Chapter 9 #2
Maisie turned and saw her mother coming toward her.
Crap.
Pasting a smile on her face, she waited for the air-kisses before saying anything. “Hey, Mom. You look beautiful.”
“Thank you, sweetie. So do you.” She stepped back and studied her daughter before adding, “I’m glad your cousin found you a dress that looks flattering on you. You know how awful bridesmaid gowns can be.”
“Um…”
“Still, this is a suitable color on you.”
“Thanks.” All things considered, she’d take the compliment.
“I thought you were going to come and stay with your father and me this weekend. I didn’t think you would go to your condo. We haven’t seen you in weeks, and with everything going on, it would have been nice for us to have some time to talk.”
There were a million snarky comebacks on the tip of her tongue, but she kept them to herself.
“There was a lot to do, and I wanted my focus to be on Victoria. I didn’t want anything negative to take away from this weekend.”
“Mmm…I suppose that makes sense. Why don’t you come home with us tomorrow night? We’re all going to be here again tomorrow for the big luncheon and whatnot, but you can come home and we can have dinner together.”
“Just the three of us, or will Dad be inviting anyone?”
Okay, one snarky comment slipped out.
And from the pinched look on her mother’s face, she didn’t like it.
“Maisie, we’ve talked about this.”
Right now, she wished someone—anyone!—would come and interrupt their conversation. She was already wildly uncomfortable and wanted nothing more than to go to her hotel room and cut herself out of her underwear so she could breathe without pain.
“Mom,” she said after a long moment. “We’re not talking about this, okay? If you’ll excuse me, I see cousin Ashton waving at me, and I haven’t talked to her in forever. I’ll see you later, okay?” And without waiting for a reply, she gave her mother a quick kiss on the cheek before walking away.
Her cousin Ashton was nowhere in sight, but that was okay. Everyone was out on the dance floor, and she was going to take the opportunity to slip outside onto the massive stone patio and find a quiet place to just relax and maybe hear herself think for a little while.
She grabbed a glass of champagne from a passing server, and when she stepped outside, she let out a long breath as all the tension started to leave her body.
The wedding itself had been beautiful, and it made her a little sad that she may never get to experience anything like it for herself. It was like a fairy-tale wedding, and deep down, that’s what Maisie wanted.
A fairy tale.
The air was cool, and for a minute, she considered going back inside but opted to stand near one of the many heat lamps.
The sky was ink black and filled with stars, and it would almost be perfect if she couldn’t hear the music coming from inside.
There were twinkly lights scattered throughout the perfectly manicured property, and if it weren’t so chilly, she’d consider going for a walk just to get away.
“With my luck, I’ll get lost in the hedge maze and freeze to death,” she murmured before taking a sip of champagne.
“There are too many lights, and you would definitely be missed.”
She froze, too afraid to move. Swallowing hard, she couldn’t think of a word to say.
How? How was it even possible?
“Hey, Maisie.”
“Hey, Connor,” she said, her voice shaking slightly. “Small world, huh?”
He looked very handsome in his tuxedo, and it occurred to her she had been correct the first time she’d seen him on video. She had a sense that she’d seen him before, and clearly, she must have because they run in the same social circle.
“Are you a friend of the bride or groom?” she asked, hoping she sounded normal.
Connor took a sip of his champagne as he moved to stand beside her, looking out at the massive property just like she was.
“The groom,” he replied. “We went to private school together when we were younger. He moved when we were in high school, but we always kept in touch. Nice guy.”
She nodded. “He seems like it. Victoria’s completely head over heels in love with him, and everyone in the family can’t seem to say enough good things about him.” She paused. “I’m sure they’ll be very happy.”
They stood side by side, silently drinking their champagne, and it seemed both normal and completely bizarre. Honestly, Maisie had no idea if this was a big deal or not. It wasn’t like she lied to anyone about anything.
Liar.
Oh, right. Yeah. She’d lied about her last name. But was that such a bad thing? Was she freaking out over nothing?
“So I have to ask,” he began, and that’s when she knew this was indeed a big thing. “What’s an heiress from one of the wealthiest families in New York—if not the entire U.S.—doing driving a beat-up old pickup, living at the Lakeview Inn, and doing interior decorating at an old resort?”
The breath slowly left her as she tried to find the words that didn’t give too much away.
Why? Why don’t I give it all away? What difference does it make now?
And then…it all came spilling out.
“My parents are trying to force me into marrying someone I despise. Like…he’s the devil,” she began.
“They’re convinced because I’m not beautiful and willowy that no one will ever fall in love with me.
” She rolled her eyes. “Great parenting, right? Whatever happened to unconditional love?” She took a moment to compose herself.
“Anyway, I’ve been fighting them on it for a while now, and when I put my foot down and said I refused, they told me I’d never make it on my own.
If I don’t marry this person, they’ll cut me off.
That was how it started. They eventually tried to compromise with me and they said if I could prove that I could take care of myself, they’d stop with this whole arranged marriage thing. ”
Her throat was dry, but it felt so good to finally tell someone about this. So, she took a sip of champagne before continuing.
“I thought they were giving in too easily, and I was right. I was stripped of my credit cards, and no one we knew was allowed to hire me. I was sent off on my own with a very limited budget and a rickety old truck and told I had a few weeks to make something of myself.”
Shaking her head, she willed herself not to cry.
“I packed up a few things and just started driving. When I stopped for the night at a hotel off I-87, I knew I had to come up with a plan. Fast. I was searching for jobs as a decorator, and I saw your ad for the resort. I called the next morning and set up the interview and had only a few days to put together a presentation that would hopefully guarantee me the job.”
Beside her, Connor remained silent. Maisie chanced a look at him, and his expression was completely neutral.
“So now I have a job that is amazing, but…it’s just the beginning.
I didn’t tell my parents about it because I wanted to have a few more things lined up,” she went on.
“I know you and Harlow and Milo all seemed interested in hiring me, but I need things that are on a slightly larger scale so no one can say it’s not good enough. ”
When he still didn’t say anything, she knew what he was thinking, and she wasn’t afraid to say it.
“I get it, okay?” she said, turning to face him.
“It seems like a load of crap. I mean…who has arranged marriages anymore, right? But you have to believe me because it’s true.
I’m honestly mildly afraid that now that I’m technically home, my family isn’t going to let me leave.
” A nervous laugh was out before she could stop it.
“I’m sure you have no idea what this is like, and I don’t expect you to understand. Just know that…”
“That’s where you’re wrong,” he politely interrupted, turning his head toward her. “I know exactly what you’re talking about. My marriage to Annabeth’s mom?” He shook his head. “That wasn’t my idea. And it certainly wasn’t what I wanted.”
“But…how?”
“My mother refused to believe I would marry someone…appropriate.” He shrugged.
“Appropriate by whose standards, right? I knew the girl I wanted to marry, but…she wasn’t up to my family’s standards, and I was forced to break up with her.
Before I could even fully recover, my now ex-wife was shoved under my nose everywhere I went.
” His mirthless laugh spoke volumes. “The harder I pushed back, the more things were being taken away.”
Wow. In a million years she never would have thought Connor would understand.
“I wanted to own a restaurant. I wanted to cook; it’s my passion.
But if I didn’t marry Rachel, I would be cut off.
” Another mirthless laugh. “So I caved because I didn’t know how to be a guy trying to start a restaurant business with no money.
I want to hate myself for it, but…” He shrugged.
“I have Annabeth, and she’s the greatest thing in the world. She made it all worth it.”
“And what happened to your…to Rachel?”
“Oh, she left. Motherhood wasn’t her thing, and I wasn’t giving her the lifestyle she thought marrying into the Winslowe family would.
I refused. That was one thing I could control.
I refused to buy the ridiculous-sized mansion or the fleet of luxury cars.
I never put her name on my bank account.
To be honest, I was a dick about a lot of things, but with good reason.
I didn’t respect her, and I knew she wasn’t marrying me for love.
It was an arrangement. Ultimately, we were both miserable. ”
“That’s awful. I’m so sorry.”
He shrugged. “When she left, I went to my parents and laid it all out for them. I did what they expected, and it failed. The fact that Rachel was the one to leave worked in my favor, and I told them to back the hell out of my life.”
“Did they listen?”
“Eventually. I have my restaurants; they run themselves. I don’t have to be there as much as I used to.
But they’re sort of…they’re bad memories for me, you know?
I feel like it was achieved with blood money or something.
That’s why I was so excited about investing in the resort.
It was something wholesome and mine. A labor of love. ”
“There is something truly magical about that place,” she said softly. “I can see why you were all drawn to it. Just the fact that you all became friends there and still are close? That’s kind of amazing.”
“They’re a great group of people. Some of the best, really.” He paused, and his expression grew somber. “Does Axel know who you really are?”
She shook her head. “He doesn’t know anything except that I’m in a very dire situation involving my family and that I can’t involve him.”
He took another sip of his champagne after giving her a curt nod.
“Are you going to tell him?” she asked, hating herself even as the words came out of her mouth.
“It’s not my place,” he said, and she almost sagged with relief.
Until… “Just don’t mess with him, okay? Axel’s had a hard life.
Like…a really hard life. I get that the two of you hooked up and maybe it didn’t mean anything beyond the moment, but…
if he knows about your real life, it’s going to seriously screw with his head. He’s going to take it personally.”
Dammit.
Swallowing hard, she nodded. “We sort of…we ended things after the other night. He knows I don’t live in Harbortown, and once the resort is done, I won’t be back.”
He nodded. “Okay, then. Your secret is safe with me.”
“Thank you, Connor. Really. You have no idea how much this conversation has helped me.”
“So, what are you going to do? You know, about the marriage and all that.”
“I wish I knew. Logically, I know I have accomplished something major by getting the job with the resort. But I don’t think that’s going to be enough for me to live on if my parents follow through and cut me off.”
Another nod. “I get that.”
“I’m not sure I can convince them not to do this, but I’d rather be broke than married to someone I don’t feel safe with.”
Connor arched one brow. “Maisie…that’s a whole different story. I didn’t love or even like Rachel, but I never felt in danger with her. Do you have proof that this guy is dangerous?”
“I do. Not that anyone believes me. He’s been accused of plenty of things, but his parents always pay people off.
There are just too many accusations for it to be a coincidence.
And then…” She was going to tell him about her experience with Bryce but decided against it.
She didn’t realize she was crying until Connor’s arms went around her.
“It’s okay,” he murmured. “I’ll help you in any way I can. I promise.”
Oh, how she wanted to believe him. She really did. But she’d been let down so many times before that it felt like no one really cared about her happiness.
When she pulled back, she offered him a small smile. “Thanks, Connor. I appreciate the offer, but I doubt there’s anything you can do.”
“Just give me a name, Maisie. That’s all I need.”
“Connor…”
He grinned. “Many people underestimate me because I’m a chef. Like it’s not a manly gig or they don’t think I can be useful.” He leaned in close again. “But they’re wrong. I know a lot of people, and I can find out things the average person can’t.”
“Why would you even want to do this? I’m just someone decorating the resort.
It would be one thing if this involved Axel, but it doesn’t.
It can’t. He already shared his past with me so I would never put him in a position where anyone would make him feel bad about himself.
I refuse to let him get hurt. He’s been through enough.
He doesn’t deserve to get dragged into my mess. ”
For a long moment, he simply studied her. “Can I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
“If it weren’t for this situation with your family—or even who your family is—would you have gone for Axel?”
Maisie didn’t even have to think about it. “I would. But I don’t think he would have gone for me if he knew who I really was or where I came from.”
They stood in companionable silence until they heard cheering coming from inside. “I think that’s our cue to go back in,” Connor said.
“I guess so.”
“Give me a name, Maisie,” he urged. “I want to help you.”
She stared at him for so long her eyes actually hurt. “Please don’t make me regret this.” And after another pause, she said, “Bryce Chadsworth.”
With a curt nod, he motioned toward the doorway. “Shall we?”
“We shall.”