Holiday Wedding (12 page)

She called out to the bakeshop owner, who popped her head out. “Yes, dear?”

“Would we be able to have a different flavor for each tier?”

The bakeshop owner nodded. “Absolutely, I can do whatever you two decide.”

Whatever you two decide.
That sentence made Lauren's heart skip a beat.

She grabbed her fork because it was time to get serious. Kate's tastes were definitely more aligned with her own. This shouldn't be too hard.

The white coconut cake she'd tried first was delicious and would remind the happy couple of their time in Hawaii, but then again the red velvet cake was calling her name, too. “Hey, Drew, I really need your help over here,” she said, adding a little agitation to her voice. It had used to work to get him to take out the trash or bring in the groceries on more than one occasion.

Drew returned to the counter. “I can't believe Luke's ignoring me. Maybe I should have you call him.” He offered her his phone with a conniving smile. “I'm sure he'd pick up for you.”

“First, I need you to try this.” She cut a slice of the red velvet cake and held the plate up.

“We're not going with the chocolate?” He pushed her hand away.

“I think we should go with your idea.”

“My idea?”

“We'll do the first tier in chocolate symbolizing Luke's sweet tooth, a coconut buttermilk filling in the center paying tribute to their falling in love in Hawaii, and a festive red velvet for the top, celebrating their holiday wedding.”

“You got all that from my saying we should mix flavors?”

“What can I say? You inspire me.” She blinked up at him and then reached for the coconut cake. It bugged her that he refused to participate in the tasting, and she wasn't going to let him get away with it. Drew was going to be a part of planning his brother's wedding whether he liked it or not.

He clapped his hands. “Awesome. So we're done? We can head back to the cabin?”

“Not quite. I really want you to taste all of them, not just the chocolate. Since you continue to resist, we'll have to do it another way.” She picked up the white slice and shoved it in his face.

“Definitely coconut,” he deadpanned while licking his lips. Grabbing the red velvet slice, he displayed the small plate in his palm.

“You wouldn't,” she breathed as her heart galloped.

“No, of course not.” Scooping some white frosting from the cake with his finger, he reached over and coated her bottom lip.

Her lips stayed parted. His tongue could come over and taste the frosting anytime now.

He wiggled an eyebrow and then leaned in, lowering his voice. “Aren't you going to taste it?”

She pulled in her bottom lip and ran her tongue over it. “Delicious,” she whispered.

“Good, because here's more.” He pushed the red velvet cake into her face.

“Drew!” Her hands went up to block him as he continued to mash it in. “Stop it.” She pretended to be mad, knowing he'd let up.

He stopped and pulled a couple of napkins out of the dispenser.

It only took her a second to grab the other slice and throw it at him. He blocked her hands, and pulled her close. Her arms immediately went around his neck as she studied his frosted lips. This wasn't the kind of cake tasting she imagined they'd be doing. It was far better.

A noise from the kitchen caused Lauren to move away. The bakeshop owner appeared with a huge grin on her face. “I see you two have selected your favorites.”

“I think we have.” Lauren smiled, her heart full of hope. Who knew wedding cake taste testing could be so delicious?

She watched as Drew excused himself to clean up. If they'd had this much fun choosing their own wedding cake, would they still be together?

Drew leaned back in the steamy Jacuzzi, letting the hot water jets do their magic. There was something to be said about relaxing in a hot tub in the brisk outdoors.

He breathed in the fresh mountain air. Today had started out a little weird, but touching Lauren's sugary lips, even if it was only with one finger, had been a highlight. If the bakeshop owner hadn't appeared, would they have kissed? He was all but sure of it.

If only the whole day had been about flirting with Lauren. But no, his brother had turned them into elves. Why had Luke sent them to Santa's Workshop to make toys?

Didn't he want them to plan his wedding? Losing three hours this morning to paint train sets didn't seem like the best way to hit the ground running.

Today should have been devoted to the task at hand as they would spend the weekend pushing the Happily Ever After dolls at the festival.

The dolls. Drew had beelined it to his laptop when they got back to the cabin. Only two more boy dolls were registered for the site to meet their matches. Two. Freakin'. Dolls.

His head dropped to the left in frustration and his gaze lifted up to Lauren's bedroom window. She had disappeared when they returned, saying she needed to get the rest of the frosting out of her hair. That was a couple of hours ago.

Selecting the cakes—and then wearing them—had been the best part of this day. She had been absolutely right about their not choosing their own wedding cake. He let out a heavy sigh. Maybe if they had been more involved in all the different pieces of planning their wedding, things would be different.

He should have given into his feelings and pressed his mouth to her frosted lips. But what if she'd pushed him away? Would he then have his answer to the question he didn't have the balls to ask? Did she no longer love him?

He sank down into the tub, letting the hot water massage his shoulders. Then there was Olivia. She'd sent three text messages earlier saying how much she missed him before going radio silent this evening. He wasn't quite sure when he'd do it, but they wouldn't be a couple for much longer. It was not only the right thing to do; it was the honest thing to do.

“Hey, is there room in there for another?”

His head flew up and his heart raced as he watched Lauren glide over in a white cotton bathrobe. She held her iPad in one hand and large ruby red towel in the other.

“Depends.”

“Oh, really.” She lifted an eyebrow. “On what?”

He pointed to the iPad. “As long as you promise we're not Skyping with Miles.” He drew an imaginary circle around the hot tub. “This is an annoying wedding-planner-free zone.”

She giggled. “I can't make any promises, but I'm pretty sure he has no desire to see us exposing so much skin.”

His groin tightened as he waited for her robe to hit the ground. Was Lauren wearing his favorite lavender bikini? Three seconds later he had his answer as she removed her robe and slid into the Jacuzzi.
Hello, string bikini. I've missed you.

“This feels amazing.” She sat across from him, submerging into the water up to her neck.

Yes, it does.
He smiled. “So why did you bring your iPad down with you?”

“We have an assignment tonight.”

“We do?” He slid his palm underneath a jet, enjoying the pulse. “I don't remember you saying there was anything else on the agenda for today.”

“Miles e-mailed it over while we were tasting wedding cakes.”

“So what does my brother want us to do now?” he asked reluctantly. Leave it to Luke to interrupt what could be a perfect evening. Why couldn't they just enjoy the night? He wasn't leaving the Jacuzzi anytime soon, not with Lauren in it.

She grinned. “He wants us to pick out their song.”

“Their song?”

“Their wedding song. For their first dance.”

“You've got to be kidding.” He cackled. “Luke's too lazy to pick out his own freakin' song? ‘Rump Shaker.' There, done. Let's enjoy the hot tub.” He slid down, submerging his head for a couple of seconds before reappearing.

Lauren gave him that familiar look like he was freakin' out of his mind. “We are not picking
that
song. Let's just relax and listen to the playlist Miles sent over.” She twisted her body over the side, giving him the opportunity to enjoy her back.

He bit his lip as his gaze rested on the tip of her bikini bottom peeking out from the water. “Fine.” He sat up. “Have it your way.”

She laughed.

“What's so funny?”

“Miles said in his e-mail that he's already gone ahead and booked a DJ for the reception. DJ Dancer.”

“Sounds like a winner.”

“Let's listen, shall we?” She started the playlist and a familiar Tony Bennett tune filled the air.

“That's nice.” Drew strummed his fingers on the sides of the Jacuzzi. “‘The Way You Look Tonight.' Classic. I like it.”

“Too dated.” She wiggled her nose. “I see them dancing to a more contemporary song. Maybe the next one.” Settling back into the water, her gaze went up toward the mountains.

“It's pretty breathtaking, isn't it?”

“It sure is.” Her face lit up. “I bet your legs are itching to slide down those slopes.”

More like his tongue, and the slope he wanted to attack started at her earlobe and went down her neck. “It'd be nice,” he said, adding with sincerity, “But this is nice, too. Real nice.”

Her expression softened and she reached for her iPad. “Let's try another song.”

He shrugged. “I liked my first choice.”

Sonny and Cher's classic tune came on next. Drew fist pumped the air. “I stand corrected. This one is perfect.”

“You can't be serious.” She paused and scrunched her nose. “Are you?”

Drew started to sing the iconic lyrics with a pretend microphone, belting out the infamous line, “I've got you, babe.”

Lauren pushed her palm in front of her, signaling him to stop. “Next.”

“Suit yourself. Where did Miles get this playlist, anyway? Cheesy wedding songs dot com?”

“He said Luke e-mailed it over.”

“That explains it. Luke probably grabbed the first playlist he found on the Internet. Mr. Wouldn't Know Fun If It Bit Him in the Ass has probably never heard of any of these songs.”

“Luke knows how to have fun,” she defended him.

“Name once in the time we were together you saw him cut a rug.”

She grinned. “What about the summer we all went to Spain? I seemed to remember him letting his hair down and running around the city.”

“That's because we were avoiding being trampled by
bulls
.”

That awesome vacation memory made them both laugh. “You might be right,” she said. “No wonder Luke needs our help. Although we aren't—” She looked away, her gaze back on the mountains.

“We aren't what?”

“Nothing.”

“You sure? It didn't sound like nothing.”

“It's silly, really.” The grin that had brightened her face minutes earlier had turned upside down. “We aren't the experts in this area either. We didn't have a song.”

“We didn't?” All that time together. They must have had a favorite song. Surely they'd made love with music playing in the background. He tried to wrack his brain, but came up blank.

She looped her hair to the side, twisting it with her fingers. Her lips parted as if she was going to say something else but changed her mind. The next song came on.

“Oh, I love this one.” She touched her heart. “It's my favorite Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley song.”

Drew listened for a second to the lyrics. “Remind me,” he repeated the chorus.

“It's about a couple who's been stuck in a rut.” Her eyes met his. “Their spark is right there. They just need to remember what they once had.”

He moved off the seat, needing to listen to his beating heart. “I like this one.”

“I do, too,” she whispered, moving toward him.

“Can I have this dance?”

“In here?” She scooted toward the center.

“It's never too late for our first dance.” He wrapped one arm around her waist, while threading his other hand with hers. If they did this, it would be on their knees and that might be uncomfortable. “We'll just sway.”

Before the second chorus, she wrapped her arms around his neck and he held her tight.

“Remind me,” he sang into her hair and then cupped her face. His lips lowered to remind his one and only true love what they'd once shared. In just one second the wish he made earlier would come true—

Her iPad beeped.
Or not.
Someone was requesting a video chat. That person had lousy timing and he was pretty sure who that bastard was.

She unwrapped her arms from his neck and moved away from him, reaching for her iPad. “It's Miles.”

“Of course.” He shook his head, not really surprised at all.

“She turned her back to him, holding the iPad in front of her. “Hey, Miles.”

“Lauren! I see you're engaging in some recreational activities.” He lowered his voice. “Is Drew in there with you?”

“Yes, we're just listening to Luke's playlist. Haven't decided yet on a song.”

“Okay. Well, just send the title over when you've selected it, and I'll tell DJ Dancer.”

She laughed. “Like the reindeer?”

“Cheesy last name, but he comes highly recommended. I'm e-mailing you your assignments for tomorrow right now. Call me in the morning.” He paused for a second, and Drew heard him say, “I'll be right there, love. The martini glasses are above the stove.”

“Miles, who is that?” Lauren asked.

Drew couldn't see Lauren's face, but irritation sprung from her voice.

“Gotta run, Lauren,” Miles chirped.

“We'll talk about this tomorrow. Goodbye.” She tossed her iPad onto her towel. He guessed they were done listening to the playlist. Judging by the turn in her mood, they also probably weren't going to finish their dance.

“Everything okay?” he asked.