Before Today Read online

  “Go.” Levi handed Brooke her car keys. “I can lock up before I go home.”

  Before heading toward the back door, she quickly kissed Levi. “Thanks for helping me. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  And with a wave, she was off, heading toward Megan’s wedding rehearsal and wishing that one day, it might be hers.

  After Brooke had gone, Levi washed the pot, spatula, and beaters. It was the least he could do after everything she’d been working on today. He looked at the orders waiting to be collected and shook his head. Brooke’s prediction about the candy store being less busy after Easter wasn’t happening. It was great for business, but not so good when you were doing almost everything yourself.

  Each time he came downstairs, there was a line of customers waiting to be served. And that didn’t account for the online sales. Earlier in the day, he’d had a cup of coffee with Megan. Their new website was creating even more work for them. Orders were being placed for cakes and candy from as far away as Florida. Megan and Brooke knew they would have to employ more staff at some point. They just hadn’t expected it to be so soon.

  He looked around the kitchen. Apart from the fudge sitting in the pan, the room was spotless.

  Levi turned on the coffeepot and leaned against the counter, thinking about what he’d done tonight. He’d stayed longer than usual, checking the apprentices’ work, updating their project plan, and making sure everyone had the materials they needed for Monday. Unfortunately, that had taken longer than he thought.

  Not that it really mattered. He would have preferred to be sitting beside Flathead Lake with Brooke, eating dinner and talking about what had happened during the day. But with the increased workload at the candy store and Megan’s wedding, Brooke didn’t have any spare time.

  He looked at the fudge and his stomach rumbled. It had been a long time since he’d eaten anything. Lunch had been a quick sandwich between two meetings, with the rest of the day swallowed up with supervising the apprentices and helping to attach the drywall to the bathroom walls.

  With his mind only half on eating, he opened the refrigerator door. Brooke hadn’t been joking when she said there was extra food inside. Some nights she’d deliberately cook two or three times the amount of food she’d need, then freeze what was left over. This must be one of those nights. A huge lasagna sat in the middle shelf, oozing tomato sauce, ground beef, and lots of gooey cheese.

  He helped himself to a slice, slid it into the microwave, then looked around the kitchen. There was one other job he wanted to do before he went home. And hopefully, it would make tomorrow a lot easier for Brooke.

  By the time the wedding rehearsal was over, Brooke had cried more than she had during the last year. Everything about the rehearsal was lovely. The organist had played beautifully, the flowers in the church were spectacular, and Megan and William’s wedding vows had come straight from their hearts.

  As she opened her car door, she glanced at the top of her building. When Levi was working late, the glow from the temporary lighting shone like a lighthouse from the attic windows. Somehow, it made the building look less forbidding and more like somewhere that felt like home.

  She was getting used to going upstairs and seeing if he needed help. Even if he didn’t, she’d sit on an old box or whatever she could find, and talk to him about his day. But more often than not, she was the one who was working late. On those nights, Levi kept her company in the kitchen. He’d make coffee, find some cookies or cake, and make her laugh.

  The best times were when he talked about his childhood. He missed his brother terribly. Brooke hoped that by talking about Peter, it would help ease the grief and guilt that still haunted him.

  As she walked into the kitchen, she braced herself for another hour of work. She enjoyed making candy, but the hours she was working were ridiculous.

  At least she’d made the fudge for the baby shower gifts before she’d left. Goodness knows what would have happened if she’d remembered halfway through the wedding rehearsal. It would have been another late night, another early morning, and one more reason she needed to hire more staff.

  Brooke frowned. The stainless steel counter was spotless. Levi must have put everything away before he went home. But where was the fudge?

  She checked the refrigerator, then the shelves where she kept her supply of candy. It wasn’t in either place. She looked under the counter, expecting to see it in an airtight container or sitting in the pan on a shelf. Nothing. Where could he have left it?

  It was after ten o’clock. She really didn’t want to call Levi, but she couldn’t see any way around it. If she didn’t make the table favors tonight, she would have to do it in the morning. Usually, that wouldn’t be a problem. But there were other things she needed to do before Megan’s wedding. And none of them involved spending an hour filling cellophane bags with fudge.

  She turned on her cell phone and glanced at the candy orders waiting to be collected.

  Something wasn’t right.

  She stepped closer, mentally ticking off each batch she’d made. With a relieved sigh, she realized there was an extra box sitting on the shelf. Levi must have put everything in one place to make it easier to wrap the fudge.

  As soon as she opened the lid, her mouth dropped open. Carefully, she lifted a beautifully wrapped bag of vanilla fudge out of the box. Levi must have spent a long time curling the blue and pink ribbon around the top of the cellophane. She didn’t know how he’d managed to do it, but it was even better than the other table favors she’d made.

  He might spend his days on construction sites, but Levi had the eye of an artist, the imagination of a writer, and the heart of a lion. And for now, he was living in Sapphire Bay, helping to make her dreams come true.

  This time, she didn’t hesitate to call his number.

  After three rings he answered his cell phone. “Hello?”

  Brooke touched the edge of the cellophane. “Hi, Levi. It’s me. Thank you for wrapping the table favors. They look amazing.”

  “I’m glad you like them. I was worried I’d forget to do something.”

  “They’re perfect. You even remembered the tags.”

  “That was the easy part. Holding onto the cellophane while I wrapped the ribbon around the top wasn’t as straightforward as I thought, but I got there in the end. How was the wedding rehearsal?”

  “It was lovely. I still can’t believe Megan and William are getting married tomorrow. It feels as though they only got engaged yesterday.”

  Levi sighed. “Life goes by too quickly.”

  Brooke had learned that the hard way. “I don’t want to interrupt your evening for longer than I already have, but thanks. I was tired and I wasn’t looking forward to spending another hour in the kitchen.”

  “If I tell you something, you have to promise not to tell anyone else.”

  With a smile on her face, Brooke nodded. “I promise. What is it?”

  “I enjoy helping you in the kitchen. I think I’m a closet confectioner.”

  Brooke laughed. “Your secret is safe with me. But don’t be surprised if I take advantage of your candy making ability.”

  Levi’s deep-throated laugh made her toes curl. “You can take advantage of me whenever you like,” he said. “I’m at your disposal.”

  Brooke didn’t know whether she should run for cover or make the most of his enthusiasm. Either way, she was in serious trouble—and Levi knew it. “I’ll see you tomorrow afternoon, Romeo. And thank you again. I wasn’t looking forward to wrapping the fudge.”

  “I know you weren’t. Have a good sleep.”

  “I will. Bye.”

  It wasn’t until Brooke was in bed that she realized something important. When Levi was working in the attic or helping in the kitchen, everything felt right, as if he were always meant to be here.

  When he went back to Zac’s house, she felt alone.

  And if that wasn’t enough to give her a sleepless night, her next thought would keep her awake
for weeks.

  How was she going to feel if Levi left Sapphire Bay?

  Before Brooke made it to Megan’s house, the bride-to-be had already called her three times. None of the issues were life-threatening or would make a difference to anyone’s enjoyment of the day, but they were important to Megan. So Brooke had made sure the bouquets were on their way from the florist, she bought Nora a new sketchpad, and reminded William to pick fresh rose petals for Nora’s basket.

  By the time she arrived at Megan’s house, Brooke was ready for an ice-cold drink.

  “Thank goodness you’re here,” Sam said under her breath. “Megan’s stressing about everything. Even the hairdresser is having a problem staying positive.”

  “It can’t be that bad. Megan doesn’t usually panic.”

  Sam poured two glasses of lemonade. “I think she’s stressed because her family aren’t here. Do you want to take her some lemonade?”

  Brooke nodded and left her bag beside the kitchen counter. “Where’s Nora?”

  “She’s upstairs showing her great aunt the telescope William gave her.”

  “If she asks about her sketchpad, tell her I’ve got a new one in my bag.” She picked up the two glasses of lemonade. “Wish me luck.”

  “You’ll need more than that.”

  Brooke hoped it wasn’t as bad as Sam thought it was. When she saw Megan sitting at the dining room table, she smiled. Megan’s head was covered in bright purple hair rollers. “Where’s the hairdresser?”

  “She’s getting something out of the trunk of her car.”

  “You look colorful.”

  Megan’s lips twitched.

  At least she still had a sense of humor. “Sam thought you might like some lemonade.” Brooke placed the glass in front of her friend and studied her face. “How are you feeling?”

  “Stressed.”

  “Everything will be okay.”

  Megan’s bottom lip trembled. “I feel as though I’m walking on a tightrope. Every time I take a deep breath, it hurts.”

  She held her friend’s hand. Sam was right. This wasn’t like Megan at all. “Have you spoken to William?”

  “I called him an hour ago. It helped.” Megan handed Brooke a sheet of paper. “Nora drew this picture this morning. It’s Mom, Dad, and my sister, Christine.”

  Brooke touched the bright red stick figures and smiled. Colorful flowers surrounded their family and a big, yellow star shone in the sky. “It’s a happy picture.”

  “I thought so, too. But instead of making me feel better, I feel worse. Marrying William will change our lives. Am I doing the right thing for Nora?”

  “You and Nora are the only people who can answer that. But marrying William changes nothing. From the moment you met him, your life was never going to be the same again.”

  Megan wiped tears from her eyes. “I think Nora fell in love with William before I did. She wanted a daddy and he was the man she chose.”

  “Is he the right man for you?”

  “I can’t imagine loving anyone more than I love William. My heart aches when he’s not with us. I want to grow old with him. But most of all, I want to spend the rest of my life showing William how much I love him.”

  Brooke’s eyes filled with tears. A long time ago, she’d found a man she wanted to love for the rest of her life, too. But she’d left him to follow her dreams. “What does that tell you about your relationship?”

  “That it’s strong. And good. And one of the best things that’s ever happened to me.” Megan pulled a handful of tissues out of a box. “Thank you. I needed to be reminded about what’s important.”

  Brooke hugged her friend. “Today isn’t about beautiful dresses and lots of yummy food. It’s a celebration of love. Everything else means nothing if you don’t have William and Nora beside you.”

  Megan wiped her eyes. “How did you become so wise?”

  “I made a mistake,” Brooke said sadly. “And I don’t want you making the same one.”

  Chapter 11

  Levi ran his hands down his dark gray jacket, hoping he didn’t look as awkward as he felt. After six months of traveling around America, he wasn’t used to wearing anything other than jeans.

  Caleb met him at the church door. “Good grief. I almost didn’t recognize you.”

  A smile pulled at the corners of Levi’s mouth. “Aren’t you supposed to be with Megan? I thought you were walking her down the aisle.”

  “I still am, but I was banned from the house an hour ago. I guess being an older brother doesn’t have as many privileges as I thought it would.” Caleb smiled at someone walking past them. “Megan doesn’t want me to see her before the wedding. Don’t ask me why. It doesn’t make sense.”

  Levi could sympathize with him. He was discovering lots of things that didn’t make sense with Brooke, too.

  “I’ll introduce you to Megan’s Auntie Carol. We’ll be sitting at the same table as her during the wedding reception.” Caleb pointed toward the front of the church. “She’s found a seat close to where the bride and groom will be standing. Don’t be surprised if she pulls out her cell phone and starts recording the wedding.”

  “As long as she doesn’t give a running commentary about what’s happening, I don’t mind.”

  “Knowing Carol, anything is possible.” Caleb stopped beside a woman wearing an enormous blue hat. “Hi, Carol. This is Levi Montgomery. He’s Brooke’s date for the wedding.”

  Carol looked up and smiled. “Come and sit beside me. We can keep each other company while Caleb does his brotherly duties.”

  “Talking about brotherly duties,” Caleb pulled out his cell phone. “Megan and her bridesmaids have arrived.”

  Carol checked her watch. “They’re early. Where’s William and his groomsmen?”

  “I have no idea, but I’ll text Megan and tell her to wait outside.” Caleb scanned the church. “I thought I’d be looking for a runaway bride, not a runaway groom.”

  Levi turned around. Pastor John was heading toward them. “Do you want us to check the other rooms in the building?”

  “Let’s wait to hear what John says. We might be worrying about nothing.”

  The somber expression on John’s face didn’t bode well for a stress-free wedding. As soon as he reached them, he pulled Caleb to one side and spoke quietly to him.

  By the time Caleb returned, Levi had a fairly good idea of what he was going to say.

  “No one knows where William has gone. John’s tried calling him, but his cell phone is going straight to voicemail.”

  Levi checked his watch. “There’s still time to look for him. Do you want me to drive to William’s house and see if he’s there?”

  “Of course he does,” Carol said as she hauled herself to her feet. “You can’t have a marriage without a groom. Come on. We’ll take my car.”

  “Text me if he’s there,” Caleb said quickly. “Carol’s got my number.”

  “We won’t be long,” Carol said as she pulled Levi toward the back of the church.

  It wasn’t until he saw the bridal car that Levi realized the enormity of what had happened. He just hoped William was all right. Because, from what he knew about the groom, he was the most reliable person anyone knew.

  Something out of the ordinary must have happened. He only hoped William and his groomsmen hadn’t had an accident on their way to the church.

  Brooke fanned Megan’s hot face with a magazine. As soon as they’d arrived at the church, Megan wanted to go inside. But Caleb was insisting she stay in the driveway. So here they were, standing beside their limousine, getting more stressed by the minute.

  “William has to be here somewhere,” Megan said as she nibbled her thumbnail. “He wouldn’t have changed his mind without talking to me first.”

  Brooke put down the magazine and flicked through the multiple emails Caleb and Levi had sent her. So far, they hadn’t been able to find William or any of his groomsmen.

  Megan was already stressed before she
arrived at the church. If her husband-to-be didn’t make an appearance soon, the whole marriage could be off.

  “Maybe William went to the Princess Castle at the library,” Nora said. “We read books there all the time.”

  Megan wrapped her arm around Nora’s shoulders. “I don’t think he would have gone to the library, but it’s a good idea.”

  A crowd of people gathered on the street, watching what was going on with interest. Brooke was sure they’d come to see Megan walk into the church, but that was twenty minutes ago and the bride was still standing outside.

  Sam walked toward them. After waiting for Caleb to give them the all clear, she’d taken matters into her own hands. Leaving her high heels in the car, she’d marched down the street looking for any sign of the missing groom. “Word must have gotten out that William isn’t here. More people are arriving to see what’s going on.”

  Megan rubbed her forehead. “That’s all we need. Before you know it, Mabel will arrive with her camera to take photos.”

  “And then she’ll post them on Facebook,” Sam muttered. “Are you sure you don’t want to sit inside the limousine?”

  Megan shook her head. “I’ve got a better idea. We’re going into the church.”

  “But William isn’t there,” Sam said. “And Caleb wants us to stay outside.”

  “Where is Caleb?” Brooke asked. “He hasn’t sent me any updates for at least five minutes.”

  Sam grabbed her shoes from the back seat of the limousine. “That’s all we need—a missing groom, two missing groomsmen, and now the brother of the bride. I thought this sort of thing only happened in the movies.” With a determined look on her face, Sam lifted the skirt of her long dress and strode toward the church.

  “Where are you going?” Brooke asked.

  “I’m doing what any self-respecting security specialist would do. I’m going to find William.”