12. Chapter 12
CHAPTER 12
CAITEY
“ O h, before I forget,” Jenna added when they entered the kitchen and shut the back door. “It keeps slipping my mind to tell you—I’ve reserved a string trio for the garden reception.”
“That sounds lovely,” Caitey told her. “We discussed music, but that was a long time ago.”
“I’ve requested they play Pachelbel’s ‘Canon’ while Logan and Marcus, his best man, walk down the stone pathway and up to the arbor. Then I appear at the end of the walkway, and everyone gasps in awe, of course. But . . .” she drawled, slowing her words. “Um . . . before that . . .”
“What?” Caitey asked. “What did you forget?”
“Well, I, uh, bought a bridesmaid dress for you!” she said, her voice rising with enthusiasm. “Now, before you protest and say no, please wear it as one of my attendants. It seems weird not to have at least one attendant, even for a small home wedding. You are not just my cousin but one of my closest friends.”
Caitey bit her lips as she blinked at the sudden emotion. “Wow, Jenna, thank you for that. I consider you to be the sister I never had. I’d be honored to be your bridesmaid. If I can fit into the dress!”
“Of course you will. You never seem to gain an ounce.”
Caitey grinned. “Hopefully I haven’t after eating Gus’s cooking last night and this morning! It will be fun to dress up!”
“I fondly remember dress-up days when we raided our mothers’ closets and put on their costume jewelry.” Jenna paused and then her eyes widened as she clapped a hand across her mouth. “ Noooo, I never bought any wedding earrings! How could I forget to take care of that?”
An older female voice spoke up behind them. “Jenna!” Mrs. Hearst said. “Caitey! Are you in the kitchen talking about wedding details again? I’d love to be a part of it.”
“As would I,” Jenna’s mother echoed as she followed Mrs. Hearst inside.
“Hi, Aunt Vicki,” Caitey said. “We didn’t mean to leave the mothers out.”
“I know I’m just the mother-in-law,” Mrs. Hearst said, “but us girls need to stick together against all the men wandering this house. Plus, who doesn’t adore a good wedding? Especially for one’s own son! One of the biggest days of my life, as well as Logan’s and yours, Jenna,” she added with fondness. “I couldn’t ask for a better daughter-in-law.”
Jenna walked around the table towards her. “Gosh, thank you, Mrs. Hearst, that means a lot to me.”
“Please—Isabella!”
Jenna gave a little laugh. “I’m sorry . . . it feels strange to call you by your first name.”
“I know we’ve only met a few times before now but please, no more formality.”
Jenna turned to Caitey and quickly interjected, “Logan’s parents came to New Orleans to visit us right after he proposed, and the ring arrived. That’s when we chose a date. It’s hard to believe it’s here! I’m getting married tomorrow !”
Mrs. Hearst was nodding. “Your wedding is a beautiful event you’ll never forget for the rest of your life. Please call me Mom—or Mother like Logan does. When he turned fifteen, “Mom” was no longer an option. It was ‘Mother’ just to tease me and sound like a British gentleman who graduated from Eton. And then his teasing happened to stick and that’s what he calls me.”
“That sounds like boys,” Caitey said with a laugh. “My brother, George, as well as a whole slew of male cousins on my dad’s side do the same thing. Drives their mothers crazy.”
“Will your brother be able to attend the wedding, Caitey?” Mrs. Hearst asked.
Aunt Vicki shook her head. “I’m afraid my nephew and wife recently had a baby and she’s not up to it yet. Not to mention, traveling with a newborn is difficult.”
“Totally understandable,” Mrs. Hearst empathized. “Weddings are often difficult to schedule with big families.”
“Speaking of fake British accents,” Jenna piped up. “I’ve heard Logan do that British accent thing with you myself!” she exclaimed as if it had just occurred to her. “I’ll have to give him a hard time—or force him to speak that sexy British to me all the time,” she added with a devilish grin.
“After all, Pride and Prejudice is Jenna’s and my favorite movie,” Caitey told her.
Aunt Vicki turned to her hostess. “I must admit that being here at your beautiful home is like stepping into a Regency movie, Isabella. Or visiting a British manor house on tour—except I get to stay in one of those divine bedroom suites. Plumbing and all of the indoor amenities included!”
Mrs. Hearst’s eyes twinkled. “Don’t forget—I’m only here by marriage. Shall we take this meeting to the dining room table where we can spread out more and Gus doesn’t have to put up with our chatter and giggles?”
Gus popped his head out from the pantry where he’d been organizing shelves and unloading groceries for the wedding breakfast and dinner. “Don’t mind me, ma’am, just counting the eggs, so to speak, to make sure we have everything ready for the big day.”
“You’re such a dear, Gus, thank you,” Mrs. Hearst told him, rising from her chair. “Even so, seeing what we’re doing might be easier at the bigger table.”
Caitey and Jenna quickly ran upstairs to their bedrooms to get their planning notes for the wedding before returning to the adjoining dining room and the older women, where the four of them set up at the large table.
Being here again after the previous night’s dinner sprouted Marcus Stirling’s handsome, rugged face floating in front of Caitey’s eyes. Mentally, she roamed along his shoulders and torso.
His suit coat showed off that masculine physique that made her entire body sizzle like bacon on a griddle. Add some fluffy, syrupy pancakes, and she’d melt like hot butter all over him.
When Caitey looked up, she saw both mothers and Jenna staring at her. She cleared her throat and stared down at her wedding list, running a finger along each item.
“Everything okay, Caitey?” Jenna asked, a smile swirling along her lips—as if she knew what her cousin was thinking.
“Um, perfectly fine. Perfectly . . .” she stammered, blinking her eyes innocently. “Let’s figure out where all the flowers will be positioned. They’re being delivered first thing in the morning, so they’ll be fresh.”
“Perfect,” Jenna said.
Oh, yes, Caitey thought, her brain returning to Marcus. The man was perfect in looks, stature, strength, and kindness. She tried to refocus her attention on the wedding plans, but her thoughts were scattering like a ball in a pinball machine.
Even so, she couldn’t really judge who he was until she got to know him better. And that certainly wouldn’t happen in the next two days. The day after the wedding, they would go their separate ways and never see each other again.
After all, she lived in San Diego, hours away from Santa Barbara. If that’s where Marcus lived. Or did he fly in from somewhere else? All at once, she wasn’t sure! What a ditzy daydreamer she was becoming.
Her daydreaming was one of her personal faults, but an asset when it came to planning unique weddings for her brides.
“I think I saw the men outside laying the carpet and the chairs,” Mrs. Hearst said. “This table is already laid for dinner so perhaps our little meeting is done for now. Right after dinner tonight, Reginald will set it for the wedding luncheon. That will be one less task in the morning before the ceremony. Shall we go check on our husbands, Victoria?” she asked Mrs. Thornton.
Jenna and her mother jumped up to head outside, and Caitey slowly followed. She hoped the outdoor set-up was finished. The wedding dinner menu had long ago been ordered, and Gus was ready.
Her stomach tightened at the thought of running into Marcus. Before this puzzling reaction to that man continued, she had to find out more about that man and his past .
Trailing after Jenna, Caity sidled up next to her while Logan, Marcus, Uncle Alexander, and Mr. Hearst finished tacking down the plush red carpet.
“Ooh, look at that, Caitey,” Jenna said in delight. “I get to walk ‘the red carpet’! I’ll feel like a movie star.”
“I thought it was a great idea of yours. So much fun on your wedding day. Besides, you are a star! The bride! The woman everyone will be admiring.”
Even to Caity’s ears, her own words sounded stiff. Her chest heaved watching Marcus—not wearing his suit coat, but in a tight T-shirt that made his biceps bulge and his chest ripple . . . She abruptly plopped onto one of the chairs to catch her breath.
Purposely, she turned her head to gaze across the gardens to admire the beautiful roses, but the attempt didn’t work to keep him out of her line of sight. The guys kept moving about.
Tinkling water fell like soft rain from the fountains. The tall glass cylinders etched with gold that she had bought for the ceremony were placed along each row of chairs, from the rear chairs all the way to the end of the red carpet where the arch was currently being assembled by Marcus and Logan.
In the morning, she would place a trio of white and gold candles into each glass cylinder that would be lit before the ceremony.
Her eyes betrayed her—because she had no self-control—latching onto Marcus, again, while he and Logan set up the archway where the bride and groom would stand for the ceremony. Gold and red royal colors. The entire thing would be covered in a cacophony of colorful blooms when the flowers arrived.
Jenna plopped down next to her, smiling with happiness at how beautiful it was turning out. “Are you okay? You have a strange look on your face.”
“Um, no. I mean, yes. Just going through the details in my head as the guys set up.”
“You silly liar,” Jenna said, laughing. “I know you too well. What are we missing? I won’t go all bridezilla if we’ve forgotten something.”
“No—it’s all good. Everything is going to be perfect,” Caitey said stiffly, ripping her gaze away from Marcus. “Not sure I can stay out here any longer. The guys are almost done. Except for the—for the—you know.”
“Flowers along the arches and surrounding the candles we’ll set up later?” Jenna asked with a quiet chuckle. She turned to catch Caitey’s eyes, then moved a finger along her thigh all the way to her knee, pointing it straight to Marcus. “Or is it something—I mean someone —else?”
A blush rushed up Caitey’s face. Her cheeks were probably bright red right now.
“Did something happen with Mr. Marcus Stirling?” Jenna whispered.
“No! No, not at all . . .” Caitey protested, but her voice trailed away .
“Spill it, girlfriend! Now!”
“I—well, I have to talk to you privately. About another matter. Oh, it sounds so furtive and silly. Never mind, forget it. My brain is just blowing up like usual! After all, I can’t even eat the night before one of the weddings I’ve planned. Sleep is non-existent as my brain agonizes all night long.”
“Now, that’s not a good idea,” Jenna chided her. “You will eat—even after dinner. Gus has homemade brownies in the pantry. Tonight, we raid them! Right now, you are coming with me!”
Her cousin tugged on her arm, and they walked around to the perimeter wall where the stone paving ended in the pathway toward the front of the mansion. Here there was a second row of goddess statues and a second small pond.
Jenna perched on a bench and pulled Caitey next to her. “The sun is dropping, and it’s getting colder. I’m glad the ceremony will be in the early afternoon and short, so we don’t all turn into ice cubes.”
“There’s a definite chill in the air,” Caitey agreed.
When silence fell for a moment, Jenna burst out laughing, poking at Caitey’s arm. “My stomach is anticipating that delicious dinner Gus is making, so spill it, Caitey girl. I have a sneaking suspicion this is about a man. A man named Marcus Stirling.”
“Are you the bride or my psychiatric counselor?” Caitey said, stifling her laughter.
“Both at the moment. Did something happen with Marcus, or am I just pulling all these weird vibes out of my imagination?”
“Nothing happened. Honestly, really, nothing. Except he scared the be-jeebies out of me yesterday.”
“As you can see, he’s perfectly harmless. And terribly gorgeous,” Jenna said, putting on a high society accent. “Of course, not as handsome as the groom, but then I’m biased . . . Okay, I’m about to smack you if you don’t spill that little secret making your lips twitch.”
“My mouth is twitching?” Caitey asked, horrified.
“Well, I exaggerate, but you know what I mean. I can practically read your mind.”
“Remember the Coffee Loft accidental meet-up yesterday, when you were all in town and I was stuck?”
“Of course. I’m rather good at remembering the day before in my life.” Now Jenna’s lips twitched with amusement.
“Okay, okay, smarty pants. Well, as we were leaving, Marcus pulled out his wallet to get out his credit card . . . and out fell a photograph of a woman. A gorgeous woman, prettier than anybody I’ve ever seen in my life.”
“His mother?” Jenna joked.
“I haven’t met his mother, of course!” Caitey teased in return. “But no , she was not his mother. She was no more than thirty, absolutely stunning. Like a model or a movie star.”
“Hm. Was she blonde? Big green eyes. Like Marilyn Monroe or Vivian Leigh—except that actress had gray eyes. I think. I’ll have to watch Gone with the Wind again sometime.”
“Blue,” Caitey said absentmindedly.
“How can you be sure?”
“Trust me. I’ve only watched Gone with the Wind about fifteen times. My mother loves it, and we’ve been watching it every year since I was eleven. But some people say that Scarlett’s eyes were blue gray.”
“I remember visiting you for New Year’s when we were about fifteen and we all watched it together. It was my first time to see it and I cried my silly eyes out.”
Caitey turned her head at the same time Jenna turned to look at her. Their eyes locked. Then they laughed.
“Okay, back to the big question at hand?” Jenna asked. “I don’t know for sure who she is, but I’ve heard her mentioned between Marcus and Logan. After all, they’ve been besties since they were children in elementary school.”
“And . . .?”
“She was an old girlfriend . . .”
“That’s pretty vague. Why would he carry a photo of an old girlfriend from eons ago. Have you ever met her?”
“No. I met Logan two years ago, and this woman was from about four years ago, give or take a few months.”
“Why would he still carry her picture?”
“It might be a mistake?” Jenna said vaguely. “Like he forgot he still had it.”
“How could he forget a picture?”
“Maybe it was stuffed behind the credit card, and he’d forgotten about it?”
“He acted so strange about the whole thing. As soon as I picked it up and Marcus realized I’d seen the woman in the photograph, he quickly stuffed it into his pocket, followed by his wallet. A bit of red crept over his face. And then he pretended nothing weird had happened at all.”
“Hmm,” Jenna murmured, musing on the topic.
“If a photo dropped from my wallet or purse, I might have joked and said it was my brother or an old friend. Or somebody robbed me and swapped out my wallet.”
That brought a smile to Jenna’s lips.
“Okay, spill the rest of the story before I shake it out of you. I don’t know why I’m so curious, but it would help to know Marcus better. I don’t know whether to keep my distance because I don’t trust him or worry he truly does stalk women. I could wake up dead,” she added with a self-deprecating laugh. “Okay, you know that last part is a joke.”
Jenna turned to face Caitey. “Once more, I can honestly and unequivocally state that Marcus Stirling is not a stalker. Like I told you yesterday, Logan has known him most of his life. He knows his family. I’ve hung out with Marcus numerous times. He’s a really good man. The best. I think, yesterday, you took him by surprise. We weren’t expecting you for another couple of hours. And . . . Marcus actually didn’t know you were coming. Logan and I hoped to surprise him with a proper introduction to my dearest, darling cousin. But, you know, flat tire and all. ”
“Okaaay,” Caitey said, blinking her eyes at Jenna to give her cousin a hard time. “So, you wanted to set us up?”
“Of course not, but we figured we’d be here before you arrived. The best-laid plans didn’t exactly work out.”
“Prove you’re not match-making. Tell me who that woman really is. I won’t rest until I know the truth. Mr. Stirling has to prove he’s normal.”
“Okay, I will. You deserve it after the scare yesterday. But first, you tell me the truth—my sweet, shy cousin is wildly attracted to him.”
It was Caitey’s turn to laugh out loud. She bit her lips, glancing behind her, but all the men—and the moms—had returned to the house. “Okay, you win, brat. Yes, I find him incredibly good-looking. And sexy. And funny. And sometimes, I can hardly breathe when I watch him work.”
“Now you’re talkin’, honey!” Jenna exclaimed. After their laughter slowed, she continued in a serious tone, a sad look on her face.
Caitey felt her stomach drop. “Now you’re making me nervous.”
“Don’t be. But it’s a sad story that affected Marcus horribly. I spoke with Logan last night and he said that it was perfectly fine if I shared the basics with you. Especially when I told him you’d seen the photograph in Marcus’s wallet yesterday.”
“Thanks. I certainly don’t want anyone sharing confidences or secrets.”
Jenna shook her head. “It’s not. So. Here goes. Marcus was dating that woman. Her name is Shelley Woods. They met on a helicopter trip over volcanoes in Kawai, Hawaii. They were together for three years, madly in love. He retired from the Navy—because she wouldn’t marry him if he were overseas most of the time. She said she’d worry about him so much she’d be sick. He finally relented and retired so they could get married and start a family.”
Caity gulped and her throat tightened.
Marcus had been married before. “Is he still married?” she asked in a low voice. “Is that why he acts a little uncomfortable with me? Or recently divorced and worried I’ll come on to him?”
“Neither,” Jenna stated firmly. “Turns out Miss Shelley Woods was working a con on an innocent military member.”
“A con—what?! How?”
“She pretended to be a lonely, young widow who was destitute. She poured on the charm, the seduction, and a big, detailed sob story. She lied and said she was widowed so Marcus couldn’t look up a potential ex-husband.”
“Records are pretty easy to find, though.”
“She told him she’d been living in Turkey with her pretend husband, who was also in the military, and the records were impossible to track down. She had the military spouse lingo down pat. Turns out she had a best friend who was a military spouse and worked as the Ombudsman on a naval ship.”
Caitey couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Her stomach felt sick .
“The wedding was all planned. A honeymoon to Bali all paid for. Marcus had booked a house on a private beach. Their own staff, a chef, housekeepers. He got her a giant 3-carat diamond, which she drooled over like a teenager. They joined bank accounts and were about to purchase a home together . . .”
Jenna trailed off, and Caitey blurted, “Don’t stop now! What happened ? You have me on the edge of my seat!”
“On the day of the wedding—at the church Marcus grew up in—with all of his family and friends and neighbors, the organ playing . . . Marcus looking incredibly delicious waiting near the minister for Shelley’s big entrance . . . and nothing.”
“What do you mean, ‘nothing’?”
“The first clue that something was wrong was when it was fifteen minutes past when the ceremony should have started, but everyone assumed it was Shelley still getting all dolled up like the model she was and dressing for a grand entrance. Marcus didn’t think too much of it at the time because his best man—Shelley’s brother—was having trouble with the rented tuxedo in the dressing room of the church—at least that’s what his father said. At first.”
“I’m dying of curiosity and dreading the worst,” Caitey whispered, eyes glued on Jenna’s face.
“Well! Shelley was what they call a no-show bride.”
Caitey blinked, trying to take in what she was saying. “ She left him at the altar ?! ”
“Yep.”
“Was it the best man who came out to tell him the news?”
“Nope. He was gone, too. Both of them disappeared. Literally vanished. Nobody has ever seen either of them since. Logan assumes they changed their names. It was all planned, of course. Multiple passports, multiple bank accounts. Heck, we don’t even know if Shelley Woods is her real name. I’m sure she and her ‘boyfriend’ are off somewhere else, pulling another con on a new, unsuspecting victim.”
“How horrible,” Caitey said, her voice hoarse with sudden emotion.
“Oh, it gets worse,” Jenna said cynically. “She cleaned out all the bank accounts. The brother who was the fake best man was not her brother at all. He was her lover and had been for years.”
“The entire thing was planned from the beginning?”
“Oh, yes. She knew just what to do and say and tell an unsuspecting good man to get him to fall in love with her—and then take him for all he was worth.”
“Being military, did he really have that much, though? He wasn’t even thirty years old when this happened. Navy guys don’t make that much to build a nest egg that quickly.”
“True, although Marcus is good at saving . . . No, the most important thing is that his grandparents left him an exceptional inheritance when he turned twenty-five. She stole it all.”
“Ah,” Caitey said softly, a hitch in her voice. “It all makes sense. ”
“It was horrible. A nightmare. What can anyone say about Marcus? He’s skittish, and it’s taking him a while to trust. He hasn’t dated anyone since. But . . . I think that is about to change.”
“Why would you say that? Do you have some other female guests attending tomorrow you want to hook him up with?”
Jenna shook her head, laughing. “No, silly. BUT!” she added, staring straight into Caitey’s eyes. “I feel vibes coming from the two of you. You’re both trying to hide it. In fact, you can’t stop being annoyed at him.”
“I’m not annoyed,” Caitey protested.
“You won’t look at him. You’re pretending he doesn’t exist, but I know you, and you’re lying to yourself. ‘The lady doth protest too much, methinks.’”
“Okay, okay, I’m not protesting too much, and I know he exists! Who could not see the man exists? He’s kind of, you know, nice . . .”
“Nice? Come on, girl.”
“Okay, he’s wow. Wow! With a capital W. Especially when he builds things. And climbs trees. And other things.”
“So, stop avoiding him, sweetie,” Jenna said softly. “He’s trying not to scare you off. He knows you didn’t have a particularly good introduction.”
“Ya think?” Caitey leaned forward, staring at her cousin. “And, by the way, Miss Jenna Thornton, soon to be Mrs. Logan Hearst . . . how do you know these things about his feelings? Or my feelings? Have you been talking behind my back?”
“Of course not. Logan mentioned it. He can see it, too, even if you and Mr. Stirling are denying it.”
“Good grief, I’m overwhelmed by that horrible story. Poor Marcus. What a nightmare. She destroyed his trust in anyone else.” Caitey rubbed at the goosebumps rising on her arms. “At the moment, I’m getting cold. Isn’t it time for dinner?”
“Yes, on both counts. Bottom line, dear Caitey. Give the man a chance. At least be friends. Don’t be afraid of him. He wouldn’t hurt a fly. Well, unless you’re the enemy with a hand grenade, then he’ll take you out flat in half a second.”
Caitey smiled, shaking her head at Jenna’s dramatic words. “I promise I won’t avoid him any longer.”
“Thank you. He deserves a nice girl like you. Now. Tomorrow, after the ceremony and dinner, I want to put music on, roll up the carpets, and dance. And then, Logan and I will disappear into the sunset. I’ve dreamed about the bride and groom dance since I saw it on TV as a kid. Some wedding show I can’t even remember now. But that romantic dance stuck in my head.”
“And you shall have it,” Caitey assured her.
“Thank you,” Jenna said softly. “By the way, when does your parents’ flight arrive?”
“Mom flew in from Portugal yesterday, but the best flight was into San Francisco—after a plane transfer in Atlanta. She’s hanging out in San Francisco for tonight to adjust to the jet lag and waiting for my dad’s flight to come in late tonight. So tomorrow they’ll catch an early flight to LAX. They should be here by mid- to late morning. Just in time. Of course, the wedding isn’t until five o’clock, so it works out great.”
“Perfect,” Jenna said, bouncing in her seat. “How do they like their ambassadorship in Portugal? It’s so wild to me that your father is a diplomat. Maybe he can give us the latest scoop on international relations and all the gossip, haha.”
Caity laughed at that. “Yeah, right. It’s all pretty boring. He and Mom go to lots of parties and state dinners, but Dad’s days are filled with meetings upon meetings. Not very glamorous.”
“I can’t wait to travel with Logan. We have so many dream trips on our bucket list.”
“Bucket lists are for retirement!”
Jenna sighed. “True, but why wait until you have arthritis? Oh, I can’t believe it’s happening. My dream wedding to the man of my dreams is coming true in only twenty-four hours !”
Laughing at her, Caitey rose from the stone bench. It struck her that she was chilled to the bone. Her entire backend was like ice.
When she and Jenna dashed for the back door, Caitey swore she spotted the shadowed outline of a tall male figure retreating from the window.
The window had been cracked a few inches, but whoever had been standing there shut it and pulled the drapes closed.
She was positive it was Marcus. Had he heard their conversation about his sad love story? Caitey was still shocked that the man had gone through something so horrible and tragic.
No wonder he was awkward around other women. After such a betrayal, a person could hardly trust anyone quickly again. It would take some time, a lot of time.
But she certainly didn’t want him thinking they were gossiping about him or the horrible things he’d gone through. His past trauma just made Caitey want to comfort him, to sympathize—and yes, she wanted to be in his arms, too.
She stepped aside to let Jenna go inside first, and just as Caitey was about to step inside the French doors, she turned back for a moment just as the sun sank below the tree line, creating shadows among the rose garden and the alabaster Roman goddesses.
The air was so quiet and peaceful as if she were somewhere quite magical.
But before she reached the back door, Caitey swore a tiny white snowflake hit her nose.
A snowflake ? That was impossible. This perfect fall weather was supposed to last for three more weeks.
Caitey told herself that it was just a tiny flake falling from a stray cloud. Even if it rained a little, the garden would smell fresh and lovely, and the small storm would be over by morning.
At the moment, only the carpets and chairs were set up. The padded seat covers still had to be attached, the archway decorated, and the candles lit. There was plenty of time to wipe down damp chairs and let things dry out before the afternoon.
No, Caitey would not let a light rain shower spoil this wedding. Optimism was the name of the game!
This wedding was going to be spectacular. The most significant gift she could give to Jenna and Logan, her cousin’s true love.