Page 8 of The Wedding Toast (The Hamiltons #10)

Her mom wrapped her in a hug before stepping back to hold her shoulders and look her over. “You look great, Becs. How are you feeling?”

“Excited,” she said honestly. “And happier now that you guys are here. Did you have a good flight?”

“We did,” her mom said, as her dad moved in to hug Becca.

“It was great,” he added as he kissed Becca’s cheek. Then he looked back over his shoulder to smile at Elliott and Trick, who were both coming down the steps. “I think these guys had a good lunch too.”

“It was fantastic, thanks, Chuck,” said Elliott. “And even if you can’t fit it in this week, you mustn’t forget that the four of us have a date to go out for lunch here.”

Trick nodded beside him. “That’s right. You might be too busy this week –” he gave them a wry smile “– and we might too. But don’t think we’ll forget.”

Becca’s mom laughed. “We should maybe pick a date when we’ll be here again, because there’s no way any of us will have time to be popping out for lunch this week.” She winked at Becca. “We’ll all be too busy making sure that this wedding is perfect.”

“That’s the plan,” said Trick with a smile.

“Thanks so much for going to get them, you guys. I really appreciate it,” said Becca. “And for all the flying around that you’re going to be doing.”

The pilots both smiled. “It’s not a problem,” said Elliott. “It’s our way of contributing to all the wedding arrangements.”

“Is there anything else we can do for you?” Trick asked.

Becca shook her head. “No, you’re already doing so much.” She glanced at them. “Oh, you mean you need to get going again?”

Trick smiled. “Not just yet.”

Becca’s dad went to shake his hand and then Elliott’s. “But I’m sure you’ve got better things to be doing than standing around here talking to us. Come on, Becs, let’s get up to the house and leave these guys in peace.”

Becca smiled as she watched her mom hug them both. “I don’t know how much we’ll see of you during the week.” Her smile morphed into a frown. “You are going to be there on Saturday, aren’t you?” she asked, looking totally indignant at the thought that they might not be.

“We wouldn’t miss it for the world,” said Trick.

Elliott nodded his agreement. “We’ll be there.”

“Right. Well, if we don’t see you before, we’ll see you then,” Becca’s dad told them. “Come on, Becs, love. Let’s give these guys a minute to themselves before they have to turn around and fly somewhere else.”

~ ~ ~

As they watched Becca’s Range Rover head back up toward the house, Trick turned to Elliott with a smile. “They’re good people.”

“The best,” said Elliott. “I love flying those guys.”

Trick chuckled. “You just love it when Chuck takes us for barbecue.”

“I’m not gonna deny that,” said Elliott, “but no, it’s more. Have you seen the smile on Darlene’s face when you let her sit in the right seat?”

Trick nodded happily. “And Chuck, he loves it too. He was even asking me about what it would take to get his private pilot’s license.”

Elliott laughed. “That’d be something.”

“Wouldn’t it?”

“It would, I mean. It’s not like he’d need to fly anything like this bird.” He patted the wing of the plane as he spoke. “But he could get himself a little Cessna or something.”

Elliott raised his eyebrows. “I’m not sure I’d want to make the trip out here from Kansas City in a single-engine plane like that.”

“No, that wasn’t what I was thinking,” said Trick. “Just for him to enjoy buzzing around at home.”

“Now that I can see,” said Elliott. “What’s the plan for the rest of the day?”

“You can take off as soon as we’re done here,” said Trick.

“Jacob said we should take whatever time we can get until Thursday. Once we start making trips to pick people up from the airport, it’s going to get crazy busy, and it’ll stay that way until we deliver them all back to wherever they’re going on Monday. ”

“So, no one’s arriving until Thursday?” Elliott asked.

Trick pulled his phone out and checked his notes. “Nope. According to the master schedule, Chuck and Darlene were the first, and only, coming in today.”

He frowned. “Becca’s bridesmaid, her friend Callie, is now arriving on Wednesday. But Ollie’s going for her.”

Elliott gave him a puzzled look at first. “Oh, that’s right. She’s the one who lives in Fort Bragg, isn’t she? Is he taking his Cirrus?”

“That’s right.” Trick smiled. “See, those little single-engine jobs come in handy sometimes.”

“I guess,” said Elliott. “And what’s our schedule look like Thursday and Friday? Is it mostly runs back and forth from the airport?”

“That’s right,” said Trick. “In fact, Thursday’s airport runs all day.”

“Is it all wine people?” Elliott asked.

Trick scanned the list. “Out of the names I recognize, yeah.”

“Anyone we know?” asked Elliott.

Trick nodded slowly as he read through the names. “I think we know most of them. There are only a couple I don’t recognize.”

He stopped when he saw the name Annalise Bork. It couldn’t be her. There was more than one woman named Annalise, and the one he was thinking of was Annalise Montclair.

He looked at the name on the list again. Not Bork.

“What’s up?” asked Elliott.

Trick shook his head. “Nothing. I just saw the last name Bork. Do you think that’s real?”

Elliott gave him a puzzled look. “Are you joking?”

“No. Why?” asked Trick.

“I thought you knew,” said Elliott.

“Knew what?”

“That she’s back.”

Trick could hear his pulse rushing through his temples. “Who do you mean?” he asked eventually.

Elliott rolled his eyes. “You know damn well who I mean. You always had a thing for her. Don’t pretend you didn’t. Annalise Montclair.”

Trick looked down at the name on his phone before looking back up at Elliott. “And now she’s Annalise Bork?”

Elliott smiled. “She is. Apparently, she finally divorced the old bastard.”

Trick inhaled sharply.

“Well, damn, I’m sorry. I assumed you knew she was back.”

Trick shook his head. “How could I know? In fact, how do you know?”

“I like to stay tapped into the grapevine.”

Trick made a face. “You mean the women you sleep with do, and you can’t help but hear about it.”

Elliott shrugged. “Something like that, yeah. But anyway, why’s her name on our list?”

Trick looked back down. “Because she’s in the party we’re picking up from the airport on Friday. Lunchtime.”

“That’s weird,” said Elliott.

“Why?”

“I thought she’d already moved back.”

“Seriously?” asked Trick.

“Seriously,” Elliott confirmed. “And from the look on your face, I should have told you about this sooner.”

Trick shrugged. He didn’t want to make a big deal of it, but the way his heart was pounding, and his palms were sweating told him that no matter how much he might want to downplay it, Annalise being back in town was a very big deal.

~ ~ ~

After dinner, Jacob left Becca and her folks sitting on the terrace beside the pool. It was a beautiful evening, and they’d all enjoyed themselves, talking and laughing, catching up, and for once leaving the wedding details aside and just enjoying themselves.

He leaned down to kiss Becca’s cheek after he’d excused himself, saying he had a couple of calls he needed to make. He smiled at Chuck. “Would you like me to pour you a Cognac and bring it back out with me when I come?”

“Yeah, thanks, Jacob.”

Darlene laughed. “I’ll have one of those too, thanks.”

Jacob winked at her. “I was planning to bring you one. I know you like it – I didn’t think I needed to ask.”

When he reached his study, he closed the door behind him and took his cell phone out.

He still hadn’t heard back from Alara, and Willow had texted him a little while ago to say she’d had no luck tracking her down either.

He felt as though he should probably just forget the whole idea, but he didn’t want to.

At the same time, there were only a few days left.

If Alara was going to build the arch, he needed to talk to her by tomorrow at the latest. He poured himself a glass of Cognac and paced in front of the window, staring out at the vines as he dialed her number and waited.

He was fully expecting to get her voicemail again and was surprised when a woman answered.

Her voice was low, melodic. “This is Alara.”

He gripped his phone tighter. “Hi, I’m Jacob Jacobs. I was given your number by Elena. She showed me photos from the arch at the wedding you did this last weekend.”

“Right,” Alara said slowly.

“My fiancée and I are getting married on Saturday. The whole theme of our wedding is cornflowers, and when I saw the arch that you made… It’s beautiful …

” He let out a breath. “This is probably the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever obsessed over, but when I saw that arch…

is there any way you’d be able to help? Can you build me one for Saturday? ”

The line was quiet for so long that he wondered if she was still there. Then a quiet sigh. “I appreciate you asking, I really do. But I can’t take on anything right now.”

Jacob frowned. “I’ll double your normal rate.”

He heard her inhale sharply.

“Sorry.” He deliberately gentled his tone. “I’m not trying to order you into doing it. It’s just… it means that much to me.”

He heard another quiet sigh. “I’d love to be able to help you, but I really can’t do it this week.”

“Are you still in Napa? Are you leaving?”

“I’m still here, but it’s not that. I don’t have anyone to watch my daughter.”

“So, bring her with you.”

Another silence, longer this time. Jacob glanced out the window. The cornflowers lining the edges of the driveway caught his eye – he wanted that arch.

“I’m not just saying it – she’ll be fine.

She’ll be safe here on the estate. It’s a closed environment, and there’s another little girl around – my niece, Ava.

Everyone will keep an eye out for your daughter.

My fiancée’s mom is already trying to mother everyone who crosses her path. You’ll both be welcome.”

“You don’t understand.”

Jacob frowned. “What don’t I understand?”

“My daughter… she’s a free spirit.”

She was right. Jacob didn’t understand. “And…?” he asked.

“She’s six.”

“My niece is nine. They’ll get along. With my fiancée’s mom around, and Elena, there’ll be plenty of cookies. You’ll have space to work. I’ll get you all the supplies you need. I’ll have workers on hand to help with whatever you need – do whatever you say.”

“I can do the job — it’s just… my daughter. She’s a bit of an artist in her own right. She’ll decorate things – things you might not want decorated – with glitter and stickers and…”

“She’ll be fine,” said Jacob. “My fiancée’s mom will probably encourage her to glitter this place up a bit anyway.”

“I…”

“How about you come over tomorrow, bring your daughter, see how it feels to you? I’m hoping that when you see the cornflowers around here, you’ll understand how much this means to me – and how much it’ll mean to Becca.”

The silence dragged on for a few moments until he couldn’t take it anymore. “Please, just say yes.”

A quiet laugh, warm and surprised. “All right. It’s not that I don’t want to do the job, it’s just… don’t say I didn’t warn you. My daughter… she names people.”

Jacob smiled. “So does my future mother-in-law. They’ll get along just fine. What’s her name – your daughter?”

“Zia.”

“And what would be a good time for you and Zia to come over here tomorrow? I’d like to meet you without Becca seeing. I don’t want to tell her about the arch if you’re going to decide that you don’t want to do it.”

“Does 10:30 work?”

“That’ll be perfect.”

“And where are you?”

“It’s the Jacobs estate.”

He heard her inhale.

“Just come to the front gate. I’ll meet you there at 10:30.”

“All right.” She sounded hesitant again.

“I’ll bring cookies for your daughter – and glitter. How does that sound?”

He relaxed a little when she laughed again. “It sounds to me like you’re a desperate man, Mr. Jacobs.”

He chuckled. “I am, but I have the best of intentions – and please, call me Jacob.”