7. Love the One Youre With
Chapter 7
Love the One You're With
Neve gaped at Hailey as they sat beside Mountain Coffee’s large picture window overlooking Bowen Street. “Wait, what ?”
Hailey put down her hot brew and beamed. “The wedding party’s going to Las Vegas in Leo’s private jet, and we’ve got a swanky suite for one night at no charge ! So we’re taking our dresses and getting dolled up, just like we’d planned—except we’re in Sin City instead of Fall River. The venue is all that’s changing … and the guests and the officiant.” Hailey squeezed Neve’s arm. “Leo is so considerate. You’re lucky, Neve.”
Yes, she was, if for no other reason than she was ninety-nine percent positive that Leo was behind the deposits appearing in her clinic’s account. Although she wasn’t sure how she felt about that, besides conflicted. Adding to her discomfort was the “extra” contribution that had appeared two days ago, on her birthday. When she’d poked around the subject with Leo, he had vehemently denied it came from him. “I’m not even sure that’s legal,” he had told her. Then he had claimed not to even know it was her big day and had fumbled through an awkward birthday wish and invitation to dinner. Either he was a good actor or he really didn’t have a thing to do with the magic money.
She hadn’t expected Leo to know her birthday—they weren’t that close. Yet. It didn’t mean the day passed unnoticed, though. Almost everyone in town sent her birthday wishes. It was expected when you lived in the same small town because everyone knew everything about your personal life, including how many moles you had. Not really.
Reece hadn’t completely forgotten her either. He’d been among those acknowledging the day, sending her a GIF of dogs breakdancing with way too many candles glowing in the background. The wish was nothing special, though, because he always sent her a greeting, just as she did him. Just another day in the life of Dr. Neve Embry.
Having the money appear was both comforting and disturbing. The deposits could stop just as abruptly and mysteriously as they had started, and she had to remind herself not to count them as a safety net because safety nets could rip, dumping her on her tailbone and cracking it. She constantly cautioned herself to not get carried away with the clinic’s spending. If only she knew who it was so she could thank them properly—before trying to return the funds. She hadn’t dipped into them too much—hadn’t needed to, thank goodness. No, she was pretty much breaking even at this point. But still, she was already fretting over the December deposit. Was the birthday money intended to take its place? See? Disturbing. Discomfiting. Worrisome.
Joy, who completed their little trio, wiggled with excitement, bringing Neve back to the present. “Why don’t I get us lined up with a makeup artist and hairdresser?”
“Could you? That would be incredible,” Hailey trilled. Her eyes took on a shine. “I am so lucky.”
“We’re all lucky,” Joy agreed. “Not only because we’ve got each other, but because we have the best men on the planet. I still pinch myself.”
Yes, Neve reminded herself again that she was very lucky to have a man like Leo pursuing her. Wasn’t she?
She shoved aside that bothersome question and launched into a different one. “So instead of a stunning mountain backdrop, you’ll look out at blinding neon lights? And in place of a preacher, you’ll get … Elvis?” Why was she being a dick? This was Hailey’s big day, not hers. She wanted to slap herself for throwing a wet blanket on her friend’s enthusiasm.
Hailey, however, stiff-armed that wet blanket and clapped her hands in excitement instead. “I know! So fun! I can’t wait to tell our kids the story of our wedding.” That optimism was one of the many things Neve loved about this girl.
Joy side-eyed the bride and smirked.
“And you’re okay with this … this change?” Neve tried to temper her disbelief; she really did. If Neve had been counting on a wedding at a breathtaking resort and had to settle for Vegas’s vulgarity, she’d be absolutely crushed. She reminded herself that this was not a worry she would have to confront anytime soon. Yes, things were going smoothly with Leo, though Neve was still waiting for the sparks that hadn’t arrived yet. They were taking their time, waiting to kindle from tiny embers.
Hailey leaned on her forearms and narrowed her eyes. “What other choice do I have, Neve? And anyway, the honeymoon plans haven’t changed, so even if the ceremony is a disaster, we’ll have the best part to look forward to. That can make up for a lot.” A devilish grin tugged the corners of her mouth.
“You could always hold it here,” Amy sang from behind the counter. It was midmorning, and the breakfast rush had died down a long time ago, leaving the three friends with the coffee shop to themselves.
“Thanks, Amy,” Hailey called, “but I think people are going to be looking for alcohol and not caffeine as their poison of choice.”
“Well, the offer’s always open. Just give me enough warning so I can make sure I have enough bear claws.” Amy chuckled to herself and disappeared into the kitchen.
Joy’s delicate brows scrunched together. “Is she … serious?”
Hailey shook her head, and her honey-blond hair brushed her shoulders. “No, although she’d definitely do it in a pinch. She’s an awesome friend that way.”
Joy spooned foam from her cappuccino into her mouth. “Which is why you still work here?”
“I help out when I can.” Hailey had worked in Amy’s coffee shop regularly until she opened her bookstore. Now that the tourists had cleared out, Hailey had cut back her hours like most of the other businesses in town. But the locals were always on the hunt for caffeine, so Amy’s business clipped along at a steady pace. “You guys know how hard it is to find reliable staff around here.”
Which was precisely why Neve kept Lauren on. Lauren did her job adequately, but the girl had hit her ceiling long ago and wasn’t going to climb any higher. Case in point, the missing meds Neve suspected Lauren had misplaced but couldn’t prove.
Hailey took a sip of her plain coffee. “Everything else around here is booked up, unless we want to hold our wedding at the Silver Lode in Doro.”
Joy visibly shuddered. “Trust me, you do not want to step into that place, let alone get married there.”
A laugh bubbled up inside Neve, breaking her surface tension. “I heard about your first date there with Charlie.”
Joy’s smirk transformed into a wicked grin. “Good thing the man is so damn sexy. I kept my eyes focused on him and locked out the grunge surrounding us and the way the soles of my boots stuck to the floor.”
Hailey rushed right past Joy’s narrative. “Besides, we’ll hold the reception at Silver Summit—also for free—when the resort opens again, and we’re holding a second ceremony in the summer at the Hunnicutts’ ranch. Marilyn insisted, and I wasn’t about to argue. This way Noah and I get three parties.” She took a sip of her black coffee. “I’m just sorry Leo isn’t able to join us in Vegas.”
“At least Reece doesn’t have a date either, so you’re not a fifth wheel,” Joy pointed out.
Yeah, that. Oh well. Neve had been thrown together with Reece her entire life, so this would be no different. Buddies, as usual. Or Reece’s big brother to her little sister. Sheesh.
“It’s okay. It’ll be fun with just the six of us.” Neve pulled Hailey in for a side hug. “If this is what you want, girlfriend, then I’m all for it. We’ll have a ball and make this the best wedding ever.”
Neve quietly sucked in a breath of hope that she was right.
Las Vegas was as garish as Neve remembered from her one and only trip to Sin City. Instead of some ratty hole-in-the-wall motel shared with college friends, though, the wedding party was steeped in sophisticated opulence. They breathed the same rarefied air as Saudi princes and international superstars in the plush penthouse. The top floor was as advertised, with its luxurious marble columns, swank furnishings, and bathrooms the size of Neve’s house with room for all six of them to bathe together, if the desire struck. She couldn’t imagine it ever would.
Hailey and Noah had the largest and most secluded of the suites up a wide spiral staircase, while the remaining four of them had their choice between a half-dozen bedrooms with ensuites. Joy and Charlie disappeared somewhere on the far side of a common area consisting of two living rooms, three fireplaces, a dining room with a table for twenty, and a gourmet kitchen with double everything. Meanwhile, she and Reece selected rooms on the opposite side.
Insisting Reece pick first, Neve then chose the bedroom adjoining his, connecting door and all. Normally, her selection wouldn’t have even registered because it would have seemed natural. But an unseen, impossible-to-explain energy crackled around them, like an electric whip winding itself tighter and tighter. The very air she breathed was charged with the stuff, and it brought out nuances she couldn’t pin down. Everything about this trip felt off, and her nerve endings were in a constant state of tingling.
She rushed to explain, “I need to be close enough to another human being to hear him snoring in this palace. I might get lost and freak out otherwise.” And he was Reece. Being close to him simply felt … safe. The proximity to his solid steadiness was her lifeline in a tempest of emotions.
He gave her a knowing half-smile. “Yep, I get that. I don’t snore, by the way.”
“How would you know?”
He shrugged in that Reece sort of way he had. “It’s what I’ve been told. ”
The blaze of beet-red embarrassment oozed across her skin, and she stabbed a finger toward their secured adjoining doors. “Just so you know, I’m not unlocking that door.”
Why the hell did I say that?
His half-smile hitched a little higher. “Thanks for the tip. If I plan on busting into your bedroom, I’ll use the main door.” With that, he retreated into his own suite, leaving his door wide open, and flopped belly-first on the oversized king bed. He promptly fell asleep. And he did not snore.
An hour later, Hailey and Noah appeared, along with the makeup artist, the hairdresser, and a mixologist who had a talent for making the perfect chocolate martini, and most every other yummy cocktail concoction one could dream up. Appetizers materialized from thin air, and Neve gobbled a few to soak up the alcohol and knock down the static electricity thrumming in her bloodstream.
The girls and their “team” sequestered themselves in Noah and Hailey’s suite, where they cranked on beats and shook their booties during the moments when they weren’t sitting still for makeup or hair. Meanwhile, the boys encamped in one of the living rooms. What they were doing—besides drinking—Neve hadn’t a clue. Nor did she care. The mixologist did an outstanding job visiting both groups equally—and liberally. By the time the photographer arrived, Neve was floating on a cushion of cocktails. Lord, she hadn’t felt so free since … since she had no idea when. It was possible this was the first time since childhood.
“Let’s join the boys and get this show on the road.” Hailey twirled to face Neve and Joy. Worry pulled her plucked brows together. “Do I look okay?”
Neve set down her empty glass to grasp Hailey’s arms. “More than okay. You are stunning, girlfriend.” Neve wasn’t lying. With her honey-blond tresses loosely swept up and her subtle makeup accentuating her icy-blue eyes, Hailey could have been the main attraction in a bridal magazine.
Joy joined Neve in smoothing Hailey’s ivory velvet off-the shoulder gown. Her dress matched Neve’s and Joy’s, except hers had more lace and theirs were vivid ultramarine.
Joy, the fashionista, stood back. “I love this on you. It complements your skin and really brings out your eyes.”
Hailey beamed. “Thank you for picking out our dresses. I would have probably put us all in flannel and jeans. ”
Joy shook her head. “I’m sure Noah would be anxious to stand at the altar beside you no matter what you’re wearing, but …” She held up her index finger. “With what you have on now, he’s going to pop a permanent boner, and it’s not going away until it’s time to consummate this union.”
Hailey’s eyes went wide, Neve’s mouth dropped open, and they fell into a fit of giggles. When they recovered, Joy turned to Neve. “And you. Wow! Reece doesn’t stand a chance.”
“But I’m not here with Reece,” she sputtered. “We’re just … um, placeholders.”
“Sure, honey.” Joy wiggled her eyebrows. “Ever heard the song ‘Love the One You’re With’?”
Neve had almost enough alcohol in her system to blurt out the first thought that sailed into her mind, which was, “If only!” but the part of her brain that hadn’t yet relinquished control reminded her she was dating a guy named Leo. Well, sort of dating. They’d gone out a total of two times—only once since their first dinner—and while some kisses had been exchanged, nothing more physical had followed.
Was it normal for relationships to move so slowly around the bases, or was it a signal of a bigger issue, like that fizzling fireworks thing? Was he being gentlemanly, or was he simply not into her? Or too busy to be into her? Or was she not that into him, and she was sending out vibes letting him know?
“I take it that’s a no,” Joy joked, pulling Neve from her boozy slushie of nonsensical thoughts. “For the record, Neve, and I mean this with utter sincerity, I think you should take Reece for a test drive. You both look like you could use it.”
Grinning from ear to ear, Hailey bobbed her head maniacally.
“What does that even mean?” Neve yelped.
Before Joy could answer, they were interrupted by the mixing guy. He was cute, in a Henry-Golding kind of way, complete with British accent. “Ladies, your escorts await. I also want you to know I took the liberty of preparing cocktails for the road. They are waiting in your limousine.”
“I think I love you,” Neve sang as she scurried by him and led their trio into the living room, where they were greeted by three tall, gorgeous men in perfectly fitted tuxedos, their hair and beards neatly coiffed.
Oh my, my !
Reece’s gaze followed Neve the entire way, and she thought she detected a slight knot between his eyebrows.
She perched a fist on her hip and lifted her nose an inch. “What, I can’t tell the bartender who’s been supplying us scrumptious cocktails all evening that I love him?”
Now his brows arched to his hairline. “No, I wasn’t … I didn’t mean … You look … sensational!” His face flushed, and he turned toward Hailey. “You too, Hailey. You’re, um, a beautiful bride. Oh, and you too, Joy. I mean … uh, you’re a beautiful brides maid .”
God, Reece was cute when he got flustered! It was a sight Neve rarely witnessed.
“You too, big guy.” Joy brushed invisible lint from Reece’s lapel. “A beautiful groomsman , that is. A tux suits you, Reece.”
“What about me?” Charlie mock protested.
Joy shimmied against him and purred like a cat. “I was saving the best for last, handsome.” He rewarded her with an elaborate eyebrow waggle.
“They clean up nicely, don’t they?” Hailey giggled. Her smile dropped in a heartbeat, and she sent Noah a nervous glance. “Is it bad luck to see the bride?”
“Hell no,” Noah growled, “not when she’s minutes away from being my wife. And for the record, I’m looking forward to seeing more of her.” He raised his hand as though giving a speech. “Thanks for coming, everyone, but my bride and I are skipping straight to the good stuff.”
“Not gonna happen, little bro,” Reece declared without a trace of the embarrassment that had overtaken him seconds before. Then he flashed a smile so bright Neve wanted to shade her eyes. “Let’s get this party started. Who wants bubbly?” He reached for a bottle chilling in a shiny brass stand, which the mixologist-slash-bartender-slash- Crazy Rich Asians star lookalike deftly slid from his grasp.
As the man poured champagne, Neve took in flower arrangements overflowing the room. “Wow! Leo really did go all out.” She was a lucky girl. And when she got back to Fall River, she was going to prove it by amping up the passionate stuff a level or five.
“The flowers aren’t from Leo,” Charlie corrected.
Neve cocked an eyebrow, and Charlie jerked his head toward Reece.
Wide-eyed, she turned to him. “ You did this? ”
Handing her a glass of sparkling pale liquid, he lifted his own and pointed toward the photographer, who had been turning her camera this way and that, catching one candid after another. “She wants our attention.”
The woman directed the group to one side of the living space. “Bride and groom, if you could stand right there.” She motioned toward a sleek fireplace in the middle of a wall of glass that looked out on glittering skyscrapers. Neve stood frozen, entranced by the view. “Groomsmen, if you would please line up with your ladies.”
“Neve,” Reece’s voice rumbled, breaking the spell she’d fallen under. Her mind was as scattered as confetti pieces on New Year’s Eve. “Over here.”
“Oh!” She glanced his way and was knocked off balance when she caught him staring at her with an intensity that could have parted a river. Or maybe her vision was a bit fuzzy and what she was really seeing was leftover disapproval from whatever he’d disapproved of earlier. Something she’d said to Henry Golding. Nonetheless, unbidden chills spilled down her spine.
She told herself she was definitely reading Reece all wrong. The cocktails and champagne were clouding her perception, along with that filter of hope she always strapped on when Reece was around and noticed her at all . She was peering through rose-fogged glasses.
Telling herself to shake off the ridiculous sensation, she teetered on her sky-high heels and stood beside him. While the others held each other tight, as one would expect of loving couples, Reece pressed in a little closer, resting his hand on her hip. The frissons rippling up and down her back became full-on shivers that tickled and tingled every nerve ending. He’d had his hands on her before, but never like this. This was different. This was intimate. It was possessive .
And it confused the hell out of her.
“Oh, that’s nice,” the photographer cooed behind her camera. “Yes, just like that. Couple number three, keep that up. I love it.”
“Are we couple number three?” she mumbled under her breath. “Keep what up?”
“Shh.” Reece languidly swept his big hand from her hip to her waist and squeezed. The heat from his touch was going to brand her body.
Neve gave her head a slight shake, but the motion didn’t clear away the mist. It merely made her dizzier .
When the photographer ordered the women to look into their men’s eyes, Reece wrapped that hot hand around her waist and tugged her against his hard planes. Oh, that felt nice. He was so warm, so solid. She fought a pull to slide her hands under his lapels and run them over the pecs and shoulders straining his dress shirt.
Stop it!
“You really do look sensational,” he whispered against her hair, lips so close she could feel his breath warming her scalp. Rebellious goose bumps formed a peaked landscape on her skin that she prayed no one could see.
“Couple number three?” the photographer prompted.
Oh, right. Look deep into his eyes , said a voice in her head that sounded remarkably like a vampire in a campy movie. When Neve finally craned her neck and peered up at Reece, his expression was one she’d never seen before. Booze or no booze, what she read there was palpable and unmistakable. A combination of heat, determination, and possibly lust blazed in his mossy-green orbs. If his hand was leaving its imprint, then his eyes were searing scorch marks into her soul.
What was happening?
None of this made any sense.
Love the one you’re with.