Snow is Falling, Cocoa is Calling! (The Coffee Loft Series: Fall Collection)

6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

CAITEY

W ithout thinking, Caitey hurriedly scooped up the fallen photograph. It was pure instinct when someone dropped something.

Marcus was fumbling with his wallet and credit card while maneuvering the cardboard coffee tray to take back to the house for Jenna and Logan.

He took the photo without so much as a glance, stuffing it into the pocket of his slacks— not back into its place inside the wallet.

Caitey didn’t ask who the woman in the photo was, although she was dying to know. The woman was beautiful and serene, with an affluent look about her that was instantly obvious.

Perhaps it was just a glamour photo taken in a professional studio, but she was certainly gorgeous, her makeup and perfectly coiffed blonde hair flawless.

Caitey glanced up into his face, but Marcus took care not to look at her. He didn’t appear flustered, just incredibly calm and collected, despite how fast he hid the photograph .

No apparent embarrassment, but that might just be his training.

Maybe the woman in the picture was his sister . . . or a friend . . . or perhaps something more?

The late afternoon sun was lowering when she reached the Hearst Estate twenty minutes later.

Marcus pulled ahead to lead her through the gates—using a remote control device so she didn’t have to key in the code—and around to the rear gardens and double carved doors.

After parking, Caitey grabbed her purse from the front seat just as Marcus opened her car door, sweeping his hand with a flourish.

“Milady Caitey, please let me escort you.”

“You are too kind, sir,” she quipped in return, careful not to take his hand to help her disembark.

The chill in the air bit at her cheeks. The crisp, pine-scented air of the winter forest sent a tiny shiver down Caitey’s back. A comforting fireplace and the faint smell of spiced cider would be perfect.

It was November, after all, but three weeks before Thanksgiving. They were in warmer Southern California rather than the Sierra Mountains in the northern part of the state where it might already be snowing, but that didn’t preclude the possibility of chilly weather or rain, especially this time of year. Most notably in the evening hours.

The wedding was planned for late afternoon, followed by a sit-down dinner inside the mansion where they could build a roaring fire, and nobody’s teeth would chatter.

A surge of enthusiasm bloomed in Caitey’s chest. This was the fun part. Putting all the pieces of a happy wedding together.

“Let’s go inside and say hello first,” Marcus said enthusiastically, carrying the cardboard Coffee Loft tray with the drinks he’d purchased for Logan and Jenna. “Then it’ll be all hands on deck to help unpack your car. It won’t take but a few minutes.”

“Thank you, that’s very thoughtful of you, Marcus,” she said, saying his name for the first time.

Clutching her handbag, Caitey took a deep breath and walked up the granite steps while Marcus opened the double doors.

The moment she stepped across the threshold, Jenna knocked her over to give her a huge bear hug.

“You’re here at last!” Jenna cried out.

Caitey hugged her back while Jenna whispered in her ear, “I can safely presume that Marcus took good care of you?”

“Of course. We just got a drink at the Coffee Loft. Thanks for suggesting it.”

“Sooo,” Jenna drawled, taking Caitey by the arm to pull her aside the moment Marcus slipped out of the room. “What do you think? He’s very handsome, as is Logan, although you haven’t met him yet. I know I’m talking like a giddy teenager, but I am giddy with love and my wedding!”

Caitey lowered her voice so as not to be overheard, omitting the details of seeing Marcus in the woods. “Well, of course, he’s good-looking. I have eyes, don’t I?”

Jenna’s vivacious personality reflected a great passion for life. Her radiant smile lit up her face, which was framed by loose waves of blonde hair that fell around her shoulders. Her eyes, a deep shade of hazel, revealed sparks of fun and warmth, but also determination and strength.

“You smell like the Coffee Loft,” Caitey teased. “I probably do, too, although I drank a soda.”

Jenna rolled her eyes. “I love my little shop so much I swear it gets in my hair and oozes out of my skin some days. Is it that bad?”

“No, you smell cozy and sweet from all the sugar. I’ll bet you’re the perfect hostess, making superb lattes and teas while chatting up your customers with your usual flair and making everyone feel at home.”

“I do love my job, but I love my wedding dress even more!” she sang. “Can’t wait to show you,” she whispered. “Girl time later tonight. Plan on it.”

Caitey couldn’t help laughing at her.

“Come meet Logan’s parents. They own this place, but don’t be intimidated.”

“How can I not be intimidated when this entry hall is so immense and gorgeous?” Caitey whispered.

Her eyes ran along the glossy marble floors, the paintings, the thick Persian rugs, and the 15-foot carved ceiling. She leaned closer to her cousin. “When I got here, I swore I had arrived at Manderley from that book, Rebecca. The wild, tangled woods, the narrow road, the sight of the mansion house bursting onto the scene. ”

Jenna grinned. “I see what you mean. Unfortunately, we don’t have jagged cliffs overlooking the sea. That would be perfect, but there is a lovely pond behind the garages. We’ll have to walk around the estate tomorrow while we discuss all the wedding details.”

A tall woman in her mid-fifties crossed the marble floors on high heels. She had a slender figure and elegant shoulder-length silver hair styled in soft waves. Her eyes were a striking green, and she wore classic tailored slacks with a cream-colored blouse.

“Mother,” Jenna called out, rushing over to give Victoria Thornton a hug. “Look, Caitey’s here at last!”

“Caitey, darling, you finally found us on the mountain!”

“Hello, Aunt Vicki,” Caitey said, relief at finally seeing her family after such a frustrating afternoon—even if there had been a little bit of excitement with stalker guy AKA Marcus Stirling.

She glanced around the foyer and the large drawing room beyond several impressive Greco-style white columns. Sleek, polished staircases curving upward to the second floor.

Her nerves returned. She had never planned a wedding at such a lavish estate before. Caitey whipped around to see where Marcus had gone, but he’d already disappeared. That was strange. Did he usually disappear like that? She assumed he’d greet everyone along with her.

Inwardly, she was amused. Perhaps there were more of those invisible cameras to install...

She couldn’t think about the man any longer because her aunt swept her up into a warm embrace and Caitey hugged her in return. Her aunt smelled faintly of a sweet feminine musk and her fashion was impeccable.

“Here’s your father now, sweetheart,” Mrs. Thornton told Jenna. “He’s been glued to the financial channel in our suite all afternoon. Your uncle probably didn’t hear the doorbell when you arrived, Caitey, I’m sorry. I don’t think Marcus even knew that Uncle Alex had stayed behind.”

“Well, well, who do we have here? Two beautiful young ladies,” Alexander Thornton said, appearing at the foyer entrance. He kissed his daughter’s cheek before giving Caitey a warm embrace. “Hello, Caitey girl, I’m glad you made it here safe and sound.”

Alexander was in his early sixties, tall and fit, with a distinguished appearance. His beard was short and neat, and he had a thick head of salt-and-pepper hair.

“Hi Uncle Alex. How are the stock markets today?” Caitey said with a grin. He was a financial planner by trade and loved to endlessly talk about investments for his clients—or potential clients, which was everyone he met.

He winked at Caitey. “I’m telling you; I have some great portfolios right now. Stocks were booming this morning but dropped off again. I think they should have rung the closing bell three hours earlier and then we could all have had a rich good night’s sleep.”

“Perhaps it’s because East Coast time is three hours later than the West Coast,” Jenna teased her father.

“Are you ready for this wedding, my dear?” he asked his daughter, fixing her with a meaningful gaze under a shock of hair that fell over his eyes.

“Of course, Daddy, I wish it was already my wedding day,” Jenna teased back.

“Hold your horses. It’ll be here before you know it.”

“Don’t wish it too soon! I still have everything to decorate!” Caitey piped up, and everyone chuckled.

Jenna turned to her. “We need to help you unpack your vehicle! You’ve been driving for hours, all loaded down. Let me find Logan and his friend, Marcus to help.”

“You mean Marcus Sterling?” Caitey asked innocently, as if she and Jenna hadn’t already whispered about him before her aunt and uncle had appeared to greet her. “The security guy?”

“What a coincidence!” Aunt Victoria exclaimed. “How could you possibly know the man?”

Caitey blinked. “We ran into each other at the Coffee Loft.”

Aunt Vicki’s forehead wrinkled into a frown. “I’m still confused. Wouldn’t he have just been another coffee customer at the shop?”

“Well, um, he spotted me when I drove into the estate looking for everyone. After Jenna suggested I head into town for a drink, he recognized me, and introduced himself.”

“He’s Logan’s best friend in all the world,” Jenna told her. “They grew up together. Inseparable. And college roommates. Marcus Sterling is amazing.”

“Oh?” Caitey said faintly, biting the inside of her lip.

“He’d give the shirt off his back to anyone,” Aunt Vicki said. “Logan asked him if him to come out and do security during the wedding week. When you first arrived, did you happen to see him working? Nobody else was around then.”

Caitey swallowed and pressed a hand against her side. A direct question couldn’t be ignored; she certainly couldn’t lie. “I did catch sight of someone moving through the trees, but I didn’t know who it was until we bumped into each other at the Coffee Loft. He was . . . pleasant.”

She certainly wasn’t going to admit that she thought Marcus was drop-dead gorgeous. Not with both her aunt and uncle staring at her, curiosity flashing in their eyes.

“How nice is that?” Aunt Vicki said, clasping her hands together. “Fortuitous, and you had a real bodyguard to watch out for you.”

“Is that necessary?” Caitey asked. “I mean, is there danger around here?”

Her aunt’s laugh tinkled in the airy foyer. “Of course not, but since the village would have been unfamiliar, it’s nice to see a friendly face.”

He wasn’t precisely what Caitey would have called “a friendly face.” Not when he’d stared daggers at her, watching her through binoculars when she arrived.

Caitey was saved by a tall, husky man striding in from one of the hallways.

“Here you all are!” he exclaimed. “What are you doing standing around in the foyer? Come, come, and have a seat through here. My parents have been eager to meet you all! With Jenna in New Orleans and me spending so much of my time there since we got engaged, none of the parents have met in person until now. Although at the moment, Mom and Dad have disappeared elsewhere on the property.”

Logan!” she called out. “Don’t get carried away showing off the property and gardens just yet. Come say hello to Caitey—my extraordinary wedding planner and cousin!”

Instantly, Logan whipped around, strode straight to Caitey, and gave her a huge hug. “Caitey, I’ve heard so much about you! I think you’re Jenna’s favorite person in the world.”

“It’s great to meet you at last,” she said, overwhelmed at his energetic presence. Caitey could see how a woman would be attracted to him, and Jenna’s eyes were drooling with love for her groom.

Logan Hearst was in his early 30s and had a stocky athletic build. His dark hair was short but styled, and his face was clean-shaven like that of his best man, Marcus. His eyes were a hazel color that radiated kindness along with a charming smile. His jeans and pullover polo shirt were casual, as if he’d been out tinkering in the garage on his car—not living in luxury on a multi-million-dollar estate.

“I beg to differ on the favorite person in the world,” Caitey said with a smile. “I think that honor goes to Jenna’s bestie in New Orleans, Marina Cormier.”

Logan cocked his chin and eyed her in a mischievous manner. “Perhaps a tie, then. But blood is thicker than water, don’t you think?”

“You make a good point,” Caitey conceded.

Jenna leaned in conspiratorially. “Did I tell you the news? She and Wade are expecting a baby!”

“That’s wonderful,” Caitey told her. “I’m sure it’s difficult to travel, depending on how far along she is.”

“She’s six months along, but they’re determined to be here.”

Logan waved them past the magnificent row of foyer columns and into an impressive great room filled with multiple sofas and chairs, lovely carpets, and wallpapered in gold and green from the top of the snowy white wainscoting to the high ceiling.

A grand piano sat in one corner next to exquisite picture windows that filled the entire back wall, overlooking the gardens, far lawns, and trees.

Beyond the glass, Caitey spotted beautiful patios, a pergola, a swimming pool, a hot tub, a pristine white gazebo, and the flower garden she’d sat in while trying to figure out where everyone was.

She followed behind, wondering when to retrieve her luggage and unload her car. There were so many things about the wedding to discuss with Jenna.

She had never attended a private home wedding or overseen a wedding in an estate house this regal and gorgeous. It was hard not to be intimidated. At least she had Jenna, and she knew her aunt and uncle.

Well, and Marcus, she supposed. A tiny bit. But he was an enigma, and she wasn’t sure how much she could trust or rely on his help.

Jenna was such a casual, friendly, and down-to-earth owner of a simple coffee shop that seeing her here was also disconcerting. The imbalance had rattled Caitey.

That’s what came from marrying a rich man.

Would Jenna keep her shop in New Orleans? Would she move to Santa Barbara?

Caitey had so many questions it was hard to keep them to herself.

Jenna leaned closer as if she could read Caitey’s mind. “Isn’t he dreamy? Come on, he’s playing host right now, but you’ll meet my in-laws soon enough.”

“Any time for a cousin talk?” Caitey asked, giving Jenna a wink. “I only have a million questions!”

Jenna returned a secret smile. “Tonight. My room. Now follow me. I must show you the rest of the house.”

“Remember, I need to unload my car. I’m sure everything is crushed by now after all day long.”

“Of course! I get so excited about everyone arriving. We’ll get the guys to help, and it will go fast.” Jenna halted. “Hold that thought. Here come Logan’s parents now. Oh, sorry, just his mother, his father is a trial attorney in Santa Barbara and will be home later for dinner.”

A woman in her late 50s pushed through a set of double French doors from the garden side. She carried a bag of golf clubs and was wearing a beautiful pair of white slacks with a deep blue blouse.

“There’s a golf course on the property, too?” Caitey whispered.

Jenna gave a quick nod. “It was installed by the previous owners decades ago. Nine holes far behind the garages on the back acreage with bridges and a pond for golf balls to fall into,” she added with a grin. “Quite lovely.”

“We’re fanatics about golf,” Mrs. Hearst said, striding forward. “You must be Jenna’s cousin Caitey, our famous wedding planner. We’ve all been so eager to meet you.”

Jenna quickly spoke up. “Caitey, this is Mrs. Hearst, Logan’s mother.”

“Please call me Isabella, my dear. What a grand week we’re going to have, although the weather is cooling a bit now that November arrived last week. We’re spoiled living here, but at our mountain elevation, winter comes a tad early. But usually not until at least December,” she added in a stern, joking tone. “So, no worries about Logan and Jenna’s nuptials. It’s the wedding of the decade.”

Isabella Kensington Hearst’s expressive green eyes sparkled with humor. She immediately took Caitey by the hand and gazed at her with interest. “Has anyone shown you to your room, Caitey?”

Caitey shook her head. “Not yet.”

“We will remedy that immediately. Before I forget, I’m assuming you brought wedding decorations and all sorts of fun things for Jenna and Logan’s nuptials?”

“Oh yes, they’re all in my car. That blue Nissan SUV parked in the rear parking lot beside the gardens.”

Mrs. Hearst nodded. “Perfect. We will get these strapping young men to help you tout suite !” She rang a little glass bell sitting on one of the tables in the drawing room, and a gentleman in his mid-60s appeared through a side door. He wore an impeccable black suit, complete with a black tie and pressed slacks. He carried himself with the dignity of a retired military officer, and his silver hair was cut short.

“Yes, madame?” he said to Mrs. Hearst in a solemn British accent with a slight bow.

Caitey sucked in a breath, blinking at the grandeur of this moneyed estate. She stole a glance at Jenna and widened her eyes. The Hearsts actually had a butler?

In return, Jenna smiled sweetly and winked at Caitey.

Mrs. Hearst went on, “Miss Caitey, this is Reginald. He’s been with the family for decades. In fact, he’s like family. I apologize that he wasn’t here when you first arrived. It’s his day off, but we begged him to see us through the dinner hour and evening, and he’ll be with us through the wedding. Maggie, our housekeeper, will take you upstairs to your room. Reginald, will you please organize these young men to unload Caitey’s vehicle? Place all the wedding things in my study for the moment, and we’ll sort through it after dinner.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said. “Shall I require a key to get into the trunk?”

“No,” Caitey said quickly. “I left it unlocked. The back seat is full, as is the trunk. And um, the passenger seat.”

“Perfect,” Mrs. Hearst said, as Logan and Marcus appeared in the foyer again.

Reginald headed for the rear French doors, Logan and Marcus trailing behind and making jokes. At the last moment, before disappearing through the door, Marcus turned to glance behind him and Caitey’s heart jumped into her throat. What did that look mean?

His eyes on hers sent a shiver up and down her spine. Marcus Stirling was unlike any other man she had known. So strong and virile, plus confidence galore without being obnoxious. Just an hour ago, their conversation at the Coffee Loft ran through her mind like a blur. It seemed surreal now.

And that photograph that fell out of his wallet . . . Who was she? A man didn’t keep a picture of a beautiful woman without her meaning something very personal and deep to him.

And yet, he frequently tried to catch Caitey’s eye. For the present, she could not figure him out. Maybe he was trying to figure her out as well.

Caitey shook her head to get that last image of the too-handsome man out of her brain. He was attractive but not her type. Or so she tried to tell herself. Of course, the bigger question was: who was her type?

So far, the guys she’d dated at college had been mostly for fun, way too young to get serious with anyone, and all the relationships after college had ended up going nowhere.

No male had ever made her heart flutter. No man had ever made her look twice.

No man had ever stood out to her like Marcus Stirling.

Darn him anyway. Particularly since it was apparent he was already in love with another girl. He might even be engaged to that woman in the wallet.

So, she needed to ignore the guy, focus on her job, and create the best wedding ever for Jenna.