Chapter 4
Chapter Four
A few days later, Carissa had mostly put her strange encounter with Max McAllister out of her mind. She’d spoken with Lanie via phone, not trusting herself to meet in person again and risk seeing Lanie’s father. The McAllisters were set to bake the cookies themselves, and Lanie had even invited Carissa to join them. But she’d declined, stating she wasn’t much of a baker.
Truthfully, her husband had been the kitchen wiz. He loved trying new concoctions, and she’d been a willing guinea pig. Nowadays, she avoided the kitchen like the plague, choosing instead to order takeout and eat on her couch. Her oven probably had cobwebs in it.
Besides, the idea of working in such close quarters with Max wasn’t a welcome one. She could only imagine how he would criticize her lack of culinary skills. The last thing she wanted was to derail Lanie’s plans for homemade sweets by bickering with Max. If it were up to her, their interactions would be limited to only those necessary.
Unfortunately, she couldn’t avoid him forever. In fact, she was preparing for yet another encounter that evening. Lanie and Nate wanted to check out a local band, and they’d invited both Carissa and Max to join them.
A double date , she mused, remembering the way they had inched closer to each other until the scent of his cologne had flooded her senses. That close, she could see the flecks of gold in his brown eyes. Funny how she’d never noticed them before, though she supposed fielding his sarcastic barbs had kept her distracted enough. But for a moment, his eyes had filled with an unfamiliar warmth that made her weak in the knees.
She stopped that thought train before it ran away from her. Or worse, derailed completely. Whatever had transpired between her and Max was fleeting. She needed to focus. Tonight was about her clients and nothing else.
And that became her mantra as she entered Seabreeze, a cheesy tiki bar on the outskirts of Cedar Haven. Lanie, Nate, and Max had already arrived and were sitting at a table near the stage. Max wore a Hawaiian shirt for the occasion, which normally would have looked out of place on him. Somehow, in that bar, with its fake palm trees, tiki torches, and other themed decor, it fit. He appeared less grumpy than normal, and she paused in the doorway to drink him in. Were he not such a grouch, she might even say he was handsome.
“Carissa!” Lanie called when she spotted her. “Come join us.”
Shaking off her fascination, Carissa made her way to the table. To her dismay, Lanie indicated the seat between her and her father. Carissa supposed there weren’t many options. After all, it would be weird to sit between the bride and groom.
As she took her seat, Max glanced up and met her gaze. Something like electricity went through her, and she quickly broke eye contact.
“What are you drinking?” Max signaled to the waiter to come take her order.
“I’m not sure,” she said, grateful for a chance to look at the menu, though the options were disappointing. While she’d been there once or twice before, it wasn’t her scene. A classy bar with a piano in the corner and a glass of Chardonnay was more her style. When in Rome, as they say. “I’ll have a pi?a colada.”
The waiter nodded before heading to the bar. Max was staring at her with the strangest expression. At first, she tried to ignore him, but after a few minutes, she couldn’t take it anymore.
“What?” she asked, exasperation coloring her tone.
“You don’t strike me as the fruity-cocktail type.”
Her face heated, but she kept her tone cool. “Shows how well you know me.”
He raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything else. The tightness in her chest eased as the band came onto the stage, and he turned away.
Lanie leaned toward her. “I hope you like these guys. Nate and I saw them all the time when we were in high school.”
“You came to a bar when you were in high school?” Carissa frowned.
“Oh.” Lanie laughed. “No, they played at the local dances.”
“That makes much more sense.” Carissa gazed at the stage. The men setting up looked like they hadn’t changed much in the intervening years since the two had graduated. “Do they play outside of Cedar Haven?”
“Mostly locally,” Nate replied. “They’ve done a few larger shows throughout the state, but they haven’t made it big quite yet.”
“Which is why we’re hoping they’ll do the wedding,” Lanie said. “And then if they do become famous, we can say we knew them when.”
As the band began to play, Carissa struggled to place their genre of music. It had a pop feel with a slight country twang. She had her suspicions about why they hadn’t been able to move beyond the local bar scene, but she understood why Lanie and Nate thought they would work for the reception. They played some of their own songs as well as a few good covers.
She glanced over and was surprised that even Max was tapping his toes to the beat. When he caught her staring, he shrugged.
“I may not get out much, but I can enjoy a good tune as much as the next guy.”
“Is this your usual type of music?”
He shook his head. “Not really. I’m more into country and old-school country at that. Alan Jackson, Garth Brooks, and even some Dolly Parton.”
“So you won’t be suggesting the McAllisters could form a band and play instead,” she said dryly, unable to help herself.
“Lanie’s about the only one with any musical talent, but she’s more into singing than playing an instrument.”
“That’s right.” Nate smiled. “She sings at karaoke sometimes.”
Lanie’s face flushed, and she mock punched Nate in the arm. “Not now.”
Carissa exchanged a puzzled look with Max. It was clear this was some sort of private joke between the engaged couple. For the first time ever, Carissa was grateful Max was there. Were it not for him, she would start feeling like a third wheel.
Though if she were honest with herself, that was a given in her profession, especially since her husband had passed. When she’d first started out, she spent most of her time with the bride. The groom often just showed up to the wedding, happy to have everything planned for him. But the current generation of men was different. Even though Steven had joked that he needed only to show up to say his vows, he’d gone out of his way to make the day special for Rose. And Nate had attended every meeting Carissa had had with Lanie, providing his opinion and brainstorming ideas on his own.
Max’s interest in the wedding was a surprise, too, though often more of an annoyance than a blessing. Normally, if the father was paying for the wedding or even a portion of it, he was content to hand over his credit card. It was the mothers who insisted on inserting themselves into every detail. But since Lanie didn’t have that option, Carissa assumed Max had stepped in to soften the blow.
Carissa’s heart went out to Lanie. She couldn’t have imagined planning her wedding without her mother’s help. It was a rite of passage for mothers and daughters to have that time together. Between the bickering over every little detail and the tears when they found the perfect dress, it often strengthened that mother–daughter bond.
The band took a break, and Lanie jumped up to seize the opportunity. She grabbed Nate’s hand, and they raced to the stage, leaving Carissa and Max alone.
“Any idea what they might expect for compensation?” Carissa inclined her head toward the lead singer, who had jumped off stage to better hear Lanie.
“I doubt it’ll be cheap. Don’t we have to feed them too?”
“Yes, although we do get a discount from the caterer for vendor meals.”
“I suppose that’s something,” he muttered. At Carissa’s questioning look, he sighed. “I tried to convince her to hire a DJ. Figured one person with a sound system would be easier, and then you can hear any song you want.” His eyebrows pulled together. “But I suspect you’re going to tell me you prefer a band.”
“Actually, I agree with you. DJs are less expensive and provide a much smoother experience.”
He smirked. “Well, whaddya know? Something else we agree on. What are the odds?”
“As I told you the other day, I expect we have more in common than you think.” She laughed, nudging his leg with her knee as she sipped her cocktail.
His eyes widened, and she realized a moment too late what she’d done. Why am I flirting with him? It must be the alcohol . Her cheeks warmed, and she pushed her chair back.
“I should, uh, go see if they’ve made any progress on convincing the band.” Without waiting for his response, she hurried away.
Ugh, what the heck was that? It didn’t make any sense. Just the other day, they were hurling insults at each other and bickering over the wedding. Not to mention, the last thing she needed was to complicate her business with a client’s father. She glanced over her shoulder and almost tripped over her own feet when she found Max’s eyes on her, watching her every move.
Focus , she commanded herself. When she reached Nate and Lanie, she pasted on a smile and tuned in to their conversation.
“That would be great!” Lanie was saying, her hazel eyes lighting up.
“It sounds like we’ve got a deal,” Carissa said.
Three heads turned in her direction.
“Oh, Dan, this is our wedding coordinator, Carissa,” Lanie said.
Dan stuck his hand out. “Nice to meet you.”
After accepting it, Carissa raised an eyebrow at Lanie. “So, what did you decide?”
“We’ll do the wedding.” Dan beamed at Lanie and Nate. “Can’t disappoint our biggest fans.”
“Thank you!” Lanie gushed. “We haven’t talked about compensation, but?—”
“Don’t worry about that.” Carissa handed Dan her card. “Call me tomorrow, and we can discuss terms.”
“Sounds great.” Dan tucked her card into his pocket. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to grab some water before our next set.”
Lanie practically skipped back to the table with Nate following closely. Their excitement was contagious, but Carissa dreaded sitting beside Max again. Why had she made things awkward by flirting with him?
But when they got there, he paid her no mind, instead focusing on Lanie. “How’d it go?”
Lanie smiled as she slid into her seat. “They said they’d do it, and Carissa gave them her card.”
“That’s great,” Max said. “One more thing off the list.” He took a sip of his beer. “Aren’t you going to sit?”
Swallowing her apprehension, Carissa made a show of checking her watch. “Now that everything’s settled with the band, I should go.”
Lanie blinked. “So soon? But they’ve only played one set. You should stay and listen to the rest of their stuff.”
“Yeah,” Nate agreed. “It’ll give you a better feel for what to expect at the reception.”
Just as Carissa was about to decline, Max pulled out her chair. “I ordered you another drink while you were gone.”
With a sigh, she sank into her seat in defeat. Perhaps it wouldn’t be as bad as she feared. Max was acting as if nothing had happened, so she could do the same.
“I suppose I shouldn’t leave you to third wheel it all on your own,” she murmured to him as he moved back to his chair.
He laughed. “I appreciate the sacrifice, but I’m rather used to it.”
“Not dated much since your divorce?” Carissa couldn’t stop herself from asking. She immediately regretted it. What is wrong with you?
Max shrugged, clearly not bothered by her impertinence. “I haven’t dated at all.”
For reasons she couldn’t quite articulate, his admission pleased her, but before she could say anything else, her drink arrived—a glass of Chardonnay.
Her lips twitched as she tried to hide her smile. She lifted the glass and swirled the golden liquid before bringing it to her nose. Hints of mango and peach filled her senses, and she sighed.
“How’d I do?” Max arched his eyebrow.
“Not bad.” She took a sip, eyeing him over the glass. “Lucky guess.”
He shrugged. “Maybe. Or maybe I know your type.”
“My type?”
“You don’t strike me as someone who gets out much unless it’s for work.”
Instead of answering, she took another sip of wine and savored the buttery, citrusy flavor. The band was coming back on stage, and Max had returned his attention to the front of the room. She snuck a glance at him. His salt-and-pepper hair was parted to the side, and even in his ridiculous Hawaiian shirt, he had a certain brooding presence. Were he not such a thorn in her side, she would almost call him attractive. Almost.