Chapter 14 The Kissing Tree
THE KISSING TREE
Addie
Addie’s hair escaped her messy bun and whipped around her head, the breeze from the open windows and sunroof creating a mini-nado in the cab of her dad’s truck. A road trip meant blaring music, an achy back, and a grumbling Bailey sitting sandwiched between Addie and Max on the truck’s bench seat.
“You know I can hear you muttering, right?” Addie smirked as she slid her cousin a side-eye. “You’re not as quiet as you think you are.”
“I wasn’t trying to be,” Bailey grumbled. “When did I sign up for this? I’m an office rat. I scroll through social media posts and dissect algorithm analytics on best posting strategies. I don’t do physical labor.”
“If this vow exchange doesn’t go off without a hitch and get us in the spotlight for a good reason, you won’t have any labor because we’ll be out jobs,” Addie pointed out.
Bailey folded their arms over their chest. “Fine. Point made. But I still don’t like it.”
“I think it’s refreshing,” Maxi added, her gaze scouring Naiomi’s wedding scrapbook for more ideas. “Everything about this entire plan screams romance. It makes my heart happy. I can’t begin to tell you how proud I am that you came up with it, Ads. And you thought you sucked at event planning.”
“Phoenix definitely helped the idea along. And just wait until you see the barn! By the time we’re done giving it a little TLC, it’ll look like a venue straight out of a wedding magazine. Actually, it’ll look even more breathtaking.”
Bailey studied her profile, burning a hole in the side of her head. “Exactly how much TLC are we talking about?”
“An average amount.”
“And that means…?” Her cousin’s eyes narrowed.
“Promise me you’ll keep an open mind … and wear gloves at all times.”
Max’s amused snort turned to low chuckles. “Where’s your sense of adventure, Bails?”
“Back in civilization.”
“It’s not like we’ll be doing this alone.” Addie defended herself and the idea. “Phoenix is meeting us there with Easton and the rest of the band.”
Bailey perked up. “Really?”
“That’s what it took to turn your grumpy frown upside down? Dangle musicians in front of you?” Addie teased.
For the first time in a while, Addie felt pretty damn good about this wedding-planning thing, her excitement growing the closer they got to Emilio’s place. She turned onto the farm’s gravel lane and they bounced their way toward the main house.
Bailey and Maxi stared at the horses in the fields as they passed. Two more stood alongside Emilio, who stood next to another truck and Phoenix’s motorcycle as they pulled up to the house.
Phoenix popped open the driver’s door and helped Addie down the second she’d parked and shut off the engine. “Perfect timing. How was the ride out?”
“Bumpy,” Bailey answered. “I didn’t know there was still such a thing as unpaved roads.”
Phoenix chuckled and gestured to the truck. “Rental wheels or…?”
“My dad’s. I figured it wouldn’t hurt to have it in case we need to haul things around.”
“Exactly why Xavier brought his pickup.” He gestured to a much newer white truck that obviously had all the bells and whistles and glinted in the sunlight. “Pretty sure Beast can haul a Mack Truck without breaking a sweat.”
“Still going through with it, huh?” Emilio walked up to them with a broad smile.
“Absolutely.” Addie introduced the horse trainer to Bailey and Max. “So my plan—if you’re up to it—is for us to clear the entire barn so it’s easier for you to lay eyes on everything that was inside, and then we can divide it into three groups. Store it. Donate it. Or toss it.”
“Sounds good and efficient to me. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that barn cleaned out.”
Bailey muttered something under their breath, earning an elbow to the side from Max.
“Is there anything you don’t want us touching?” Addie asked.
Emilio snorted. “Honestly, I couldn’t even begin to imagine all the stuff that’s in there, so if you all haul it out, I’ll do my best to start purging. Fair warning though, nothing in there has been touched in years.”
“Consider us warned. And you are not to lift a finger. This was our bright idea, so we’ll do all the heavy lifting. We’re bringing enough chaos into your life.”
“Yeah, but I’ll also have a nice clean barn after you’re through, so the least I can do is maybe feed and hydrate you all while you’re here.”
“We definitely won’t say no to that,” Phoenix cut in. “Especially if your enchiladas are on the menu.”
Emilio chuckled. “Pretty sure I can swing that. Let me know if you have any questions, and grab me when you’re ready for me to start purging.”
As Emilio headed back to the house, Addie and Phoenix led the group down to the barn, the front door latch as rusted as it was last time.
“Maxi?” Addie asked.
“On it.” Her sister whipped out a notepad from her back pocket and plucked the pen tucked through her ponytail.
“What do you have there, beautiful?” Gavin shifted close to Max, peering over her shoulder.
Addie’s sister stopped writing their to-do list and shot the Stone Talon’s lead singer an annoyed glare. “A pen and a piece of paper. Have you never seen one before?”
Addie and Phoenix choked on barely controlled laughter.
The griffon shifter’s startled shock morphed into a cocky grin. “I’ve been known to dabble here and there. But seriously, what are you doing?”
“Keeping track of anything that needs to be done besides cleaning the place out. Replacements. Repairs. That kind of thing.”
“And what will we do once you write it down in your little notebook?”
Max smiled way too innocently. “Hopefully you tinker with a hammer and nails as much as you dabble with the ladies because when everything is all cleaned out, we’ll start with the repairs needed to make this place beautiful and safe.”
Max’s sass didn’t deter the singer one bit, judging by his growing grin.
“On that note,” Phoenix interjected, clearing his throat, “we should probably divide into teams and give each group a specific task. Emilio wasn’t joking when he said there’s a lot of shit.
I’m thinking East, Max, and Gavin are crew one.
Crew two is Bailey and Xavier. And then Addie and myself make three. ”
Maxi’s panicked expression at being on Gavin’s team had Addie adding, “Or we can split into team Happily Ever Forever and team Talons.”
Phoenix turned her way, a knowing tilt to his lips. “Except there’s bound to be some pretty hefty things hiding in this mess, and it makes sense to spread out the supernatural mojo. In their gargoyle and griffon forms, East and Gavin could probably bench press Xavier’s truck.”
East snorted. “I could do that in my skin suit, too.”
Addie shot her sister an apologetic look because the man spoke sense. “Yeah. All right. In that case, I think crews one and three should begin emptying the space, and crew two can group what we haul out into categories so it’s easier for Emilio.”
“And then once everything is cleared, it’s all hands in for cleanup,” Phoenix added.
“Exactly.”
They assigned rooms and got down to work, Addie and Phoenix starting in the tack room.
If the main barn area was a disaster zone, the tack room was ground zero. Everything except actual tack filled the space, and in some places, nearly reached the ceiling. Boxes. Farm equipment. Old furniture long feasted on by termites and other creatures.
Addie went dry as she realized she’d completely underestimated this chore. “Maybe we should’ve hired an actual crew.”
“Nah. We got this, love.” Phoenix stepped into the room and missed the shovel lying on the floor. His boot hit the curved metal and the handle whipped up, slamming into his face with a loud wack. “Fuck!”
“Shit.” Addie ran over to him and tossed the shovel to the side before cupping his face and tilting it down toward her. “Let me see. Did it break anything?”
“I think it broke my entire face.” Tears slipped from the corners of his eyes as he let her inspect, wincing when she prodded a little too hard. “How bad is it? Is my nose still attached? Hit me with the truth.”
Addie gently brushed her finger over his cheek, tracing the red line just to the left of his nose. “You’ll definitely have a significant bruise.”
“Nothing a few days of not shaving won’t hide. Plus, I’m Naughty Nix. I’ll claim bar fight and no one will question it,” Phoenix joked dryly. He rubbed his face and made a series of funny faces, stretching out his facial muscles.
Addie’s stomach fluttered when she realized she still cupped his jaw, thumb stroking over his cheek. She pulled it back, but Phoenix slid his hand over hers, holding her hostage.
The stomach flutters kicked up another few notches as he leaned his scruff-laden cheek into her palm, emitting something that almost sounded like a low, rumbling purr. “I will never get over how soft your hands are. Not a damn callus in sight.”
“I moisturize.” At that moment, her mouth, dry as the Sahara the longer he kept his gaze locked on hers, sure as hell needed a little moisture.
Phoenix’s gaze dipped to her mouth and caught the unconscious nibble of her bottom lip. His eyes filled with a surge of heat that nearly melted her knees.
“We should probably start moving things out.” Addie took a regretful step back, and immediately missed his closeness.
He stared at her for another beat before nodding and turning toward the packed room. “Do you really need this room for the ceremony? We could just slap a sign on the door that says DO NOT ENTER FOR YOUR OWN SAFETY, and call it a day.”
“Yes, we’ll need it.” Addie’s laugh sounded awkward and strained even to her own ears. “This will be Nai and the girls’ dressing room. Emilio offered the main house for the guys.”
“Then we should probably get started. If you see anything furry with a naked tail, you should know ahead of time that I will be of no help and will be the first one jumping on the nearest piece of furniture.”
Smirking, Addie shot him a coy glance and she wasn’t sure if he was joking or not.
Phoenix