The Baker, the Bodyguard, and the Wedding Bell Blues Read online

  “Really, what’s the worst that happens? We serve quiches that need air quotes because they don’t really contain any eggs—the primary ingredient in quiche, by the way—to our guests? At least, I assume raw quiches don’t actually contain any egg, because if they do, yuck. Am I right? Yuck.” Jesse glanced back and forth from Cassie, who stood biting her bottom lip and looking a bit uncertain, to Zach. He calmly rubbed Jesse’s arms and steadied her.

  “They’ll come up with something, Jesse. It might not be our first choice of everything, but I’m sure they can come up with a beef, chicken, and fish selection that our guests will love. No one ever remembers what they put on the RSVP card for these things anyway. It’s not like your mom’s going to remember that the fish selection should have been salmon and not something else if we have to make a last minute change.”

  Jesse nodded and let out a breath. “You’re right. Absolutely. If we need to change the menu, we change the menu. Not the end of the world.” She looked to Cassie who simply nodded, but the expression on her face seemed more hopeful desperation than confident support. Jesse looked back to Zach. She’d do better to focus on him for reassurance right now.

  “Jesse,” Amanda said, approaching with more than a bit of wariness. This was not what Jesse needed at the moment. She wanted confident troubleshooting, not nervous, apologetic looks. “We were able to get everything we need. Almost. Sort of.”

  Chef Allard stepped forward and Jesse was happy to see him looking more assured than Amanda had. “They were not able to do enough filets to fill your order and unfortunately, they can’t substitute with a strip or a rib-eye either. But I can do sirloin instead and we have what we need to do the chicken and salmon. I know it’s not exactly what you wanted,” he said, sparing a glare at Amanda who had the decency to look guilty, because, after all, there was a long line of difference on the scale between sirloin and filet mignon, “but I think you’ll be pleased with the meal.”

  Jesse nodded. So, it wouldn’t be what they wanted—not even remotely given the vast difference between a filet and sirloin—but the truth was her friends and family weren’t likely to care. And, she’d tasted Chef Allard’s food several times. She was confident he could work wonders with any cut of meat.

  “Good. Sounds good. Let’s do the sirloin.” She let her eyes meet Zach’s and found him smiling at her. She wouldn’t let a crazy high-heel accident and a mix up in the kitchen ruin their wedding. She’d just stay calm through Saturday when she could finally marry the man she loved.

  Chapter Two

  Zach grinned as he watched his bride-to-be after dinner that night. She could have easily flipped out and pitched the royal fit of all fits after spraining her ankle and then discovering that the resort had messed up their wedding dinner plans, but she hadn’t. She’d taken it in stride, and he loved her for that. Now, after dinner with their family and friends, he got her settled in once again by the lobby fire, her sore ankle resting in his lap, as a few of their friends took seats around them.

  “Are Kelly and Jack coming down?” Jill asked as PJ and Gabe walked up beside the couches.

  “No. Kelly wasn’t feeling well so they went up to their room early,” Jesse answered, drawing a concerned frown from Jill.

  PJ took that moment to chime in. “And, I’m afraid we’re going to do the same thing, guys. We just don’t seem to have caught up on our sleep from the long flight back from New Zealand, and we want to be fresh tomorrow so we can spend more time with everyone.”

  Jesse smiled at her friends. “No worries, guys. We understand. Get some rest and we’ll see you guys tomorrow.”

  When the couple walked off toward the elevators after a quick round of goodbyes, Jesse snuggled against Zach on the couch. He really wouldn’t mind heading up to her room soon either. It had been a long day. There was definitely something to be said for getting some rest before the wedding festivities really kicked in with the arrival of the rest of their family and friends and the rehearsal dinner the following day.

  “I can’t believe it’s finally here. It seems like you’ve been planning this weekend forever, Jesse,” said Jill as she sat in one of the overstuffed armchairs by the giant stone fireplace. Her husband, Andrew Weston, situated the stroller holding their sleeping twins near them before sitting on the arm of the chair. Andrew and Jill were really closer to Kelly and Jack, since Jack and Andrew were best friends. However, during the course of opening and running her bakery in the lobby of the Sutton Capital building, Jesse and Zach had gotten close to not only Jill and Andrew, but also Chad and Jennie and PJ and Gabe. Chad and Gabe both worked in the building and Jennie and PJ came by for lunch at the bakery quite often.

  Zach grinned at Andrew and Jill. “Trust me, it feels like forever on our end, too. But, Jesse’s been busy getting the bakery up and running.”

  Jesse chimed in. “We figured out pretty quickly after I finished school, we could rush it and go with something really simple down at the courthouse, or we could put things off and have the wedding we wanted.”

  Andrew shook his head, but his smile was teasing. “You mean the wedding you wanted. Let’s face it, it’s always the woman with the big dreams and childhood fantasies of a princess wedding that have to be fulfilled. Zach would have been just as happy with a courthouse ceremony.”

  Zach laughed as Jill elbowed Andrew in the gut. “I want whatever the love of my life wants.”

  “Hey!” cut in Jesse with a mock scowl on her face. “You were just as excited about finding the perfect orchids for the table settings as I was.”

  Zach watched Jesse try to keep a straight face, but she lost it and those dimples he loved came out in full force. “Okay, in fairness, I am happy we’re doing this up here in Stratton with everyone. We have so many good memories up here already.”

  “Aw, you big sap,” said Jesse as she smiled at him. It was about as sentimental as he was likely to get over the proceedings, at least publicly. Men.

  They had both been excited when they came up with the idea for holding the wedding up on Stratton Mountain. Jack and Kelly, Chad and Jenny, and Andrew and Jill were co-owners of some property up on the mountain with several of their other friends. They all spent a lot of time up here and had already built a lot of fabulous memories up here together. Holding their wedding in the center of it all seemed natural.

  “I heard we narrowly escaped Brussels sprouts and mushrooms for your wedding dinner,” Andrew said with a laugh. He had warned Jesse and Zach to expect at least one thing to go wrong for the wedding and Zach hoped they’d already gotten their bad luck out of the way.

  “They were able to salvage things, so you’ll all be getting cooked food for your meals. It might not be the exact thing you ordered on your RSVP card, but you’ll get something that met a flame or heat at some point before crossing your plate,” Zach said.

  Andrew shrugged. “We’re good with anything. Trust me. When you look back on this weekend, what you served or didn’t serve will be a tiny blip on your radar.”

  “What was your one thing?” Jesse asked Andrew.

  Jill smiled. “Oh, for us, the D.J. didn’t play our first dance music at the right time. Just as our wedding planner was ushering us to the plates of food she’d had made for us to try to ensure that we got a chance to eat, we heard our song start to play. We were so caught off guard that we missed half the song before we got out there. Looking back, we should have just ignored it and told her to play it later or had her stop and start it again, but Jack’s right. In the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t a big deal.”

  Zach laughed. “I don’t remember anything happening at Jack and Kelly’s reception when they renewed their vows.”

  “That’s because only a few of us knew about it. The morning of their wedding, the florist called. Their refrigerators had malfunctioned overnight and all of the flowers were frozen. The table settings, the bouquets, boutonnieres, all of it. Completely ruined. Jack and Kelly had to run over and pick out all new stoc
k from what the florist had in the refrigerators that hadn’t gone haywire.”

  “See. You guys didn’t even know it had happened, and even though it definitely added stress to their day, looking back, it’s just a little blip. Not a major deal. I bet when they celebrate their twentieth anniversary, they’ll be wracking their brains to try to remember what went wrong that day.”

  Jack walked up to the group as Andrew was telling the story and claimed a spot on the couch before picking up the conversation without missing a beat. “That’s because, honestly, nothing went wrong. I married the woman of my dreams and began building a life and a family with her. What could be wrong about that?”

  “Speaking of your wife, is she feeling better?” Jill asked.

  “Yes,” Jack nodded and crossed his legs. “She’s lying down. I think she’s just worn out from packing everything up for the trip and then chasing after Maddie. Maddie can be kind of a whirlwind after a long car ride.”

  Before anyone could comment, one of the men sitting on the couch behind Jack’s couch turned and addressed the group as if he’d known them all for years. “My wife’s wedding dress was ruined three hours before the ceremony,” he said, a heavy New Jersey accent letting them know he wasn’t from the immediate area.

  Jesse gasped. “How did that happen?” Not only was her group of friends focused on the man now, his group was watching him, waiting for the story. A few of them laughed and Jesse guessed they either must have been there for the wedding disaster or had heard the story in the past.

  The man was clearly a storyteller at heart, turning to look at his group then back to them with a grin. “We didn’t have a lot back then, so we was getting married up at her aunt’s house on the lake. My wife gets up there with her dress and her bridesmaids and they’re all getting their bags and stuff in the house to get ready. I’m over at the hotel getting dressed when I get this frantic call. My wife put her dress down on the top of the Jacuzzi tub on the back deck while she’s trying to get the door unlocked. She didn’t know the top of the tub wasn’t all that strong. She hears her maid of honor screaming and turns to see her dress soaked in water and sinking into the tub. Whole thing’s ruined.”

  “I can’t even imagine that,” Jill said as similar sentiments came from everyone else’s mouths at almost the same time.

  “What happened?” Jesse asked, suddenly feeling better about her circumstances. Honestly, it wasn’t the end of the world if Zach had to walk her down the aisle in his arms and the chef was serving sirloin instead of filet.

  Their new friend laughed and shrugged a shoulder. “Her aunt took her over to a bridal shop and she picked a dress off the rack, they did some emergency sewing or fitting or whatever you call it. She was disappointed she didn’t get to wear the dress she’d picked out and dreamed about for a year, but,” he shook his head and whistled, “I gotta tell you, she looked beautiful to me. Looked like a princess coming down that aisle. My very own princess.”

  Jesse smiled. She knew Zach wouldn’t care what she wore on their wedding day and it warmed her heart to hear this man talk about his wife with such clear love. “Is your wife with you on this trip?”

  He laughed and nodded. “We make this trip every year. The wives go antiquing, finish their Christmas shopping, and spend a little time in the spa, while the guys and I hold a few business meetings.”

  “What kind of business are you in?” Jack asked.

  “We own a few things here and there,” their new friend said with a collective look at the rest of the men around him. “Mostly shoe stores nowadays. Some kiosks with those, you know, those accessories and stuff. Mall kiosks with sunglasses, cell phone covers. A few other things here and there, but mostly shoes nowadays.”

  Jesse glanced around wondering if she was the only one having a Jimmy Gandolfini moment. She had never heard a more mob-like “little of this and a little of that” answer in her life. Well, not one that hadn’t come from a movie or a television.

  Their new friend, who she’d now named Jimmy in her head, nodded to Jesse. “You’re the bride-to-be?”

  Jesse smiled and nodded as Zach took her hand.

  “When is the big day?” one of the other shoe guys asked.

  “Saturday,” Zach answered, kissing the back of Jesse’s hand. She still got goose bumps at the gesture. She knew it would always be that way. Zach had affected her in a way no other man had from the very first day. She remembered how nervous she’d get before they were actually together, when she’d babble endlessly in his presence and hope he didn’t notice the fact that her brains had flown out of her head.

  The Gandolfini clone spoke up again. “That’s a shame. Twisted ankle right before your wedding.” He shook his head. “Hey, Tommy, run up to my room and grab this beautiful bride a pair of the slippers in ivory. Medium.” He handed one of the younger men in his group a keycard but he was still speaking to Jesse. “You’ll love these. Our best sellers this year, by far. We’re going to make a killing on them this holiday season. A full inch of memory foam in the sole and the ivory satin will be perfect for under your wedding gown. Much better than sneakers.” He nodded and smiled at the sneaker Jesse wore on her left foot.

  “That’s so sweet of you, but you don’t have to…” Jesse began, but he waved her off. And, apparently, Tommy had taken him seriously. He came running back a little breathless, carrying the briefcase he’d left with in one hand and a box in the other. He pulled a pair of what looked like the most comfortable slippers ever made out of the box. Zach helped Jesse slip her foot out of her sneaker and put the slipper onto her left foot. The other wouldn’t fit around the air cast she wore on her right foot, but maybe for the wedding she’d be able to take the cast off for the walk down the aisle and wear the slippers.

  “They’re perfect,” Jesse said, smiling. “Thank you so much!” She looked at the shoe guy/mob man. She felt awkward accepting a gift from someone she didn’t know, but the man had that air about him that said he wouldn’t take no for an answer. “I’m sorry. I don’t even know your name.”

  “Anthony. Tony to my friends. And, you’re welcome. It’s my pleasure.” He stood and his entourage followed. “Enjoy your special day. No matter what happens, the day will always be yours.”

  Jesse smiled warmly and looked around at her friends as the shoe salesmen walked away. Anthony was right. Nothing could ruin this weekend for her. Nothing could ruin her wedding day as long as she and Zach made it down the aisle together. The food, her walk down the aisle, the dress—nothing was important. She and Zach and her family and friends were all that mattered.

  Chapter Three

  Jill smiled down at her sons, sleeping in the pack and play that they’d brought up to the hotel for them. As twins, they often slept together in the same crib for their naps at home, and Jill never tired of watching them. She and Andrew had been blessed beyond measure to adopt Mark and Nicholas six months ago. Jill knew having a baby would change her life. Having two had changed it immeasurably.

  Yes, she was tired beyond belief. But, she’d also been filled with a joy she knew she could never match. Each smile, every milestone, every moment with her boys filled her with happiness.

  “Hey, gorgeous.” Jill felt Andrew’s arms wrap around her waist as his mouth skimmed her neck and her body came alive. No matter how tired she was; it seemed her body didn’t know the difference when Andrew was involved.

  He’d just come from the shower, so she knew she’d likely turn to find him in nothing but a towel. Andrew groaned as Jill closed her hands around his hardened length and her thighs clenched in response. They might not have been making love quite as often since the boys had come into their lives, but it never ceased to be amazing when they did come together.

  Andrew tugged Jill toward the bed, but she shook her head and pulled him out the door of the bedroom to the sitting room. She was thankful they’d gotten a suite rather than one room.

  “Not with the boys in the room,” she whispered as she s
hut the door behind them. Andrew’s laugh was deep, sending tingles down her spine as he shook his head at her.

  “Yes, ma’am,” he said as he lifted her, wrapping her legs around his waist and pulling her tightly against his body.

  It was Jill’s turn to groan as she felt the hard length of Andrew’s erection pressed against her. She would never tire of that.

  Andrew sat on the couch and pulled Jill down with him so that she straddled his lap. She smiled and lifted herself enough to tug the towel open, leaving him naked on the couch underneath her. A thrill ran through her body as she gazed at him, nothing covering him beneath her while she remained fully clothed.

  Jill ran her hands down her husband’s chest and felt the familiar electricity in her fingers as they met the cut muscles of his chest and abdomen. She could remember the days when he would sit at her kitchen island as her sexy next-door neighbor. The days when she couldn’t just reach over and touch him or press her mouth to his neck as she bent to do now. Even though there was something tantalizing back then about the forbidden aspect of him, it was more fun to be able to have her way with him.

  She heard Andrew’s growl seconds before her mouth touched his collarbone and his arms came around her, lifting her so his mouth could capture her breast through the thin camisole she was wearing. The warm heat shot through her and she huffed out a breathless laugh. She knew her playtime was over. Andrew would be taking over now and bringing her body to incredible heights of pleasure. He’d melt her from the inside out, then set her on fire with orgasm after orgasm. She loved every orgasm he gave her, but the ones where he finally let himself loose, letting himself join her in falling over the edge, those were her favorites. When she could feel him pulsing with release inside of her.