by Leigh Duncan
“It would have been. She and her fiancé called the whole thing off.” Mildred sighed heavily. Though the breakup had nothing to do with Heart’s Landing, the town prided itself on delivering a perfect wedding to every bride. On those rare occasions when they weren’t able to meet that goal, it hurt. Even a year later. “Let’s just say, I don’t think she’ll be looking at us through rose-colored glasses.”
Jason stifled a groan. “I hope we’re up to this.”
Thank goodness repairs to the Blue Room had finally been completed. He’d hired Ryan Court, the best restoration contractor in the business, and had personally overseen every detail. Not that he’d needed to. Ryan had done an excellent job of painstakingly restoring the wainscoting to its original beauty. Refurbished with new drapes and paint, the second-largest ballroom had once again become a popular spot with the brides who chose the Cottage for their ceremonies and receptions.
“You’ll do fine.” Mildred patted his hand. “I’m sure you dealt with your fair share of CEOs and celebrities in Boston.”
She had a point. He’d started out as the booking agent for a small comedy club and moved up to manager of one of the area’s largest convention centers. Over a span of ten years, he’d worked with the most popular bands and artists on the music scene. But all of that paled in comparison to the importance of the next ten days. Placing second or third in the Weddings Today competition was not an option. Maintaining their spot as the first choice for brides from one end of the country to the other was critical to the success of every business in town.
At the front of the room, Mayor Greg Thomas rapped firmly on the hostess stand. The low buzz of conversation died down.
“If I can have everyone’s attention.” Greg hitched a pair of khakis higher on his round belly. “We’ll run through the agenda, item by item, and get this over with. I know you all want to get home to your families, and I don’t want to keep you a minute longer than necessary. Let’s dive right in, shall we?” He glanced at the notes he’d spread across the makeshift podium. “Regina Charm is due to arrive at three PM on Friday afternoon. She’ll go straight to the Captain’s Cottage. Jason, why don’t you take it from there?”
“Yes, sir.” Jason unfolded his legs and stood. Around him, the familiar faces of people he’d known his entire life nodded their encouragement. Everyone in the room shared one thing in common. Their livelihoods depended on a perfect score from Weddings Today. Determined to do his part, he cleared his throat.
“Much like it was done in the Captain’s day, the entire household will turn out to greet Ms. Charm. I’ll assume Thaddeus’s role, as usual, but I’ve asked my girlfriend Clarissa to fill in for Evelyn.” Well, not exactly. He and his cousin Evelyn had appeared at quite a few weddings and receptions dressed as the Captain and his wife, Mary. But when Clarissa had heard that the Executive Editor for Weddings Today would be in town, she’d begged to play a leading role. Which reminded him, he needed to confirm Clarissa’s travel plans. He jotted a mental note and continued. “We’ve set aside the Azalea Suite for Ms. Charm’s use while she’s in town. It’s the largest of our bridal apartments and has been recently updated. Once she’s settled in, we’ll turn her over to you, Mr. Mayor, and get ready for the meet-and-greet at six that evening. It’ll be in the Green Room. You’re all invited, of course.”
He took his seat as the mayor nodded. “That’s good. My only concern is in the timing. Since Ms. Charm opted to drive up from New York, rather than take the train, I’d be watching for her to arrive any time after noon. She’s known to throw things off schedule a bit. Shows up early for interviews. That sort of thing. She likes to test people’s reactions.”
When a murmur of agreement passed through the room, Jason nodded. So, Regina Charm liked to spring surprises on her hosts, huh? Well, she wouldn’t catch him napping. He’d post one of the house staff on the widow’s walk bright and early Friday morning. They’d sound the alarm the moment a car turned onto the long, curving driveway that led to the Captain’s Cottage.
Greg cleared his throat. “Everyone should have Ms. Charm’s agenda.” From a list that included practically every business in town, the editor had selected the places she’d like to see, as well as events she wanted to attend. It was more than enough to fill a crowded schedule. “Like I told Jason, Regina is prone to surprises. If your shop isn’t on her list, she still might pop in for a quick visit. Stay on your toes.”
One by one, the mayor called for brief reports on the plans to entertain the editor. From Something Old, Something New on Bridal Carriage Way to the bed and breakfast on Union Street, owners had arranged for tours of their businesses. Restaurants in the area had signed up to host Ms. Charm and her party at so many breakfasts, lunches, and dinners that the woman was in danger of needing an entire new wardrobe before she headed back to the city. Invitations to several weddings had been issued by brides who were eager for the opportunity to have their special day mentioned in Weddings Today. Plus, plenty of leisure activities had been planned in case the editor wanted to take advantage of the warmth of early summer. Last, but certainly not least, Regina would be the guest of honor at a special presentation of the Heart’s Landing pageant. Usually performed in the fall, the play portrayed the time Captain Thaddeus had braved a hurricane in order to make port in time for his wife’s birthday.
“I guess that sums it up.” Mayor Thomas rubbed his hands together. “I’ll be on call to serve as Ms. Charm’s escort and answer any questions she might have throughout her visit here. One final word. I don’t have to tell you how important this competition is for our town. With ceremonies taking place 365 days a year here in Heart’s Landing, we pride ourselves on delivering the perfect wedding to every bride. But hard times lay ahead if we lose the designation of America’s Top Wedding Destination. If anything goes awry, and I mean even the smallest hiccup, I’ll expect to hear from you right away.”
Greg scanned the room, his blue eyes meeting and registering agreement everywhere. Satisfied that his team knew what to do, he grinned. “All right now, we’ve got this. Let me hear that good old Heart’s Landing spirit. What do you say?”
Jason, along with everyone else in the room, lifted an imaginary glass of champagne. He chimed in with the rest in the familiar toast. “The best is yet to be!”
“Yes, it will.” Greg ran a hand over his bald pate. “Okay, folks. Time to head home now and get some rest.”
Jason couldn’t agree more. If Regina Charm was half as difficult to deal with as Mildred and Cheri said she was, everyone in town would need to keep their wits about them during her visit.
Read the rest! A Cottage Wedding is coming soon!
Thanks so much for reading A Simple Wedding. We hope you enjoyed it!
You might like these other books from Hallmark Publishing:
The Secret Ingredient
A Country Wedding
October Kiss
Sunrise Cabin
Dater’s Handbook
Moonlight In Vermont
Like Cats and Dogs
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About the Author
Leigh Duncan, an Amazon bestselling author and a National Readers’ Choice Award winner, has written over two dozen novels, novellas and short stories, including A Simple Wedding, A Country Wedding, and Journey Back to Christmas for Hallmark Publishing, the Glades County Cowboys series for Harlequin, and her own Orange Blossom series. Leigh lives on Central Florida’s East Coast where she writes complex, heartwarming, and emotional stories with a dash of Southern sass.
Leigh loves to stay in touch with readers through social media. Find her
at www.facebook.com/LeighDuncanBooks, or visit her website at www.leighduncan.com.
