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

17. Chapter 17

CHAPTER 17

CAITEY

C aitey stood back to admire her handiwork.

The elegant cylinder glass tubes sat along the entire aisle of the chairs. She was glad Logan and Marcus had placed the arched arbor in front of the fireplace. Guests could come in the front door—if they had any actual guests—and be quickly seated with a beautiful view of the drawing room.

Maggie had polished the grand piano. Reginald had jumped in to vacuum the luxurious carpets on the elegant and expansive parquet floor.

After lunch, she had talked with Gus about food. That man was prepared for anything—a disaster, an outbreak of the flu, a run on the grocery stores—he was ready.

Caitey could smell the sweet and warm aroma of the wedding cake Gus had just taken out of the oven. Three perfectly baked layers. And now he was creating his special homemade frosting. When he’d shown Caitey his past decorating photos, she knew he was a master at just about everything in the kitchen.

The cake was going to be magnificent.

Since two deep freezers were in the large pantry, he’d pulled out fifteen filet mignon steaks when he heard about the caterer being stuck in Santa Barbara. He planned to create a beautiful spinach salad with all the trimmings and some hot vegetable dishes topped off by his famous homemade dinner rolls.

Caity unwrapped the boxes filled with tall red and white candles and began placing them inside the glass cylinders. She would light them just before the ceremony began.

She still had the linens to place on the backs of the chairs and the yards and yards of ribbon she’d brought.

She added a centerpiece on top of a lace drapery on the grand piano.

Then Mrs. Hearst showed her how to use their in-house stereo system. Everything was digital, and the massive music collection was set up so she could choose a song with the press of a button. All she needed to know was Jenna’s choice, although she had selected a few love songs to play as guests were arriving.

She needed to stop thinking about “guests” arriving. Nobody was going to make it up the mountain by dusk, that was for sure. Maybe she should have set it up for fewer people, so it didn’t look so empty when the ceremony was performed.

Maggie had been keeping Caitey abreast of the roads, the weather, and the police reports on the radio. At this point, it was just family. So, even with the household staff, there were only about eleven of them. A small, cozy group, she had assured Jenna—who she hoped was still resting!

Time continued to march on. It was almost time to shower and get dressed herself!

Reginald entered the drawing room and set the fireplace with a stack of neat, cut logs. He selected a long match and rested it against the hearth for lighting.

Caitey stared at the arbor, wishing she had brought more decorations now that they had no fresh flowers. But she had to stop berating herself. Nobody had a clue there was going to be a blizzard this week!

Just then, she heard a door open and then slam shut. Mr. Hearst took the stairs quickly, heading straight toward Caitey when he reached the bottom.

“Has something happened?” she asked.

“I have been on the phone with my secretary and some other attorneys in the area.” He paused and gazed at Caitey pensively. “The sad news is that I can not perform Logan and Jenna’s wedding. Attorneys don’t have the credentials and are not endowed with any authorization. Any judge may do so, but all the judges I know live an hour away. And with the roads . . . ”

“That means the wedding is truly off?” Caitey whispered, almost afraid to speak the words out loud.

Mr. Hearst slowly nodded. “We just have to wait for the road to get plowed and salted. Perhaps in a few more days. I hope you’re available to stick around, Caitey?” he asked.

“Of course! I promised Jenna she would have her beautiful, wished-for wedding. I kept hoping . . .”

“I, as well. Those two have been waiting a long time.”

“Well,” Caitey said, trying to maintain her composure. “We’ll eat Gus’s beautiful dinner, light the fire, and play charades?”

“Unless Jenna is weeping in her room,” Aunt Vicki said, overhearing their conversation as she entered the drawing room. “My poor daughter, it’s practically got me in tears, too. What horrible luck. Of all the years to have a blizzard in early November!”

“How is Jenna doing?”

“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 new mother-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 was no w edding. 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, it would feel 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. You went somewhere, 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?”

He chuckled, and Caitey bit her lips when she realized that she was flirting with him! No, she wasn’t supposed to like this guy! The man who pierced her with his gaze and followed her around the room with his warm, chocolate eyes.

“Miss Caitey Belgrave,” he said softly. “I have a surprise for you.”

“A surprise?” she burst out. “For me?” she added with a squeak. Now she was chirping like a bird, but she was also trying to rein in her emotions before he saw that she had been crying at today’s disaster, at the romantic love song, at everything that had gone so wrong . . .

Marcus had caught her off guard, that was for sure.

“Are you okay, Caitey? Has something happened while I’ve been gone?”

“What hasn’t gone wrong?” she said, trembling. “I wanted to give Jenna her dream wedding, but we no longer have a minister. He’s stuck up the mountain and can’t get out of his house.”

Marcus’s eyebrows shot up. “You mean Logan’s father isn’t authorized to do it?”

“No,” she whispered, blowing out a shaky breath.

“Hey, hey,” Marcus said softly, moving toward her. His face was gentle, and his eyes filled with concern as he tugged the knit hat off his head, revealing a thatch of disheveled hair that Caity was so very tempted to touch.

Before she knew it, she and Marcus stood only a foot apart while he stroked a finger across her cheek. “You’ve either been out in a rainstorm, or that was a tear I detected.”

“Oh, yeah, I wish it was just a thunderstorm,” she whispered. She was frozen, gazing at him, the bristle on his cheeks that needed shaving, his beautiful eyes looking deep into hers. The touch of his finger tenderly touching her face . . . and now his hand was cupping her cheek.

Caitey sucked in a breath and wavered on her feet. “You’re pretty good at detecting,” she added, trying to lighten the intense moment. Why was she this close to launching herself into his arms? She wanted someone to hold her and comfort her after the day’s stress. And she couldn’t think of anyone else she wanted, only this guy. This man . Marcus Stirling: Protector, Master of Security, professional at making her feel seen and cared for, especially after too many thoughtless past boyfriends.

All at once, his face broke into a smile. “Stay right where you are,” he commanded. “Don’t move.”

“What? Why?”

“Because I have a surprise for you,” he said.

“A surprise? I’m not sure I want any more surprises today. I’m ready for a nap. And, well, I’m kind of mad at you right now.”

“Mad at me? Why?”

“Because you’ve been gone for hours , and I needed help. I couldn’t find you . . .”

That wasn’t exactly true. He and Logan had set up the arbor. Both mothers had been helping Jenna with hair, makeup, and dressing. Gus had made the cake and was now frosting it. She’d found the perfect song, but the day had been incredibly stressful, and the wedding hadn’t even started yet.

Marcus reached out to lightly touch Caitey’s arm. “Today has been incredibly stressful for you—for Jenna—for everyone. You’re doing a remarkable job coming up with ideas and contingency plans. I think—I actually think you’re pretty amazing.”

Tears smarted Caitey’s eyes at the compliment. “Wow, thank you, Marcus,” she whispered.

“But right now I have something I’m dying to show you outside. So do not move a muscle ,” Marcus added with a wink.

Caitey shook her head at him, holding back the bubble in her throat. “I promise I won’t! But what are you up to? More shenanigans?”

“The best shenanigans of the day!” he announced, throwing open the double front doors. “Now close your eyes, or it won’t be a surprise!”

A blast of frigid air swept through like a cyclone. She heard Marcus step out onto the expansive entryway and return almost instantly with a cart filled with plastic bags. He halted in the doorway to the drawing room.

“What have you done?” Caitey asked softly, tempted to slit her eyelids open to see what he was doing. Right now, she was so confused that she had no idea what was happening. “The staff is going to kill you for bringing in mud and snow onto these marble floors.”

“No worries because I’m the clean-up crew.” Marcus tugged off his thick gloves, then held out his hand, grasping hers in a warm, firm grip.

The adrenaline rush and attraction toward him was like a fifty-foot wave, knocking Caitey’s senses in a thousand different directions. Her hand in his was perfection. Those fingers, the power and warmth that emanated from him, were unlike anything she’d ever experienced.

She wasn’t sure she’d ever had this strong feeling with any other man, just from holding his hand !

When she wavered, Marcus softly said, “Trust me, Caitey, my girl. You are going to love this.”

He’d called her my girl. Was that just a tease, or did it mean something more? Could he possibly feel the same explosions of chemistry between them as she was feeling?

“What are in those bags?” she finally asked.

She moved to his side as he opened the tops of each large plastic bag in the cart. Inside were flowers—bundles upon bundles of flowers—like a flower garden, bouquet after bouquet, had just sprung up from the earth below and erupted like a volcano in the mansion’s foyer.

“This is the same bridal spray that was ordered for Jenna!” she whispered, reaching out to touch the exquisite bouquet. “And these are the boutonnieres for the men. Oh, my! These bunches of roses, lilacs, and daffodils are to decorate the arbor! And the aisle and the candles and . . . everything!”

Caitey’s legs gave out from the shock. She was about to sink to the floor when Marcus put both arms around her, holding her tightly against him, his face close, his breath warm and sweet, his strength so powerful . . . “I think I might faint with shock,” she whispered.

“Go right ahead, I’ve got you,” he said softly.

“I don’t understand how you got all the flowers I ordered from the flower shop. What did you do—break in and rob it? This is like a dream!”

“I’d love to make all your dreams come true, Miss Caitey, wedding planner.”

“Now you’re shamelessly flirting, Mr. Stirling.”

“If I’m not mistaken, you’re holding on to me as tightly as I’m holding you.”

“Cheeky man!” she teased.

“I’m claiming the first dance with you, and we can dance cheek to cheek in real-time,” he teased. “Just like that song, ‘Dancin’ Cheek to Cheek’ when Fred Astaire sings it to Ginger Rogers.”

She pulled back and stared at him, a smile quivering her lips. “How do you know old songs like that?”

“My grandparents helped raise me while my mom worked full-time. We watched a lot of old movies. So, how about it? Can I sign your dance card?”

She shrugged. “I’ll save the first slot for you, but the rest of it I can’t promise. So many men are here; you might have to fight them all off.”

“You’re not wrong there. I know of two fathers, Gus and Reginald, the minister, and I’m sure after the bride and groom get done, we’ll all be dancing together.”

Caitey burst into laughter. “I suppose my dance card really will be filled up. You’ll have to meet me behind the couch later.”

“Hey, I like the sound of that.”

Caitey halted. She pressed a palm against Marcus’s broad chest. Whoa, his muscles were more defined and sculpted than she expected . . . “Wait a minute. What did you say? How would the minister’s name be on my dance card?”

Instead of answering her question, Marcus asked, “Has Logan returned?”

“Returned?” she echoed. “I didn’t know he’d been gone, too. I haven’t seen him for quite a while. I’ve been a little busy. You still haven’t answered my question about the flower shop . . .”

“Oh, yes, I got distracted . . . you do distract me, Caitey,” he said quietly. “Ever since you caught me coming out of the woods.”

She shivered at the compliment and the atmosphere pulsing between them. Vibes she had tried to ignore ever since she had arrived at the Hearst Estate.

She smiled softly at the compliments he was showering on her, but she couldn’t let him distract her any longer. “I still have one big question, Mr. Stirling. How in the world did you get past the closed roads?”

A mischievous smile lit up his entire face. “Easy-peasy. All I did was get my snowshoes and winter gear on and hike down to the mountain village. It was only three miles. If I’d had to go to Santa Barbara, I’d be walking until midnight,” he chuckled. “I called the florist and told her I was coming. Verified by Jenna’s mother so the florist would have them ready and let me hike back up the mountain with them.”

“You must be exhausted! ”

“I’ve done much more strenuous things than this. Besides, it was for a worthy cause. As best man, I have my duties, you know.”

“Oh, gosh, you—this is so amazing ,” Caitey choked, emotion overwhelming her. “Thank you.”

“The show must go on,” Marcus whispered, leaning in to press his lips against the top of her hair.

Caitey froze in place, wanting the moment to go on a little longer, but Logan appeared at the dining room doorway, another gentleman in tow. “Hey, Caitey and Marcus,” he boomed out, happiness lighting up his face. “Allow me to introduce Reverend Cecil Callaghan. He’s the man we’ve all been waiting for. I think we’re having a wedding after all!”

A burst of laughter escaped Caitey’s throat. “Okay, this is too much. Where did you find a minister at the last minute?”

“He lives three miles up the mountain. I hiked in one direction while Marcus went in the other. Just in time, too. The magic hour is fast approaching. I’m going upstairs to shower and get my tux on!”

“May I help with anything?” Reverand Callaghan said with a slight Scottish accent. “I’ve known the Hearst family for many years and have been looking forward to Logan and Jenna’s nuptials. We met together a few weeks ago. The snow was quite a surprise this morning. I called Logan and asked if he’d help me through the snow-piled roads. He got his snowmobile out, fetched me, and here we are.”

“That’s absolutely perfect ,” Caitey said with a sigh. She turned to Marcus. “Thanks to you and Logan, we are having a wedding!”