“So just a typical day for Kinley,” he said over his coffee cup.
She nodded. “Pretty much. I had originally planned to give you the grand tour and answer questions this morning, but we got that out of the way yesterday. You’d be welcome to tag along with me today and observe some of the behind-the-scenes preparation for a wedding, if you wouldn’t find that too boring. Or I can direct you to some more of the local attractions, which might be more fun for you. It’s going to be a beautiful day for sightseeing.”
“I can’t imagine I’d get bored spending the day with you.”
It was the first time that morning he’d openly flirted with her again. And her little jolt of reaction reminded her that she liked it. Realizing she was sitting there gazing at his sexy mouth—and remembering too vividly how it felt pressed to hers—she snapped out of it and said briskly, “I wouldn’t be so sure about that. It’s going to be a long, detail-filled day. Feel free to cut out whenever you get restless, and let us know if we can give you any assistance.”
“And now she’s back in hostess mode,” he murmured teasingly, earning himself a look that only made him laugh.
* * *
They were almost finished with breakfast when Eva Sossaman swept into the dining room with Serena and young Grayson. Eva and her husband lived only a twenty-minute drive from the inn, close enough that there was no need for them to stay overnight, and Serena was living with them, leaving the inn’s limited accommodations free for their out-of-town guests. The boy made a beeline straight for the buffet table, though he had undoubtedly already been fed breakfast at his grandmother’s house.
“Don’t touch anything, Grayson,” Eva said automatically, then immediately turned away to leave Bonnie to protect the food. Bonnie sat the boy at a table with a small pastry and a glass of juice, then hovered nearby to make sure he stayed there.
Eva homed in directly on Kinley and Dan. She sashayed toward them, her sparkly clothes fluttering around her. She’d definitely dressed to impress today, Kinley thought wryly. Her hair was sprayed into an ash-blond helmet of curls, and diamonds flashed from her ears and fingers. There was no doubt she’d dressed with cameras in mind. Serena, on the other hand, had chosen a more conservative outfit, a cap-sleeve knit dress in a muted beige color that was a bit too close to her skin tone, making her look somewhat washed out. She’d left her brown hair loose, and wore little makeup. Kinley thought she looked tired.
“I was happy to see that young man was starting to paint the new post when we arrived,” Eva announced. “I pointed out a few places he needed to be sure not to miss, but it already looks much better than it did yesterday. Serena and I are greatly relieved.”
“Mom, Kinley and Mr. Phelan are having breakfast,” Serena murmure
d, tugging at her mother’s arm. “Why don’t you wait until they’re finished?”
“It’s okay, Serena, I’m finished.” Kinley gave Dan a quick, apologetic look, then rose. She gathered her dishes to carry to the table designated for that purpose; Rhoda would collect them later and stack them in the dishwasher. Dan followed with his.
“I want another one,” Grayson called out loudly, pointing toward the glass-dome-covered tray of pastries.
“You’ve had enough, Grayson,” his grandmother replied firmly, setting off high-pitched whining that made Kinley’s ears ring.
“He’s going to be bored out of his mind today,” Serena muttered. “There really was no need for us to be here so early, Mom.”
“Now, Serena, you want to make sure everything is just perfect for your rehearsal this evening and for the wedding tomorrow.”
“No, Mother, you want to make sure of that,” her daughter snapped.
Kinley moved quickly to intercede. In the months she’d been working with them, she had seen Serena stand up to her mother only rarely, and Eva never reacted well. “I can understand why you both want to keep an eye on things, but there isn’t a lot you can do for now. Bonnie and Rhoda have the rooms ready for your guests, Logan and his crew are setting up outside. As soon as breakfast service is cleared away, Bonnie and Rhoda will start getting the dining room ready for the rehearsal dinner. So, really, everything is under control here.”
“See, Mom? It’s all under control,” Serena repeated. “We should leave them to their work and go take care of our own list of things to do today. Connor and Alicia are supposed to meet us at our house this afternoon, remember, so we can all arrive for the rehearsal together. Grayson will be happy to see his mom and dad again after almost a week. So let’s just go, okay?”
“Yes, we will,” her mother said with a dismissive wave of her hand. “But first I want to go out and check on the progress around the gazebo. I’ll just have a word with Logan and make sure—”
“I think it would be much better if you let me check with my brother,” Kinley suggested quickly. “He can get a little, um, curt when he’s focused on a project, and he’ll be directing his entire attention to getting ready for the wedding, I assure you.”
Dan inched forward, drawing attention to himself with a diffident smile. “Actually, Mrs. Sossaman, I wonder if you and your lovely daughter could spare a minute to chat with me this morning. We haven’t had a chance to talk for the article I’m writing. I’d love to have your input—you know, why you chose the inn as a setting for the wedding, any advice you might have to offer other future brides. That sort of thing.”
He was totally playing her, of course, but Eva was either too oblivious or too vain to care. Her attention immediately diverted from the activities outside, she graciously consented to an interview with Dan, assuring him she had quite a few valuable suggestions to offer to prospective brides. Serena rolled her eyes, but looked relieved that yet another confrontation had been avoided.
“I’m so sorry,” she murmured to Kinley, hanging back for a moment when Dan walked toward the parlor with Eva and Grayson—who had been slightly mollified with a handful of grapes from Bonnie. “I’m sure you’ll be very glad when this wedding is over and you won’t have to deal with my mother anymore.”
“Your mother simply wants her only daughter’s wedding to be perfect,” Kinley replied with a faint smile. “That’s understandable.”
Serena pushed a hand through her hair and scowled. “Well, she’s driving me crazy. Not to mention poor Chris. He’s been avoiding me for the past week just so he doesn’t have to deal with my mother haranguing him about all the details the groom and his family are supposed to be responsible for. I keep telling her to just let them take care of things their way, but she never listens.”
Resting a soothing hand on the younger woman’s shoulder, Kinley said, “Trust me, Serena, I’ve seen plenty of family meltdowns during the last hours before a wedding. People just get overwhelmed by what they perceive to be an overabundance of details to take care of. They start thinking of everything that could go wrong, and they end up snapping at the ones closest to them. Just relax and try to enjoy this special time. Let us deal with the worries, okay? I’m sure there will be a couple of minor mishaps, but usually those just give you something to laugh about in years to come, you know?”
Drawing a deep, ragged breath, Serena pushed back her hair again and nodded. “Thanks, Kinley. I’ll try to hold on to my patience with her.”
“That would be best.” She was making a massive effort to do the same.