Chapter Fifteen
“Well, you seem awfully chipper today.” My sister was sitting across from me in the kitchen.
The sun had barely made an appearance, but we had places to be. Even though we hadn’t really gone anywhere around the islands, we still had to make it up to Silver Ridge to check out the venue.
We had an appointment with the event planner about my parents’ anniversary party, and broken leg or not, this was the only time Stacy and I could both see the lodge before the big day. Besides, most of the day would be spent in the car driving to and from the mountains.
“I’m only in a good mood because I get to leave the house.” I grinned and took a sip of coffee.
“Whatever you say.” She smiled and shook her head. “So when did you make it out to rent DVDs?”
“Huh?” Was all I could muster as my face turned bright crimson.
“You know, the stack of DVDs next to the popcorn over there?” She pointed behind her toward the living room and my eyes landed right on the stack of DVDs.
“For your information, Hound Island is full of very caring people who don’t want to see me bored.”
“Something tells me you really weren’t bored last night.”
I stood up with my crutches and hobbled out of the kitchen to the DVDs. I’d been caught red-handed, but I had no intention of admitting anything or I’d never hear the end of it. She’d make a big deal out of one night, and I was in no mood to go through that. I was having a hard enough time trying to pretend that last night was nothing more than a one-night stand.
I took a better look at the DVDs, and they didn’t look like they’d been rented from anywhere. Not that I’d even know where to return them if they had been.
“We better get on the road. We have a long way to go and our appointment’s at noon.”
My sister chuckled as she walked into the room with her coffee cup. “I know he came over last night.”
“Who?”
“Really?” Her brow arched. “You’re going to pretend like nothing happened?”
“Yup.” I slipped on my coat and called Lucky. He reluctantly waddled down the stairs to greet us by the front door. None of us enjoyed being up at this hour and after my sister let him outside this morning, he went upstairs and dove back into bed.
Billy had left sometime in the middle of the night. He knew my sister was coming over early so we could drive to Silver Ridge and neither of us wanted that morning complication. Unfortunately, my sister had the sleuthing skills of a double agent.
“You know I’m going to get it out of you.”
I ignored her and leashed up Lucky and handed him to Stacy before we walked outside into the pouring rain.
“Not a fun day for a drive,” I said, ignoring her statement. “But I think it’ll be clear once we hit the Cascade foothills.”
I fumbled my way to her car and slid in the passenger seat as Lucky jumped in the backseat, and my sister climbed into the driver’s seat.
“I don’t know what the big deal is.” She shrugged as she turned on the ignition. “Why not just admit it.”
“Because there’s nothing to admit.” I reclined in the seat a little and prayed I wouldn’t have to endure this for the next several hours. “I talked to mom last night. She seems excited about coming out.”
“I’m sure she is.”
“I seriously can’t thank you enough for taking care of Lucky and me this last week. It certainly wasn’t what I had planned for your visit.”
“I know.” She followed the street signs to the ferry and pulled up to the booth to pay. “But I have to tell you, I’d take this any day over having to go in to work. I really liked hanging out with you, and Lucky really grew on me.”
“He has a habit of doing that.” I smiled. “But if helping your sister bathe and go to the bathroom sounds better than going into work, you need to find a new job.”
She laughed and nodded in agreement.
Just as we pulled onto the ferry, my phone buzzed, and I managed to pull it out of my purse. An adorable photo of Lady and Lucky all curled up last night lit up my screen, and I couldn’t hide my smile, especially when I read his text.
Took this before I left last night. They might be in love.
“When he left last night, huh?” My sister’s eyes sparkled with her all-knowing look, and I rolled my eyes. “Nothing to tell?”
I let out a groan and quickly texted Billy.
“There’s nothing to tell because as I’ve said a million times, this isn’t going anywhere so there’s nothing to talk about.”
“He likes you. I can tell.”
My eyes met hers and I laughed. “Well, I hope so.”
“No, like really likes you.”
I shook my head and let out a heavy sigh. “It’s not like that. We’ve both talked about things. He’s not in a place where he wants to do a relationship and neither am I. It’s one of the most straightforward dating situations I’ve been in.” I clutched my phone.
“Because you’ve been in oh-so-many.” She laughed, and I punched her lightly in her arm.
“Listen, I’ve gotten burned so many times because I’ve always held out hope for something more in a failing relationship or I’d fall for one-liners and believe whatever lies were spewed my way. There’s none of that with Billy. Yes, we slept together, but no, it’s not going anywhere, and I’m totally okay with that. He’s headed in one direction, and I’m headed in the other. End of story. We had a good time and that was that.”
“You’re sure your okay with that?” Billy’s voice echoed through our tiny car and I froze.
I looked down at my phone and realized that I must have accidentally dialed him while giving my phone the death grip.
“Can I just jump overboard now?” I moaned.
“I wouldn’t with a cast on your leg. You’d probably sink like a rock, and I kind of like you,” he answered, and my sister held in her laughter. “But I am happy to hear that you had a good time last night.”
I glanced at my sister who was eating up every word.
“Yes, it was pretty fantastic.” I cleared my throat. “Anyway, my sister and I are on our way to Silver Ridge to check out the venue.”
“That will be fun,” he said, laughter tingeing each syllable.
“So I’ll give you a call tonight so we can talk details about tomorrow.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
“Okay, well. Have a good day.” And I hung up on him.
“That got awkward real quick.” My sister’s brows pulled together.
“Yes…yes it did.” To make sure nothing like that happened again, I shut off my phone completely and tossed it in my purse.
“So has Maddie had her baby yet?” My sister asked as the ferry docked and we waited to exit.
“Not that I’ve heard. It sounded like she had a long way to go as of last night.”
“Poor thing.” My sister shuddered. She’d never had any interest in having kids.
I used to be certain that I wanted them, but after a few bad relationships I wasn’t so sure any more. Or at least I wasn’t so sure until I saw Maddie and Chance. Now all of a sudden the idea didn’t seem so far out.
Or maybe that was because of Billy. Yes, another wise decision. To start dreaming about having kids with a guy who has made it as clear as I have that neither of us are ready for a relationship.
By the time we’d made it onto the highway, the weather had only worsened, which actually worked in my favor since my sister was concentrating so hard on the road. It actually made most of the drive very peaceful until we hit the ridge where the sun was shining, and my sister’s thoughts immediately ventured back to Billy.
“What if he decided to stay and not go on his trip?” My sister asked me in between my giving her directions to the resort.
“Not going to happen,” I answered. “It’s part work and part leisure. He’s a busy man.”
I looked up from my phone just as we were entering the town of Silver Ridge. If I thought Hound Island was quaint and cozy, this little mountain town almost had it beat.
The streets were lined with matching ornate street lamps, overflowing flower pots, and fall flags hanging from each of the light posts. There were a ton of little restaurants and boutiques dotting the street.
“The resort is up the hill on the mountain,” I told my sister.
“I wonder what the roads will be like when we come back for their party?” she asked.
“Should be okay since it’s connected to a ski resort. I’m sure they plow them or something. They wouldn’t want their guests unable to get there.”
“True.” She nodded, and I gave her the last of the directions, which led us up a winding road to Silver Ridge Resort.
“This isn’t just a resort. This is an entire town,” I said in awe as we drove along the road filled with even more stores and restaurants than below. A large lodge sat on the edge of the town, and condos and townhomes peppered the hillside.
“This is perfect. Our parents may never want to leave.”
“I wouldn’t blame them,” I said, smiling. “Look, they even have a wedding dress shop.”
“Oh, my gosh. Wouldn’t it be so cute to get mom a wedding dress?”
“We should stop in. Those veils are gorgeous.”
“Maybe you’ll find something you like too,” she teased.
“That’s exactly why I didn’t want to tell you about Billy. You make it weird.”
“Sorry. I think you’re letting a good thing slip through your fingers.” She followed the signs to the parking garage under the lodge while I sat and stewed.
“Did you ever think that the reason I’ve had such unhealthy relationships is because I refused to see what was right in front of me? Well, this time I’m fully onboard with what’s going on. I’m not imagining something that’s impossible. I know that neither of us are in it for the long haul, which means there will be no wedding dress.”
My sister slid her rental into a parking stall and shut off the car. It felt like I’d finally gotten my message across to her.
“Never say never,” she hummed as she got out of the car.
A week with my sister was plenty, and we’d hit that mark a couple days ago. I opened the door, and my sister handed me the crutches, which I thought about using to club her.
“Seriously, let’s not keep bringing it up,” I warned her. “We’ve had a great trip, and I don’t want you to wind up in the emergency room next.”
She laughed. “I wish you’d admit to yourself that you like him. Like really like him. It’s written all over you. I heard it in your voice the first time you spoke about him on the phone that day after Lucky made your introduction.”
“Of course I like him.” We’d already made it to the lobby. “But that doesn’t change the facts.”
“The only fact to worry about should be that you like him.” My sister introduced us to the front desk staff, and we took a seat while we waited for the event coordinator.
“This hotel is gorgeous,” I said, hoping to throw enough sparkle in front of my sister she’d get distracted again.
The main lobby was woodsy and grand with exposed beams and a large stone fireplace centering the seating area. Several guests were seated by the windows, sipping wine and other drinks.
“Tiffany and Stacy? I’m Sylvia.” The voice came from behind me, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to spin around quick enough for a proper greeting.
My sister stood up and shook the woman’s hand as I attempted to get off the oversized couch. It still wasn’t a lot of fun using crutches with a sprained wrist.
“So nice to meet you,” I stuck out my good hand and the woman smiled.
“And you too.” Her dark hair was swept into an updo, and she wore a pair of jeans and a Pendleton jacket.
“I’m usually not the walking wounded, but I had a mishap with a bicycle and a patch of wet leaves,” I explained.
“One more reason to stay away from exercise for me.” Sylvia laughed. “I’m the only person who works at the resort and doesn’t take advantage of the free ski passes. No, thank you. I prefer to stay in the lodge and drink the hot chocolate.”
“Me too.” My sister nearly jumped from excitement from finding a kindred spirit. She was one of the few in Utah who didn’t enjoy sliding down their mountains either.
“So, are we still on target for about twenty-two people?” Sylvia asked, and we both nodded.
“My parents have never been into over-the-top celebrations, and we knew getting together some of their closest friends and relatives would make them the most comfortable,” I explained.
“Sounds absolutely perfect.” Sylvia nodded. “We have two rooms that would work well for that size party. One of the rooms overlooks the ski resort, and the other looks over the town. Both are lovely and since it will be at night, the lights from either will absolutely glow against the snow.”
Excitement pulsed through me as I thought about pulling this off. My parents had absolutely no idea what we were up to.
Sylvia showed us both rooms, and we surprisingly chose the room that overlooked the town. I could just imagine the twinkling lights bouncing off the snow the night of the party. Sylvia led us to the restaurant where a little tasting had been set up for us.
“This is so much fun,” my sister gushed, taking a bite of filet mignon steak strips.
“It really is.” I ate a little puff pastry and immediately fell in love.
After we’d polished everything off on the table, a server brought over several samples of cake.
“We should throw parties for our parents more often,” I told my sister as I took a bite of buttercream frosting.
“Agreed,” she said, poking her fork into a chocolate-layer cake.
When Sylvia made her way back to the table to check on us, we were both stuffed and had agreed on a menu for their event. She’d brought with her a few different floral arrangements, and my sister and I picked out one that looked more woodsy and traditional.
We signed the last few documents and put down a large deposit before heading back to the car.
“What do you say we stop in at the wedding shop?” my sister asked.
“For mom only, right?”
“Of course.” I halfway expected an evil laugh to echo through the car, but she quietly drove us to the wedding dress shop. She found a parking spot around the side of the building, and my pulse immediately sped up, and I had no idea why. It wasn’t like I was looking at dresses for me.
It was kind of odd. Between tasting wedding cakes and going into a wedding dress shop, I suddenly wondered if I’d ever have a need for either. Judging by how life had been going so far, I’d say my odds were slim to none.
When we stepped inside the little shop, it was like a magical wonderland, and I wasn’t even into things like this. Or at least I didn’t think I was into stuff like this.
A beautiful silk and chiffon princess gown hung on a mannequin and several veils were displayed in the window.
“May I help you?” A woman dressed in a beautiful pink cashmere sweater and a pair of grey slacks stepped out from the backroom.
“We were driving up to the resort and fell in love with your window display,” my sister explained.
“We’re planning our parents’ fortieth wedding anniversary and thought it might be kind of fun to see if there’s anything that would work for my mom.”
The woman’s kind smile put me immediately at ease, and it wasn’t even my wedding I was discussing.
“And I’m trying to warm my sister up to the idea of marriage,” my sister blurted out.
My gaze flew to my sister’s, and I threw her a dirty look and she just giggled.
“Are you engaged?” the woman asked.
“Nope and I don’t plan to be,” I said, laughing.
“Totally understand that. I’ve been engaged more times than I’d like to admit and I still haven’t walked down the aisle.” She laughed. “Kind of ironic considering I design wedding dresses for a living.”
“Life has a funny sense of humor.”
“Yes, it does.” She nodded. “My name is Dina. I own the shop. If there’s anything you need at all, just let me know.”
She walked over to one of the shelves where several styles of satin gloves were on display and she took a pair with her to the back room.
An ivory in the far corner dress caught my attention. It was stunning.
I tapped my sister and pointed at the beautiful sheath dress. The beadwork was simple and it wasn’t too revealing. A faux fur shawl hung over the shoulders and I knew it would be perfect.
For my mom.
“Some women in life are lucky enough to wear two wedding dresses for the same man and some of us can’t even find one.” My sister smiled and let out a sigh.
“Are you talking about men or dresses?” I asked, chuckling.
“Both, I suppose.”
And I realized the reason my sister was pressing me so hard about Billy was that maybe she wanted some of those things more than she wanted to admit.