Page 30 of Snowbound

It’s true that I’ve been ignoring their invites.

She holds up her hand in my face, and the glittering diamond that rests on her ring finger is unmistakable. “You’re engaged?” I say, my heart almost falling out of my chest.

Ruth beams. “Finally, I know! He asked last month, and honestly, I was close to asking him because he was taking too long.”

I chuckle. “Typical. When’s the ceremony?” I try to ask nonchalantly, but a coldness hits me as I realize that maybe I’ve been so distant that they didn’t even bother to invite me.

Ruth’s face falls. “We want it to be soon, but we’re really struggling to figure out all the logistics. At the rate we’re going, it’s going to be years before it happens.”

“Well, you might be in luck,” I say, an idea springing to mind. I feel Carly tense next to me. But if she didn’t want this to happen, she shouldn’t have told me that she was worried about money. “My new friend here is a wedding planner.”

CHAPTER16

CARLY

The two strangers both turn and stare at me with a grin, and I feel like kicking Gabe in the shins. Why would he announce this to them?

They’re an odd-looking couple — he’s tall, freckled, and wrapped up in a bright blue puffer jacket, his ginger curls poking out from beneath the hood. Meanwhile, Ruth is stylish, her outfit matching, from her jacket to her shoes to her gloves. Her dark skin glows with a clear care routine, and she’s obviously spent time picking out earrings that match her skin tone perfectly. She’s an effortless beauty and not at all the kind of person I would imagine to be engaged to John.

But she looks at him with such loving, wide eyes that it’s hard to see a universe where they wouldn’t be completely besotted with each other.

I feel like by meeting these people, I’m getting a glimpse into a life that Gabe is so reluctant to tell me about.

“A wedding planner?” says John. “Tell us more.”

“I usually work with high-end clients,” I say, pushing a stray lock of hair behind my ear and grimacing.

“Money’s not a problem,” says Ruth.

I open my mouth and close it again. How can I tell these people no in a way that doesn’t seem cruel?

“I tell you what, let’s go to the café,” says Gabe. “Let’s talk this out someplace warm.”

“Good plan,” agrees John.

We head off through the snow to the Bean Bistro, which I presume is the only cafe in town. A hot rush of coffee-scented air hits us as we enter, and I lower my hood, feeling my face flush as warmth returns to my cheeks.

It’s not busy, and we get served quickly. Again, the girl behind the counter treats Gabe like some sort of local celebrity, like she knows him personally and adores him. Sure, they probably all use his services from time to time. But this reaction is really shocking me.

I’ve seen that he’s a good man, but everyone acting like he’s a hero is the last thing I would have expected. He seems too reclusive for friends. He’s the kind of guy who actively shuns human connection.

But here we are in the cafe with his two friends, and in every store we’ve been into, the people at the checkout have known him by name.

He can be harsh and cold, but there must be a part of him that cares about other people, really. Why else would he offer me up to his friends? Why else would he have bought me a hot chocolate?

“So,” says Ruth. “What are your usual rates?”

“Okay, well. Most of the couples I work with are starting from square one, so they have no idea what they want or how to get it. For those kinds of people, I tend to offer a package where I help them with absolutely everything. For others who have more vision, I do offer an hourly rate, but often people just choose the package because it gives them peace of mind about what they’re getting.”

“All right, so we’re starting from nothing,” says John. “We would need your help with almost everything. How much would the package cost us?”

I swallow hard. Most of my clients are millionaires. They don’t come from small towns. They want luxury. For them, I charge extortionately, but for these two people, tens of thousands seems excessive.

Besides, I don’t think what they want will be half as complicated as what some of my nightmare brides demand.

I decide I should just lay it out straight with them. “Most of my clients are the kinds of people who need to invite hundreds of guests, to have photos in exclusive places, to book venues that are so fancy that I, as an average person, feel like a sham going to. For them, it’s usually around fifteen thousand dollars.”

I feel Gabe wince next to me. I continue. “But in a small town, unless you wanted something really complicated and difficult to arrange, I would probably lay out a package for about seven.”

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