Meeting
Grace O’Leary was five-foot-seven inches of red hair and attitude. So when the creep in the first class lounge started hitting on her, it was not at all surprising that he found himself shot down, dressed down, and turned away within a couple of short minutes. Grace did not suffer fools. And she didn’t pay extra for a first-class seat only to be harassed by some scumbag who thought just because she was pretty and alone, she was fair game.
She was minding her own business, killing time and trying to enjoy a drink before her flight to Portland, Maine for her best friend’s wedding. A week’s worth of wedding-related activities awaited her, and she had a feeling she was going to need a drink on more than one occasion. Because weddings. And family crap. And some drunk uncle who would probably be hitting on her like the creep she just skewered.
Oh, well. She would do anything for Katie. They had been college roommates for a few years until Katie’s mom died, and she had to quit school. Since then, though separated by distance most of the time, they had been each other’s closest and most trusted friend. Katie had a pure heart and a kind soul and deserved nothing but the best. Grace was ecstatic that Katie had found Matt, who by all accounts, treated her with the love and care she needed.
Grace would do her damnedest to make this wedding perfect for her friend. She didn’t know much about maid-of-honor duties, but she did know how to get things done. Three years in a marketing firm in New York City ensured that. She would do anything and everything asked of her, and would keep everyone else in line as well.
She finished her drink when she heard her boarding call. She rose from her stool, flipped her long mane of auburn locks out of her face, and headed to her gate carrying her leather briefcase and her purse. She wore fitted jeans, brown sandals and a tucked-in green t-shirt. She was on vacation so no power suits or silk blouses. She intended to lounge in comfy clothes as much as possible. And she was NOT, I repeat NOT, going to check email. Her assistant had strict orders to deal with everything on his own, only contacting her in the direst of circumstances. There shouldn’t be anything major happening with any of their accounts while she was gone, so she had confidence Nick could handle it.
The direct flight to Portland consisted of a quick up and down, and before she knew it, she was on an escalator eying a sign that said ‘PORTLAND, MAINE - Yes, Life’s Good Here.’ Okay then, she thought to herself as she located the correct baggage carousel. After an annoying amount of time, she finally got her suitcase and then followed the signs for rental cars. Soon she was en route to Katie’s lake house, trusting the GPS to get her there.
Thirty minutes later Grace drove down a narrow dirt road that seemed to have been designed to knock loose the teeth of anyone who dared traverse it. After a few very jarring minutes that caused her to worry that her internal organs had been rearranged, the road opened into a clearing and a beautiful white house rose in front of her. It stood three stories with a huge wall of windows overlooking the lake and a wrap-around balcony on the second floor. Gorgeous. Grace grinned, knowing how much Katie would love to relax in this lovely setting.
As she opened the car door, she saw Katie running out to greet her, a huge smile plastered on her face. They hadn’t seen each other in months and were both overjoyed to be reunited. They hugged tightly and finally separated. Katie was anxious to introduce Grace to everyone gathered behind her.
“Grace, you already know Matt and my little brother, Tyler.” Tyler rolled his eyes at the ‘little’ part but said hi.
Then Katie continued, “These are our friends Maggie and Stanley who I’ve told you all about.” They waved and said hello.
“And this is Joe Mura, Matt’s business partner and best man. Everyone, meet Grace O’Leary.”
When Joe came closer to shake hands, Grace was intrigued by the way he looked at her. She was used to men being a bit surprised by her appearance, unique as it was, but there was something about Joe that was different. The weight of his gaze caught her off guard. He was definitely handsome in a clean-cut sort of way, with his short blonde hair and striking green eyes. But something about the way he studied her caused her to mentally shake herself. She was here for Katie’s wedding, not to meet a guy. But damn, he was fine to look at.
After the introductions, Matt helped Grace with her suitcase,and they all headed into the house. The first order of business was Katie giving Grace a tour. The first floor had an open floor plan with windows across the front providing a spectacular view of the lake. One wall featured a fireplace surrounded by white comfy chairs and a sofa. The kitchen was bright and spacious, with white cabinets and stainless-steel appliances. A counter with barstools separated the kitchen from the dining area with its bleached wood table and chairs. Blue walls and other splashes of ocean hues accented the neutral tones of the furniture. On the second level were three bedrooms, one of which was the guest room Grace would stay in. It was painted a soft, airy blue and had a wall of windows. The big bed had white bedding and resembled a giant puffy cloud. It was all very cozy.
Grace placed her purse in the room as Matt set down her suitcase. Then Katie showed her the master bedroom, the second guest room that Maggie and Stanley would stay in, and the third floor, which consisted of two bedrooms with slanted ceilings in which Tyler and Joe were sleeping. The rooms were all decorated in varying shades of blue and beach tones and were all so bright and cheery from the natural light that Grace figured just being in this house could improve someone’s mood. She could understand why Katie loved this place so much.
“It’s gorgeous, Katie.” Grace said as she beamed at her friend. Katie’s face glowed, whether from her love of the house or the excitement at seeing her friend again, Grace couldn’t tell. But it suited her. She seemed truly content and Grace was happy for Katie to have such joy after all she had been through.
When the two finished their tour, they came down into the living room to join the rest of the crew. Katie settled onto the sofa next to Matt, and Grace claimed an empty chair by the fireplace.
“Grace, how was your flight?” Maggie asked politely.
“Oh, it was fine. Very quick. Although I did have to put some jerk in his place before boarding. There’s always someone who thinks a woman traveling alone is looking for companionship.” Grace grimaced but followed up her statement with a laugh to hide just how annoying that had been. She caught Joe eyeing her again with an intensity that made her squirm a little. What was that about? And why did it make her feel a little flushed? She averted her eyes and ignored him for as long as she could.
They all talked for a while letting Katie and Grace catch up with each other, then Matt announced that he had to go pick up the lobsters they would be having for dinner. “Joe, want to come along with me?”
“Sure,” said Joe as he stood. For some reason, Joe felt unsettled and welcomed the diversion from the group, especially its newest member.
When Joe had first laid eyes on Grace, he was stunned by the sight in front of him. Grace’s long red hair cascaded in gentle waves down her back and over her shoulders. She had a smattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose and on the pale skin of her cheeks. And her eyes. Joe could not believe how unique her eyes were. They were the most amazing shade of gold, like pools of honey, rich and deep. She was striking, that was for sure, and he was momentarily mesmerized.
When they reached out to shake hands, a shock traveled up Joe’s arm. Startled, he met Grace’s golden eyes with his own. She studied him with curiosity, and he realized he was staring and holding her hand for longer than necessary. He self-consciously dropped his hand away and looked down, chastising himself for losing his mind over a pretty face. What the hell was that?
They were driving toward the seafood restaurant and Joe was lost in thought, a pair of gold eyes occupying his mind.
“You okay?” Matt said from the driver’s seat.
“What? Oh, yeah. Just thinking.”
“Anything bothering you? You seem distracted.”
“No, I’m fine,” Joe replied.
A few silent seconds passed before Matt commented, “So what do you think of Grace?”
Joe’s head snapped sideways to pin his friend with a curious glare. “Why do you ask?” he said cautiously.
Matt looked straight ahead. “No real reason. You just seem a bit off since she arrived.”
Joe frowned. Was he that obvious? He didn’t respond but turned forward as if to study the road in front of them.
“She’s a real looker, huh?” Matt asked.
“I guess,” Joe answered noncommittally, but his mind was back on those golden eyes. He could understand the poor schmuck who hit on her at the airport. There was something about her that drew you in, captured your attention and held it, like you were anxious to hear what she’d say next and how those freckles would look if she scrunched up her nose. Wait, what? He realized, too late, that Matt had said something he had totally missed.
“I’m sorry, what?” Joe asked, causing Matt glanced over at him briefly before returning his eyes to the road.
“You really are distracted. I said that Katie seems to think you and Grace will hit it off.” Joe absorbed the information slowly but didn’t look at his friend. He was used to people trying to play matchmaker for him. Being still unattached at twenty-eight apparently caused every female he knew to attempt to set him up with a nice woman so he could ‘settle down.’ But Joe didn’t do relationships. Too many complications. His parents’ marriage was awful, and he had witnessed far too much fighting and vitriol. He preferred to date casually and stay distanced. He had no plans of ever marrying and repeating the nightmare that was his parents’ relationship.
Joe decided to pretend he didn’t realize what Matt meant. “Yes, she seems very nice.” Matt peered over at Joe again, this time with knitted brows and a confused look on his face.
“That’s all?” he asked.
Joe answered, a bit of annoyance in his voice, “Is there supposed to be more?”
Matt’s eyes returned to the road, and he pulled into the restaurant’s parking lot, “No. I guess not,” he said as he parked his car. “I’ll be right back.”
Joe waited in the car while Matt picked up the steamed lobsters. He realized that he felt a bit irritated that A – he had been more than slightly intrigued by Grace and B – that his friend seemed to notice. He needed to spend a week here in Maine preparing for the wedding and he did not need any complications. Between his duties as best man (what exactly did that entail anyway?) and fielding all calls and emergencies from work so that Matt was unbothered, he had enough on his plate. He didn’t need any diversions of the female variety, or any variety for that matter. He was here for his best friend. He would handle the rings and the speech and anything else he was supposed to be doing as best man.
As soon as he figured out what those other things were supposed to be.
