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“Okay, my beautiful cousin,” Jenna said. “Take a break after your drive and craziness today. I’ll see you in a little while at dinner.”
When Caitey closed the bedroom door and sagged against it, fatigue slammed into her. A “lie-down” was precisely what she needed. Especially to get some energy back before dinner with everyone in a couple of hours.
The idea was intimidating.This housewas intimidating.The Hearsts were genuinely nice and welcoming, but their worlds were vastly different.
After unpacking her suitcase, hanging up blouses and dresses, and laying out her makeup bag in the bathroom, Caitey slipped off her shoes, climbed onto the gorgeous bed, moved aside some pillows, and stared at the beautiful four-poster damask hangings.
Staying here was like a vacation—except for the wedding work—because it was like living in a castle.
Just before closing her eyes, she realized she still needed to tell Jenna about the photograph Marcus Stirling had dropped at the Coffee Loft shop.
She strongly suspected the photograph was the key to figuring out that inscrutable, and puzzling, man.
CHAPTER 9
CAITEY
What seemed like ten minutes was suddenly more than an hour when a relentless knocking startled Caitey awake.
She sat up, completely disoriented. The late afternoon shadows had darkened the bedroom. But wow, the bed was dreamy and soft and perfect. She’d sleep like a log tonight.
“Caitey . . . Caitey, wake up!” Jenna was hissing through the door when she slipped off the bed and ran to open it.
“You fell asleep,” her friend said immediately as Caitey pulled the door open.
“More tired than I thought,” Caitey admitted with a wan smile.
“We both have had some crazy months lately. You did two weddings recently?”
“Yours is the third one this autumn season,” Caitey admitted weakly.
“Yikes! I hope you got paid well. And I’m sorry I piled my wedding so soon after the others.”
Caitey’s lips broke into a wide smile. “Well, first of all, I received a very nice bonus from one of the weddings and went shopping, and second of all, I’ve been looking forward to your wedding the most, of course!”
“That dress you’re wearing is beautiful on you! But we’ll probably have to don jeans for the decorating party.”
“True, true.” Caitey’s stomach growled. “Hope I didn’t miss dinner.”
“I would never do that to you. I remembered to set my alarm. I’m excited to go look at what decorations you brought.”
“Let me comb my hair and freshen up first.”
In the bathroom, Caitey brushed her teeth, ran her fingers through her thick hair, and then added a touch of color to her lips, checking that her mascara hadn’t smudged.
When they arrived downstairs, Mrs. Hearst was nowhere to be seen, but she had left the door open to her study. The contents of Caitey’s SUV were neatly stacked on tables and desks, but the heavier items were on the floor.
“Here, Caitey,” Jenna said, handing over a glass of lemonade that had been on a tray on one of the open spaces of the desk. “I figured I wasn’t the only one feeling parched. It’s homemade by Maggie. I raided the kitchenbefore I woke you up.”
Caitey took a sip and then another. “Wow, that’s delicious. Just what I needed.”
“Show me everything!” Jenna said excitedly. “Where should we start?”
“Let’s discuss the ceremony first, then the outdoor reception. Any differences between the people attending the ceremony and the dinner reception?”
“No, everyone has been invited to both. We figured about twenty people and it’s still about that. If Marina and Wade are here. Less if they don’t make it.”
Caitey rummaged through the first box, pulling out her detailed notes and a timeline of events. Her cousin rushed forward and tugged out a charm bracelet from the smaller box.
