Chapter 17
Uh, okay.Booker supposed if it kept her quiet, he’d let her do her puzzle on the table.
He settled her on his lap, and while she went to town yanking the pieces off the board, he focused on the bride and groom. “All right, you two, save the canoodling for nap time.”
“I nap?” The little girl twisted around to look up at him.
“That’s between you and your mom.” He picked up his phone and opened the Notes app. “I was talking to these two knuckleheads.”
“Nuck heads.” The little girl giggled.
And Booker’s heart cracked wide open. The matching dimples, the sparkle in her eyes… Damn, this kid’s adorable.
Still laughing, the toddler pointed to Noa. “You nuck head.”
“Nice,” Ginty said to him, but he was grinning, too.
“All right, no more cuteness. Let’s get to work.” He got a whiff of the girl’s baby shampoo, one of the most distinctive scents in the world. He’d spent loads of time with his clients’ kids, giving a bath or two while a wife was in the hospital giving birth. He’d played with them in the pool and tossed a football in the backyard. But he’d just never had any interest in having any of his own.
“Right, so.” Noa pulled a folded piece of paper out of her shorts pocket. “Here’s our confirmed guest list. We’re still waiting to hear from a few people.”
Booker unfolded it and scanned the mostly familiar names.
“We capped it at fifty,” Noa continued. “I don’t want to stress Lorelei out. She might have a hundred beds on this property, but she hasn’t upgraded all the rooms, and I’m not about to have her buy new mattresses and all that. So, between the twelve cabins, the bedrooms here, and the caretaker’s duplex, we can comfortably fit the people who matter most.”
That seemed manageable. “So, what are we looking to do? We’ll throw a rehearsal dinner, the wedding itself, and then a goodbye brunch the next day?”
Noa and Ginty shared a troubled look, but his client quickly said, “That sounds great.”
“Hey, come on.” He wasn’t a mind reader. “If I’ve got it wrong, let me know, and we’ll get it back on track.”
“No, what you described is perfect,” Noa said. “I’m disappointed because we had so many fun things planned, but we’re not on St. Lucia, and there’s no scuba diving here, so we’ll have to make the best of it.” She beamed at her fiancé. “At least we’re getting married.”
“And after hockey season, we’ll go to St. Lucia for our honeymoon and do all the things we missed out on.” Ginty kissed her hand.
“Hey, Mister.” The girl held up one of the pieces. “Wat dis one?”
“Well, let’s look at this shape.” Booker took it from her. “It’s the letter A. Do you see how it has two legs?” He traced her little finger around the edges.
“Dat not yegs.” She gazed up at him.
“Well, they’re kind of like legs. See?” He made the letter dance. “Look, it’s rockin’ out.”
She laughed. “It not wocking.”
“Oh, yeah? Watch it headbang.” He played with it, tipping it over and back a couple times as the girl giggled. “Now, tell me that’s not rocking out.”
The way this girl laughed with her whole body was a revelation. She had so much joy and sunshine inside her. But enough playtime. “Look at the puzzle board. Which of these shapes can fit two legs?”
It took the girl about two seconds to slap the letter in the right place. “Dis got yegs.”
“It does.” With her settled, he turned his attention back to the couple. Ginty watched him with a raised eyebrow. “What do you want me to do? Ignore her?”
“You’re awfully good with kids,” the hockey player said. “Sure you don’t have one I don’t know about?”
“Ha. No. That’s not in the game plan.”
“What does that mean?” Noa asked. “You’re not having kids?”
“Nah.”
“Why not?” she asked.
“It’s just not my thing.” He’d never had a pull to domesticity like so many people seemed to have, but he smiled at them to break the tension since Noa clearly thought he was a monster for not wanting two kids, a picket fence, and a swing set in the backyard. “Which is good if you’re my client because then, my entire life is about you. So, thoughts on the rehearsal dinner? What kind of food are we serving?”
The toddler’s gaze snapped to Noa. “I want hot diggity dogs.”
“We can roast hot dogs for dinner tonight,” the bride said. “Would you like that?”
The girl nodded with total sincerity. “And mashmallows?”
“For sure. We’ll do s’mores for dessert. Wait a minute.” Noa leaned over and cupped the girl’s chin. She looked from her to Booker. “That’s so weird. You two have the exact same color eyes.”
Ginty shrugged. “I mean, they’re green.”
“Yeah, but they’re not typical at all. I always thought you had an unusual color, that sea glass green,” Noa said to Booker. “But I didn’t really notice hers until I saw you two together.”
He didn’t spend much time thinking about eye color. “Okay, so food?”
“All business, this guy.” Noa laughed.
“As far as I know, Lor’s got food covered.” Ginty looked at his fiancée. “What’d she say?”
“Yeah, so, she knows these guys who run a bar and grill not too far from here,” Noa said. “She’s hired them to handle it all.”
The only place he knew of out here in the woods was a biker compound. “I thought she didn’t want to bring outsiders in?”
“These guys are different,” Noa said. “They know her, and they couldn’t care less about The Lorelei Calloway Band.”
Well, good. Food and drinks were major components he could strike off the list. “Now, where do you want the ceremony? Indoors, outdoors?”
“The weather forecast looks good, so we’ll do it outside,” Ginty said.
Nice, since the original plan had been to have it on the beach. “You have someplace in mind?”
“Not a clue,” Noa said. “There’re so many amazing places here—any of them would be perfect. There’s a lake, the terrace… Oh, there’s this little clearing in the woods. I’m not sure what the camp used it for, but it’s shaded with towering trees.”
“Okay,” Booker said. “We’ll figure that out.”
“We just have to think about my gorgeous wedding gown. I don’t want to drag it in the dirt.”
“Did you bring yours?” He was ready to tick one more thing off his list.
“No,” Noa said. “It was shipped to the resort, and they can’t get it to me in time. But Lorelei sent us to a boutique in Owl Hoot. We went there today and made a private appointment for tomorrow night.” She beamed a smile. “I can’t wait.”
“Okay, cool.” Booker pointed his phone at Ginty. “You’ll need a tux.” And then, he turned to Noa. “The only thing left to figure out is why you looked at each other when I said rehearsal dinner, wedding, and brunch. What am I missing?”
When his bride hesitated, Ginty stepped in. “We know we can’t recreate a week of plans, but since we’ll have fifty people here for a few days, we’d like to plan some activities.”
“But we can figure that out ourselves,” Noa said. “You have enough on your plate.”
“Nope. Since we’ve got food, drinks, accommodations, and a dress covered, I don’t have nearly enough.” He looked from Noa to Ginty. “You guys taste some cakes and let Lorelei and I handle everything else.”
Noa reached for his hand. “Thank you.”
“Of course—” he began.
But the little girl lifted the bride’s hand off him. “Hey, now. Mister my fren.”
Everyone burst out laughing “Okay, Stevie,” Noa said. “He’s all yours.”
And that was Booker’s cue to get out of there.
He just needed one more piece of information. “Any idea when Lorelei will be back?”
After waiting an hour for her to come home, he gave up and decided to tour the property.
As he hiked up the hill at a brisk pace, he could admit the anticipation was getting to him. They’d had a few more text exchanges, and she’d made him smile. Not many people could do that.
When he reached the summit, he set his hands on his hips to catch his breath. His thighs burned, and he’d sweat through his button-down, but damn, this view was something. The peaks of the granite mountains gave way to a pine forest. Beneath the treeline, patches of grazing land and a snaking river broke up the scrubby valley floor. Surrounding the lodge and cabins, he could make out clearings for the skeet and archery ranges. A dozen chairs circled the large bonfire pit.
Twilight cast a purple and orange glow over the valley, and it brought back memories of exactly this time of day in the summer when he and his friends would ride their dirt bikes, jump into ice-cold alpine lakes, and tear up the town with their skateboards.
Sadness crashed over him. He could see so clearly what his life might’ve looked like if he hadn’t gotten injured. If he’d played hockey, he would’ve stayed in touch with his friends. He’d have bought a place like this, and they’d have annual retreats there.
Man, would they love it. He could picture the four of them fly fishing with a cooler of beers and sandwiches.
Well. No sense dreaming of what might have been. He had a damn good life in New York, and when he needed a getaway, he had his cabin.
Ginty: Firing up the grill. Want hot dogs or trout?
Booker: Trout. On my way back.
Booker: Hey, why is the Wi-Fi so good out here?
Ginty: Lor’s got this place rigged for security. That includes Wi-Fi. Makes her feel safer.
Booker: Makes sense. Speaking of…is she here yet?
Ginty: She’s been back for an hour. Where did you go?
Damn. He’d missed her. That set him moving back down the hill.
Booker: Checking out the property. This place is badass.
Ginty: Sure is.
Booker: Too bad you don’t have more time. Could flip your scuba diving and massages to heli skiing, rafting, fly fishing…shit like that.
Ginty: That’s what I’m saying. Let’s have some fun.
He was right. It was only Booker who couldn’t stay.
Maybe if I push off Ontario, I could sneak in a few more days.
Of course, that meant more time with Jaime, Declan, and Cole.
A spike of anxiety had him stumbling over a tree root, but he caught himself before he toppled.
Moretime? Hell, he didn’t want to be around them at all.
And yet, how did he explain the strange pull, the stubborn sense of longing to be part of their group again?
Come on.Wasn’t that why he’d gone to Jaime’s after the funeral? To see if they could recover their childhood friendship?
It was time to get over that.
Everyone had moved on long ago.
Once he hit the bottom of the trail, he could smell the grill and see the smoke rising off the patio. His stomach grumbled, reminding him he hadn’t eaten since breakfast.
It was pretty selfish of him to only think about his schedule. He hadn’t even considered that everyone had blocked off a week for this event. They might’ve lost a few days, but he could book some excursions. First, he’d talk to Lorelei—it was her place, after all. Maybe she didn’t want to host fifty people for five days.
His heart did a weird little jump when he thought of having another thing to talk to her about. What’s wrong with you? He didn’t know why he was reacting this way to a woman he’d never met, other than the fact that coming to Calamity did a number on him. He got all up in his feelings about his friends, his childhood…and his hellcat.
As he neared the house, he noticed a modern structure that didn’t fit the rest of the lodgepole design. It must have been a new addition.
Curious, he headed over and opened the door. Instead of a recording studio like he expected, he found a luxury spa. Wandering through it, he found massage tables and a river rock waterfall. Another room held an indoor pool tiled in various shades of blue.
When he opened yet another door, he was hit by the humidity from a bubbling Jacuzzi set into the stone floor. The domed skylight and full-size potted plants brought the outdoors into this magnificent space. A plaque on a towel rack explained the history of the hot springs. Damn, this place was outrageous.
He made a mental note to include a spa day for the guests. As he shut the door behind him, he heard a muffled shout. It sounded like banging. He stood still, listening. It wasn’t coming from inside, so he walked around the building to find a shed, and that was when the pounding grew louder.
“Hey! Anyone out there? Can someone help me? Goddammit!”
A tree had fallen, blocking the door. “I’m here.”
“Oh, thank God. I don’t know what happened. I heard this big crack, and when I tried to get out, the door wouldn’t budge.”
“Yeah, a tree fell.”
“A tree?”
“Yep.” He took a moment to assess the situation. It was too thick for him to drag away, but between him and Ginty, they might be able to do it. “Let me run to the house and see if I can get some help.”
“No, no. There’s an axe in here. If I drop it out the window, do you think you can cut it enough to get the door open?”
“It’s a whole-ass tree.” And she was damn lucky it fell where it did instead of a few feet to the left. “It’ll be a lot faster if I get help.”
“I know. I just don’t want any drama. If you go around back and look up, you’ll see a tiny window.”
“On my way.” He headed off, and just as he got there, he saw the axe drop to the ground. “Got it.”
“Thank you. I’m really sorry about this.”
“No problem.” Grabbing it, he hurried back to the front, braced the tree with his booted foot, and started hacking away. Splinters of fresh wood flew out. “You okay? How long have you been in there?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t bring my phone. Not that long. I was just checking to see if we have the bows and arrows and all the other stuff.”
“Did you find them?”
“Oh, yeah. This place is fully stocked. The last owner just walked away.”
“Does that mean you’re the current owner?” he asked, whacking the limb with the blade.
“Yes, sorry. I’m Lorelei. You don’t sound like Ginty.”
A buzz of excitement kicked up in his chest. “Nope. It’s Booker Hayes. Ginty’s agent.”
“Again with the agent thing. You know he views you as a good friend, right?”
He ignored that one. It wasn’t the time to explain the relationship between agents and clients. “You okay in there? Need some water?”
“I need to get out. And I’m so sorry for turning you into a lumberjack. It’s just that they’ve had enough trauma. The last thing I want is for everyone to come running over, freaking out that the hostess got trapped in a shed.”
“You might be overthinking this. It’s just another story to laugh about.”
“Oh, trust me. I overthink everything. You’re going to love working with me this week.”
Probably a good time to let her know the plan. “I’m only here for three days, but what do you think about hosting these guys for a little longer? If it’s too much?—”
“It’s not. And I want to. Noa’s my closest friend in the world, and I want to give her the best wedding I can. Besides, have you seen this place? It was made for events like this.”
“I have seen it. I’m jealous.”
“Yeah, it’s pretty amazing.”
That voice. Damn, it was familiar. “Not too remote for you?” But of course, he recognized it. At one point, she’d been the biggest pop star on the planet.
“Honestly, I think I have the best of all worlds. I get to live out here in the wilderness with all the modern conveniences and still be at Calamity Joe’s in twenty minutes. Plus, my family’s right up the road. It’s perfect.”
He continued hacking away. “Yeah, I can see that. It’s sweet.”
“Not many people would want to live this remotely, so if you don’t mind it, then I think we should get married. I’m not going to find anybody else.” She laughed.
Well, that answered that question. She wasn’t married with kids. “I do like it, but I live in New York, and I travel more than half the year. I take client calls all night long. I’d make a terrible husband.”
“But a great sports agent.”
“I try.” Arms aching, he stopped for a moment and wiped the perspiration off his forehead.
“Well, the fact that you’re doing this for Ginty…that’s a great friend. Oops. Sorry. Agent.”
“Pretty sassy for a woman trapped in a shed.” He went back to chopping. “You’ve got to understand the nature of this business. We get involved with our athletes. We know their families and their dirty secrets. It’s our job to keep them happy so they play well.”
“You’re telling me you’re throwing him a wedding so he can score lots of goals?” She sounded amused.
“And because he’s a good guy. Look, there’s a line you can’t cross in this business. That’s just the way it is.”
“Sorry to be the one to break it to you, but I think you crossed it.”
He grinned and lifted the axe, swinging it down. “Anyhow, since I’ve finally got your attention?—”
“Ha ha.”
“The bride and groom want to recreate their St. Lucia wedding, mountain style. What do you think of booking some activities for everyone? You’ve obviously got that spa, so if you don’t mind?—”
“Listen, Lumberjack. I didn’t build all this stuff for me. I built it for friends and family. And maybe something in the future.”
“Something?”
“I’ve got ideas. They’ll probably never happen. But a girl can dream.”
He wondered what she had in mind. She certainly had the money to turn her ideas into reality.
“You know how happy it’ll make me to see everyone sitting around the bonfire?” She sounded wistful. “I look out at all the possibilities, and I want to fill this place with friends having a great time. You know?”
His heart squeezed so hard, his arms jerked, and the blade landed near his boot. Breathing heavily, he stepped back.
“You all right?” she called.
“Yep. Just taking a break.” She didn’t know how well he understood her vision. That picture she’d painted? He craved it as much as she did.
“Your whole body’s vibrating, right?” she asked. “I know exactly how it feels.”
“Chop a lot of wood, do you?” He kept his tone light, but he was still shaken. Coming back to Calamity always unlocked the door in his mind that gave him a glimpse of the life he could’ve had if he’d just landed thirty seconds earlier.
If you’d jumped with the others.
They all had perfect landings.
It was me. I hesitated.
“Have you seen my fireplace?” Her voice brought him back to reality, and he appreciated it more than she’d ever know.
“Yep.”
“Well, then, that’s your answer. I chopped all that wood myself.”
“Don’t you have staff to do that for you?”
“Sure. But I like working with my hands. I like making pasta…getting my hands in the dough and kneading it. I like washing dishes. My mind wanders, and I solve all the problems in the universe. NASA should give me a call.” She laughed. “Is that weird?”
“Not at all. I’m the same way. My world is about making money and closing deals. I spend my life on airplanes, on the phone?—”
“Talking to clients who aren’t friends.”
He sat with that for a moment and couldn’t deny the truth. “Yes. So, I get it. I make my own meals, wash my clothes... I like to stay connected with the basics of life. Keeps me essentially human.” He noted she’d gone quiet. “You okay in there?”
“Yeah. Fine. You just remind me of someone I once knew. Are you about done? Because now I’m feeling guilty. I should’ve let you get help.”
“About three more whacks, and I can move this piece away. But don’t feel guilty. They’re out on the patio enjoying the sunset and grilling trout. I don’t want to bother them, either. Besides, this keeps me essentially human.”
Her laughter struck a nerve, sending a pulse of awareness through him. He stopped mid-swing, trying to place it. But once again, he reminded himself that Lorelei Calloway had the most familiar voice in the world.
Except…you don’t listen to her music.
Maybe she sounded like someone he’d once dated.
Focus. Get her out of the damn shed.
“Anyhow, I was only thinking about a rehearsal dinner and maybe a send-off brunch, but they’d like a week of activities just like they’d planned in St. Lucia. We’ve lost a few days, but maybe…I don’t know, say, five days?”
“I love that. Let’s do it.”
He was still rattled by the familiarity of her laugh, but he shook it off. “Perfect. Are we going to do bachelor and bachelorette parties?”
“Noa says they’ve spent their whole lives being single, and now, they just want to be together.”
“So, joint party?”
“Yes.”
“Makes sense. Between her touring and his hockey season, they have enough time apart.”
“Exactly.”
“Maybe tonight, after everyone goes to bed, we can sit down and plan some things. Ginty said you’ve already lined up a chef and bartender?”
“Yes, they run a restaurant not too far from here. They’ve agreed to do the wedding dinner, but I’m trying to convince them to do all our meals.”
“That would be great.” He’d finally chopped through one side of the tree. He set the blade on the ground and swiped his sweaty face with the back of his hand. “I’m done chopping. I’m going to try and push the tree away so we can get you out of there.” She was right about him being shaky. But it had more to do with the anticipation of meeting her than the exertion.
“Oh, thank God. They must think I’ve abandoned them.”
“I’ve got my phone. You want me to text Noa?”
“No, that’s okay. This will be a hilarious story for later. When I’m out.”
He squatted, using his whole body to move the log, but it didn’t budge. “Jesus, woman. You’re giving me a workout today.”
“I forgot you’re a suit. You probably sit behind a desk all day. Those poor hands. Will this be your very first callus?”
A laugh burst out of him. “You bring up a good point. I don’t want to hurt my soft hands. Maybe I should stop.”
“Hm, why does it sound like there’s nothing soft about you?”
Grinning, he lowered his head. He didn’t want to make her uncomfortable if she didn’t intend the sexual innuendo he’d heard.
“Oh, my God. No, no, no. That’s not what I meant.” She mumbled to herself. “I meant that you’re all business. You know, a hard man. No soft spots.”
“You’re right about that. Nothing soft about me.”
“All right, you know what? I’m just going to stay here. You go back to the house and have a cocktail. Put some lotion on those hands.”
“And leave you locked in a shed with spiders?” he asked. “Possibly a raccoon?”
“You did not just do that. It’s dark in here.” A moment later, she shrieked.
“What happened?” He was ready to throw his shoulder against the door to break it down.
“I think a spider just crawled across my scalp.”
Her fear gave him the extra bit of strength he needed to drag the log far enough away to get the door open. “There. Come on out.”
The door flew open but smacked into the tree. She edged out sideways, climbed over the trunk, and then nearly rammed him with her head. “Check my hair.” She was bent over, running fingers through silky, blond locks. Her hands skimmed down her arms, and she stomped her legs.
“Hang on. You’ve got to stay still for a second.”
“Oh, my God.” She didn’t stop moving. “I didn’t even think about that. That tiny window at the back of the shed’s all dusty, so hardly any light gets in. What if there are, like, poisonous spiders?”
“I shouldn’t have said that. I’m sorry. But honestly, spiders don’t want anything to do with you. You’re huge and scary.”
She stilled for a moment, hair hanging straight down. “Did you just say I’m huge?”
“To a spider. Jesus.” He just kept putting his foot in it, so he focused on the task at hand. He ran his hands through her hair, lifting it at the neck and checking the creamy skin. “Nothing. You’re good.”
“Are you sure?” She straightened, pushing the hair back from her face, and gazing up at him.
Shock ripped through him. “Hellcat?”
What the hell?
“Slick?” Her eyes went wide. “You’re Ginty’s agent?”
But he couldn’t answer. Shock had him frozen, his gears jammed. A tumult of emotions clashed inside him. Happiness, confusion…
Pure and utter relief.
She was his favorite person in the world, and he never thought he’d see her again. “What are you doing here?” And then, it clicked. “You’re Lorelei Calloway?”
It made sense, though, didn’t it? The discipline, the need to hide from the world, the consuming life that was all about her.
She was a Grammy-winning, accomplished musician.
“I’m so confused. How is this possible?” She scraped her hands through her hair, pulling it away from her face. “All this time…we’ve been connected by a thread…God.” The depth of sadness in her eyes didn’t make sense.
Until he remembered. “I left you a note.”
Her features hardened. “Uh, no. You didn’t.”
He had to convince her. “I did. I explained why I had to leave.”
“Well, I would’ve liked that, but I didn’t get it.” A child’s squeal rose above the low-level chatter from the terrace, and her eyes widened. “I have to go… I have to get back to the house.” She skirted around him.
“We can talk later,” he said to her back as she sprinted away.
He stood there sweating through his shirt, arms aching, and all the happiness he’d felt at seeing her again slipped through his hands like sand.
What the fuck just happened?