Holly scratched her head through her uncombed hair, yawning as she strained to focus while rooting around behind Nana for her new coffee mug. Yesterday, Holly and Rhett had two bottles of champagne and then they moved on to wine. They talked so long that they both lost track of time, and he offered to cook her dinner. She hadn’t eaten all day, so she jumped at the chance for his cooking, remembering how great he was with an outdoor grill. So, unfazed by the winter air, he fired it up and cooked them a feast of steak, grilled vegetables, and potatoes, and they ate at his new farm table under an antique chandelier, all the windows allowing a mesmerizing view of the night sky. When she insisted on getting home for Nana in case she needed her, Rhett had been a perfect gentleman. He bundled Holly up and walked her home, but she had no idea of the hour that she arrived at the cabin.

“Where’s Joe?” Holly asked, feeling bad for not seeing him hardly at all yesterday. Although, it was good, because being away made it appear that she and Rhett were an item, and that was exactly how she wanted it to look.

Nana clicked on the coffee pot and Holly realized just then that she was already dressed, her hair in those little pin curls she did, her pearl earrings on.

“He’s gone to get Katharine from the airport. He called a taxi a few hours ago.”

Adrenaline surged through Holly’s veins. “Do you know how long it will be till he gets here?”

Nana twisted the little gold watch on her wrist. “We exchanged numbers before he left. I can call him…”

“You exchanged numbers? With Joe?” How things had changed between them.

“He texted that he’d secured a rental car for the next few days, and they were on their way about ten minutes ago, so probably forty more minutes.”

“Nana!” Swinging her empty mug, Holly lunged toward the coffee pot, but it hadn’t generated enough liquid to fill an entire cup yet. She turned to Nana, but then thought better about spending precious time debating whether she should have given Holly more notice, and started down the hall. “Why didn’t you wake me up?” she called from the bedroom while she went through her suitcase like a bulldozer on overdrive. She couldn’t find her best pair of jeans, the designer ones, the ones that flattered her figure the most and made her look sophisticated like Katharine probably would be. She scanned the room.

“I saw you and Rhett coming up the stairs last night,” Nana said, setting a full mug of coffee on the dresser, unaffected by Holly’s panic, “and it was clear that I should let you sleep all that off.”

“Yeah, but I have to make a good impression!” Holly dove headfirst back into the suitcase. “Where are my jeans?”

Nana grabbed them off the chair and offered them to her. Holly swiped at them just as Nana pulled them out of reach. “Slow down, dear. Take a breath.” In those words, Nana meant so much more, she could tell. It was clear that Nana knew Holly’s worries encompassed more than not being ready on time. “You’ll be just fine.” Nana handed the jeans to her. “Have some coffee, take a shower, and relax. I’ll keep Joe and Katharine busy until you’re ready.”

---

Holly’s heartbeat was in her throat, her fingers unsteady as she put her ear against her bedroom door. She heard a feminine laugh—polite, quiet—and she knew it was Katharine. Holly looked down at her attire. Maybe she should have dressed up a little, be more professional? But this was her house, so that might be weird. She heard Nana’s voice and then Katharine’s again, but they were muffled, so she couldn’t make out what they were saying.

Holly was frozen in place, unable to make her limbs work, the reality of Joe’s fiancée sitting in her living room turning her to stone. This was the woman with whom she would be working side by side, the woman who would walk down the aisle toward Joe and promise to love him until death do her part. Holly was about to get a very small glimpse into his world and how he lived. She was already curious about their mannerisms toward each other. Was Joe sitting next to her, his knee invading Katharine’s personal space like it had when he’d sat next to Holly? Would he have the same interest in his eyes?

Steeling herself, Holly forced her hand onto the doorknob, the click loud enough to most likely let them know she was coming. She channeled that part of her that was so good at keeping herself under control. Then she squared her shoulders and walked out into the living room to greet Joe’s soon-to-be bride.

The woman stood from the sofa. She was strikingly beautiful. Her dark brown hair was swept into an up-do, her eyes large and attentive, and Holly considered how intimidating her gaze would be in a courtroom, but her smile was genuine when she held a commanding hand out to Holly. “Katharine Harrison,” she said with a firm handshake. “I hear you’re my new wedding planner.”

“Yes,” Holly said, keeping herself poised. “Brea has done an amazing job so far. I’m happy to finish planning this for you.”

“Ugh, Brea…” Katharine said, that intensity flickering in her eyes. “This could’ve turned into a total disaster without your help. I’m so glad Joseph found you!”

An air of complete confidence circled Katharine like a whirlwind as she regarded Joe with a smile, and it was clear in that moment that Holly wasn’t a thing like this woman. Katharine was self-confident, reserved, her wealthy upbringing evident in every movement she made. Holly was willing to bet she’d never climbed a tree all the way to the top or spent her childhood looking for four-leaf clovers and run barefoot at least a mile down a dirt road to show her family when she’d found one. Katharine stepped toward the fire and rubbed her hands together, a diamond the size of a boulder swinging around her finger, the diamond that Joe had obviously given her.

Holly glanced over at him and recognized by his look that he’d noticed her assessment, and his face seemed almost apologetic. But there was nothing to apologize for. The difference between Holly’s life and Katharine’s stretched wider than the Grand Canyon. No wonder Joe had seemed so curious around Holly; she was probably like some stray puppy to Katharine’s champion greyhound. But she had to remember that their differences didn’t make either of them less of a woman.

“Thank you for having me in your home,” Katharine said. “I’d love to stay, but I know that Joseph has already imposed on your holiday long enough.” Her words regarding Joe were kind and more bantering than accusatory. “So I’ll get him out of your hair.” She let out a small chuckle at her own line, not knowing that having Joe leave would be the very last thing Holly would want. “I got us a room at a hotel in Brentwood. I figured you and I could quickly go over the final details together before we leave, Holly, and then I’ll get all my wedding mess out from under your feet so you and your grandmother can enjoy yourselves.”

“I’d hate to know you’d found accommodations on our account,” Nana said. She’d been sitting quietly on the sofa. “You’re more than welcome to stay.”

“Thank you for your hospitality, Ms. McAdams,” she said, her high heels out of place for the weather, making her seem more imposing than she probably was, “but I’ll be slaving away at research, so I wouldn’t be much fun. And it’ll be nice to be closer to the venue as well. I’d like to take a break from my work for a quick tour of it and then make Joseph take me out in Nashville.” She flashed that smile at Joe. “I’ve been so busy that I haven’t had a moment to relax. I’d like to steal a few free evenings from my calendar before I dive in full force.” Turning from Nana, she said, “Joseph, why don’t you work on packing, and I’ll sit down with Holly to write out a schedule.”

Joe got up and left the room. Holly wished she could go after him and spend their last few minutes together talking, but she knew she couldn’t. Unexpectedly, her chest felt like it had a cinder block sitting on it at the thought of him walking out of the cabin and not returning. She felt guilty for spending so much time at Rhett’s last night, but she hadn’t grasped that their unexpected days being snowed in together had now come to an end.

It was probably better this way. It would give her time to get over it and move forward with her life, because she wasn’t doing herself any favors feeling the way she did for him. She just couldn’t ignore that charged involuntary feeling of knowing without a doubt that he could be someone significant in her life, and they’d never know what that significance could’ve been. If he was going to break her heart, best he do it right now, as quickly as possible. The more she considered this, the faster she wanted him to leave, as the thoughts of the fun she had with him sped through her mind like a freight train. She wanted more time to get to know him, to find out what he loved, what he hated, what drove him crazy. She wanted to see that look in his eyes again that he got when she surprised him with something she said.

“Is that all right, Holly?” Katharine’s face appeared in front of her and when Holly came to, she realized she was still staring at Joe’s door down the hallway.

She produced a pleasant expression for Katharine, her eyebrows raised in mock interest, her lips set in the same inviting way that she did when she had an unruly customer and she was employing the old motto that “the customer is always right.”

“I’m sorry,” Holly said, covering. “I was already listing things in my head! Let me get my laptop and papers and we’ll have a quick chat at the kitchen table. Nana, do you need anything before we get started?”

“I don’t need a thing, dear.” Nana gave her a knowing stare, making Holly look away.

“Great,” Holly said. “Back in a sec.”

When Holly returned, Nana had made herself comfortable with her book in the living room. Katharine was perched at the kitchen table, her spine straight with empty space between her body and the back of the chair, her legs crossed delicately, her posture so comfortable in that position that it was clear that this was exactly the way she sat most days. She pulled a notebook and pen from the Louis Vuitton bag by her chair. Holly set an untidy pile of papers on the table, straightening the corners that had gotten bent as she’d worked on the planning.

“I checked on the photography package,” Holly started in. “They need your final decision on the wall-size oil painting of your bridal portrait. If you choose this, they will rush it, to get it done by the wedding day, because they think it would be nice to display it on an easel as guests enter.” She checked her timings. “I see here you have a final fitting for your dress. But you’ve had your portrait taken, yes?”

Katharine was scribbling in her notebook. “I have one more dress fitting for a few last tucks in the waist and hem. We need to make sure it fits like a glove on the big day, so I asked for an extra fitting right before the wedding. I moved the appointment to tomorrow, since I’m in town—they overnighted the dress from the boutique in New York to their Nashville location. Would you be there with me to make sure it all goes well, and then you can pick up the dress and take it to the estate?”

“Absolutely. And your portraits?” Holly made another note, while wondering if she could actually stomach this.

“It’s all fine—I’ve already had my portraits done,” she said without looking up. “They retouched any imperfections in the dress. I say tell the photographers it’s a go on the oil.”

“All right.” Holly made a note to call the photographer. “Also the florists don’t have enough inventory for the archway that you chose. They’ll need to pull in two more florists. I gave them the go-ahead on this, figuring you wouldn’t want a sparsely decorated archway.”

“Great.” Katharine nodded. “Just make any of those decisions yourself, if they’re easy. Only contact me for the things you can’t answer without me. I trust you. Joseph told me you’re incredible.”

“He did?” The word “incredible” dangled in front of her, giving her a thrill but also causing a hollow feeling in her chest as if she were losing something. But when she noticed Katharine studying her, she cleared her throat and continued, redirecting the conversation. “What wedding shoes are you wearing? Will you have heels?”

“Yes. They’re Jimmy Choo’s,” Katharine said, lighting up a little when she said it, and Holly was glad to have moved her on so quickly, promising herself she wouldn’t let her emotions show again.

“Lovely,” Holly continued, her mind returning to the shoes. “Have you started wearing them in the house to break them in? We wouldn’t want you to have blisters when you’re spinning around the dance floor.” She thought of Joe, twirling Katharine while her dress fanned out around her.

“Great idea,” Katharine said as though Holly had just saved her life. “Plus, it’ll give me more time to wear those shoes.”

Holly smiled.

“I got my things packed,” Joe said, setting his suitcase down with a thud beside him, his gaze flickering over to Holly. “I’ll just start gathering the wedding boxes now.”

“Great,” Katharine returned as he left the room again. “Holly and I will only be a few minutes more,” she called after him. “We can text the rest, and I’m sure I’ll have Holly by my side most of next week.”

Would Joe stay clear of Holly next week and let her focus on her work? Would he instinctively know to do that for her? Because seeing him now, that suitcase sitting alone in the center of the kitchen, she missed him already. Missing him was part of the process, but having to spend time with him was another matter. It just made getting over her feelings harder.

“Will you call the office tomorrow to see if we can get into the estate?” Katharine asked. “Joseph tells me how detail-oriented you are, and I’d like to consult you on a few things.”

Joe came back in, his arms full of boxes. He continued across the room, exiting through the front door.

“Certainly,” she made a note and rubbed the back of her neck.

Joe came back in, the door slamming behind him. “It’s all in the car,” he said, and just like that, there was no shred of him left in the cabin. Like all the other renters before him, he’d packed up, and was heading out. Katharine closed her notebook and stuffed it into her bag. Nana, who’d been silent this whole time, stood up from her chair to say goodbye.

“Let’s have a little fun,” Katharine told Joe, walking over to him and slipping her arm in his. “I need it. I found a gorgeous restaurant in The Gulch with a drink menu the size of Long Island. They have frozen rosé.”

Joe didn’t look Holly in the eye, and she worried he could sense her ache to see him go. She swallowed, feeling like she had cement in her throat.

“I’m so happy Joseph found you, Holly. I can’t say that enough,” Katharine said from beside Joe. “It’s a delight to have you as part of our wedding.”

Holly forced a smile, overwhelmed by the irony of Katharine’s statement.

“Thank you for… everything,” Joe said, finally looking into her eyes and then addressing Nana.

“It’ll be quiet without you,” Nana said. “I’ve enjoyed having you with us this Christmas.”

Joe smiled. “I won’t forget it.” He threw a quick glance back to Holly. “So, I suppose this is goodbye. For now.”

Holly nodded, her words failing her.

Katharine walked over to the door and Joe followed, opening it for her. He put his hand on the small of her back to lead her out onto the porch safely.

“Have a wonderful time in Nashville,” Nana said, waving.

Holly chewed on her lip, watching them go.