Chapter 1

1

C andace drove up the pass toward Wintervale, Montana, and leaned forward to stare at the sky. She could barely make anything out with how hard the snow was falling. Thick white blankets covered everything, even gathering on the hood of her car as she made the sharp turns up the hill. Her car crawled along as it became harder and harder to tell where the road ended and the ditch began.

She clenched the steering wheel and tensed up as she drove, holding her breath at every turn and hoping she wouldn’t meet a car on its way down. There was no way for her to know if she was in the middle of the road, and she assumed anyone else crazy enough to be driving wouldn’t be able to tell either.

Who was she kidding? No one else was crazy enough to be driving right now.

Several tense hours later, she finally breathed a sigh of relief as the resort came into view. A rush of emotion came over her at the familiar building, one she hadn’t been to since she was a teenager.

She pulled into the first open spot she found, not actually knowing if it was a parking spot due to the excessive amount of snow, and shut the vehicle off. She leaned back and let out a sigh, prying her fingers off the steering wheel and finally allowing her body to relax.

A knock on her window had her whipping her head toward the sound. A man leaned forward and peeked through the window.

Brent. Her future brother-in-law’s brother. She rolled her eyes before she could stop herself and opened the door, letting it tap him on the chest when he didn’t get out of the way in time. The snow came halfway up his calves. Her car door pushed through the top layer, and she marveled that she hadn’t gotten stuck pulling into the parking lot.

She patted the hood of her car as if to tell it “good job” when she stood and then stretched her arms over her head, attempting to loosen the tight muscles in her shoulders from being coiled like a snake the entire drive.

“Rolling your eyes already, Candace? That must be a record. Normally, it takes me at least saying something first,” Brent said, opening his arms for a hug.

He wore a pair of jeans that were soaking through with snow. She couldn’t see his shoes, but suspected he wore boots. A dark coat covered his large chest and looked far warmer than what she brought. She reached back into her front seat and pulled out her red winter coat that had faux fur around the hood and tugged it on.

She gave him one last glance before walking to the trunk and pressing the button to let it open on its own.

“Hello, Brent. What brings you outside during the storm? Hoping to find a damsel in distress who doesn’t know your playing ways?”

He pressed a hand to his chest and winced. “Oh, you wound me. But it seems I have found a damsel.”

“If you’re referring to me, you’re sorely mistaken. This woman doesn’t need a man’s help… especially yours .”

Brent took the rolling suitcase from her by the handle, which no doubt wouldn’t roll in the several feet of snow, and carried it toward the lobby entrance. “Regardless, I’ll take that bag.”

She almost complained, but remembered she still had her maid-of-honor dress hung on the clothing hook in the backseat. The last thing she wanted to do was risk dropping it in the snow and getting it dirty before the big day. She didn’t know if the resort offered dry cleaning, but she highly doubted it. And making two trips to the car to get everything seemed even less appealing when the snow was already soaking through her pants.

Besides, her suitcase had to weigh close to fifty pounds with the amount of things she brought for the wedding. Brent carried it as if it weighed nothing.

She grabbed the dress and cradled it as she trudged through the snow, which was already at her knees. By the time she got into an area that was plowed, she was breathing heavily. Brent waited just inside the lobby doors for her and gave her a megawatt smile she could only associate with Chucky. With his brown hair, he looked nothing like the red-headed killer doll, but she disliked him as much as she disliked the creepy doll.

He brushed his straight, dark hair out of his eyes. The white flakes of snow slowly disappeared as they melted into his hair, which was already damp.

“I’m glad you made it safely,” he said.

She searched his face for the sarcasm she expected, but it wasn’t there. She tilted her head.

“Why? Afraid you’ll have to take on all the wedding duties on your own?”

He laughed. “Well, yeah. But also because I didn’t want you to get hurt.”

“Um. Okay. Thanks, I guess.”

“Candace!” a female voice rang out.

Candace turned to find her sister running through the lobby.

“Oh, my God. I was so worried,” Jessica said, wrapping her arms around Candace’s neck.

Candace hugged her younger sister. “I told you I’d make it.”

Jessica stepped back. “Yeah! But at what cost? You shouldn’t have driven up in this weather!”

“And miss my only sister’s wedding?”

“We could have postponed it. Hell, we probably still will. No one will make it up in this mess.”

Candace took Jessica’s hand in hers and gave it a squeeze. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m just glad you’re safe.”

“Hey, Candace!” Jessica’s fiancé, Travis, waved from behind Jessica before stepping forward to give Candace a hug. “Thanks for making it.”

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

“Let’s get you checked in,” Brent said, tilting his head toward the front desk in the lobby.

Candace walked right up to the desk with no wait and checked into her room. She was on the fourth floor, as was the rest of the wedding party. But so far, only a few people outside of the four of them and Travis and Brent’s parents had arrived. The rest of the guests were due to arrive tomorrow or the morning of the wedding the following day, but looking at the weather, it didn’t seem like it would happen with several more feet of snow set to fall over the next few days.

Brent still waited with her bag in hand. She reached for it, but he took a step back.

“I’ll carry it for you.”

“That’s unnecessary,” she said, reaching for it again.

He clicked his tongue. “I’ve got it. I’ll lead the way.”

Candace frowned over at Jessica, who only shrugged in response. She hurried to catch up with Brent, who was already waiting at a bank of elevators. They had all planned a “family” dinner together at the resort restaurant. Since it had taken Candace so long to get to the resort, she had only a few minutes to get settled before their reservation.

Brent stepped inside the open elevator and held the door for her. She glanced around. Jessica and Travis had gone to the restaurant to grab their table. The lobby was mostly deserted, so Candace wouldn’t be saved by a random person in the elevator with them. Instead, it would just be the two of them. She sighed heavily, something she suspected she’d be doing often during this trip, and stepped inside.

Brent only smiled rather than commenting on her sigh as they rode up to the fourth floor. When the elevator opened, Brent held his hand in front of the door to allow her to go first. She walked past and followed the signs to her room, with him trailing behind. After letting herself inside, she reached for her suitcase. He ignored her and stepped into her room. He walked over to the bed and deposited her bag on top.

“Oh please. Come inside,” she said, her voice dripping with as much sarcasm as she could muster.

He threw her a smile. “Don’t mind if I do.”

She hung her dress in the small closet and turned around to face him, putting her hands on her hips. “I’ll see you at dinner,” she said, as a way of dismissal.

“I’ll wait. We can walk down together.”

“I think I can find my way.”

“I know you can. I’m just trying to be a gentleman.”

She rolled her eyes. That would be a first. The guy was far from gentlemanly. “Seriously, Brent. I need to change.”

He glanced at the bathroom, but instead of suggesting she change in there, he stood up and raised his hands in surrender. “All right. I’ll go.”

When he stepped back into the hallway and the door clicked shut behind him, she pulled out a change of clothes and quickly dressed. Glancing in the mirror, she decided she looked decent enough for dinner. It was already past their reservation time, so she needed to hustle. She grabbed her purse and opened the door to find Brent leaning against the opposite wall on his phone. He looked up and put his phone in his pocket. He no longer wore his wet jeans, boots, and heavy winter coat. She knew his room was on the same floor and suspected it must be close with how quickly he had changed and come back.

“Ready?”

“You waited?” she asked.

“Of course. I said I would walk you down.”

If she didn’t know any better, she would take his gesture as something nice. But she knew better. This was a facade. The real Brent would turn his back on someone just as fast. She refrained from sighing and walked toward the bank of elevators with Brent at her side.

“When did you get in?”

She didn’t actually care about his response, but walking in silence was annoying.

“I got in earlier this morning. The roads were terrible when I came up. I can only imagine how terrible they were by the time you came.”

“They are pretty bad right now.”

“I’m glad you made it safely,” he said.

She looked over at him as they rode the elevator back down to the lobby. He seemed sincere in his comment. That was the second time he had said it without sarcasm. Before she could ask him why, the elevator doors opened and Brent’s parents were standing outside.

“There you two are! We were just coming to look for you,” his mom said. “Hey, Candace! It’s so lovely to see you! We were worried you wouldn’t be able to make it.”

Jan pulled Candace into a hug and squeezed her tightly.

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Candace said.

Rick and Jan were like her own parents, but she knew they would never be hers. Jessica would marry into a wonderful family with a set of amazing in-laws. Candace knew she would always be welcome in their house, but it was a little bittersweet that her sister was gaining a family, and she was technically losing a sister.

“There’s my girl. It’s so good to see you,” Rick said, pulling her into a hug next. Then he whispered into her ear. “I can’t have any of my girls getting hurt. We’re so happy you made it.”

Tears sprang to her eyes. “It’s so good to see you.”

“Shall we?” Jan pointed toward the restaurant. She took Rick’s arm, and they walked ahead as Candace and Brent followed behind. Brent held out his arm, but quickly dropped it when Candace ignored him.

The guy was acting weird. After their history together, the last thing she wanted to do was be chummy with him. But at every family gathering they both attended, he laid on the charm. She wanted to ask why. Maybe he felt bad for standing her up all those years ago.

If he did, he could just flat out say it. No, there had to be more to the story, but she vowed she would never fall for his charm again.