Chapter 9

Levi

I opened my closet doors and frowned. My closet ran the entire length of my bedroom and was filled with clothes, but the vast majority of pieces were unsuitable for the weekend ahead. Just another reason I shouldn’t have to go on this stupid skiing weekend.

I rifled through my sweaters, digging beneath the cashmere and Merino wool to find the couple of chunky knitted ones that Garrick had bought me last Christmas. The earth had nearly done a full rotation, and they still hadn’t left the bottom of my drawer. Garrick probably had at least ten in a similar style. I should’ve just raided his closet for clothes.

Why did I have to go on this trip anyway? Val insisted it would help the wedding party bond with one another, which was a complete sham when we all knew the ones who were going to bond already had. Val, Garrick, and Frankie got along like a house on fire. I told Val they would have a better time without me, but she wouldn’t hear of it.

I finished my packing by tossing a few balled-up pairs of socks into the top of my suitcase. Then I threw a few more. One thing I couldn’t stand about snow was getting cold and wet feet—or cold and wet anything, for that matter. The fact that my brother was having his wedding on Mount Hood during the middle of winter was bad enough. That I was being dragged there now for an awkward weekend with two women who hated me just added insult to injury.

I zipped up my bag and stepped out into the living room. Dark clouds made it seem later than it was, and a few flakes of snow drifted past the window. For all its faults, at least snow was pretty to watch. I had fond childhood memories of Garrick and I plastered to the window at my family’s cabin on Mount Bachelor, watching the snow pile up outside while our mom made us hot chocolate and my dad yelled at the football game on TV.

My phone rang and I checked the screen, then answered.

“On your way already?” I asked.

Garrick and Valerie were picking up Frankie first, then swinging by to get me. My plan for the car ride was to sit and answer emails on my phone. Or really do anything on my phone that didn’t involve participating.

“Actually, I’ve got a favor to ask,” he said.

I chewed my bottom lip and frowned. “Yeah?”

“There’s an emergency at Feisty Fox, and Val’s dad needs her help. It’s going to take a few hours to sort out, so she’s not going to make it to the resort today. I’m going to drive up with her in the morning, and I was hoping you could take Frankie up this afternoon.”

“Absolutely not. If you’re going in the morning, we’ll all go in the morning. Frankie and I will kill each other if we have to spend the night together alone.”

“Which is exactly what I said to Val when she suggested it,” Garrick said. “Only problem is she and Frankie have an appointment with the hotel manager this afternoon. Something to do with special requests for the wedding. Anyway, the manager is leaving for her Christmas holiday right after that meeting so she won’t be around tomorrow.”

“Can’t they just skip the meeting? Do it over Skype? Do these girls have no creativity?”

“Levi.” Garrick’s low tone warned me that I was dancing on his last nerve.

At the end of the day, this wasn’t worth throwing a fit over. Worst case scenario, and also the most likely scenario, Frankie and I could go to our separate rooms until the morning and we wouldn’t have to talk at all.

I sighed. “Fine. I’ll do it.”

“Don’t sound so excited,” Garrick replied. “Frankie might get the wrong idea.”

“We wouldn’t want that to happen. You’re coming up first thing in the morning?”

“As long as everything’s sorted out at Feisty, which Val says won’t be a problem.”

At least if the entire brewery exploded in the middle of the night or something, we could just cut the trip short and come home.

“I guess I better hit the road then,” I muttered.

“That’s the spirit. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Sure thing.”

“And hey, Levi?”

I paused. “What?”

“Be nice, please. Frankie’s a good girl. I know you two don’t get along, but if Val’s wedding planner quits because you were too busy being a diva to remember your manners, she will kill you. Painfully. And I won’t do anything to stop it.”

I rolled my eyes. “Trust me, that girl is not a quitter.”

“All the same. Don’t be a dick.”

“Sure. See you tomorrow.”

I hung up the phone and let out a frustrated groan. This wedding was turning out to be more trouble for me than it was the groom. I was going to have a stiff drink the minute I stepped into our hotel.

I grabbed my bag from the bedroom and headed down to the parking garage, where my black Range Rover waited. Garrick was lucky my car was mountain appropriate.

I had Frankie’s number scribbled on a note somewhere, courtesy of Val, but didn’t think to bring it with me. Instead, I parked in front of her building and walked up to the front door to buzz her.

Her voice crackled through the speaker. “Hello?”

“Your ride is here.”

“Great! I’ll be right down!”

The cheery tone of her voice indicated she thought it was Garrick at her door and not me. She was in for a shock.

I was back at the car by the time Frankie stepped out the front door. I watched her face fall when she realized there was nobody else in the car.

For a moment I thought she was going to go back inside, but then she frowned and marched forward, her wheelie suitcase clattering across the pavement. She yanked the trunk open with more force than necessary and shoved her bag inside without sparing a word of greeting. Garrick would have probably waited outside to help her. I wasn’t Garrick.

A moment later, Frankie opened the passenger door but didn’t get in. “Where’s everyone else?”

“It’s just you and me,” I replied, staring out the windshield. “Val’s got a brewery emergency. She and Garrick will be up in the morning.”

From her hesitance to get in the car I gathered Frankie was running the mental math and trying to figure out if she could somehow skip her meeting. Finally, she sighed and hopped up into the cab.

Even though I also didn’t enjoy the idea of us spending the night alone together, something about her reaction hit a nerve.

“Look, I’m not thrilled about it either,” I said, pulling out onto the road. “Let’s just try not to kill each other.”

She snorted. “Awfully diplomatic of you, considering you’ve been a jerk from the start.”

I glanced over and found her staring determinately ahead, her lips set in a haughty line that made them pout ever so slightly.

“What? You’ve given up on me now?” I remarked dryly. “Must be a chilly day in hell.”

She gestured toward the snowflakes peppering the windshield but said nothing else. She’d made her point.

Frankie started to root in her purse, pulling out a pair of headphones that she shoved into her ears. Two could play at that game. I turned on the radio, and together we ignored each other for the entire car ride.