Saved by the Bride (25 page)

Esther inclined her head and the faint buzz of the helicopter
got increasingly louder. “Sounds like you don’t have to wait any longer.”

A whoop of delight spun through her. She gave Esther a kiss and
ran out to the helipad, excitement simmering. The shiny, black machine with its
enormous rotors lowered down neatly onto the big, white
H
, and then with a slow whine the engine noise died away. The pilot
opened the doors and Finn stepped out with a smile and a wave, which Bridey
returned as she gazed beyond him.

He gave her a hug. “Hey, sis, where’s Annika?”

She distractedly returned his hug. “I’m guessing the office or
the studio. She’s almost as much of a workaholic as you are.”

Finn grinned, pulled out his phone and started to walk toward
the house.

Bridey bounced up and down on the balls of her feet and held
her breath. Hank would be out next. Hank would stride over to her, swing her up
in his arms, kiss her on the lips and say, “I’ve missed you so much. Let’s never
argue again.”

The sun reflected a golden haze as Hank disembarked but instead
of walking toward her, he immediately turned back toward the helicopter and
extended his arm inside as if he was assisting someone else.

Had some of her father’s guests flown up? She’d thought the
party was for the neighbors but she hadn’t actually inquired given that her mind
had been elsewhere.

She watched in jaw-dropping astonishment as one by one, Hank’s
parents alighted from the helicopter.

“Bridey.” Marion walked toward her with open arms.
“Surprise.”

Stunned, she hugged the older woman and tried to catch Hank’s
eye but he was standing next to his father and pointing something out on the
helicopter.

Marion hooked her arm through Bridey’s. “We were so sorry to
miss your party and very touched that your father invited us up this
weekend.”

“Dad invited you?” As she tried to absorb that bit of news, she
glanced over her shoulder at Hank.

He crossed the short distance between them and kissed her on
the cheek as if she was his sister. “Hello, Bridey.”

Before she could say anything, Bob’s voice hailed him. “Hank,
come on back. The pilot’s offering us a seat in the cockpit.”

Marion shook her head and with a conspiratorial air, she leaned
into Bridey. “Boys and their machines.”

Bridey could see herself about to be separated from Hank and
there was no way was she allowing that to happen. “Actually, Marion, I love
helicopters.”

“I expect you do having grown up around them but it’s all new
to Bob and Hank.” Her future mother-in-law patted her hand. “Let’s leave them
alone to talk engines and we’ll have a lovely, cozy chat about the wedding.”

No
!

Bridey opened her mouth to suggest a counter plan but her brain
drained at Hank’s wide mouth curving into a quiet smile—the one she’d fallen in
love with the day she met him. A silent sigh wove through her and she knew that
Esther’s prediction was correct. Hank was here and everything was going to be
all right.

“If you’re talking weddings,” Hank said, “then I’m definitely
staying with Dad.” He walked off with a wave.

The fear that had been momentarily waylaid by her conversation
with Esther, barreled back into Bridey with the force of a tsunami, making her
sway on her feet.

“Oh my. Is
that
the house?”
Marion’s eyes lit up and she tugged on Bridey’s arm and started walking. “I’d
love a tour.”

Bridey had no choice but to follow.

* * *

Had Kathleen’s ankle allowed it, she would have been
pacing. As it didn’t, she sat stabbing a cross-stitch sampler with a needle and
thread, but she was unpicking more than she was keeping. Tonight, Sean was
throwing a small party for Bridey’s future in-laws and she was going. She
shouldn’t be nervous. Last night she’d faced down the beast of her anxiety and
spent an hour with Dana and Sean. Logan had implored her to go to his cookout
and without Bridey or Finn in attendance, she’d had to summon all her courage to
go. Although she’d only stayed an hour and had spent a lot of it chatting with
Logan, she’d unexpectedly enjoyed herself.

Sitting down with Dana had seemed surreal and they hadn’t done
much more than discuss the weather. Dana had inquired politely about the Art
Institute program and Kathleen in turn had asked about Dana’s children’s
charity. To an outsider it would have sounded like polite, social chitchat but
it had been so much more than that—it was a new beginning. Sure, at the start,
she’d felt on edge but it had faded quickly once she recognized in Dana a mutual
desire to find a level of connection they could both feel comfortable with. What
that was exactly, she wasn’t certain.

A rap sounded on the glass and she looked up in surprise as it
was too early for the quad bike transportation to the party. Dana stood on the
other side of the glass with a traveler coffee cup in her hand and a nervous
look on her face.

Kathleen thought she probably wore the same look. She waved and
called out, “Come in.”

Dana gave a tentative smile and slid open the door. “Hello,
Kathleen.”

Hostess Kathleen kicked in. “Hello, Dana. Have a seat. That
coffee smells good.”

“It’s hazelnut. My guilty pleasure. Sean says it’s...” Dana
trailed off and her face pinked up.

“‘A poor excuse for coffee.’” Kathleen finished the sentence.
“A poor excuse being anything that Sean doesn’t like.”

Dana nodded. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have mentioned—”

“Don’t be sorry. You’re married to Sean and of course you’re
going to mention him in conversation. You’ve made a better success of things
with him than I did.”

Dana shrugged. “Perhaps I was lucky enough to meet him when he
was finally ready to settle down.”

“And you didn’t
have
to get
married.” Kathleen smiled. “Thankfully, there was another wife in between us
which means you and I have no reason to dislike each other.” She fiddled with
her own coffee cup and decided on honesty. “Although, you should know that I
envy you Kylemore. A lot.”

Dana met her gaze. “I understand. I love this place too.”

Kathleen could see and hear the truth of Dana’s statement and
she made herself give this warm woman the compliment she deserved. “You’ve done
a wonderful job with the garden.”

“Thank you.” Dana’s smile lost some of its tentativeness. “I
guess you put yourself into this cottage like I’ve put myself into the garden. I
know a part of me would shrivel if I had to leave it behind.”

Kathleen’s hand tightened on the sampler. “I felt like I’d lost
a limb.” She blew out a long breath. “I’m very sorry I was so rude to you at
Bridey’s engagement when you offered me the use of the cottage. It’s just it
brought back a lot of unhappy memories which, ironically, my sprained ankle has
made me face.”

“We’re just glad you’re here,” Dana said simply.

They lapsed into silence that combined fledgling companionship
with a thousand unasked questions.

Dana lowered her cup. “I guess you’re wondering why I’m here.
It’s Bridey.”

Kathleen frowned. “What about Bridey?”

Dana sucked in a breath. “I know things can get fraught a few
weeks before a wedding but she’s at the early planning stages and—”

“She’s already flipping out.”

“Yes. I’m so glad you’ve noticed too.”

“I’ve tried to talk about it with her but she’s not saying
anything, but that’s not unusual with Bridey. She tends to hold everything in.”
She sighed and voiced a hard truth. “Or perhaps she just holds it in with me.
Have you asked her about her extreme focus on all the minutiae?”

“I wanted to check with you first.”

Gratitude rushed in. “Thank you for that consideration. Please
do
ask her because she might tell you more. I
just want her to be happy. I want both my children to be happy.”

Dana nodded. “So do I.”

* * *

It was getting late and the jazz band Sean had hired for
the evening shifted down a gear. Finn pulled Annika in close as the slow number
started and the saxophone crooned its long and sexy lament. Not that they were
on the dance floor any more—he’d danced her away from it during a fast set and
they’d taken off their shoes and wandered hand in hand along the shoreline until
they’d reached the base of the tree house, which was a good distance away from
the main house. The moon was waning but it was a clear night and its milky light
danced on the water.

He leaned against the tree, breathing in her scent of
wildflowers with a hint of Indian ink, and loving the touch of her against him.
He’d missed that so much that he’d flown home midweek just so he could have her
warm, relaxed and sleeping body snuggled in against his. Sex with Annika had
exceeded his wildest dreams and, not that he had anything against the comfort of
making love with her in his bed, but he also knew how she loved it when they
gave in to the rush of getting naked where they stood.

With that in mind, he’d spent the week organizing something for
Annika and he’d needed some time before dinner to check the arrangements, so
today he’d been the one hurrying Hank along so they could leave Chicago on time.
It was going to be the perfect end to a huge but fulfilling week. Everything was
finally back on an even keel at the Illinois plant, and all their customers were
happy. Finn was in a celebratory mood and returning to the lake had never felt
so good. Even so, he’d kept Annika close at dinner, expecting the usual
fireworks seeing as Sean and Kathleen were within a ten-foot radius of each
other. But that had been the biggest surprise of the night.

He wound strands of her hair around his finger loving the idea
that he didn’t have to leave the lake or Annika anytime soon, and the weeks
between now and Labor Day stretched out before them to be enjoyed. “You might
not realize it but tonight you witnessed a miracle.”

She lifted her head and smiled at him. “And what was that?”

“My mother and father managed to sit down at a table and share
a meal without any cutting remarks or rapid-fire put-downs. Bridey and I are in
shock.”

Slight reproach filled her eyes. “You’re exaggerating, right?
With Hank’s parents visiting, of course they’re going to be civil.”

He shook his head. “Sean and Kathleen set the record for
post-divorce public scenes no matter who was present including a very well-known
New York billionaire. We barely got through the engagement party so tonight was
not only bewildering but totally unexpected.”

Her fingers played with the cotton of his sleeve. “I hope for
all your sakes it’s a new beginning.”

A bristle of unease prickled him. “Things are fine the way they
are.”

Her brows rose but all she said was, “It was nice of Sean to
throw a mini party tonight so the Neiquests got a feel for the party they
missed.”

Tension started to coil in his belly like a snake. “I think
you’ll find it was Dana’s idea.”

She shrugged. “Even so, he didn’t have to go along with
it.”

The snake struck. “You might think you know my father, but you
don’t.”

“I know the side I see, and I think that it’s different from
what you see.”

“Damn straight.” He could picture his evening vanishing into an
argument which he did not want so he immediately changed tack. “Why are we
talking about my father when we could be making out?”

“Because maybe you need to talk about him.”

Like
hell
I
do
. “So tell me, Annika, how’s the painting coming
along?”

She tensed in his arms.

Bingo
. Her reaction was exactly as
he’d expected. Although he knew she’d duck the question and change the subject,
it made him sad. Annika had a huge amount of talent and she was hiding from
it.

She smiled at him brightly. “Did I tell you I’ve got two
companies coming up next week to tour the warehouses? I snagged one with my mass
mail-outs and just after the town meeting today, Ellery called me with another.
Just think, Whitetail might be in the middle of a bidding war and how good would
that be for the town?”

“That would be great for the town.” And he spoke the truth. It
would indeed be great for the town but he wasn’t so sure it would be great for
Annika.

“So we’ve both had a good week.”

He gazed down at her. “I know the perfect way to end it.”

“Do you now?” Her eyes glowed and she rose on her toes,
pressing her lips to his. He immediately tightened his arms around her and lost
himself in her softness, taste and heat.

Annika sighed into Finn’s mouth as she relinquished control of
the kiss and allowed him to take charge. She opened up to the wonder he sent
surging through her body. His tongue took a long, slow and tantalizing journey,
exploring every nook and crevice until she was weak with longing.

He finally raised his head and with a thick voice filled with
desire said, “Can you climb the tree house steps in that dress?”

“If I can’t, I’ll take it off.”

He groaned softly. “You’re every man’s fantasy.”

She laughed, hugging the compliment to herself. “I aim to
please.” Already shoeless, she accepted a boost from Finn and started climbing.
Ten steps later she was standing in the penthouse of all tree houses, complete
with a balcony.

Finn arrived behind her, immediately opened an old tin box,
pulled out a flashlight and switched it on. She saw a small cooler, some candles
and a box of matches. The hiss of the match filled the air with a puff of sulfur
and then by flickering light she saw masses of cushions.

Surprise and gratitude filled her. First a lovely evening where
he’d been amazingly attentive, followed by a dusk walk along the lake, which was
her favorite time of day apart from sunrise, and now all this. He’d set up a
romantic space in the canopy of an ancient tree. “How did you manage all
this?”