, less-confident self.

  She dressed quickly while Caitlin returned the vintage dress to the hope chest and pulled down the lid.

  “Okay, ladies. If we’re done here, I’ve got a handsome man to shower with my affection.” Caitlin winked. “And by shower, I mean hot shower sex since the kids are with Josh’s parents tonight.”

  Bethany appreciated Caitlin’s attempt to lighten the spooky mood while Abby rolled her eyes, moving toward the bed. “I’ll chat with Emma tomorrow and see if we can figure out where the dress—and this hope chest—came from.” Abby started for the door, but turned. “I forgot that we have guests checking into this room in the morning. I’m just going to tidy up.”

  “Do you need any help?” Bethany asked.

  “No. Go ahead,” Abby said, grabbing some masks off the bed. “I’ll shove them in the hope chest for now. Keep Mary’s dress company.”

  Caitlin exited the room and Bethany followed, suddenly realizing she hadn’t taken any pictures for Jason. The last thing she wanted was to let him down. Maybe she could get in a couple of shots before the party ended. Her camera was probably still at the bar where she’d left it.

  “Such a weird night,” Caitlin repeated her comment from earlier.

  “I couldn’t agree wit—”

  “Ladies! Come back. Quick!” Abby’s shouts reached the stairs.

  Bethany and Caitlin exchanged the same confused look and raced back in.

  “What’s the matter?” Caitlin asked.

  Bethany came up beside Caitlin to see Abby standing next to the open hope chest, her mouth wide open.

  “Was there something else in there?” Bethany asked. She hadn’t seen anything besides the dress, but perhaps she’d missed it.

  “More like what isn’t in here.” Abby pointed to the inside of the hope chest.

  “Seems like Mary’s dress wasn’t ready to call it a night.”

  “What do you mean?” Bethany’s heart stopped as she came up beside Abby, looking down into the empty hope chest.

  Chapter 4

  Adam pushed open the Sugar Spoon’s glass door, Zoe Mathews fast on his heels.

  “Zoe, I’m really not sure if I can do it. The last three times that I tried, I failed.”

  “Adam, here’s the deal.” The Ice Heaven frozen yogurt shop owner loosened the red wool scarf around her neck and unbuttoned her black pea coat, shaking some snowflakes off it from the morning’s light dusting. “I had a lot to drink last night. A lot. I don’t know what Brandon puts in that Abby’s Potion cocktail of his, but it was powerful stuff. It made me do things I wouldn’t normally do.”

  “You looked like you were having a bit of fun.” He snickered and scratched his chin. “I mean, from what I could see. It was kind of hard to tell with your face on Will’s for most of the evening.”

  She put her hand up. “Stop right there. That was a huge mistake.”

  “You’re not into Will?” He nodded a hello to Emma who was busy ringing up a customer.

  “Oh, please.” She reached behind her and tightened her ponytail. “I’ve only been in this town a few months, and even I know that no woman can love Will more than he loves himself.”

  Zoe certainly had a point. He unbuttoned his coat, suspecting that her racing up to him on the street corner minutes ago and following him into the bakery meant she wasn’t going to leave his side until she got what she wanted. He walked over to the counter and took a vacant stool, pulling out an empty one for Zoe. “So, if you don’t like him, why did you agree to be his Holiday Hook Up?”

  She slid onto the stool and shook her head. “I’ve been asking myself that question since it happened. I’ll go through with it because I don’t want to let the senior center down, but I just need to know that at the end of all this Will and I will not be a couple. Ever. Can you help me?”

  Adam could see the desperate plea in her baby blue eyes. Maybe he should try to do the spell on her. It wasn’t like he didn’t need the practice. The thing was, he felt like a colossal failure each time he got it wrong. It was embarrassing. He’d never failed at something so miserably and so publicly.

  The sideways glances . . . the pointing . . . the whispers . . . he was starting to understand what his dad must have gone through all those years ago being on the receiving end of town gossip. Not that he was making any excuses for his parents’ failed marriage and his dad’s indiscretion that ultimately led to breaking their family apart.

  “Like I said, Zoe, I’m not sure I can do it. You’ve no doubt heard of my bad track record with the blue mixing spoon. If Will’s name shows up in the batter, you’re going to be pissed at me, and it might not even be right.”

  “And if his name doesn’t show up in the batter, maybe that’s wrong, too, and he is your soul mate.” He pulled his iPhone out of his back pocket and set it on the counter in case his brother called. Tom said he’d give him a ring when he was leaving the house. The two were planning on getting a head start on one of their dad’s construction jobs later this morning, given they wouldn’t get much done this week leading up to Christmas.

  “But you could try it.” Zoe rested her hand on his knee and batted her lashes in his direction.

  He couldn’t help but grin. She was definitely cute and, with that bright, white smile, would probably wear him down, but not because he wanted her. No. His thoughts had been occupied for most of last night and the better part of this morning on the one mysterious blonde who he wasn
’t really sure at this point was real or a figment of his imagination.

  What the hell was in Abby’s Potion?

  He’d wanted to search for the beautiful woman he’d locked lips with, but shortly after the Holiday Hook Up, Rachel had asked him for a ride home. Not wanting to get behind the wheel, he’d accompanied her in one of the designated driver cars Brandon had arranged for the evening.

  Hers was the first stop, and the whole ride there he wanted to ask his ex why she had made him her Holiday Hook Up but didn’t know how to start the conversation. Did she want to get back together? Why hadn’t she given off any signals that she was interested? And wasn’t she dating Carter?

  When the driver pulled up to the house they’d once shared, Adam told her he’d call her tomorrow so they could plan their upcoming dates.

  Was he really going to date his ex for the next two weeks? He’d wanted this opportunity for months, but now that he had it . . . well, he couldn’t remember a time he’d nearly gone unconscious from one of Rachel’s kisses.

  Emma came over with two white mugs, setting them down. “I’m guessing you both might need this.” She poured coffee into each. “On the house.”

  “Thank you.” Adam grabbed a cow creamer pitcher, pouring some in, and then handed it to his coffee companion. “Zoe had an interesting night.” He winked. “And has now requested my services with my friend, Mr. Blue Spoon.”

  Zoe took a sip of her coffee and set her cup down. “If you do this, I’ll name one of my frozen yogurts after you.”

  Adam couldn’t help but chuckle at that thought. “Adam’s Awesome Cherry Cheesecake does roll off the tongue,” he joked.

  “Done.” Zoe slapped her palms on the pink countertop. “I’ll start experimenting with flavors this afternoon.”

  Emma smiled and patted his hand. “I think anything with your name on it would be a huge hit in this town, and you do need the practice.” She crossed the bakery toward the door. Once there, she flipped over the “Open” sign. “It’s a slow morning, so let’s just close for a few minutes.”

  Adam slid off the stool, cracking his knuckles. Practicing the spell on Zoe wasn’t actually a bad idea, and who knows, maybe he’d finally get it right. How awesome would that be? He clapped his hands. “Let’s do it.”

  He followed Emma into the kitchen, and in no time, they returned to the counter with a white mixing bowl, all the ingredients he would need, and the infamous shimmering blue mixing spoon that Emma kept locked in her office safe.

  “It’s all yours,” she said, handing over the spoon.

  Adam waved it in the air. “Cousin Mary, if you can hear me, can I get some help? I’d like to nail this for once.”

  “Who’s he talking to?” Zoe shot that curious question over to Emma.

  “My grandmother’s childhood friend. Her ghost was trapped in the Majestic Theater for decades and liked to watch classic movies with Josh before she finally crossed over two months ago. She and Adam bonded before she went into the light.”

  “Right,” Zoe deadpanned. “I probably don’t really need to know all the details.” She eased back onto the stool as Adam went to work adding the cake ingredients into the bowl. Within minutes, he had his creamy beige batter. Plunging his finger in, he scooped up a dollop and tasted it. “Man, the spell might fail, but these are going to be awesome cupcakes. You can name these after me, too, Emma, if you’d like,” he teased.

  “Your own frozen yogurt and cupcakes . . . don’t let it all go to your head.” She gave him a supportive arm squeeze. “More than you already have. You remember the spell?”

  “Sure do.” The words were burned into his memory from the moment Emma had shared it with him. They were a bit hokey, but who was he to critique a magic spell?

  Okay, show time. He closed his eyes and plunged the blue wooden spoon into the batter, moving it in a slow motion.

  Somewhere that she cannot see is the man that’s meant to be.

  Send to me her perfect match.

  Spell out his letters in this batch.

  “What’s he doing?” He heard Zoe ask. “Why are his eyes closed?”

  “He’s chanting the spell,” Emma replied. “He has to concentrate for it to work.”

  Adam’s eyelids flew open, and he pulled the spoon out. He motioned for Zoe to look in. “The letters should appear immediately.”

  Zoe peered into the bowl, but then turned away. “I can’t look. Just tell me.”

  Typical woman. She wanted so desperately for him to do this and now didn’t want to see the outcome. He glanced into the bowl where the first blue letter appeared. “We’ve got an ‘M.’”

  Zoe let out a breath and stood, throwing her arms around Emma. “Oh, thank you, lord up above! I’m not marrying Will.”

  Emma shot Adam a sideways glance that he caught and delivered the same look back to her. “Um . . . Zoe, you might want to sit back down.”

  “Why?” She took her seat. “It’s not Will. That’s all I care about. This is fabulous news.”

  Adam set the spoon down and put both his now shaky hands on each side of the bowl. He’d done something extraordinary. He knew it. There was something different in the way the spell seemed to have flown through him into the batter.

  “Okay . . . so here’s the scoop. Will’s always gone by his middle name, William. Not many people who didn’t grow up with him, like Em and I did, know that he was named after his late grandfather.”

  The color drained from Zoe’s face. “And his name was?”

  He tilted the bowl in her direction. “Marvin.”

  “Oh, my God. Oh, my God.” Zoe started to hyperventilate, and Emma ran behind the counter, reaching for a water pitcher and pouring a glass.

  “Will’s not so bad,” Emma started, handing Zoe the water. “Maybe his vanity phase is coming to an end. He is pretty handsome. All the women in this town think so.”

  While Emma continued to offer emotional support, Adam stared into the bowl. Had he finally gotten the spell right? He’d hoped that when it finally happened his first bachelorette would be over the moon excited and not look like she was about to go into cardiac arrest.

  He looked up and saw Bethany walk past the Sugar Spoon, paper coffee cup in hand and camera bag swung over her shoulder. He couldn’t wait to tell her what he’d done. He also was a little curious what she’d been up to last night because he hadn’t seen a trace of her after their conversation when he first arrived.

  Not that it was any of his business who she hooked up with. He just wanted to know the name of the guy he’d have to share his neighbor with for the next two weeks. He’d gotten quite used to their hanging out after work.

  He maneuvered over to the other side of the counter and grabbed his jacket. His work here was done, and since Tom hadn’t called, he could stop by and fill Bethany in on what had happened.

  “I’ve got to stop into the Christmas Corner.” He reached over and playfully tugged Zoe’s ponytail. “Send me an invitation to your wedding,” he teased.

  “There will not be a wedding, not with Will.” She lifted her chin. “Hey, can you ask Bethany to delete any snapshots she may have gotten of him and me? God knows I don’t want any physical proof getting around of what happened last night.”

  Snapshots. Holy crap! Why hadn’t he thought of Bethany’s pictures? Maybe she’d taken a photo of the mystery woman. “Sure thing. I’ll see if I can go through them personally.” He smiled. That he would.

  He needed to get over to the Christmas Corner pronto. He zipped up his leather jacket, said a quick good-bye, and stepped out into the cold. His pace picking up speed as he zigzagged his way through pedestrians heading to breakfast or doing some Christmas shopping.

  Even if his brother called right now, he’d have to wait. Going through Bethany’s digital images from last night was his first priority.

  * * *

  Bethany bit into the glazed eggnog donut she’d picked up from the Star Lite diner and maneuvered around the six
big boxes Danny had dropped off this morning.

  Though she still hadn’t the foggiest idea who MR Wedding was and why she’d received a second shipment from them addressed to her, she was kind of grateful for the distraction.

  She’d tossed and turned for most of the night, unable to stop thinking about the kiss she’d shared with Adam or that he was now exclusively dating her best friend for the next two weeks. Talk about an evening with highs and lows.

  And she’d admit it. When she wasn’t replaying those two events, her thoughts also went to the spooky finale where she peered into the hope chest only to find it empty.

  Where had Mary’s wedding dress gone?

  Better question: Did she really want to know?

  She bent down and opened the first box, pushing back the flaps. “Seriously?” she said out loud, pulling out a pair of pink satin strappy heels. Beaded necklaces, tiaras, and now fancy party shoes . . . what on earth were her mom and dad up to?

  Her parents’ cruise ship was scheduled to be docked tomorrow for the day. She hated interrupting their vacation, but she’d send her mom a quick text later to see if they could schedule a time to talk. At the very least, her dad was going to have to tell her what to do with all these boxes, because at the rate they were coming in, there wouldn’t be any room left in the back to store them.

  The door chimes sounded and she glanced behind her shoulder.

  “LB,” Adam greeted her, delivering his often-abbreviated Lady Beth nickname while pointing to the shoes she held up. “Won’t your little toes be cold?”

  A vision of his hands giving her a warm foot massage came out of nowhere and she set the heels back in the box. “Apparently, my parents have decided to open some type of wedding business without telling me. That or maybe a shoes and accessories store.”

  “For real?”

  She moved aside and motioned for him to look in. “Take a look for yourself.”

  He came up beside her and glanced inside the box. Her speeding heart reacting to his familiar spicy scent.

  “That’s quite a shoe collection.”