I’m glad it’s over.
I finish my meal and place my cloth napkin next to my plate just as my server comes over with a smile.
“Was everything okay?” Kyle asks. He’s a young man, probably in his early twenties. He’s handsome. Flirty. Way too young for me, but easy on the eyes.
“It was delicious, as always.”
“Can I show you a dessert menu?”
I’m tempted. Sugar is my vice, but then I remember this morning at Drips & Sips and shake my head no.
“Just the check, please.”
He sets the tab on the table, gathers my empty plate, and bustles away.
I take my time paying the bill, enjoying the last of the sunset as I finish my glass of wine.
Yes, eating alone in Cunningham Falls is lovely.
Once I’ve signed the receipt and gathered my handbag and light jacket, I walk toward the door.
“It’s you.”
I stop and glance down, surprised to see Sebastian smiling up at me.
“And it’s you,” I reply with a grin. “Are you okay? No visits to the ER?”
Sebastian laughs, and Jacob Baxter, the owner of the ski resort and a friend of Jenna’s, watches us with interest.
“I take it you’ve met?” Jacob asks.
“Briefly,” Sebastian replies, still watching me.
“I smacked right into him earlier,” I add with a shrug.
“She fell right into my arms. It must be fate.”
I bust up laughing now, enjoying the banter. “Or Mercury is in retrograde, and I’m extra clumsy.”
“Well, that’s not romantic at all.”
There’s that word again.
Romantic.
“Sebastian, this is Nina Wolfe. She’s a friend of my wife’s.”
“How is Grace?” I ask him. I like Jacob’s wife very much. She’s one of Jenna’s best friends and has been nothing but kind to me.
“She’s as beautiful as ever,” Jacob replies with a smitten smile.
“Tell her I said hello.”
“I’m happy to do that,” he says.
“Are you here alone?” Sebastian asks.
Let me just say right now that listening to these men with their British accents is doing things to me. Sexy things.
It’s just ridiculous.
“I am,” I confirm.
“You’re welcome to join us,” Sebastian offers.
“Thank you, but I just finished eating. I’m headed home. Have a good evening, guys.”
I nod and walk away, perfectly aware that Sebastian’s gaze is pinned to my ass.
He’s a hot one, that Sebastian. And he’s even better-looking in person than in the magazines. Shouldn’t that be illegal?
My house is situated along the lake, not far from the mountain turn-off. It only takes me about ten minutes to drive home. Once I’m inside, I strip out of my jeans and top and choose a pair of yoga shorts and a tank to be comfortable in.
When I’m on the couch, about to tackle the chore I’ve been avoiding all day—sending out emails to vendors that I already signed with, telling them that I have to either postpone or cancel altogether—my phone rings.
“Hi, Mom.”
“Hello, dear,” she says into my ear. Just from her tone, I can tell this is going to be a doozy of a conversation.
Pack your bags, we’re going on a guilt trip.
“What are you up to, Mom?”
“Oh, you know, just watching some television. I’m quite sure I have cancer, by the way.”
I roll my eyes, thankful that she didn’t FaceTime me this time.
“Why do you say that?”
“I have painful urination.”
Ew.
“It’s probably just a UTI. You should go to the doctor.”
“I don’t have anyone to drive me.”
“You have a car that Christian bought you. You can drive yourself.”
“No, I couldn’t possibly drive in my condition.”
I take a long, deep breath. There’s a reason Christian doesn’t talk to our mother anymore. And I get it. I do. But it’s left me in the middle and made me the one she calls to vent, or cry, or insist she’s dying.
Because, according to her, she’s dying every single day.
She’s always needed a lot of attention, and not just from her children. She was an overbearing mom manager when Christian was young, and even stole a whole heap of his money. She was his power of attorney, and she took advantage of him. He’s never forgiven her.
I don’t blame him. But I wish I weren’t the only one left to take care of her.
“You can always call a car service,” I suggest.
“I don’t know how to do that.”
How are you a grown adult who can’t take care of yourself? I want to scream it into the phone, but I don’t. Because that will only make things worse, and I don’t want to hurt her feelings.
I may be a cold bitch, but even I’m not that cold.
“I will arrange it for you.” I pull a notebook over to jot down a reminder. “What else have you been up to?”
“Just pining away for my children. I can’t believe you moved so far away from me, Nina. You know how I rely on you. Christian is a grown man who can take care of himself.”
“And you’re a grown woman.” The words are out of my mouth before I can stop them, and I cringe. “I’m sorry, Mom.”
“No, it’s what you mean.” She’s sniffling now. “I understand that your brother is your priority, and I’m just second-fiddle to him. It’s fine.”
For the love of all that’s holy, make it stop.
“Mom, I love you both. I just needed a break from L.A. You know I’m not happy there.”
“Well, then, maybe I should move up there. A mother should be with her children.”
I feel my eyes go wide in panic.
No.
I don’t want her here. And I know that makes me a horrible daughter, but I can’t help it.
“I’ll come visit soon.”
“I see. You don’t want me there either. Well, when I die of cancer, you’ll be sorry. I already had a heart attack this year, it’s only a matter of time.”
She hangs up.
I drop my head back on the cushion of the couch and moan in defeat.
Because there is no winning with my mother. Ever.
My phone pings with a text. I don’t want to look at it. I’m sure it’s Mom, and anything she says right now will just irritate me more.
But guilt has me glancing down at the screen.
It’s not my mom.
It’s Fallon.
Fallon: Hey! That’s all. Just hey.
I grin and reply.
Me: Hey yourself. What are you doing?
Fallon: Just sitting here by myself because Noah had to go rescue an owl. What are you doing?
Me: Trying not to feel guilty after telling my mom she’s ridiculous.
Fallon: Your mom is ridiculous.
I laugh, feeling better.
Me: I know. But she still makes me feel guilty. It’s her superpower.
Fallon: Take a deep breath. Will I see you at class in the morning?
Me: I think so. If not the morning, I’ll come to the afternoon class.
Fallon: Sounds good. Lunch later in the week?
Me: Hell yes.
***
I love the water. I didn’t know that I loved it as much as I do until I moved to Montana and bought my little house on the lake. But now that I have this home, I can’t imagine ever living anywhere else.
I purchased a boat earlier this summer, and with the convenience of a boat slip in front of my house, I can come and go on the lake as I please.
It’s the closest thing to Zen I’ve ever found, being on the lake. After no sleep, because I was too worried about the business and my mom and just everything, I decided I needed to take a boat ride early this morning.
It was the right call. I’ve only come across one other ve
ssel, and we waved at each other as we sailed past. That’s the other thing I love about being in a small town. Everyone’s nice. I didn’t think I’d enjoy that, but as it turns out, they’re friendly, and while they do want to be in your business, they’re not pushy about it.
It’s the pushy that I hate.
This works for me.
I made some decisions this morning, about the things I struggled with all night long.
I’m dissolving the idea of the business. It makes me sad. I was excited to offer luxury services to the wealthy residents of Cunningham Falls. And trust me, there are plenty. Everything from housekeeping to culinary and party services. Pretty much anything a person could want, I could arrange it.
And two, I need to set some boundaries with my mother. I love her, but she can’t manipulate me like this anymore. It’s not fair.
I don’t love the idea of giving up on the business, but I can’t do it alone. I don’t have the time, and I don’t have staff. I needed Amanda and Safron.
And that’s where I made my mistake. Depending on others only leads to blinding disappointment.
I sigh and steer the boat back to my slip, then frown when I see a tall figure standing at the end of my dock.
It’s barely seven in the morning.
Suddenly, I’m convinced it’s Brad Hull, Jenna’s brother and the chief of police, here to tell me that my mom is dead. Or that something horrible happened to Christian.
But when I get closer, I see it’s not Brad at all.
It’s Sebastian.
I dock the boat, secure the ropes, and climb out, accepting Sebastian’s proffered hand.
“Good morning,” he says. Dark aviator sunglasses shield his blue eyes, and he’s wearing khaki shorts and a polo shirt.
He looks like he’s on his way to a photo shoot for a men’s cologne advertisement.
“Hello,” I say and push my hair out of my eyes. “Is the royal family aware they have a stalker on their hands?”
He laughs, his straight teeth white against his tanned skin.
“I’m not stalking you.”
“Looks that way to me.”
“You’re the one who said it’s a small town and I’d run into you. And I did, twice in one day.”
“And now again, the very next day.” I gesture for him to follow me up to the house. “How did you manage that, by the way?”
“After you left last night, I asked Jacob where you live.”
I can’t help but give him points for not lying. I like an honest man.
“Were you just going to crawl into bed with me?”
He stops walking, and I turn to face him, surprised to see the frown on his face.
“I’m not an arse,” he says. “I was going to invite you to breakfast. I would have rung, but you refused to give me your number.”
Okay, now I feel like the arse.
“I’m sorry. You’re right. I’m just not a morning person, and I’m taking that out on you. I’m especially horrible when I haven’t slept. Would you like some tea?”
“You have tea?”
“Of course, I do. I’m not an animal.”
His lips twitch, and he walks forward. “Then I’d love some tea, Nina.”
“Excellent. I can even whip together an omelet.” Looks like I’ll be missing the morning yoga class.
“A woman who can cook? Be still my heart.”
Chapter Two
Sebastian
SHE’S RIGHT. IT’S insane that I’m here. I’ve never had to work this hard for a woman’s number before.
It’s bloody frustrating.
And intriguing, all at the same time.
Nina fills a kettle with water and fetches tins of tea from her cupboard, then turns to me with a small smile.
Jesus, she’s beautiful. With her golden hair and bright blue eyes, she might be the loveliest woman I’ve ever seen.
And her sassy attitude just pulls at me.
“Earl Grey or peppermint?” she asks.
“Earl Grey would be wonderful, thank you.”
She nods and builds our teas, and I fill the silence by looking at her cute home.
The house is small, but it has a wall of windows that face the lake. I imagine her sunset view is stunning. In the framed photos set out on shelves, I recognize Jacob’s wife, Grace, along with Willa and Jenna. I’ve met them all in passing.
There’s also a photo of Nina with Christian Wolfe—that’s the connection that’s kept niggling at the back of my mind—and Luke Williams, the movie star, with his wife.
“You’re Christian Wolfe’s sister,” I say and turn to see her pouring hot water into mugs. Americans love their mugs. I’m accustomed to drinking my tea from a teacup, but I won’t complain.
“Guilty,” she replies and narrows her eyes as she plops teabags into the hot water.
“I knew I’d seen you before,” I say, careful to keep my voice calm. I have a feeling this is a sticky conversation for her.
And why wouldn’t it be? I’m sure many a person has tried to get close to Nina because of who her brother is.
I live that life every day.
But I couldn’t care less who she’s related to.
“I’m also his manager and publicist,” she says with a shrug. “Though now that he’s a boring, married man, things have calmed down quite a bit on that front.”
“Less PR to worry about for a married man?” I ask her and take a seat in the chair she gestures to, the one across from her at the little, round table.
“It seems so. Fewer rumors, that’s for sure. And he’s doing less and less press these days.”
“Which is probably easier for him, and less work for you.”
Her eyebrows briefly pinch together, and I want to reach out and smooth my thumb over the lines there, but she quickly recovers and shrugs her shoulder once more.
“You could say that. Why don’t you have security with you?”
Ah, a woman who cuts through the pleasantries and goes straight to the heart of the matter.
I like that very much.
“Because I told them not to come with me, much to everyone’s dismay.”
She adds a teaspoon of sugar to her cup and watches me as she stirs it. “I bet it pissed everyone off.”
“More than you know,” I agree. “But I don’t need them here. I stick close to Jacob’s resort, and few people know I’m here.”
Nina’s smart, I can see that. Her wheels are turning like crazy. And she’s used to the celebrity life—avoiding and dealing with scandal.
It seems my wheels are also turning.
“What do you think of Hollywood?” I ask.
“Why do you ask?”
“I’m curious.”
“Well, it’s not as glamorous as everyone thinks it is.” She sips her tea thoughtfully. “It’s a lot of smoke and mirrors. Window dressing, if you will. No one is the person they show to the media. Except Jennifer Garner. She might be the nicest person in the universe.”
“I met her once,” I agree with a nod. “She visited the palace about ten years ago when she was still married to Ben, and I have to agree. She’s very kind.”
Nina nods. “What do you think of being a celebrity?”
I press my lips together and rub my chin. I bloody hate being a celebrity.
But I was born into it.
I don’t have a choice.
“It’s a pain in the arse.”
She laughs, making my blood sing through me. Her laugh is like a song, and the longer I sit here with her, the more attracted to her I become.
She’s a siren.
“Don’t sugarcoat it,” she says.
“I rarely sugarcoat anything, much to my mother’s dismay.”
Nina watches me for a moment. “Me either.”
“If you don’t have to watch after your brother anymore, why are you in Montana? Why not go back to L.A.?”
“I hate L.A.,” she mutters. “I hate the weather there, the people. S
o many people. The traffic. And my mom’s there, and she’s a handful.”
“In what way?”
“She’s needy. Dramatic. A hypochondriac. And she scammed my brother out of millions when he was young.”
“Damn.”
“Yeah. So, he doesn’t speak to her anymore. I’m the one she calls to complain to.”
“Your father?”
She shakes her head. “Gone when I was little. Mom left him because he was an alcoholic and moved us from Tennessee to L.A. I haven’t seen him since.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I’m not. Who wants to hang out with an alcoholic?”
“Well, when you put it like that…”
Nina offers me more tea, and I accept. Wild horses couldn’t drag me out of here now. I need to know more.
“Why are you in Montana?” she asks. “Besides to see Jacob.”
“Seeing an old college mate isn’t reason enough?”
She raises a brow. “You’ve spent a lot of time here.”
“Should I be flattered that you pay such close attention?”
“I pay attention to everyone. It’s my job. And having a prince in town is fodder for conversation, you know.”
I nod slowly, trying to decide how much to tell her. “I needed a break. I was here over the winter and enjoyed it immensely. I trust Jacob to be discreet, affording me the luxury to be here without security.”
“You feel safe here.”
I blink at her. “Yes. I do.”
She nods as if she understands perfectly. “I do, too. When Christian first came here, I felt sorry for him. He came to learn to ski for a movie role. I remember thinking, poor Christian, he has to go rough it in the middle of nowhere. Then I came to see him, almost ruined the best thing that’s ever happened to him, but then helped to make it right and fell in love with Cunningham Falls in the process.”
“You’ve been very busy.”
She laughs, making me smile.
“You could say that.”
“How did you almost ruin things for Christian?”
She frowns and sighs deeply. “I’m a bitch, Sebastian.”
I stay quiet, waiting for her to continue. I don’t doubt that she can be a bitch. I can sense that in her. But I also sense kindness and maybe even a little fear.
“I didn’t think a small-town girl was good enough for People magazine’s sexiest man alive,” she says. “So, I came here and said some mean things to Jenna, which made her back right off. It crushed both of them.”
Enchanting Sebastian Page 2
