Under the Christmas Star (Crossroads Collection)

by Amanda Tru

“Ladies!” From several yards away, Wendy called out as she scurried toward them.

  Victoria shot Joy a look that said to be continued, then dropped her arms along with her glare and started toward Wendy.

  “Two days until liftoff!” Wendy clapped her hands together. “How’s the bride-to-be?”

  “I’m great.” Victoria’s voice sounded slightly pinched.

  Taking in a jittery breath, Joy followed Victoria. At least Wendy’s interruption meant that Victoria would get a little cooling-down time before they continued their discussion. It was probably too much for Joy to expect her to come around to actually liking Mike, but once she calmed down, she might at least be able to see this from Joy’s perspective.

  And when the time was right, she’d share the truth about Kyle.

  The three of them walked toward the club, Wendy and Victoria chatting about last-minute wedding details and Joy trailing gloomily behind. She glanced up at the dark sky and wondered if God could hear her thoughts. If I’m doing the right thing, God, why do I feel so rotten?

  As they stepped into the foyer, the sound of music and laughter coming from the main room slightly lifted Joy’s feeling of despair.

  “Here it is.” Victoria reached into her purse and took out the check. “There’s no turning back now.”

  The woman who had spoken to them last week when they’d stopped by came through a door on the far end of the foyer, striding purposefully toward the doors to the main room.

  Taking the check, Wendy nodded toward her. “I think she’s the one we should give this to.” Waving the check in her hand, Wendy approached the woman. “Excuse me!”

  Stopping abruptly in the manner of someone who was used to this kind of interruption to her workday, she gave Wendy a pleasant but curious look. “Did you need help with something?”

  “We have the final payment for the Holman-Tremont wedding.” Wendy presented the check to her like it was an award, then started digging around in her bag. “And I have a list of all the deliveries we’ll be receiving on Saturday.”

  “I’m sorry.” While remaining pleasant, the woman’s face took on a glaze of confusion. “But…which Saturday?”

  “This Saturday.” Wendy paused then added, “December fifteenth.”

  “I’m so sorry.” The woman’s eyes widened. “We have two weddings scheduled for this Saturday, but neither are for those names. Are you sure you didn’t book the club for a different day?”

  A feeling of dread filled Joy’s chest, and she stepped closer to Victoria like she might have to catch her if she passed out or clamp a hand over her mouth if she screamed.

  “No. I booked the place for this Saturday.” Wendy’s words were confident, but her voice trembled with uncertainty. “Months ago. I spoke with a woman named Greta, and then I left a message to confirm the date.”

  “Greta’s my assistant.” The woman smiled briefly at that, as if relieved that something here made sense. “And this was…how long ago?”

  “I don’t know.” Wendy flashed Victoria a panicky look. “Two months?”

  “This venue is booked two years out. Greta would have known that. You said you left a message. Did she return your call?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe she didn’t.” The color had drained from Wendy’s face. “Oh…what have I done?”

  “I’m so sorry.” The woman cast a couple of uneasy glances around, probably hoping that someone who knew what was going on would swoop in and come to her rescue. “I can go double check the schedule to see if you were put down for a different day. But I confirm all the bookings myself, and those names aren’t familiar to me.” Looking relieved to have an excuse for escaping, she hurried back through the door that probably led to her office.

  Wendy turned to Victoria, whose expression had remained remarkably placid through all of this. “I don’t know what could have gone wrong. I remember I left a phone message for Greta telling her the date we needed and that I would get the deposit check in the mail right away.”

  “And did you?” Joy glanced at Victoria, concerned that she might have slipped into some sort of shock-induced coma. “Mail the check, I mean?”

  “I’m sure I remember crossing that off my list.” Wendy hoisted her bag onto a nearby table and began rooting through it. “If I can find my list…”

  Joy clenched her teeth, trying not to lose patience. She turned to her sister, searching for the right thing to say under the circumstances. To her surprise, Victoria just stood there calmly watching Wendy like her dream wedding wasn’t evaporating right in front of her eyes.

  Just as Joy was about to take matters into her own hands, Wendy stopped burrowing and stood completely still for a moment, then drew something out of her bag.

  Joy gasped, staring at the crumpled envelope Wendy had produced. “You didn’t mail the deposit, did you? And Greta never called you back to confirm the date.”

  “I can’t believe I did this.” Wendy’s eyes filled instantly as she sank back onto a padded bench next to the front doors. “Why did I ever think I could be a wedding planner?”

  Joy wanted to scream. That was the question she’d been asking for months. Now Wendy had gone too far. She had finally messed up in a way that Joy couldn’t fix.

  As Victoria took a step toward Wendy, all Joy could do was brace herself for her sister to unleash some of that anger she’d aimed at her not fifteen minutes earlier.

  But Victoria sat down next to Wendy and put her arm around her. “It’s okay, Wendy.”

  Joy’s jaw dropped. Obviously, Victoria really was in a state of shock.

  “No, it’s not.” Wendy ran a finger under her eyes in what looked like a fruitless attempt to dry them. “I’m supposed to be in charge of the most important day of your life, and I ruined it. I ruined my own life. Now I’ve moved on to ruining other people’s lives too. I might as well take everybody down with me.”

  “Now, you know that’s not true.”

  While Victoria took a tissue from her purse and handed it to Wendy, Joy stood there gaping. Invitations had gone out weeks ago telling everyone to come to this location the day after tomorrow. Now, they had no place to hold the wedding. And Victoria was actually consoling the woman who was responsible.

  The three of them looked up as the office door opened and the woman started toward them. By the look on her face and the tentativeness in her gait, Joy could only guess that her news wasn’t good.

  “I’m so sorry,” she began as Wendy and Victoria stood, “but there’s no Holman or Tremont anywhere on our calendar. I spoke with Greta and she said that she had called you”—she directed this to Wendy—“and left a message explaining that we are booked two years out, and that she never heard back from you. I’m sorry, but I checked her notes and they confirmed it.”

  Trying to remain as calm as Victoria seemed to be, Joy kicked her brain into problem-solving mode. “Do you have a list of other venues you recommend that are similar to this?”

  “I do…but unless there’s been a cancellation, it’s very hard to find a place on such short notice.” She looked at Wendy. “If you’d like to come with me, I can print out the list for you.”

  Wendy nodded, then smiled at Victoria and accompanied the woman back into her office.

  Joy was about to commend Victoria on the way she was handling this, but the second the door shut, Victoria whipped around to face her.

  “What are we going to do?” The fire in her eyes could have ignited a unity candle. “She ruined my wedding!”

  “Come on, sweetie.” Seeing a few people inside the party turning at the sound of Victoria’s outcry, Joy put her arm around her and led her back to the bench. “Just take a deep breath.”

  “Everybody is coming here on Saturday afternoon. What are we going to do? Get married in the parking lot?”

  Joy sat her down, then perched next to her, rubbing her back the way she’d always done when she needed soothing. She couldn’t help but smile just a little in relief. Victoria was up
set. She just hadn’t wanted Wendy to know.

  “It’s going to be okay, Vic.”

  “How is this going to be okay?” Victoria pulled away, not yet ready to be soothed. “You heard what she said. Nothing is available on short notice.”

  “There has to be something. We could go to a park, or maybe someone’s backyard—”

  “In December? And it’s supposed to be pouring rain. This is my wedding, not a soccer game. We have two hundred people invited. We can’t just use someone’s living room.”

  “No. I guess we can’t. But there has to be someplace that’s indoors and big enough to…”

  Then it came to her. Her stomach felt like it might turn inside out at the thought, but she knew exactly what she had to do.

  “Don’t worry, Vic.” She looked at her baby sister, who meant the world to her. She’d pretty much do anything for her, even if it meant having to humble herself. “I know the perfect place.”

  Kyle looked up from the blueprints he’d been poring over and rubbed his eyes. Since he and Wes had spent a good part of the afternoon with the plumber discussing the stopgap solution that would hold the kitchen pipes together until they could afford to replace them, they were once again working later than they’d wanted to.

  “Man, I need to get home.” Kyle glanced out the front windows of the warehouse, not surprised that the sky, which had been bright pink the last time he’d checked, was now pitch black. “Henry’s going to wonder where I am.”

  Wes focused on his laptop, which sat on a stack of crates he’d been using as a makeshift desk. “Doesn’t Nicole go over and get him when she gets home from work?”

  “Yeah, thank goodness. I don’t know what I’d do without her these days.” He rolled up the paper at the top of the stack. “This dual ownership thing has worked pretty well.”

  “Henry’s a lucky pup.”

  A creaking sound drew their attention to the front of the building and they both looked over to see a woman enter and shake the rain off her jacket. As she lowered her hood, Kyle’s heart did a somersault.

  “Joy!” He started toward her, gesturing for Wes to join him.

  “I would have called.” She took a few hesitant steps in their direction. “But I thought I’d take my chances on you being here.”

  “I’m…uh…” His steps slowed. “…happy to see you.” Something seemed strange about the way she was looking at him. Or, to be more exact, the way she seemed to be avoiding looking at him. He half turned back to gesture toward Wes, who was a couple of steps behind him. “This is my business partner, Wes. Wes, this is—”

  “The famous Joy.” Wes offered his hand, probably a little too exuberantly.

  “It’s nice to meet you.” She shook his hand, then stood there biting her lip and looking like she really didn’t want to be there.

  What was going on?

  After an awkward pause, Wes clapped his hands together. “Well, I should be heading home.”

  “Actually…” Joy looked like she might reach out to stop him, then twisted her fingers together instead. “I have something to ask that involves both of you. It’s about this building.”

  Kyle exchanged a look of confusion with Wes, then they both gave her their full attention.

  “I know this might be a lot to ask, especially considering that…” Her eyes met Kyle’s, but only briefly.

  Considering what? Was something wrong?

  “We’re in a real bind.” She seemed to study the floor as she continued. “There was a mix-up with the location for my sister’s wedding.”

  “Oh no.” Kyle tried to catch her eye again. “What happened?”

  She finally looked up, but still didn’t quite meet his gaze. “The wedding planner thought she had booked the yacht club, but we just found out that she didn’t confirm.”

  “So you don’t have a place for the wedding?”

  “Or the reception.” Her words came out in short bursts, like full-blown panic wasn’t far behind. “And it’s the day after tomorrow.”

  He nodded. “Right.” That would explain why she was acting so strange. She was upset about the wedding. A guilty sense of relief rushed through him that this wasn’t anything more personal.

  “So we need a place on short notice that’s big enough for two hundred guests—”

  “Yes.” Kyle didn’t even have to think about it. “Of course. You can use this place.”

  Her brow furrowed, like she might be about to try to talk him out of it. “I don’t want you to feel obligated.”

  “We’re happy to help.” Kyle glanced at Wes, who looked like the wheels in his brain were running at double speed, contemplating all the possible “what ifs” that could accompany a commitment like this. “Right, Wes?”

  “Huh?” Wes gave him the glassy-eyed look that generally preceded any major decision with him. “Oh…uh…sure. Happy to help.”

  “Oh, thank you.” Joy’s look of near-panic blossomed into one of enormous relief. “You two are lifesavers. You have no idea.”

  “I’m glad we can help.”

  “We’d pay you, of course. The same rate that the yacht club was going to charge us.”

  “We can’t take your money.” He felt Wes shoot him a glare. “If you can get a few people out here tomorrow to help clean and pull weeds out front, that’s payment enough.”

  “Absolutely. I have the day off tomorrow, and we’ve got some people in from out of town who can help. We’ll clean and do whatever is needed. Then we’ll start decorating. You’re sure it’s not an inconvenience?”

  “You’ll be helping us to get the place looking presentable.” Kyle turned to Wes. “Why don’t you give that janitorial company a call and see if they can send a crew out tomorrow instead of next week. That way, they can get the windows and the bigger things.”

  “Yeah.” Wes nodded, his forehead still creased like he wasn’t yet sold on the idea. “Yeah, sure.”

  As Wes returned to his “desk” to make the call, Joy surveyed the room. “This will be perfect for the reception.” She took out her phone and snapped some pictures. “You said you have a full kitchen? That the caterer can use?”

  “Sure thing.”

  “Great.” She smiled at him. “Can I see upstairs? Maybe we can do the ceremony up there.”

  “No problem. Come on.” He started for the staircase that ran along one wall.

  “I was afraid you might not say yes…” As they crossed the room, her voice grew quieter like she didn’t want Wes to hear. “You know…given the circumstances. I’ve been expecting you to call me.”

  Call her? Should he have? Did he even have her number?

  “Is everything okay?” They reached the base of the stairs and he stepped to one side so she could go before him.

  “Everything’s fine. Great, in fact.” She took the first step then paused and turned to face him. “Mike wants to get back together.”

  Kyle heard himself make a wheezing sound, as if he’d been punched in the gut.

  “So, it all works out that you…” Her face kind of puckered and she swallowed hard before continuing. “That we…. I’m sure you can see why I won’t need you to be my date at the wedding, anyway.” She whipped around and trotted up the stairs like she couldn’t get away from him fast enough.

  Kyle stood there, unable to move. Obviously, he had misinterpreted the situation. And now, he was committed to spending the day tomorrow helping his former date transform his building into the venue for the wedding that they would no longer be attending together.

  And somehow, he would have to avoid letting on that he felt both heartbroken and a little taken advantage of.

  As the hair stylist worked on Victoria, Joy sat in the chair next to her having her makeup done. It was Victoria’s wedding day, and Joy was doing her best to pretend to be happy for her sister’s sake.

  Not that she wasn’t happy for Victoria, of course. She had found a great guy, and it thrilled Joy to welcome Brian into their family. Sti
ll, it was a bittersweet occasion for her personally because she couldn’t help but remember her own wedding day. She’d been so certain that she and Mike would be happy together till death do us part. Learning that life wasn’t always so straightforward had been a jagged pill to swallow.

  “Have you prayed about it?”

  “What?” Joy opened her eyes so abruptly that the makeup artist nearly jabbed her in the eye with her mascara wand.

  “You were thinking about Mike, right?” Victoria asked Joy’s reflection in the mirror in front of them. “Have you prayed about it?”

  “How did you know what I was thinking?”

  “It’s a sister thing.”

  “Well, then yes. I’ve been writing in my prayer journal and asking for some clarity. So far, I’m not really getting any.”

  “Sometimes the answers to prayer don’t come right away. And usually not in the ways you might expect.”

  “Why is this so complicated?”

  Victoria smiled. “I’m new to this too. But I think that the more you learn to trust God and to see His hand in your life, the simpler it starts to feel. You’ll get your answer. Just trust Him and trust His timing.”

  Joy closed her mouth as the makeup artist aimed a tube of rose blossom lipstick her way. Why did every relationship in her life, even the one with God, have to come down to trust?

  Looking in the mirror, she saw Wendy enter the room. She looked lovely in a pretty blush dress, with her ever-present bag flung over her shoulder. Even though she smiled as she approached them, her body quivered with her usual frenzy.

  “I’m happy to report that people seem to be responding well to the change of venue.” Her eyes flashed, crinkling a little around the edges. “I’m calling it a ‘pop-up wedding.’ That’s a thing, right?”

  “Well,” Victoria smiled, “it is now.”

  Wendy removed what was no-doubt her final checklist from her bag, then deftly plucked a pencil from the bun at the top of her head. “I asked for a volunteer to go to the yacht club and redirect any of the guests who might not have gotten the message about the location change. Brian sent Lance.” She looked up at Victoria. “That’s okay, isn’t it?”