Chapter 23 Emily
EMILY
I didn’t sleep last night. I couldn’t. My mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, replaying Whit’s ridiculous proposal over and over again.
The shock of it, the audacity. But underneath the anger, I felt something else—a pang of guilt.
Not because of Whit, but because I ran out.
I left Hailey’s rehearsal dinner in a mess of emotions, and now I feel terrible about it.
So today, I’m throwing myself into wedding prep. If nothing else, it’ll keep me busy. Keep my mind off everything.
I make my way downstairs, where Collie is already bustling around, clipboard in hand.
“Good morning, Emily,” Collie says with a bright smile, her glasses perched on the edge of her nose. “Feeling better today?”
“Yeah,” I lie, forcing a smile. “Much better.”
“Good to hear,” she says.
“Hey, Collie, Hailey asked me to coordinate for her wedding prep as her maid of honor. I know you’re overseeing the logistics.”
“Of course, I’m here to help with everything you need. I assume you and the other gentleman got the cake ready.”
“Yeah,” I say, blushing a little. “It’s ready to go.”
“Excellent,” she says.
“We’ve got a lot to do before the ceremony tomorrow. Decorations, seating arrangements, flowers or at least a good replacement…”
“I’ll put a note next to that,” she says. “Are you doing this alone?”
“Some of them are supposed to be helping me,” I say. But after what happened last night, I don’t really know how to talk to them about it. What must they have been thinking about Whit’s proposal? Do they think I led him on? I’m in way over my head here.
I need to keep my head in the game. Hailey deserves the best, and I owe her that after the way I bolted last night.
“I had some of my boys bring out the spare stuff from the storeroom,” she says. “It’s right over here if you want to check it out.”
“That’s great,” I say.
“The wedding’s going to be at the Great Hall. The bride initially wanted it outside but I don’t think that’s possible anymore.”
“Yeah, Hailey always wanted an outdoor wedding, but it’s fine.”
I hear voices from across the room as I’m about to ask Collie what’s first on the list. I glance up and freeze.
Whit and Sam are standing near the entrance, laughing about something. Whit’s got that easy, cocky grin on his face, and even from a distance, I can hear his voice carry across the space like he owns the room.
For a second, I think about turning around. Maybe I can pretend I didn’t see him, slip out and avoid the awkwardness. But then…why should I avoid him? He’s the one who caused this whole mess. If anything, he should be uncomfortable.
But still, I can’t help but feel my heart race as they make their way over.
“Morning, Em,” Whit says, flashing me a smile as he approaches. “You look…well.”
I force myself to smile back, trying to stay civil. “Morning, Whit. Sam.”
Sam gives me a nod, looking a little sheepish as he gives me a smile.
Whit steps closer, leaning in and giving me a quick kiss on the cheek. The gesture catches me off guard, and I stiffen slightly but don’t pull away. He pulls back, his eyes searching mine, and for a split second, I wonder…has he really changed?
We were together for a long time, after all. We had good moments. It wasn’t all bad. Maybe this proposal wasn’t just a power move. Maybe he really thinks we can fix things.
“What are you doing up so early?” he asks.
I scratch my forehead. “I’m trying to help out with wedding stuff, as much as I can.”
“That’s still happening?” Whit says, trying to joke.
Sam elbows him. “Please.”
“What? I keep trying to tell him not to have it in this dump.”
“I think Mt. Snowlodge is great,” I retort. “Besides, it’s not about the place, but the people.”
“She’s right,” Sam says.
“You know…if you’re not busy, you could help out. We’ve got a lot to do, and an extra set of hands wouldn’t hurt.”
Whit blinks, clearly caught off guard by the suggestion. “Oh, uh…sure, sure. I’ll help after a few rounds on the slopes with Sam. Best snow we’ve had in a while, and I’m not missing it.”
I glance out the window. The snow might have let up, but the roads are still blocked. Still, the ski slopes look pristine, and I can tell by the way his eyes light up that he’s already checked out of this conversation.
“Right,” I say, forcing another smile. “Skiing. Of course.”
“Can’t miss out on a good run. But, uh, after that maybe? I’ll see if I can squeeze in some time to help.”
“Squeeze in?” I raise an eyebrow, trying to keep my tone light, though something sharp twists in my chest. “You do realize it’s your best friend’s wedding, right? Hailey might need a little more than ‘squeezing in.’”
Whit laughs it off, throwing an arm around Sam’s shoulders.
“Yeah, but come on, Em. It’s not like there’s anything else to do around here.
What’s a guy supposed to do, sit around twiddling his thumbs?
We’ve got a few hours to kill, and skiing’s the only thing worth doing.
Unless they open a strip club in the middle of the mountain, in which case, I’ll be there in a heartbeat. ” He winks.
Sam laughs awkwardly, and I just stand there, trying not to let my frustration show. Whit’s always been like this—charming when he wants to be, but never around when it really counts. The thought of him helping with something as meaningful as Hailey’s wedding? A joke.
“Right, of course. Well, don’t let me keep you. Have fun on the slopes.”
He grins, giving me a playful salute before heading off with Sam.
I stand there for a moment, watching him leave, and that tiny flicker of hope I had—that maybe he’d changed, that maybe he was serious—dies just as quickly as it came.
He hasn’t changed.
Not one bit.
I sigh, rubbing my temples as I turn back to Collie. “Well, I guess it’s just us.”
Collie glances up from her clipboard, giving me a sympathetic smile. “He doesn’t seem like much of a helper.”
I let out a bitter laugh. “You have no idea.”
I eventually let go of that, as Collie collects a few of her staff to help me with the setup. I follow them as they start carrying everything to the Hall. It has been completely emptied out since last night. Collie was right. It is an empty canvas.
The workers are moving around me, setting up tables and draping fabrics, and I’m giving directions here and there, trying to keep everything organized.
But there’s still a nagging worry in the back of my mind.
Mostly because I have no idea how we’re going to make this place look like the wedding of Hailey’s dreams with so little to work with.
“Hey,” Axel’s voice rumbles behind me
I give him a small smile. “You’re here.”
“I told you I’d help,” he replies, a hint of amusement in his voice as he surveys the room. “Looks like you’ve got your hands full.”
“That’s an understatement,” I mutter, standing up and dusting off my knees. “But we’re getting there. Slowly. Hailey has a very specific vision, and I’m doing my best not to let her down.”
Axel leans in a little closer, his eyes scanning the page where I’ve roughly sketched out the layout. “Looks good. But, uh…” His brow furrows as he points to the flowers I’ve drawn in the corners. “Where exactly are we getting those? I thought all the flowers froze over?”
I grimace, chewing on my lower lip. “Yeah, about that…the florist situation is a disaster. We don’t have flowers.”
Axel raises an eyebrow. “So you’re just going to magic them out of thin air?”
I can’t help but laugh, though it’s a bit strained. “I wish.”
“Well,” Axel says, rubbing the back of his neck thoughtfully. “What about decorations? Christmas stuff?”
I blink, surprised. “Christmas decorations?”
He nods. “It’s not exactly traditional for a wedding, but this is a mountain lodge, right? You’ve got snow, trees, a cozy vibe. You could probably make it work.”
I think about it for a second, my mind racing through the possibilities. “You know…that could actually work.”
Collie walks by before I can say anything else, overhearing our conversation. “Christmas decorations, you say? We’ve got plenty of those in storage.”
I perk up immediately. “Really?”
Collie nods. “Up on the fourth floor. We keep the Christmas decorations from previous years up there. You might find something useful.”
Axel grins. “Worth a shot.”
“Definitely,” I agree, closing my notebook. “Let’s go check it out.”
A few minutes later, we’re riding the elevator up to the fourth floor, the hum of the lodge’s activity fading as we ascend.
As Axel and I step out of the elevator, we nearly bump into Jace who’s standing right outside.
“Hey,” he goes. “I was actually coming to look for you. What are you guys doing here?”
Before I can answer, Axel does.
“We’re about to raid the Christmas decorations for wedding supplies. You game?”
Jace smirks, tilting his head. “Guess I’ve got nothing better to do.”
I chuckle, shaking my head. “You make it sound so fun.”
Jace raises an eyebrow. “Oh, it’s a blast. Can’t wait to sort through dusty wreaths.”
Despite the sarcasm, I’m relieved to have another set of hands, and maybe…maybe it’ll help diffuse some of the tension that’s been brewing between the guys.
“Come on,” I say, leading the way toward the storage closet at the end of the hall. “It’s just up here.”
When we reach the door, Axel steps forward, twisting the handle and pushing it open with a soft creak. The room inside is packed to the brim with Christmas decorations; it’s even more chaotic than I’d anticipated.
“Holy—” Jace mutters, peering over Axel’s shoulder. “That’s a lot of tinsel.”
I laugh, stepping inside. “Yeah, but we’ll make it work.”
Axel follows me in, and Jace steps in behind him, letting the door swing shut with a soft click.
The closet is cramped, with shelves lining every wall, filled with boxes, wreaths, and all sorts of ornaments.
It’s not exactly spacious with the three of us in here, but we manage to start pulling things off the shelves, stacking the useful decorations in a pile near the door.