by Susan Hatler
My heart fluttered in my chest. He’d given the prize to me and the gesture spoke volumes. We weren’t on opposing sides anymore. We were a team. I smiled at him and then lifted the top, revealing a red velvet box. I opened the box and inside was a magnolia-shaped broach with delicate-brushed petals and a bright gold-colored pearl in the center. The wedding charm was so utterly perfect that it took my breath away.
“There’s a piece of paper folded in the box,” Ben said, lifting it out and handing it to me.
I unfolded the paper and read the words aloud,
Dearest Jill,
You’re the last member of the family to get married. Since you’re reading this, I know that you’re ready for marriage. It takes a lot to love someone, to commit to them, and trust them enough to go through life together. You won’t always agree. You won’t always like the same things. But as long as you love each other, are committed to making it work, and trust each other enough to work together through thick and thin, then you can have a long and happy marriage.
Since you’ve passed my tasks, I know your relationship encompasses all of these things and I give you my blessing to wear my beloved wedding charm. May your marriage be as wonderful as mine and may it last for eternity.
All my love,
Grandma
“Oh, that’s so beautiful.” I sighed, feeling all of the love and romance of marriage.
“We’d better get to the airport if we want to get that charm back to California in time,” Ben said, looking up at the sun before he picked up Moose and headed back to the boat.
A stab of pain pierced my heart, but I hurried to the boat and jumped on as he pushed us off the bank and into water. We had found the wedding charm and I was thrilled for Jill. But Ben’s response to the letter had just reminded me that he didn’t believe in marriage, which meant that whatever he and I had while we were here in Atlanta was now over.
Chapter Eleven
Two hours later, the sunlight had taken on a thick lemon-yellow color and insects sang in the grass as I paced across the front porch of Jill’s grandmother’s house. The street was quiet and the heat-factor was high, but here in the shade of the porch it was a bit cooler.
I was waiting for Ben to return from a “quick” trip to the office that he claimed was necessary. I knew he had to justify the company jet, but still. The wedding was in less than eight hours and we had to get to the airport and fly across the country.
My heels clattered against the wood and I shot a look at the street again, hoping to see Ben’s car coming around the curve and into the driveway. No dice. Our suitcases sat by the front door and I paced back and forth in front of them. Moose was tied up to the front post and napping. The charm was safely tucked away. The only thing missing was Ben!
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw movement, and swung my gaze to the left. From up the street, Miss Ella came ambling along the sidewalk. She pressed the code for the gate, which opened and she came through.
“Miss Ella? What are you doing here?” I asked, coming down the steps.
“Thank goodness you’re still here!” She clutched something in her hand and my brows came together. What could she possibly have for me now? We had done all of the tasks and we had to get to the airport pronto—a notion Ben didn’t seem to be grasping well enough. Surely she didn’t have a new task for us.
A jolt of panic surged through me. “What’s going on?” I asked.
“Something huge I’m afraid, Jill.” She stopped in front of me, waving a paper in the air that looked oddly familiar. “Or should I say, Sarah Carlton?”
My entire body froze. Oh, no. I stared at the dog flyer of Moose that we’d printed, trying to find his rightful owner—the same flyer we’d posted around the neighborhood. It hadn’t even occurred to me that Miss Ella would see one of them.
My stomach clenched and nausea came up my throat. “Um, I can explain.”
“You’d better have a good explanation,” Miss Ella said. “Because I don’t know who you are or how you know Jill, and I sure can’t let my dear friend’s wedding charm leave here in the hands of someone who doesn’t understand its significance.”
I dropped my chin to my chest. We were caught. There was no way around it.
“Yes, my name really is Sarah Carlton.” I bit my lip, my stomach roiling over having lied to sweet Miss Ella. “I’m Jill’s maid of honor. She had family in town in Sacramento for the wedding, so I offered to fly to Atlanta to pick up the wedding charm from her grandma’s house. Ben is Ryan’s best man and he flew out to help, too. But when we got here, the charm wasn’t where she said it would be. Just a note from her grandma saying she had to perform certain tasks to get the wedding charm.”
Miss Ella crossed her arms. “Go on.”
Tears of guilt and frustration blurred my vision and I swiped at my eyes. “Don’t you see? There was no time for Jill to fly out here and do these unexpected tasks. Ben and I didn’t know what else to do, so we pretended to be Jill and Ryan. I’m sorry we lied to you, but we only had our best friends’ interests at heart.”
Miss Ella sniffed. “Well, I can’t in good conscience let you take the wedding charm. Jill’s grandma made these tasks for a good reason.”
“Please don’t say that.” I clasped my hands together and stepped toward her. “Jill and Ryan have done nothing wrong. If you knew them, you would know immediately how perfect they are for each other. They are crazy in love, they have one-hundred percent love and respect, trust and teamwork, and they’re deeply committed to each other. It’s the kind of commitment I want in my own life some day.”
Miss Ella’s eyes rounded. “What about you and, um, what was the real name of the false fiancé again?”
My cheeks heated. “Ben Atkins.”
“Yes, Ben.” She nodded, handing me the flyer that she’d found. “Even my old eyes can see that you two are a team. You’re both kind, too, searching for a lost dog’s owner when you already had a sham to prove believable.”
“Yes, but—”
“It’s obvious to anyone with eyes that you and Ben are in love. Plus, you completed all three of the tasks very well. So, why are you saying you hope to have that kind of commitment some day? Don’t you already have that kind of relationship with Ben?”
“Relationship?” I blinked, knowing that Ben and I had been pretty good actors, but the jig was up. We’d just been pretending. Okay, maybe we’d exchanged a few (amazing) kisses. And maybe I had feelings for him. He’d admitted he’d wanted to kiss me since high school, but he’d never said how he felt about me. “Ben and I were just acting like we were engaged, but we’re not even a couple,” I said, my voice turning into an incredulous squeak.
Moose lifted his head, stretched, then trotted over to us. He nudged Miss Ella’s leg with his nose.
She gave Moose an absent pat. “You can’t fool me, Sarah. You two are in love and have what it takes to make a lasting marriage. I should know. I’ve seen a lot of marriages that lasted, and a lot that didn’t. I know the difference.”
My heart squeezed. I pressed my hands to my cheeks, knowing that I owed it to Miss Ella to tell her the truth. “I’m in love with Ben,” I said, admitting it aloud for the first time. “But he doesn’t believe in marriage. His parents got divorced when he was young, so he thinks marriage never lasts. He’s not going to change his mind.”
Her eyes narrowed. “What are you willing to do for the wedding charm?”
“Anything,” I said, fervently.
“Okay, then.” She smiled, giving me a pat on the arm. “You must tell Ben how you feel about him. Then I will believe you about Jill and Ryan’s relationship. But only if you declare your love to Ben. That would show me you understand true love and how important it is.”
Ben chose that moment to drive through the gate and park beside the porch.
I looked from Ben’s surprised expression in the driver’s seat to the firm expression on Miss Ella’s face. I gulped. “Right now? I mean, we have t
o catch a flight and I don’t have time to pour my heart out to him in the car, not without wrecking our chance to get the charm back in time for the wedding.”
Miss Ella enveloped me in a hug. “I believe you to be an honest person, despite the way you’ve lied and fooled everyone in your hunt for the wedding charm. I’d probably do the very same thing for my best friend, so I can’t hold that against you. If you promise you will tell him how you feel, then I will believe you and let you take the wedding charm.”
Time froze. Conflicting emotions washed through me as Miss Ella tightened her arms around me. I squeezed her back, debating my two options. And failing to bring home the wedding charm wasn’t really an option, which only left me one. I watched Ben get out of the car and head toward us.
My heart thumped in my chest as I pulled back. “I’ll tell him, Miss Ella. I promise,” I said.
She nodded. “If you don’t, then Jill’s marriage will be tainted by you breaking your word.”
Yikes! Miss Ella really knew how to lay on a guilt trip.
“Hello, Miss Ella.” Ben gave her a smile, not knowing the fate she’d just sealed for me. He grabbed both of our suitcases off the porch. “Honey, we’d better get going if we’re going to catch that flight.”
“Okay,” I said, my emotions strained as I gathered up Moose and gave a final wave to Miss Ella.
I climbed into the passenger seat and looked over at Ben. He met my gaze with a smile, then put the car into drive and roared down the street. My heart gave another hard thump. I turned and watched Jill’s grandma’s house until it was out of sight. It hit me what this weekend had meant to me. I loved Ben, and had for a long time. I didn’t want to lose him.
****
As we pulled into the municipal airport parking lot, I spotted the executive jet sitting on the tarmac. My nerves hit fever peak. Jill’s wedding was in six hours. On top of that, I had to keep my promise to tell Ben that I loved him. Miss Ella said that would show her that I understood true love was important. Lot of good that would do my heart when Ben shot me down and confirmed he still would never believe in marriage.
I sighed, spotting a man standing next to the fence, which was where we’d instructed Moose’s owner to meet us. The man had on jeans, an Atlanta Falcons jersey, a baseball cap turned backward, and a wide smile. Except the man was supposed to have been a woman.
Moose whined impatiently.
I patted his head. “I know, boy. No worries, okay?”
Ben put the car in park and turned to me with a frown. “I thought a woman had called you.”
“Yeah, me too.” I nodded, getting out of the car. I’d given plenty of wonderful dogs back to their owners, but I had a very bad feeling about this one. As Ben got our bags from the trunk, I walked over to the man.
He nodded to me. “Hey, there. I’m here for the dog. My dog.”
I lifted Moose, holding him against my chest. “A woman called me.”
A line formed between his brows. “No, that was me. I have a highly pitched voice sometimes.”
Um, okay. . .
“I’m sorry, but if this is your dog then wouldn’t he want to come to you?”
The guy paused a moment. “Come here, Spot.”
Moose didn’t make a move. Not even when the guy extended a hand toward him. I took a retreating step. “What’s your name, sir?” I asked.
“Harold Wilson, at your service ma’am. I’d kiss your hand but you’re holding Spot.”
Ben set our bags down beside me and cleared his throat. “First, don’t talk about kissing my fiancé’s hand. Second, we need proof that the dog is yours.”
Harold clapped his hands. “Oh, sure. How about you put him down and let me play with him for a minute? That’ll convince you.”
“He doesn’t seem to know you,” I offered.
Harold sighed. “Yeah, he’s probably holding a grudge that I lost him. That’s why he’s not too happy with me right now. Not his fault, just his nature. It’ll take a minute for him to warm back up to me I guess.”
Ben crossed his arms. “For proof, I’m thinking photos.”
Harold tugged at his cap. “See, that’s where the story gets real tragic. I lost my phone on the way here. All my pictures of us are on there.”
Riiight.
“What’s the name of your vet?” I asked. “We’ll call them to vouch for you.”
Harold yanked his hat off his head and sighed deeply. “That’s even more tragic. Our vet died, just yesterday. Poor old guy. He ate one too many pieces of Meyer lemon pie and died of acid reflux.”
My eyes bulged. Was this guy for real?
“This is not your dog,” I said, my tone on edge.
Ben set his hand on the small of my back. “You have no proof that he’s your dog. He doesn’t seem to know you, either. And the weird thing is he’s a really friendly pup and this is the first time he hasn’t been happy to meet someone.”
Harold scratched his head. “I don’t know what more I can do. Maybe y’all spoiled him and he’s not so happy about having to go home with me to our apartment. That could be why he isn’t so happy to see me, but he is mine.”
We’d spoiled him? How? By making sure he didn’t get lost? By giving him a much-needed bath? By feeding him and loving him and . . . I gave myself a mental shake.
“I’ll go on and take him now.” Harold reached for Moose.
Moose growled.
Ben lifted a brow. “I think that says it all. In your defense, I’ll say you’re confused about things and this is not the dog you thought he was. It’s that or you’re flat out lying to us.”
Harold finally shrugged, a grin stretching across his face. “You can’t blame me for trying. He’s really cute and he came with a reward, so why not? My girlfriend said it would be better if she came after him but she got hung up at work. I’m still happy to take him off your hands—as long as the reward’s being offered.”
“No way.” I clutched Moose even more tightly than I ever had before. “You should be ashamed of yourself!”
“You guys are no fun.” Harold flinched, then shuffled back to a beat-up truck.
Ben lifted our bags and turned to me. “I guess one more passenger won’t hurt. Come on, Moose. We’re going home to Sacramento.”
We dashed to the plane with Moose barking wildly and I was glad he was safe in my arms. Did this mean that Ben wanted to keep him? Or would he mind if I kept him? As I walked up the steps and into the plane, my mind flew to the two questions. Would we make it to the wedding on time? If so, how would I ever tell Ben that I loved him?
Chapter Twelve
I dashed into the Geoffries hotel with Moose under my arm and the wedding charm in my purse. Miss Ella’s words about tainting Jill’s marriage still rang in my ears. I knew I had to talk to Ben. I should’ve already told him how I felt about him, but I’d fallen asleep shortly after takeoff.
When I’d woken up from my much-needed nap, I got my hair and makeup ready for the wedding using the sad little mirror in the airplane bathroom (more like closet). Then I’d hoped to talk to Ben on the way to the hotel, but the town car didn’t have a screen between the driver and us, and I didn’t feel like spilling my guts with someone eavesdropping from the front seat.
As I crossed the lobby of the hotel, Penelope Weaver, the wedding planner, grabbed hold of my arm. She wore a beige linen suit over her thin frame, and her dark hair was pulled back into a severe bun. “Thank goodness you’re both finally here. Best man, you go that way into the ballroom and stand beside the groom. Go-go-go.” Penelope flapped her hands at Ben, before turning to me with a panicked look. “Is that a dog? We can’t have that. Oh, dear!”
Ben paused at the edge of the lobby and gave me a long look. My breath caught in my throat. After a weekend together, it felt weird having him go in a different direction. I opened my mouth to tell him I loved him, but having Penelope pulling on my arm killed the moment. So, I gave him a little wave, and then she hustled me down the hal
l and into a room.
“I have no idea what to do with that dog.” Penelope practically tossed me through the door, her voice rising with each word. “Nobody said anything to me about a dog. Dog hair. Everywhere. Where is my lint roller . . .?”
I held Moose against me. “It’ll be fine. This isn’t what I’m wearing.”
Penelope moaned. “No, but the dog hair could fly onto the bridesmaids’ dresses. Or, gasp, the wedding gown.”
Wedding gown? I spun around to see Jill standing before a full-length mirror and I blinked. She looked elegant and timeless in a strapless, white lace-over-charmeuse trumpet gown. After this whirlwind weekend, it felt overwhelming to see the evidence first-hand that my best friend was really getting married.
I squealed, raced over to her, and threw my arms around her. “You look gorgeous! I can’t believe it’s your wedding day.”
Avery, Kristen, and Ginger rushed to my side and simultaneously exclaimed, “You made it, Sarah!”
Penelope clapped her hands together. “Step away from the dress. Dog hair, people. Lots of dog hair. Don’t panic. I’ve got my lint roller.”
I backed away and set Moose down. When Ginger, Kristen, and Avery went to pet him, Penelope let out a terrible shriek that sent Moose dashing under a nearby table.
Jill squeezed my hand. “Do you have the wedding charm?”
I bit my lip and nodded. “We got it.”
All four of my friends crowded around me.
“You’re the best bridesmaid ever,” Ginger said.
Penelope screeched. “Three minutes, people. We only have three minutes left to get ready. Someone find the maid of honor her shoes. Oh, where is her dress?”
Ginger ran across the room and grabbed my heels.
“The corsage!” Jill exclaimed, starting to panic like Penelope was already doing. “Oh, no. What did I do with her corsage? It was just right here on the coffee table.”
