Sisters in Bloom (Love in Bloom: Snow Sisters #2), Contemporary Romance (22 page)

“You know, I always loved how you sang, but yesterday, Kaylie, something was different. It was like you weren’t just singing, but you were living each word.” Kaylie and Chaz had invited Danica and Blake over for brunch, and the four of them sat around a glass table on the rear patio. The sun warmed them like a spotlight against the mild mountain breeze, carrying the scent of fresh-baked croissants. Blake’s hand on Danica’s thigh sent goose bumps along her arms. They’d spent the morning making love, and Danica’s body was still shuddering with tiny aftershocks. She crossed her legs beneath her long cotton skirt, and Blake lifted his hand.
Thank God.
Now maybe her lingering desire would settle down. She leaned back, focusing on Kaylie.

“She was amazing, wasn’t she?” Chaz squeezed Kaylie’s hand. He looked regal in his khaki shorts and white button-down shirt. He doled a few pieces of cantaloupe and honeydew melon onto his plate from the large decorative bowl in the center of the table, then went back for seconds of grapes, blueberries, and strawberries.

Kaylie reached over and snuck a blueberry from his plate, popping it in her mouth with a playful grin. “I felt different up there. I know that sounds weird, but I think it’s because I wrote those songs.” Kaylie tucked a strand of her golden hair behind her ear. “I meant every word of them, too, so they felt real to me, not just like empty lyrics that I needed to memorize.”

“Crazy good, Kay. Seriously. I hate to say it, but I never knew you had it in you to be so deep.” Danica realized how negative that sounded, and she quickly tried to remove the foot from her mouth. “I didn’t mean that you’re shallow. I meant—”

“Oh my God, sis, chill. I know what you meant.” Kaylie had a serious look in her eye as she turned her focus to Chaz. “I think I’m changing. I honestly didn’t know I had that in me either, but when Chaz suggested that I write, and I started writing just to show him that I could, I never thought I’d write anything worth singing.” Her eyes lit up. “I was so wrong. So wrong!”

“See, sometimes it’s good when boyfriends push a little,” Blake said, nudging Danica.

“Speaking of nudging, I hear we’re going to have neighbors. Good move, Blake.” Chaz leaned his elbows on the table and said with a conspiratorial look in his eye, “You know what that means.”

Blake raised an eyebrow. “More brunches?”

“These girls will be doing their girl things and we can go skiing all we want, do guy stuff—play golf, hit the clubs.” He winked.

Kaylie punched his arm. “You hate golf.”

“Yeah, golf? Not my thing either, Kaylie, don’t worry. He’s just playin’ with you.” Blake put his hand on Danica’s. “And I can’t even pretend to love clubs anymore. As far as they go, I’ve got no interest unless this pretty lady’s on my arm. But I love hanging out with you, Chaz, so what about skiing and getting together for a drink and watching a game sometime?”

“That sounds even better,” he answered.

Kaylie startled, knocking the table with her knee. Everyone reached for their juice glasses to keep them from toppling over.

“What is it?” Chaz asked.

“The baby. She’s going nuts in there.” She rubbed her belly and leaned back. “It feels like my whole stomach is tightening.”

“Braxton Hicks contractions,” Chaz said. “Don’t you remember? The Lamaze teacher said they could start three or four weeks before the baby came.” He reached out and rubbed her belly.

“I’m impressed,” Danica mused.

“Hey, I’m every bit as invested in this baby as she is.”

“He is,” Kaylie said, as she let out a long, slow breath. “Ah, that’s better. Wow, that was weird.” She filled her bowl with fruit and took a croissant from the tray. “We have some big news we wanted to share with you guys before anyone else found out.”

Danica’s ears perked up. “The sex of the evil spawn?”

Kaylie shook her head. “Can we please call her something cuter? Beautiful spawn maybe?”

“So it’s a girl?”

Kaylie laughed. “No, that’s not the news. We have no idea what we’re having. I’ll let Chaz tell you.”

Chaz sat back and took Kaylie’s hand. “We’re buying out my partners. We’ll be the full owners of the festival by the end of the month.”

“Dude, that is huge.” Blake stood and shook his hand. “What does that mean for the festival, exactly?”

“Nothing, really. I mean, it means more for the business. It means that I have full ownership instead of having two partners, so even though the other partners had no involvement in decision making before, now I don’t have to worry about ever losing a piece of the ownership. I own the whole thing.”

Kaylie looked at Danica and held her gaze. “And it means that the freaky Lea Carmichael can’t get her gaudy little claws into it.”

“Why do I know that name?” Blake looked at Danica. She shrugged. “Wait, Lea Carmichael, I know who she is. She owns a ski shop—well, a ski mall, really—over in Vail. Why would she want to buy into the festival?”

“Because she’s a freaky bitch who wants to ruin my future husband’s life.” Kaylie’s smile had faded, replaced with an angry frown.

“We sort of had a thing for a few days a few years ago. It was a big mistake. She’s a huge sponsor—well, she was. She turned all girl-gone-crazy on me and I ended it. After a few weeks, she stopped trying to get my attention, and I thought she was over it. I mean, it was a fling, you know.” He looked at Blake.

“Sometimes flings can have the worst aftertaste,” Blake said.

“I thought I’d heard the last of her, and then I met Kaylie.” He paused, his gaze lingering on his fiancée. “Then she pulled this crazy scheme, told me she was buying Carl Jansen’s percentage, and basically all hell broke loose.”

“She even called me and tried to make it seem like she’d been with Chaz.
With
him, you know.” Kaylie looked at Chaz and then shifted to Danica. “But I know better. She wasn’t. She was trying to come between us.”

“Anyway.” Chaz stood to divert the conversation. “We’ll be full owners, which is great.”

“Hey, did Danica tell you guys that Sally is keeping her half of AcroSki?” Blake reached for a croissant as Chaz sat back down.

“Really? Why?” Kaylie picked a grape from Chaz’s plate and fed it to him.

“She thinks that Rusty might want it when he’s older.”

Kaylie furrowed her brow. “I thought he hated skiing.”

“He does,” Danica answered. “But sometimes things change, and Sally doesn’t want to steal the chance that he’ll grab on to something of Dave’s.”

“Not to bring up a sore subject, but what the hell was that about last night?” Chaz asked.

“What a nightmare.” Danica sipped her orange juice. “I spoke to the director for the county earlier this morning. He didn’t seem concerned at all about the fight. I wonder if I even should have bothered calling. It seems like I’m more worried about what they might think than they are about what’s actually going on. Apparently, even though the county allows us to hold programs for them, they don’t get involved with the rest of this stuff.” She shrugged as Blake reached over and ran his palm along her back. “I talked to Brad’s parents last night. They seemed to take it in stride, or at least as much as a parent can do that, I guess. So, I’m not going to stress over it too much. I’m calling Sally later today. I’ll see what’s going on with Rusty. As far as I could tell, Brad, the kid who was hit, said something about Little Hellion, and Rusty lost it.”

“Maybe I should talk to him, just to make sure he’s okay?” Blake offered.

Danica saw the memory of his friend’s death shadowing his kind offer. “Let’s just wait and see what Sally says.”

“I can see a kid losing it over that,” Chaz said.

“Hey, I don’t want our children settling things that way,” Kaylie said.

“I know, but hey, a guy’s gotta be a guy. If someone said something bad about you or me, would you want our son to walk away?”

“No, but he won’t have to punch the guy, either.” Kaylie looked to Danica for support.

“Yeah, he won’t have to hit. But the truth is, Kay, that boys that age have so much testosterone flowing through them that sometimes I think they can’t help it. Besides, I’m not so sure it didn’t have something to do with Michelle, too.”

“Finally, some juicy gossip. It’s been ages since I’ve heard any.” Kaylie leaned forward, and Danica followed suit.

“I don’t have any idea if what I heard is true or not, but there seems to be some sort of love triangle going on. Trisha says Chase is dating Michelle, but Sally says Rusty is. Throw into the mix that Brad comes into the center to talk to Michelle—alone—and I catch Rusty watching them through the glass.” She sat back and crossed her arms.

“The plot thickens. God, I’ve missed this.” Kaylie laughed.

Danica gave her a stern look and then cocked her head toward Chaz.

“What?” Kaylie’s eyes grew wide. “All I’m saying is that we’re all settled down now, and Camille is married, and I don’t see the girls very often. Even Chelsea has been dating the same guy for two months. I’m not saying I want to live in that gossipy world again. I’m saying it’s fun to hear about someone else’s love life troubles instead of my own.”

“That it is,” Danica agreed. “Anyway, I have no idea what that’s all about, but I’m hoping Sally can enlighten me.”

Kaylie stood and stretched her legs. “Sometimes I just gotta stand or my legs go numb.”

Danica jumped up. “Let’s go for a walk.” She looked back at Blake and Chaz. They were starting new lives, all of them, and she loved that they were starting their new chapters together.

Later that afternoon, Blake went to AcroSki and Danica headed over to Camille’s. The day was just as beautiful as the morning sun had promised. The meadows were in full bloom along the small but major road that led just outside of town to Camille and Jeffrey’s house.

Camille answered the door with a ready smile, looking as cute as ever in a white cotton skirt and blouse. She had an unfamiliar emerald ring on her right hand.

Danica gasped. “What is it with the men around here? Are they all secret drug dealers or does money grow on trees out here—but only for the men?”

“Kaylie told you?” Camille asked tentatively.

Kaylie? Kaylie told her about Chaz’s money?
“What? She told you, too? So much for pretending the money isn’t there.”
Typical Kaylie
. 

“Not really. Chaz and Jeff have gotten really close in the last year, but you know that. Anyway, Chaz’s attorney is Jeff’s family attorney. Small town and all. Jeff saw Chaz coming out of Cooper’s office and I guess he told him. Kaylie hasn’t said a word to me.”

Not so typical Kaylie after all
. “Well, don’t tell her I said anything.” Danica kicked off her sandals and set them next to Camille’s in an alcove by the door. “I was actually referring to your new sparkly ring.”

“Oh, goodness. Jeff is so generous. He gave it to me because I said I didn’t have any green jewelry. The man’s a nut. Oh, and no worries. I’d never say anything to Kaylie about the money thing.” Camille took her hand. “Slip your shoes back on. We’re going out by the pool again, and it’s so nice out, we might as well go around outside. "

“Yay! Now the party can begin,” Chelsea said when she saw Danica. She jumped up and gave her a hug, and Marie was right on her heels.

“We have almost everything planned. You’ll be so happy!” Marie said right before hugging Danica.

They sat around the table with plates of crackers, cheese, finger sandwiches, and, of course, colorful drinks with little umbrellas.

“Do you ever forget to be such a good hostess?” Danica teased.

“Have you ever seen me forget?” Camille said with a wink.  

“Today’s all about things that are a little bit pink and blue, so we have…well, we have no blue, but we have pink covered. Strawberry daiquiris!”

Danica noticed a number of empty glasses on the cart behind Camille. “I guess I’m late to the party.”

Camille handed her a drink. “That’s okay when you’re with your girlfriends, but don’t ever be late to the party when you’re with your man, if you know what I mean.”  

“Oh, I get it,” Chelsea said with a laugh. She went into a litany of details about where they’d found the streamers and what kind of balloons and decorations they were having, but Danica’s mind was now stuck on the memory of Blake’s body on top of hers, as it had been just hours earlier. She rubbed her hands together, reminiscing over the smooth feel of his muscles beneath her hands. Goose bumps prickled her arms.
Jesus. Get a grip
. Danica shook the dirty thoughts from her mind and pulled her attention back to the group.

“We also have watermelon daiquiris,” Chelsea said, taking a long sip through a straw.

“And they’re delish.” Marie giggled.

Danica took a drink, relishing in the icy liquid as it slid down her throat. Camille made her a fresh drink—s
o you don’t get too far behind
—as they filled her in on the rest of the details for the shower.

“So, we’ve extended the invitations, we’ve got the games, and we have ideas for how to get Kaylie to the party. Oh!” Chelsea’s eyes lit up and she put both hands flat on the table and leaned in close. She lowered her voice and asked, “Do you guys think Kaylie’s changed?”

Where did this come from?

All eyes turned in her direction. “In a good way,” she continued, “but just a few weeks ago she was all,
I’m fat and ugly. Chaz won’t want me after the baby’s born,
and when I spoke to her yesterday morning, she was like on cloud nine, saying she was going to look hot in her dress for the event. Oh, Danica, how was it?”

She’d almost forgotten how Chelsea flitted from subject to subject.

“She hasn’t changed. She’s just realizing that her body is like a vessel for her baby, and she’s owning it,” Marie said eagerly.

“I think Marie’s right,” Danica said. “The event was great. We had a big turnout and people danced. The night was perfect, except for a little punching action between teens.”

There was a collective gasp among the girls.

“No big deal, and Kaylie was amazing. I’d never seen her so passionate before.” Danica sipped her drink and pushed it away. Better not to drink too much. She still had to drive home. “Oh, and she looked incredibly hot. Only Kaylie could look like a sexy vixen while almost nine months pregnant.”

They all agreed.

“It’s good that she’s changing. I was worried when she was saying all that stuff. I think she’s finally accepting the whole motherhood thing and getting over the whole Kaylie-the-perky-girl thing,” Chelsea said to the group.

What?
“She’s still Kaylie the perky girl,” Danica said, a little annoyed.

“Yes!” Chelsea slammed her hand on the table. “But she’s so much more! And damn if that girl ever has to worry about that man of hers thinking she’s not gorgeous!”

“Flat out stunning,” Marie added with an emphatic nod.

“No matter what size,” Chelsea said.

They’d gone around the table complimenting Kaylie, and Camille turned expectant eyes toward Danica.

“Yes, right. She is, of course. But I never thought you guys saw her as so much more. I thought that was only me. I kinda thought everyone else saw her as, I don’t know.” Danica’s annoyance was replaced with a flush that heated her chest and neck.

“Just another pretty face?” Chelsea asked. Her tank top had dipped to the right, exposing sharp ripples of bone.

“I think some people do see her like that.” Danica handed Chelsea a cracker. “Here. Eat.”

“Brainless Barbie?” Marie added.

“What? No.”
Where is this coming from?

“Sexy seductress who doesn’t even need to speak to get attention?” Chelsea asked with a perky smile.

“I didn’t mean that, really, but...” Danica scanned their faces for understanding. Their harsh glares poked at her like needles on her skin.

Suddenly, Camille put both palms on the table and said, “I can’t do this.” She burst into laughter, and Marie and Chelsea followed.

“Jesus,” Danica muttered.

“You should have seen your face,” Chelsea squealed.

“That was just plain mean.” Danica shook her head; then laughter bubbled up from deep within her chest, and she laughed with them, tears streaming from her eyes.

“Oh my God! You should have seen your face! You really bought it,” Marie said through her laughter. “Kaylie likes everyone to think she’s that flirty, pretty, no brainer, but she’s not, and we, of all people, know that.”

They went over the rest of the plans for the baby shower.

 “So, we thought about where to hold the shower and figured we needed someplace where you could take her, Danica, so that she won’t be suspicious the minute you drive up. That means any of our houses are out of the question. So, we decided on Bar None! It’s where they met.”

“A bar? Seriously? She’s pregnant, you guys.”

“Yeah, but Bar None has that little restaurant on the side, and you could take her there for lunch.”

“True,” Danica said. “Actually, I think that’s perfect. I’ll take her to lunch, and you all will be there, right? Did you book the tables already?”

“Danica, please. The moment Jeff heard about it, he booked all twelve of the tables in the restaurant,” Camille said with a wave.

Danica fiddled with her straw. With the house and their condos, she knew that no matter what Blake said, she had to be careful with money. She prided herself on paying her own way and wasn’t about to stop now. “What’s the bottom line? What do I owe?”

Camille shook her head. “Danica, we’re paying for this. Jeff wouldn’t have it any other way. He loves Kaylie.”

“Camille, I’m really not comfortable with that. She’s my sister and I want to help. Really, I’ll be upset. I didn’t ask you guys to help so that you would pay.”

Marie chimed in. “Camille, I want to help, too. This was from all of us, not just you guys, and it’s really nice that Jeff offered, but I can pitch in. I want to.”

Chelsea also chimed in, wanting to help cover the costs.

“Okay, whatever,” Camille said. “Whatever you want to do is fine. I was just trying to help.”

“Okay, it’s settled then,” Danica said, hoping they were all sober enough to remember when the bills came. “Let us know the total and we’ll divvy it up.”

Marie went over the list of party games she’d planned. Danica was already planning how to get Kaylie to the shower.

Her cell phone rang, and she snagged it from her purse. “It’s Kaylie. Shh.” She waited until the girls were quiet.

“Hey, it’s me. I was just thinking. I know you’re busy at the center and all, but do you want to go shopping with me this week?”

“Yeah, I’d love to. What’s up?” Danica held a finger up.

“Nothing. I just need some things for the baby and thought it might be fun to hang out.”

Danica listened intently for signs of distress in Kaylie’s voice, but there was only happiness. “Sure. I have a ton on my plate this week, but I can do it Tuesday if you want. Lunchtime?”

“Perfect.”

They said goodbye, and the girls let out a loud collective sigh.

“Does she know you’re here?” Chelsea asked.

“What did she want?” Marie asked. “Does she know about the shower?”

“I have no idea. She wanted to go shopping this week. I think it’s fine.” Danica put her purse away, but not before noticing a text from Sally.
Sorry I missed your call earlier. Will talk 2moro.

“Kaylie called me this morning to go shopping today, but I said I had to do something with Jeff,” Camille said.

“Oh no. Me too.” Chelsea tucked a lock of her recently highlighted brownish hair behind her ear and frowned.

“Aw, poor Kaylie. She must think we’re all ditching her.” Marie ate a cracker, looking to Danica for guidance.

“It’s fine. I’ll make sure she’s okay.”
Of course I will
. She shook her head and realized that she wouldn’t even recognize Kaylie if drama didn’t follow her everywhere.

They wrapped up their discussion. Chelsea and Marie were staying at Camille’s for the afternoon, hanging out by the pool. They asked Danica to join them, but she’d been repressing her sinful thoughts about Blake for too long, and she had no idea why, but she felt a little like a lovesick teenager. She called Blake on her way, and was thrilled when he said he’d been thinking the same thing. She had a feeling that they were in for a steamy afternoon.