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

19. Chapter 19

CHAPTER 19

CAITEY

I mpulsively, Caitey reached for his arm in a gesture of sympathy, then pulled back, but Marcus didn’t let her. He grasped her hand and lifted it to kiss the back of it, tenderly smiling the entire time while his eyes fastened on hers.

Caitey’s legs trembled. Wow, this man was romantic. Was he for real? Nothing like this had ever happened to her.

“I don’t want to talk about that liar and swindler or think about her ever again. Instead, I have a surprise for you.”

“A surprise?” she echoed. “You’ve already given me the best surprise of my life! I’m still reeling in shock . . .” Not to mention the feeling of his warm skin along her fingers, the moment they had just shared, his generosity in saving the wedding . . .

“Come with me.” Marcus grasped her fingers in his, laced them with his own, and led her into the shadowy kitchen.

“It’s kind of dark in here,” Caitey said. “Where’s Gus?”

“I came in the back door before I surprised you at the front. Gus is taking a break before dinner. But everything is ready, as you can see.”

Caitey peeked at the wedding cake displayed in all its glory on the large worktable. It was frosted and—

“You brought the flowers I needed for the cake, too!”

The beautiful glass wedding topper had been affixed, and the gorgeous wedding cake was ready for serving.

“Smells good in here,” Marcus murmured, studying the interior of the fridge while Caitey looked over his shoulder.

All the salads were prepped and ready for serving. The filet mignon beef was marinating on the kitchen counter and ready for grilling. A chocolate fountain was prepped and ready to be plugged in for melting—several types of fruit were sliced and wrapped in plastic to hold under the chocolate fountain waterfall.

“Wow, these rolls smell amazing!” Caitey exclaimed, glancing under the towel of a large bowl stacked with fluffy homemade rolls.

Even the dining room table had already been laid with fancy wedding china, gold-rimmed water goblets, real silver cutlery, and champagne chilling on ice.

“Gus has been mighty busy,” she said with a small laugh.

“Yeah, he’s pretty amazing.”

“What time is it?” Caity asked, whirling about to find the clock on the wall reading four-thirty. “I need to get upstairs to Jenna and see what else she needs before the wedding march begins!”

Marcus grasped her hand and led her to the table. “You need five minutes off your feet and a snack to fortify your strength. I’ll bet you never ate lunch today.”

“Oh, I had a quick one, compliments of Gus, the most amazing man with endless energy. But when I get engrossed in my work, the hours fly by, sometimes too fast.”

“When you love what you do, that’s the best part. When it’s time for camera checks, the hours disappear like magic,” he said, giving her a sly sideways glance. “It even makes me act a little weird and stalker-like when a beautiful woman comes into my binoculars’ view.”

Caitey gave him a playful slap on the arm. “You’re incorrigible, Mr. Stirling.”

“Yep, that I am!” he agreed. “Right now, sit down while I reveal my surprise.”

She gave him a quizzical look. “I can’t imagine what you’re talking about . . .”

Marcus picked up a tightly secured brown bag with a logo and set it down on the kitchen table. Then he sat beside her, pulling up a chair. “We still have a long time until dinner, so while I was in the village picking up flowers, I brought you this.”

He opened the bag and reached in to pull out a Lofty-sized Coffee Loft Styrofoam cup. When he pulled off the lid, steam curled up from the hot cocoa .

“It used to be piled high with whipped cream, mini marshmallows, and shaved bits of chocolate, but they already melted.”

“You didn’t,” Caity whispered in shock. “You brought me a gift! My favorite!”

“And . . . ta-da, one for me,” he added with a laugh. “Enjoy a few minutes off your feet.”

“Oh, yum, ” Caitey murmured when she took the first sip. “The Coffee Loft makes the best hot cocoa ever. Jenna says they have a secret recipe.”

The room went quiet momentarily while they sipped their cocoa and gazed at each other. Caitey tried not to feel self-conscious every time Marcus caught her eyes and gave that sly, sexy smile of his.

But oh, my, the man was sending alarm bells of attraction over every square inch of her skin, from her head to her toes.

“Hey,” he said after a moment, “I’m not sure I ever heard if your parents made it here.”

“They’re in a hotel in Santa Barbara. They tried to drive up this morning, but of course, they were turned away. I hope the road will be plowed by tomorrow so they can visit.”

Caitey saw genuine concern in Marcus’s eyes. “It must be strange not to have them here.”

“It is, especially when my father flew across the Atlantic for Jenna’s wedding. I haven’t seen them in over a year, not since two summers ago when I went to Portugal and spent two weeks sightseeing and shopping with my mom. At least I’m here with Jenna, my Aunt Vicki, and Uncle Alex.” She paused and stared down into her cocoa.

“Is your Coffee Loft cocoa speaking to you?” Marcus teased, reaching out to lift her chin so she would look at him. “Or maybe it’s those disappearing miniature marshmallows calling your name . . .”

Caitey laughed, swatting at his arm. “This sounds weird, but maybe it is . . . something has been nagging at my brain all day, and I can’t figure out what I forgot.” She jerked her head up when her brain clicked into gear. “The photographer! I never heard from him! We won’t have any pictures of the wedding! This is terrible!”

She ran into the dining room, where she had left her phone while decorating, and scrolled through emails, texts, and voicemails.

When she looked up again, Marcus was at her shoulder. “Any news?”

“Yes, he did call a few hours ago and left a message that he couldn’t get up the mountain. He lives in Santa Barbara and comes highly recommended.”

“You may not know this, Caitey, but I’m an amateur photographer. I’ve taken a few classes and have a good camera from my SEAL days. I’ll take the photos while the rest of you enjoy the ceremony.”

Caitey’s voice broke with emotion as she impulsively threw her arms around his neck. “You’re saving the day once more, Marcus Stirling, security man,” she said softly against his cheek. Wow, he even smelled good—all citrus musk with an outdoor scent from hiking through the forest roads.

Flustered, she brought her arms down. “Sorry for the exuberance,” she muttered, her face burning.

“Hey, I was hoping I might get a little closer to you,” he whispered, not letting her drop her hands all the way but sliding his own warm hands up along her arms to bring her closer.

Then Marcus wrapped his muscled arms around her waist and lifted her a few inches off the floor while she buried her face into his shoulder. The smell of flannel and sexy man was about to make her swoon.

“You’re strong,” she whispered into his ear jokingly.

“Nope, you’re light as a feather.”

“Um, you’d better let me down now; I hear Maggie and Gus and Reginald coming in through their wing of the house.”

Marcus gave a low growl, not wanting her to pull away. “Can’t let them catch us in a comprising position, can we?”

Caitey’s toes slipped to the floor while he kept her arms around his neck. “We are not in a comprising position. I was thanking you.”

“Don’t let that stop you. I’ll need some more gratitude later tonight.”

“Cheeky SEAL,” she retorted, smothering another surge of laughter.

When Gus and the rest of the staff entered the kitchen, Caitey was busy clearing away the hot cocoa while Marcus headed upstairs to shower and change.

“Everything looks beautiful and delicious,” Caitey told Gus.

“I aim to please,” the cook said. “I had help from Maggie here, and Reginald has been taking care of the dining room and running upstairs for the rest of the family who need various items, like extra towels.”

“I’m off to shower and dress myself now,” Caitey said. “See you in thirty for the ceremony. Well, maybe forty-five minutes!” she added with a laugh.

First, she was going to check on the bride! Knocking quietly at Jenna’s door, Aunt Vicki immediately opened it and rushed Caitey inside. “Come look at our bride!”

Jenna stood in the center of the suite, moving in circles in front of two full-length mirrors. Mrs. Hearst clapped her hands together in delight. “You look stunning, my dear,” she said softly, kissing Jenna on the cheek and then holding both of Jenna’s hands in hers. “My husband and I could not be happier that this day has finally come. Logan loves you to pieces, and you are a splendid couple.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Hearst,” Jenna whispered, smiling repeatedly at the sight in the mirrors.

“How many times must I ask you to call me Isabella, sweetheart? Mrs. Hearst is so formal. Especially after this crazy week of blizzards and having to develop a Plan B, C, and D to pull this off. ”

Caitey took Jenna’s hands in hers. “You look smashing, woman!”

“I love my dress even more today than when I purchased it,” Jenna said. Her figure suited the mermaid style with its half-train, lace, and heart-shaped bodice.

“Your hair is perfection!” Caitey said. “Wow, Mrs. Hearst, you certainly know what you’re doing. And your makeup is stunning, Jenna. You’re like a Vogue model.”

“And you are too funny, Caitey,” Jenna said.

Caitey shook her head. “Nope, you’re a princess about to marry her Prince Charming!”

“Is it true we have a minister here to perform the ceremony?” Jenna asked, still disbelieving.

“I met him myself,” Caitey told her, smiling. “He even has a terrific Scottish accent. He’s been hanging out with the fathers for the last hour or two. Your groom picked him up at his house on a snowmobile and brought him down himself.”

“Seriously?” Jenna said, clapping a hand over her mouth. “Logan is amazing. He saved the day! A few hours ago, I thought we would have to postpone it all. But there’s only one thing that still worries me.”

“What’s that?” Caitey asked. “We can make it happen !”

“ Where are we going to spend tonight? Our wedding night? We can’t get to our hotel!”

Mrs. Hearst and Aunt Vicki exchanged secret smiles.

“We consulted our genie bottle,” Aunt Vicki told her daughter, “And Isabella showed us a special guest suite on the third floor. While you showered and dressed, we were up there with Maggie preparing it for the newlyweds. You’ll have the entire floor to yourselves. And a privacy door to the stairs that lead up to it.”

Jenna’s mouth dropped open in shock, and her eyes filled with tears. “Everything is turning out perfect. Thank you, everyone, for pulling this off for me and Logan.”

“Isn’t it wonderful—” Caitey began.

Before she could finish her thought, the power in the mansion went out, and Jenna’s bedroom suite plunged into darkness.