“Things could and do go wrong with every event. If you’re worried about that, you never should’ve gone into business. You’re overthinking things. All I can say is go with your gut. And my gut is saying you’d be crazy not to do it.”
One thing about Karen, she was blunt. No beating around the bush with her, and that’s one of the things he liked most about her. He always got the truth, even if he didn’t want to hear it.
Before he could respond, she added, “Look at it this way. You’ll be forced to spend a lot of time with the wedding planner. What’s her name, anyway?”
“Emilia—Emmy.”
“You’ll be spending a lot of time with Emmy, and that’ll give you a chance to find out if what you’re feeling is real or just a romantic pipedream. I’m afraid if you don’t, you’ll spend the rest of your life wondering about the road not taken.”
Chase pulled his wedding ring up and down his finger as he contemplated her words. She was right. No doubt about it. Besides, Emmy thought he was married. At this point, why let her know about his divorce? It might make things more awkward if she knew he was single. This way, he could get to know her again without the pressure of a possible relationship.
“Okay. I’ll go to Camille this weekend as planned and do the wedding, as long as I feel we could pull it off.”
“Smart move, boss. You made the right decision.”
He shot her a wide smile. “What would I do without you?”
She smiled back. “You’d be in a heap of trouble. Good thing you don’t have to find out.”
He chuckled as he watched her walk over to the stove. One of the best things he’d done since opening his business was to hire Karen. It was hard to believe he’d been on the fence. She didn’t have the experience he’d been looking for, but she’d more than made up for it with hard work and a dogged determination to learn all she could. Over the past eight months, he’d come to depend on her, not only at work but as a trusted friend.
The rest of the day went by quickly, and later that night, he was able to fall asleep without much trouble, waking fresh and ready to head to Camille. Now that he had a plan—take it one day at a time with Emmy and see where it went—it felt as if a huge weight had been lifted. He was even prepared, or so he hoped, to accept that the feelings she’d had for him no longer existed. As long as they could remain friends, he’d be satisfied.
However, when her sporty white Mercedes pulled up in front of the warehouse, and he slid onto the lush leather passenger seat and then gazed into her gorgeous eyes, he wasn’t so sure.
Getting over Emilia might take more willpower than he could muster.
5
The drive to Camille was gorgeous and one she usually enjoyed. But that was when she made the trip alone and could blast her favorite music on the radio. Today, however, she had a passenger and doubted that Chase would appreciate listening to Bocelli full blast. She didn’t know many people who loved opera as much as she did. Maybe it came from being classically trained. Her parents had noticed her talent at a very young age and set her up with a wonderful voice teacher, whom she took lessons from right through high school. She was a sophomore when she starred in her school’s spring production of West Side Story. That was when her tastes expanded, and she dreamed of someday performing on Broadway. She was willing to put that aside, though, and move to Minnesota with Chase. She was even going to turn down a scholarship to NYU Steinhardt. Her love for him was so strong, she was willing to give up everything. Apparently, he hadn’t felt the same.
Heartbreaking memories began to flood her mind. Maybe inviting Chase to Kinsley’s sanctuary hadn’t been such a good idea. She chewed her bottom lip as she contemplated her other options and concluded there weren’t any. If she wanted him to cater the wedding, then this was her opportunity to convince him to do so.
“Nice drive, don’t you think?” she asked, trying to make light conversation and take her mind off the past. “The scenery is beautiful.”
“It certainly is,” he replied.
Her cheeks grew warm when she glanced over and saw that he was looking at her and not out the window. Quickly shifting her gaze back onto the road, she said, “Despite being a city girl through and through, I like an occasional trip to the country. You’re used to it, though, right? Wasn’t the town you moved to in rural Minnesota, somewhere?”
She could feel his gaze boring into her, and when he replied, his tone was measured. “Winona is ninety-five miles outside of Saint Paul and has plenty to do. It’s known for its art culture and outdoor recreation, like canoeing and cross-country skiing, two favorites of mine. But even a city girl like you could enjoy a Shakespeare Festival.”
“You’re right. It sounds right up my alley. And I didn’t mean anything negative by referring to it as rural. After all, Camille is out in the middle of nowhere—that’s no exaggeration—and I love it there. People can have varied tastes.”
“Okay. Sorry if I misunderstood you.”
“No problem.” This conversation had become extremely awkward. “Is your wife the outdoorsy type? I’m assuming she is if you’re into canoeing and skiing.”
He didn’t answer right away, and when he did, he sounded distant, making Emilia think he must miss her. “Vera’s athletic. She’s a PE teacher, and nothing like you.”
She swallowed hard that bitter pill. “Let me guess, she’s a cute blonde with a bubbly personality.”
“Good description.”
“Well, you did say we were opposites. When is she coming back to New York?”
“I don’t know.” He looked down at his hands, and she could sense a sadness in him that hadn’t been there before. Could his marriage be on shaky ground? Maybe Vera didn’t like the city.
“I didn’t mean to pry.”
“That’s okay, but I’d prefer it if we could talk about something else. Tell me about you. What’s your life been like?”
She hated talking about herself. Especially, with Chase, but since he asked, she needed to say something. “My life’s been very boring. After graduating from NYU, I waited tables and auditioned for every role I came across that seemed like a fit. Only problem was, casting didn’t seem to agree, and when my dad got tired of seeing me miserable, he offered to set Lizzy and me up in business. I figured, what the heck, I wasn’t getting anywhere with my career, so why not help my sister succeed at hers. She loves wedding planning and is a genius at it.”
“And you’re not?”
A chuckle escaped her. “Hardly. I’m not saying I’m not good at my job, after all, Kinsley King is a client. But Lizzy has the passion, and when she’s on a job, her excitement is contagious.”
“Sometimes, what we want most takes the longest to achieve.”
Emilia had the feeling he wasn’t just referring to her career, and as their eyes met, she felt a shock run through her. He couldn’t be talking about them, could he? He was the one who left her, not the other way around. Besides, he was taken. Even if his marriage wasn’t the best, he still had a ring on his finger. She didn’t. Never would. End of story.
When she didn’t respond, he went on to say, “You should never give up on what you love.”
What about who you love? Now that would be a great question to ask, but if nothing else, she still had her pride. “Sometimes, you just have to know when to call it quits.”
“Or when to rekindle your passion.”
Her heart was doing flip-flops with the possible double meaning of his words, and if he didn’t stop, she might wind up driving the car into a ditch. She really had to stay focused on the road. “Sometimes, it’s not worth the effort.”
A glazed look spread over his face, and she wished she knew what he was thinking. A few minutes went by before he spoke again.
“You asked me about Vera, what about you? Is there a special guy in your life?”
Not since you. Of course, she couldn’t say that, so she simply replied, “Nope. I don’t have time for romance.”
&nbs
p; “Oh, come on. You can’t mean that. You’re beautiful, smart, and talented. A great catch for any man.”
Except for you. You left me and married someone else. “Yes. I do mean it. I’ve had more than my share of losers, and I’m through wasting my time on men. Besides, I have a business I’m married to, and I’m quite satisfied with my life.” She hoped she sounded convincing, but it was hard to tell if he bought it or not. Either way, she was tired of the topic. “Now that we’ve covered my boring life, what about yours? Did you have a catering business in Minnesota?”
“I had a restaurant, Christianson’s. Took me a long time to come up with the name.”
She liked that the mood had lifted, and she didn’t hold back a small laugh. “Maybe not original, but I like it.”
“I did too, and it did well but talk about spending a lot of time at your business. A restaurant is like having a second wife, and one your first wasn’t crazy about.”
Emilia wondered if that was why Vera was in Minnesota. A catering business couldn’t be much different from a restaurant. Maybe they needed some time apart to sort things out. “What brought you back to New York?”
“Several things.” His eyes were hooded like those of a hawk. “I missed the city. My mom died a few years back, and then when my dad got sick last year, I decided it was time.”
“I’m sorry about your mom and your dad. Is he okay now?”
“He’s holding his own. He’s a tough old guy. All those years of abusing his body caught up with him. A healthy diet and lots of exercise have worked wonders.”
“I’m sure you being back has helped too.”
“I like to think so. Our relationship is better than it’s ever been.”
“I’m happy to hear that. I know in high school, it was hard for you to watch your parents struggle.”
His jaw tightened, and she wondered if that had been the wrong thing to say. Yet, it was hard to find a subject that wasn’t awkward to talk about. She checked her watch for the time. Only an hour left before they reached Camille. Maybe now was time for some music. “What would you like to listen to?” she asked while scanning through the stations.
When she came to one playing Pavarotti, he said, “That’s good.”
“Really? Are you sure?”
“Absolutely. You’re not the only one who likes opera.”
Her brows shot up. When he was younger, all he listened to was rock. Guess his taste changed, and not just in women. “Okay. Great.” She turned the volume up to a comfortable degree and for the rest of the trip, enjoyed the beauty of the smooth, creamy sound.
When Emilia entered Forever Wild, she was careful not to miss the left-hand turn that would take them to Kinsley’s big old Victorian house. The sanctuary was huge, sitting on three hundred acres, and it would be easy to get lost. The place had been started by Kinsley’s Aunt Cora in the early seventies as a place where injured, ill, orphaned, and elderly animals would be cared for, as well as have a safe haven for them to live out their lives. It soon became home to one of the largest wolf packs in the northeast, allowing scientists and students to observe them and conduct research.
Kinsley and Dylan had poured a ton of money into the sanctuary, making repairs and bringing everything up to date, as Cora had fallen upon hard times before she died. Emilia admired the couple for their dedication to the animals. This was truly an amazing place, and she could see why the couple wanted to be married there.
After parking next to Kinsley’s sleek, black Jaguar, three dogs—Madison, a spunky yellow lab, Benny, a very vocal beagle, and Sunny, a super cute black and white pit bull—came from around the side of the house, galloping toward the car. Emilia knew the dogs well and informed Chase that they were friendly. He got out first and was immediately greeted with a lick on the chin by Sunny.
A moment later, Kinsley opened the front door and called the dogs inside. “I don’t need you scaring my guests away,” she laughed as the pack raced by her.
“No chance of that. I love dogs,” Chase said, holding his hand out to shake hers. “I’m Chase Christianson, and it’s a huge pleasure to meet you.”
Kinsley glanced approvingly over his tall, athletic physique, his handsome face, and his thick tawny-gold hair, then over to Emilia, who stood beside him. Kins was constantly trying to fix her up with someone, despite Emilia being a member of the No Brides Club. Now that Kinsley had found love, she hoped every woman would, even those who claimed they didn’t want to. Emilia would have to make a point of telling her that Chase was definitely out of the question.
“How was the drive?” she asked, leading them into the foyer.
“Lovely as always,” Emilia replied.
“Even making the trip as many times as I do, the three hours seems to whizz by.” Kinsley looked at Chase, whose hazel eyes were sparkling keenly, telling Emilia he caught the underlying gist of the soon-to-be bride’s statement—NYC really wasn’t that far away, so don’t use that as an excuse not to cater the wedding.
“How about I take you upstairs to freshen up and get settled into your rooms? After that, we can have lunch. Maria has prepared a delicious looking pasta and avocado Caesar salad.” Kinsley led the way up the magnificent mahogany staircase, stopping at the end of the hall. “This is your room, Emilia.” She pointed to the door on the right. It was where she always stayed when at the sanctuary. “And yours, Chase.” Kinsley indicated the room across the hall. “I’ll meet you both outside on the back porch. Come on down whenever you’re ready.” To Chase, she directed, “Take a right at the bottom of the stairs and just follow the hall all the way down to the back door.”
Emilia watched Chase go inside the room, closing the door behind him. When she turned to enter hers, though, Kinsley gave her a sly wink before walking away. She really was going to have to tell her friend that playing matchmaker this weekend was a waste of her time.
She dropped her tote bag on the four-poster bed and then headed into the bathroom where she checked her make-up. After removing a few mascara smudges and applying some fresh lipstick, she gave Lizzy a quick call to check in on how the Keebler wedding was going. Luckily, there were no issues to report.
Emilia was the first one out on the back porch. She had just poured a glass of iced tea from the pitcher in the middle of the table and was about to partake in some carrot sticks and dip from the platter beside it when from the corner of her eye, she caught sight of something headed her way. At first, she thought it was one of the dogs, but upon a closer look, she realized it was much too big for either a lab or a pit. Her hair stood on end along the back of her neck when she realized it was a black bear. Common sense told her she had nothing to fear. Black bears rarely attacked humans. Hewey, in particular, wasn’t a threat, having been at the sanctuary for over twenty-five years. Still, having a bear walking toward you was nerve-wracking, no matter what the circumstances.
Emilia set the carrot back on the plate. “Go home, Hewey,” she said in a calm, appeasing tone, despite the shiver of panic that ran up her spine. Her legs felt like jelly as she backed away slowly, keeping her eyes on the bear.
Before she reached the door, it swung open. Strong arms encircled her waist and then pulled her inside. As soon as the door shut, Hewey climbed onto the porch, helping himself to the carrots.
It was impossible to steady her erratic pulse, and not just because the bear was on the other side of the glass, but because Chase’s warm breath caressed her cheek.
“It’s okay,” he said softly against her skin. “You’re safe now.”
She turned around, resting her head against his hard, muscular chest. She’d dreamed of being crushed within his embrace, but never, ever imagined it would actually happen. Those silly, girlish dreams, where moonlit kisses and romantic rendezvous seemed possible, were long gone. However, familiar feelings churned inside her, feelings she didn’t want to deal with right now. Thankfully, she didn’t have to. She could simply relish the delight of being wrapped in his arms and deal with
why she didn’t want him to let go, later.
“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to interrupt.”
Emilia looked over her shoulder to find Kinsley standing there, holding a silver tray with three pasta and avocado Caesar salads. “Now might not be a good time to eat outside. I’m pretty sure Hewey’s finished the carrots and would be happy to feast on our lunch.”
Kinsley’s brows shot up. “Are you serious? Hewey’s on the porch? I’m going to have to have a talk with Dylan about keeping that bear in its enclosure. If he gets out during the wedding, we’re going to have a huge problem. Not that he would hurt anyone, but I don’t think my guests would like to share a table with a black bear.”
“I’m pretty sure you’re right about that,” Chase said, letting go of Emilia as she was no longer in danger.
An unwelcome blush crept into her cheeks at Kinsley, having seen her in Chase’s arms. The last thing she wanted was for her friend to think there was the possibility of a romance there. No matter how good it felt to have him hold her, she wasn’t going down that road again. To deflect from her embarrassment, she said, “If you’re looking for Dylan, I know where you can find him.”
Kinsley shifted her gaze out the back door where her fiancé was leading the bear across the yard. She handed the tray to Emmy, before cracking the door enough to yell out, “I need to speak with you after you put Hewey away.”
Dylan’s short dark hair was sticking up in tufts around his head, and there were smudges of dirt on his face and clothes. Despite his disheveled appearance, he was still an extremely good-looking man. He flashed his bride-to-be an engaging smile. “As soon as I finish cleaning out the enclosures and take a shower, I’m all yours,” he yelled back.
No Time for Romance Page 4
