Malibu by Moonlight

by Brooke St. James

  I let out a laugh. "That's why you love me. That's why I'm able to answer your call and take care of your groom's dad at the drop of a hat."

  "I know, and I do love that about you. That's why you're a rock star. But I still don't see why you can't leave the shop for a few hours to run over to Malibu and watch me say my vows. It's not like I get married everyday."

  My thoughts turned to Liam Kennedy and the fact that he would be present at the wedding. I remembered how he embraced me so sweetly and how much comfort I took in it. I felt a nagging emptiness with Simon gone, and the physical contact had been such a relief. I found myself desiring to go to Courtney's wedding just to get one more of those therapeutic hugs from her new cousin-in-law.

  "You don't even have to stay for dinner or the reception," Courtney said. "We could have you in and out in an hour."

  I smiled even though she couldn't see me. "No offense to myself or anything, but I honestly thought your wedding would be huge and you wouldn't notice if I was there or not."

  Courtney laughed. "No way. It's small. We only invited like eighty people. You're literally the only person who said they couldn’t come."

  That made me laugh. My face felt funny to stretch in that direction because it was tight from having shed so many tears during the last two days. "Maybe I could slip away for an hour or two," I said. "But I definitely can't stay for the reception. I'm really up to my ears back here without Aaron."

  "Yay!" Courtney said. "Thank you so much. I'm so excited you're coming. And double-thanks for helping out Jesse and Liam. I almost passed out when they said the airline lost their suits."

  "It worked out fine," I said. "I needed a break from cutting and sewing anyway."

  "You're awesome. I can't thank you enough. I wish you had jeans and T-shirts and stuff so they could've just replaced what they lost in their luggage while they were there."

  "We've got their sizes written down up front. I could have Drew do little shopping for them if you need it. There's a nice casual store next door. We could have something dropped off with the trousers tomorrow morning. Actually, I'm almost done with these alterations, so I could have Drew do it tonight if they need basics—pajamas and stuff."

  "Oh my gosh, that would be amazing. That would save them a huge headache. Are you sure you don't mind?"

  "Yeah, Drew could just call over there and have the guys put a package together. They have T-shirts and undergarments and everything, so I'll tell him to get enough for a few days. I'll be done with these alterations within the hour, and we were planning on using a delivery service anyway, so it's no skin off my back to have everything brought over tonight."

  "You are amazing, Taylor, thank you so much. Just bill me for it, and make sure to tip Drew for the trouble."

  "It's no trouble," I said. "Do you want everything sent to the address in Malibu?"

  "Liam's not staying the night there, but his hotel is close, so yeah, just have everything brought to William's house and they'll get it to him."

  "Gotcha," I said.

  "Thanks again, and I'm so excited you're coming tomorrow."

  "Me too," I said.

  Courtney and I hung up the phone, and I buzzed Drew to give him the instructions.

  ***

  It was late the following afternoon when I found myself heading to Malibu for Courtney's wedding. I honestly didn't know why I had agreed to it. I was exhausted from picking up Aaron's slack, and my mind was full of all the ironing and sewing that needed to take place when I got back to the shop.

  I had my driver drop me off in the driveway, and I walked into William Connor's beautiful home alone. Maybe some people would feel weird or awkward going to a wedding with no escort, but I quite liked being alone and felt totally comfortable walking in with no one by my side.

  I had on one of my favorite dresses—a pink number that I had made myself. It had sleeves but was off the shoulder, and because I had the capability to take it in or let it out with every five pounds I gained or lost, it fit me like a glove. I wore a small diamond necklace and earrings. I knew Courtney's ceremony was being held on a beach, and maybe a custom dress was a little formal, but honestly, I didn't have anything more appropriate for the occasion—especially on such short notice. I had a nice pair of flats that went with the dress, and figured if all else failed, I could take them off and go barefoot. I was accustomed to wearing my hair back, so I pulled it into a tidy French twist and called it a day.

  I spoke to someone at the door who informed me that it would take about ten minutes to walk down to the beach for the ceremony so I should probably get going. They gave me directions, and I set out on the path. A few people were ahead of me as we walked, but I didn't try to make conversation with them. I talked to one guy on the way down who had been positioned strategically to make sure that the guests were on the right path, and by the time I got down there and situated in my place, it was time for the service to begin.

  I stayed hidden away in the back of the crowd and watched Courtney walk down the makeshift aisle and say her vows to her new groom. It was a touching, heartfelt ceremony conducted by the groom's grandfather. Courtney had made eye contact with me on her way down the aisle, so I knew she was aware that I had shown up. It was for this reason that I knew it was okay for me to scurry off as soon as the ceremony was over. I had, after all, asked my driver to wait for me in the driveway since I wouldn't be long and needed to get back to Beverly Hills as soon as possible.

  Courtney and Daniel kissed each other with a beautiful, romantic flourish and we all clapped for them. The minister announced that dinner would be served shortly and that there would be a celebration with music and dancing at the house. I was in the back of the crowd, so it was my plan all along to make a run for it once he gave the word. I turned and walked about three steps toward the house before I heard someone yell out to me.

  "Taylor Quinn!"

  I really didn't have time to talk, but I turned with a smile since I didn't want to be rude. It was Jake, one of Courtney's stylists. He had always been really supportive of my work, and we had worked on several projects together over the last few years.

  I reached out to give him a hug as he approached. "How's it going, Jake? "I asked.

  "Great. How about you?"

  "Wonderful," I said, since it was polite to lie about such things when you were at a wedding and making small talk. I wasn't going to break down and tell him my beloved dog had just died.

  Jake turned to the girl standing next to him. "This is the tailor who made those gold jackets from Courtney's tour."

  "Oh my gosh, I love those jackets! I want one of those things so bad! I tried to talk Vick into giving me one, but he wouldn't."

  I smiled at the girl. "Come by the shop sometime," I said. "I'm sure we can fix you up with something similar."

  "Oh, that would be amazing!" she said.

  She was so enthusiastic about it that I honestly thought she would follow up and come by the shop. I tried to rack my brain to remember if we could still order that gold fabric.

  "This is Nina," Jake said. "She's Courtney's hair and makeup girl."

  I smiled and shook Nina's hand. She looked vaguely familiar, and I thought I had probably seen her on the set of something before, but I didn't mention it, and neither did she. "It's very nice to meet you, Nina. Come by the shop and see me sometime."

  "I will," Nina said. "Nice to meet you, too."

  I gave them a nod and smiled graciously as I turned to walk away. Most of the wedding guests were still standing around the beach talking, but a few of them had already begun to make their way back toward the house. I fell in line with some of them, hoping to disappear into the crowd. I was walking on the path when Liam Kennedy fell into stride next to me. I felt somebody invade my space, and I glanced over to find him there. He was smiling and breathing heavily like he had to work to catch up with me.

  "Making me run," he said.

  I smiled, feeling the oddest sense of relief that he h
ad made the effort to talk to me before I left. He looked utterly dashing in his navy pants, vest, and tie. "I saw you out there," I said. "But I figured you would be busy taking pictures and everything."

  "I can't believe you're here," he said. "I thought you weren't coming."

  "I wasn't," I said. "It was a last-minute change of plans. I probably shouldn't be here. I just wanted to drop by and see the ceremony."

  "You mean you're not staying for dinner?" he asked incredulously.

  I could tell he was disappointed, and it made me smile. "I can't," I said. I let out a sigh. "I'm already putting myself behind by being here now."

  "So, you were planning on leaving without even talking to me at all?" he asked.

  "I guess I was," I said regretfully.

  I glanced at him as we walked and realized that he was wearing an expression like he was genuinely confused. He was so cute that I couldn’t help but grin.

  "You look dashing in your suit," I said.

  "No one's ever called me dashing before."

  "That's a shame," I said. "It's a fit description for you."

  We walked a few more paces in silence before he spoke again. "I'm just so surprised you're leaving," he said. "I mean, you sent that T-shirt, and then you showed up at the wedding… I guess I just assumed you… I mean, not that I assumed you came entirely to see me or anything, but I guess I just figured you maybe wanted another hug or something."

  I let out a laugh. "The hug wasn't nearly as dreadful as I anticipated."

  "Well, it's good to know that my hugs aren't dreadful," he said.

  "And what T-shirt are you talking about?" I asked, shaking my head.

  "The one you sent over last night." He glanced at me, and I continued to shake my head with a clueless look on my face.

  "You sent three T-shirts in that package. One was plain, one had a row of surfboards across the front, and the other one said…" He trailed off when he saw that I continued wearing a puzzled expression. "I guess you have no idea what I'm talking about."

  "I'm sorry," I said. "I had Drew call and take care of putting a package together for you guys. We gave them your sizes."

  Liam let out a little humorless laugh and shook his head. "That's really funny," he said. "That's a funny coincidence. And here I was convinced you were thinking about me."

  "I wasn't trying to be thoughtless," I said. "I just didn't specifically choose the shirts. And I didn't even know you liked surfboards."

  "It wasn't the surfboards I was talking about. It was the third shirt—the one that said making history across the front. I had told you I liked history, and I guess I just—"

  "One of your shirts said making history on it?" I asked, cutting him off and feeling amazed by the coincidence.

  "Yeah." He gestured to his chest. "It's a blue T-shirt with that phrase written in cursive across the front."

  Chapter 6

  By this point in our conversation, Liam and I were approaching the house. People were in front of us and behind us on the path but we just continued to talk to each other as we walked slowly. I was stunned to learn that Liam had been delivered a T-shirt that was so coincidentally perfect for him. He was a confident guy, but I could tell he was sort of embarrassed about the misunderstanding.

  "I didn't have time to do the shopping myself," I said, stopping in the path to smile at him. "But if I had seen that shirt, I would've definitely chosen it for you. I remember you telling me you liked history, and blue suits you. What shade?"

  "Huh?"

  "What shade of blue was it?"

  "Light."

  I nodded. "Yeah, I would have definitely chosen that for you."

  "It's really funny that you didn't," he said. "I got that shirt last night, and then I saw you came to the wedding, and I just thought…" he trailed off, shaking his head and giving me as self-deprecating grin. "I don't know what I thought. It doesn't really matter." He gestured at my dress with a smile. "You look beautiful. I'm glad you were able to come."

  "Thank you, and me too. It was a really nice ceremony."

  "Hey, it's Taylor the tailor!"

  I turned to find one of my regular customers—a lawyer by the name of Nick Freeman. He had a long list of Hollywood's A-list as clients, so I assumed he must be Courtney's lawyer. It didn't surprise me to see him there. I smiled and reached out to hug him before tugging gently at his collar.

  "Nice choice," I said referring to the khaki linen coat he was wearing.

  He grinned and ran his thumb down the lapel. "Only the best," he said. "This is my wife, Becky," he added. I shook the woman's hand, and we talked for a moment about how her husband "kept me in business". I had heard that same sentiment from quite a few wives, and I always laughed and thanked them graciously for putting up with their husband's love for fine suits.

  I glanced at Liam regretfully as soon as they walked away. "I really must be going," I said. "If I don't leave now, I'll end up staying all night."

  He nodded. I could tell he wanted to ask me to stay but was too considerate to do so, which I appreciated. "May I walk you to your car?" he asked.

  I smiled. "I'd like that. My driver's waiting in the driveway."

  He nodded and we took off, heading in that direction. I set the pace, and I walked slowly because, honestly, I didn't mind extending our conversation by a minute or two.

  "I'm doing better today," I said.

  "I can see that," he said. "I was going to ask, but I hated to bring it up."

  I took a deep breath. "I miss him, but I know he's better off. How'd you know I was better?"

  "Your eyes. Your smile. Everything. I can just tell."

  I nodded. "I looked at some puppies online, and that helped. I'll probably get something pretty soon just to fill the void."

  "Another Basset?"

  I shrugged. "I'm looking at those. I wasn't looking for that breed in the first place. Simon kind of fell into my hands. I like them, though, because they're lazy. I know I couldn't get something with a ton of energy. Even when I first got Simon and he was young, he just laid in the sewing room while I did my work."

  "You said you got him when you moved to London," Liam said. "What's the story with that?"

  "I was only seventeen," I said. "I grew up in a really small town. I was still seventeen when I finished high school, and I couldn't get out of there fast enough. I had already been studying bespoke tailoring, so I knew London's Savile Row was where I needed to be. I had a job at a pizza place in high school, and I had saved a little money. I went over there with barely more than a suitcase and a few hundred dollars. My family thought I was crazy. Anyway, London was obviously a much bigger place than I was used to, and I was a bit overwhelmed at first. I rented a dirty little apartment and got a job cleaning at a nursing home. Those first few months were a little rough. That's when I found Simon. I walked past a barbershop that had a sign in the window. It had the words "found dog" written on it, but the word "found" had a big X through it, and above it, was written the word "free". Simon had wandered in there a week earlier and no one had come to claim him. They liked him, but they were busy and didn't really have time to worry with taking him for walks and things like that. They said if no one responded to the sign within a day or two they would have to take him to the pound."

  "So you took him," Liam assumed.

  "I took him home with no questions asked. I didn't even have a leash or collar—they had to give me a piece of rope to lead him home. I couldn't even have dogs in my apartment, but I took him anyway. I don't know what I was thinking or how I got away with it."

  "You and Simon must've climbed the ranks of London fashion scene together, then," Liam said.

  I smiled. "I guess we did," I said. "He and I went through some poor times at first."

  "How'd you end up on Rodeo Drive with your very own store after all that?"

  I let out a little laugh. "A ton of hard work. Hard, persistent work with failure and rejection and tears and poverty all rolled into it. It
wasn't always glamorous, I promise you that."

  "Did you go by way of that road you were talking about? That fashion road you mentioned? I think it started with an S."

  "You mean Savile Row? Yes. That's where I paid my dues and learned everything I know. I swept floors and ironed thousands of yards of fabric until they agreed to let me become an undercutter. I worked at the nursing home and had to work on Savile Row for free, but they finally saw that I wasn't giving up, so they started teaching me a few things."

  "And here you are," Liam said with a smile.

  "And here I am, "I said. "It sounds easier than it was."

  "I'm sure it does. That's a pretty amazing story."

  "One that I don't share with many people."

  "Maybe you like me after all."

  I laughed. "I guess maybe if I made time in my life for liking people, Mister Kennedy, I would indeed choose you to be one of them."

  He knew I was mostly kidding; I could tell by the sly grin on his face. "Sort of a compliment…" he said in a funny, skeptical tone, looking at me sideways.

  I laughed again. We were at the front of the house by now, and we came to stand a few feet away from my ride. My driver got out of the car, but he saw that I was speaking to someone, so he stayed back, giving us space. "It was a compliment," I said reaching out to shake his hand. "I shared more with you just now than I've said to people I've known for years. I don't even think Aaron or Anthony know about me finding Simon at barbershop. It's not that I'm lonely," I added when I saw Liam's expression shift like he was sad for me. "It's just that I'm a private person. I like it that way."

  Liam took a deep breath, straightening his posture and putting his hands into his pockets. He had brown eyes, but they were almost light enough to be called hazel, and in the light of the setting sun, they almost appeared golden. He had dark hair and lashes that contrasted the gold tones in his eyes. His jaw was square yet his lips were full and curved. He was more masculine than a lot of the men who came into my store, and I assumed it was for that reason that he caused my heart to beat at a rapid pace.