Make Me Yours (Bellamy Creek #2) - Melanie Harlow Page 0,45
pub, with lots of dark wood paneling, a leather banquette and small tables along one wall, and a crackling fire in the fireplace. Right away I spotted Blair and Griffin at the long wooden bar opposite the banquette and headed their way—then stopped in my tracks when I noticed Cole was with them.
Shit!
I touched the ribbed knit cap on my head, wishing I’d washed my hair today. What was he doing here? Hadn’t Blair said he wasn’t coming up until tomorrow morning?
I looked down in dismay at my traveling outfit, which had clearly been chosen for comfort, not for style. I still had my North Face boots on, for fuck’s sake. And giant slouchy socks. My black leggings were okay, but my rust-colored sweater was a giant baggy thing with a turtleneck and sleeves that were too long. Cozy, but not terribly cute, and a far cry from sexy or alluring.
I was considering sneaking back up to my room to change, or maybe even order room service, when Blair caught sight of me. “Cheyenne’s here!” she cried out, loudly enough that everyone around her turned to look at me.
No backing out now. Embarrassed, I lifted a hand, which was hidden inside my floppy sleeve. “Hi.”
Blair came rushing toward me, grabbing me in a hug. “Sorry,” she whispered. “I didn’t know he was coming early. He just showed up a little bit ago.”
“Why didn’t you text me?” I whispered back.
“I was afraid you wouldn’t come down.”
I let her go and gave her a dirty look. “That was a mean trick. Look at me—I look like I just crawled out of bed. Through a blizzard.”
“You look adorable,” she said, taking my hand and tugging me toward the bar. “Come on. Frannie’s here, and she can’t wait to see you.”
“Oh, good! I’m excited to see her too.”
Frannie was also one of Blair’s bridesmaids. She was an old friend of mine from when I’d student taught in this area, and her family owned Cloverleigh Farms. I’d actually introduced Blair to her, and for a while—before Griffin had finally figured out that he was in love with Blair and begged her to come back to Bellamy Creek—she had lived at Cloverleigh and worked as a pastry chef at Frannie’s coffee shop. Carefully avoiding Cole’s eye, I let Blair pull me over to where Frannie stood with two other women, a blonde I didn’t recognize and an auburn-haired beauty who looked vaguely familiar.
“Hey, you!” Frannie said, giving me a huge hug. “Long time, no see!”
“How are you, Frannie?”
“I’m fine. Life is crazy with five girls at home—I’m amazed Mack hasn’t lost his mind yet—but everything is good.”
I laughed. Mack, her husband, had three daughters from his first marriage, and Frannie had given birth to their twins the year before. “Is he here?” I asked.
“Yes, he’s over there with the guys.” She nodded in the direction of Griffin and Cole and laughed. “Soaking up the testosterone.”
I looked over there too, accidentally locking eyes with Cole. He gave me a half-smile, which I returned before looking away, my heart tripping over its next few beats.
“How was the drive?” Frannie asked. “Did you get caught in the storm?”
“It was a little rough,” I said. “That snow is coming down hard.”
Blair closed her eyes a second. “Don’t talk about it. Let’s get you a drink.”
“Sounds good,” I said. “I could use some food as well. Is the kitchen still open?”
“Yes,” answered the redhead, who held out her hand with a smile. “Hi, I’m Frannie’s sister April. I think we’ve met, but it was a long time ago.”
“Oh, you’re the wedding planner!”
She nodded, giving Blair a meaningful look. “Yes, and everything is going to be perfect, blizzard or not.”
“I agree,” said Frannie. “Honestly, I think Cloverleigh is more beautiful and romantic covered with snow in the winter than at any other time of year. It’s going to look like a winter wonderland. You’ll see.”
Blair took a deep breath. “Right.”
“Hi, I’m Alexis,” said the blond woman I didn’t recognize, holding out her hand.
“Oh, Blair’s college roommate!” I exclaimed, taking her hand in both of mine. “So nice to meet you. I’m glad you made it in from California before the storm.”
She smiled. “Me too. They’re already canceling flights.”
Blair moaned, her face troubled. “You guys, I have the worst feeling my parents are not going to make it.”
“Stop.” I put my arm around her. “No matter what happens with the weather, you are marrying the love of your life tomorrow, right?”