Page 34 of The Wedding Twist

“Celeste,” Jack called.

She turned back.

His gaze held a magnetic intensity that sent a rush of heat creeping up her neck. “I meant what I said—you’re doing an amazing job.” With a wave and a lingering look, he closed the door of his truck and returned to the lodge, leaving Celeste just a little bit breathless and fully exhilarated.

It was nice to have someone validate her work. Her parents were always complimentary, but she often chalked that up to the fact that they seemed to think anything that their four daughters did was worthy of praise.

Hearing it from Jack, though, as someone who seemed to roll his eyes at weddings, felt really good.

In her room, Celeste changed into the silver dress Quinn had suggested. She added a pair of hoop earrings and slipped on a dressier pair of heels and reapplied her lipstick. She had a date. Sure, she was technically still working, but Jack was there because of her. And she wanted to look good for him.

She poured herself half a glass of white wine from her fridge and took a moment to sit at her breakfast bar and have a quiet moment to herself before rejoining the party. She always liked to take a minute or two during a busy event to sit and think. What was going well? What still needed doing? What undercurrents was she picking up on, and how could she get ahead of them?

The rollout of events was going perfectly. No need to worry about the food or drinks; Jeannie and Mariana had that under control, and Quinn and the caterers would be helping.

The one thing she might need to do was to find a subtle way to suggest to Kassie to express her thanks to her parents, not just in a speech but toward the end of the night. She heard it all the time from brides and grooms that the day flew by so quickly that they barely had a chance to think, and while there were some people who Celeste could tell would be able to think about others in addition to themselves on this kind of day, Kassie wasn’t one of them, and she knew how much it would mean to Victoria and Gary.

They were footing the bill, a substantial one, and while all parents just wanted to see their children happy, everyone liked feeling appreciated.

Aside from that, she made a mental note to ensure the bridal party’s water pitchers were topped up at their tables and not to forget the engraved sterling-silver cake server that the lodge always gave as a gift to the married couple to cut their cake.

She also had to keep her head on straight around Jack. He was altogether too handsome, and after the wedding, Celeste needed to turn all of her attention back to her accounting course and her job search. This silly crush couldn’t get in the way of that.

She checked her appearance once more in the mirror, fussed with her hair a bit, then went to join the reception.

The twenty-four guests were enjoying cocktails and passed hors d’oeuvres in the great room, which was glowing with the rich orangey light from the setting sun over the lake, casting the shadow of the mountain peaks.

You look great!mouthed Quinn from across the room, where she was replenishing the napkins. Celeste straightened her shoulders. She felt good. And being a guest at the Butterfly Lake Lodge instead of an employee was kind of nice too.

It didn’t take long for her to spot Jack standing by the fire again with what looked like a scotch on ice, conversing with the father of the bride. Celeste plucked a drink from one of the waiters’ trays—the themed cocktail of the evening, which was called Orchard Catch, a nod to the place where Kassie and Jeff had met while berry-and-apple picking. It was made with fresh strawberries and elderflower liqueur topped with sparkling wine. She took a sip, and as Jack caught her eye from across the room, he gave her a slight smile that unleashed a kaleidoscope of butterflies in her stomach.

She was about to cross the room to join him when Kurt appeared beside her. “Cheers,” he said, holding up his wineglass and giving her a wide grin. “You guys did a bang-up job with this wedding.”

Celeste forced a smile. “Thanks,” she said. “Much appreciated.” When she glanced back at Jack, he was watching her with that sexy lopsided grin.Save me, she willed him. But he knew just as well as she did that it wasn’t his place at this party. She was a host, and she could take care of herself.

“So, you worked here for a long time?” Kurt said.

How original, Celeste thought.

Kurt launched into an introduction to himself and his life. He was a journalist for an online entertainment publication who’d gone to university with Jeff. He played pickleball and was into vintage cars.

“I’ll have to introduce you to my sister Quinn,” Celeste said, noting a flash of disappointment in Kurt’s expression. He was handsome, and aside from being a tad self-centered, he ended up being a decent conversationalist, and any other time Celeste might have been okay to spend the evening talking with someone like him, but tonight she felt Jack’s presence like a firm pull, and it was a real effort to focus on Kurt and his questions.

She kept Jack in the corner of her eye as a couple of the other guests joined his conversation. He was telling a story, and the small group around him were all ears.

When it felt like an appropriate break, Celeste excused herself from Kurt. “I’m going to check on the kitchen,” she said, even though Jeannie had taken over and urged her to have a nice evening. “If you haven’t tried the feature cocktail, you should give it a try. It’s amazing.” Before Kurt could respond, she smiled and made her exit, congratulating herself on how smooth it was. No one would call Celeste McCarthy rude.

When she walked by where Jack was still holding court, she gave him a quick wave, and he responded with a lift of his glass and that familiar, irresistible tilt of his lips that always seemed meant just for her. With a surge of warmth blooming in her chest, Celeste continued to the kitchen, where her mother was overseeing the catering staff. Jeannie stood in the doorway, blocking her entry. “How’s it going in here, Mom?”

“Good. And you don’t need to worry about a thing. I don’t know about these Yorkshire puddings,” Jeannie said under her breath. “But look at you!’” She stepped back and looked Celeste up and down. “Honey, you look gorgeous!” She raised an eyebrow. “I’m sure that Jack has noticed too.”

“Would everyone leave me alone about Jack?” Celeste said.

“Go back to the party. Everything’s under control in here.”

It took everything in her, but Celeste did her best to keep things on simmer during the dinner, even between the second course and dessert, when she looked across the table to find Jack’s eyes undressing her unabashedly. She pulled from a deep well of restraint to pretend not to notice and instead make small talk with Uncle Jasper, who was seated next to her.

Jack didn’t give up easily, though. After dessert, when he moved his leg against hers under the table, the feeling of his silky suit brushing up against her bare skin was more than she could take, and she’d had to excuse herself to the washroom to cool off, her pulse thrumming as she tried to maintain her composure.

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