Page 5

FIVE

T he hostess told me that originally, the plan had been to feed people in two shifts, but then they decided to open the haunted side so they could accommodate everyone.

“Is it really haunted?”

She leaned close. “We’re supposed to say that, but no. I wish it were true. That would be so much better. The truth is, it’s just an old building that looks like a giant ski lodge that’s been here since the American Revolution. We don’t normally use the side that faces the water—it’s not well insulated, and it gets crazy cold until the fires get going because sadly, there’s no central heat in there.”

“Which doesn’t normally matter.”

“Yeah. You get it. People come in the summer and sit out on the patio?—”

“—which is huge.”

“Which is huge. Yeah.”

“We’re here in the off-season.”

“You’re here in the off- off -season,” she assured me.

“This is the strangest wedding venue I’ve ever been at.”

She scoffed. “I’ll bet you money the bride and groom came here either in the summer, when it’s gorgeous, or in the winter, when it’s like a Hallmark movie.”

“But the rooms would be freezing in the winter.”

“Absolutely not. The fireplaces blaze twenty-four seven. We have guys we bring in just to take care of that. Hearth workers.”

I chuckled. “That’s hysterical.”

“It’s awesome here in the winter because seriously, it looks like a postcard.”

I couldn’t help smiling. “But this transition time between winter and spring, not so great, am I right?”

“All you have to do is look outside and see that it’s like a bad horror movie out there. It’s foggy and wet, we’re under construction from the winter storms that hit us harder than usual, and all the outdoor activities have been canceled. I feel really bad for the kids.”

I nodded.

“And worse for their parents.”

“Yeah.”

“But at least the bars are open in town, so you all can get your drink on, the ghost tours are running, the historical ones as well, and there are supercute shops and restaurants all up and down Central Avenue.”

“Thank you for telling me,” I said, smiling at her. “So do you have an ETA on us all sitting in the meat locker?”

“ minutes?”

“Excellent,” I said excitedly, and she laughed.

“I feel like I talked to you before.”

“Maybe on the phone earlier in the day?”

“Oh, right. Mr. Davis. You were nice then, and you’re nice now. How many with you?”

“Just the two of us.”

“Perfect. I’ll find you somewhere to sit on the main floor.”

“What’s your name?”

“Kendra.”

“Thank you, Kendra,” I said, then left her.

“ more minutes,” I told everyone I passed in line but didn’t spoil the surprise about the lack of heat. What would be the point?

When I reached Ash, he was speaking to an older woman who was holding on to his arm. Her thick platinum hair was pulled up into a loose chignon, she had large diamond studs in each ear, a thick, oversize white turtleneck sweater with a black pashmina over that, and wide-legged black dress pants. The heeled black-sequined boots finished the outfit. She was both stunning and stylish.

The woman smiled at me and said, “Oh, darling, are you one of Orson’s groomsmen?”

“No, he’s not, Mrs. Walder,” Ash answered for me. “He’s my plus-one.”

Her smile was daring. “Is he really?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Well, I’m his grandmother, Sophia,” she informed me, quickly slipping her arm into mine, leaving Ash.

“Lovely to meet you, Mrs. Walder.”

“And you, but please, call me Sophia.”

I grinned at her; I couldn’t help it. Her smile and the eyebrow waggle, along with the wink, were enchanting. “Thank you.”

“And what is your name, you gorgeous thing you?”

“Cooper Davis.”

Her eyes flashed with excitement. “Do people call you Coop? I’ve always wanted to know a Coop. It sounds like you should play baseball.”

Okay, so yes, I was a sucker for grandmothers. I adored my own, my mother’s mother, who had lived with us since before I was born. It was a no-brainer that I would like Ash’s, even though I doubted he thought of her that way. She was, by blood, as she was his father’s mother, but there was no familiarity there. I had to wonder how she knew him at all. “Most people do call me Coop, so I would love it if you would as well.”

“Wonderful,” she said with a sigh. “Now, sweetheart, do tell Ashford he must call me Gran as all the others do. It’s ridiculous that he’s always so formal.”

He glanced at me and gave a quick headshake.

“Mother,” a woman said as she reached us just as the line started moving. “We’ve all been looking everywhere for you.”

“Oh, Elaine, I’m right here with Ashford and his…” She turned to him. “Do you say boyfriend these days, or friend like they did when I was young?”

“Partner,” I answered before he could. “We say partner and then husband once the ring goes on, just like everybody else.”

“I love that,” she said, still holding my arm as we began to walk.

“Mother,” Elaine said, glancing at me, “we need to get back to the table and?—”

“Well, Coop is going to walk me. You can come along with us if you like.”

She looked so harried, even in her Dior gown and with her hair and makeup done immaculately. She seemed halfway between trying to keep up a brave face and ready to cry.

“We would love it if you showed us the way, Aunt Elaine,” Ash suggested.

Her exhale told me she appreciated his words, and when he offered her his arm, she stared at him like he was an angel.

“You’re Ash Lennox, the actor,” she said softly. “When Bitsy told Odette, that’s my daughter, that you were going to be at the wedding, neither of us believed her.”

“Is Odette in the wedding party?” he asked kindly.

“She is, yes.”

“Wonderful,” Ash commented, making conversation.

“It’s lovely to meet you. I’m a huge fan. And I know you’re the executor of the estate, but I’ve never understood why Coleman?—”

“Why Coleman what?” Sophia asked. “Put one of his bastards in charge of everybody’s money?”

Elaine gasped. “Mother, I?—”

“He is one of many of your brother’s illegitimate issue,” Sophia insisted, as though Elaine had argued with her. “There were at least five that I know of, plus, he paid for a lot of abortions back in the day.”

“Oh God.” Elaine sounded mortified, and if Ash hadn’t been holding on to her, she would have gone right down.

“Don’t be so dramatic,” Sophia chided her. “You know there have been others the company paid off. Coleman told me that Ashford’s mother was different, not a gold digger at all.” She turned to look at Ash then. “I think it’s marvelous she raised you all alone.”

“Well, she had help, and it was the eighties, not the nineteen fifties,” he told her.

“That’s so true. Things were harder back then. It would have been difficult for you to be a successful actor and a homosexual then.”

And while she wasn’t wrong, it was a lot to absorb in polite company.

“I’m so sorry,” Elaine blurted out, staring at Ash. “She hasn’t been herself since?—”

“It’s fine. We’re fine,” he assured her, not wanting, I was guessing, to learn any more stories or secrets about the family than he already had.

When we reached their table, everyone stood up to meet Ash. He was a huge star, and more importantly, to them, the man holding the purse strings, so I understood their interest. Thankfully, his half brother Hunter wasn’t at the table with his grandmother, just her children. Ash’s siblings and most of his father’s ex-wives were scattered around the room at other tables.

Unfortunately, the next table over was the one with Damien and his lovely fiancée, Sienna, who immediately got up to reach Ash and I.

“Cooper,” she said, smiling, and kissed my cheek. “It’s so lovely to see you again. I need your phone number so I can make sure we get to have that meal while we’re here.”

“Absolutely,” I said, not even glancing Damien’s way. “What’s yours? I’ll text you.”

Once I sent her my number, she turned to Ash, whom everyone else was meeting. “I’m so sorry we don’t have room at our table for you two.”

“Me too,” he lied smoothly, “but it looks like you have a great bunch.”

“We have room here,” a woman at the next table over from theirs said. “Ashford Lennox, I might faint.”

“Oh, that’s great,” Sienna said, gazing at Ash. “We’d love to talk and?—”

“Cooper!”

Several people moved quickly to make way as Gemma Cushing—who had mashed potatoes and gravy on her face and hands—came rushing up at me as though running from a burning building. Her arms were waving in the air, and I couldn’t stop smiling.

“Don’t touch me,” Sienna shrieked in horror, jumping back to get away from the toddler. I understood—her dress was a white Valentino. The volume was a little much, though.

Other women had similar reactions, and the men, in their suits, as well. But Gemma didn’t care about them, only me.

I crouched, and she hit me like a missile, immediately putting her arms around my neck. I rose easily with her nestled tight to my chest.

“Oh, her hand is on your shoulder,” Elaine announced, horrified, and everyone around me looked just as sympathetic. “You’re going to have to get that cleaned.”

“Which is fine,” Ash said, stepping around the people crowding him. “Who’s your cute friend?”

“This is Gemma,” I told him, smiling at the dimpled cherub. “And her parents are probably having a seizure wherever they are in this…room.”

I glanced around and saw Ainsley waving both arms at me from across the room like she was signaling for a ship. She mouthed the word sorry . I gestured back, holding up two fingers in question, and she presented her half-empty table with a flourish. The tables all sat ten, and there were only five of them there at the moment. Technically, Taylor was in his seat on top of the table, and I had Gemma.

“I’m sorry, but we can’t sit here. We had previous plans,” I told everyone, glancing over at Kendra, who had followed us, and giving her a thumbs-up. I got one back and a nod of understanding. “You, c’mere,” I ordered Ash. “You see the lady standing up toward the back with the kids?”

“Yes,” he said, starting across the floor with me right behind him.

People yelled out his name, and he smiled and waved but kept walking. When he announced to the room that he was excited to be there for the wedding, many people clapped, while I was betting others had no idea what was going on.

When we reached the table, Ainsley was up quickly, cleaning first her daughter, who did not want to be put down, and then scrubbing at the left shoulder of my navy pinstripe suit and right behind my neck.

“I’m so sorry,” she apologized, looking like she was about to cry. “But she saw you before either me or Jeff did, and just scrambled out of the seat, and now?—”

“It’s fine,” I assured her. “It’s mashed potatoes, who cares. That’s what dry cleaning is for. It’s a suit, not some silk heirloom.”

She turned to Ash and offered him her hand. “Huge fan of yours.”

He took her hand in both of his. “Thank you.”

“Me too,” Jeff chimed in, joining us.

Ash shook his hand next and then met the kids—the boys had no clue who he was.

Gemma, who was now clean, wrapped her arms around my neck and put her head down, whispering to me.

“What did she say?” Jeff asked me.

“That you tried to make her eat a carrot. Carrots are for bunnies, not girls.”

“Of course,” he said, chuckling.

“Your daughter seems to like him,” Ash teased Ainsley.

“Well, that’s because he saved me, Gemma, and my baby earlier today. You’re a very lucky man.”

“Yes, ma’am, I know.”

Her sigh was long.

Once we sat down, Jeff offered to take his daughter, but her scream of outrage was loud. Some people cast disparaging looks, others of sympathy. Ainsley just looked at the table and didn’t even try to move her daughter.

“You can eat with one hand if someone cuts your meat,” Joey informed me.

“I can do that,” Ash offered.

He got a big smile in return.

“Stop being embarrassed,” Ash told Ainsley. “Your children are amazing, and anyway, who cares. As long as no one screams during the wedding vows, you’re good.”

“I follow you on Instagram,” she told him. “I knew you were a nice man with how well you take care of your rescue dog.”

“Thank you,” he said, smiling at her.

Apparently, they had brought the kids their meals early, so we got to eat with Ainsley and Jeff—after Ash cut up my chicken filet into manageable bites—share some wine, watch Taylor sleep, see the boys go pick their desserts from the table, and listen to Gemma snore. She was passed out on my shoulder.

“I have never seen her take to anyone like she has to you,” Ainsley told me. “I was shocked when you said you didn’t have kids of your own, but knowing now how many nieces and nephews you have, it makes sense.”

“How many do you have?” Ash asked me.

I told him about my sisters and their kids and how I was the baby whisperer.

“Really?”

“He is,” Jeff assured him and then explained how he and Ainsley had been separated and how she didn’t even have her stroller when she landed. “I wasn’t there to see the saving, but I heard it was epic.”

I really liked the way Ash was looking at me; it flushed my whole body with heat.

“I would still be crying on the floor if Cooper hadn’t been there.”

“Well,” Ash said, “I suspect he enjoyed spending time with you and your family as well.”

“I did,” I said, smiling at her. “It was a good start to the day.”

She shook her head. “You’re insane, but in a wonderful way.”

Ainsley and Ash figured out how they were related. She was the daughter of Coleman’s fifth wife, Judith, which made them half-siblings.

“I’m very excited to be related to you,” she told him. “Expect us for the holidays from now on.”

“I think that might be a lot of fun,” he assured her.

“Oh, you’re very charming,” she said with a sigh.

“Was your mother invited?” I asked her.

“She was, but she had no intention of coming,” she said, chuckling. “She has no desire to see any of the other wives, and more than anything, she didn’t want to see my grandmother.”

“Not a fan of Sophia?” Ash asked innocently. “But whyever not?”

I enjoyed seeing her wicked grin and gleaming eyes. “My mother hates my grandmother, and I can’t blame her. My mom doesn’t come from money, and that was always a sticking point. She was always made to feel less than.”

“Well, at least you’re legitimate,” Ash pointed out.

“I dunno if that’s such a great thing in this family, though I do appreciate knowing that should Joey or Timothy want to, there’s money for college, and if not, money to help fund whatever their dream happens to be a few years later. That way we only need to save for Gemma and Taylor.”

“Actually, I signed off on Taylor’s trust just a couple of weeks ago,” Ash said. “And Gemma has one too.”

She appeared startled. “What?”

“What?” he repeated.

“No, you did not.”

“Yes, I did,” he said, looking at her oddly. “Coleman Walder’s blood runs through their veins, he was their grandfather, so yeah, they get a trust fund.”

“Are you—are you kidding?”

“Why would I kid about that?”

“I just, I was told that only the first two kids are given trusts. We were informed of that in writing,” she said, turning to Jeff, then back to Ash. “I remember getting the letter right after the paperwork for Timothy’s trust came in the mail.”

“You should have received a correction notice. Some members of the family had pushed through that change a few years ago, but I spoke to the board, and with very little effort on my part, they withdrew that stipulation. Birth order is a ridiculous reason to not receive money for college simply because some people don’t want to spend the money on more than two children per household. Screw that. If you’re related, you’re related. I used mine for college just like you did, and I never even had Walder as my last name.”

“So you’re saying that both Gemma and Taylor have college money?” she clarified.

“Yes, of course.”

Her eyes filled, and she covered her face with her hands.

Jeff’s eyes were swimming as well, but he wiped them quickly. “This is really good news for us. We’ve been so worried about all the… See, we had to put a new roof on our house this year, had to get a new water heater last year, my mother’s been sick—she has leukemia, but it’s in remission at the moment, so we’ve had to help her and my dad with bills, and had to use what we’d started to save.”

Ash nodded. “Well, don’t worry about the kids. They can go to school wherever they want. And there’s living expenses built into that money, as Ainsley knows, that comes in through the company dividends every quarter.”

She lifted her head then and stared at him. “I normally wouldn’t ask…but you’re you, so…can I come over there and cry all over your beautiful suit?”

“Yeah, come on. Bring it in.”

He stood up, and she was around the table fast. The issue was, when the people around us saw him hug her, everyone wanted some of his attention. And they wanted to take pictures. And talk and touch him.

I let it go on for a good ten minutes because that was fair and it gave him time to tell everyone that he would be there for the whole wedding, but then I stood up and made sure to jostle Gemma just a bit. The loud screech of displeasure was like an air siren. People moved back fast, and I explained that the man had to eat and have his dessert as well. Most of them were great about it, only one lady upsetting me when she flopped down on his lap once he was seated. She wanted a picture of the two of them.

“Of course,” he said kindly, and smiled into the camera.

When she wanted to take another, I almost said something but was saved from having to by the bride coming to our table.

“Way to make yourself a total nuisance, Kim,” she snapped at the woman. “This is why your mother had to bribe mine to invite you to the wedding.”

“Like you didn’t sashay on over here to meet your uncle.”

“I did,” Bitsy told her, “but I’m the bride. Now move your ass before I tell everyone what you did at the last wedding.”

Kim flipped her off, and Joey and Timothy gasped. She had forgotten there were kids there, and now both boys were asking their mother if Kim was going to get in trouble, because that was super bad, wasn’t it?

I clenched my jaw tight so no smile would come, no laughing, nothing.

“You’re a class act, Kim,” Bitsy called after her, taking the seat beside Ash. “I’m not sure what to call you. Ash? Ashford? Uncle Ash?”

“Ash is fine.”

She was beaming at him. “Thank you for making my wedding happen, that’s huge, and for taking into consideration what I had to say about my trust fund.”

“Well, so you know, your trust fund is being paid out. I made the arrangements, and the paperwork will be here tomorrow.”

She slapped a hand over her mouth. “Really?”

“Why on earth would I care what your parents think of your life choices, unless we needed to use your trust fund to pay for rehab or rodeo-clown college.”

Her eyes were filling fast.

“Actually,” Ash went on, “there’s nothing wrong with being a rodeo clown. And you wanting to start your own salon with three other stylists, I think that’s great. With all the followers you have on TikTok and Instagram, more sponsors signing on daily, and partnerships with some high-end brands, you’re off to a great start.”

She hugged him then. He’d basically ridden to her rescue like a knight in shining armor. What I liked about her was that as soon as she saw people start to get up, wanting to see Ash, she immediately waved her hand at Ainsley and then pointed to the front.

“I have no idea what’s happening,” Ainsley said to me.

“I suspect you’re supposed to go tell Orson to make with the announcements.”

“Ah,” she said, getting up and heading for the front.

“Again,” Ash said patiently as people started crowding around him. “I will be here for the entirety of the wedding. There’s plenty of time to take pictures.”

That seemed to calm everyone, and then, of course, there was the usual high-pitched squeal from the sound system that made everyone gasp before Orson—I assumed it was Orson—said, “Testing, testing,” and asked if everyone could hear him. Lots of yelling back that he was too loud, and then there was the requisite up and down with the volume. I always wondered why that part wasn’t done beforehand. One of life’s great mysteries.

“Hello, everyone,” he started again. “Welcome to the Phillips/Walder wedding. I’m Orson Phillips, the groom, and my lovely bride is…” He made a show of shielding his brow as if looking out across a vast terrain. “Where are you, Bits?”

Bits was even worse than Bitsy. Amazing.

She stood up, waving, thanked Ash again, and then began making her way to the front, passing Ainsley on the way, stopping her aunt to hug her. When Ainsley reached the table, she took a seat beside me.

“I should take the kids upstairs after these announcements.”

I saw that Timothy was passed out on his father’s shoulder. It worked like that with kids. When they crashed, they crashed hard.

“I can come with you and drop Gemma off.”

“Are you sure?”

“He’s sure,” Ash answered for me, pushing my hair out of my eyes. “I have to make some phone calls anyway. I’ll meet you in the room.”

“In the room? No late-night carousing in town?” Ainsley teased him.

“I can’t go out to a club or a bar that doesn’t have procedures in place, like the ones in LA do, without a whole entourage of people.”

“Really?”

He nodded. “If it’s a place I’ve been that caters to celebrities, it’s fine. But I can’t just walk into any bar at night unless I’m in disguise. During the day it’s all right, but never at night. That’s just asking for trouble.”

“You go out in disguise?”

He grimaced. “I used to. I’m not really into that anymore. I’m not the club kid I was at twenty-two.”

“Everything seems so loud,” she told him. “I’d rather stay home and watch TV.”

“Or read,” he added.

“Yes. Reading is the best, with snacks and a blanket.”

“I’m not normally cold enough to need a blanket, but that does sound good.”

I scoffed, and they both turned to look at me. “You two are so old.”

She crossed her arms and glared at me.

“Really? Old?” Ash repeated, drawing my attention.

“I mean, where’s the sex, drugs, and a rock-and-roll man?”

“I’m an actor,” he said, hand on his chest. “Not a rock star.”

“You’re tellin’ me.”

Now it was his turn to cross his arms.

“That’s impressive,” Jeff commented. “You pissed them both off.”

I rolled my eyes. “I thought we were gonna go score some blow, trash some bars, and eat cold nachos in a bowling alley. Paint the town red.”

“It’s after nine,” Jeff mock-gasped. “Are you insane?”

We were all laughing, not one of us listening to the announcements. I did hear that tomorrow there would be shuttles to museums in the morning and for shopping in the afternoon. Tomorrow night would be the bachelor and bachelorette parties.

“Can you go to that?” Ainsley asked. “The bachelor party?”

Ash turned to me and quirked a brow.

“I don’t think so. Drunk middle-aged men who probably want to see how tough you are in real life by taking a shot at you does not sound like my idea of a good time,” I said, glaring at him, which I hoped conveyed my incredulity. “Is there any scenario where I say yeah, let’s do that?”

He studied my face. “I think not.”

“Well, there’s always sightseeing and taking a ghost tour,” Ainsley suggested.

Jeff was looking at her like she’d grown another head.

“Good job, Mom,” I teased her. “Your kids would sleep so well after a ghost tour.”

“Oh dear God, what was I thinking just now?”

“I don’t have kids, but even I know that’s bad,” Ash teased her.

“I think I need some sleep,” she told me.

I only nodded.