Chapter 3
THREE
Fern
“I’m going to bed. I need my beauty sleep,” Valerie says as she flips her hair over her shoulder.
I stifle a yawn. I’m dead on my feet. I’ve been up since five this morning, and with the time change, I’m all thrown off.
“Sounds good. I’ll get started on this list tomorrow,” I say.
Valerie stops dead in her tracks. “Tomorrow? No, it needs to be done tonight.”
“Valerie, it’s late. Nothing is even open around here. It can wait until the morning,” I tell her calmly.
“Did you forget that I’m the bride?” she spits at me. “If I say that it needs to be done tonight, then that’s when it needs to be done.”
I want to call her a brat and a bunch of other names, but I’m too tired to fight. So, I nod and gather my things. My stomach growls, reminding me that I haven’t eaten since that meal on the plane.
“Night,” I say over my shoulder as I head out.
I’m about at my limit with Valerie and this whole wedding.
A part of me, a big part, wants to tell her off and storm out.
I’m not close to my family, and after today, I remember why.
If I left, they’d be mad at me, but right now, I’m so mad and disgusted with all of them that I don’t think I’d care.
I smother a yawn as I hit the button for the elevator. The doors open a minute later, and I look up, meeting Jackson’s eyes.
“We have to stop meeting like this,” I joke.
He grins. “I was looking for you.”
“You were?” I ask incredulously.
“Yeah, I grabbed you something to eat.”
He holds up the bag as I step onto the elevator, and I take it from him carefully.
Jeez, if he keeps this up, my crush on him is going to be impossible to hide, I think, as the scent of pasta hits me.
“Oh, you didn’t have to do that,” I say right as my stomach growls loudly.
Heat blooms in my cheeks, but Jackson just smiles.
“I wanted to. How are the fires?” he asks as we head back down to our floor.
“Still raging, but it’s too late to do much about them. That will have to be a problem for tomorrow.”
“Good. You should get some rest,” he says as we step off the elevator onto the second floor.
Self-consciously, I reach up, wondering how big the bags under my eyes are or how haggard I look right now.
“No, that’s not what I meant,” Jackson says when he sees the movement. “You’re beautiful. It’s just been a stressful day, I’m sure. I hope you get to enjoy the wedding and not just work it.”
“Me too,” I mumble as I stop outside my room. “Thanks again for dinner.”
“Anytime.”
He stuffs his hands into his pockets, rocking back on his heels. I stand there, trying to think of some way for us to continue talking.
His phone rings, and I duck my head, trying to hide my disappointed look as I dig my room key out of my bag.
“I’ll let you get that. See you later,” I say before I enter my room.
“Goodnight, Fern.”
“Night,” I whisper as the door closes.
I lean back against it and try to calm my racing heart.
It was probably his wife or girlfriend calling him. He was just being nice. Don’t read too much into it, I order myself.
I take out my dinner and sit at the little table by the window. My room overlooks the grounds, and I wish that it were the ocean. I practically inhale my food, then get ready for bed.
I’m just stepping out of the shower when my phone rings, and I automatically tense.
Is it Valerie again with more demands?
Dread fills me as I move to answer it, and I sag with relief, my knees buckling as I fall to the bed and hit answer.
“Hey, Jem!” I greet my friend.
I met Jem when I first moved to Wolf Valley. She runs the bridal shop in town, and we naturally started talking and became fast friends.
“Hey! How’s bridezilla?” she asks.
I collapse back onto the bed. “She’s terrible.
Truly the worst. She wants me to call the florists and everyone to triple-check that we’re all set for Friday.
When I tried to tell her that it was late and everything was closed, she yelled at me that she was the bride and this is what she’s paying me for. ”
“She’s not paying you, though.”
“That’s what I said!” I shout.
“You should leave,” she advises me.
“I want to. I hate being here. I hate how my family treats me. I hate how they make me feel. I hate how stressed out I am.”
“So come back home. Larsen and Kian just got engaged and are looking for someone to help plan. You could be getting paid and not actively hate every moment of your life if you came back.”
“It’s so tempting…”
“Plus, we could go out. Maybe hit up Maple Creek and see if we find our Prince Charmings.”
“Actually—”
Jem squeals. “You met someone! What’s his name? What’s he like? Is he hot? Has he made a move? Oh, my god, tell me everything!”
I laugh as I roll onto my side. “Well, his name is Jackson, and he’s insanely hot. He’s doing security for the wedding, and he brought me dinner ‘cause I didn’t have time to eat.”
“Oh! He’s already looking out for you. That’s so sweet. Has he asked you out yet?”
“No, and I doubt he will. I think he’s just a good guy. Not interested in me, though.”
“Why the hell not?” she barks.
I laugh. “Uh, ‘cause he’s a six-foot-four god, and I’m me?”
“You’re hot as hell! If I were into girls, I would totally hit on you.”
“Thanks. It’s not going to happen, though. For one, I don’t think he’s into me. For two, I don’t have the time. Not with Valerie and my family barking orders left and right. And for three, I don’t think I could trust myself not to fall for him and then be heartbroken when I leave in a few days.”
“You could do long distance,” she suggests.
I sigh. “Too hard and too far. We’re literally on opposites ends of the country.”
“Well, I think you should go for it. Worst case is you have hot, passionate, mind-blowing sex for a few days and then come home.”
“You think that’s the worst-case scenario?”
“Sure. Why?”
“Well, mine is that he says no, things are super awkward between us, I lose the only friendly face here, and have to deal with my family by myself all week.”
“You hear yourself, right?”
I blink back tears. “Yeah, I know.”
“Fern, girl, either make a move on Mr. Hottie and have yourself a killer vacation or come home. I can’t stand to hear you so miserable.”
“I made a promise.”
“Yeah? And how many promises have your family members made to you that they didn’t bother to keep over the years?”
Too many to count, I think, but I don’t say that. I don’t say anything.
“Have a fling, Fern! Or tell your family there’s an emergency and get the hell out of there.”
I mull her words and decide to go for it. The worst that can happen is he says he’s not interested or he’s seeing someone. Then I’ll make up an excuse and return to Wolf Valley.
But if he says yes…
Then maybe something good will come out of this freaking wedding.
“Yeah, you’re right,” I say.
Jem snorts. “I always am.”
I grin and ask her about things back in our small town as I brush out my hair and tuck myself into bed.
Jem laughs as I yawn loudly. “I’ll let you get some sleep. Call me later, okay?”
“I will,” I promise.
We hang up, and I turn off the lights, letting my eyes drift shut. I’m so tired that sleep claims me almost instantly, but as I drift off, all I can think about is whether Jackson might be single and interested in me too.