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“I checked on her a few minutes ago, and she’s still resting,” Caitey’s aunt said with a small smile. “I didn’t want to disturb her, but I’ll make sure she’s up and showering in about thirty minutes. I know she wanted to get her hair done all fancy in town, too, and that has gone by the wayside. But thankfully Isabella has offered to help Jenna with her hair and makeup. Until you’re in the middle of a wedding, one has no idea of the hundreds of details until things begin falling apart!”
“That’s for sure,” Caitey said.
“How fortunate that her newmother-in-law has experience with all of that. I always tell myself that everything works out in the end. She’ll be happier once she and Logan can always be together. He steadies her, which is funny because Jenna has always possessed a calm personality. She runs her busy, busy Coffee Loft shop with such skill. Never frantic. Always smiling and polite and unhurried for her customers.”
“Did we ever hear about her friends, Marina and Wade Kennedy? They were supposed to fly in from New Orleans.”
“Just before she laid down for a nap, she got a call from Marina. Their flight arrived fine, but they’re also stuck in town, barely snagging one of the last hotel rooms.”
“By the way, have you seen Marcus Stirling around?” Caitey asked nonchalantly. “I was hoping he might help me move some furniture,” she added lamely.
“Alex and Mr. Hearst can do it for you, although the room looks wonderful already. When the candles are lit, the room will be magical.”
Her aunt glanced at the grandfather clock. “Oh, my, it’s time to start showering and dressing! I will see you in an hour, sweetheart.”
She hugged Caitey and hurried up the curving staircase.
Caitey watched her disappear upstairs, and fatigue hit her like a brick wall. She inched her way over to a small loveseat pushed against the far wall and plopped down.
One by one, she ticked off her To Do list. This was the moment she hated. The fear of forgetting something!
The downstairs was quiet. She assumed Mr. Hearst was in his study, but perhaps he had already gone upstairs, too.
Gus was whistling from behind the kitchen doors. Maggie was upstairs, making sure Jenna had everything she needed.
And . . . Mrs. Hearst was most likely assembling her beauty tools and makeup palettes to help the bride.
It was time for Caitey to start dressing, but she didn’t need nearly as much time as Jenna. She was still going through the motions as if the wedding would occur. But the dirty little secret was the fact that there wasno wedding. There couldn’t be because there was nobody to marry them!
Hot tears pricked Caitey’s eyes, thinking about Jenna upstairs. Was she bawling her eyes out?
Caitey moved to the surround-sound stereo system and selected Christina Perri's romantic song, “A Thousand Years.”
Instantly, those tender, gorgeous lyrics floated all around her, and she stood in the center of the drawing room, closing her eyes while daydreaming of romance and finding her true love.
If Jenna and Logan didn’t get married today, itwouldfeel like a thousand years waiting for each other. Her own love story was as far away as the moon. Pluto, or beyond! A tear of frustration rolled down her face at what a disaster this day had turned out to be.
Just as the chorus began, the front doors opened and closed with a bang. Startled,Caitey jerked her head up. Freezing air swirled inside, crawling up her legs while goosebumps broke out.
Heavy footsteps crossed the marble foyer, halting at the drawing room doors.Who could that be?
Just when she was about to call out, Marcus appeared in the doorway, taking off his shoes so that he didn’t muddy the carpet.
He wore so many layers of clothing that he looked like a round snowman.
“Marcus?!” she spluttered. “Where did you come from?”
“The North Pole, I think.” He burst out laughing. “It is bitter out there!”
His face was red, and there were traces of snow crystals on his cheeks, including a pile of snow covering his knit hat.
“Why are you wearing so many layers? Earlier, you just had a jacket and gloves on while shoveling snow. Youwentsomewhere, didn’t you?” Caitey accused in a muffled voice.
Her brain was trying to catch up with the sight of this man. He was so rugged and handsome, even with snow sticking all over his body and a red nose from the freezing temperatures.
Marcus gave an embarrassed laugh. “You caught me. I went on an expedition.”
Caitey stared at him even harder, moving closer as if he had become an electromagnet drawing her in like a force field bringing in the mother ship. “That’s . . . very mysterious. Have you been out in the wilds hiking? Are you a cross-country skier or a wilderness wild man who exiles himself from civilization?”
