Realizing her mistake, Sadie shook her head. “I’m sorry. I…I’m sure he’s there. I just meant I need to go check on them. You know how guys can be a little mischievous.” The panic wasn’t leaving Taryn’s face, and Sadie decided she’d better keep her mouth shut and leave before she left the girl in tears.
Not that she would be planning her own wedding anytime soon, but for some reason, all the little details were sticking out to her, making her take note of it all. She’d been a part of many weddings with her business, but something was different this time. She wished she could just chalk it up to the wedding being for a family friend, but a sliver of hope burned in her chest as she wished it was the idea that she could get married someday, and maybe even to Evan.
But after his weird behavior the last two days, she’d be surprised if he’d ever propose again. Weddings were something she found fun and exciting for other people, but she could understand why he was so hesitant about most of it.
Escaping down the hall to the other end, she knocked on the door of the suite that was supposed to hold all the men connected to the wedding: Travis, his best man, Aiden, Evan, Darren, their father, and a few uncles who were part of the wedding.
The door opened, and Sadie’s heart skipped a beat for a moment, until she realized it was Aiden, the small scar near his eye giving it away.
“Sadie. It’s good to see you today. Are you here to check up on us?” Aiden gave her a half-grin and moved to the side so she could pass.
“Maybe. How is everything here? Do we have all the neckties? Cummerbunds? Rings?” She looked around at each of the men sitting around the room watching some sports reel and shook her head. The women were all stressed about getting ready and looking their best while the guys weren’t even in their suits yet.
“I think we’re good so far, Sadie.” Travis broke his gaze away from the television long enough to say that and smile at her, his attention swaying seconds after.
Evan stood from the couch and made his way over, his smile wider than it had been in days. Maybe he was finally feeling better. She could only hope.
“Hey, how are you?” he asked after Aiden had moved to sit next to their father on the bed. His tone was casual, as if they were just hanging out, but his face said something different, something she couldn’t read yet. She worked to focus on his face, as the white shirt and the black tuxedo pants made her insides buzz.
She smiled at him. “Tired, but good. Just trying to make sure everything goes off without a hitch. How are you? Did you get my text earlier?”
“Yeah, I’m sorry I didn’t respond yet. I’m good. I went for a drive last night and ended up with a speeding ticket. But at least I feel a little more myself.” Evan put a hand in his pocket and studied her face. She was tempted to reach up and kiss him, but she didn’t want to do it in front of all the guys, even though their eyes were glued to the TV.
“I can understand that. Do you want me to tie that?” She pointed to the bow tie slung around his neck and stepped closer. Her hands moved without concentration as she’d done this a few times. She could feel his eyes on her face, and her breathing picked up speed as she took in the smell of his cologne. She used both hands to smooth the bow tie and let them trail down a bit before she looked up at him.
There was something unreadable in his expression, but one corner of his mouth turned up, and Sadie couldn’t help but smile.
“Thanks for that. I’ve never been good at tying bow ties.”
She opened her mouth, debating whether she should say anything in response. “Just another reason we’d make a great team.” Her eyes widened, and she bit her upper lip, wondering where that comment had come from. Stumbling a few steps back, she spoke again, her voice much louder than it should have been, causing all the guys to turn in her direction.
“Okay, well, call me if there is an emergency here. We’ve now got…” Sadie looked at her watch, “…about forty-five minutes until the ceremony starts, so make sure this highlight reel doesn’t keep you from getting ready.”
Evan nodded, opening the door for her. “Will do.” He placed a hand on Sadie’s arm, feeling like a lit fire, and she stopped when his voice dropped to a lower octave. “You’re still planning on dancing with me tonight, right?”
Sadie looked up at him through her lashes with a shy smile. “I wouldn’t miss it.”
The look on his face made her insides feel as if they were going to explode with excitement, and she hurried out into the hall, not wanting to ruin the moment they’d just had. Why was she so worried about what he wanted? She really just needed to focus on getting through this day and hopefully getting the contract with Charleigh French.
Chapter 27
Evan stood in line at the front of the event hall, sticking a finger in between his collar and his neck. He gave it a good tug and was able to breathe for a minute or two before it seemed like the fabric would cut off his oxygen altogether.
He stood with Darren in front of him, and Aiden behind, which gave him the comfort that if he fainted, he’d be supported, and if he tried to flee, his brothers would keep him from going too far. The doors opened, and in walked several of the guests, taking their seats somewhere in the back.
Focusing on breathing in through his nose and out through his mouth, Evan focused on the banner hanging between the columns across from him. It reminded him of Sadie, of how she took such great care in every detail. He looked around for her, wondering if she would be able to sit in the hall for the wedding or if she was coordinating something in the background.
The doors opened and music played, but no one came through for several seconds, triggering the panic to take over in his chest. His sister wouldn’t do the same thing as Stacey, would she?
Darren’s little girl, Stephanie, walked through the doors, her steps quick for a four-year-old flower girl. Behind her were the two bridesmaids, friends of Taryn’s from college. Evan’s breathing evened out a bit more as the women came down the aisle, lining up on the other side. When he finally saw Aubrey walk in, Evan grinned as she made a face at him. She always knew how to help him relax.
The song changed to “Wedding March,” and the crowd of people all stood, turning to look toward the bride. Their father was escorting Taryn down the aisle, and the thing Evan noticed most was the wide grin across her face. She looked so happy, like she couldn’t believe this was happening to her.
Evan could only see Travis’s profile, but a tear ran down the guy’s cheek. Was this supposed to be what weddings were like? Because in all of his experiences with them, he still wasn’t sure what the protocol was for one.
The vows began, and he did his best to focus, hoping his nervous system wouldn’t give out on him right then. Pulling out his phone, he hid it behind Darren’s back. He opened a message to Sadie and typed, Corn dogs.
He slid the device back into his pocket and looked around the room, hoping to see her somewhere, anywhere. Her calming influence was what he needed most right then.
A minute or two later, he felt something touch his hand, and he turned, looking at the backdrop. A hand had taken his, and through the lattice, he saw Sadie, understanding written on her face. Her hair was curled, and she had a light touch of makeup on her face. Her beauty took away his fears for a few seconds, and he felt the tension in his shoulders relax.
In a faint whisper that couldn’t be heard over the pastor’s voice, she said, “I’m here. You can do this.” She held his hand for a few more minutes and then signaled that she had to take care of something in the kitchen. The loss of her hand in his felt worse than anything he’d ever gone through after Stacey left, and he knew his heart belonged to Sadie.
Once the bride and groom had said the “I do’s,” Evan breathed a sigh of relief and was even more grateful when they took off down the aisle and out of the hall. Groups of people joined together, chatting and catching up.
Evan moved about the room, trying to see if Sadie was around somewhere. He looked in several plac
es, even knocking on her suite. Had she left?
With a bitter taste on his tongue, he walked back to the elevator and punched in the button for the penthouse. He needed a moment before he could go back and face everyone at the reception.
* * *
It seemed like all Sadie had done was clean up mess after mess. She should have known that the calm always came before the storm, especially when it came to weddings. After she’d checked on the guys, she’d gone back to the bridal suite and let Aubrey curl her hair and put on a little bit of makeup.
“I have to leave in thirty minutes, even if you’ve only done one side of my hair,” she threatened her friend.
Aubrey chuckled but worked fast, curling the hair and then braiding the top half of it. When she was done, Sadie grinned, noticing the auburn tint of her hair pulled out by small green gems Aubrey had placed in the waves.
She felt beautiful and ecstatic, wondering what Evan’s reaction would be. But all that faded from her mind as she arrived in the kitchen to find that the top layer of the cake had fallen to the ground, and several of the flowers were sliding down the side of the cake.
“Tom, what happened?” She tried to keep her voice as calm as possible, knowing that making her caterer agitated before the event even started would make for a rough day all around.
“I’m so sorry, Miss Sadie. I’m doing what I can to fix it.” The man kept pulling things out of his coat and sticking them into the cake. She just hoped Taryn wouldn’t take a bite and end up chewing on a toothpick.
Pulling an apron from one of the hooks near the wall, Sadie wrapped it around herself, moving into survival mode.
“Okay, what can I do?”
Tom directed her to one of the guys in the kitchen. She blended and mixed the cream frosting for the top layer, and the guy was able to create the top layer and bake it, all within the time they had before the ceremony started, which was a miracle of itself.
She heard the ding of a text message, and once she saw Evan’s S.O.S., she ran out and did the best she could to comfort him. She’d been flattered that he would reach out to her, especially when surrounded by family. And the way he’d looked at her through the lattice took her breath away. Her feelings for him were skyrocketing, and as much as she didn’t want to, she had to motion that she had to return to the kitchen, hoping to finalize the design of the cake.
With Aubrey’s help, Sadie was able to get out of the kitchen a few minutes after the bride and groom had disappeared. She took a look in the mirror, trying not to grimace at the cake on her apron. Thank goodness it wasn’t on her dress.
Many of the guests had already filtered over to the reception side of the event hall, and Sadie could hear Aubrey say Taryn wasn’t quite ready yet.
Frowning, Sadie wondered what could have taken them so long. The bride had been wearing her dress only moments before. Wouldn’t a simple makeup check be all that she needed?
Sadie clued in the catering people and made sure everything was set for whenever the bride and groom made their entrance again.
“Are you Sadie Gibson?” a voice called over her shoulder.
Turning, Sadie found herself staring into the eyes of Charleigh French. The girl looked younger in person, as well as shorter than she’d pictured.
“Miss French, how nice to see you. I’m glad you were able to make it out to the wedding today.” Sadie reached her hand forward, and Charleigh shook it.
“We did. My fiancé is over there talking with some of the other guests, but it looks like you were able to pull this off rather quickly. One of the guests was saying in only six weeks?”
From her tone of voice, Sadie couldn’t tell if that was a compliment or a cut. Nodding, she said, “Yes, the bride came to me around the beginning of October, and I’ve been here working on getting all the plans together for the last few weeks.”
Charleigh looked around. “Wow! That’s incredible. I always thought I wanted the modern, classic style, but all the little touches here make me reconsider. It’s so well-done.”
Sadie felt like her insides would burst with excitement and did her best to smile, nodding and saying, “Thank you. I really appreciate that.”
“From all that we’ve researched about you and your prior weddings, I would love for you to plan our wedding in June. Would you be up for that?”
“I would love it. I’ll make sure to plug it into my calendar, and we can get started planning it right after the new year. I have a client getting married two days before Christmas, and then I’m available to get to work on your wedding.”
“Thank you so much, Sadie. I really appreciate it, and I can’t wait to see what you come up with for us.” She squeezed Sadie’s forearm and then moved in the direction of her fiancé.
Everything inside Sadie wanted to scream with excitement. She hadn’t believed she had a shot at getting the celebrity wedding, but with the simple touches and being flexible for Taryn, it had paid off.
Aubrey sauntered over wearing a pale pink dress, her hair half-up and curled at the ends. “Looks like you got some good news. Was that Charleigh French?”
Sadie nodded. “She said she wants me to do it! Can you believe that?” The two girls came together dancing and squealing softly.
Aubrey wrapped her arms around Sadie and gave her a hug. “I’m so excited for you, girl. Your career is taking off, and I love it. Now all you need is a supportive man by your side, and you’ll be good.”
At her words, Sadie turned, scanning the room for an attractive male. But after sweeping the room twice, she realized he wasn’t there. With the rest of the family now on one side of the room, all fussing around the bride who’d just opened the gift Sadie and Dolores had worked hard to make, a personalized quilt with pictures and messages from each family member, she was sure Evan would be there. She again mistook Aiden for Evan before feeling the same disappointment as she’d had at the door earlier that day.
“Where’s Evan?” she finally asked Aubrey.
Aubrey turned to look around the room, her eyes moving quickly but not locking on to anything. “I don’t see him. You get things started here, and I’ll go look for him. I wouldn’t want him to miss out on dancing with you in that dress.”
Sadie felt her cheeks turn warm, and she looked down at the dress. The color made her feel confident, and it was comfortable enough to work in, which was a feat considering how many times she’d had to bend down and reach for things.
Dinner began, and she heard compliment after compliment about the food. When the praise came from the Pearson family, though, she knew it was genuine. The toasts began, and Sadie laughed during the best man’s speech and then teared up as Aubrey spoke about her only sister and how excited she was for this new adventure for the two of them.
Once the speeches were over, she walked up to Aubrey and whispered, “Any sign of him?”
Aubrey’s face turned solemn, and she nodded her head. “I searched his office, and Brent let me into the penthouse. He was asleep on the bed.”
Glancing around the room, Sadie pulled off her headphone and handed it to Aubrey. “I’ll go check on him. He was having a tough time last night and during the ceremony.” She explained the buttons in a quick sentence and said, “Make sure the dessert bar is stocked and that the tables get moved for the first dance. It should be ready for about thirty minutes from now.”
Eyes wide, Aubrey looked as though she hadn’t considered Evan’s troubles. “I didn’t even think about how today would affect him. It feels like so long ago that he was going to get married that I almost forgot about it. Maybe he just needs some time.”
Sadie wouldn’t be able to be gone for long, but she wanted to make sure Evan was okay.
As she waited for the elevator, the doors opened, revealing a worn Evan rubbing the back of his neck.
“Are you all right?” Sadie asked, waiting for him to step out of the elevator. Once he did, she threw her arms around him, hoping the hug would infuse him with some comfort.
He gave her a small smile. “I’m better now. I could get used to seeing your face every day.” He paused a moment, as he glanced at the dress and back to her face. “You look stunning.”
Sadie blushed and led him in the direction of the event room. “I was a little worried you weren’t going to show for our dance.”
He shook his head. “I came to find you after the ceremony, but you were nowhere. I just needed a few minutes to relax before I had to endure more. Everything in small doses.”
She took his hand and squeezed it, hoping he could understand that she was there for him, no matter what happened. “I need to get back to check on things. I left Aubrey in charge, and I’m a little worried about what might happen while she has that kind of power.”
Evan laughed, the sound coming from deep down. “I get that. If you work now, you’ll be able to dance with me.” He winked at her, and she rose onto tiptoes, brushing her lips across his quickly. She smiled and turned, moving in the direction of the girl in the pink dress.
It was soon time for the first dance on the dance floor and Sadie watched with pride as Taryn danced with Travis, the two of them grinning at each other like children, stealing a kiss here and there as they moved to the music. Evan sat at the table his family was at, pushing the food around on his plate. She figured Dolores had saved food for him, but it was probably cold by that point.
Sadie directed a few guests to the restrooms, and when she turned back, Taryn was dancing with her father, the two of them swaying to an old tune, and something caught in Sadie’s chest. This was one of the reasons she’d put off having a real relationship. Because who would she have to give her away? Her father hadn’t spoken to her in years, and her mother would still be on parole for some crime. There was nothing she could do to recreate a father figure, unless she asked Carl Pearson directly.
Turning away, Sadie saw one of the people on her team and said, “I have to run to get something. Will you make sure everything is in order until I get back?”
The Vegas Billionaire: An International Billionaire Club Series Page 14
