Sweet Dreams, page 10
“Like a true New Englander. Now go mingle. And thank you for the deep discount on the desserts for tonight. It helped pay for the decorations.”
Kelsey shrugged. “You’ve got my business logo behind the dessert table, so it’s all good advertising.”
Kristan gave her a hug, then pointed across the room. Zack stood near the door in a suit and tie. God, he was so handsome. Her sigh was probably heard clear to Portsmouth.
“Don’t just stand there with your mouth open, go see him. He’s checking out your dress, and I think that slack jawed expression means he likes it.”
The little push Kristan gave her wasn’t necessary, but it got Kelsey moving. Zack met her halfway, and a huge grin split his face.
“Wow! I’m not even sure what else to say. You just look…wow.”
Heat rushed to her face, and Kelsey smiled. “Thanks. Gotta say you don’t look too bad yourself.” She stepped closer and inhaled. “And you got the fish smell off. That’s a bonus.”
Zack laughed and took her hand. “For both of us. Is there any way I can convince you to dance with me? I’ve got a hankering to hold a pretty lady in my arms.”
Kelsey’s head pivoted left and right, then she settled her gaze back on him. “There’re lots of pretty ladies here tonight. My guess is you could have your pick of most of them.” She didn’t want to admit to the jealousy that oozed out of every pore when she saw other women checking him out.
His hand tightened on hers, and he reeled her in. “There’s only one pretty lady I’m interested in today.”
Kelsey nodded and allowed herself to be led to the large wooden floor in the center of the room. There weren’t too many people currently dancing, but she didn’t care. Zack had his arms around her, and it felt heavenly.
As they swayed to the soft music, she asked him about the student he’d been helping. It was interesting to see the serious side of him that he didn’t often show. The brainy side that highlighted his intelligence and made her feel like she wasn’t smart enough. Yet he’d never once made her think she wasn’t up to his standards. Several times, he complimented her on her business acumen and the great decisions she’d made with the shop.
“Kris said you supplied all the desserts for tonight. Do I dare ask if there are any red velvet cupcakes?”
Her lips twisted to the side. “There might be a few. Of course, if there aren’t any left when you get there, I have my ways of securing more.”
He wiggled his eyebrows. “Think I could get in on this securing more cupcakes thing? I’d be very appreciative.”
“Exactly how appreciative?” She tried to keep the laughter from bubbling out when he attempted a comical suave expression.
Before he could list what he was willing to do, or even better, show her, they were interrupted by some friends.
As much as Kelsey wanted Zack all to herself, she knew others yearned for time with him, also. It wasn’t long before he’d pack up and set sail again.
She took the opportunity to touch base with Kristan and the rest of the bridesmaids about the wedding. Ashley had the week before off due to being a teacher. Edele worked from home since her kids were still young. Kelsey was the only one who’d have to take time off for the rehearsal. Fortunately, Amy Storm was still home from college and wanted the hours.
As the night progressed, she and Zack managed to dance and be together quite often, though many times with friends nearby. She was having a blast and he seemed to be, also. Would it make a difference in his plans for the future?
As the clock headed toward midnight, Zack led her toward the dance floor and nuzzled his nose in her hair.
“I’ve been wanting to do this all night long, Kelsey.”
“I wouldn’t have complained. Not even a little bit.”
They continued to sway side to side, but Zack caressed her cheeks and stared into her eyes. She wasn’t sure how to read what was in them. Could he see what was in hers?
The crowd started counting down from ten to one, and at the stroke of midnight, everyone shouted, “Happy New Year!”
“Happy New Year, Kelsey,” Zack whispered as his lips touched hers.
Her head spun and the lights whirling around the room disappeared as he kissed her. Creeping her hands around his neck, she kissed him back. She tasted the red velvet cupcake mixed with something that was solely Zack. Delicious.
“Mmm, I could kiss you all night long,” His fingers sifted through her hair, and he cupped the back of her neck, holding her to him. She didn’t ever want him to let her go.
It all felt so real to her, but she wondered how much of it was still a sham for Kristan’s benefit? Did he feel any of the same emotions she did? And if so, could she convince him to stay.
God, she hoped she could, because as his lips pressed to hers yet again, Kelsey had a revelation. She’d fallen in love with Zachary Donahue.
The old barn hadn’t changed in all the years Zack had lived here. Tools were hung up on the wall above a dozen coffee cans filled with old nails. Many of those nails Zack had personally removed from rotted boards they’d replaced on the side of the building.
Dad’s lawn tractor sat in the front corner near the double doors, ready to go out at a moment’s notice. It currently had the snow plow on the front and had been used two days ago when they’d gotten about six new inches.
“Remember when you got stuck up in the loft?” Dad shook his head and laughed.
“It wasn’t funny when I realized no one was home, and I’d be up there for hours before help came.” The ladder had fallen once he’d gotten up, and he hadn’t had another way down.
The grin on Dad’s face widened. “You never did that again, though, did you? Taught you a valuable lesson.”
“If it hadn’t been for Kelsey stopping by looking for Kris, I would have been up there even longer.” She’d been his savior that day, even though he’d paid her back with frogs in her school bag. The nine-year-old girl had been elated.
His father wandered through the large building and reminisced about many of the items inside. Zack smiled when he realized lots of the memories included Kelsey. Peering at his dad, he tried to see if the man was doing it on purpose. Didn’t appear so. He was simply lost in the past. Easy to do in a place like this.
“Are we looking for something specific, Dad?” His mom had pointed him in this direction when he’d stopped by after work today.
“No, just attempting to stay out of your mother’s hair. She’s got women’s work to do for the wedding. It’s in two days, and apparently, it’s crunch time.”
“Oh, so that’s why she sent me out here, too.”
“Could be. Is there anything you want from in here?”
Zack glanced around and saw so many incredible things that had been part of his childhood. But where would he store the stuff on a boat?
“You want me to take it out now?”
Dad shook his head. “Well, your mother and I have been talking. We think we might sell the house and the barn. Move to something smaller. It’s just the two of us, and we don’t need anything this big anymore. Neither of us is getting any younger, and we don’t have the energy to take care of such a large place.”
Zack froze where he stood. “You want to sell the house?”
Shrugging, Dad said, “The house has four bedrooms, and the barn needs new siding. The yard is five acres of land, and I have to mow much of it in the summer. Not to mention plowing the long driveway in the winter. We want to get something that doesn’t take so much work. Maybe right in town at that fifty-five plus community. Several of our friends live there and say it’s a great place. You can walk downtown in minutes. We could still be close by in case Kristan needed help at The Inn.”
The thought of some other family owning the farmhouse and barn hurt his heart. “This is such a great place. Wouldn’t Kristan want it? She’ll be married in a few days. I’m guessing she’ll have kids soon.”
Dad fiddled with some old glass bottles on a shelf. “Kristan’s already got a nice house that’s better suited to her. I’m not sure living in an old farmhouse is her thing, even though she loved it as a kid.”
True. His sister was very particular about everything, and she’d tailored her house to her very stringent parameters. He hated the idea of someone else living in his house, though.
“Your mother and I are planning on slowly backing out of the inn business, especially now that Mark is here to help Kristan run it. We’ll still be around to do what we can if she and Mark want a vacation or some time off. She’s hired some great staff so I’m sure in a few years, we won’t be needed at all.”
Zack pressed his hand to his dad’s shoulder. “We’ll always need our parents.” The words made him think about Kelsey who didn’t have either parent now. The loss of her mom seemed to have set her adrift for a while. He’d made it his goal to get her involved back in the community this holiday season. He liked to think he succeeded. But would she slide back out once he left? And why did that bother him so much?
“I know you’ll be gone in a few weeks, Zack, so if there’s anything you want in here, get it soon.”
Panic set in at the thought he wouldn’t be able to get anything set up that he wanted to in time. “When do you plan on putting the place on the market?”
Dad laughed. “Not for a while. I need to clean this barn out and get rid of all the junk. Your mother wants me to repaint some of the rooms in the house. I won’t throw out anything if you want it.”
Some of the inquiries he’d made around the area flashed through his mind. Would anything pan out soon? Or would it be too late for him to take the action he wanted?
“Don’t do anything yet, please, Dad. If you want, I can help clean some stuff up and get rid of what isn’t needed. But there are a few things I’d kind of like to keep.”
“Okay, but I don’t want to wait too long. They say spring is the time to put houses on the market if you want them to sell fast. I’ll want this place ready to go by March, if possible.”
Zack nodded and helped shift a crate away from the wall to look behind it. “No problem. It’s only the beginning of January. We’ve got time.”
He fervently wished he did.
Chapter Fourteen
As the music played, Kelsey took Zack’s arm and admired the stunningly handsome man in the tuxedo standing next to her. They’d practiced the walk down the aisle the night before at the rehearsal, but her stomach now had a herd of elephants tap dancing inside. She wasn’t sure why.
Perhaps because, for the past few days, she’d stewed and thought too much about her feelings for Zachary Donahue. She was in love with him.
This was only supposed to be a fun prank, so Kristan could stay focused on her wedding and not be distracted by trying to set up her brother and her best friend. It had worked. Kristan had spent the last month blissfully thinking Kelsey and Zack were an item.
Except she wasn’t supposed to fall in love with him. How could she not? He’d been a perfect gentleman at all times, had dragged her to tons of Christmas and holiday events, for which she was extremely thankful. He’d brought fun back into her world. Not that she’d checked out of life, but ever since her mother had passed away, she’d been wallowing in self-pity and not living life to the fullest like her mother would have wanted her to. Zack had changed all that.
Logan and Ashley began their walk down the aisle, and Kelsey stepped into place behind them waiting for their turn. The figures in front of them remained stiff and rigid. Was Kristan even aware that Ashley and Logan didn’t like each other?
Whatever. They were both adult enough to keep it hidden for the day and not ruin anything. Like she and Zack would keep up their fake dating appearance. For her, it wasn’t fake though. How could she have allowed herself to fall in love with a man who was planning to leave soon? Maybe she had a few days to try and talk him out of going back to his boat on the high seas. But what would he do? Could he stay here in town? Continue their pretense but only real this time? It couldn’t all have been a charade. Many of the times they got together, Kristan hadn’t even been around.
Zack tipped his head to her, and they began their stroll to the front of the chapel. Edele, Mark’s sister, would be right behind them, then the lovely bride. And Kristan was lovely. Incredibly so. She glowed with a radiance that a woman in love should.
Oh, was Kelsey glowing? Could people tell that she was in love? Or that it was one-sided? But those kisses sure didn’t seem to be one-sided.
When they got to the front, they edged to the left and watched as Kristan took graceful steps toward her future husband. The smile on her face was pure happiness.
Kelsey let her mind wander as the ceremony began, and Kristan and Mark spoke words of love, honor, and forsaking all others. They had a good crowd here and everything seemed to be running like clockwork. She wouldn’t have expected anything less from Kristan.
The bride and groom declared their love and fidelity to the other and were pronounced husband and wife. Kelsey was thrilled for her friend, but a tiny part of her wished for the same. From the man standing next to her.
The next hour was a whirlwind of transitioning to the function hall, dinner and drinks, and the first dance between the bride and groom. Kelsey did her job as bridesmaid and finally was able to sit at the table and get off her feet. The shoes Kristan chose to go with the dress weren’t as high as she’d worn at other times, but she really hadn’t had time to break them in adequately, so her feet twinged after a while.
Her gaze automatically searched for Zack. He stood in his tux looking as gorgeous as ever surrounded by several of his old hockey team mates. Greg Storm held his new wife, Ali’s hand. Logan and Freddie tipped back beers, and Mitch finished up a dance with his sister, Macy, who did the accounting at the inn.
“Don’t they look perfect?” Gina Storm bounced next to her, staring at the bride and groom. “I’m so glad Mark finally smartened up. Some men just take forever to figure the whole love thing out, don’t they?”
Kelsey had a feeling Gina wasn’t talking about only Mark. Her own husband, Alex, had been in love with Gina his whole life, but it had only been recently he realized it.
“Is it weird that we’ve become friends? I mean, you and Kristan both dated my husband. I don’t care, because it all worked out for me. Maybe Felix just needed to see that no one else fit him the way I do.”
Gina shook her wild waves and laughed. Kelsey couldn’t help but join in.
“I’m glad you’ve become friends with us. We can all use as many friends as possible.”
Gina bobbed her head and hugged Kelsey. The two women held tight, then eased away.
“So, you and Kristan’s brother? Did you have a thing when you were younger, too? You seem so comfortable with each other. And you look absolutely adorable together.”
“Zack and I? We knew each other growing up, but he was more of the annoying older brother than anything else. I guess we’re seeing each other in a different light now.”
Those words were so true. Except the light she was seeing was love, and she had no way of knowing if Zack felt the same. Sure, she could ask him. But what if he said he’d been pretending all along? Could she risk it?
A fast number played, and Gina dragged her to the dance floor. Kelsey got lost in the fun of swinging her hips and shaking her shoulders. Every now and then, Zack glanced over and grinned. Oh, why didn’t men come with interpreters?
The night finally began to wind down, and Kelsey wanted one more dance with Zack. After using the ladies’ room, she turned the corner where the man she was looking for stood with his father chatting. Not wanting to interrupt, she pivoted and reached for a cup to fill it with water.
“Tomorrow would be a great day to help empty the barn and take a look around, Zachary.”
“Yeah, I’ll be over early to give you a hand. I’m guessing much of the stuff can be tossed.”
Mr. Donahue cleared his throat. “I can toss any of the junk myself, but I need you to take anything you want before you leave. I doubt you’ll be back soon if your past visits are anything to go by.”
Zack only shrugged. The light inside Kelsey suddenly dimmed and turned her emotions dark. He was really leaving. God, how had she been so stupid? She’d gotten her hopes up when she’d known all along.
The DJ announced the last song, and the bride and groom took the dance floor. Kelsey moved as far away from Zack as possible. She didn’t want his overwhelming presence to distract her any more than it had for the past month.
As Kristan and Mark strolled along the circle the guests had formed, Zack stared at her from across the way. He seemed confused and tipped his head indicating she should be near him. No, not anymore. She made an offhand remark to the person next to her about the wedding, then kept her eyes away from the man she loved.
Once Mark and Kristan had said their goodbyes and trotted off to the beribboned car, Kelsey hurried to grab her coat and purse. She didn’t want to see Zack and have to deal with him now.
“Kelsey. Are you okay?” He appeared at her shoulder as she was slipping her coat on.
“Fine. It was a beautiful wedding and reception. I’m so thrilled for Kris and Mark.” She forced a smile across her face.
“Give me a few minutes to help with some things, and I’ll walk you home.”
Most likely he was hoping for some more kisses like he’d given her lately. He probably didn’t get many on the boat in the middle of the ocean.
“It’s not necessary. The wedding is over, and Kris is happily married. We can put an end to this fake relationship. No sense carrying on when the happy couple will be away on their honeymoon. I’ve got to go since I have to work tomorrow. Have a safe trip back.”
Zack reached out, but Kelsey sidestepped and slung her bag over her shoulder. Without even changing into her boots, she waved her hand and hustled out, calling, “Bye!”
She heard her name ring through the foyer, but never stopped or turned around to respond. It was best to simply leave. Her heart couldn’t take seeing him any longer, knowing it wouldn’t last.
