CHAPTER 6
You’re being ridiculous, Brynn chided herself as disappointment flooded her because Axel hadn’t been outside when she’d left to walk to brunch.
She glanced down and had to admit to herself that the real reason she was wearing this dress was because she thought she might run into Axel. It had a floral pattern, spaghetti straps, wrap around front, and plunging neckline. She’d bought it on a whim when Ryder turned ten because she was trying to prove to herself that even though she was a mom of a kid in double digits, she could still be stylish and cute.
The fun, flirty dress had been in the back of her closet for three years and this was the first time she’d ever worn it. And there was only one person that she’d wanted to see her in it. She thought about going home and changing into something more comfortable, but with her luck, he’d be outside when she left and see her in the jeans and a T-shirt.
Yesterday, Axel had shown up and she’d been in a robe. And then not even that, she thought. She’d changed into cutoff shorts and a tank top because those were the first things she’d grabbed out of her dresser drawer. She’d considered dressing up for dinner, but she hadn’t wanted to look like she was trying too hard. Then this morning, he’d seen her in her pajamas before she’d even had a chance to shower or brush her teeth. Not that he could tell that she had morning breath, but still.
Was it really too much to ask for him to see her with a little make-up, her hair done, and a cute outfit?
Feeling more than a little silly, she tried to put Axel out of her mind as she walked the short distance from her house to Stone Castle, where she was meeting Ali and Jess for brunch.
The history of the “haunted” castle was that an English Duke, William Stone, had built the castle when he’d been banished to America in the late 1800s. He’d refused to marry the woman that his family had chosen for him because he’d been in love with a chambermaid.
The story was that he’d smuggled the young maiden he’d fallen in love with in a crate on the cargo ship he’d sailed over in. They’d lived happily as man and wife for over a decade before one day, like any other, he’d returned home to find the gruesome discovery that his wife, Emilia, his one true love, had been brutally murdered.
The urban legend was that William Stone, mad with grief, searched the woods, the town, and the lake surrounding the castle day and night, looking for her killer, until he finally dropped dead from malnutrition and exposure.
Supposedly, his mother heard of what had happened and, feeling guilty for having sent William into exile, bought the land and the castle in order to keep the last piece of her only son. And no one had lived in it since, except the ghosts of William and Emilia, who roamed the halls searching for each other in the afterlife.
A few years ago, Avery Stone, William’s great, great, great niece showed up and rented the property out to a production company to film a reality television show called Fairytale Love. She hadn’t stayed in Whisper Lake, but she had renovated and reopened Stone Castle. It was now a popular wedding and event venue and had brought a nice boost to the local economy. It also boasted a killer brunch and Brynn hoped that one of the girls had gotten there early enough to snag them a seat on the patio that overlooked the lake.
She rounded the corner and saw that her two friends had indeed scored a table outside on the patio and was happy to see that she was not overdressed for the occasion. Both of her friends were dressed up in their own unique ways.
Ali’s natural beauty was stunning as always. Her hair was pulled up in a topknot on her head and she was wearing a tangerine maxi dress.
Jess was the epitome of a fifties pinup girl; her dark hair half up and half down, her high-waisted jean shorts were perfectly matched with a fitted, sleeveless, white and black checkered button-up shirt that was tied in the front.
As she approached the table, Brynn was feeling better about her outfit choice. She noticed that she did have an extra pep in her step and she knew exactly what, or whom, she could attribute it to.
“Well, hello Mrs. McKnight and soon-to-be Mrs. Steele.”
She greeted her friends with hugs before sliding into the empty seat across from them. She was ready to hear all about Ali’s mini-moon and Jess’s first week wearing a ring on her left finger, but when she looked up she saw her friends staring at her with dropped jaws.
“What?” Brynn quickly glanced down to make sure that she wasn’t having another wardrobe malfunction.
“You look…” Ali started, but her voice trailed off.
“You’re glowing.” Jess stated before leaning in. “You’re not pregnant, are you?”
“No!” Brynn shouted, then glanced around to see if she’d drawn unwanted attention. She had. There were several diners looking their way. “Sorry,” she apologized before facing her friends again and reiterating, “I’m definitely not pregnant.”
“There’s definitely something different about you.” Jess emphasized the same word she had.
“Um…” Brynn licked her lips nervously and tried to decide how to broach the Axel conversation with her friends, or if she should even broach it at all. It wasn’t like he was anything more than a guy staying in her back house. She figured she’d start off with another topic. “I think I’m ready to start dating again.”
“Shhh!” Ali and Jess both hissed at her as they looked around to make sure no one had overheard.
Jess whispered as she leaned in, “They have ears everywhere.”
The “they” that Jess was referring to was Mrs. Dobrinski, Mrs. Chen, and Mrs. Weathersby, otherwise known as the matchmaking dons. The moniker was derived because the three women ran the Needlepoint Mafia, a knitting club that many people in town considered a front for their plan of total town domination. They were widely feared by the eligible thirty-somethings in town for their proclivity for playing cupid. The women orchestrated situations where the “young people” they deemed ready to settle down found themselves bombarded with meet-cutes, and awkward setups.
The women rarely got it right and from what Brynn had seen, their setups usually backfired on them. Still, Brynn wouldn’t mind the assistance since last night was the closest thing she’d had to a date in five years.
“So what brought on this decision?” Ali asked.
“Well, I’ve been thinking for a while now that something is missing in my life and I need to make some changes.” She ran her fingers through her hair and both of her friends gave her the obligatory praise for her new haircut. She hadn’t been fishing but she appreciated the support. “And Ryder is older now. It’s not like he needs me the way he used to. When I tried to date before, the guys I was going out with were in their twenties. I’m thirty now. I think I’ve hit my peak demographic.”