Page 44 of The Best Man Problem
“What do ya say, sweetheart?”
Honestly? She had no idea. Half of her was screaming yes! while the other half was busy planning a way to fake her own death and run far away from this man and the terrifying feelings he stirred in her.
“Uhhhhh.”
“Why don’t you think about it and get back to me later?” he asked, amusement coloring his voice.
She swallowed, finally finding her voice. “Yes. Thank you. I just need…to think about…things.”
“Of course. But, Lilly,” his smooth voice whispered in her ear over the phone, deep and resonant as if he were in the room, in her bed, holding her in his warm, safe arms. “While you’re thinking about things, I’ll be thinking about you. And about last night.”
Chapter Thirteen
“Wow!” Lincoln stepped out of his car in front of the wedding venue. It was about a half an hour drive outside of the city in Genesee. No tall buildings or sidewalks here, nothing but a forest of dark green pines and stark leafless aspens. “This place is amazing.”
This past week had been a rush of helping Marie and Kenneth get all the last-minute details in place. Max had been fully trained and assured his bosses he could handle the coffee shop for the next week while they were on their honeymoon. Lincoln had also promised them he’d check in and make sure everything was running smoothly. It was a small favor he would gladly perform in order to ensure his best friends could enjoy their special day and the start of their new life together as a married couple.
They sure as hell deserved it.
“Hey, man.” Kenneth came strolling out of the huge log cabin Lincoln had just parked in front of. “Amazing, right?”
Lincoln stared up at the—well, it was a disservice to call the thing a simple cabin. This was no pioneer home, built to keep out the elements. This was a stunning display of craftsmanship. Architecture weaved into nature with a seamless beauty that both awed and inspired. The house loomed three stories high. Floor-to-ceiling windows covered the entire front of the structure, allowing natural light to pour in. The second floor sported a large wraparound deck where weddings took place in the summer months. Ken and Marie planned to have their ceremony inside. Good thing, too, because the wind had a bite to it.
Lincoln sniffed the air, the tip of his nose freezing slightly with the chill. It smelled damp, cold, like an impending snow.
“Don’t even say it,” Kenneth warned.
“What?”
“I saw you sniff.” His friend glanced around, lowering his voice. “The weather report said a storm was coming in over the next forty-eight hours. I’ve managed to keep Marie from hearing about it, because if she hears snow is coming, she’ll freak.”
“How are you going to keep her from seeing the flakes when they fall down?” He pointed to the sky. “Because I’m pretty sure that’s going to happen any moment now.”
Kenneth looked up with a scowl, as if he could keep the snow from falling by sheer force of will.
“I’m hoping it’ll hold off until after the wedding. It’s less than twenty-four hours away. We might get lucky.”
Lincoln laughed at his friend’s optimism. “And you might get snowed in.”
Kenneth glared at him. “Do you have to be such a pessimist?”
With a laugh, he held up his hands. “Hey, man. I’m simply being a realist.”
“Yeah? Well, I’m really hoping it doesn’t start snowing until after the wedding. A storm could ruin everything.”
“Probably shouldn’t have planned a wedding during one of the snowiest months of the year, then.”
Kenneth flipped him off. “It was the only time we could get all the family together, jerk.”
He laughed, grabbing his overnight bag and tux from the car. “For Marie’s sake, I will wish the snow to hold off.”
“Thanks.” The groom-to-be motioned to him. “Come on inside. I’ll show you to our room and give you the lay of the place before the rehearsal starts.”
He followed his friend inside, listening as the man explained about the rental Mile High Happiness had helped them secure. The eight-thousand-square-foot cabin was a full-service rental that boasted a full gourmet kitchen, a great room—where the wedding would be held—six bathrooms, eight bedrooms, and a sauna. Fancy digs.
“We’ll drop off your stuff and head to the great room,” Ken said as they entered the first floor, where half of the bedrooms and the kitchen were located. “Marie’s already there with the Mile High Happiness women. The rehearsal is in a few hours, but I think they’re doing some last-minute decorating or something.”
His friends weren’t the kind to freak out over things—they ran their own business; they knew how to deal with a crisis—but he sensed tension coming off Kenneth.
