“…and then he kissed me.” Chloe LaRue paused for dramatic effect, remembering the way Nathaniel Harper’s hands had tangled in her hair; the love that poured from his lips and sent her senses reeling. Twin sighs escaped the mouths of her two girlfriends, Veronica and Mindy, as they listened with rapt attention. Chloe relished the rare chance to gush about her up-until-recently non-existent love life.

A large pizza, so far untouched, rested on the coffee table, surrounded by an array of snacks that, if polished off in one night, would send all three of them into total sugar shock. Veronica sipped a bright pink cocktail through a makeshift Twizzler straw, her cornflower blue eyes opening wide over the rim as she absorbed every word of Chloe’s story. Mindy sat stick-straight in a lotus position, her feet tangled, pretzel-like, in front of her. Chloe and Veronica were so used to the yoga instructor’s mannerisms they barely noticed anymore when Mindy twisted herself into spontaneous poses at the oddest of times.

“What happened next?” Veronica wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, correctly deciphering the blush rising to stain Chloe’s cheeks a delicate pink. She wouldn’t—couldn’t—let it go without ribbing her friend just a bit. After watching Nate and Chloe engage in a two-decade-long mating dance they had nicknamed the Will They, Won’t They Waltz, Veronica and Mindy were delighted the pair had finally realized their true feelings for one another.

Pining for each other since puberty—but having lived most of that time on opposite corners of the world—the two of them had now permanently returned to the tiny town of Ponderosa Pines, making a long term relationship possible. However, miscommunication and a healthy dose of insecurity made the transition from friends to more than friends difficult, to say the least.

Chloe rolled her eyes and raised her right eyebrow at Veronica, shooting her friend a glance correctly interpreted as “Duh”, and continued. “I haven’t had enough of these to go into the gory details,” she raised her glass for emphasis, “and I don’t intend to. But, we definitely took our relationship to the next level. A couple of times.” Chloe grinned sheepishly, and her friends dissolved into giggles.

Three short days ago, Nate had burst through her front door to officially declare his love. Chloe would have been quite content to continue spending every possible second since then devoted to memorizing the long lines of his spectacular body. Instead, reality and responsibility pried them out of their love nest, and forced Nate back to his assignment of training Ponderosa Pines’ newest lawman. Rather than sit around and wait for him, Chloe had turned her phone back on, answered the dozen or so messages that had accrued on her voicemail, and acquiesced to an impromptu girls’ night in.

As the last—or second-to-last, if you counted her very closest friend, EV Torrence—one of the group to lose her single status, Chloe couldn’t deny the desire to tell someone about the incredible weekend she had just experienced. So what if they were all thirty-something, and probably too old to be giggling like school girls; you were only as old as you felt, and it still made them all happy to act like teenagers every once in a while.

Veronica, whose near-perfect marriage produced five beautiful, rambunctious children—and Mindy, childless by choice, but very much in love with her longtime boyfriend—were over the moon about the recent development in Chloe and Nate’s relationship. Now, if only EV could sort out her own love life, all of Chloe’s closest friends would be coupled up. Of course, EV had twenty years on the rest of them, so her situation was a bit more complicated than the others.

“You two can pull those canary feathers out of your mouths, by the way. EV already told me you were in on her little plot. Dragging me into situations where I’d have to see Nate was bad enough, but setting me up to date a bunch of losers and make Nate look like the better choice…jerks.” Her grin showed she bore no malice. “I already knew he was perfect, I just let fear get the best of me.”

“Should we expect retaliation?” Veronica smirked. “What you did to EV wasn’t so different from what we did to you, Miss Pot Who Calls Kettles Black.”

Chloe had to admit submitting her best friend’s profile to an online dating service probably went a bit beyond nice. Yet, she defended herself, “As if EV’s one to talk. She and Dalton are perfect for each other, and you can tell he’s totally in love with her. Too bad she’s still holding him at arm’s length.”

“That’s not what I heard!” Mindy sing-songed. “There’s a rumor going around that he was seen leaving her house after a torrid night of lust—at least that’s what Lottie Calabrese’s been telling everyone. Care to confirm?”

Chloe rolled her eyes but conceded, “Yes, it’s true. But they hit another bump in the road, and still have a few issues to work out.” How much should she tell them about recent developments?

Almost no one knew that former resident, Remy Vincent—who just happened to also be EV’s ex—was suspect number one in Ponderosa Pines’ first mystery of note. Unless the evidence lied, Remy had masterminded an attempted coup that would have forced their beloved town into being dissolved and absorbed by neighboring Gilmore. Remy’s blackmail attempt failed miserably when its victim, Evan Plunkett, turned up dead—murdered by the cuckolded husband of Evan’s most recent paramour. Everyone knew that part of the story—just not that the shadowy figure attempting to play puppet-master with their town had such close ties. Until Remy was caught, EV and Dalton had agreed to put their budding relationship on hold—a decision Chloe thought bordered on the ridiculous. So what if Dalton’s job as deputy meant he had to keep certain bits of evidence from EV? It wasn’t like she told him everything either.

“I have every intention of lending a hand; what’s good for the goose is good for the gander.”

“Lending a hand?” Mindy practically snorted out the words. “You mean meddling in their business.”

Chloe put on her best innocent look—Bambi eyes and all. “It’s done out of love.”

If EV had been completely happy as a vibrant, single woman, Chloe would have let the topic drop. And, until a recently-single Dalton came into the picture, a series of short-term relationships satisfied EV’s occasional craving for companionship. Enter Nate’s partner, the caring Deputy Dalton, and everything changed. For the first time since the disaster of Remy, EV let someone into her life who might just become permanent.

Unfortunately, Remy Vincent still stood between them. Suspecting she was at the heart of his vendetta against Ponderosa Pines, EV had pulled back from the relationship with Dalton. Until all that was laid to rest, they were in a holding pattern. Chloe sighed to herself, hoping silently that everything would work out in the end, and pushed the thought from her mind in order to focus on more pleasant matters

“G’night, you guys.” Chloe hugged first Veronica, and then Mindy. She watched them for signs of alcohol-induced impairment, saw none, and let them skip down her front steps to begin the short walk back to their own houses.

“Love you!” Veronica called over her shoulder.

Chloe glanced at the clock, which read 1:15 am, thought better of her plan to clean up the mess in her living room at a more reasonable hour, and grabbed the garbage can from the kitchen. The sudden trilling of her cell phone stopped Chloe in her tracks. Veronica and Mindy should be home by now, and who else would be calling at this hour? There was only one option that didn’t have her worrying about the safety of everyone she held dear: Lila.

Her mother’s cheerful “Hello, love” confirmed Chloe’s suspicions that Lila had once again forgotten the time difference between Ponderosa Pines and whatever European country in which she was currently ensconced.

“Hi Mother, is everything okay? You’re aware it’s the wee hours of the morning here, right?”

“Everything is lovely, darling. You know I’m lousy with time conversions. Besides, this couldn’t wait.”

“There’s an app for that.” Chloe could hear the excitement in Lila’s voice, and braced herself for an explanation.

Lila brushed the dry suggestion aside, “Javier proposed! I’m getting married in three weeks, and I want you and EV to come to Ireland and be my bridesmaids!” Chloe’s stomach dropped. Heat born of concern rushed through her veins for a split second before reason won out and cooled the fire. It wasn’t the first time Lila had enamored herself with a new man—most of them unsavory in some way. She seemed to attract men who only saw the shine and the money, but not the perfect heart underneath. But, this was the first time Lila had actually agreed to marry any of them, even though she had been proposed to more times than Chloe could count. You could feed a small country on the accumulated worth of Lila’s rejected engagement rings.

What could this man possibly have that the horde before him had lacked? Chloe wished she hadn’t been so dismissive the last time Lila called; she knew she hadn’t been paying any attention to her mother’s description of Javier, believing that he’d be out of the picture soon enough. Now, she was left wondering what her soon-to-be step-father—Chloe cringed at the word—was like.

“Congratulations, Mom!” she replied brightly. If this was what Lila wanted, Chloe wouldn’t take even one iota of her happiness away. At least not until she had good reason; soon enough, she would be there in person to watch closely and stop her mother from rushing headlong down the path toward disaster. “Of course I’ll come, and I imagine EV isn’t going to miss it either. Do I get a ‘plus one’?”

“You want to bring a date?” Lila’s voice rose an octave, her incredulity evident even from across the Atlantic.

“Nate and I finally worked out our issues. We’re officially a couple, and I think getting away from the prying eyes of everyone in town for a few weeks is just the thing we need. Of course, that is, if Javier doesn’t mind Nate tagging along with him while we’re attending to wedding details.” A plan had already begun to form in her mind. Nate’s assignment would be to spend time assessing the groom, while leaving Chloe and EV free to deal with Lila, and what was sure to be a spectacle of a wedding.

“Well, the sky must be falling. I didn’t want to push the issue with you before, since you’re so freaking sensitive about it, but I hoped you’d figure it out eventually. Of course, bring him along, darling. I’ll overnight vouchers for all three of you. We’re flying out tomorrow ourselves. Come as soon as you can; I can’t wait to see you.”

Bidding her mother goodbye, Chloe took a moment to get over the shock. She shook her head picked up the phone to dial EV’s number before realizing it was now closing in on 2 o’clock in the morning. Though it would be fun to interrupt EV’s sleep for once—her friend had a knack for waking Chloe at the butt-crack of dawn every chance she got—the news could wait until morning.

“Mom and I stayed there a number of times before. Castle Ligean is simply amazing—more a resort than a hotel—and they do a lot of weddings, so most of the planning part will amount to us reigning in Mother’s over-the-top ideas.” Sitting on her favorite section of EV’s kitchen island, waiting for the jaunty red teapot to whistle, Chloe watched while EV perused the castle’s website. From her perch, Chloe looked over EV’s shoulder at the laptop on the coffee table, currently displaying an extensive slideshow of rolling Irish hillsides, sprawling grounds, and gleaming waterfront vistas.

“She’s always had a penchant for the dramatic, that’s for sure. Of course she’d pick a castle in the middle of Ireland; wouldn’t want to do anything halfway, that one.” EV snorted from across the room. Once upon a time, Lila and EV had been inseparable—the best of friends. But when Lila had fled from the Pines as soon as Chloe was old enough to handle extensive travel, their bond had become somewhat strained. EV felt closer to Chloe, despite their age difference, than she ever had to Lila.

EV, who still lived in the house her parents had built, held a place of honor in their small community, having been instrumental in turning the once-hippie-commune into a legitimate town. Lila spent the last twenty years searching for something more, while EV chose to put down roots in Ponderosa Pines. Neither woman understood or fully respected the other’s choices, which led to a give-and-take of subtle jabs that kept their relationship from ever returning to its unconditional beginnings. Two weeks spent in close proximity was either going to eliminate or solidify the emotional disconnect between them. Chloe hoped for the former, since these were the two most important women in her life.

“So we’ll leave on Saturday. That gives us two weeks before the wedding. Seems doable.”

Chloe leaned over to look at the website alongside EV.

“Ooh, look at the spa services. They’ve expanded the selection. You would love a mud bath. And we’re definitely getting hot stone massages. And facials. Oh, this is going to be fun!”

“Have you lost your ever-loving mind? Look who you’re talking to here. All I can picture is the Wash-Em Brush-Em team from Oz, scrubbing and buffing me ‘til I’m shiny and new. Not happening. Maybe Nate will join you for that one.” EV tried for a tone that suggested the topic wasn’t up for debate, but softened at the mention of Nate’s name. She was thrilled about Chloe and Nate’s newfound happiness, and only approximately 10% of her joy was related to smugness at the fact that she had helped make it happen. Well, maybe 15%, but who was counting?

“I already have plans for us: Jacuzzi suite, couples massages…” Chloe’s expression took on a dreamlike quality, her voice trailing off as her thoughts flew to the inevitable conclusion of those activities.

EV plucked a throw pillow off the couch and flung it at Chloe’s head. “If you are imagining Nathaniel Harper naked, just stop it right now!”

Chloe recovered quickly: the startled look on her face replaced with mock-vengeance, she bounced down from the counter and lobbed the pillow back across the living room, where EV quickly snatched it out of the air.

“What about ‘Babble & Spin’? Have you talked to Wesley about that yet?” EV was referring to Chloe’s gossip column in the small Ponderosa Pines weekly newsletter, The Pine Cone. She couldn’t exactly keep up with the goings-on at the Pines from halfway across the globe, and readers would certainly notice if the most popular article was missing for several weeks.

There was a good reason Chloe couldn’t allow anyone in town to make a correlation between the column’s absence and her travel plans: she was the latest in a series of anonymous authors of ‘Babble & Spin’. The quirky, beloved tradition was just one of the little things that made the Pines special; people enjoyed speculating about the mystery as much as they enjoyed the gossip itself.

Nobody, save for EV—with her borderline-magical deductive skills—knew that Chloe was the columnist, not even Nate. The last thing Chloe wanted was to become the first author in the history of the paper to be outed.

A contingent of townspeople had EV pegged for the role, since nothing happened in the Pines without her knowing something about it. Given that, it wasn’t a long leap to assume she had something to do with the column, but EV preferred to tend the gossip vines on her own. Though she enjoyed feeding information to Chloe, EV had no desire to take up the post herself.

“I’m toying with some ideas on how to sidestep suspicion, and I’m meeting him at his office later to discuss options.” Wesley’s office consisted of an artfully re-purposed storage pod occupying a corner of his backyard. Chloe didn’t frequent the space, keeping her distance, since she had no official affiliation with the Pine Cone besides the occasional editorial piece submitted under her real name.

EV continued browsing through the wedding section of the castle’s website, noting the myriad of expensive-looking options for the discerning bride. Full service was an understatement: of course their five-star restaurant would provide catering, and a spectacular cake; the salon would cover hair, makeup, nails, etc. Above and beyond, the resort employed a full-time photographer, florist, seamstress—even an ice sculpture artist—not to mention, a staff of professional event planners who could make even the biggest Bridezilla’s dreams come true. EV guessed that if Lila had wanted acrobats to fly across the banquet hall pouring champagne, the Castle Ligean staff would find a way to accommodate the request.

Letting a low whistle escape her lips, EV promised herself that if she did ever get hitched, she’d make it easy on everyone and skip the diamond-encrusted path through wedding hell. Vegas all the way, she vowed.

Sugar and Spice, the names much too mild for the antics of Chloe’s pair of Siamese kittens, wreaked pandemonium every time Nate walked into the house. They’d taken an instant liking to the man, who gave them warm snuggles and unending chin scratches. Now, the sound of something crashing to the floor—most likely something from a shelf the kittens knew was off limits—let Chloe know he had just stepped through the front door. Shaking her head over the possible loss of another tchotchke, Chloe didn’t move to greet him. Instead, she lounged on her bed, clad in a hot pink babydoll nightgown that threatened the line between sexy and slutty. Chloe had spent a solid hour wrapping her long, flowing blond hair in curlers to achieve a soft, windblown look. Her bright, almond-colored eyes were sheathed by long, thick lashes; her full lips coated in a shiny, but not sticky, gloss.

“In here!” She called, as Nate searched the front rooms to no avail. When he wandered into the bedroom doorway and almost dropped a purring Sugar in surprise, Chloe knew how squarely she had hit her mark. As her eyes raked over his adorably-messy chestnut hair, to his strong, scruffy jaw, and down his sculpted, muscular body, she couldn’t help but feel like the luckiest woman on earth. She knew, after the ordeal they had endured in order to be with one another, that he felt the same.

No words were necessary, but a strangled wow sighed from him before Nate sprang onto the bed and began kissing her breathless. Her hands tangled in his hair as she pulled him close, all other thoughts forgotten as she focused solely on the perfect man she couldn’t stop touching. An hour and a half later, when they emerged from the bedroom in search of sustenance, Chloe remembered she had news of great importance to impart.

“There was a late night…well, technically an early morning development, and I’ve got news.” Chloe figured Nate would be willing to attend Lila’s wedding, but wasn’t sure if, with his work schedule, it was realistic for him to take an extended vacation. It hurt to think of him anywhere but by her side; they had wasted too much time being stubborn, and she didn’t relish the idea of being separated from him now. Not to mention that, even though they had been friends for years, it might be too early in their relationship to broach the subject of a lengthy vacation that included her mother.

Having lived practically in each other’s pockets as children, Chloe and Nate’s relationship as friends meant he and Lila were familiar with each other on those terms. It was one thing, though, to be Nate—the kid who does stuff with your daughter, and quite another to be Nate—the man who does stuff with your daughter. That he might not be ready for that particular scenario was just hitting her now.

Nate looked concerned as a flash of uncertainty scrolled across Chloe’s face. “What news?” he asked with trepidation.

While Chloe explained everything, from Lila’s phone call down to the worry that inviting him to tag along was premature, Nate’s expression morphed through surprise to excitement, and finally amusement. “Love, I have been waiting for and wanting this for a very long time. It doesn’t feel too soon to me; of course I’ll go! Give up a chance to spend two weeks in an Irish castle with you, just because we haven’t technically been together for very long? Not gonna happen; I’m in.”

Relieved, Chloe threw her arms around Nate’s neck and gave him another lingering kiss. “What about work, though?”

“Dalton can handle things around here, and I’ll put the Gilmore department on alert; it’ll be fine. Nothing bad ever happens in Ponderosa Pines, right?”

Chloe snorted at that. The recent murder of Evan Plunkett had taken the shine right off the town’s unofficial motto.

“Good. Because boy, do I have plans for us! Massages, Jacuzzi suite, hiking, a couple of day trips. We’re going to have an amazing time!”

“I imagine we’d have an amazing time if we never left the room.” Nate flashed a mischievous grin and cocked an eyebrow; the implication, and the fact that he looked dead sexy doing it, caused a ripple of desire to run from the top of Chloe’s head to the tips of her pink-painted toenails.

“Of that, I’m sure. Which is why I booked us an extra week at a private cottage in Galway after this is all done.” Chloe’s satisfied grin was answered with a gaping one from Nate, who did a little dance, picked Chloe up, and spun her around in a circle.

“I freaking love you!” He practically shouted, then threw her over his shoulder, Chloe’s laughter trailing behind as he headed back to the bedroom.