Chapter 18
Chapter Eighteen
The next day, Carissa had her first virtual meeting with Colin. He warned her Jacob would be sitting in, but she felt confident she could handle it. At least they weren’t in the same room, and she wasn’t above pretending to have connection issues if he tried to derail the meeting.
She was the first to sign in, and she made sure her audio and video were working well. A few minutes later, Colin popped onto her screen, and she could just make out Jacob in the back of the room. His feet were propped on the conference table, and he scribbled away at a notebook in his lap.
“Good morning, Carissa,” Colin said.
“Morning, Colin. How are you?”
“Doing well.” The pleasantries out of the way, he got right to business. “So, according to your proposal, we need to contact the cabin rental office to determine when would be the best time for our retreat. Are you able to work on that this weekend?”
Carissa drummed her fingers on her desk. Working weekends was quite normal for wedding planning since most events occurred on Saturdays, but she’d hoped to keep the corporate retreat to normal business hours. While she’d told Max she wouldn’t join him for the fall festival in town, she still hoped to go on her own. It was one of the highlights of the season.
“I can give them a call today to set up a meeting for either Saturday or sometime next week, but Sunday, I am unavailable.”
Jacob’s feet disappeared from view, and he leaned toward the camera. “What do you mean, you’re ‘unavailable’?”
Before she could answer, Colin intervened. “Now, Jacob, we have a contract with Carissa for a certain number of hours, but there is no stipulation of when those hours must occur. If she doesn’t want to work Sundays, that’s perfectly fine.”
“Says you,” Jacob retorted. He moved directly behind Colin. “We need to get this booked ASAP. Whatever weekend plans you have can be canceled, at least until we’re further along in the process.”
Her mouth fell open. “You can’t be serious.”
A sinister smile came over his face. “Unless you’re not up to the task. I’m sure we can compensate you for the idea, and Colin can handle things.”
Colin paled. “Sir, with all due respect, an event this large is beyond my capabilities.”
“Then perhaps we need to replace you as well,” Jacob said.
At least it’s not just me. Jacob had made it clear he didn’t see wedding planning as a real business, but watching him interact with Colin, Carissa suspected he was simply a jerk to everyone.
“Excuse me,” she called, hoping to regain control of the situation.
Both men turned to the screen but with very different expressions. Colin gave her a pleading look, while Jacob’s furrowed brow almost felt like a challenge. Carissa squared her shoulders.
“You’re not even planning to host this event until sometime next year,” she began, strategically sidestepping the question of her schedule. “While it’s important we book the location as early as possible, a few days won’t make that big of a difference.”
Jacob opened his mouth to respond, but she continued before he could. “I will contact the rental office today and set up a conference call Colin can attend. In the meantime, we should brainstorm a list of ideas for activities we’d like to plan. That way, we are not only fully prepared to discuss our needs with the rental office, but we can also ask if they have suggestions of places to contact.”
It was the men’s turn to gape at her. Colin appeared impressed, but Jacob’s expression was a mixture of annoyance and uncertainty. She smiled pleasantly at the camera, but inside, she was dancing a jig.
Clearly, this man has never had someone tell him no and stick to it. “I’m going to share my screen now and show you what I’ve been working on over the last few days.”
The rest of the meeting went smoothly, in large part because Jacob appeared too dumbfounded by her standing up to him to say anything. After they said their goodbyes, Carissa signed off and pumped her fist in the air. Carissa: 1, Jacob: 0.
True to her word, she called the rental office as soon as she finished celebrating. The last thing she needed was for Jacob to start harassing her for updates the moment he recovered from her taking control of the meeting.
“Good morning, The Lodges at Sunset Village, Kevin speaking.”
“Hello, Kevin. My name is Carissa, and I’m coordinating a corporate retreat on behalf of Imaginavigation Enterprises. I was wondering if we could set up a call to discuss our options for renting several cabins from you sometime next year.”
After a moment of silence, Kevin responded. “Sure thing, Carissa. Let me check my calendar.” The clacking of keys wafted over the phone. “I can meet anytime Monday morning between the hours of nine and eleven or Wednesday after one in the afternoon.”
Apparently, she wasn’t the only one who didn’t want to work weekends. “Let’s do Monday at nine. Can you provide me with an email address so I can send you the details?”
When she got off the phone, she sent the appointment to Kevin with a carbon copy to Jacob and Colin. Her smile was smug as she closed her computer.
And I thought working with Jacob was going to be hard.
By the time Sunday rolled around, Carissa was desperately in need of a break. Despite her prompt scheduling of the appointment to discuss the cabin rental, Jacob had been blowing up her phone for the last few days with the most asinine requests. From an updated list of potential activities, most of which he ended up rejecting, to insisting she put together a detailed itinerary, his demands were beginning to make her regret taking on the project. Ignoring the fact they hadn’t even determined the season for the retreat, let alone set a date, she did the best she could with the information she had. Her updated itinerary accounted for things like not being able to take a boat ride in the middle of December or an inability to ski down a mountain in July.
But she wasn’t going to let Jacob interrupt her fun-filled day at the festival. She put her phone on do not disturb with a voicemail stating she was unavailable for the day and would respond Monday morning. Although she suspected her decision would backfire and she’d have a million voicemails and texts to deal with, that was a problem for future Carissa.
Her doorbell rang unexpectedly as she was getting ready to head to the festival. When she opened it, Max stood on her front porch with a bouquet of flowers in lovely autumn colors. Red roses, orange lilies, and a couple of sunflowers were interspersed with gold and purple chrysanthemums.
“Well, this is a nice surprise.” She accepted the flowers and breathed in their sweet scent.
“I saw these as I was walking past the florist shop on my way to the fall festival, and I thought of you.” He shifted his weight to his back foot. “Though now that I’m here, I’m wondering if this is too forward.”
“Perhaps, but they’re beautiful, so I can’t quite bring myself to be cross with you.” She smiled and glanced behind him. “You’re going to the festival alone?”
“I told the kids I’d meet them there.”
A stab of guilt hit her stomach, but she nodded. “Would you like to come in for a moment? I’m going to put these in water.”
It took longer than she wanted to find a vase. The last time she’d received flowers was from Chuck for their wedding anniversary. After he died, she’d packed her vases into boxes, not wanting the constant reminder.
The vase she chose was dusty and had a small crack at the top, but otherwise, it appeared in good shape. While she washed it, Max set to work trimming the flowers. When the vase was clean and dry, she began arranging the blooms. Her fingers moved with the familiarity of someone who had successfully avoided bouquet catastrophes at many a wedding. Once she was satisfied, she set the vase near the window.
Chuck would never have gotten her an assortment like that, preferring the traditional dozen roses. But somehow, the arrangement fit Max and their blossoming relationship. The riot of color had a complicated beauty that drew the eye and delighted the senses.
Max placed a hand on her shoulder and gently turned her toward him. “I should get going. I promised Lanie I’d be there for lunch.”
“Thank you for the flowers. They’re lovely.”
His lips lifted in a grin. “Lovely flowers for a lovely lady.”
Her face warmed, and she dropped her gaze. “Perhaps I’ll see you at the festival.”
When he didn’t immediately respond, she looked up. A dozen emotions seemed to dance across his face.
“You’re going?”
“Of course. I love the fall festival. It’s my favorite event of the year.”
A muscle feathered in his jaw. “I see.”
Too late, she realized he was hurt. “Max, it’s not that I don’t want to go with you. I do. It’s just—you promised Lanie we wouldn’t date, and this would be the second outing with your children that I crashed.”
“I invited you to go before Lanie brought it up to me. I could have told her…” He appeared at a loss for words.
“Exactly. There’s nothing you could have said that wouldn’t have made it sound as if you’d broken your word.” She smiled sadly. “But if we run into each other there, then it’s less suspicious.”
The light returned to his brown eyes. “I hadn’t considered that.”
She touched his arm. “Go meet up with your kids. I’ll head over in a few minutes.”
After he’d backed onto the street and driven away, Carissa went into her house. She found herself drawn to the flowers like a moth to a flame. Part of her wondered if she shouldn’t have refused them. As she’d told Max the other night, it was getting more and more difficult to be around him and not act on her feelings.
At the same time, if she hadn’t accepted the flowers, it would have hurt Max, and she didn’t want to do that either. She sighed. She was walking a fine line between protecting her business relationship with Lanie and trying not to fall head over heels for Max, and it was getting exhausting.
When she arrived at the festival, the town square was packed. The familiar scents of funnel cake and hot cocoa filled the air. Carissa closed her eyes, remembering the last time she’d come to the festival with Chuck. It was the last big outing he’d had before he got too sick to leave the house.
She opened her eyes as a stab of pain hit her chest. Though she stood in a sea of people, she’d never felt more alone. Perhaps she should have stayed home.
But then, through the crowd, she saw Max, and her heart skipped a beat. She wouldn’t approach him yet, as it might look too coincidental. Just knowing he was there helped ease the ache in her heart, and she forced herself to put one foot in front of the other.
“Carissa!” a familiar voice called. She turned to find Rose and Steven coming up behind her.
“It’s good to see you both,” Carissa said, pulling Rose in for a brief hug. Her gaze swept over Steven. “No cane today?”
“The doctor said I should try to get around without it.” He nudged Rose with his elbow. “And she promised not to let me fall flat on my face.”
“Provided you behave.” Rose’s dark eyes glinted with mischief.
“I’ll do my best, but no promises,” Steven teased, sliding his arm around her shoulders. He nodded to Carissa. “Are you meeting someone?”
“Nope, I’m here by my lonesome.” Carissa’s voice cracked on that last word, and she forced a smile to cover it.
“We’re meeting up with Lanie, Nate, and Dad. You’re welcome to join us.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t want to intrude,” Carissa protested, though deep down, she couldn’t help feeling a little thrill. Her plan to make it look as if she and Max had bumped into each other was going better than she could have imagined.
Rose scoffed. “There’s no intrusion. After working with us for two years, you’re practically part of the family.” She took Carissa by the hand and led her to the ticket booth.
A moment later, they joined Lanie, Nate, and Max at the entrance. Lanie was purchasing wristbands for the rest of the group.
“Look who we found,” Rose said with a smile.
Lanie glanced over her shoulder. When she saw Carissa, her forehead creased, but the frown disappeared before Carissa could decipher it.
“Make that six wristbands, please,” Lanie said. Once she completed her order, she stepped out of line and handed them each a band. “This allows you to enter the festival. Everything except food is included.”
“Thanks.” Carissa put the band on her wrist. “I can pay you back.”
“There’s no need.” Lanie led the way into the festival.
As she followed the group, Carissa’s eyes widened as she took in the plethora of activities awaiting them. The entire town square was closed to traffic. The festival offered pumpkin-carving stations and pie-eating contests, hayrides, a petting zoo, a small carnival with questionably safe rides, and even a few demonstrations scheduled throughout the day. Though overwhelming, it was exactly the distraction she needed after dealing with Jacob all week.
“Let’s go sign up for a hayride before they’re booked up,” Lanie suggested.
Carissa swallowed. Hay wreaked havoc on her sinuses, and the last thing she wanted to do was spend the day sneezing and sniffling. “Oh, um, you go on ahead. I’m happy to watch your things.”
“Are you sure?” Lanie raised an eyebrow. “The hayrides are a lot of fun, and they take you to a farm not far from here with a pumpkin patch.”
“Positive,” Carissa said.
“Count me out as well,” Steven chimed in. “Not sure I’d be able to haul myself up into that wagon.”
His sister’s face fell. “Oh gosh, I hadn’t even thought of that.” She bit her lip. “Maybe we should pick something else to do.”
Stepping forward, Max pointed at Lanie. “You, Nate, and Rose can go on a hayride, and Steven, Carissa, and I will scope out the food options for lunch.”
“All right,” Lanie said, though her disappointment was palpable. “Meet back here in a few?”
“Unless there’s a hayride available before then. Just text us if that’s the case, and we’ll meet you afterward.”
After they split into two groups of three, Carissa breathed a sigh of relief, though she worried Max had given up something he might have enjoyed to stay with her and Steven.
“You could have gone,” she murmured.
He grunted. “I’m not much into hayrides myself.” Leaning closer, he whispered, “Besides, I haven’t seen much of you with this new project you’ve got going on. I want to make the most of the time we have.”
“Should I leave you two alone?” Steven asked.
They turned to find him leaning against a light pole, crossing his arms. Warmth spread over Carissa’s cheeks, but Steven appeared more amused than annoyed.
“Let’s go check out the food stands. I’ve been smelling funnel cake since we arrived, and I’ve got a hankering for it now.” Max headed toward the food trucks.
“Isn’t it a bit early for that?” Steven asked.
“It’s a festival,” Max replied. “There are no rules.”
Several food trucks were parked in a semicircle on the edge of the festival. A funnel cake truck was toward the middle of the semicircle, and Max made a beeline for it, stopping only when his phone vibrated.
“Lanie said they’re catching the next hayride and will be about a half hour. I figure we can grab a couple of funnel cakes now for a snack”—Max slipped his phone back into his pocket—“and then make our way over to the petting zoo. Then later, there’s a woodworking demonstration I’d like to check out.”
Carissa smiled. “You could probably teach that.”
“Not quite.” Max laughed. “I’m still a bit rusty, but I’ve about finished all of the furniture I had started before my divorce.”
“I’d love to see it sometime.”
After glancing back at Steven, who had snagged a picnic table, Max continued in a low voice, “Maybe you can come over for dinner tonight. The kids are going out, but I’m making spaghetti, and I have enough for two.”
A laugh bubbled up in her throat. “I’ve heard horror stories about your cooking.”
“Lanie talks too much,” he muttered. “Besides, it’s hard to burn spaghetti.”
“Somehow, I think you could pull it off.”
He glared at her. “Now you have to come to dinner so I can prove you wrong.”
“That sounds too much like a date.” She frowned. “And I don’t want to upset Lanie. What if I come by tomorrow while she’s at school? You could cook me lunch instead.”
Part of her hoped he would insist on dinner. Even burnt spaghetti sounded better than spending yet another evening eating a microwaved meal in her living room. It’d been years since she’d had a home-cooked meal.
But they shouldn’t risk it. What if Lanie came home early? How would she react to Carissa having dinner with her father? Carissa snuck a glance at Max. And how can I resist kissing him if we’re alone together?
“All right,” Max said, though she could hear the reluctance in his voice. “How about I make some fried chicken and potato salad?”
Carissa smiled. “That sounds delicious.”