Page 29 of One Night Bride
I hopped off the couch. “Okay, enough about Poppy. I’m exhausted and I have another long day tomorrow. Don’t forget about the retreat here tomorrow night.”
All four of my sisters groaned.
“I really can’t commit. I could go into labor at any minute,” Amelia said with wide, innocent eyes.
I pointed my finger right at her face. “You’ll be here and you’ll be nice. This is my first in-person event. I’ve invited every woman in Auburn Hill, including the infamous Poppy. You need to support me.”
I spun to face Remington. “And you need to stay hidden away. I can’t let them see you or this whole thing will blow up in our faces before we’ve had a chance to figure things out.”
He put his hands up. “No problem. You won’t see me or hear me. That short trip to Wyoming put me behind. I’ve got a ton of work to do.”
I rubbed my hands together, already nervous about hosting a retreat for the ladies of Hell, having Remington hiding in the house, my sisters knowing my secret, and the potential for Remington and me to officially date.
My life had been so predictable before.
How did it come to this?
13
Remington
“Good evening, sir. Do you need the jet?” Wayne’s voice was as polite as a 17th-century English butler.
I cupped my hand over the cell phone as I hid in the closet of the guest bedroom and whispered. “I know you’re a pilot, but is there any way you can drive my truck down to me in Auburn Hill?”
There was a pause. “Pardon me for asking, but why are you whispering, sir?”
I tried to turn around, but my shoulders couldn’t quite fit and I hit a hanger that swung wildly and nearly clubbed me in the eye. Jesus. The things I’d do for my fake wife.
“There’s a houseful of women I’m hiding from,” I answered as I tried to untangle myself from a particularly clingy sweater that blocked my exit. The closet had been a bad idea, but I’d overheard the first client arriving downstairs and I’d panicked that my phone call would be too loud.
Another pause before he answered. “Interesting. Would Wednesday be acceptable?”
I closed my eyes and sighed. Great. Wayne probably thought I was into something bizarre when it was just a bunch of gossiping townsfolk I was trying to avoid.
“Wednesday would be great. Thank you, Wayne.” I hit the end button on my phone and the screen went dark.
I took a step to exit the closet, but my foot hit something on the floor I couldn’t see and I went flying forward. My forehead hit the door right before my chest, swinging the door open with a force that had it slamming against the wall. Of course, then I had nothing to break my fall, and the carpet loomed. I was no stranger to charging wild animals, so my natural instincts kicked in. Tucking and rolling, I finally got out of the closet in a spectacular manner that even impressed me. I’m sure the door hitting the wall like that wasn’t making Esme happy, but I’d never sequestered myself to a room and tried to stay hidden. I was doing the best I could.
I tossed my phone on the bed and had a seat in the chair she’d given me so I could work all day on my laptop. The website was coming along nicely, and if I could get that final investor on board next week, I could officially open for business.
“What I’d like you all to do is close your eyes and think about what your heart desires for your life. What would your life look like if all your dreams came true?”
I could hear Esme’s muffled voice coming from downstairs. They must be getting into the session already. Hopping up, I pressed my ear to the door so I could hear them better. It wasn’t eavesdropping per se, I just wanted to see how Esme coached.
“I’d have a man in every sea cave in Auburn Hill!”
“That annoying Detective Yosemite would be fired and ran out of town.”
“My goats would roam free every single day.”
“I’d have this baby and my vajayjay would still be tight as a drum.”
“Ladies! Just keep your dreams to yourself for right now,” came Esme’s voice, a thick thread of annoyance clear in her tone. “When we’ve become crystal clear on what our hearts truly want, we’ll share with the group. For now, let’s get in alignment and just let yourself dream without judgement.”
I was grinning ear to ear by now, thinking maybe Esme needed to teach these women to dream a little bigger. Weren’t they supposed to want world peace or some shit?
“I can’t think of a damn thing I want that I don’t already have.”
