Loving Reese (Tremont Lodge Series Book 2) Read online

  “I really think everything looks good, guys. We’ll walk through the ceremony with your wedding party tonight. All the details you asked for will be finalized by ceremony time tomorrow. See you later.” I get up to leave, but Samantha stops me when she puts her hand on top of mine.

  “Wait! We haven’t discussed the music at tonight’s dinner.”

  “Music?” I ask. Anthony looks as confused as I do.

  “Yes, yes. I want music at our rehearsal dinner party at the restaurant.”

  “Our Winter Haven band doesn’t start until 10:00.” I say.

  “That’s okay. I only need a guitar and a voice.” She locks eyes with me in a throwdown challenge, but I am prepared.

  “No problem. You’ll have music,” I say.

  “Guitar player,” she repeats as if I am stupid.

  “I got it. Have a nice afternoon.” As I walk out the door, I make a mental note to call Mona, the back-up guitarist from Tremont City. She’ll be perfect, and Finn will be with me. Problem solved. Only, it’s too bad I won’t be there to see Samantha’s reaction when it’s Mona strumming the first notes to some old love song and not Finn.

  I drop the wedding planning binder off with Marge and practically skip out of the lodge across the lawn, relieved to be through with the wedding meeting and one hour closer to being done with work for the day. When I check in with Jeremy at the rec office, he tells me that everything has slowed down because of the heat and that I can go home for the day before the evening shift employees come in. I could kiss him, I am so happy, but then being kissed by your almost-boss might kind of freak him out, so I settle for a handshake, which is just weird all the way around, but who cares? I lasted another day at Tremont Lodge without any major catastrophes. Maybe I am stronger than I think I am.

  I wave goodbye and open the door of the rec office to leave when Jeremy calls out. “Hey, wait, Reese! I forgot. Some guy called earlier looking for you. He said to give you a message.”

  I freeze, the handle slipping out of my hand sending the door slamming shut. I turn around to face Jeremy. “What did he say?” I ask.

  “He said that he is sorry he missed you today and has a surprise waiting for you tomorrow.” I feel the blood rush from my face as my hands start to tingle. “Reese, are you okay?”

  All I do is concentrate on breathing. I imagine the lapping waves of Lake Michigan coming in…and going out…coming in…and going out until my hand stops shaking and I can see more clearly. I am a freaking fool. “When did he call?” I whisper.

  “Soon after you left for your meeting,” he says.

  “Did…did he leave a name?”

  “No. Sorry, I didn’t think to ask. Honestly, at first I thought it was Finn, but when I asked him if it was him…”

  “You said Finn’s name?” I ask.

  “Yeah—I don’t understand, Reese. Is some creep bothering you?”

  “N…no. It was probably my brother or something. He might come for a visit soon. But, uh, Jeremy, if he calls again, don’t tell him—just tell him to leave a name. Thanks.” This time as I walk across the lawn in the direction of the dormitory, I don’t feel light and happy. I am scared, and not knowing what you are scared of is the scariest feeling of all.

  Chapter 6:

  Tinley is wearing her bra and underwear when I walk into our room. I have never been so grateful to see a familiar face. “Hey, sunshine,” she says as I lie down on my bed after kicking off my heels.

  “Hey,” I say.

  “Rough day?”

  “You have no idea, but I don’t want to talk about it.” Tonight is Tinley’s big night with Murphy. She doesn’t need it ruined by worrying about me, and though Tinley is one of the most self-centered people I know, she also has room in her compassionate heart for me, and this isn’t the time to occupy that space. “What are you wearing for the big night?”

  “Well, you tell me. I can’t decide.”

  “This is a first,” I say, sitting up to look at the assortment of clothes, all with new tags, that litter her bed. “Are you going for the sexy diva angle or the wholesome temptress look?”

  “Is that all these choices are saying to you?” she asks.

  “Kind of. No offense. I mean, I know it’s hotter than hell out tonight, but maybe you should show a little less skin if you’re taking yourself off the market and committing to one guy for the rest of your life.”

  “Oh my…” Tinley sinks to her bed, wrinkling the clothes beneath her. “One guy…it sounds so permanent.”

  “That is kind of the purpose of marriage, Tinley.” I laugh, but Tinley sits stone-faced. “You don’t have to do this. Who cares what your parents think? You shouldn’t marry or not marry Murphy to prove a point to them. You’re twenty-one years old. You should marry because you’re in love with Murphy and can’t think of spending another minute without him.” I laugh. “I guess maybe I read a few too many fairy tales when I was little. Sorry.”

  “No, Reese, you’re right. I’ve been thinking so much about shoving my relationship with Murphy in my parents’ faces that I’ve lost sight of how much he means to me. No one has ever made me feel the way Murphy does. Sure, he follows me around like a puppy, but he’s also assertive when I need him to be and won’t let me get away with crap. Why would I want to marry anyone else? Thanks, Reese.” Tinley hugs me so tight I feel like I’m suffocating.

  “Maybe you should put some clothes on before someone walks in and gets the wrong idea.”

  “Ha! You’re so funny. I know exactly what to wear.” She stands up and pushes the hangers out of the way, pulling out a short purple dress. She slips into it and admires herself in the mirror, every bit of her perfectly toned body being held in place by the band-aid dress, though to Tinley’s eyes she looks virginally conservative and angelic because her shoulders are covered. I suppose she wouldn’t be Tinley without a skewed view of reality. “Well, what do you think?” she asks, spinning around in front of me?

  “Perfect, Tinley,” I say. She wrinkles her face. “No, really, you look beautiful.”

  “Thanks, doll. Now, tell me why the sad face when you came in. Ted cracking the whip too hard?”

  “No, it’s not that—at least not today.” I lean against the wall next to my bed and scrunch up my pillow, clinging it to my chest.

  “Then what? Come on, spill.”

  “There’s just some weird stuff happening. I suspect Lawson is behind it, but I can’t prove it.”

  “What weird stuff?” She sits in the new polka-dot arm chair she bought me for her going away gift a couple of days ago. She’d said, Reese, you need to spruce this place up, and without me here, you’ll be even more in dire need of fashion help.”

  I sigh. “First it was some weird texts that said stuff that indicated I was being watched or something, and then today Jeremy told me some guy called the office and said he looks forward to seeing me tomorrow.”

  Tinley’s eyes get as large as my grandmother’s saucers she used with her morning teacups. “That is beyond creepy! You have to tell someone.”

  “I am—I’m telling you.”

  “But I can’t do anything. You have to call the cops.”

  “And what will they do? No one has approached me or hurt me or anything like that,” I say.

  “Not yet!”

  “Thanks, Tinley. I knew I could count on you to put things in perspective.” I throw the pillow back on the bed and get up. “I need to take a shower and get ready for Finn’s show. Then I have that stupid wedding rehearsal.”

  “It’s our last night together!” Tinley wails.

  “I only need to be at the rehearsal for an hour. I’ll be at the party by 9:15. Count on it.”

  As I walk into the bathroom, I hear Tinley yell. “No tank tops! Wear something cute!” It’s good to have some normalcy to my day. I’m really going to miss my roommate.

  I pull my hair into a high knot on top of my head which serves two purposes. It keeps me cooler in this heat and hu
midity, and it looks chic—or at least like something that Tinley and Finn will approve of. Then I slip on an orange and white striped tank top and a white ruffle skirt. Finn loves it when I wear skirts, and it makes me feel sexy.

  I check my phone before I leave the room. No new messages. Maybe this day will turn out okay after all. Finn is warming up off-stage when I walk onto the lawn. All of the chairs are still filled for the magician’s show. He is wrapping up his show with magic balls that appear to be floating in the air. You’d think as long as I have been here this summer, that I’d have learned his secret…or his name for that matter. Sometimes I’d like to disappear. Maybe he could help.

  “Hey, beautiful,” Finn says, grabbing me from behind and turning me to face him. He whispers into my hair, “You are driving me crazy with that skirt.”

  I feel tingly inside, and it drives me crazy, too. “You don’t look so bad yourself. Dressing up for the last Saturday show of the season?” I admire Finn’s v-neck red, form-fitting t-shirt and khaki cargo shorts with tan flip-flops. Maybe it’s his Sea Breeze cologne that completes the ensemble and makes me want to kiss him right now in full view of his admiring fans. But he finds my lips first, his hands encircling my waist and pulling me close enough to his body to feel the heat radiate between the two of us.

  “You do know we’re being watched, don’t you?” I ask, pulling away to study his deep green eyes.

  “That makes it a little more exciting, doesn’t it?” Then I remember the text messages and wonder if we’re being watched by the deliverer of those messages right now, and I pull away. “What’s the matter?” Finn asks, concerned.

  “Nothing…I…I just…let’s finish this when we’re alone. I’m not so sure I’m as much of an exhibitionist as you.” I give him a slight smile to satisfy his concern and reward him with a kiss on his cheek. “You better get ready. Break a leg up there. I’ll catch the first half, go to the wedding rehearsal, and meet you by the pool at 9:15 so we can go to the party together, okay?”

  “Actually, can you meet me at the party? Murphy has a surprise for Tinley that he wants me to help him with.”

  “Oh no!”

  “What?”

  “Uh, nothing. I just think it might be a night with many surprises,” I say, wondering if Murphy’s surprise will compliment or harm Tinley’s proposal.

  “Then make sure you save at least one surprise for me,” says Finn. He kisses the top of my head, and I walk away to find a place to sit to watch the man of my dreams serenade me with love songs. I was so stupid to let Samantha get in my head or anyone else for that matter. Focusing on the positive is what I need more of in my life.

  When Finn sings Brown-Eyed Girl, his song for me, I know it’s my cue that he’s moving from his set of love songs to current pop hits, and also my cue that I need to move on to the wedding rehearsal. Luckily, I don’t have far to go as the wedding will take place tomorrow afternoon on the north side of the lawn, outside the reception ballroom. Currently there are one hundred fifty chairs set up along two sides of the grass aisle. A trellis with white gardenias woven through the top sits at the end of the aisle where Samantha and Anthony will speak their vows. I can’t help but think how awesome it would be for Finn and me to speak wedding vows there someday ourselves, and how ironic it would be to continue to make huge life choices that involved my presence at Tremont Lodge despite its tragic role in my past. I guess the lodge is becoming much more to me than just a place. It’s weaving itself into my life in ways I’d never expected, and I’m not sure if I can ever separate from it again.

  The wind picks up and knocks over a chair in the back row, which brings me back to reality, reminding me that dreams don’t always come true as planned, and that includes pulling off my first wedding as the acting director of social events when there is a 50% chance of pop-up thunderstorms during the afternoon.

  “There you are!”

  Samantha. She stomps in my direction, her two inch heels sinking into the grass. I suppose our landscaping can be helped by her natural aerating of the grass. I smile despite the sour look on Samantha’s face. “I’m right on time and sooooo looking forward to this rehearsal,” I say, exaggerating my smile, but she doesn’t seem to notice.

  “I wanted bows at the end of every other row of chairs. There are bows on every end chair.”

  “No problem. I will simply remove the extra bows.” Seriously, bridezilla is not even a strong enough word to describe this girl. What did Finn ever see in her besides her large, perky breasts and long legs to die for? I suppose she’s intelligent enough but what a bitch.

  “See, Sam, I told you it would all work out.” Anthony puts a hand on Samantha’s shoulder and squeezes. She doesn’t move away but doesn’t seem to relax, either.

  She turns toward Anthony instead. “We are paying a lot of money to host our wedding here at this puny little resort. The least they could do was to get things the way we requested. Without guests like us, they wouldn’t have two legs to stand on.”

  Anthony raises his eyebrows in shock and looks at me to see if I’m wincing in pain at her rude comments, but I am not. I find this interchange quite humorous to watch, actually. “Darling, you always spoke so highly of Tremont Lodge and the many memories you formed here over the years. What’s changed to have gotten you this upset?”

  Samantha starts crying. “N…nothing. Ev…everything. It’s just not the same anymore.”

  She looks up at me. Our eyes lock, and I do the first thing that comes to mind: smile. “Well, it seems as if the rest of the wedding party is here. Let’s start rehearsal, shall we?”

  Anthony directs Samantha to the patio behind the chairs where he leaves her with the bridesmaids. I then send him and his five groomsmen to the front of the trellis where they will wait for the women to walk down the aisle. After a brief conversation with the minister, the rehearsal gets under way without a hitch. In fact, Samantha is even smiling a little when she and Anthony walk down the aisle together after having been pretend-introduced as Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Warren. Poor Anthony. I suppose his gold-digger radar is in need of a recharge, but I’m sure as hell not going to be the one to plug it in.

  “Well, it looks like everything is set,” I say to the wedding party that is gathered on the patio now. “Be here by 1:00 tomorrow. Just as a reminder, there are two rooms off of the ballroom for you to get ready tomorrow—one for the ladies and one for the guys. If you don’t want to be seen, wait in those rooms until the ceremony is ready to begin.” I point toward the ballroom. “And we’ll move the chairs in there if a storm pops up.”

  “If a storm ruins my day, you will be sorry you ever took this job,” Samantha hisses under her breath, but loud enough for everyone to hear her. Even the bridesmaids look shocked.

  “Samantha!” says Anthony.

  “What? Why is everyone staring at me? I deserve everything I am paying for.”

  “Actually, you mean what I am paying for.”

  “Anthony!” It is Samantha’s turn to be shocked. “I…you know…hmph!” Then she plows off in the direction of the lodge.

  Anthony turns back toward me. “Forgive her. She has the wedding jitters. That’s all.”

  I shake my head like I understand, but it’s really for Anthony’s benefit. “No worries. I’m sure she’ll feel better once the guitar player starts singing during dinner at the restaurant. Music is good for the soul. See you tomorrow everyone.” I can’t help but smile as I walk across the lawn in the direction of the chair lifts which will take me away from the craziness of this wedding and this day and one step closer to Finn and all of my friends who bring sanity to my life. My only regret is that I can’t catch Samantha’s face when she sees Mona on that stage tonight instead of Finn.

  “What’s so funny?”

  I jump, startled by the voice behind me as I near the chair lifts in the clearing behind a row of evergreen trees behind the dormitory. “What?” I turn to see Lawson quickly walking in step beside me.

&
nbsp; “You were laughing. What’s so funny?”

  “Nothing, Lawson. Are you stalking me or something?”

  “Why on earth would you say that? How about hello?”

  “I know what you’ve been doing to scare me, and it’s not working.” I throw my finger close to his face for extra effect. “Stay away from me and Finn, and quit sending messages.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “You know exactly what I am talking about.” A couple walks past us and takes the next chair lift up the mountain. We stand there staring at the empty chairs coming down.

  “Come on. Let’s share a ride.”

  “I am not riding with you,” I say through clenched teeth.

  “You know,” says Lawson, moving close enough for me to feel his hot breath on my skin. “Maybe I should be the one who is afraid. It was your mother who pushed my mother off that ski lift, and we all know it’s the truth. You may be no different.”

  I feel the warmth transferring to my cheeks, and I feel dizzy at the mention of my mother. Breathe in. Breathe out. “You…are…an…asshole.”

  “I know.” His shoulders sink as he slips onto the next chair. “But ride with me anyway.”

  I sit down without considering my actions. We ride silent before I look at him. “You didn’t send those messages, did you?”

  He eyes soften when he looks at me. “Reese, I don’t have any idea what you are talking about. I promise. I’m just trying to get my life together, and it’s a struggle.”

  I swallow before speaking. “Do what you’re supposed to do for Ted. Take care of yourself. Just be nice. That would be a great start.” He shakes his head and takes a deep breath.

  “I’m not the dick everyone thinks I am.”

  “It’s going to take some time before I can believe that, but I hope you’re right.”

  We reach the top of the mountain. Before I jump off to look for Finn, Lawson leans closer and kisses me on the cheek. “Thanks, Reese.” He walks in the direction of the bar, and I wonder how long the human Lawson will be around tonight once he starts drinking. Still, it’s nice to know he hasn’t left completely.