Save the Date by E. J. Noyes

Author:E. J. Noyes [Bella Books Authors]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bella Books
Published: 2021-05-11T00:00:00+00:00

Inn Trouble

Cade Haddock Strong

The floorboards of the Telemark Inn creaked as the waitstaff darted around, clearing dessert plates and pouring coffee. The rehearsal dinner had gone off without a hitch, and although the family was among the strangest Casey had ever hosted at her inn, everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, and for that she was grateful. This weekend marked the end of the fall wedding season and she was exhausted. Her threshold for drama stood at a negative ten.

The groom stood at the center of a group of men near the bar. It was difficult to hear the jazz band over their boisterous laughter. Throughout the evening, the bride and groom had barely uttered a word to each other, although in truth, that wasn’t unusual. Like most weddings held at the Telemark, family and friends had traveled to Vermont from all over the country, and the happy couple was no doubt excited to see some of them and felt obligated to talk to others.

The bartender held up a nearly empty bottle of vodka and signaled to Casey; he needed more. She cut through the inn’s library to reach the small storeroom off the kitchen.

The bride, Elise, and her mother were seated on the spare dining chairs lining the wall outside the storeroom.

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Casey said. “I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

Elise dabbed her eyes with a tissue. “Oh, it’s okay,” she said. “We’d best rejoin the party anyway.” She stood and helped her mother to her feet.

Casey grabbed two bottles of vodka from the storeroom and followed them back to the dining room. Of all the brides who’d married at her inn, Elise was by far the most beautiful. Her lavender silk dress hung perfectly on her lean frame, and although she was petite, she had strong arms and perfect posture, like a long-distance runner or a ballerina. Her dark hair was pulled back in a high bun, exposing the smooth olive skin of her neck and shoulders.

A gray-haired woman stopped Elise and her mother just as they stepped into the dining room and gushed over the enormous yellow flower centerpieces adorning each table. Elise gave the woman a faint smile.

Casey slipped past them, anxious to replenish the vodka before it ran out, but as she neared the bar, the lights flickered and the music faded. Gasps echoed through the crowd when the room went dark. Casey glanced out the windows lining the back wall of the inn. Even the lights in the garden had gone out. There was no moon to speak of and she could barely see the person next to her.

“What the hell is going on?” the groom’s gruff voice demanded. “Is this some kind of joke?”

“It appears the power has gone out,” Casey said evenly.

“No shit,” someone grumbled.

Casey gritted her teeth and jumped into action. Within minutes, she and her staff had lit candles and scrounged up a handful of flashlights. A neighbor called to inform them that the entire valley was without power. According to the police scanner, someone had taken out a utility pole with their car.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.