Caught in the Frame (7 page)

An hour later, Dalton’s eyes were drooping and the bones of a plan had formed.

Chapter 7

Chloe’s usually-groomed hair fell in a disordered mess around her face—the result of running her hands through it while resisting the urge to yank it out by the roots. Listening to Lila argue with the sacrificial lamb of a liaison to the atrium manager over why it wasn’t prudent to unleash five hundred live butterflies indoors was right up there with getting her teeth cleaned on Chloe’s list of least favorite things to do. That the seemingly timid little mouse had drawn the short straw was evident. Remarkably, she held her ground and insisted Lila have the wedding of her dreams, while remaining within managerial guidelines. EV had been alternating between silent laughter and slipping into some state of meditative avoidance ever since Lila’s dainty hands hammered on the connecting door right before she let herself into Chloe’s room earlier that morning.

With caffeine coursing through her system, Chloe could handle her mother in full-on diva mode, but before breakfast, she was a little much to take.

“Butterflies do not poop.” Lila’s near shriek knocked the zen right off of EV, who beat a hasty retreat to the bathroom. Seeing EV’s lips pressed tightly together, Chloe suspected it was to keep from peeing her pants with laughter.

Traitor
, Chloe’s eyes shot daggers at EV’s back before she gave in to the inevitable and stepped into the fray. She waived the harried young woman—whose only error had been trying to placate the bride beast—out the door before rounding on Lila.

“
Everything
poops, Mother. Give it a rest. It’s not going to happen. Don’t we need to be somewhere else right now?” Sighing, Chloe pressed fingers to her temple; the ache there was starting to throb.

Lila glanced at her watch. “Yes, we need to meet Baylee in the cafe in five minutes.” She pitched her voice louder, “Get out here, EV, we’re leaving now.”

Before Lila could pull open the door, a loud knocking preceded the shrill, singsong question, “Where’s my newest bri-ide? Are you in there Lila?” A pause. “Hellooo.” Whoever was on the other side of the door had the voice of a whining child; her tone pierced the air like the screech of metal on metal.

“Shh.” Whispering, Lila said, “Be quiet and maybe she’ll go away.”

“Who is it?” When one person whispers, everyone does. Chloe nudged Lila aside to squint through the peephole. It could have been the distortion from the fish eye lens, but the woman on the other side of the door reminded Chloe of the Cabbage Patch Doll she’d bugged her mother for when she was little. Blond hair framed a round, dimpled face with a button nose. Chloe had to stand on tiptoes and angle her gaze downward in order to see the tiny woman.

“Hush up, she’ll hear you. That’s Hannah Frank, former wedding coordinator to the stars.”

“Former?” EV also whispered.

“Lot of rumors. Some kind of scandal put her out of commission. Now she’s trying to work her way back in. She heard I was getting married and followed me here.”

Chloe watched Hannah frown, then reluctantly walk away. “She’s gone. And now that you mention it, I received an alert from one of my social media monitoring tools that your name was tweeted—the post came from
HF Events
, and mentioned your engagement. I figured it was legit; that maybe you had hired a wedding planner, so I didn’t think much of it at the time.”

“What does she want?” EV asked.

“To help with the wedding. Gratis, of course, because she just happened to be staying at the castle. Coincidence? I doubt it.” Why was she still whispering? “I think she’s trying to use me to get back in good graces with her former clientele.” Lila added in her normal tone of voice. “I told her we’re planning a small, understated wedding and I don’t need her help. Apparently, I wasn’t speaking her language.”

“I see.” EV grinned. “A small, understated wedding. In a castle, with 500 butterflies, and how many of your closest friends?”

“Hey, I’m only going to do this once.” Lila answered EV’s grin with one of her own. “But I don’t want that twin-set-wearing airhead involved.”

“So, just tell her that.” Chloe suggested.

“You make it sound so easy. I’ll tell you what,” Lila retorted, “You try it when she comes around again. See how far you get. She’s more relentless than a bulldog. I already had to warn the staff not to take orders from her after I found out she’d been telling everyone she was in charge. I caught Antoine just before he sent back the four racks of bridesmaids dresses I ordered in from various sources. He had no idea she wasn’t legit. I think that’s why his nose is so brown right now; he’s feeling guilty.”

“The nerve.”

“I think she’s gone. We’re going to be late for our lunch with the photographer.” Lila hoped Hannah wasn’t lurking around the next corner. While EV and Chloe exchanged amused sidelong glances, Lila sidled along the wall and peeked around just to make sure.

“Clear.”

When Lila glanced back, it was to see EV and Chloe doing their best Charlie’s Angels imitation. Lila looked away to hide her grin, and maybe, even if she would never admit it, her jealousy that the two of them were so close. A visit to Ponderosa Pines might not be the worst thing. After saying she would consider one to attend EV’s wedding to Dalton when she thought such a thing impossible, Lila now hoped it would come to pass.

Chapter 8

Baylee Delarosa and her assistant Ross Adams were already seated at one of the larger tables in the cafe’s atrium when Lila breezed in with her entourage—if Chloe and EV could be called that. After kissing Baylee on both cheeks and offering an apology for her tardiness, Lila made the introductions.

Running an appraising eye over the attractive woman who stood waiting to shake her hand, Chloe judged Baylee to be in her early forties. A swing of smooth auburn hair framed an oval face scattered across the middle with freckles. A ready smile bracketed by the kind of fine creases that came from long years of practice contradicted the shallower frown lines etching their way into her forehead. The soft twang in her speech pattern gave away a childhood spent in Georgia before moving to Europe after college.

“Baylee is married to Javier’s brother, Tomas.” Lila explained when everyone was seated once more. “We’re going to be sisters-in-law.”

“Congratulations.” The shadow that flickered through Baylee’s eyes was gone so quickly Chloe later decided she had imagined it.

Leaning sideways in her seat, Baylee looked toward the entrance. “Isn’t Javier coming?”

Lila sighed, “No. He’s somewhere in the bowels of the castle talking shop with the security techs about the updates and resets or whatever it is he has to do while we are here.”

“That’s our Javi, always on the job.”

“Even when he’s on vacation.” Lila smiled indulgently. “I’m sure he’ll have it sorted out in no time.”

Ross, a strapping young lad of no more than twenty, couldn’t manage to keep his dark eyes focused on the conversation, given the way a pair of similarly-aged young women not-so-subtly flirting with him from their table at the other end of the room. “Now that you’ve met Lila and her family, I think it’s okay if you go take some personal time.” He lingered only long enough to toss a
nice meeting you
in their general direction before sauntering over to chat up his admirers.

“Oh, to be young and hormonal.” EV mocked with good humor.

“I’m fine with being old and hormonal.” Lila waggled her eyebrows suggestively.

“Can we please change the subject. I’m getting mental images, and there’s no such thing as brain bleach.” Chloe complained.

For the next few minutes, while Chloe fidgeted and EV’s eyes glazed over, Lila chatted with Baylee about things that had more to do with her soon-to-be family than with the real purpose for this luncheon. When she could take no more, Chloe cleared her throat, “Have you had a lot of experience with wedding photography?” The question sounded abrupt, though she hadn’t meant it that way.

“Would you like to see my portfolio? Your mother tells me you’ve done some work in the industry as well.” While she spoke, Baylee pulled an iPad from her bag, cuing it up to start a slideshow.

“Mostly fashion. A couple weddings.” Chloe answered absently, her attention focused on the play of images across the small screen.

“Lovely.” EV ventured, after watching Chloe flick through fifteen or so images.

“You have a great eye for color, and a knack for catching those candid moments that tell a story.” Chloe couldn’t help but admire the skill. “These are spectacular.”

“Thank you.” Baylee said sincerely.

“There’s one thing, though.” Lila said. “Well, two, really. First, make sure to catch my best side; and second, you’re also a guest at this wedding, so I hope you’ll take some time out for a little fun.” Chloe heard lightheartedness and also something weightier, more serious, in Lila’s command.

“And Photoshop out all my wrinkles.” EV chimed in. “And the zit that’s going to pop up on Chloe’s forehead six hours before the shindig.”

“Seriously? Thanks for cursing me, evil one.” Chloe tossed an exaggerated mock glare at EV. “If it happens, there will be payback.”

“I’d expect nothing less.” EV looked at Lila. “Did she tell you what she did to me with the online dating service?”

“You started it.”

“Now, now, children.” Lila cautioned. Baylee listened and laughed with the three animated women who were going to be a joy to photograph.

Half an hour later, amid empty plates, Lila put both elbows on the table and leaned forward to say conspiratorially, “If a troll named Hannah tells you she’s my wedding coordinator, you ignore her and call me right away. The woman is delusional, and I wouldn’t let her coordinate my dog’s birthday party.”

“Hannah Frank? I’ve heard of her before.” Baylee’s tone suggested none of what she had heard was good, “Wasn’t she involved in some sort of fracas last year?” Baylee searched her mind. “The details were kept hush-hush, which probably makes it sound worse than it was.”

“That’s the one. Just keep an eye out for her, and ignore anything she tells you to do.” Lila tapped her fingers on the table.

“You should be able to pick her out of the crowd pretty easily, she’s a cross between Barbie and Hitler.” An inelegant snort almost caused Baylee’s drink to fly out of her mouth at EV’s dry comment.

Chapter 9

As chance would have it, EV, taking advantage of a break in wedding detail duty, had decided to check out the gym, and was walking past the reception area when a familiar voice cut through the air like a knife. Every muscle in her body tensed.

“I told you, I don’t have a reservation, but you must have a suite available. It’s common practice to keep one open in case a VIP shows up. I’m here for a wedding.” EV could almost hear his eyes rolling in their sockets. “Lila LaRue’s wedding.”

Whatever murmured words Antoine’s counterpart behind the desk said, EV couldn’t hear, but the tone of them implied that Remy Vincent was not very important. To keep him from seeing her before she was ready to deal with him, EV ducked out of sight behind a fluted column just a second too late. The castle cat caught sight of his new favorite human and padded over. EV waved him away. The cat thoroughly ignored her efforts. Reaching down, EV lifted him into her arms where, purring loudly, he settled in. His presence gave EV a measure of comfort while she waited for events to unfold.

She listened to the five minute argument that ensued before he was finally offered a room he considered adequate. The condescending way he spoke to the hotel employee mimicked the tone he’d used with her during their last few weeks together. Time split into
then
and
now
. Her body wanted to cower; to respond to the ancient
then
, and slink away from it’s icy embrace. Two deep breaths wheezed through her before a sob tried to escape. EV clenched her fists, nails digging scarlet crescents into her palms. The pinch of physical pain cleared her head. She willed her shoulders to loosen from the bonds of tension gathered there.

That one conscious act triggered another—her jaw slackened; teeth aching from being ground together separated; the knot in her stomach slithered, unwound. A calmness settled over her like a shower of warm spring rain.
The past only has power over you if you choose to grasp it tightly. Only by letting go can you remain anchored in the present.

Now
pushed
then
off a cliff to dash upon the rocks of
never again
.
Now
was all that was left.
Now
she was free. EV ran up the stairs in a weightless rush.

* * *

She found Chloe and Nate on the couch, fused together like teenagers.

“Get a room.” Her voice startled the two of them apart.

“This is my room.” Frustration painted an sharp, stony edge on the words until Chloe got a good look at EV’s face. Something was different. It was subtle, but Chloe knew everything had changed. “What happened?” She sat up, breaking away from Nate, and leaned forward to hear.