She’d been so frightened for so long, she thought as she shelved the cookbook. Afraid of getting hurt, afraid of being like her mother. She was nearly thirty and as Jasper had pointed out more than once, she had no hint of her mother’s gift. There was no reason to think it would suddenly show up now. If she wanted to get on with things, she needed to let that fear go. Hanging on to it wasn’t helping her at all.
As for not wanting to risk her heart, well, that was harder to deal with. She’d lost her father, friends, the career she’d wanted, Turner and maybe a piece of herself because of what had happened. The losses weren’t her fault, but how she dealt with them was completely on her. She could be a victim and wallow in a lifetime of “poor me” or she could put on her big girl panties and figure out a way to move forward. The choice was hers. It always had been. It seemed like it was time to start acting like it.
She walked along the main aisle until she spotted Jasper poring over some car manual. She stopped in front of him.
“I would very much like us to go back to my place and make love for a couple of hours. What do you think?”
He shelved the book, grabbed her hand and practically ran out of the building.
“I knew the library would make you hot,” he said as they headed back to where their cars were parked. “I love it when a plan comes together.”
* * *
NINETY MINUTES AND two orgasms later, Renee felt a little melty and a whole lot more like herself. While she would have loved to spend the rest of the afternoon in bed with Jasper, he had to get home and do some writing and she needed to head back to the office. She still had some work to do before she could call it a day. But she would be smiling the whole time.
“Thank you,” he said, kissing her as they picked up their items of clothing and put them back on. “Want to come over and spend the night?”
“Let me check with my mom. I don’t know if she has plans or not. She’s been pretty busy the last couple of days. If she’s available, I really should spend time with her.”
“If she’s not, I’m happy to be your second choice.”
She laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck. “You’re not my second choice.”
“I know.”
He kissed her and she had a brief thought that being irresponsible had definite benefits. Then her better angels reminded her about her career goals and she reluctantly drew back.
When they were both dressed, they walked to his truck and he drove the short distance to Weddings Out of the Box, where she’d left her car. He’d just stopped at a light on the west side of the river when a helicopter flew overhead. A helicopter that was getting lower and lower, as if it were going to—
“The pilot is going to land in The Promenade,” Jasper said over the noise, as he drove through the intersection and then pulled over.
They both got out of the truck and walked the few feet to The Promenade—an open area in front of stores by the Riverwalk.
Sure enough the helicopter was sitting on the concrete, its rotors slowing as the engine wound down. There were no markings indicating it was part of a law enforcement task force or even from a news station. Renee was fairly sure the Happily Inc police department didn’t need or own a helicopter, so who could it be and why were they landing there?
More people spilled into the area. Renee saw several of her friends. Her mother came up, Ed, Carol’s father, with her.
“Renee, this is so exciting. What do you think is going on?”
“I have no idea. We don’t get things like this happening in town very much.”
“Maybe it’s a celebrity,” Ed said.
Someone pushed through the crowd. “Oh my God!”
Renee saw Bethany running toward the helicopter.
“What are you doing?” Bethany shouted. “You can’t act like this. You’re disrupting people’s lives!”
The engines were turned off. The sudden silence was nearly as shocking as the noise had been. Bethany stood with her hands on her hips as the doors to the helicopter opened.
“Oh, no,” Renee breathed. “It’s her parents.”
“The king and queen of El Bahar?” Verity asked. “That’s so thrilling. I’ve never seen anyone royal before. Well, I have, but only on television or in magazines. They look normal.”
Renee recognized the older couple from the previous year’s prewedding party for Bethany and Cade. The king was very handsome and just a little imposing. Liana, Bethany’s mother, was a slightly older version of her daughter, with blond hair and blue eyes.
“Darling!” Her mother held out her arms. “There you are. We went to the ranch first, but they told us you’d come to town so we decided to surprise you.”
“You couldn’t drive?” Bethany asked.
“The helicopter was faster.” Her father kissed both her cheeks.
“Where did you even get a helicopter?” Bethany asked.
“I bought it,” her father told her. “It will be wherever you are, from now until you have your baby. There are pilots on call, 24/7. If you need to get to a hospital, they’ll get you there in a few minutes.”
Bethany looked horrified. “Please tell me you’re kidding.”
“Not at all. Now come. We’ll fly back to the ranch together.”
Bethany cast a helpless glance over her shoulder. “But my car is here.”
The king waved and a man jumped out of the helicopter. “Give him the keys. He’ll meet us there.”
Bethany dug in her handbag and pulled out a set of keys, then sighed heavily and got in the helicopter. The engine started right up and then they all flew away.
Renee watched them go.
“That was quite the show,” Verity said. “What an amazing town you have here.”
“It’s not usually like this, Mom.” Renee said automatically, all the while thinking Bethany’s worst fears about her parents were being realized. A helicopter standing by until she had the baby? What else was her father going to do to “help”?
The crowd began dispersing. Ed whispered something in Verity’s ear. Verity nodded, then looked at Renee.
“Did you have plans for us this evening? Because I can keep myself busy.”
“Not really. Did you want to have dinner?”
Verity hesitated. “Rain check.”
“Sure. No problem.”
They hugged, then Verity and Ed walked away. Renee was just thinking how nicely that worked out when she suddenly got what had happened. She came to a stop on The Promenade.
“No,” she said, shaking her head. “No. It wasn’t that.” She looked at Jasper. “My mother wasn’t with Ed, was she?”
“You mean like dating or something? I don’t think so. Didn’t you tell me they met when she talked to the giraffes? He would be interested in her gift. I’m sure they’re just friends.”
He was right, she thought. That made sense.
Jasper put his arm around her. “So dinner and a sleepover?”
“I’ll be there.”
* * *
HANNA REACHED UP and touched her hair. She’d had her hair done at a local salon earlier that morning and the complicated updo suited her face.
“It feels weird to have my hair up on my head like this,” she admitted with a laugh. “But I wanted to see if I liked it.”
Renee grinned. “You look great, but you have to be comfortable with whatever style you decide on. Live with it for the day, take some pictures, then decide.”
“You’re right. Okay, so champagne.”
For once Hanna was the only one attending the planning meeting. Graham was out of town and Jasper had a conference call with his publisher’s marketing team. Not that Jasper was an actual decision maker but he did want to be as involved as possible. Or at least in the loop.
Thinking of Jasper made her happy inside. Things we
re good between them—which, while interesting, was not anything she wanted to have on her mind during an important meeting.
“Champagne,” Renee echoed, then waited.
Hanna raised her shoulders up and down several times. “I can argue both sides.”
“Then let me offer an opinion. No one is expecting a drink before the wedding. You have to pay for bar service along with the champagne and you’re starting your guests on the road to getting drunk even earlier than usual. I’m not sure it’s the best use of your money. Just as important, I don’t think it adds to the experience of the ceremony.”
“It seems so elegant,” Hanna hedged. “Plus, not everyone likes bagpipe music so we thought it might help.”
“Not everyone likes ‘Ave Maria’ yet you hear it all the time at weddings. This is your day, Hanna. My job is to help you and Graham have the most amazing wedding possible, so if you want champagne available to your guests ahead of time, then that is what you’ll get. I’m just saying to think about it before you spend the money.”
“You’re right,” Hanna told her. “What is it called? Gilding the lily? I just want everything to be perfect. I think I’m getting nervous because it’s such a big deal.” She wrinkled her nose. “Don’t take this wrong, but I wish Graham and I hadn’t started down this path. The whole big wedding, theme thing. I’m super excited about everything we have planned and we love that Jasper’s using our wedding for his book, it’s just we’re kind of quiet, stay-at-home people, so this is a lot out of our comfort zone. We want our wedding to be significant to us and not just a big party.”
“I totally get that. What you need to tell me is if you’re just talking or if you really want to cut back on some of the things you have planned. We’re about to reach the point of no return on a lot of things, so now is the time to decide.”
Hanna briefly covered her face with her hands, then sighed. “I’m sorry. I’m being neurotic.”
“You’re not. You’re spending a lot of money on a single day and while it’s traditional, it’s not exactly your style. Of course you’re second-guessing yourself.”
“Thank you for understanding. I don’t mean to be difficult.”
Renee smiled. “This is not the least bit difficult. Trust me. A three-hour conversation on the different shades of ecru and which one works the best for table linens is difficult.”
“Thank you for saying that, even if it’s not true.”
“I wish it weren’t, but I was there for every second of it.”
“Okay. Then I’ll accept my nerves as normal.” She looked at the papers spread out on the table. They were printouts of the various elements that would be at the wedding. “I love it all. I don’t want to get rid of anything.”
Renee was used to brides having varying levels of freak-outs along the journey from proposal to ceremony. Hanna’s was nowhere near noteworthy.
“Think about it. You still have a few days to change your mind on nearly everything.”
“Thanks. I appreciate how calm you are.” Hanna picked up her glass of water. “How did you and Jasper meet?”
The question was unexpected. Renee thought for a second. “We both live in town. Technically he lives on a mountain, but close enough. Happily Inc is small so eventually you run into everyone. We have mutual friends. It wasn’t an actual meeting so much as at some point I knew who he was.”
“How long have you been going out?”
Ack! Renee knew she couldn’t say they weren’t really going out in the conventional sense. They were, um, what? He would say they were in a relationship and she was still comfortable with not defining anything although she had to admit the man got to her in ways she wouldn’t have anticipated.
“I didn’t mean it to be a hard question,” Hanna teased.
“It’s been a couple of months now.”
“The beginning is always fun. I remember when Graham and I were first together. We were crazy about each other from the start.”
“How did you meet?”
Hanna laughed. “We were waiting in line for a movie. Black Panther actually. We each went with a group of friends who left us to hold their places in line while they got Starbucks. They were gone forever and we started talking.” She sighed happily. “It was just one of those things. We sat together at the movie, we went out to dinner after and by the end of the weekend, we were in love.”
She looked at Renee. “I’d never felt like that before. Not really. I was so sure he was the one and he felt the same about me. We really fit, if that makes sense. When my family makes me crazy, which is a lot of the time, he talks me down. When his twin sister expects too much from him, I’m a buffer. It works.”
“That sounds lovely. You’re going to have a wonderful wedding and a long, happy marriage.”
Hanna’s expression turned troubled. “I hope so. I worry about that. Graham comes from a long line of people who stayed together forever, but not me. My parents have each been married and divorced four times. I can’t tell you how many stepbrothers and sisters I have. My older sister has already been divorced once. She’s engaged again and we can all see it’s not going to last. I don’t want to be like them.”
Renee knew better than to offer a pat “you’re not.” That wouldn’t help at all. “Do you know why any of the marriages failed?”
“Let’s see. My sister married someone she barely knew, so they didn’t have much of a chance. This guy is throwing up red flags, which she ignores. He’s been unfaithful a bunch of times, he lies and he’s kind of a jerk, but because he’s really good-looking and has a great job, she’s all about excuses. My mom keeps choosing the same type of guy over and over. It didn’t work the first four times, but she can’t seem to learn to avoid that type. My dad is more of a mixed bag. He married his second wife because she got pregnant. I’m not sure about the other two.”
She paused. “Sorry. That was probably more information than you wanted.”
“I can handle it,” Renee said lightly. “But you’ve made my point. Hanna, you know exactly why nearly all those marriages didn’t work out. You can see the flaws and you’re not making the same mistakes. You know Graham and he knows you. You’re clear on what each of you wants from your relationship. Isn’t he a good guy?”
“He’s the best.”
“If you’re just worried about repeating your family’s pattern, that’s one thing, but if you’re genuinely concerned about your relationship with Graham, then you should see a therapist and get some counseling.”
“That’s good advice. Thank you. You’re always so calming to be around.” Hanna drew in a breath. “Okay, I’m ready to make some decisions. No champagne at the ceremony. Everyone can wait until we’re married.”
“Good choice.”
“I’m pretty sure I like my hair up and I will work really hard to keep my family from making me doubt what a fantastic man I have in my life.”
“Sounds like you have a plan.”
“I do and it’s wonderful.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
THE PLANNING MEETING for the “wedding of many dogs,” as Jasper thought of it, took place in the same conference room as every other planning meeting he’d attended. What was different was the lack of bride and groom or any of their family members. Instead Renee was there, looking sexy and business-appropriate in a simple black dress, with Pallas, Wynn and Natalie also in attendance. Verity rushed in five minutes late, looking flushed and rattled.
“Sorry,” she said, taking a seat across from her daughter. “I had a last-minute call from Odele, finalizing everything.” She turned to Pallas. “Odele said she sent you the specs and a budget. Did you get them?”
“I have them right here.” Pallas tapped a folder in front of her. “I have to say, for the record, I love TV weddings.”
“Me, too.” Renee grinned. “Their budget is very generous.”
Which would mean lots of profits for the business, Jasper thought. Something Renee would appreciate now that she was going to be an owner.
“Good news for all of us,” Wynn said. “Order lots of signage. I could use the business.”
“We will.” Pallas waved at Renee. “Take it away.”
Renee flipped open a folder. “All right. First, the giant wedding is turning into a medium-sized wedding. Instead of sixteen pairs of dogs, we’re having eight pairs. A more manageable number. Odele’s team has arranged for the care and feeding of the dogs. Each dog will have a handler, so we’re only responsible for the ceremony and reception and the humans who will be there.”
“Who are the humans attending?” he asked.
“The dog handlers, Odele and her team, the filming crew and I guess us.” Renee flipped through her notes. “Oh, we have ten extras to be seated during the ceremony.” She scribbled on a pad of paper. “I’m getting about fifty people. Does everyone agree?”
“That’s my number, too, but let’s plan on sixty to be safe,” Pallas told her.
Renee entered the information on her tablet. “All right. So the dogs will come, have a little playtime to burn off energy, then get married. It’s a group ceremony, so that should be quick. Again, assuming here, they’ll need to do it a couple of times to get good footage. So say an hour?”
Pallas handed over a minute-by-minute accounting of the day. “That’s what they say. An hour. Then a reception for another hour.” She looked at Verity. “You’re doing a one-on-one with each of the dogs. That’s going to take a while.”
Renee’s mother shrugged. “It should be all right. They know there’s no second take on that part of it. Odele’s going to set up an area inside for me. A quiet room where the dogs can be comfortable.”
“The groom’s room,” Renee and Pallas said at the same time.
“Not the bride’s room?” Wynn asked. “It’s so much bigger.”
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