throat. “We’ve been talking about our reception location. I felt badly about cancelling last week.”
“Oh, please, don’t worry about it. It was—” she met Mariah’s eyes—“understandable.”
“Turns out the Hunziker Hotel is already booked on the date of our wedding. I know showing up out of the blue like this probably doesn’t work into your schedule, but I wondered if you’d mind if I showed Mariah around.”
Hope slid in, gooey and warm. She could handle being Plan B. Especially if it meant a deposit. Her own words to Harry came floating back in: “ Right when we needed it most, Dominic Laurent fell in our lap.”
And now this.
“I wouldn’t mind that at all.”
Dylan’s eyes brightened. “We’re thinking of an outdoor reception, but it’d be good to look at the guest rooms. Dining room, too. Might make a good rehearsal dinner space.”
Mariah snaked an arm through the crook of Dylan’s elbow. “My man is quite the event planner.”
Was it Autumn’s imagination, or did Mariah place special emphasis on the my ?
Dylan patted her hand on his arm. “I just want to make our special day perfect.”
Mariah eyed Autumn. “He’s always so thoughtful. I admit, I was concerned when I found out Dylan’s ex-fiancée ran this place. But he assured me things ended a long time ago.”
Autumn’s eyebrows lifted. “Uh, yes.”
“I realized I was being silly. After all, Dylan couldn’t possibly be more committed, loving. We’re like . . . Romeo and Juliet.”
Okay, honey, you made your point. “Right. Well, I—”
“There you are, Red.”
Autumn gasped, turned. Oh no, please no. Blake? How long had he been here? And why was he hurrying to her side, flashing that smug, dimpled grin, then . . .
Kissing my cheek? Warmth rushed up her neck and flooded her face.
Dylan glanced at Autumn. “Red?”
Blake pulled her close, crushing her to his side. “My pet name for her,” he practically cooed. “Between her hair and her fiery spirit, it fits, don’t you think?”
“I, uh . . .” Dylan stammered.
She felt the ribbon of muscle in Blake’s arm around her back. Too close. And he smelled like a forest, if a forest could smell so clean and . . . masculine. Oh, please . . .
“And you are . . .” Dylan prodded. Right, Dylan hadn’t moved to town until after Blake left.
“Blake Hunziker. Nice to meet you.” Blake ran his hand up and down her arm. And she was torn between pulling away and . . . What? Snuggling up? You are not enjoying this . You are not enjoying this. You are not—
She met Blake’s eyes, read the “play along” in his wink. “Yes, uh, yes. This is Blake. Blake, meet Dylan Porter.” Such a bad idea.
“Oh, the ex-fiancé.”
He knew? Betsy must have said something.
“Well, thanks for leaving Red here for me.”
“I wasn’t the one to—” Dylan froze midblurt as Mariah shot him an accusing glare.
Blake’s hand stilled on her arm. Ha, so he didn’t know everything.
“Well, Dylan and Mariah, please feel free to look around at your leisure. I’ll have Harry open up a couple rooms upstairs. Look around the yard, too.”
Dylan glanced once more at Blake, then her. “Thanks.”
Mariah only nodded. Harry stepped in then, gesturing toward the staircase. Only when they’d started up did Autumn yank away from Blake. “ What was that ?”
“Good acting. Just making sure I haven’t lost my touch since Randi Woodruff.”
She’d have pinched that grin right off his face if she could have. If a pathetic piece of her hadn’t halfway enjoyed the past three minutes. She folded her arms. “Who knows what Dylan thinks now?”
“I wasn’t acting for Dylan. It was for the snarky blonde. Romeo and Juliet? Do you think she even knows how that ended?” He took a step closer, peering down at her. “Besides, tell me you didn’t get a kick out of the surprise on both their faces.”
“Don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Say
“Oh, please, don’t worry about it. It was—” she met Mariah’s eyes—“understandable.”
“Turns out the Hunziker Hotel is already booked on the date of our wedding. I know showing up out of the blue like this probably doesn’t work into your schedule, but I wondered if you’d mind if I showed Mariah around.”
Hope slid in, gooey and warm. She could handle being Plan B. Especially if it meant a deposit. Her own words to Harry came floating back in: “ Right when we needed it most, Dominic Laurent fell in our lap.”
And now this.
“I wouldn’t mind that at all.”
Dylan’s eyes brightened. “We’re thinking of an outdoor reception, but it’d be good to look at the guest rooms. Dining room, too. Might make a good rehearsal dinner space.”
Mariah snaked an arm through the crook of Dylan’s elbow. “My man is quite the event planner.”
Was it Autumn’s imagination, or did Mariah place special emphasis on the my ?
Dylan patted her hand on his arm. “I just want to make our special day perfect.”
Mariah eyed Autumn. “He’s always so thoughtful. I admit, I was concerned when I found out Dylan’s ex-fiancée ran this place. But he assured me things ended a long time ago.”
Autumn’s eyebrows lifted. “Uh, yes.”
“I realized I was being silly. After all, Dylan couldn’t possibly be more committed, loving. We’re like . . . Romeo and Juliet.”
Okay, honey, you made your point. “Right. Well, I—”
“There you are, Red.”
Autumn gasped, turned. Oh no, please no. Blake? How long had he been here? And why was he hurrying to her side, flashing that smug, dimpled grin, then . . .
Kissing my cheek? Warmth rushed up her neck and flooded her face.
Dylan glanced at Autumn. “Red?”
Blake pulled her close, crushing her to his side. “My pet name for her,” he practically cooed. “Between her hair and her fiery spirit, it fits, don’t you think?”
“I, uh . . .” Dylan stammered.
She felt the ribbon of muscle in Blake’s arm around her back. Too close. And he smelled like a forest, if a forest could smell so clean and . . . masculine. Oh, please . . .
“And you are . . .” Dylan prodded. Right, Dylan hadn’t moved to town until after Blake left.
“Blake Hunziker. Nice to meet you.” Blake ran his hand up and down her arm. And she was torn between pulling away and . . . What? Snuggling up? You are not enjoying this . You are not enjoying this. You are not—
She met Blake’s eyes, read the “play along” in his wink. “Yes, uh, yes. This is Blake. Blake, meet Dylan Porter.” Such a bad idea.
“Oh, the ex-fiancé.”
He knew? Betsy must have said something.
“Well, thanks for leaving Red here for me.”
“I wasn’t the one to—” Dylan froze midblurt as Mariah shot him an accusing glare.
Blake’s hand stilled on her arm. Ha, so he didn’t know everything.
“Well, Dylan and Mariah, please feel free to look around at your leisure. I’ll have Harry open up a couple rooms upstairs. Look around the yard, too.”
Dylan glanced once more at Blake, then her. “Thanks.”
Mariah only nodded. Harry stepped in then, gesturing toward the staircase. Only when they’d started up did Autumn yank away from Blake. “ What was that ?”
“Good acting. Just making sure I haven’t lost my touch since Randi Woodruff.”
She’d have pinched that grin right off his face if she could have. If a pathetic piece of her hadn’t halfway enjoyed the past three minutes. She folded her arms. “Who knows what Dylan thinks now?”
“I wasn’t acting for Dylan. It was for the snarky blonde. Romeo and Juliet? Do you think she even knows how that ended?” He took a step closer, peering down at her. “Besides, tell me you didn’t get a kick out of the surprise on both their faces.”
“Don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Say
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