The Calendar Brides (9 page)

“Rachel? I thought the more likely candidate would be Bev?”

“Yeah, but Rachel’s our writer, see? She studied that in school. We all worry over Nona traveling that distance alone. Someone has to escort her. The group voted on Rachel.”

Jennifer studied her a long moment. “What if—after you go to all this trouble—your Nona doesn’t want to stay?”

“We’ve budgeted enough money for her return trip, just in case. But, knowing our Nona, that won’t be necessary. When Nona makes up her mind, the decision’s done.”

“I guess your part was easy.” Jennifer polished off her cake, but Haley was still eating, the prongs of her fork dancing around that dainty confectionary rosebud that looked oh, so good.
 

“Since I’m getting married this week, yeah. The dress part was taken care of anyway.”

“When will the calendar be ready?”

“We’re doing a group shoot on Friday. Tiny’s getting everything set up at Victor’s.”

The door chime jangled and Haley glanced toward the front of the shop, seeing Peter had entered.

“Peter! Wait! Don’t look!” She quickly passed her cake plate to Jennifer and stepped into the counter area, sliding shut the door to the kitchen.

“Weren’t you expecting me?” he asked. “I thought we were going for a ride?” Peter’s complexion was ruddy beneath a short mop of sandy hair and his green eyes smiled at her. She could see his ten-speed beyond him, through the shop’s glass front door. He’d leaned it up against a lamppost and dangled his helmet from the handlebars. That’s why his hair was such a wreck. But Haley didn’t mind. He looked positively yummy standing there in biking pants and a fitted sports jacket, his clothing hugging the toned contours of his body.

“Uh, yes. I am…was.” She felt temporarily lost in the moment, just as she had the first time she’d laid eyes on him. They’d both joined a hiking club, and Haley had barely been able to keep her mind on the trail. Peter was new to Chandelier and had signed up for several organizations upon arriving. It wasn’t until Haley saw him for the third time at pickup basketball that she gathered the nerve to ask what his job was. He was in cottage industry consulting and had moved here on account of the ocean. He was close enough to drive to the city when he had to, but most days he could work at home and enjoy the benefits of being in this cliffside community by the sea. There was so much to take advantage of here—so many things he wanted to do, including mountain biking.

Peter surveyed her jeans and icing-splattered apron. “Do you need a minute to change?” Haley lived in an apartment right above the bakery she ran, which made things extra convenient. They’d decided Peter would live there after the wedding, rather than Haley moving to his place, as that made the most sense.

“Uh, yeah. That would be great.”

Jennifer slipped through the kitchen door, then, spotting Peter, slammed it quickly at her back. “Oh, hi!”

He tilted his head to study them both. “What’s going on back there?”

“Nothing for you to worry about,” Haley said.

Jennifer couldn’t resist chiming in. “It’s a surprise.”

Peter grinned and locked eyes with his fiancée. “It’s only a few days away, you know.”

“I know. That’s why we have to get ready.”

“I thought we were ready.” He lowered his voice and whispered to Jennifer. “She plans everything in advance. I mean, waaaayyyy…”

Jennifer giggled and whispered back. “I know, I work for her.”

“Very funny, you two.” Haley untied her apron, thinking a bike ride would feel good. It was autumn and a fine time to get out in the air, which was refreshing and not too cold. Though she was tough enough to take the frigid weather, too. She and Peter were accomplished skiers. She’d won the lotto when she found a guy like him. No, not
like
him
.
Him, precisely. “I’ll just be a minute.” Then she shot up the back staircase to prepare for their outing. Jennifer could run the shop for an hour or so. She certainly paid her well enough.
 

Haley wriggled out of her jeans and T-shirt, then strode to the bathroom to examine herself in the mirror. Wisps of hair had become dislodged from her ponytail and now fell around her neck. Not only that, her checks were dusted with flour and rosebud pink tinged her lips. And her hands! Oh, no. Haley flared out her fingers, seeing they were caked with flecks of dried icing and food coloring. She’d have to quickly scrub off, then get back downstairs. She ran the water hot and pumped some hand soap from the dispenser, lathering up her hands. Her engagement ring slipped, the heavy weight of the stone sliding around her finger and pointing toward the sink. She knew she should have had it sized, but hadn’t wanted to hurt Peter’s feelings by telling him it didn’t exactly fit. Maybe after the wedding, and once things had settled a bit, she’d bring it up, or possibly just sneak out and take care of it at a jeweler’s herself.
 

She cupped her hands beneath the running water to let the soap bubble, working it into a lather. Then she leaned forward to cleanse the grime from her face, quickly washing it off. Her palms slid around in a circular motion, once, twice, three times… Surely that was enough.
Clink.
Haley’s heart sank at the harsh metallic sound. Her eyes were still covered with suds. She brought her right hand to her left, her chest heaving.
No.
The ring was gone. Without even bothering to rinse, Haley grabbed a towel from the rack and wiped the soap from her face.
Oh, thank God.
 

There, in the middle of the sink, right at the bottom of the basin, sat her very shiny engagement ring. She wanted to cry with relief, or shout with joy. She wasn’t sure which. But first, she had to retrieve it. Haley reached out her hand, but the next thing she knew, the edge of her towel had knocked the soap dispenser, which tumbled into the sink. Haley watched in horror as the soap bottle’s pump dropkicked her ring, sending it in a straight shot down the drain. It clinked then spiraled, the nauseating echo taunting her as it twirled away. Haley’s jaw unhinged and her eyes burned hot. This wasn’t just any ring. There was no replacing it.

Snow lightly fell outside as Peter took Haley’s hands. He squeezed them in both of his, heating them with his touch. They were in a mountain lodge near Treetop, and had spent the day downhill skiing. While the temperature outside was well below freezing, in here it was toasty and warm. Flames leapt in the huge stone hearth and half-filled mugs of cocoa sat on the low wooden table before them. Their time here had been ideal. And, it was about to get better. Oh, how he hoped.

“I had a great time with you today.”

“Yeah, me too.” Her face was still flushed from the cold and a wide headband held back her shoulder-length hair. Its tips barely brushed the shoulders of her fuzzy white sweater. The one with the stack of Christmas presents stitched on the front. It didn’t seem at all like something she would wear, but her Nona had given it to her, so she loved it. She looked adorable sitting there by the fire. Adorable, and womanly, and sexy… His gaze traveled briefly to the stretch pants she’d worn beneath her ski bibs, then back up to her come-hither dark eyes. He’d be damned if he didn’t want to take her and hold her, and keep her forever. Peter couldn’t bear the thought of any other guy ever taking Haley in his arms again.

“Your fingers are freezing.”

She laughed lightly. “I know. They’re always cold.”

“Cold hands, warm heart.”

“Hmm. Hope so.”

“Know so.”

She started to pull a hand away to pick up her cocoa but he stopped her.

“Haley.”

She raised her left eyebrow, and that little scar above it rose too. She’d gotten nicked in field hockey as a child. Peter resisted the urge to reach out and stroke the fine white line, as he’d done so many times before. It was the only thing about her that was blemished, and the minor imperfection made him love her all the more.
 

“You mean the world to me. You know that, don’t you?”

She nodded but her eyes registered worry.

“What is it, Peter? Is something wrong?”

“Actually, I don’t think they’ve ever been more right. The two of us… We’ve never been better.”

“I agree,” she told him. “I love you very much.”

“I love you, too.”

She smiled softly. “Then, what’s this about?”

Peter drew a breath and released it. “It’s about me and you, and Caroline.”

“Caroline?” she asked with surprise. He still held both her hands and lightly shook them in the air now.

“It doesn’t have to be that. We can call her anything you’d like. I’m open. We’ll buy some books.”

Dark eyes went wide.

“Baby books, Haley.”

She gasped, and for a moment he feared he’d made a misstep. So he hurried it along.

“I want to have your baby. I mean, for you to have mine. Ours.”

“Peter!” she said with surprise, but she was smiling brightly. A big, sunny smile that lit up the room. “Are you asking me what I think you are?”

He dropped her hands and pulled her to him on the sofa, right up against his chest, as he wound his arms around her. A couple across the room glanced their way but he didn’t care. “Marry me, Haley. Please say you will. I’ll make the best husband ever. I promise I’ll never hurt you, will always stand by you, as long as we both shall live.”

She wriggled her nose with a laugh but her eyes brimmed with affection. “You crazy, lovable man, of course I’ll marry you. But aren’t you supposed to save some of those words for the wedding?”

He stared at her, stunned. It was one of those surreal moments. Like when a teenager asks his dad for a Ferrari and the dad says,
yeah, okay
. “Hang on a sec.” He pulled back so he could look in her eyes. Those big, brown, beautiful eyes. “Did you just say yes?”

She placed her palms on his cheeks and brought her mouth to his. “Yes,” she said, seconds before their lips met in the most blissful, all-consuming kiss.

“Really?” he mumbled between kisses, still not believing it.

“You bet,” she hummed, pinning him to her in a tight embrace as she devoured his mouth again. Man, the girl was a minx!

“Uh-hum.” Someone loudly cleared his throat and Peter and Haley broke apart. The lodge manager stood there in a heavy tweed jacket with fake patches on the elbows. “If you two don’t mind, this is a family establishment.” He glanced across the threshold to the next room, where a couple with two children had entered, carrying their skis.

“We’re sorry, sir,” Peter said. “We’ve just been newly engaged.”

“I guess we got a little carried away.” Haley smoothed back her hair. “In the heat of the moment.”

The manager dubiously twisted his lips. “I don’t see a ring.”

Peter patted his shirt pocket. “Thanks, pal.” Peter grinned. “I knew I’d forgotten something.”

Then, to Haley’s amazement, he pulled out a box. A little teeny box, the sort that comes from jewelry stores.

She couldn’t hide her surprise. “You planned this? I thought it was all last-minute?”

Peter turned to the manager, who watched with interest. “Do you mind? Only a couple more minutes.”

The older man nodded at Haley before turning away. “Congratulations.”

When they were finally alone—well, not technically alone, but at least not that close to anybody—Peter said, “You’re not the only one who can plan, you know. I thought this one through.”

He opened the box and Haley’s heart soared. The most gorgeous white gold ring stared up at her and it housed an enormous diamond. “Oh, Peter, it’s…incredible.”

He slipped it from its cushion. “Try it on for size.”

She held out her finger and it easily slid on.

“How does it feel?”

In truth, it felt a little loose, but she’d never in a million years tell him. Instead, she said, “Like it was made just for me.”

“That’s because it was.” His green eyes sparkled. “The band belonged to my great-aunt Caroline. It was her wedding ring and she left it to me.”

Haley temporarily removed the ring to examine it more closely. “So it’s an antique?”

“The ring part is. I bought the diamond brand new and had the ring assembled. Caroline was very special. She taught me how to ride a bike, and to skateboard, too.”

“You did say
great-aunt
?”
 

“She was old but feisty.”

Haley laughed. “Sounds a lot like Nona.”

“Yeah. And she had a long and happy marriage. I remember my great-uncle Stan. He had tons of energy, too. They used to do crazy things together. Even went skydiving in their eighties.”

“Wow.”

Haley slid the ring back on her finger. Happy—oh, so happy—with how it looked sitting right there below her knuckle. She extended her hand to admire it anew. “I totally love the ring, but I’m not so sure about skydiving.”

“Come on now.”

“Now, yes…maybe. But at eighty?”

Peter chuckled and kissed the back of her hand. The one wearing the ring. “I really wish that you’d known her. Aunt Caroline would have liked you a lot.”