A Winter’s Wedding (Christmas Cove #3)

Chapter 23

With two cups of cider in hand, Leo walked down the hall that led from the kitchen at the rear of America’s house to the formal parlor, which was one of the only completed rooms in her fixer-upper Victorian. He hated how long the renovation had taken so far, but they had both put far more energy into getting The Foundry up and going than they had into finishing her home. He passed the framed photos of their adventures hanging on the exposed lath board and was reminded that this was now his home too.

Even though America acquired the property before their engagement, he had somehow always known that he would live here someday. Now that they were married, he could finally move out of his trailer and into an actual house, although wishing for a draft-free structure was apparently too much to ask for at this point in his life. With The Foundry resort running smoothly and bringing in a profit, he could finally invest in making the house their home.

“What are you smiling about?” America asked as he came into the light of the fireplace. His contentment must have been showing.

Leo handed her a mug and sat beside her on the one new piece of furniture they had purchased together, a leather chesterfield sofa. She had liked it for its rich historic look, while he had liked the tobacco color that reminded him of his dad smoking his favorite cigars. Whatever their reasons, he was satisfied to let the warm leather hug him in.

“I was just thinking about how perfect this house is for us. Or it will be when we finish it,” Leo said and clinked his mug against hers. “I can just picture us sitting here, little kids running circles around a beautiful Christmas tree, hosting grand parties, and loving you more every day.” He liked the way his words excited America and blushed her cheeks.

“Is that right?” she said. “And what else have you been imagining since I saw you five minutes ago?”

“I saw us sitting by the fire and laughing ourselves to sleep, me carrying you up the stairs to our bedroom, and?—”

She stopped him with a kiss, which did less than she probably hoped to quell his musings. “I get the idea.”

“Are you ready for tomorrow? It’s going to be crazy.”

“It’s nuts,” America said. “I can’t believe we’re going to do this. Carol is a ball of nerves, and I must admit, I am too. what if Pa says no to her?”

“He won’t,” Leo said and bit back his own grin.

“Leopold, what did you do?” she said with her hand propped on her hip the way he liked.

His hands went up as though to say he didn’t do anything, but the truth was itching to escape. “I warned Pa, and he… He gave me something.” Leo walked to the foyer where his coat hung on a nail on the wall and returned with a dainty box covered in faded golden velvet. “He’s been carting this thing around since Desert Storm.”

Leo handed her the box. She hesitated, bewilderment glazing her eyes. The box creaked and opened uneasily in her fingers. “It’s a ring?” America presented the contents to him as though he hadn’t yet seen the silver engagement ring with a yellow stone propped up at the center.

“He planned to propose when he made it home from the war, but when he got back, he was met with a cold and sour version of the woman he loved.”

“And he held onto it this whole time?”

“Now you know why I had to warn him about tomorrow. Pa knows Carol is planning something romantic for him after our vows, and he wants to be ready to beat her to the punch.”

America laughed. “That sounds just like them.” America sipped her drink and stood in front of the fire. “I’m relieved that she won’t be humiliated in front of everyone, and I feel a little less guilty about keeping all of this a secret.”

“I think it will all turn out fine. We just need a good night’s rest, America Thorpe,” Leo said and watched her place her mug on the white-painted wood mantel.

She looked into the gold framed mirror hanging on the wall above the fire, and the reflection of her eyes smoldered at him, tempting him. She unpinned her hair from the top of her head, and her long dark waves cascaded down her back. She wore a blush pink satin pajama set and fluffy white slippers, and she took his breath away.

Leo stood and went to her, letting his fingers glide over the soft fabric around her back. She turned her head towards him, but her back stayed pressed against his stomach. Standing behind her, he wet his lips with anticipation. She turned her head and brushed her warm pillowy mouth across his. Reaching his other arm around her front, he encircled her waist, pulling her hips against his. Her breath caught at the tug. He moved her hair away from her neck so he could feel her jawline against his mouth, and he peppered kisses down her nape and along the line of her shoulder.

“Leo,” she whispered his name with her eyes closed.

Her little moan sent a thrill down his spine. This incredible woman was his to have and hold, and he planned on having her right now. He took her hand and led her out of the room towards the stairs, but a pounding on the door stopped them both on the bottom step. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” Leo said. “Why don’t you head up, and I’ll get rid of whoever it is.”

America pouted as she let go of his hand and climbed the steps behind him. He opened the door, and in flew a curly red-haired ball of energy, screaming excitement. “Hello, Poppy,” he said as she barely gave him a hurried side hug while pushing her way inside.

“Where is that beautiful bride?” Poppy, America’s former assistant at the magazine and all-around best friend, said. She was one of those people that he liked but couldn’t keep up with, and right now, she was poking her head into the first room. “America? Helloooo,” she sang out.

America peeked around the banister at the top of the steps, “Poppy, is that you?”

Leo nodded from where he stood like roadkill in the foyer and pointed his open hand toward the kitchen to where Poppy had gone next. “That way.”

“Sorry,” America mouthed as she ran down the stairs and flung herself around the newel post.

Poppy skipped back down the hallway toward the foyer, and Leo could do nothing but watch the two women collide into each other’s embrace. Supposing it was time for a cold shower and glass of whisky, he poked his head out the front door just to make certain there were no more surprise guests coming to ruin his otherwise peaceful evening.

It was the jingling bells and horse hooves clopping on the cobblestone road that caused Leo to walk down the front steps and brick path. Looking down the road, he shook his head at the sight coming his way. Pa stood center stage in the carriage, holding Bingo’s reins. Pa’s horse was somewhat of a town celebrity and had become a bonafide mascot in recent years. Leo wasn’t even embarrassed to consider the large animal a friend.

Leo wrapped his cardigan around his torso and approached the curb as Pa pulled up. “What’s going on?”

Pa jumped down to the street. His absence exposed a horde of men who raised their steins and shouted Leo’s name. Cam, one of Leo’s closest friends, reached out and shook Leo’s hand.

“What the heck are you guys doing here?” Leo said and shook his brother, John’s, hand. “I’m a little surprised to see you here tonight.”

“I wouldn’t want to miss this, little brother. After the year we’ve had, I hope I’ve shown you that I mean no ill towards you,” John said and pulled Leo in for a double shoulder tap bro hug. “Plus, who doesn’t like a bachelor party?”

Leo’s eyes pushed back into his brain as he grasped what was happening. His worst nightmare. “I don’t have a choice, do I? I just drove across the country with a somewhat grouchy bridezilla, got a flat tire in St. Louis, got snowed in in Buffalo, saw an empty Niagara Falls, got my credit card declined. My car was broken into, and I finally got home a few hours ago. I mean, we canceled the rehearsal tonight because we’re exhausted.”

“That’s yesterday’s problems, Leopold. Time to suit up!” Cam said.

“Yeah, we don’t care how tired you are,” Grant, the operations manager at The Foundry, said.

Alfonso poked his head around with a silly grin. “Alfonso not know what tonight is.” He held his stein and cheered towards the starry sky. “ Buona salute .”

A hand patted Leo on his shoulder from behind and he spun around on the heel of his slippers. “Paul? You knew about this?”

Paul, who clearly knew that the two were already married, leaned in, and whispered. “I got you covered.” He stood back and held up two pairs of hockey skates and a duffle bag. “Now, what are we doing standing around here?”

Grant and Alfonso, who remained in the carriage lifted their hockey sticks over their heads like trophies and shouted. “Let’s go!”

Luckily, the revelry didn’t startle Bingo, who Pa expertly led out of town. Leo had only one clue as to the evening’s festivities, hockey somewhere. In the meantime, there was plenty to drink from a mini keg of what he could only assume was one of Pa’s potions.

“You excited for the big day?” Cam asked. “I remember when Jenny and I got hitched. It was the most stressful day of my life, up until little Charlotte was born. Having a baby is a whole other world of stress.”

Leo nodded but had no time to properly answer before Grant chimed in. “My wedding wasn’t stressful, just really relaxing.”

“Maybe that was because of how hung over you were, or maybe because your bride was stressed enough for the two of you,” John joked, though he himself had never been married, and would therefore have no basis for his presumptions. Leo motioned with a swipe at his neck for John to not continue down his current thought path. John likely was not aware that Grant’s first wife had passed away not long after they were married.

“Maybe the next time will be different, and you can have all the stress you deserve,” Leo said. “Is there going to be a next time?”

Grant hesitated too long before answering, and the company went wild.

“When are you gonna ask her?” Cam said.

“Ask who what?” Alfonso chimed in.

“Thandie,” Leo said and grabbed Alfonso’s shoulders. “He’s in love with Thandie.”

As the news clicked, Alfonso’s eyes widened. “Grant and Thandie, from work? Alfonso not see this coming.”

“Because you’re always in the cucina ,” Paul said and slapped him over the back. “What about you, Pa?” Cam asked. “Got your eye on anyone special?”

“You know I’m too old for all this love stuff,” Pa said and kept his eyes trained forward on the dark gravel road. The carriage was outfitted with one single headlight that only lit twenty feet or so in front of Bingo. “And I don’t think I’m the dating type.”

“But the marrying type maybe?” Leo said, already knowing the answer.

Pa shrugged. “I’ll never tell,” he said like a peevish child, and urged Bingo forward.

Leo chuckled in his throat. Even though he was more tired than he knew was possible, he was glad to have these men in his life. As to what they were up to, he was putting the pieces together. The carriage crested the road, he knew all too well, that led to The Foundry. With all the resort guests having checked out earlier in the day, the place was way too quiet, but the large crystal chandelier hanging inside the renovated barn, shined through the two-story windows and lit the parking area.

The Harbour House was still one of his favorite places to be. America had taken on much of the design, and he hoped their home would be just as nice and peaceful when that renovation was eventually finished.

Pa pulled the carriage to a stop in front of the building. He hopped down and tied off Bingo’s lines.

“Well, men, shall the party commence?” Cam said and jumped down to the ground without spilling a drop of beer from his stein.

The word commence frightened Leo more than it should have, and he chalked it up to how tired he was. “Let’s do… whatever this is.”