Page 106 of Again, In Autumn

“Fire hazard tall.”

People walk past with cocktails, sit by the fire with a newspaper, and exit the side doors to what appears to be a garden.

I say, “We’re in the Gryffindor common room if the Hogwarts PTA hounded their rich families more.”

He throws me a look.

“No, I didn’t read it.”

We smile at a young, sharply dressed woman who offers us glasses of champagne.

“Welcome to the Gemstone Inn!” she booms. “I’m Annabelle, Mackenzie’s sister. What’s the name on your reservation?”

Adam and I look at each other. The rest of our group stands behind us, David and Francesca trying to wrangle their children before the twelve-foot curtains come crashing down.

“No – we’re not together,” I stammer.

She doesn’t hear me. “Oh my God, you’re Adam Kent,” she manages without a squeal.

His face changes. A mask slips over his whole body and I imagine he learned the corner smile, sink into his hip, dip his chin down low thing from the country singers he watched when he went off to Nashville. He’s not my Adam anymore.

He’s Adam Kent. Razzle Dazzle.

The champagne glass switches to another hand and he takes hers in a shake that she is unprepared for. Her mouth opens, but words don’t come out.

“This is my friend, Vienna Rose,” he says. “And the rest of our party behind us. Mac said he reserved four rooms.”

She blinks, fixing her expression. “Yes! Yes. I remember. Let me just go –”

“Kent!”

I look up at a tall dark man standing beside the wooden check-in counter, his voice so loud he could have scared a scream from the marble statue behind him. His bald head shines in the lamplight. His smile can’t be more broad or genuine.

“Mac,” Adam laughs, embracing his friend.

Mackenzie pulls away and glances at me. “And you must be Vienna.”

“Oh,” I say with surprise, watching Adam run a hand though his hair, eyes squeezed shut. “Well, that I am.”

Mackenzie ping pongs his eyes back and forth between us. Before he can say another word, Adam hurriedly introduces us to the rest of the group.

“I’m so glad you all are here!” Mackenzie boasts. “Anything you need is on us. We’ve got comment card boxes all over the building, but feel free to tell me what we can do to make your stay better. That’s the point of this week – to be the best mountain retreat in the southeast.”

“You’ve got my vote so far,” Francesca says, running her eyes from the walls to the ceiling.

“Annabelle, thanks for the help,” he offers to his sister as she continues to gawk at Adam. He claps his hands. “Let me get you all room keys so you can explore the property. We’ve got a map and an itinerary of small events this evening: dinner, wine tastings, tours of the garden.” His voice drops. “Perhaps a fireside guitar session from a certain well-regarded musical artist…”

Bathed in a smile, Adam pats him on the shoulder. “Tomorrow morning, I won’t wake up spooning my dog. Man, as long as my guitar gets out of the car unscathed, I will follow you around this mansion and play whatever you want like your own personal soundtrack.”

We follow Mackenzie to his computer, and he hands David an elegant brass key with a mauve velvet ribbon.

“Thanks so much,” David replies, taking the half-sheet of details and clutching Grayson’s hand as the boy tries to escape.

Kate takes a green ribboned key for she and Caroline. “I’m dying to change,” she says, her eyes alight with embarrassment and envy as she assesses the better dressed women around us.

They all walk up the stairs with Francesca wrapping a whiny Alice across her body like a belt and telling me, “We’ll see you two up there.”

Mackenzie screws his face into a grimace. “Ah…there’s a problem.”

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