to figure out how to make the rain stop.”
“Rain?”
“It’s
supposed to start during the night and rain for days.”
“Is
that the last thing?” his mom asked.
“Far
from it. This list is huge.”
“You’re
not going out with your friends?” his father asked.
“No.”
Ryan was already trying to make a plan of attack for the next day. “I’ll crash
on the couch in Quinn and Patrick’s room, if that’s okay. I’ve got to talk to a
lot of the staff tomorrow. I’m going to need all the charm I can get.”
* * *
For
the first time in a month, Jess slept.
She
cried first, cried more than she thought it was possible to cry, and then she
fell into bed, exhausted. She was worn out. And for the first time in more than
a month, she had nothing to do. There was no list of tasks to be completed, no
calls to make, no arrangements to finalize, no competing perspectives to be
negotiated.
At
that realization, she felt the tension slide out of her body. She pulled the
phone jack out of the wall, locked the door and turned off her own cell phone.
She put the dress back in the closet and hid it from sight. She turned out the
lights and peeled off her clothes and stood in the middle of the cottage,
feeling the cool caress of the wind.
She
crawled into bed, had time to miss Ryan’s warmth, then fell into a deep and
dreamless sleep.
* * *
Ryan
awakened to the sound of someone tapping on the door to Quinn and Patrick’s
room. His brothers were still sound asleep, so he tugged on his jeans and went
to the door. To his surprise, Jess’s mom was there, her expression worried.
“No
one told you yet, did they?” she asked and Ryan was wide awake.
“Told
me what?”
“Jess
cancelled the wedding last night.”
“What?”
Ryan stepped out into the hall, pulling the door behind him so it was almost
closed. “I know she was upset about the details going wrong, but we’re still going
to get married.”
Arlene
quickly told Ryan of the events of the previous evening and he shook his head
in frustration. “She told me and she’ll probably tell the others this morning.”
“But
we can’t call off the wedding. We’re going to get married, whether the flowers
are the right kind or not.” He frowned. “I know the ceremony is important to
her. I’ve been trying to make some things come right and take some pressure off
her.”
“Really?”
Arlene looked more hopeful.
“Really,”
Ryan said with force. “I love Jess. I want to get married. I refuse to believe
that any of this is a sign.”
Arlene
smiled. “Maybe you should tell her that.”
Ryan
met the gaze of his future mother-in-law and smiled. “That’s a great idea,” he
said and her smile broadened. He’d do just that—in the most compelling
way he could.
* * *
Chapter Four
Jess
was vaguely aware of the door to the cottage opening. She rolled over, thinking
it was one of the maids, then felt someone’s weight on the mattress.
“You
always smell so great in the morning,” Ryan murmured as he slid into the bed
beside her. He pulled her into his arms, his eyes gleaming with intent, but
Jess put her hands on his shoulders.
“What
are you doing here? I thought your mom wanted you to stay away until the
wedding.”
He
lifted one brow. “I heard there wasn’t going to be a wedding.”
Jess
felt herself blush. “I know I should have talked to you first, but I was so
upset...”
“I
know. I can understand that you talked to your mom.” He touched his lips to
hers and she relaxed at his touch. “But you could have a bit of faith.”
“Faith
isn’t going to fix everything that’s going wrong,” she managed to say before
Ryan kissed her again. When he lifted his head, she’d forgotten what she was
going to say.
“Naughty
Jess,” he whispered, his smile wicked. “I’m just going to have to remind you
how good we are together.”
Before
Jess could argue, Ryan had produced the length of blue ribbon.
“Rain?”
“It’s
supposed to start during the night and rain for days.”
“Is
that the last thing?” his mom asked.
“Far
from it. This list is huge.”
“You’re
not going out with your friends?” his father asked.
“No.”
Ryan was already trying to make a plan of attack for the next day. “I’ll crash
on the couch in Quinn and Patrick’s room, if that’s okay. I’ve got to talk to a
lot of the staff tomorrow. I’m going to need all the charm I can get.”
* * *
For
the first time in a month, Jess slept.
She
cried first, cried more than she thought it was possible to cry, and then she
fell into bed, exhausted. She was worn out. And for the first time in more than
a month, she had nothing to do. There was no list of tasks to be completed, no
calls to make, no arrangements to finalize, no competing perspectives to be
negotiated.
At
that realization, she felt the tension slide out of her body. She pulled the
phone jack out of the wall, locked the door and turned off her own cell phone.
She put the dress back in the closet and hid it from sight. She turned out the
lights and peeled off her clothes and stood in the middle of the cottage,
feeling the cool caress of the wind.
She
crawled into bed, had time to miss Ryan’s warmth, then fell into a deep and
dreamless sleep.
* * *
Ryan
awakened to the sound of someone tapping on the door to Quinn and Patrick’s
room. His brothers were still sound asleep, so he tugged on his jeans and went
to the door. To his surprise, Jess’s mom was there, her expression worried.
“No
one told you yet, did they?” she asked and Ryan was wide awake.
“Told
me what?”
“Jess
cancelled the wedding last night.”
“What?”
Ryan stepped out into the hall, pulling the door behind him so it was almost
closed. “I know she was upset about the details going wrong, but we’re still going
to get married.”
Arlene
quickly told Ryan of the events of the previous evening and he shook his head
in frustration. “She told me and she’ll probably tell the others this morning.”
“But
we can’t call off the wedding. We’re going to get married, whether the flowers
are the right kind or not.” He frowned. “I know the ceremony is important to
her. I’ve been trying to make some things come right and take some pressure off
her.”
“Really?”
Arlene looked more hopeful.
“Really,”
Ryan said with force. “I love Jess. I want to get married. I refuse to believe
that any of this is a sign.”
Arlene
smiled. “Maybe you should tell her that.”
Ryan
met the gaze of his future mother-in-law and smiled. “That’s a great idea,” he
said and her smile broadened. He’d do just that—in the most compelling
way he could.
* * *
Chapter Four
Jess
was vaguely aware of the door to the cottage opening. She rolled over, thinking
it was one of the maids, then felt someone’s weight on the mattress.
“You
always smell so great in the morning,” Ryan murmured as he slid into the bed
beside her. He pulled her into his arms, his eyes gleaming with intent, but
Jess put her hands on his shoulders.
“What
are you doing here? I thought your mom wanted you to stay away until the
wedding.”
He
lifted one brow. “I heard there wasn’t going to be a wedding.”
Jess
felt herself blush. “I know I should have talked to you first, but I was so
upset...”
“I
know. I can understand that you talked to your mom.” He touched his lips to
hers and she relaxed at his touch. “But you could have a bit of faith.”
“Faith
isn’t going to fix everything that’s going wrong,” she managed to say before
Ryan kissed her again. When he lifted his head, she’d forgotten what she was
going to say.
“Naughty
Jess,” he whispered, his smile wicked. “I’m just going to have to remind you
how good we are together.”
Before
Jess could argue, Ryan had produced the length of blue ribbon.
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