Chapter 15
Nice job making Stevie cry.
And for what? A broken plate?
As she rocked on the front porch, Lorelei sifted her fingers through her daughter’s silky hair. “I’m sorry, baby.”
She shouldn’t have yelled. Pulling off a wedding for her closest friend was important, but her daughter came first. Always.
Even since taking that pregnancy test, she’d found her purpose. Winning Grammys, touring the world, cutting endorsement deals…all of that had been great, but success was an insatiable gremlin. In the entertainment industry, it was fleeting. And to stay on top, an artist chased relevancy. Hitting one goal only fueled the need to reach the next. There was no end in sight.
At some point, it stopped being about artistry or creativity. If you wanted awards and sold-out stadiums, you sold your soul for them.
But with Stevie, she’d found true meaning.
Before, she’d had a team of people handling the parts of her life she didn’t think mattered. Now that she was a mother, they’d become essential. Nothing was more important than what she put in her child’s body or how she spent her time.
She thought of Slick. It had all started with him. The French press, the cheese, the cocoa. He’d never know how much he’d changed her life. Man, if he could see her now. Growing her own vegetables, cooking three meals a day, fixing toilets…
Between her dad and the internet, she’d learned to become self-sufficient.
“Mommy mean.” Her cheeks glistening with tears, Stevie stuck two fingers in her mouth.
“I was mean. You’re right.” Who cares about a stupid plate anyhow? She’d gotten a little too caught up in planning this wedding. Not that she regretted it.
Are you kidding? Noa had earned this happiness.
I’ll do anything to pull it off.
Thankfully, she couldn’t have a more perfect venue.
Everyone thought she was crazy to buy this big piece of land. But she’d looked at countless homes and properties and, while she’d seen some magnificent places, the only one that stood out was Paintbrush Ranch. Surrounded by national parks, it sat in a valley blooming with Indian Paintbrush flowers.
Comprised of a fifteen-thousand-square-foot lodge, twelve guest cabins, and quarters for the live-in staff, it had one hundred beds. Sure, it was a lot, but the moment she’d toured the place, an idea had formed. One that married this setting with her creative spirit.
For now, of course, it was just a dream. Nothing she’d ever share.
Because what was the point?
Right now, her life was about Stevie.
The greatest surprise she’d ever gotten.
She’d never know why Slick had disappeared like that, but it broke her heart every single day to know her child would never know her father. It had been so jarring to wake up feeling sated and happy, only to discover he’d left without a trace.
Her first thought had been, Well, I drove him outside to shovel more snow. Ha ha. But when she saw the empty space his duffel bag had once filled, her heart had shattered.
The Wi-Fi had come back on, and she knew he had work issues, so he probably had to attend to them. Okay, that’s fine. But why hadn’t he said goodbye?
It wasn’t like she’d expected anything to come of their time together. She’d known they’d never see each other again. But at the very least, couldn’t he have left a note?
Tires crunched over gravel, and her little girl scrambled off her lap. “No-No.” She toddled off the porch, dramatically lifting a leg and aiming for the step below as if it were a moving target. “No-No.”
Her friend came flying out of the passenger side and scooped Stevie into her arms. “I missed you, my little Twinkie.” She loved how her friend matched Stevie’s energy.
Her little girl scrunched her nose and shook her head. “I no Winkie.”
“Oh, come on. What are you if not a yummy little cake treat stuffed with sweet, creamy goodness?”
“I Yeevie. Pay pnano now?”
“Sure thing.” Her friend hitched the toddler on her hip and climbed the porch steps. “Someone’s got to make use of that thing.” She gave Lorelei a side-eye as she waited for Ginty to get out of the car.
“I play it plenty,” Lorelei said.
“Uh huh.” Her friend opened the door and went inside.
Lorelei followed her in. “So, how’d it go?”
“Oh, my God.” Noa crossed the living room, heading for the grand staircase. “Her store is the Disney World of wedding gowns. And let me tell you, I flew to Paris looking for dresses. I went to a hundred shops, but I’ve never seen anything like Knox Holliday’s gowns.”
“In other words, it went well.” Behind her, Ginty was reading the screen of his phone. “Booker just landed. So, while you ladies do your music thing, I’ll make sure his bedroom’s ready.”
“That would be awesome,” Lorelei said. “Thank you.” She’d heard a lot about Booker Hayes over the years. He sounded like a good guy. And from just that quick conversation with him, she could tell he had a take-charge, all-hands-on-deck attitude that she liked.
At the top of the stairs, Noa put the toddler down, and her daughter took off. Her baby loved the conservatory more than any other room in the house. It was in a different wing, down a stretch of hallway that bridged the former owner’s quarters with the main lodge.
Before she’d even moved in, she’d done extensive work to turn this place into a home. She’d reconfigured rooms to turn a massive dining hall into smaller spaces, and she’d created a gorgeous nursery and luxurious bedrooms in the hopes her family would stay with her.
She’d kept the industrial kitchen—just modernized it. If her dream ever became a reality, she’d need the multiple appliances, sinks, and counters it offered.
Once it was livable, she’d focused on the fun stuff. The lower level had a game room complete with pool table, pinball machines, a real bar from a historic hotel in Leadville, Colorado, a dartboard, and a dozen poker tables. She didn’t play cards, but her brother and his friends did. Oh, and there was also a wine cellar down there.
She’d even created a theater with a giant screen, comfortable chairs, a popcorn machine, and a soda bar. But it was the room they were approaching that Lorelei loved the most. It was mostly empty—she didn’t have a band, so why bother filling it with instruments she’d never play—but the music conservatory had a wall of windows that let the sunshine pour in and offered a backdrop of the dramatic mountain ridge. This room got her all stirred up every time she stepped into it.
Because it held her Bechstein grand piano.
Once in the room, Stevie raced from one end to the other, trying to catch the sparkles of sunlight reflected off the crystal chandelier.
Lorelei knew exactly what her daughter felt in this space: freedom.
Noa sat down and warmed up her fingers. She smiled. “Play with me.”
Lorelei joined her on the glossy black bench, a low hum of excitement gathering strength as her fingers hit the keys.
“Major,” her friend said as they ran through the pentascales together. “Minor.”
And then, Lorelei said, “Diminished.”
They practiced a bit more and, once they were ready, Noa launched into a song she’d been working on. Lorelei was familiar with it, so she added harmonies. Her friend bumped her shoulder and said, “Ugh. That’s so pretty.”
Still playing, Lorelei glanced over to check on her daughter. She was lying on her back, an ankle resting on a propped knee, trying to catch floating dust motes with her little fists.
This. This moment was everything. A glittery warmth spread through her. What more could anyone ask for? Her heart clutched with love for her daughter, this friend who’d become family, and this strange piece of land that had given her a home.
When Noa finished her song, she rested her hands on her lap. “Thank you. You have no idea what it means to us that you swooped in and saved our wedding. If not for you, his family would’ve won, and we would’ve had to wait to get married.” She reached for Lorelei’s hand. “You’re a good friend. I know it’s a huge deal, considering you’re not prepared for it.”
“You don’t need to thank me. I’d do anything for you.” Lorelei hugged her friend. “Besides, I want to do it. What’s the point of owning an entire camp if I’m not hosting wild-ass weddings for my friends?”
“At least we’ve got Booker helping. That guy’s amazing. I don’t know how he juggles all the things his clients ask him to do, but he’s a machine.”
“Well, that’s a relief. As soon as he gets here, the four of us will meet, and you can tell us what you want. Obviously, we can’t recreate St. Lucia, but we can make this a ton of fun.”
Noa’s eyes misted over. “You’re such a good friend. I love you so much.”
“I love you, too.” And she meant it.
She might never fully recover from what Cissy and Landon had done to her, but she’d learned a vital lesson. She was paying attention to her life and her relationships now.
Funny how easy that becomes when you’re not running a billion-dollar empire.
Her fingers moved across the keys, and she started singing. “It was the tattoo. That’s what I noticed.” Her daughter came closer. Stevie loved when her mom sang. “I had the same one, except it was different. His moon, my sun, our universe. When I’m alone, my ink is dark. When he stands next to me, it glows. And so it goes, the yin and yang, yang and yin?—”
“Yin yin,” Stevie shouted, clapping her hands.
“You like Mommy’s song?” When Stevie nodded, Noa’s hands went back to the piano, and the two of them sang their hearts out, inventing new lyrics and breaking into familiar, beloved tunes. It was the best feeling in the world.
They were interrupted by her phone buzzing in her pocket. She had so many balls in the air that she had to check it. “Hang on. It’s my dad.” She hit the button and said, “Hey. How’s it going?”
“Great.” In the background, she could hear people talking. “But we’ve hit a wall.”
“You guys don’t have to get everything done in one afternoon.” She felt bad that their to-do list was so long. “If you’re tired, come back. Or stay in a hotel and get more done tomorrow. You want me to make a reservation?”
“Lor, how old do you think I am? Just because I’m retired doesn’t mean a shopping trip wears me out.”
“You said you hit a wall.” She laughed. Her dad had retired in his forties. So, not old at all. “I thought it was too much. What’s the problem?”
“This store has ten of the same soap dishes, and Margot says we either get twelve of everything or we get a different theme for each cabin.”
Lorelei burst out laughing.
His voice went muffled when he said, “She’s laughing at me.” And then, he came back on the line. “What’s so funny?”
“Because I never imagined those words would come out of your mouth.”
“I’m just the messenger. Here. You talk to her.”
After a momentary whooshing sound, her stepmom came on the line. “It’s a wedding. I want it to be perfect. And I’m willing to go to five more stores until we get just the right soap dishes.”
“Maybe I will take that nap,” her dad called in the background. “Book the hotel room, Lor.”
“Margot, I love you. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to my dad.”
“Well, to be fair, I think it was you coming back into his life,” her stepmom said. “But yeah, we’re good for each other. Now, do you want me to keep looking for twelve of the same soap dishes, or get a different one for each bathroom?”
The whooshing came back, and her dad’s voice rumbled in her ear. “And don’t settle for something you don’t want because you think I’m too feeble to go to another store.”
“Dad, I think we both know you didn’t really retire. You might’ve given Walker the mine, but now you’re running a shopping mall and a lodge. So, trust me, it’s not that I don’t think you can handle it. I just feel bad for making you guys run all over Idaho Springs for me. But to answer your question, I don’t think it matters. I just want the cabins to be gorgeous and luxurious. You know Noa and her people.” She teased her friend.
“Hey,” Noa said. “My people spit chew out the car window. They don’t care about a soap holder.”
“Well, there’s your answer,” Lorelei said to her dad. “There’s no theme for the cabins. Just get the best quality sheets, towels, and duvets.”
“That’s already done. All right, then. We’ll grab these, and then, I think we’ve got everything we need. We’ll stop for dinner and then head home.”
“Awesome. Thank you so much.” She disconnected quickly and scanned the text messages that’d been blowing up her phone. “Oh, for God’s sake. The Brothers Hope just bailed on the music festival. I’ve got to go into town.” Which sucked. Because she really wanted to be here when Booker showed up.
She wouldn’t lie. She’d liked what she’d heard about him from Ginty, but she’d also enjoyed their phone conversation.
She got up and reached for her daughter. “Come on, punkin. We’ve got to go.”
But the toddler clung to Noa. “Stay wif No-No.”
“Noa’s got stuff to do. She’s planning a whole wedding.”
“You’re darn right, Noa’s got stuff to do.” Her friend lifted Stevie and held her in the air like an airplane, swooping around the room. “We’re flying.”
Stevie shrieked, and Noa mouthed, “Go.”
“You sure?”
Noa rolled her eyes and continued the game.
Oh, well. She’d just have to catch up with Booker later.