Bayside's Most Unexpected Bride

If his change in topic came as a surprise to her, she didn’t show it. “Same as you,” she said with a bemused smile. He racked his brain and couldn’t think of any shared family gatherings until Thanksgiving. Riley rolled her eyes. “Tomorrow is Elle and Cam’s engagement party at the Dumont estate. There’s no way you could have forgotten that.”

His turn to roll his eyes. “Blocked, perhaps.”

“Sawyer, it’s not that bad. Most people love when the Dumonts throw parties.”

“Which is practically every week.”

The Dumont family had also been in Bayside for generations. They owned Dumont Incorporated, headed up by Jasper Dumont now. Jasper was Cam’s brother and Sawyer was close with both of them. He was happy his friend had popped the question to Elle. Thrilled to celebrate with them. What he didn’t particularly look forward to was dressing in a monkey suit and mingling with most of the town at yet another black-tie party.

He saw the excitement on Riley’s face, though. This kind of event was much more her thing. She was so good at socializing and enjoying large crowds. Not to mention, she looked damn fine in a gown.

“Come on,” she cooed. “There has to be something about tomorrow’s party you can look forward to.”

An image of her in a tight black dress from the last Dumont soiree flitted into his mind. All of that amazing red hair had been piled in curls atop her head. Her shoulders had been bare and she’d worn the sexiest pair of stilettos... His mouth went dry thinking about it.

He almost jerked backward. What in the heck was he doing? He couldn’t think about Riley like that. He could still remember the doll she used to carry around when they were kids.

“Earth to Sawyer,” she said impatiently.

“There’s always the free alcohol,” he covered.

Oblivious to his thoughts, she nodded. “There you go. Now, you just have to get your date Holly on board.”

He gritted his teeth. “I am not dating Holly.”

“I wouldn’t care if you were.” Her eyes narrowed as she considered. “Are you bringing anyone else tomorrow? Like, as a date?”

He shook his head. “Nope. You?” He held his breath.

“No. It’s hard to be Riley Hudson, the Bayside Blogger, and enjoy being on a date. You know that.”

He did. She committed her life to the Bugle, sacrificing much of her social life to write the column that was keeping the paper in the black—barely. He opened his mouth to thank her, but the words caught in his throat. The sun was slanting through the blinds, highlighting her coppery hair, the freckles on her ivory nose, that amazing body.

Had she always been this beautiful? Why was he only noticing her now, when he couldn’t possibly make a move?

Ah, heck. He was feeling something for his lifelong friend that he had no business feeling.

She stood to leave but hesitated next to her chair. “Sawyer, are you sure you’re okay?”

“Uh, yeah, I’m fine.”

She reached for the door but turned back again. “And the Bugle is fine, too? It’s not in any trouble?”

Her hand was on her hip, accentuating the fact that even for a petite woman she had curves. He swallowed hard. “Don’t worry, Riley. Everything will be fine.”

Sawyer wasn’t entirely sure if she believed him. She lingered a moment more before departing.

He felt bad about lying to his oldest friend, saying the Bugle wasn’t in trouble. But it sure was—and so was he.

Chapter Two

Who’s excited for tonight’s party at the Dumonts’? I can’t think of a better way to ring in the holiday season than champagne and dancing with a view of the bay! And you just never know who might show up at a Dumont affair, so this blogger is keeping her eyes open, Baysiders!

Riley crossed the terrace and took in the sight of the Dumont estate in full party mode. A cold breeze caused goose bumps to rise on her skin, hardly surprising since it was almost Thanksgiving. Not to mention that Riley was wearing nothing more than a gown and a thin wrap. Still, she couldn’t help but take a moment to soak in her surroundings.

With its cascading terraces and gorgeous grounds, this was so much more than a house. It was like something out of an old black-and-white movie. With tennis courts and swimming pools, even an atrium, the Dumont mansion sat right on the bay, surrounded by strategically placed fences and bushes for privacy.

Riley made her way into the large heated tent set up on the lower grounds. Several bars occupied the corners of the space, while waiters flitted throughout the crowd of black tie–bedecked guests listening to a large band seated on a raised platform. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling and tasteful twinkly lights were strung from one corner to another. And then there were the candles. Riley had never seen so many in one place. Mrs. Dumont had gone above and beyond tonight.

All Dumont parties were special, but this one was extra special. Cameron, the oldest Dumont brother, had recently popped the question to Elle Owens, one of Riley’s two best friends. Everyone in town was thrilled to see the two of them together, but Riley in particular. She liked to think the Bayside Blogger had had a hand in their relationship. Sometimes people just needed a push.

And speaking of pushes...

Riley did a quick glance around the tent, taking in all the players. She had a keen memory, which came in handy for recalling details when she wrote her column.

She snagged a glass of champagne from a passing waiter as she continued surveying the party. A handful of people were already dancing, but mostly there was a lot of chatting over appetizers. And...she grinned. Over in the corner she saw Simone Graves getting her flirt on with Sam Roberts, who’d just taken a job at the high school. Interesting. She whipped her cell phone out and quickly made a note.

“What’s that sly smile for?”

Riley looked up to see her other best friend, Carissa Blackwell, smirking back at her. “Look at you, gorgeous,” Riley said, instead of answering the question.

“You like?”

Carissa was wearing a navy blue floor-length dress. Her blond hair was piled on top of her head and her makeup was flawless. She was tall and curvy with the most beautiful gray eyes. If they weren’t friends, Riley would hate her on principle.

“Stunning,” Riley replied. “I can see the drool on Jasper’s chin from here.” She waved at Jasper, who was all the way on the other side of the tent. He’d been beaming with adoration at his girlfriend the whole time. Carissa turned and winked at him.

It was official. Both Dumont brothers were off the market. Too bad for Bayside’s singletons, but hooray for her friends. She couldn’t be happier they’d found their soul mates.

She sighed. Well...mostly happy. Totally happy, she amended quickly. She was thrilled for Carissa and Elle. It was just that it would be kind of nice to find someone for herself.

Of course, last time she’d had a serious boyfriend it hadn’t turned out so great. Maybe she should watch what she wished for.

“Riley!”

She shook her head and tuned back into Carissa, who was standing with her hands on her hips, an expectant look on her face.

“Sorry, what?” Riley asked.

Carissa narrowed her eyes. “I said, you look great, too.”

Riley was wearing a new curve-hugging, low-backed dress in her favorite color, emerald green. She’d put her hair up in a messy yet chic ponytail, leaving wild strands loose around her face.

“Oh well, thank you. And speaking of looking good...” She wiggled her eyebrows as Elle, the bride-to-be, sidled up to them.

“You look very bridal,” Riley said, gesturing to Elle’s off-white gown. Of course, she’d helped her pick out the dress a month ago. “Practicing for the big day already?”

“Don’t mention the big day. I’m stressed.” She grabbed a champagne flute from a passing waiter.

“Oh no,” Riley said. “What can we do?”

“Are you kidding? You’ve both been bridesmaids of the year so far. Between you two, my soon-to-be mother-in-law, every bridal magazine ever written, and even my dad, I think I may be approaching too much help.”

“Too many opinions?” Carissa guessed.

Elle grimaced. “Too many very strong opinions.”

As they chatted about the upcoming spring wedding a little longer, Riley couldn’t help noticing that something was off with Carissa.

“What?” Riley asked.

“What do you mean what?” Carissa countered.

Riley wiggled her pointer finger in front of Carissa. “Something’s up. I can tell.”

Carissa turned to Elle. “I swear, she’s a psychic or something.”

“It is eerie sometimes,” Elle agreed. “But is something wrong, Car? You look a little pale.”

“No, not wrong. The opposite of wrong, actually. Just scary.”

“Can you be a little more cryptic?” Riley laughed.

“Sorry.” Carissa glanced across the tent. Riley followed her gaze and saw that Jasper was deep in conversation with his brother. “Jasper asked me to move in with him this morning.”

“Whoa, that’s huge.”

Riley wondered if the Bayside Blogger should mention this. She chewed on her lip as she considered. It was pretty major news. Carissa and Jasper had been hot and heavy back in high school. Then they’d broken up right after graduation and hadn’t seen each other for years. After Carissa’s divorce, she’d moved back to Bayside to start her catering business, Save the Day Catering, which had really taken off. She’d not only gotten back together with Jasper, but they would be opening a bookstore and café soon. And now they were taking the next step. Cohabitation.

All of this was right up the Bayside Blogger’s alley, but Riley knew that her friends—just like Sawyer—hated being written about. Still, she couldn’t leave them out of the column. She’d become tight with Elle and Car. Everyone in town knew that. If she didn’t mention them from time to time, then her identity would be obvious.

Maybe she should wait a couple days and see how this played out.

“There’s more,” Carissa said, drawing Riley and Elle’s attention. “A lot more.”

Riley immediately let her gaze drop to Carissa’s ring finger. The all-important finger was empty of a ring.

“What’s going on?” Riley asked.

“Well, um, I went to the doctor yesterday.”

Elle’s face washed of color. Her father had dealt with bladder cancer recently and Elle was particularly sensitive to talk of doctors. “You weren’t feeling well a couple days ago. I remember. You had to run out of our brunch when you got sick.”

“Right,” Carissa said.

Elle grabbed one of Carissa’s hands. Riley took the other.

“Are you okay?” Riley asked, her pulse skyrocketing.

“Well, turns out I’m...pregnant.”

A long moment of astonished silence passed between them. Riley didn’t know who started it, but then all three of them were screaming and hugging.

“Ohmigod, ohmigod, ohmigod. How did this happen?” Riley asked. “I mean, I know how it happens.”

Carissa laughed. “We’ve always been so careful. Except, well, this one time.”

Elle hugged Carissa again. “And one time is all it takes. Congratulations.”

“Thank you. I wasn’t going to tell anyone yet, but I just couldn’t keep it from you two. So mum’s the word until I say. Especially from the men.”

They agreed and hugged some more.

“Speaking of men,” Carissa began as she pinned Riley with a knowing glare.

Uh-oh. She had a feeling what was coming even though they weren’t talking about men. “Don’t start, Car,” Riley begged.

“I’m just saying. When was the last time you went on a date?”

Riley shook her head. “I’m focusing on my career right now.” Which was a total lie. Elle saw through it immediately.

“You were just saying the other day how you could do your job with your eyes closed.” Elle wagged a finger at her. “I know for a fact that Jason Wellington asked you out last week and you blew him off. What gives?”

Riley opened her mouth to answer, but the words caught in her throat as she noticed Sawyer walk into the tent. Her mouth went dry at the sight of him in his tux, which was stupid really because she’d seen him in a tuxedo before. Many times. She supposed it had to do with the fact that he usually wore jeans and... Wow, he’d shaved today instead of leaving his face all scruffy. Although, normally, his scruff was appealing too.

What was she doing? What was she thinking? This was Sawyer. She’d known him her whole life. She couldn’t get all swoony over him. Only he’d just noticed her, too. He grinned and she felt like someone had punched her in the stomach.

He started to walk toward her and once again her friends faded away. Her knees actually went weak like she was one of the characters in those Hallmark Channel movies she loved so much.

Only this wasn’t a movie. The way her heart started racing was very, very real.

* * *

Riley always looked amazing. But tonight? For an editor, a man who dealt with every aspect of a newspaper every single day, he had no words.

At first, he’d thought the green dress was a bit demure for her. Then she’d turned around—the back of it was close to nonexistent. It dipped low, almost to her shapely behind.

Again he chastised himself. He wasn’t supposed to be thinking about her behind. Or her front. He shook his head. Or any side of her. Except the friend side. They’d practically grown up as siblings. No, that wasn’t quite right.

He should stop walking toward her, yet he couldn’t. He noticed she wore dangly earrings that sparkled so brightly they practically lit up the whole tent on their own. Very Riley-esque. Because when he thought about her, he thought about a bright light.

When he reached her, she smiled, but otherwise stayed silent. He turned to Elle and Carissa, who were both wearing the oddest expressions. They exchanged mysterious looks with one another.

“Congrats again, Elle,” he offered. “I’m thrilled for you and Cam.”

“Thanks, Sawyer. Have you said hi to Cam yet?”

“Uh, no, I just got here.”

“And came right over to us,” Carissa said. Then she exchanged a second look with Elle, who bit down on her lip like she was trying to keep from laughing.

Women were enigmatic to him sometimes.

“Well, I really must find my fiancé,” Elle said.

Carissa jumped slightly. “Yes, and I need to find Jasper and check with my assistant. Save the Day catered tonight’s soiree, so I expect you all to make copious yummy noises throughout the party.”

Sawyer laughed as Elle and Carissa said their goodbyes and disappeared into the crowd. He turned to Riley.

“Hey,” he said lamely.

“Hey you,” she replied. “You look...” She trailed off and tilted her head. Then she reached forward and fiddled with his tie. “There. It was crooked.”

“Thanks.” The word lingered on his lips the same way her hand lingered on his chest. He could smell her perfume. He didn’t know what it was, but it smelled amazing, like flowers dipped in more flowers.

“Quite the dress, Ri,” he said when she finally took a step back. “You should consider yourself lucky that your dad is out of town or he would have thrown his coat over you and hauled you out of here.”

She waved him away. “Oh, please. It’s not that bad.”

To prove her point, she did a little spin. His mouth went dry at seeing all that silky skin up close. Not to mention he couldn’t help but realize she couldn’t wear a bra. Suddenly his tie felt incredibly restrictive.

He tried to make light of the situation. “If I remember correctly, you always did give your parents a run for their money with your various fashion choices.”

Again she waved her hand. “Experimenting with outfits and accessories is part of finding yourself.”

“And I imagine all those times you came home late from dates was also some sort of experimenting? Now that I think about it, you were a bit of a wild child, Riley Hudson.”

“Hardly. I think I was a fairly normal teenager. And anyway, easy for you to say. You’ve always been Mr. Dependable, son of the year.”

He didn’t have to see himself in a mirror to know his face fell. “Not always, Ri.”

Sawyer really didn’t know why he was goading her. He’d been called into the principal’s office more than he should ever admit. Wasn’t his fault he’d had a penchant for pranks.

Of course, that was all child’s play compared to his antics after he’d graduated from college. He’d been in love and like many young people in love, he’d made Rachel his whole life.

Unfortunately, it had taken him a couple years to realize that Rachel wasn’t the right fit. In fact, some might call them polar opposites.

But he’d been besotted with her so he’d moved away from home. Shunned Bayside, if he was being honest, which he hated being because then he had to admit that he’d been selfish.

He’d turned his back on his family, on his town and on the Bugle.

“How long are you going to beat yourself up for that?” Riley asked gently, kindly.

Sawyer shrugged. He’d put his parents through hell. Just another reason why the Bugle couldn’t fail now. He would make sure of it.

Riley stepped closer. “You know, everyone has at least one bad relationship under their belt.”

Something crossed her face. He wanted to jump on it and ask her what caused those shadows to appear, but she beat him to it.

“Heck, most people have multiple crappy relationships. You and Rachel lived in DC for a hot minute. And you came to your senses and moved back.”

“I don’t want to talk about Rachel.”

“That’s fine. What do you want to talk about?”

“How about you?”

She rolled her eyes.

“You look beautiful tonight.”

He didn’t know why he’d said that. It just slipped out. Her eyes widened in surprise. Had he never told her how gorgeous she was before? Riley was an insanely appealing woman who lit up any room she entered. Somehow she had the ability to be both the girl next door and the fantasy.

He didn’t know when she’d reached that status. She’d been a cute kid. Freckles and pigtails and skinned knees. She’d been kind of an annoying preteen, always following him around at family functions. Maybe the change had occurred during high school, or college, when he was away too often to take note? Who the hell knew.

Right now, he couldn’t take his eyes off her.

“Oh,” she said to his comment. She scrunched up her nose, something he often saw her do at work.

Sawyer never danced at these events. Ever. So he was more shocked than anyone when he blurted out, “Dance with me.”

Riley couldn’t contain her surprise at the statement, either. Her green eyes widened. “Are you serious? You can’t dance.”

“I can.” He reached for her hand. Her skin was so soft, so smooth. Like silk. “I just choose not to most of the time.” He led her to the dance floor.

“What makes tonight the exception?” she asked, her voice husky.

You. But he couldn’t say that. Shouldn’t say that. This was Riley, after all. Riley Hudson. Lifelong friend. Close family acquaintance. Employee. Gorgeous redhead who managed to sneak into his thoughts more than he’d like to admit.

“Tonight is a celebration,” he said instead. He could tell she had another question, so he drew her to him, pressing one hand to her back and the other wrapped around her tiny, delicate hand.

And then all questions stopped. In fact, all talking ceased. While he was sure there was music playing, he didn’t seem to hear it. Because being this close to Riley, inhaling her sweet perfume, taking in her tempting red lips, took over all his senses. It was like he didn’t have room to notice anything else.

It should have been weird. Or awkward, at least. But for the first time, he wasn’t thinking of her as his oldest friend or the kid he’d grown up with. She was an adult now and his body was taking notice.

He drew her closer. Her body felt good up against his. His hand traveled over the exposed skin of her back. He could feel her breath tickling his neck as she moved closer to him.

He had no idea how long they danced, Riley in his arms as they swayed to a song. Two songs? More than two songs?

Sawyer would have remained just like that forever but Jasper Dumont appeared at his side.

“Sorry to interrupt, guys.”

Riley jumped back, a deer-in-headlights expression on her face. She gave Sawyer a long once-over before mumbling something and quickly making her way off the dance floor.

“Riley, wait,” he called. Shoot. What had just happened? Seriously, what the hell had just freaking happened between them?

“Sorry, dude,” Jasper said, a sheepish expression on his face. “I didn’t mean to...” He gestured between Sawyer and Riley’s retreating back.

“No, don’t worry about it. We were just dancing.”

Jasper’s eyebrow quirked as the two of them made their way toward one of the bars. “Just dancing, huh? Trust me, I know all about just dancing. Well, I am sorry, but I interrupted for good reason. There’s someone here who really wants to meet you.” He turned to the man next to him. “This is—”

“Dan Melwood.”

Sawyer accepted the handshake from the tall man with dark hair, just beginning to gray at the temples.

“Dan was born in New York but he lived in Bayside during his high school years,” Jasper said. “He left years ago and is an entrepreneur who is considering adding to our local economy. Dan, this is—”

“Sawyer Wallace,” Dan once again jumped in. “Publisher of the Bayside Bugle.”

Sawyer raised a brow. “Publisher, editor in chief, reporter, head of ad sales, you name it. Life at a small-town newspaper.”

Jasper left them to talk. Sawyer and Dan grabbed drinks at the bar and moved to a quiet corner. Dan was in his fifties, only a little younger than Sawyer’s parents. As Jasper had informed him, Dan graduated from Bayside High, went off to college and business school, and then spent the next couple of decades building his businesses. He dabbled in real estate and construction. He explained to Sawyer that occasionally he invested in struggling companies, helping them improve their processes so they could turn a profit. Sounded like he’d helped out quite a few restaurants and commercial businesses in the state.

Now he was interested in Bayside. Particularly in the Bugle. He seemed to know a lot about newspapers, as if he’d done his research. Sawyer was impressed.

“I have to admit that I’m intrigued by this Bayside Blogger you have in the Style and Entertainment section.”

Sawyer fought an urge that was somewhere between pride for Riley and protectiveness over her. “The Bayside Blogger is certainly our most popular column.” He offered a small chuckle.

“And your most enigmatic.”

Dan’s smile faltered. Just slightly and only for a fraction of a second. But it was long enough for Sawyer to note.

“The blogger is definitely mysterious.”

“And not always accurate.”

Sawyer took a step back. “Actually, the one rule I’ve made with the blogger is that every article, every tidbit of gossip has to be true.”

“That’s interesting,” Dan said, rubbing a hand along his jaw. “She happened to write about me last summer.”

Sawyer racked his brain and then remembered. “Oh, yes,” he said, choking slightly on bourbon. “I vaguely recall the piece. Maybe that’s why your name is so familiar.”

“I was back here visiting for a month or so. I can assure you what she wrote was not true.”

He couldn’t remember exactly what Riley had written, but he made a mental note to go back through the archives when he left tonight. Sawyer prided himself on journalistic integrity. It was the number-one thing he required of all his reporters. “I apologize if that’s true. I will certainly speak with the blogger and we’ll print a correction if it turns out we were wrong.”

Dan’s face paled slightly. “Don’t worry about that. Anyway, I won’t leave you in suspense any longer. There’s a reason I wanted to meet you tonight and talk about the paper.”