A Woman Plans Her Sister’s Wedding, Unaware The Billionaire Best Man Will Soon Fall Madly For Her
The Proposition of a Lifetime
Their bodies moved in sync with the vineyard glowing behind them. For the first time, Callie didn’t feel like the planner. She felt something else entirely.
“I’ve been thinking about you,” he said near her ear.
“Maddox, don’t.”
“Too late.”
She looked up at him. “You’re not staying in Virginia.”
“I’m not,” he agreed. “But I’ve never met anyone like you. I don’t want this to end at midnight.”
She shook her head. “You’re a billionaire who lives in New York. I’m a girl with a small business and a studio apartment with a broken heater.”
He stepped closer. “That doesn’t scare me.”
“It should.”
“But it doesn’t.”
The song ended, but they didn’t move. Callie felt the shift. It was the beginning of something she hadn’t planned at all.
The wedding was over and the vineyard had gone quiet. Callie stood barefoot on the wooden deck outside the barn.
She held a glass of champagne that had long since gone warm. The string lights above her swayed gently in the breeze.
Laughter still drifted faintly from the afterparty inside the main house behind her. The door creaked open.
“I thought I might find you here,” Maddox said as he stepped out. His jacket was gone and his sleeves were rolled.
“Cali…”
She didn’t turn. “You’re supposed to be inside charming the guests.”
“I’ve already done that twice.”
She finally looked at him. “You always this persistent?”
He leaned against the railing, gazing at the rows of vines glowing gold under the moonlight. “Only when it matters.”
She exhaled, setting her glass down. “You don’t know me.”
“I know enough to wonder why someone who just pulled off a flawless wedding looks like she’s carrying the weight of it alone.”
“I’m tired, that’s all.”
“No. Tired people go home. You’re out here like you’re waiting for something.”
Callie hesitated, then sat on the bench. She tucked her legs beneath her.
“When everything’s done, I never know what to do next. It’s like I pour myself into it so completely. When it ends, I’m just floating.”
Maddox sat beside her. He was not touching her, but he was close enough that she could feel the heat of him.
“You ever think maybe you deserve something for yourself?”
She gave a short laugh. “I’ve had zero time to even consider what that would be.”
“Then let me make you an offer.”
“Is this where you tell me you’re secretly a prince?”
“No. Just incredibly persuasive.”
She turned her head. “Go on.”
“I’m flying back to Manhattan Sunday morning. Come with me.”
Callie stared at him, unsure if he was joking. He wasn’t smiling.
“You want me to drop everything and follow you to New York?”
“I want to show you something. A different life. One where you’re not always behind the scenes making things happen for everyone else.”
She shook her head. “That’s insane.”
“Maybe. But you don’t strike me as someone who plays it safe.”
She stood abruptly. “You don’t get to say that. You don’t know what I’ve given up to keep this business alive.”
“I’ve worked weddings when I had the flu. I’ve driven across state lines for last-minute linen replacements. I’ve maxed out credit cards and skipped holidays to keep everything running.”
“I’m not asking you to give it up,” he said, rising. “I’m asking you to take a breath. Just one.”
She folded her arms. “And what are you really offering? A weekend? A distraction? I don’t do distractions.”
“Then what do you do?”
He stepped closer. “I make decisions. Big ones, with risk. And I know a moment when it matters.”
“I can’t just disappear.”
“You wouldn’t be disappearing. You’d be choosing something for once.”
She looked away, heart pounding for reasons she didn’t want to examine. “You make it sound easy.”
“It’s not. But I’m still asking.”
She shook her head, more at herself than him. “I need time.”
“You’ve got until tomorrow night.”
He left her there without another word. The next morning, Callie avoided the main house.
She buried herself in post-wedding tasks. She returned rental vases, sent thank-you messages to vendors, and boxed up leftover favors.
But her hands trembled every time her phone buzzed. It didn’t, not once.
By late afternoon, she found herself in the kitchen of the estate house. Her sister and new brother-in-law were packing for their honeymoon.
“You okay?” her sister asked, zipping up a suitcase.
“Fine,” Callie replied, too quickly.
“You don’t look fine.”
“I’m just tired.”
Her sister studied her. “Did something happen with Maddox?”
Callie hesitated. “He invited me to New York.”
Her sister’s eyebrows rose. “And?”
“I said I couldn’t.”
“Why?”
“I have clients. A schedule. I can’t just abandon everything for some guy I barely know.”
Her sister sat beside her at the kitchen island. “I watched you all week. You lit up when he was around. I don’t think you’ve looked at anyone like that in years.”
Callie looked down. “It’s not real.”
“Why not?”
“Because people like him don’t stay. They swoop in with promises and charm, and then they go back to their worlds.”
“Maybe. Or maybe he’s the first person who actually sees you.”
That night, Callie stood in her apartment. She was surrounded by half-unpacked boxes from her last move.
A list of upcoming events was taped to the fridge. She stared at it for five full minutes.
Then she pulled out her phone. “What are you doing right now?” she asked when he answered.
“Waiting.”
“I can’t fly to New York.”
“I figured.”
“But if you’re serious about this…”
“I am.”
“Then you come here tomorrow.”
Silence. Then: “Text me the address.”
She hung up. Her pulse was racing again, but this time it wasn’t from stress. It was anticipation.
