Healed with a Kiss

by Gina Wilkins

  She made herself turn away to focus on the meeting with her clients, considering their last-minute requests, assuring them that all the vendors had been contacted and were ready to go and that all their wishes for the wedding would be fulfilled to the best of her ability, a sentiment echoed by Kinley on behalf of the inn. She gave her entire attention to her work during that discussion, pushing thoughts of Logan to the back of her mind. There would be plenty of time to think about him later when she was at home alone with her cat.

  She was tired and hungry by the time she set a plate of stir-fried vegetables and rice on her table that evening. Sinking into her chair, she sprinkled soy sauce over her dinner, picked up the chopsticks she was using just for fun, then glanced at the cat, who sat on the floor beside her, cleaning her face after finishing her own dinner.

  “By the way, I think Ninja sent his regards,” she said, breaking the silence in the room.

  Fiona glanced up at her a moment, her pointed ears cocked, then went back to her grooming.

  Alexis took a bite of her food, her thoughts wandering as she chewed. She thought about her schedule for the next day, about the Saturday afternoon wedding, about the list of things she had to see to beforehand. She thought of a message she’d received from Paloma earlier, about a new boy toy in Paloma’s life, and she promised herself she’d call after dinner to catch up with her friend.

  Funny, the longer she spent here in Virginia in her new career, it became harder to remember the life she’d pursued before. Living in her tiny studio, shuffling through city crowds, attending endless classes, auditions and parties, working part-time florist jobs to pay the bills. There’d been a man—one who’d dazzled her and entertained her and promised to love her forever. Despite her disillusioning experiences with such promises in her own family, she’d almost let herself believe him. She’d hoped he cared enough about her to support her in whatever goals she pursued, but when she’d told him she was giving up performing to open her own business, he’d dumped her like a hot potato. It turned out that Harry had been more enamored of her profession, and of the exciting acquaintances and activities that had accompanied it, than he’d been with the real Alexis.

  Maybe she’d have stayed in New York had things worked out with Harry, though it would have been more of a challenge to start a successful enterprise there with so much formidable competition. Instead, she’d bought the established company here, telling herself it would be easier to begin an all-new life by putting her old one completely behind her. And she’d been right. The business was going well, she was making new friends, though she’d put in so many hours at work that her social life had most definitely suffered, and she was confident that she’d made the best decision.

  After the initial pain and disappointment had faded, she’d realized she hadn’t been irreparably heartbroken by the end of her relationship with Harry, but it had only reinforced her skepticism about the validity of most cases of so-called romantic love. Give her honesty and clear-eyed realism any day over the deceptive throes of rose-tinted infatuation!

  And speaking of bluntly honest realists...

  She glanced at the phone that lay beside her dinner plate, wondering if Logan might call tonight. Probably not, since she’d seen him earlier that day. She wasn’t sitting by the phone waiting to hear from him. She had quite a lot of paperwork to handle that evening, and she’d scheduled the next three hours or so to take care of that—after a lengthy chat with Paloma, of course.

  Perhaps it was just as well that Logan hadn’t jumped to accept her offer to join her in Seattle. Though as far as she knew they had no mutual acquaintances who would attend the seminar, and it was unlikely anyone would see them together and report back to their families, still it would probably change the dynamics of their easy, nebulous relationship to spend several days—and entire nights—together that way. They’d never even woken up together, she thought, toying with the remainder of her food.

  Maybe all in all, it was better not to take the chance that she would like that just a bit too much. Remembering the debacle with Harry had reminded her of all the reasons she was being so careful not to fall for Logan, a man whose own emotional barriers were glaringly evident. She wanted to believe she was too wise these days to simply open herself up to potential heartbreak.

  She had just turned off her computer and dressed for bed when her phone rang. Though she’d convinced herself he wouldn’t call, she knew it was Logan even before she glanced at the screen. “Hello?”

  “Hey. I hope Ninja didn’t mess up your bag earlier. Because if he did, I’ll—”

  “No, it’s fine. Just had to wipe off a little doggy drool. He was very careful with it. He was just playing with me.”

  “Yeah, I was hoping Kinley wouldn’t pick up on how comfortable he is with you.”

  She forced a smile, though he couldn’t see it. “Right, we wouldn’t want that. But it was okay. She accepted that he was just fooling around.”

  “So, how did the rest of your day go?”

  Her smile felt a bit more natural when she leaned against the headboard and pulled her knees up in front of her. “I do have a funny story for you. Someone told me about a wedding last weekend that had a dog for a ring bearer. So, anyway, right in the middle of the ceremony, the dog freaked out...”

  They chatted pleasantly for some fifteen minutes before saying good-night. It was nice having the echo of Logan’s deep voice in her mind as she snuggled into her pillow a few minutes later with her cat curled beside her. But even as she nestled into the pillows and pulled her blanket to her chin, she was aware that once again he’d carefully avoided any mention of her upcoming trip to Seattle.

  Chapter Four

  Alexis sat in her office Friday after lunch, a half-read contract displayed on her computer monitor, and several letters to be signed piled on her desk beside a stack of memos to be read and acted upon. It wasn’t a large office, but she’d made the most of the space with open-backed, floor-to-ceiling white bookcases over peach walls, a glossy white desk and credenza set, and white leather seating. On the wall behind her desk were large framed photos of some of the weddings and other events she’d coordinated during the past year and a half.

  There wasn’t much of a view from the big window opposite her desk, merely a parking lot ringed by bare trees and flower beds that needed a bit of spring care, but the sun streamed in through the open blinds, adding even more light and airiness to the room. She’d never cared to work in dark offices, preferring the same bright whites and clear colors she’d used at home.

  Someone tapped on her open office door and she glanced up from the monitor, absently pushing her glasses up on her nose. She smiled when she recognized her visitor. “Kinley. Hello, come in.”

  “Gretchen told me to come on back, but if this is a bad time...”

  “Not at all.” Alexis rose and motioned toward the comfortable seating at the other end of the office, a white leather couch and two matching wingback chairs grouped around a glass table that held a bouquet of fresh spring flowers and a couple of albums of wedding and event photos. “Please, have a seat. Would you like some coffee? Or tea? It would only take a couple of minutes to make either.”

  “Tea sounds nice, if you have time to have a cup with me. I just dropped off some new brochures for the inn with Gretchen and I wanted to say hello to you while I’m here.”

  Alexis moved toward the pod brewer on her credenza. “I’m glad you did. I always appreciate a pleasant distraction from dull paperwork.”

  “I know that feeling,” Kinley said with a laugh, sinking onto the couch. “It seems like I can never catch up with the paperwork from either of my jobs, especially when I have a big real estate deal under way.”

  Alexis set a cup and saucer in front of her visitor and settled into one of the chairs with her own cup. “Josie called this morning. She’s so
excited that her wedding is finally going to happen tomorrow. She and Ted have waited a long time to see this day.”

  Kinley smiled. “She’s great to work with, isn’t she? So easygoing. I have a feeling her wedding is going to be so much fun for her guests.”

  “That’s what she wants. A party on the grounds. Nothing formal or stuffy or overly traditional, which was why she didn’t want an official rehearsal today. Nor did she want to put a whole lot of effort into it,” she added with a wry smile. “That’s why she hired me. She pretty much told me what sort of wedding she wanted, what colors she likes, and then just set me loose. Some of the details tomorrow are going to be surprises even to her.”

  “There’s a world of difference between micromanaging brides and the ones who expect you to do everything for them, isn’t there?”

  Alexis laughed. “Definitely. But at least I know Josie isn’t the type who’d put it all on me to decide, then criticize my choices.”

  Kinley nodded in empathy. “Been there.”

  “How’s everything at the inn?”

  Wrinkling her nose, Kinley picked up her teacup. “I think I’m going to make a new policy. Starting immediately, my brother will no longer be included in any meetings with clients or potential clients. Bonnie and I will make all future arrangements, then simply tell him afterward what we want him to do. We should have done that from the beginning. It’s what he’s always wanted, just to do his job, close himself back in his house and let us deal with guests and clients.”

  “What has he done now?”

  Biting her lip, Kinley looked as though she wasn’t sure how much she should share with Alexis, who certainly fell more under the classification of “client” than “friend.” But perhaps that delineation was fading a bit as they spent more time together, Alexis conceded, thinking of how much she liked both Carmichael sisters, how well they’d all gotten along from the start of their collaboration.

  Kinley seemed to reach the same conclusion. With a crooked smile, she said, “I suppose you’ve worked with us enough to realize that customer relations isn’t my brother’s strong suit. Honestly, he’s a great guy. The best brother anyone could ask for. He just— Well, he doesn’t have much of a filter between his thoughts and his words when it comes to ideas he thinks are unrealistic.”

  Alexis laughed softly. “You don’t have to defend him to me. I’ve never really minded his grumbling.”

  She thought it was safe to admit that much, at least, considering that she had worked so closely with all three of the siblings during the half dozen events she’d coordinated thus far at the inn. “He’s done an excellent job for me each time, despite his, um, hesitation on certain issues. I can’t really blame him for wanting to protect the grounds. He and his crew work so hard to keep them immaculate, and I’m sure he’s always trying to protect them for future use. Some of your events are so close together that I’m amazed he can take down from one and set up for the next so quickly.”

  “Exactly.” Kinley looked both pleased and relieved that Alexis understood. “You’ve always had a knack for handling him. Unfortunately, others don’t understand him quite as well.”

  Alexis grimaced. “Something happened?”

  “He had words with another wedding planner this morning, one who’s coordinated several weddings at the inn. Or should I say, he didn’t bother to mince words with her, and she didn’t take it well. I think I managed to calm her down, and she said she wasn’t taking us off her venue list, but she was really annoyed.”

  Alexis was a little surprised. Sure, Logan growled a bit, but she had never seen him be completely unreasonable. He’d even held on to his patience—for the most part—with an overanxious mother of the bride at one of her earlier weddings at the inn who wanted to stand over his shoulder and supervise his every move, until Alexis had sent her off on several “important” errands to keep her busy elsewhere. “Were her requests completely out of line?”

  Kinley chose her words carefully, obviously aware that she was talking about another client. “She asked if it would be possible for us to cut down or at least severely prune back the big magnolia tree on the east side of the gazebo. She said a couple of her photographers have complained that it hampers full access to the ceremonies. I know it’s tricky taking photos from that angle, but it’s not impossible, and most of them come up with beautiful shots from all around the gazebo.”

  “Cut down that beautiful magnolia? That would be a crime!”

  “That’s pretty much what Logan said. Only maybe not quite so elegantly,” Kinley agreed wryly.

  “I won’t ask the name of the other planner, because I don’t believe in gossiping about my competitors, but I will say I think that request was out of line.”

  “To give her credit, she wasn’t pushy or insistent with the request, though she got defensive when Logan snapped at her. She said it was merely a suggestion. I would have turned her down more tactfully. Logan just didn’t react well.”

  “I wouldn’t think so.” Alexis couldn’t help biting her lip against a rueful smile when she pictured Logan’s reaction to someone suggesting he cut down one of his carefully tended trees.

  “Hence, my new policy. No more client meetings for Logan. I’m the liaison.”

  “That’s probably a good plan. Though I don’t mind if he wants to join in on our meetings in the future. I’m used to him by now,” she added casually.

  Kinley laughed. “You’ve always been able to handle him better than most outside the family.”

  “As I mentioned, I have a brother myself,” Alexis replied lightly.

  Kinley changed the subject then, to Alexis’s relief. They chatted a bit about the preparations for Josie’s wedding and then Kinley glanced at her watch and grimaced. “Guess I should be going. We both have a lot to do before tomorrow’s wedding.”

  Alexis looked toward her desk and sighed. “I’m afraid so. But I’m glad you stopped by. I enjoyed the break.”

  Kinley stood and smoothed her tailored slacks with her left hand, on which gleamed a gold wedding set with a sparkling stone. “So did I. Thanks for the tea.”

  She paused in the doorway on her way out. “Alexis, just curious—are you seeing anyone?”

  After only a momentary pause, Alexis replied candidly. “I’m seeing someone occasionally. Why?”

  Kinley laughed rather sheepishly. “I had a sudden matchmaking inspiration. But never mind, it was probably a bad idea, anyway. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Clearing away the remains of their tea break, Alexis thought of that odd exchange. Since they’d talked about Logan at the start of their visit, it was likely that Kinley had momentarily considered nudging her and Logan together. Ironic, but likely. And this, she thought somewhat wistfully, was why she hadn’t made a stronger attempt to become close friends with Kinley and Bonnie. Too many potentially uncomfortable moments.

  Maybe after she and Logan stopped seeing each other, she’d make more of an effort with his sisters. Invite them to dinner or something. Because she and Logan had made a pact from the start that the end of their affair would be amicable, uncomplicated, with no regrets and no repercussions on their future work collaborations, it shouldn’t be awkward for her to hang out more with his sisters afterward.

  Still, as much as she liked Kinley and Bonnie, she found herself hoping that change in their relationship wouldn’t happen too quickly. She was enjoying those stolen hours with Logan too much to give them up just yet.

  * * *

  Any wedding without a rehearsal required a bit more effort on Alexis’s part on the day of the wedding. Fortunately, the entire party had agreed to gather ninety minutes before the two-o’clock event, giving them plenty of time to run through the sequence of events, familiarize themselves with the setting and dress for the ceremony. Josie and Ted had no compunctions about seeing each other
prior to the wedding—after all, they’d been living together for more than a year, Josie said cheerfully—so they mingled among their guests during the brief instruction session Alexis conducted. Bonnie had set out drinks and snacks on the deck, and the plates emptied rapidly.

  “Where’s that cute dog?” Josie asked at one point, looking around. “And his cute owner,” she added with a wink. “I wanted to tell Logan what a great job he’s done with the decorations.”

  Alexis couldn’t argue with that. Logan and his crew had made the grounds look beautiful for the wedding. The big baskets of bright flowers had worked exactly as she’d hoped to hurry spring to the gardens. He’d draped garlands of ivy and daffodils around the gazebo, matching the clusters attached to the end of each row of folding white chairs. Cheery yellow, orange, green and white paper lanterns hung from tree limbs and danced in the light breeze, compensating for the leaves that had not yet unfurled. The result was a cross between an outdoor wedding and a casual garden party, exactly what Josie had requested.

  She glanced toward the side lawn, where the post-ceremony celebration would be held. There, in lieu of a tent, Logan and his crew had erected tall metal poles strung across with wires. More paper lanterns hung from the wires, providing overhead color for the party. Long tables with yellow-and-white gingham linens sat ready to hold the picnic-style snacks to be served by the caterer Alexis had hired, and the rustic wooden farm wagon she’d rented had been pushed carefully into place at one end of the lawn. Decorated with baskets of bright yellow daffodils and white tulips, it would make a charming stage for the bluegrass band waiting to entertain the guests.

  “Logan keeps his dog fenced in his backyard when he doesn’t have him out on a leash. And if you don’t get a chance to see him today, I’ll be sure and pass along your compliments.”

  Josie smiled and gave Alexis an impulsive embrace. “You’ve done an amazing job, too. This is exactly the way Ted and I wanted to celebrate our wedding. Thank you so much.”