Stand-In Groom bob-1

by Kaye Dacus

  “Fortunately, yes.” He opened her car door for her. Before she could get in, he leaned close and kissed her cheek. “I’ll meet you at your office.” His voice was caress-soft.

  On the drive back into town, Anne had plenty of time to think about everything George had said. Although she wanted to be upset with him for deceiving her, her relief he wasn’t a client and her attraction to him made it easy to rid herself of her anger. And since he’d been burned once in love before also, he’d understand why she would want to take their relationship slowly.

  George got ahead of her going through a couple of lights she got stuck at and was sitting on her back steps when she pulled up in the alley behind her office. Her heart fluttered in anticipation of being with him and not having to hide her feelings.

  Chapter 14

  Forbes skipped out on Thursday night dinner. But by the time she sat down with her family—and George—at Jenn’s restaurant, Anne was the happiest she’d been in a very long time. George had agreed they needed to take their relationship one step at a time while he tried to rebuild her trust.

  Her other cousins’ reactions ranged from bland astonishment to squealing excitement from Jenn and Meredith. And every single one of them insisted George attend Sunday dinner with the whole family.

  George twined his fingers with hers as he escorted her from the restaurant. “I think they like me.”

  The twittery feeling in her stomach intensified. Was it okay to hold hands if they were taking things slowly? “Yeah, I think so, too.”

  “Which is good, as I plan to be around them for a long time.”

  A long time. She reminded herself she was thirty-five and not fifteen as her heart jumped up and down like an entire championship-winning Little League team. She barely knew this man, and he didn’t have a great track record for honesty.

  He opened the door to the convertible Mercedes and offered his hand. She caught the tip of her tongue between her teeth. God, don’t let this be too good to be true!

  Pointing the car back toward Town Square, he reached across for her hand and lifted it to kiss the back. “What time shall I call for you Sunday morning for church?”

  Her whole arm tingled. “What? Oh, uh, service starts at eleven, but we’d better leave my place around ten thirty.”

  “Will you be tied up all day tomorrow and Saturday with your clients?”

  “I probably won’t get home until well after midnight Saturday.”

  “You put so much time and energy into your work. Is it that rewarding for you?”

  She nodded, stifled a yawn, and leaned back against the leather headrest. “I love my work. I never imagined I’d find planning other people’s weddings so fulfilling. It’s not a profession I’d ever dreamed of entering—although I did it as a maid of honor in a couple of weddings in college. I always planned to be a college professor.”

  “Yet you had to drop out of graduate school.”

  “Not by choice. I—I had to quit school to go to work fulltime. Cl—the guy I was dating at the time—had moved elsewhere to pursue his career and borrowed a lot of money from me.” She glanced at George, whose sharp profile reflected the lights from the instrument panel in front of him. He’d been honest about his relationship. “He asked me to marry him. Since I figured I could continue graduate school after his career took off, I withdrew from school and went to work full-time for my aunt and uncle at B-G. But even that wasn’t enough. I had to give up my apartment and move back home—back with Uncle Errol and Aunt Maggie—just to be able to afford to pay for my car and insurance and the minimum on all the credit cards I’d taken out that year to help support him.”

  “What happened?” Soft, deep concern resonated in George’s voice.

  “His career took off, and once the money was flowing in, he didn’t need me anymore. I made excuses for his inattention for a long time, but he finally called me two days before the wedding was to take place to call everything off. I haven’t heard from him since.” She sincerely wished she didn’t hear of him all the time, too. She was probably the only person in the country who didn’t idolize Cliff Ballantine, mega–movie star, humanitarian, and most eligible bachelor with the charming Southern accent.

  “I wish I could say I’m sorry.”

  She raised her eyebrows. “But you can’t?”

  “No.” He turned and grinned at her. “Because if you’d married him, we never would have met.”

  Her insides turned to jelly. She hadn’t thought of it like that.

  In the alley behind her office building, George came around and assisted her out of the car, then turned and opened the door of her car for her. He reached for her hands and once again kissed the backs. “Good night, my Anne.”

  No good-night kiss? She pushed her disappointment down. Slow, remember? “Good night, George.”

  * * *

  Sunday, Anne spotted Forbes as soon as service ended and beckoned to him across the crowded sanctuary with her crooked finger. She wasn’t going to let him off easy.

  He enveloped her in a bear hug when he reached her. “I’m so glad you’re okay. Don’t ever do that again. Or at least take your phone with you next time.”

  “While we’re on the subject of things never to do again…” She cocked her head toward George. “No more surprises, please.”

  Forbes raised two fingers. “Scout’s honor.”

  She pulled his hand down. “You were never a Scout.”

  “Same difference.” He kissed her forehead. “I’m sorry, Annie. Really, I am.”

  “Forbes, may I speak with you a moment?” George’s voice matched his serious expression.

  Her cousin immediately switched from big brother to lawyer mode. “Certainly. Out in the vestibule?” He motioned toward the back doors of the sanctuary.

  Anne frowned as they walked away. Something was going on or George would have said whatever he needed to say to Forbes in front of her. Fighting her desire to follow them, she slipped out of the pew to make her way up front where Jenn was holding court, surrounded by several guys from the singles’ group.

  “Anne, I was so hoping to see you today.” A former client stopped her. “I wanted to ask if you would speak at this month’s Bonneterre Women in Business luncheon.”

  “Speak?” Her heart quickened. “About what?”

  “About being an entrepreneur. About being a small-business owner in our city. What it took to start your own business. You’ve been a BWB member for years now. Every month, we get suggestion cards requesting to have you speak.”

  More than a hundred women attended those lunches. Anne had barely made it through the required public speaking class in a college class of thirty. “Let me get back to you?”

  The woman handed her a business card. “Call me at my office anytime this week. I’ll need to know by Thursday.”

  Anne nodded and tucked the card into her planner. She’d almost made it to Jenn when she was stopped again.

  “I’m so glad I found you, Miss Anne.” A blonde who could grace any fashion runway in New York or Paris gave her a quick hug. “I wanted you to meet my fiancé, Heath.”

  The young man she shook hands with looked like he’d stepped right off a magazine cover. He was fashionably dressed with boyish, curly golden hair, hazel eyes, and a grin that could melt steel. “It’s nice to meet you, Heath. Congratulations. You’ve found yourself a wonderful bride.”

  “I know.” He put his arm around Elizabeth’s miniscule waist and gazed down at his fiancée in a way that twisted Anne’s heart with envy. “God has truly blessed me.”

  Elizabeth’s color was high when she pulled her gaze away from Heath. “And thanks to your advice, we’re getting married the first weekend in August. Would you have time to work with me? I can’t afford much, but I’d really like your help, since it’s so soon and you have all the connections.”

  “Of course.” Anne rested her hand on Elizabeth’s shoulder. “And don’t you worry about the cost. We’ll work around wha
t you can afford.”

  The young woman’s eyes filled with quick tears, and she threw her arms around Anne’s waist again. “Thank you so much—for everything.”

  Laughter bubbled up in Anne. “Of course. Call me this week, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  Oh, to be young and in love. Anne shook her head and turned, only to be practically tackled by Jenn. Ending the hug, Jenn slipped her arm around Anne’s waist as they strolled toward the exit. “Did I see you and George come in together this morning?”

  “Yes. He came and picked me up this morning. We’ve worked a lot of stuff out this week.” But even though he’d promised he wouldn’t lie to her again, he was holding something back. He and Forbes had been gone a long time.

  “Is that a blush I see?” Jenn teased. “Did you ever find out if he has a younger brother who’s as good looking as he is?”

  Anne rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Is that all you ever think about?”

  “What?”

  “Men!”

  Jenn laughed. “What else is quite so entertaining?”

  Meredith joined them from the direction of the choir room and gave Anne a long, gentle hug. She didn’t ask questions like her sister. Emotion lumped in Anne’s throat. Meredith’s deep understanding of her need for quiet or space was one of the reasons they were so close.

  Anne put her arms around her cousins’ much smaller waists. “I guess we should head out for Uncle Errol and Aunt Maggie’s.”

  Jenn gave Anne’s arm a light pinch. “Is George coming?”

  “Yes. Do you think he would dare risk offending any of you?” The rest of the family was going to have a field day with him. If he thought Jenn and Rafe had given him a hard time at dinner Thursday night, once again trying to pry his employer’s name from him, he was in for a surprise.

  The brass chandeliers overhead went dark, casting the sanctuary into dimness accented by the light flowing through the windows. She’d tried to talk several of her brides into leaving the majority of lights off in this sanctuary to showcase the beautiful stained-glass images of scenes from Jesus’ life, but so far, none had. If she got married in this church… Anne stopped her fantasy as soon as it started. The faceless groom she’d seen dimly for so many years had been replaced by George Laurence. Slow, remember.

  “There you girls are.” Forbes’s voice echoed from the rear of the nearly empty church. “We’ve been waiting for you out in the foyer.”

  Her heart skipped a beat at the sight of George, who stood in the doorway with Forbes. She took a deep breath and pushed her emotions back. She couldn’t let her feelings get the better of her. When she reached him, his closed expression set her ill at ease.

  Her skin tingled when his hand cupped her elbow. Forbes took her other elbow and started to lead her across the vestibule.

  She stopped and pulled away from both men. “What have you two been talking about out here?”

  “Nothing.” Forbes gave her his most charming smile.

  Anne wasn’t buying it. She turned to George. His mouth was set in a grim line, and he wouldn’t meet her gaze. “George? Remember what we talked about Thursday morning? About honesty and trust?”

  He closed his eyes and nodded, then turned and rested his hands on her shoulders. “It’s just some business I needed to take care of with Forbes for my employer.”

  “That’s all?” She hated to doubt him but couldn’t help it.

  “That’s the truth.” His voice, soft, deep, and holding promises she hoped would come true, settled her doubts.

  She nodded and took his arm. “All right, then, let’s go.”

  * * *

  How was he going to tell her the truth? Anne deserved to know what she was in for when the identity of the man she was planning this wedding for broke in the media. On his way to pick her up this morning, his employer had called to warn him that reporters were starting to bug his publicist with questions about the rumor of his engagement. He had returned to New York, leaving Courtney in Paris to eliminate the risk they would be photographed together.

  “George?” Anne’s mellow voice broke into his worries.

  Some of his anxiety ebbed away when he locked gazes with her. He squeezed her hand. He loved that she’d taken it without hesitation as they walked through the very modern part of the church building.

  Her fine brows drew together in a frown. “What were you thinking about so intently?”

  She didn’t like surprises, but he couldn’t breach what remained of the confidentiality clause. He needed, however, to be as honest as possible. Forbes, Jennifer, and Meredith had walked faster and disappeared around a corner.

  He bit his bottom lip and took a deep breath. “I’m worried that my employer’s confidentiality about his relationship with Courtney may have been breached.” He paused, and she turned to face him. “If anything happens and I have to suddenly disappear, please don’t hold it against me. If anyone connects me with Bonneterre or Courtney Landry, all may be lost.”

  “I still don’t understand the need for such secrecy. What would happen if someone found out why you’re here?”

  He stepped in front of her to open the door to the parking lot. “If my employer’s secret engagement leaks to the press because of me, I would most likely lose my job, which means I would have to return to England.”

  “Would that be such a bad thing? To go home after so many years?” Anne looked like a movie star when she slipped on a stylish pair of sunglasses and ran her fingers through her hair to push it back from her face. The late June sun and steamy humidity never seemed to affect her.

  How long would he have to live here to become acclimated? He probably wouldn’t get the chance to find out. “Given the dwindling need for full-time personal assistants with the advent of modern technology, it would be difficult for me to find a position that’s the equivalent of what I have now. Aside from that, it’s not really the occupation I’d like to keep for the rest of my life.”

  “Well, just from what I’ve seen in the short time I’ve known you, I know you’d do well as an event planner wherever you decide to settle.”

  “Thank you.” Wherever you decide to settle… Disappointment attacked him through her words. He’d hoped she’d want him to settle here, maybe even go into business with her. They would make a perfect team—her connections and his attention to detail. If he went into business with her, he could get his work visa changed… or he could marry her and get a green card. There were much worse fates than being married to a woman he was already attracted to.

  They reached the car, and he used the remote to unlock it. He opened the door for her.

  She lowered her glasses and winked at him. “Have I warned you about my family? Almost all of the extended family will be at lunch. And they can be somewhat overwhelming.”

  He winked back. “I have survived a couple of dinners with Jennifer and Rafe.”

  She laughed. “Oh, they can’t hold a candle to the whole family being together.”

  George followed Anne’s directions through town. What had she meant by “overwhelming”? He’d experienced many large dinner parties and gatherings throughout his career—of course as someone who had to service the guests—so he couldn’t imagine a meal with her family would be that different.

  He was going to meet the rest of her family. He and Forbes had formed a strong friendship in the short time since they’d met. He also enjoyed the weekly dinners he’d attended with Anne’s cousins. Not all of them came every week, but they accepted him and offered him friendship even when he couldn’t divulge much personal information to them.

  From the examples he’d seen in Anne, Forbes, and the others, her family was the epitome of his image of Southern charm. Anne, never ruffled, always had a smile and encouraging word for everyone she met. Forbes played the dapper gentleman for whom chivalry was a way of life, not an ancient fairy tale. Jennifer, the flirtatious Southern belle… He laughed. Henry would love Jennifer. His youngest broth
er would definitely fall for the beautiful charmer with the strawberry blond hair.

  The sunlight barely peeked through the dark green foliage that canopied Oak Alley Drive as they traveled through the garden district toward midtown. She instructed him to turn left on Tezcuco Avenue before reaching the commercial district. Deeper into the heart of the residential area, the smaller houses on Oak Alley gave way to large, immaculate Victorians set far back from the street and surrounded by lush green lawns shaded by oaks, magnolias, and other trees he didn’t recognize.

  Another left onto Destrehan Boulevard, and the lots grew larger, the landscaping more elaborate. Homes ranged from sprawling Victorians to enormous Greek-revival manses, red brick with fat white columns lining the front.

  The first indication that this “family dinner” was beyond what he’d imagined was the number of cars lining the street in front of the multi-gabled, three-story house Anne had him stop in front of.

  “This is Aunt Maggie and Uncle Errol’s house. They bought this house after I went to college, but it’s still home.”

  He helped her out of the car, and she led him up the driveway toward the sidewalk that snaked across the yard to the wraparound front porch.

  Maggie and Errol. He was about to meet the people who’d stepped in to raise Anne after her parents’ deaths. His heart pumped a little faster. He hoped to make a favorable impression on them. If he was going to spend the rest of his life with her—but no, he couldn’t indulge in that kind of thinking yet. She needed time to get to know him better, and he had to regain her trust.

  His thoughts were interrupted when the front door flew open and an older woman—who bore a remarkable resemblance to Anne— stepped out onto the porch.

  “It’s about time,” the woman called as George and Anne approached the house.

  “What are you talking about?” Anne looked at her watch. “It’s only twelve forty-five. We never eat dinner before one.”

  “You’re thirty-five years old. It’s about time you brought a man home for Sunday dinner!”