today.”
“Wait, what?” I say. “Work?”
He doesn’t meet my eyes. “Unfortunately.”
“I thought you got everything sorted out yesterday.” Everything except whatever it is that he refuses to tell me.
“I finished everything that required me to be at the office. There are still a couple of issues I need to take care of.”
“Like what?” It’s not until the words are out of my mouth that I realize how I sound—suspicious and annoyed. Hell, I am suspicious and annoyed. But my gaze flies up to Lou and Ward—both looking slightly shocked by the sudden change in this conversation’s tone—and I realize this isn’t the place to deal with this.
“Sorry,” I say, sitting back in my chair. “I just hate that you’re having to deal with this this week.” Especially since he won’t tell me a damn thing.
“I know,” Calder says, finally looking at me. “Me, too. But I hope to have everything wrapped up by this afternoon.”
I try to find the truth in his eyes, but I can’t. I know he’s being purposefully vague, and it bothers me. But am I overreacting? I can understand that he might want to keep his stressful work life separate from his home life… but for the life of me, I can’t shake the feeling that there’s something else going on here. I don’t like it.
But Calder, for one, appears to be done with this conversation. He stands and carries his empty bowl into the kitchen.
“I need to get to work, too,” says Ward, standing. “The grounds crew is coming today, and they’ll need me this afternoon.”
“I can’t wait for you to see his surprise,” Lou tells me. “You’re going to love it.”
“I hope so,” Ward says, grinning as he heads toward the door. But that smile fades when Calder reenters the room and the two find themselves in each other’s way. There’s a moment when neither of them moves—just a moment, but long enough to be awkward—and then Ward steps aside. Calder doesn’t even come all the way back to the table. He gives me an empty smile and says, “Have a good day, Lily.” His eyes move to his sister. “And you, Louisa.” Ward’s still standing there when he turns, so he’s forced to acknowledge him as well. He does so with a nod, nothing more.
I resist the urge to roll my eyes. Men.
I don’t know what’s gotten into Calder these past few days, but I’m definitely going to have to do some investigating later.
Whatever Calder is hiding, I’m going to get to the bottom of this.
* * *
It only takes an hour to drive into Barberville and pick up my wedding dress. Somehow, finally having it in my possession makes the whole wedding thing seem suddenly and intensely real .
Five days. In five short days, I’ll be Calder’s wife.
Assuming I haven’t killed him by then, of course. But there’s plenty of time to work things out. In the meantime, I can’t seem to stop staring at my dress as Lou and I carry it up the stairs to my room. The seamstress put it in one of those fancy garment bags with a sheer panel on the front, so I can admire it even though it’s safely wrapped.
It’s gorgeous. The whole thing is covered in lace from the bodice to the train. The sleeves fall off the shoulders, and the skirt flares wide in a way that makes me feel like a princess. It’s a classic, romantic dress, and I can’t wait to wear it at my wedding. I can’t wait to see Calder’s expression when he sees me in it.
But thinking of him again only reminds me of the strange way he’s been behaving these past two days. No matter how many times I try to push those worries away, I can’t fight the awful feeling in the pit of my stomach. Something is going on with him, and I want to know what.
“Don’t worry,” Lou says as we carefully remove my dress from the bag and hang it in my closet. “He won’t miss dinner.”
Her comment snaps me out of my thoughts. “What?”
“My brother. I’m making his favorite tonight. He’ll have to stop working at some
“Wait, what?” I say. “Work?”
He doesn’t meet my eyes. “Unfortunately.”
“I thought you got everything sorted out yesterday.” Everything except whatever it is that he refuses to tell me.
“I finished everything that required me to be at the office. There are still a couple of issues I need to take care of.”
“Like what?” It’s not until the words are out of my mouth that I realize how I sound—suspicious and annoyed. Hell, I am suspicious and annoyed. But my gaze flies up to Lou and Ward—both looking slightly shocked by the sudden change in this conversation’s tone—and I realize this isn’t the place to deal with this.
“Sorry,” I say, sitting back in my chair. “I just hate that you’re having to deal with this this week.” Especially since he won’t tell me a damn thing.
“I know,” Calder says, finally looking at me. “Me, too. But I hope to have everything wrapped up by this afternoon.”
I try to find the truth in his eyes, but I can’t. I know he’s being purposefully vague, and it bothers me. But am I overreacting? I can understand that he might want to keep his stressful work life separate from his home life… but for the life of me, I can’t shake the feeling that there’s something else going on here. I don’t like it.
But Calder, for one, appears to be done with this conversation. He stands and carries his empty bowl into the kitchen.
“I need to get to work, too,” says Ward, standing. “The grounds crew is coming today, and they’ll need me this afternoon.”
“I can’t wait for you to see his surprise,” Lou tells me. “You’re going to love it.”
“I hope so,” Ward says, grinning as he heads toward the door. But that smile fades when Calder reenters the room and the two find themselves in each other’s way. There’s a moment when neither of them moves—just a moment, but long enough to be awkward—and then Ward steps aside. Calder doesn’t even come all the way back to the table. He gives me an empty smile and says, “Have a good day, Lily.” His eyes move to his sister. “And you, Louisa.” Ward’s still standing there when he turns, so he’s forced to acknowledge him as well. He does so with a nod, nothing more.
I resist the urge to roll my eyes. Men.
I don’t know what’s gotten into Calder these past few days, but I’m definitely going to have to do some investigating later.
Whatever Calder is hiding, I’m going to get to the bottom of this.
* * *
It only takes an hour to drive into Barberville and pick up my wedding dress. Somehow, finally having it in my possession makes the whole wedding thing seem suddenly and intensely real .
Five days. In five short days, I’ll be Calder’s wife.
Assuming I haven’t killed him by then, of course. But there’s plenty of time to work things out. In the meantime, I can’t seem to stop staring at my dress as Lou and I carry it up the stairs to my room. The seamstress put it in one of those fancy garment bags with a sheer panel on the front, so I can admire it even though it’s safely wrapped.
It’s gorgeous. The whole thing is covered in lace from the bodice to the train. The sleeves fall off the shoulders, and the skirt flares wide in a way that makes me feel like a princess. It’s a classic, romantic dress, and I can’t wait to wear it at my wedding. I can’t wait to see Calder’s expression when he sees me in it.
But thinking of him again only reminds me of the strange way he’s been behaving these past two days. No matter how many times I try to push those worries away, I can’t fight the awful feeling in the pit of my stomach. Something is going on with him, and I want to know what.
“Don’t worry,” Lou says as we carefully remove my dress from the bag and hang it in my closet. “He won’t miss dinner.”
Her comment snaps me out of my thoughts. “What?”
“My brother. I’m making his favorite tonight. He’ll have to stop working at some
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