The Wedding Wrecker

17. Emma

17

EMMA

F or the first time since James had inserted himself into my life here, I’d managed to slip away for half the day on my own. I had a sneaking suspicion he had only let it happen because he was trying to get some work done as well. In other words, he was probably snooping around and trying to look for information on whether or not he was going to have to wreck this wedding.

But I had my own worries to attend to. Despite seeming like it should be an easy task, floral arrangements for weddings had a way of acting up and always presenting last minute problems. A quarter of the shipment had apparently turned up bruised and smooshed at the facility, so I needed to call around and find a backup florist to send extras. There were decisions to be made about the table settings, which Martha Wellington had seen in person yesterday and decided she hated. Chef Antoine wanted me to come by and give my thoughts on a few of the bites he was testing for the big day, too. That wasn’t even the full list of tasks, but it felt good to keep myself busy. It meant my mind wasn’t free to wander. It meant I had an excuse to be away from James, where my brain could finally seem to function properly.

After a delicious lunch of sandwiches I’d stuffed in my face while checking work emails in my blissfully James-free room, I knew the time had come.

Today was the day of the sleigh rides with some of the wedding party, and I already knew James well enough to be sure he wouldn’t miss that. If I was lucky, he wouldn’t have purchased us another matching outfit with his free time.

I got myself wrapped up and dressed as warm as I could, and then headed to the lobby. I got glimpses of the weather outside as I headed downstairs and couldn’t help noticing how perfect it was. The sun had stayed hidden until about twenty minutes ago, which meant last night’s snow was still clumped dreamily on tree branches, roofs, and every surface. The sky was blue, though, and the sun was shining. A glance at my phone said it was already up to about forty degrees, which would be more than bearable in all my winter gear.

Sure enough, I spotted James lurking near the rest of the Wellingtons in the lobby.

Dick Wellington intercepted me before James spotted me.

“You look smashing,” he said, awkwardly borrowing the British phrase as he tried to lift my hand—presumably to kiss it like some awkward prince.

I dodged his grip like his hand was a snake, smiling—or maybe wincing. “Ah, thanks. Yeah. I think I see James.”

His lip twitched in what might have been a smile. “When you get tired of him, you’ll let me know, won’t you?”

I practically rushed toward James like he was a lifeboat in a sea of creepy waters.

Despite my better judgment, I wrapped both arms around his arm and hugged myself into him. “There you are! Casual kiss ,” I whispered quickly.

To his credit, James handled the moment as smoothly as if it was completely real. He tucked his index finger under my chin, bent his neck, and placed a soft, tender kiss on my lips.

And then his tongue swiped between my lips playfully.

I jerked back, then forced a smile I hoped was natural. I talked through my teeth, keeping my voice low. “What the hell was that?”

“Just like we practiced,” he said. “The tongue was your idea. Remember?”

Bastard.

“I can’t get over how cute you two are together,” Lily said, rushing up and taking my hands in hers. Her smile was vibrant and her outfit was adorable. She had on a puffy white wool hat, a matching white scarf, and a white, pleated jacket that went all the way to mid-calf. Even her boots were white.

“Look at you,” I said. “Like a snow princess.”

“Beautiful, isn’t she?” Marcus said, sliding his hand around her waist as he joined us. He planted a kiss on Lily’s cheek, and she practically melted into him.

See? I thought, hoping James was taking careful note. They were perfect together. It was obvious how happy he made her. For the first time, I considered the possibility that this whole thing would end up being a big nothing burger. James wouldn’t find anything, because there was nothing to find. The wedding would go beautifully. Happily ever freaking after. And I could blow a fat raspberry to James’ cynical face.

“Well,” James said, jerking his head toward the front doors. “It looks like our chariots await. Literally.”

I grinned. “This was one of the things I was most excited about when I decided on this venue.”

Richard Wellington, Dick, the three handsome brothers, and a few of the other Wellingtons I hadn’t met yet moved outside. Our family’s side of the wedding party was only me, Lily, my mom, my dad, and I guess James counted.

My dad was the type to spend all day in his room doing crossword puzzles while muttering to himself, so I was hardly surprised I hadn’t seen him once since arriving. If he had his way, he’d probably stay hidden until the wedding day.

I’d spotted my mom at the hotel bar a few times, but she also seemed to be hiding out in her room as much as she could. If I had to guess, I’d say she felt guilty about having James here, and she was probably a nervous wreck about how the day of the ceremony was going to go. I didn’t blame her, but I didn’t have the luxury of getting to hide away and wait for the big day. As the wedding planner and the sister of the bride, I had to keep making appearances.

With James.

Charity Wellington came up to me as the men in her family headed outside. She was Dick and Marcus’ little sister. She had platinum blonde hair, big blue eyes, and pursed, full lips. Her outfit was the kind of over-the-top ridiculous that probably cost a small fortune.

She came up to us and pulled Lily into a hug. “Lily! I’m so sorry we haven’t got to chat yet. I just got in last night. I work with a few fashion designers out of Paris, and they had some last minute emergencies they needed my opinion on. I know you understand!”

Humble brag, much?

“Oh, no worries,” Lily said, smiling up at the taller woman. To Lily’s credit, she didn’t look like she wanted to claw Charity’s eyes out or even kick her between the legs.

That was more than I could say for myself.

I always thought one of Lily’s best qualities was her innocent outlook. She was practically immune to female cattiness and jealousy. And why should any of that bother her? She was the girl everybody was always jealous of, and she never had to try to be the one people wanted to impress. That’s just how Lily was, and the effortlessness of it made it impossible to resent her for it.

“Who is this ?” Charity said, drifting toward me and James.

Oh, hell no.

Her long-lashed eyes fell to James legs and swept up his body slowly as her lips curved upward. She put her mouth into a playful pout. “Don’t tell me you’re taken. Let me guess, by, um… her ?” she said.

Somehow, she managed to inject so much disdain, dismissal, and outright “ew” into the single syllable I was almost impressed.

“This is my girlfriend,” James said. “Emma. We’re absolutely crazy for each other.” He added, lowering his lips to my ear. “Passionate kiss?” he whispered.

I didn’t wait. I just turned and cupped his face, launching into a hard, heavy kiss that was brief, but made absolutely no secret of the fact that we were together.

Except we weren’t together, I reminded myself as we pulled back and I delicately swiped the corner of my mouth with my thumb.

“Get a room,” Lily joked, but I saw her give Marcus a playful squeeze on the butt as the two of them headed outside, leaving us with Charity.

The beautiful woman’s nose wrinkled like she’d smelled something unpleasant. “Well, congratulations. I suppose.”

She stalked off.

James met my eyes. “You alright?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?” I asked, voice embarrassingly breathless.

“Because you feel like your knees are about to give out. I’m going to assume it’s from rage at that woman and not at how hard you’re swooning for me.”

I punched his chest, which was basically like a brick wall beneath his jacket. “Let’s just hurry up before they leave without us.”

James, as usual, was quick to put his arm around me and lead me outside. Even if it was all just for show, I had to admit there was something about a big, tall man who jumped at every excuse to put his hands on me. Combined with the cold and cozy atmosphere, it was like having my own giant, sexy blanket to carry around everywhere I went.

The sleighs waited out front, glistening in the sunlight and looking impossibly comfortable on the inside of their open cabins. The benches were plush leather and thick, fuzzy blankets were folded neatly in every seat. White horses with flowing hair and misting breath waited in front, occasionally stomping their feet and whinnying.

A driver sat in the front of each chariot with the reins in hand and a ridiculously formal little driver’s outfit on.

James extended his hand to help me into the sleigh.

I took it, but every innocent contact was like a spark that ignited a memory. The wine cellar in Ireland. The kiss at the tasting. How it felt to feel his erection between my legs when I’d woken up on top of him…

My heel promptly slipped on the metal step. James caught me before I could face-plant into the sleigh, his hands firm on my waist.

"I got you," he murmured close to my ear.

"You two are so cute," Lily gushed again as she cozied up next to Marcus in the seat behind ours.

The resort had arranged three sleighs for our group. Ours was me, James, Lily, and Marcus. Behind us, Richard, Dick, and one of the three brothers sat with a pair of older women I assumed were some of the aunts. In the back, the other two handsome brothers sat with Charity and another older pair of Wellington men.

Now we were all tucked into the red sleigh with its plush blankets and gleaming brass bells. The horses shifted impatiently in their harnesses, their breath forming twisting clouds in the crisp afternoon air.

"Everyone settled?" the driver asked.

I nodded as James situated one of the blankets over our laps. To my pleasant surprise, the blanket had been heated and felt amazing. His thigh pressed against mine as he situated himself closer than strictly necessary.

"Gotta keep my girl warm," he said innocently.

I glared at him. He knew exactly what he was doing.

The sleigh jerked into motion, bells jingling as we glided over the snow.

It was beautiful. The forest around us looked like something from a Christmas card, all snow-laden pines and sparkling ice crystals with mountains rising around us in every direction.

Within minutes, we had left behind the well-traveled roads that were full of packed snow from vehicles. We cut across a perfectly untouched field of white snow and headed for a forest trail that wound between the trees.

It was like another world, with no sound but the trotting horses and the thick silence of the blanketed forest.

"This is so romantic," Lily sighed, snuggling into Marcus' side.

"Sure is." James' hand found mine under the blanket. I tried to pull away, but he just threaded our fingers together. "Cold hands," he explained, loud enough for the others to hear.

"So," Lily said, "how did spilling your drink on my sister lead to you two dating, exactly?”

I tensed. We hadn't thought to work more on our cover story, which wasn’t like me at all. I was usually so careful with all the details. I was usually so concerned with preventing disaster that I thought of everything. When it came to our fake relationship, it felt like I wasn’t using my brain at all.

No. I was too busy thinking with another part of my body when it came to James.

But he had made up several stories about our dating life that first night over drinks. I guess I just assumed nobody would want to know more than that, but it was a stupid assumption.

"She needed something to wear," James said smoothly. "She was meeting with a client a few minutes from where we were, and didn’t have time to go back to her place. We hit my apartment and I let her borrow some of my sister’s clothes. It was almost a perfect fit.”

“Your sister keeps her clothes in your apartment?” Marcus asked.

He has a sister?

“She was staying with me for the week. Lucky coincidence.”

“And then what?” Lily asked.

“Well, I was admittedly smitten. So I slipped my phone number into the pocket of my sister’s jacket with a little message.”

“What was the message?” Lily asked. She was eating the story up.

So was I.

It was like he was imagining how this could have happened between us in another world—one where our professional lives didn’t clash so spectacularly.

“It said he hasn’t been with a woman in years,” I said before James could continue. “That he was desperate, and went on to beg me to call him back.”

James cleared his throat. “Ah, yeah. Something like that.”

Lily laughed. “Really? What possessed you to write that on the note?”

“I’m persistent when I want something,” he said softly.

The way he said ‘want’ sent heat through my entire body.

"What about you two?" James asked. "How did you meet?"

"Oh, it was so cute," Lily started, but she was cut off by a sudden lurch of the sleigh.

One of the horses had spooked at something in the trees, rearing up with a nervous whinny. The other horse danced sideways, making the sleigh rock precariously.

"Whoa!" The driver pulled on the reins, but the horses were properly scared now. They were trying to walk in different directions, which was making the sleigh rock from side to side. If they kept this up, the whole thing would tip, or maybe be dragged straight into a tree.

Before I could process what was happening, James had vaulted over the side of the sleigh. He moved to the horses' heads, speaking in low, soothing tones as he got hold of their bridles.

"Easy there," he murmured, stroking their necks. "Nothing to worry about, girls."

The horses settled almost immediately under his touch.

The driver was able to take that moment to join James, thanking him and speaking quietly to the horses as they calmed.

I watched it all with a still-pounding heart.

“Do you moonlight as a horse whisperer?” I asked. I had to admit the way he swooped in to save the day again was admittedly a little hot. Was there anything this man couldn’t do?

James gave the horse a pat and a quick nod to the driver before vaulting back into the chariot. “I grew up around horses. He settled the blanket back over us again, somehow even closer than before. "My grandfather had a farm in Kansas. I used to spend summers there helping him out. Most horses just want to know you’re in control. If they see somebody is calm, they’ll be calm. It’s just about confidence.”

Once the driver was sure the horses were good, he got back in and urged them into a trot again.

Lily spent most of the ride peppering us with questions about our dating life and past, which James was able to answer so convincingly that I almost found myself believing it all, too.

We occasionally stopped for photos, which meant having to trudge through ankle deep snow with the Wellington’s, but I saw too many perfect spots to miss it. I was pretty sure I had about a hundred I was going to want to keep and touch up later for the wedding album.

Between the stops for photos, I tried to focus on the scenery instead of how good James smelled, or how he kept finding my hand beneath the blanket and holding it.

"Look!" Lily pointed to where a family of deer watched us from between the trees. "Are all Colorado deer that big?”

“Those are pretty typical,” the driver said. “Beautiful buck, though.”

I smiled and snapped a few pictures, both of the deer and my sister’s wide-eyed marvel as snow blown by the wind drifted down around her.

The whole thing felt like a fairy tale, which just made it more dangerous. I was doing my best to think of this as my sister’s fairy tale. This was her big wedding. These were her moments.

So what if a distractingly hot guy was sitting next to me, too? Or if every time I lost concentration, I was also drifting into this winter wonderland fantasy where all the stories he told about our meeting and past were true—where we were just a normal, ordinary, perfect couple.

But I couldn't afford to get caught up in the romance of it all. Not with James.

Then he turned to brush snow from my hair, his touch lingering longer than necessary, and I forgot all my reasons why not.

"Your ears are turning pink," he whispered.

"It's the cold."

"Liar." His breath was warm against my skin.

The sleigh crested a hill, revealing a breathtaking view of the mountains. Everyone oohed and aahed appropriately, but I was too aware of James to properly appreciate it.

"We should do this again," he said softly. "Just us."

For a moment, I let myself imagine it. A nighttime ride, stars overhead, no one around but us...

"Emma?" Lily's voice snapped me back to reality. "Didn't you say there was a bonfire at the end?"

Right. Work. Wedding. Reality.

"Yes, the resort has a fire pit set up with hot chocolate and s'mores."

"Perfect end to a perfect day," Marcus said, but he was looking at his phone and his voice was slightly distracted.

I noticed James watching him with that same sharp focus he'd had during the food tasting. I wasn’t about to ask him about it in front of Marcus and my sister, so I kept my attention on the scenery until we finally came into view of orange flames flickering through the trees. An employee from the resort snuck away just as we were coming close, probably hoping to give the silly illusion that the fires and supplies had just magically appeared here.

"Last one to the fire has to share their s'mores," Lily declared as we pulled to a stop.

James helped me down from the sleigh, his hands lingering on my waist. "Want to share anyway?"

"In your dreams."

"Oh, sweetheart." His voice dropped lower. "In my dreams, we share a lot more than s'mores. And I’ve had a preview of your dreams. They might be even dirtier than mine…"

I grabbed a handful of snow and shoved it down the back of his jacket.

His yelp of surprise was deeply satisfying. Right up until he tackled me into a snowbank.

"James!"

"You started this," he said, hands planted on either side of me. He grinned as snow fell from his hair onto my face.

"I’m going to be freezing now.”

“Maybe that was the plan. Now you won’t be able to stop yourself from cuddling up to me.”

I shoved another handful of snow at him, but he caught my wrists, laughing. For a moment, we just stared at each other, breath mingling in the cold air.

Then someone cleared their throat, and we looked up to find the entire wedding party watching us with varying degrees of amusement.

"If you two are done," Dick drawled, "some of us would like hot chocolate and s’mores."

James helped me up, brushing snow from my coat with exaggerated care. “Let’s get you warmed up, baby.”

I shot him a dirty look, but as we walked to the fire pit, his hand found mine again. And this time, I didn't pull away.