Chapter 15
CHAPTER 15
A week before the wedding, Olivia returned to Lark Springs and stopped by the apartment. Instead of driving her beat-up Corolla, she rode into town in a shiny new Range Rover. Instead of the old jeans and T-shirts she used to wear around the apartment, her clothes looked like they’d been bought at some expensive department store.
Riley squealed like a third grader and threw her arms around her. Annie ahhed and awed over her, especially admiring Olivia’s engagement ring. The thing was huge, sparkling atop Olivia’s finger.
“Beautiful,” Annie said.
“Gorgeous,” Riley agreed. “Plus, it’s big enough that in a fight, it could be used as a weapon, like brass knuckles.”
Olivia laughed. “Who do you think I’ll be fighting?”
“Probably just the Carson groupies who’ll go ballistic when they find out he’s off the market.”
“Good point,” Olivia said and laughed again.
Annie gave the ring one last wistful look. “I knew I should’ve gone for the jocks in high school.”
Riley snorted. “You did go for the jocks in high school.”
“But apparently not the right ones.” Annie flopped down on the couch dramatically. “None of them went on to play in the NFL.” She put her hands together in supplication and looked at Olivia. “Please tell me you found some dreamy guy on Carson’s team to be my date.”
Olivia joined her on the couch, beaming. “I did.” She drew out the moment for suspense. “Emmett Navarone.”
He was a wide receiver. Tall, dark, and alpha.
Annie’s hands went to her chest. “He is dreamy. I owe you for this.”
Olivia patted Annie’s leg. “Before you owe me anything, let’s see how the date goes. He can be kind of quiet until he gets to know you. But being outgoing is one of your talents, so you’ll be fine.”
Annie shot Riley a glance then returned her attention to Olivia. “I hope you found someone just as dreamy for Riley or she’ll claim favoritism.”
“I decided to go to the wedding without a date,” Riley said. “I thought you made a good point about going stag so that I could dance with lots of Carson’s single friends.”
Dancing with Carson’s friends would have many benefits. It would remind her that there were other men in the world besides Mr. Hot-and-Too-Distracting Ex. She needed to find someone to get her mind off him. Also, if she showed the ones who were staying at the inn what a wonderful place it was, maybe Carson wouldn’t have a hard time finding an investor.
Riley joined the others on the couch. “What do you need help with for the wedding?”
Olivia spent the next few minutes talking about last-minute details. “I told my mother I wanted something simple because, let’s face it, Carson is paying for all of this. But my mom keeps adding things and people to the venue. And then there’s my father…” She let out a long sigh.
Olivia’s parents divorced when she was young, mostly due to her father’s drinking problem. When she started dating Carson, her father had hit him up for money, and Carson had not only refused, he’d lit into the man for being a lousy father.
Since then, Olivia’s father hadn’t had anything nice to say about Carson.
She shifted uncomfortably on the couch. “We’ve decided to have a dry wedding so my father isn’t tempted to drink, but Mom is afraid he’ll cut out at the reception for long enough to find someplace that serves alcohol. She’s told him that if he gets drunk, she’ll have the police haul him off the premises before he can make a scene. She’s totally serious about that.”
Annie’s brow wrinkled in concern. “Are you worried he’ll make a scene?”
“He’ll be fine if he’s sober,” Olivia said.
If was the operative word.
“I’m not expecting any problems,” she went on. “But I have to ensure that my wedding isn’t turned into a police spectacle. Every guest in the place will have a camera, and the last thing I want is someone selling photos to the media of Carson Clark’s father-in-law being arrested for drunk and disorderly behavior.”
“Your friends wouldn’t sell your wedding photos,” Annie said, aghast at the suggestion.
“Not my friends,” Olivia said, “but that might not be true of all the relatives, friends, and acquaintances my mother invites. So I’m asking a few people to keep an eye on my father and make sure he doesn’t leave the church. And if he does leave, Carson has let him know he can’t come back. But it’s not like we’ll have guards posted at the doors. Other guests will be coming and going, so I need a few people to keep an eye on him.” Her gaze turned to Riley. “Annie will be with Emmett. I can’t ask her to take a shift watching my father.”
Annie nodded in agreement. “I’ll be busy flirting.”
“What exactly do you want me to do?” Riley asked.
Olivia fluttered a hand. “Just make small talk with him. And when you’re not talking to him, you know, have eyes on him. My aunt, uncle, and brother will take shifts too, but I thought I’d give you the first one since my family will be greeting guests at the beginning of the reception. Also, out of the four of you, you’re the most likely not to be swayed by any of my father’s pleas that a wedding calls for champagne, and he’s ordered some for the occasion.”
“Anything for you on your big day,” Riley said. “But will he think it’s weird that one of your friends is hanging out with him?”
Olivia shrugged. “He knows we don’t want a repeat of my high school graduation. Or my college graduation. Or for that matter, Great Uncle Phill’s funeral.”
Riley had heard about that event. Great Uncle Phill was probably the only person in the history of Lark Springs to have a heckler removed from his funeral.
“I’m happy to take the first shift,” Riley said. “But after that, I’ll be trying to out-flirt Annie.”
“Good luck with that.” Annie touched the ends of her blonde hair, examining it. It was thick, swishable hair. “I’ll have to get highlights. I need to look stunning for Emmett.”
“You already look stunning,” Riley said. It was the truth. Annie always looked beautiful, but Riley didn’t, and it just occurred to her that if she wanted to get Carson’s friends’ attention, she would have to look the part. They were used to trophy women. “I think I want to get a makeover.”
“You do?” Annie asked, perking up. “You’ve always withstood my beauty suggestions. Delancey had to practically beg you to grow out your hair.”
“My ex-boyfriend is going to be there. I’ve got to look good. I’ll need a facial, highlights, glam makeup, eyelash extensions, and whatever Annie does to look so beautiful all the time.”
Olivia tilted her head in question. “But you see Lucas all the time at work.”
“Yes, but you know how competitive I am. I want to look better than whoever he brings.”
“As far as I know,” Olivia said. “he’s not bringing a date. So I guess you win by default.”
“He doesn’t have a date?” Riley asked. This option had never occurred to her. “Why not?”
“He’s been too busy with the inn to date anyone and doesn’t want to make the wedding his first date with someone.” Olivia leaned closer. “Carson thinks he’s not over you yet.”
“Oh, he’s definitely over me. He wants to dock my pay next summer when I work as a tour guide.
“Really?” Olivia asked. “Why?”
Riley found herself telling Olivia about that decision, adding, “He knows being a tour guide is my favorite part of the job. He can’t fire me, so I think this is his way of trying to get me to quit.”
Olivia listened patiently. “Or, he’s just trying to be cost-effective in the way he runs the inn. He’s worried about letting Carson down and putting a lot of pressure on himself.”
Riley inwardly groaned. She’d just told her friend that Lucas was trying to get her to quit, and Olivia was not only taking his side of the argument, but she felt sorry for him.
It was one more reminder that Olivia was becoming a Clark, through and through. Lucas would be her brother-in-law, and her loyalties had already shifted to her new family.