Chapter 3
Chapter Three
T his town was freakin’ adorable.
Ronnie’s lips twitched with an affectionate little smile as she drove through downtown Paradise Springs. The familiar shops and restaurants from her childhood and high school years still stood where she’d left them, like old friends greeting her.
Pop’s Burgers had gotten a new paint job, and the display out front of Bob’s Hardware was new. But for the most part, it was like time had stood still, just waiting for her to return.
She made a left onto her street and passed one familiar home after another. The Landry house had finally sold—that must have been a boon for Marsha May, Paradise Springs’ most enthusiastic real estate agent.
Also their only real estate agent.
Ronnie’s smile slipped a bit as she drove one more block and came to a stop in front of her house. The small blue split-level ranch house where she’d been born and raised, and where her father and younger sister still lived.
Until her sister’s wedding, at least. After that, her dad would be on his own here.
Unless I move back.
Ronnie straightened in her seat with a blink at the unbidden thought.
Of course she couldn’t move back. Not for good.
She’d been lucky her coach had agreed to let her come home for a full month to prep for the big wedding.
There was no way she could live here and train for the next X Games, and if she wanted to take a shot at the Olympics… ?
She shook her head, clearing it of all things snowboarding. That stuff could wait. She had four weeks off, and she meant to make the most of it.
With that thought, she slowly got out of her car and walked the familiar path from the driveway to?—
The front door flew open, and her younger sister came rushing out. “Ronnie!!”
Ronnie let out a little grunt as her sister caught her up in a hug so enthusiastic, she couldn’t help but laugh.
“It hasn’t been that long.” She patted her sister’s back. “You and Dad saw me last month in Denver.”
“I know, but now you’re here .” Her sister’s smile could only be described as maniacal, her eyes so wide Ronnie drew back a bit. “And now you can help me with the wedding plans.”
Her father’s chuckle came from the doorway. “I hope you know what you’re in for, maid of honor.”
Ronnie smiled at him over Margot’s shoulder. “Hey, Dad.”
“Come in, come in.” He stepped aside and gestured with his hand. “You two are causing a scene out there.”
Margot latched on to her arm and all but dragged her in.
Impressive, really, considering that while they were both short and slim, Ronnie was the one with all the muscles. She wasn’t sure her cute-as-a-button little sister had ever stepped foot in a gym.
Even now, at home and with no big plans, her sister was sporting a dress and lipstick, her hair neatly curled.
As usual, Ronnie looked like the ultimate tomboy next to her in baggy pants and a men’s crewneck sweater. Makeup had never been her thing, and she could only imagine she’d look ridiculous in that bright pink shade Margot wore. A shade that matched her nails perfectly.
Honestly, sometimes it was shocking that they’d come from the same parents.
Her dad towered over them as he grabbed her carry-on bag, heading down the hall that led to Ronnie’s room, which had long since been transformed into a guest room/crafting room/spare closet for Margot.
“After lunch we should meet up with Lewis’s sister, Elle,” Margot was saying as she trailed Ronnie down the hallway. “Since she’s going to be my new sister-in-law, I feel like the three of us should bond, you know?”
Ronnie didn’t have a chance to answer because Margot was already moving on to the next order of wedding business.
She didn’t seem to notice that Ronnie had paused in the hallway to smile at the framed family photo from back when she’d been in junior high. Her mom had still been alive then, and to look at that picture was like gazing upon a Norman Rockwell painting. The blissfully happy all-American family.
A huff of laughter escaped and Ronnie kept going, not stopping until she and Margot joined her dad in her temporary bedroom.
Ronnie’s phone buzzed, and she pulled it out. Mike. Her agent. She pushed aside the familiar pang of anxiety and hit Ignore.
He’d call again, and eventually she’d answer. But couldn’t she just have one day where she didn’t have to think about sponsorships and endorsement deals?
“Oh. Before I forget…” Margot pulled a folded piece of paper out of her back pocket.
Ronnie blinked down at the creased paper. “What’s this?”
She scanned the words as she opened it—an invoice. That knot that seemed to be permanently wedged behind her rib cage tightened a little more at the amount.
Margot wrapped an arm around her and rested her chin on Ronnie’s shoulder, like she used to do when they were younger and reading the same picture book.
“You said you were happy to help out with the wedding, and you had that amazing season last year and all of those sponsorship deals.” Margot gave her a squeeze, her voice high and filled with emotion.
“I’m so incredibly grateful for your support.
I seriously couldn’t be having such a nice wedding if it wasn’t for you. ”
Ronnie’s father was smiling at them both in a doting way. So proud, his smile said.
Ronnie tried to match it, but her cheeks ached as she patted Margot’s hand on her shoulder. Happy to help. That was what she should have said. But she couldn’t quite get the words out because a little cynical voice in the back of her mind was asking if Mike had asked her sister to say that.
She wouldn’t put it past her agent to use her sister to manipulate her into signing on the dotted line.
A dull headache started up, and she rubbed her temples as she moved away to get a little breathing room.
“That reminds me.” Ronnie kept her voice bright. “I was thinking we could find Mom’s old veil in the attic, see if we can incorporate it into your dress in some way.”
“Ooh, I love that.” Margot clapped her hands, and Ronnie felt a surge of affection. There were times, like this one, that if she squinted hard, she could pretend Margot was still a little kid.
She wasn’t that much older than Margot, but ever since their mom had died, their relationship had gone from sisters to more of a mother-daughter relationship.
Margot was flitting around the room, tidying up the dresser top and straightening a picture frame. “We should go to the venue this week, too, so we can start planning centerpieces and flower arrangements and…” She whipped around. “Did I tell you I got The King’s Inn?”
Ronnie grinned. “They had availability?”
Margot nodded. “Since it’s in the winter, they were free. And Bailey said, ‘Anything for Ronnie’s sister,’ so that was sweet.”
Ronnie’s smile grew. “I wonder what Bailey’s done with that place?”
“So much! It’s really amazing,” Margot gushed.
“I can’t wait to see it.” Ronnie meant it. She’d been friends with Bailey for as long as she could remember. The Kings hadn’t lived here year-round like Ronnie and Margot, but they’d come to stay every summer and holiday, and Ronnie had looked forward to their every visit.
She was so proud of her old friend for turning her grandparents’ inn into an amazing vacation destination and was even more pleased that Margot had taken her suggestion to hold her wedding there.
They both heard the sound of the TV turning on in the living room. Their father had slipped out at some point while they’d talked. They both looked in that direction before Margot gave her a wry smile. “I’m so glad you’re home, sis. Wedding planning is not Dad’s favorite topic.”
Ronnie laughed. “You don’t say.”
It’s not mine either. But she held her tongue.
Margot gave her another bone-crunching hug. “I’m so happy you’re here to help!”
“Of course!” Ronnie hugged her back. “That’s what big sisters are for.”