“Again, I don’t know how to thank y’all for such a wonderful time,” she muttered, now feeling a bit flustered. “This morning will be a memory I’ll treasure for some time.”

  She hugged Abe, Kyle and Brooke, jealous of their life-long connection and the closeness they enjoyed. She wished she could spend much more time with these people.

  She turned to Jess last. Without waver, she lifted the palm of her hand and cupped his cheek. “Thanks, Jess. I had a ball.”

  And with that, she was gone.

  5

  Jess watched as Lindsay handed off her equipment to the driver and climbed on board the shuttle. Before disappearing inside, she turned and wiggled her fingers in their direction. He waved back and followed her through the windows until she found a seat.

  “What’s this?” Brooke asked.

  He turned. “What?”

  Abe slapped his shoulder. “That. You’re like a puppy dog in heat. I swear your tongue hit the ground when she reached and touched that ugly mug of yours.”

  Jess scowled. “You’re off base. The lady’s engaged.”

  Kyle pulled his cap from his head. “Tell that to your face, man.”

  Brooke shook her head. “Sorry, Jess. I haven’t seen that look since Jenny Martin in the fourth grade.”

  “Who?”

  “Jenny Martin. The little blonde girl who beat you at kick ball, pushed you down and kissed you.”

  He gave her a dirty look. “Stop. You’ve got it all wrong. Both on Jenny what-ever-her-name-was and on this gal.”

  “Lindsay.”

  “Yes, Lindsay. There’s nothing brewing in the hot zone there, I promise you.”

  Even as he said it, he knew the statement wasn’t exactly true. There was something about this girl. He couldn’t quite put his fingers on what made him feel so protective, but whenever she was around he wanted nothing more than to see her happy.

  Problem was, she was taken. Like about to get married taken.

  That was just his kind of luck.

  6

  The shuttle pulled under the porte-cochere and came to a stop. The driver swung the doors open wide and the passengers, including Lindsay, stood and made their way to the front of the shuttle. Still on a mental high from her morning on the mountain, Lindsay followed the crowd and descended the couple of steps, then moved for the front doors of the Sun Valley Lodge.

  Karyn Macadam stood just inside the entrance. “You’re back! Did you have a nice time?”

  “Oh my, yes. I’d forgotten just how much I love to ski. The snow was in perfect condition. And the views! The views from up there are—well, like a bit of heaven. She leaned close and lowered her voice. “After the wedding, I suspect we’ll be visiting the area often, given my future in-laws have a place in Sun Valley. I plan for us to return and hit the slopes every year.”

  “That’s what we like to hear. Don’t worry about your equipment. I’ll take care of everything. By the way, your mother and your handsome guy have been looking for you.” Karyn gave her a conspiratorial smile. “I told them I hadn’t seen you since early this morning.”

  Lindsay smiled. “Great, that’s perfect. Thank you.”

  “No problem. I think your group is waiting for you in the Duchin Lounge.”

  “Okay, thanks.”

  Lindsay headed that way, then realized she needed to freshen up a bit and turned for the elevator.

  “Hey, where’ve you been?” Her fiancé’s voice stopped her in her tracks.

  She pivoted and tucked a stray strand that had fallen from her ponytail behind her ear. “Hi, babe!” she said, a little too brightly.

  Puzzled, Tyler glanced outside the door at the shuttle and repeated his question. “Where’d you go? We’ve been waiting lunch for you.”

  “I’m sorry.” She hesitated, not wanting to tell an untruth. That was no way to start a marriage. Honesty between a man and wife was critical. “Okay, time to confess. I knew you were tied up all morning, so I snuck off and went skiing.”

  “Alone?”

  She tilted her head to meet his eyes. “No. I met some people and they invited me.”

  As if a switch had been thrown, his warm smile molded into an icy stare. “With strangers?”

  She shook her head. “Of course not—I mean, yes. They were strangers, until I met them. But they weren’t strangers when I agreed to go skiing.” She knew she was rambling, but seemed unable to stop. “Their names are Jess, Brooke, Kyle and Abe. You’d really like them, I think.”

  Tyler scowled. “Who are these—people? Guests?”

  She swallowed. “Not exactly. They work for the lodge.”

  The look on his face said it all. Her fiancé could be a bit of a snob.

  “Oh, there you are.” Her mother’s sing-song voice floated across the lobby.

  Thankful for the interruption, Lindsay broke gaze with Tyler and moved to hug her mama. “Yes, and I’m sorry I held you all up. But I’m here now, so let’s get some lunch. Shall we?”

  She locked arms with her mother and headed in the direction of the Duchin Lounge, fully aware Tyler was still staring after them.

  Inside, his family was seated in plush leather club chairs around a marble-topped table at the back of the room.

  “There you are!” Tyler’s mother stood and gave her a tight hug. “We ordered for you dear. A shrimp salad.”

  Her mama motioned for to sit, then took her own seat and folded her pressed linen napkin across her lap. “I know shrimp’s not your favorite, honey. But dress fittings are right around the corner and all the other selections were laden with calories.”

  Her future father-in-law waved Tyler closer. “Son, sit.” He looked to his wife. “Remember that time your father talked me into investing in that shrimp boat?” He laughed. “Lost my shirt.”

  Sheryl waved off his comment. “Oh, you never went into that deal for the money and you know it. You bought the vessel from Daddy’s war buddy, as a favor.”

  “What are you talking about, dear? A good businessman does everything to make money,” Charles teased.

  Lindsay reached for her glass of water. “I can certainly see why you both love it here in Sun Valley. I snuck off and went skiing this morning and fell in love with the slopes, the views, the fresh air—well, all of it.”

  “By yourself?” Tyler’s mother looked confused.

  “She went with some people she met,” Tyler said, answering for her. He glanced at his watch. “But I thought you ladies wanted to talk wedding plans.”

  Sheryl and her mother exchanged excited glances.

  His mother dabbed her napkin at the corner of her mouth. “Yes, we have a lot to consider. This weekend’s engagement party is the launch of several months leading up to what will no doubt be a social event that people will be talking about for a long time.”

  Lindsay cringed. She’d been naïve to hope for an understated ceremony without a lot of fanfare.

  Sheryl motioned for a waiter, then reached in her bag and pulled out what looked to be a planner. Lindsay recognized the leather pattern, had seen it in a magazine her mother often read—a Trish McEvoy. Sheryl pulled two identical planners and handed one to Lindsay and her mother. “I’ve recorded all the wedding events and corresponding dates for us.”

  “Oh, here we go,” Charles jingled the ice in what looked to be a glass of bourbon. Or, maybe scotch.

  He caught where she was looking. “Poppy Van Winkle—aged fifteen years.”

  Lindsay nodded and made a mental note. She couldn’t imagine trying to buy this man a gift and that might be an item he’d appreciate on future birthdays.

  Sheryl looked across the table. “You boys enjoy your drinks, but you need to listen up. These plans involve both of you as well.”

  It was Tyler’s turn to laugh. “Everyone at this table knows you ladies are going to make all the decisions and we’re going to show up when and where you tell us to. Right, Dad?”

  “Well, stated.” Charles caught the look from his wife. “And we’re happy to do it,” he added.

  Lindsay wished she could state the same, and say it truthfully. In reality, she wished she was still up on Baldy. She’d take the thrill of racing down the slopes over this discussion any day.

  The waiter arrived at the table and Sheryl ordered another glass of wine. “Anyone else?”

  Her mother ordered a glass of chardonnay. “You want something, dear?”

  Lindsay shook her head no, opened her planner and scanned the pages. Goodness, how many teas was she being forced into, anyway?

  She flipped another page, frowned. “Uh, I see you have a meeting with the event planner scheduled on the same day I’m registered for an international gem and jewelry show in Atlanta. One of the designers is a highly regarded artisan I’ve followed for some time. I’d hoped to meet privately with her, pick her brain a bit.”

  Tyler folded his hand over hers. “That’s great, babe.” His attention was pulled to the television mounted behind the bar. “Dad, looks like the Giants are out of the playoffs again this year.”

  “Honey.” Her mother didn’t bother to hide her impatience. “Sheryl snagged Phillipa Tarrant. Do you have any idea how lucky we are to even get on her calendar? I mean, there’s simply no question this is a priority over anything else.”

  Tyler’s mom chimed in. “I’m afraid your mother’s correct, honey. We can’t just stand her up and ask her to reschedule. It’s just not done. I’m sorry.”

  Lindsay looked to Tyler for support. He bailed on her and simply shrugged.

  She took a deep breath, tried to temper the tone of her response. “Well, of course. If the meeting can’t possibly be rescheduled.”

  Her mother hugged her shoulder. “That’s my girl.”

  Sheryl clasped her hands with excitement. “Okay, now to the particulars. Phillipa has arranged for a private showing with both the Martina Liana and Alfred Sung collections.”

  She felt her mother squeeze her knee under the table. Her eyes glistened with excitement.

  “I talked with Charles and we recommend an elegant reception dinner at the Cipriani on 42nd, especially given that we’ve booked the actual wedding venue at The Plaza.”

  Her mother looked like a three-year old sitting in front of a Christmas tree loaded with wrapped packages waiting to be opened. “The Plaza is where Michael Douglas married Catherine-Zeta Jones.”

  How did her mom even know this stuff?

  Charles wiped the bottom of his glass with a tiny paper napkin engraved with the Sun Valley logo. “It took a couple of calls, but the management opened up a Saturday evening for us. Middle of June—perfect weather.”

  Sheryl nodded. “June is a busy month and doesn’t give us much time.”

  Lindsay’s brows lifted. “We—uh, we’re holding the ceremony in June?”

  Tyler squeezed her hand. “You don’t mind, do you babe? I know we talked about fall, but—”

  Her mother piped up. “Of course we don’t mind. Everything you’ve arranged sounds absolutely perfect!”

  Lindsay thought her mother had lost her ever-loving mind. Did she have any idea how much all this was going to cost?

  As if reading her mind, Charles put the matter to rest. “We certainly hope you’ll grant us the privilege of sharing the cost with you, Julia.”

  Sheryl placed her hand on her mother’s arm. “Oh, yes. We’ll have a guest list heavily laden with business clients. It’s only right that we share the burden of the cost.”

  “Well, that’s not necessary,” her mama replied. “But, if you insist.”

  Lindsay couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Even at a shared cost, the budget for an event like this was over-the-top expensive and certainly far beyond any budget her mother could sensibly bear.

  This was crazy! She didn’t even want all this. She’d much rather have a simple ceremony followed by a quiet dinner somewhere nice.

  She started to say so, but her mother cut her off before she could speak. “Lindsay and I love these plans!”

  The comment urged Sheryl on. “Oh, good. On the next page of your planner, you’ll see the menu Phillipa is recommending. Chevre and potato millefeuille, followed by syrah short ribs with crispy fried shallots or a pistachio-crusted halibut. Dessert will be a three-deck white wedding cake with vanilla buttercream, chocolate fudge and chocolate truffle granache—which will be cut during the reception to Marvin Gaye’s ‘How Sweet it is to be Loved by You.”

  Tyler picked up his drink. “Make sure we have an authentic Japanese sushi bar set up for hor d’oeurves.” He leaned over to her. “Wait until you see the guest list. Dad talked with Wolf Blitzer last week and was assured he and his lovely wife would be there.”

  Tyler had always been a fan of the CNN anchors. She suspected he’d wanted to go into television news reporting, but had acquiesced to his father’s wishes for his son to share in the family brokerage. Unlike her, her fiancé loved being the center of attention.

  Her phone dinged. She reached and pulled it from inside her bag and swiped the front face. A message popped into view.

  Hey, we really enjoyed the time with you up on the mountain this morning. A few of us are getting together at our house tonight. Nothing fancy. Just burgers and beers. You wanna come? Seven o’clock. Text me and I’ll give you directions. Oh, and you can bring your guy if you want.

  Lindsay’s heart pounded with elation. That was the most fun thing she’d heard about in the last hour. She poised her thumbs to tap out that she’d be there.

  “Honey?”

  Her mother’s voice pulled her attention back to the table.

  “Lindsay, honey—did you hear Sheryl? She asked if you’d rather have rib-eyes or prime rib tonight.”

  “Tonight?”

  Tyler leaned back in his club chair to allow the server to place his lunch plate on the table in front of him. “Yeah, you remember. Mom and Dad are hosting the early guests who have arrived for our engagement party.”

  Lindsay scanned past discussions in her mind for some trace of the expected appearance. None came to memory. Even so, she pasted a smile. “Of course.” She turned to her future mother-in-law. “I love prime rib.”

  “Then prime rib it is!”

  Lindsay looked at her phone. With a sigh of disappointment, she closed out the message. She’d just have to tell Jess and his friends she couldn’t come.

  7

  As one might expect, the DeLucas’ vacation home was a showplace, impeccably decorated with soaring raw timber ceilings and windows overlooking the Bigwood golf course. Their place was within walking distance of the Sun Valley Lodge, but due to the outdoor temperatures, Tyler drove Lindsay and her mother to the party.

  They parked and Tyler helped her mother from the backseat of the four-wheel-drive Jeep he’d borrowed from his dad. “Careful, Julia. It can get really slick out here.”

  She took his hand, smiled broadly in his direction. “Thank you, Tyler.” She surveyed his parents’ house. “This is an amazing location.”

  “Yeah, Dad golfs. Mom can watch him tee off while she drinks her morning coffee on the deck. Sadly, they don’t often spend much time here in the summer and the house sits empty. Mom prefers the Hamptons.”

  Inside, a crowd much larger than Lindsay had anticipated had already assembled. Goodness, if these were the guests who had arrived early, how many would be attending the big engagement party tomorrow night?

  Lindsay and her mother were introduced to several pockets of family friends and associates. Tyler offered to take her mother on a tour of the house. She quickly accepted, leaving her with Mr. and Mrs. Billingsley, an older couple who Tyler confided owned major real estate holdings across the nation, with most located Boston.

  “So, you’re Lindsay!” The tight-faced woman folded her purple-veined hands over top of hers. “Charles and Sheryl have been boasting about the smart girl their Tyler is marrying. You are simply lovely, dear.” She turned to her white-haired husband. “Isn’t she lovely, Harrison?”

  He leaned forward. “What was that, dear?”

  She smiled patiently and repeated her question. “I said, isn’t she lovely?”

  He nodded, lifted a bacon-wrapped shrimp from a tray and looked the pretty white-gloved server up and down. “Oh my, yes.”

  The woman placed her hand on her husband’s arm. “No, Harrison—this is Tyler’s fiancé.” She redirected him and he smiled up at Lindsay. “Oh, goodness. Yes, this one is pretty too.”

  Lindsay extricated herself from the conversation as politely as possible, delighted to note a group of women standing by the fireplace were more near her age.

  She joined them, with hand extended. “Hi, everyone. So very glad you could join us this weekend.”

  One of the women smiled and shook her hand. “Hi, I’m Candace. It’s really nice to meet you, Lindsay.”

  Following introductions, one of them—an elegant-looking blonde named Elise—stepped forward, wine glass in hand. “So, you’re the one who caught Tyler DeLuca.” She grinned. “Well played.”

  Another girl wearing a cashmere sweater in a pretty shade of aqua and matching heels quickly echoed the same sentiment. “Do you know how many have chased after that man? Unsuccessfully, of course. By the way, I’m Angela.”

  A fourth woman with a long ponytail and diamond earrings the size of small marbles agreed. “We’ve all tried to fix him up. So, tell us, how’d you do it?”

  Lindsay didn’t know what to say. She decided to play along with her new razor-boned friends who obviously ate next to nothing and spent a good deal of time at the gym. “Well, it took a big net and several neighbors to hold him down.”

  The woman named Elise laughed. “I reiterate—well played.”

  Over the next minutes, she learned the fourth woman was named Belinda, but everyone called her Bibby. Lindsay couldn’t help but think she’d personally have preferred to use Belinda. Bibby sounded like something you’d name a cat.

  In stark contrast to her own childhood where she walked to and from school with a pack of mixed-age neighborhood kids every morning, then played kick ball in the street and mucked around backyards until called in for dinner, she learned each one of these women were raised by nannies in uberwealthy and status-conscious neighborhoods, their mothers glossy and moneyed and privileged.

 

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