“That you’re in love with her.”
Jace looked through the front windows, then back at Mira. He could lie, but it was no use. If she knew, if she could see how he felt about Kelly just by looking at him, there was no point in denying her words.
“She wouldn’t believe me,” he said.
* * *
KELLY TRIED TO concentrate, but she couldn’t. She’d been in her office, but left it to wander about the mansion. Even with the rain pelting the windows, the place was silent. She stopped at the patio door and looked out. The garden Jace and Ari built for her made her lonely for them. In the distance on one side was the gazebo. It was completely outlined in white lights that made a dramatic statement in the darkness. On the other side was the stable. The mares were still there, but their owner was nowhere to be seen.
Kelly was thankful the wedding was yesterday. It went off without a hitch. The sun shone brightly. It was beautiful, a perfect day for a couple to begin their lives together. She’d watched the bride come down the staircase. She’d never seen a wedding so artistically arranged. And she couldn’t help but imagine herself dressed all in white coming down those same steps. Tears had gathered in her eyes and she knew if she remained in the room looking at the happy couple, she would cry. As the groom took the bride’s hand in front of the minister and he started the vows, Jace came to mind and Kelly fled the ceremony.
When the sound of applause reached her, she knew the groom had just kissed the bride. Moments later she heard footsteps as the guests made their way to the ballroom. The wedding party had gone to have pictures taken.
A clap of thunder brought her attention back to the window. Kelly limped to her office. On the conference table, she picked up a folder, then went to her desk and propped her foot up. Checking the calendar, she saw that the next open house was three days away. She opened the folder and went over the plans. The crews were all ready. They’d broken down the rooms after the wedding and would come in the morning to prepare them for the open-house guests.
Flipping to the next page in the folder, Kelly saw the wedding plan and yesterday returned to her mind.
She’d watched the bride and groom from her office window, the same one that was now covered in rainwater. The couple loved horses and wanted photos in their wedding attire with them. Kelly pictured them and the photographer as they posed with the two mares. The wedding planner had told her that both bride and groom loved horses and that was the main reason they’d contracted to have their wedding at the Kendall.
Silently, Kelly thanked Jace for bringing the horses to the Kendall. Shaking her head she tried to dislodge him from her mind, but he refused to be assuaged. She saw the white gown and veil extending outward. But it wasn’t yesterday’s bride and groom that she saw. It was a little boy and his father romping along the back lawn. This time when the tears came, she let them fall.
Kelly didn’t know how long she stayed there, absentminded of anything going on around her. When she became aware of her surroundings, she realized the phone was ringing. Kelly dried her eyes with a tissue, took a long sobering breath and reached for the receiver. “Kendall Farm, this is Kelly Ashton,” she said without a trace of sadness in her voice.
For twenty minutes she spoke with a woman about a booking for a fiftieth wedding anniversary party for her parents. It sounded like an extravagant event and the Kendall would be a perfect venue for it. When Kelly replaced the receiver, she was no longer melancholy. The woman had reminded her to concentrate on the business at hand.
Kelly went over the rest of the plans for the next open house, checking off the jobs that had been completed. She could think of nothing that might be missing. Kelly was getting to know the regional suppliers and they were doing a fine job for her. She knew the success of the Kendall meant more income for the businesses associated with it. People would stop to eat in town or buy gasoline. Some might stay at the local motel or hotel.
She had business cards and flyers for local services in case someone asked for information on something they discovered at the Kendall. The gift shop was more profitable than she’d thought it would be. She smiled, thinking of the work Jace had done building the gift shop. When she walked through it after he’d done the remodeling, she’d touched every wall and window, proud that what she imagined was now real. And proud that Jace had been there to help with the creation. As much as he said he wanted no part of opening the house to the public, he’d realized the advantages of making it happen. Even returning on that first day and pitching in to help her.
Then she remembered waking up the next morning in her bed. She knew he’d carried her there. Ari had confirmed it for her, although she had a vague memory of floating through the air. She thought it had been a dream at first, but logic told her she didn’t walk to her bed and sleep in her clothes.