Page 9 of Fall for You
Her dad towered over them as he grabbed her carry-on bag, heading down the hall that led to Ronnie’s room, which had long since been transformed into a guest room/crafting room/spare closet for Margot.
“After lunch we should meet up with Lewis’s sister, Elle,” Margot was saying as she trailed Ronnie down the hallway. “Since she’s going to be my new sister-in-law, I feel like the three of us should bond, you know?”
Ronnie didn’t have a chance to answer because Margot was already moving on to the next order of wedding business.
She didn’t seem to notice that Ronnie had paused in the hallway to smile at the framed family photo from back when she’d been in junior high. Her mom had still been alive then, and to look at that picture was like gazing upon a Norman Rockwell painting. The blissfully happy all-American family.
A huff of laughter escaped and Ronnie kept going, not stopping until she and Margot joined her dad in her temporary bedroom.
Ronnie’s phone buzzed, and she pulled it out. Mike. Her agent. She pushed aside the familiar pang of anxiety and hit Ignore.
He’d call again, and eventually she’d answer. But couldn’t she just have one day where she didn’t have to think about sponsorships and endorsement deals?
“Oh. Before I forget…” Margot pulled a folded piece of paper out of her back pocket.
Ronnie blinked down at the creased paper. “What’s this?”
She scanned the words as she opened it—an invoice. That knot that seemed to be permanently wedged behind her rib cage tightened a little more at the amount.
Margot wrapped an arm around her and rested her chin on Ronnie’s shoulder, like she used to do when they were younger and reading the same picture book.
“You said you were happy to help out with the wedding, and you had that amazing season last year and all of those sponsorship deals.” Margot gave her a squeeze, her voice high and filled with emotion. “I’m so incredibly grateful for your support. I seriously couldn’t be having such a nice wedding if it wasn’t for you.”
Ronnie’s father was smiling at them both in a doting way. So proud, his smile said.
Ronnie tried to match it, but her cheeks ached as she patted Margot’s hand on her shoulder.Happy to help.That was what she should have said. But she couldn’t quite get the words out because a little cynical voice in the back of her mind was asking if Mike had asked her sister to say that.
She wouldn’t put it past her agent to use her sister to manipulate her into signing on the dotted line.
A dull headache started up, and she rubbed her temples as she moved away to get a little breathing room.
“That reminds me.” Ronnie kept her voice bright. “I was thinking we could find Mom’s old veil in the attic, see if we can incorporate it into your dress in some way.”
“Ooh, I love that.” Margot clapped her hands, and Ronnie felt a surge of affection. There were times, like this one, that if she squinted hard, she could pretend Margot was still a little kid.
She wasn’t that much older than Margot, but ever since their mom had died, their relationship had gone from sisters to more of a mother-daughter relationship.
Margot was flitting around the room, tidying up the dresser top and straightening a picture frame. “We should go to the venue this week, too, so we can start planning centerpieces and flower arrangements and…” She whipped around. “Did I tell you I got The King’s Inn?”
Ronnie grinned. “They had availability?”
Margot nodded. “Since it’s in the winter, they were free. And Bailey said, ‘Anything for Ronnie’s sister,’ so that was sweet.”
Ronnie’s smile grew. “I wonder what Bailey’s done with that place?”
“So much! It’s really amazing,” Margot gushed.
“I can’t wait to see it.” Ronnie meant it. She’d been friends with Bailey for as long as she could remember. The Kings hadn’t lived here year-round like Ronnie and Margot, but they’d come to stay every summer and holiday, and Ronnie had looked forward to their every visit.
She was so proud of her old friend for turning her grandparents’ inn into an amazing vacation destination and was even more pleased that Margot had taken her suggestion to hold her wedding there.
They both heard the sound of the TV turning on in the living room. Their father had slipped out at some point while they’d talked. They both looked in that direction before Margot gave her a wry smile. “I’m so glad you’re home, sis. Wedding planning is not Dad’s favorite topic.”
Ronnie laughed. “You don’t say.”
It’s not mine either.But she held her tongue.
Margot gave her another bone-crunching hug. “I’m so happy you’re here to help!”
