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Before Mr. Willoughby could call back, Steven grabbed his things and rushed to the door then locked up. Rose had texted several times while he was on the phone, and he was going to be in more trouble if he didn’t get over there soon.
As he pulled out of the parking lot behind the building, he called her and put her on speaker.
“Where are you?”
“Just leaving the office.”
The silence on the other end of the line was more deafening than if she had started yelling at him. He cleared his throat.
“I’m sorry, but Mr. Willoughby called and—”
“You stood me up for that philanderer?”
Living in a small town had many perks, but the gossip mill wasn’t one of them. “Those accusations are unfounded and—”
Lanie snorted, alerting him to the fact that he, too, was on speaker. “Unfounded my butt. That man has more mistresses than there are blades of grass. I’m amazed he keeps them all straight.”
She had a point, though Steven would never tell her that. “At any rate, I’m on my way now and should be there in a few.”
“You owe me,” Rose replied, and though she tried to sound stern, Steven could hear the smile in her voice. Once again, Lanie had saved the day and kept his fiancée distracted. What would I have done if she had returned to the West Coast?
“I’ll make it up to you, I promise.” He hit the end call button and focused on the drive ahead.
As he drove down the darkening street, he pondered how much had changed since Lanie arrived back in town six months ago. Despite her initial determination to leave small-town life behind in favor of the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles and a lucrative position at a prestigious school, she’d decided to stay. He sent up a quick prayer of thanks for her fiancé, Nate. Between telling Lanie about a local teaching job and winning her heart a second time, Nate had done what neither Steven nor his father could do. And his sister was currently engaged and planning a wedding of her own.
If only their mother could see them both, on the verge of walking down the aisle. The smile on Steven’s face faded. With the estate finalized and the house sold, he and Lanie had been able to focus on happier things. But the anniversary of their mother’s death was fast approaching. Lanie hadn’t mentioned it, but she was struggling with it as much as he was. After all, she’d taken a semester off from grad school to care for their mother during those final months, something for which he would be eternally grateful.
Pulling into the parking lot of The Muddy Oar, Steven shut off the engine and pushed the depressing thoughts from his mind. Their mother would want them both to be happy and move on. What better way to do that than to plan two spectacular weddings?
He headed into the steak house and to the back of the small dining area. The restaurant doubled as the only caterer in town that could handle large events like weddings, and Steven supposed it could be considered upscale by Cedar Haven standards. Lanie, Rose, and Carissa, their wedding planner, were seated at a round table with more food than he had ever seen before piled around them. His sister’s blond head was easy to spot among the crowd. They smiled when they caught sight of him, and Rose stood before running into his arms, her dark-brown hair flying behind her.
“Yay! You’re finally here.”
“I told you I was on my way.” He pulled her close, inhaling her intoxicating scent of jasmine and vanilla.
“You also told your sister you’d be here in fifteen, which was well over a half hour ago,” Rose retorted, taking a step back and putting her hands on her hips.
“Fair.” Sliding a hand to her cheek, he brushed his lips against hers. “But it’s okay if I lie to my sister.”
“Sitting right here,” Lanie grumbled.
Steven glanced over Rose’s head at his very unhappy sister and grinned. “Love ya, lil sis.”
“Stop calling me that!” she whined and stuck her tongue out at him, which only further proved he’d chosen the perfect nickname.
Rose led him to the table and sat down. She had a steak and some green bean concoction on her plate. His sister was sampling cake flavors. He hid a smile.
Carissa set a plate in front of him. “Our time is almost up, so you should try what you can before they clear all of this away.”
“Thanks,” he said before turning to Rose. “So, what do you think so far?”
“I like the steak.” Rose took another bite and chewed thoughtfully. “But I’m not as sold on the sides. And we need a vegetarian dish as well.”
“The green beans are a definite no from me.” Lanie made a face at them.
“I thought the broccoli salad was interesting,” Carissa said.
“That’s one word for it.” Rose sighed and rested her chin on her hand, surveying the table. “I liked the glazed carrots, but Carissa says we have to offer something green.”
