In Sickness and In Elf (Paranormal Wedding Planners Book 1)

by AE Jones

“Does the rest of your team know?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well I’m glad Charlie knows, it’ll make it easier to work with him.”

  His gut twisted. Why the hell was she already thinking about working with Charlie?

  She shook her head. “I thought we told each other everything.”

  “What are you talking about?” Devin barked. “You just met him.”

  She grimaced at him. “I’m not talking about Charlie. I’m talking about Sheila!”

  “Not telling you is a matter of survival for her. Supernaturals normally try to avoid doing anything that might trigger crazed human mobs with pitchforks and torches coming after them.”

  “I would never do that!”

  “No, you wouldn’t, but once the truth is out there, the danger increases exponentially.”

  She took a ragged breath and rubbed her eyes. “What do I do now?”

  “You don’t have to do anything. Sheila is still your friend, right? Take a step back and think before you say or do something that jeopardizes your friendship.”

  She finally sat down. “Yes, Sheila is still my friend. Do you know what WN means? Maybe it’s another form of witch?”

  He shrugged. “It could mean a number of species. Instead of me speculating, you should find out for sure from Peggy.”

  She huffed. “That’s where I was going before you plowed into me. Why were you in such a rush?”

  He couldn’t say it. Not right now, at least. “No reason.”

  * * *

  “She’s a woodland nymph,” Peggy said, with a chagrined expression. “I’m sorry you found out this way. If it had occurred to me that you would check older files, I would have deleted this out of Sheila’s record.”

  Alex sat down across from Peggy. It was just the two of them in the office, but the still room closed in on her. She swallowed around the lump in her throat. Her best friend was a nymph? She didn’t even know what to ask. “Why didn’t you tell me, Peggy?”

  “It wasn’t my place to tell you. I wouldn’t betray Sheila, or any client’s confidentiality.”

  “What…is a nymph?”

  “A nymph is a supernatural being, a member of the Fae family, who is linked to nature. Woodland nymphs are tied to the forest. They gain power from it.”

  “What type of power?”

  “It varies according to the branch of nymph. I have no idea what Sheila’s exact powers are.”

  Alex sighed, rubbing the back of her neck. Peggy watched her closely.

  “Think everything through before you talk to her.”

  “I might not even ask her about it.”

  Peggy shook her head. “I know you, Alex. You aren’t going to be able to let this go. Why don’t you talk to Devin about it first?”

  Alex bristled. “Why would I do that?”

  “Because he’s dealt with touchy situations before and might be able to give you some advice.”

  “But this isn’t a dangerous situation. This is Sheila. Do you honestly think she will hurt me if she finds out I know the truth?”

  “Of course not. But I don’t want you to say or do something you’ll regret later.”

  Lorinda’s Wedding Tip: Convince the bride to get to know the groomsmen. It will make for a smoother wedding experience overall.

  Chapter 16

  Since when did sexy lumberjacks start opening doors?

  Alex gaped at the man in front of her. Cargo pants, boots, and a red Henley fit his muscular frame. His jet black hair was cut short, and his blue eyes appraised her.

  “Can I help you?”

  Alex read the house number to confirm the address. “Is Devin here? I’m Alex Bennett.”

  He nodded and stepped back. “Yep, come in. I’m Jack.”

  As soon as she walked in, she stumbled to a stop. Across the way, there was another gorgeous specimen. Charlie had told her Jack and Connor were brothers, but he’d neglected to mention they were twins. Connor was a carbon copy of his brother, except he was wearing jeans and a light blue button-down shirt and had dark green eyes.

  “You must be Connor.”

  He got up and held out his hand to her with a grin that would melt butter. Good Lord, where did Devin get his crew, GQ?

  “Wow, I wasn’t expecting identical twins,” Alex mumbled. “Why are your eyes different colors?”

  The brothers exchanged a look and then Connor explained. “We like to be unexpected. I wear colored contacts.”

  Heat rushed to Alex’s face. Before she muttered anything else inappropriate, Connor gestured for her to sit down…but a hairy blur beat her to the seat. The cat was splotchy gray and black and was missing a chunk of one ear.

  Jack shook his head. “We should have warned you not to sit there. Monster has claimed it as his seat. You’re not allergic to cats, are you?”

  “No, he just startled me. Is he your mascot?”

  Connor quirked a half grin. “Monster wouldn’t settle for being a mere mascot. He thinks he’s a team member. He’s Gizmo’s cat. Not a very friendly guy, but we keep him around just the same.”

  “Gizmo or the cat?”

  Connor chuckled. “The cat. He loves Giz, hates Devin for some reason, and tolerates the rest of us.”

  Charlie sauntered into the room. “Hello, darlin’. Didn’t expect to see you here.”

  “Why not?”

  “I was under the impression you were sitting this one out.”

  Alex narrowed her eyes on him. What did he mean? Based on his smirk, she wasn’t sure if he was teasing her or not.

  Devin would not stop her from helping her grandmother and proving she could be a useful part of Bennett Bridal again. “I’m not sitting anything out.”

  Charlie nodded. “Let me go get our fearless leader so we can get this show started.”

  * * *

  Devin sat at the kitchen table and pinched the bridge of his nose. His head pounded, an entire percussion section having taken up residence inside his skull. The wedding was set for tomorrow. He was determined to make sure nothing went wrong on his watch.

  “You ready to go over plans?” Charlie asked from the doorway.

  “Yeah, I’ll be right there.” He glanced up at Charlie, who looked gleeful. “What’s up with you?”

  “Alex is here for the briefing.” He moved closer and lowered his voice. “I thought you were giving her the boot. As a matter of fact, I distinctly remember, and I quote, ‘This woman is nothing but trouble. I’m done with her.’”

  Devin scowled. “She was upset about something else. It wasn’t the right time to tell her.”

  “Riiiight.”

  Devin got up and marched toward the living room. He didn’t owe him an explanation for keeping Alex on the team. Hell, he barely understood it himself. But when he saw how fragile she was after learning about her best friend Sheila, he hadn’t the heart to yell at her.

  “Let’s get this over with.”

  He entered the living room with Charlie close behind. Connor was entertaining Alex, and, from the look on her smiling face, she was eating it up. Even Jack, the quiet one, had joined the conversation. Why were his men a bunch of hound dogs? The pounding in his head increased.

  “Let’s go over the plans for Saturday,” he interrupted.

  “We’ve got points of entry covered,” Charlie began. “Jack and Connor instructed the guards on protocol for tomorrow. The staff has been vetted. Anyone not on the list will be kept out of the wedding.”

  Devin nodded. “What about the guest list?”

  Connor reached for a computer tablet on the table and clicked on a file. “The guest list has also been reviewed. One hundred and fifty potential guests, most of whom are high-profile supernaturals.”

  “And how are we mitigating risk?” Devin continued.

  Connor set the tablet back down. “The guests will be led through an arbor that contains a hidden metal detector.”

  Alex shook her head slightly and Devin turned to her. “Do you hav
e something to add?”

  She hesitated. Devin watched in exasperation when she turned to Charlie who nodded encouragingly.

  “I don’t think they’ll use conventional weapons.”

  Devin didn’t think so either, but didn’t want to leave anything to chance. “Why do you think that?”

  “Every incident has been a carefully targeted attack on the vulnerabilities of the particular supernaturals who are getting married. They have not resorted to conventional weapons to ruin a wedding.”

  Before Devin could respond, Connor jumped in. “Good thinking, Alex. We’re also going to bring in black shucks to walk the perimeter with the guards. Two will be stationed at the entrance.”

  Alex’s mouth opened slightly. “Aren’t they the black dogs that supposedly work for the devil?”

  No one spoke for a moment while Devin stared at her. She was full of surprises.

  Her gaze bounced between their faces. “Why do you look so shocked? I took a mythology class in college.”

  Connor broke the silence and smiled at her. “They are not in league with the devil. They’re the supernatural version of drug-sniffing dogs. They can detect various supernatural devices that someone might try to smuggle inside.”

  Alex leaned forward. “Wow. What about the wedding party? The groom is a gargoyle. How can he be hurt?”

  Charlie answered. “They’re pretty hardy. Acid is one of the few things that can hurt them. And of course beheading.”

  “Beheading…that one goes without saying, right?” Alex asked. “Unless there’s a type of supernatural who can grow its head back? Or would they grow their body back?”

  Jack laughed. Even Monster was staring at her with a gleam in his eyes.

  Devin clenched his fists. When did he lose control of this meeting? He cleared his throat and everyone quieted down…except Alex.

  “It sounds like you have everything under control,” she announced.

  He clamped his jaw shut for a moment and started to count to ten until he saw the smirks on his men’s faces. “I’m so glad you approve.”

  She flattened her lips into a thin line, but didn’t respond to his taunt.

  He wrestled his composure back into place before turning to his men. “You already have your assignments for tomorrow. Unless you have questions, I think we’re done.”

  Everyone started to stand until Alex spoke up. “What’s my assignment tomorrow?”

  Devin didn’t frown, but it was close. There was no way he would allow Alex in a dangerous situation. “Gizmo will need some help in the van tracking things.”

  “No.”

  Devin took a step toward her. “No?”

  “I see what you’re up to. You want me out of the way.”

  Hell, yes, he wanted her out of the way. “You’re going to be our central contact to make sure everything is running according to plan.”

  She shook her head. “I can do that better mingling with the guests.”

  Devin glared at her before transferring the glare to his men, who were looking back and forth between them like it was a championship tennis match. “Give us a minute.”

  The three went to the kitchen and closed the door. Once they were alone, Devin lasered in on Alex. Her chin jutted up and her eyes sparked. But he was not about to back down.

  “We need to talk about chain of command,” he said.

  “I couldn’t agree more. You’re working for my family.”

  * * *

  The back kitchen door opened and Gizmo walked in, arms full of cords and equipment. “What’s going on?”

  “Shhh,” Connor hissed from his station at the door, “I’m trying to listen.”

  “To who?” Gizmo asked.

  “Devin and Alex are arguing.”

  “Who the hell is Alex?”

  Charlie interrupted him, “We’ll fill you in later, Giz. Too bad the cat can’t talk. We could cross examine him later. What are they saying now?”

  Connor put his ear against the door again. “I don’t hear much of anything right now.”

  Jack shrugged from his perch on a kitchen stool. “Maybe they’re making out.”

  Charlie chuckled. “They aren’t there yet. Still playing the foreplay game.”

  Gizmo’s mouth dropped open. “Devin’s making out with a guy?”

  Jack reached over and smacked him upside the head. “No, you moron, Alex is a girl.”

  Gizmo set his equipment on the table. “Thank God. If you really want to know what’s going on, why don’t we just watch them on the monitor?”

  Connor jerked away from the door. “What monitor?”

  “I was testing a new micro-camera earlier and set it up in the living room.” Gizmo grabbed a laptop off the counter and turned it on. “We should be able to see what’s going on.”

  Jack shifted nervously. “Maybe we shouldn’t.”

  Connor shook his head. “I can’t believe we are from the same litter. What difference does it make whether I listen at the door or we watch?”

  “They could be doing something they don’t want us to see.”

  “Jesus, bro, you need to get laid. Quit analyzing things so much.”

  Gizmo tapped on the keyboard until the living room appeared on the screen. Devin and Alex were squared off, glaring at the other, hands clenched at their sides.

  “There’s nothing to discuss,” Alex announced. “I’m going to the wedding.”

  “You don’t get to decide that,” Devin replied in a low voice.

  Her hands jammed on her hips. “Actually, I do. It’s my family’s business. There’s no way I’m letting the people who work for Bennett Bridal be in the thick of things while I sit in a stupid van.”

  “I don’t like it.”

  “You don’t have to like it. Making you happy isn’t the point. The point is to stop the sabotage.”

  Devin grimaced. “From where I stand, this discussion is actually about keeping you happy, not me.”

  She got in his face and poked his chest for emphasis. “I refuse to let my family down this time.”

  “Fine.” Devin blew a harsh breath. “But you’re not playing secret agent, either. If something goes wrong, you fall back. Got it?”

  “Got it.” Alex smiled triumphantly before heading for the door. “I’ll see you at the country club tomorrow.”

  Devin closed the door and thumped his head against it, mumbling to himself.

  Gizmo let out a low whistle. “Damn. Dev’s about ready to self-combust.”

  Charlie grinned. “Jack isn’t the only one who needs to get laid.”

  Lorinda’s Wedding Tip: Children and animals will wreak havoc with even the most meticulously planned weddings.

  Chapter 17

  It would be so much easier if everyone was wearing “Hello, my species is…” name tags. While Alex observed the wedding guests mingling on the country club lawn, she couldn’t help wondering who was human and who was supernatural.

  A tent had been set up next to the swimming pool for the reception following the ceremony in the clubhouse. So far Alex had avoided the clubhouse, because as long as she was outside, it was easy to imagine she was at a fancy party instead of a wedding. There was no bride or groom in sight to start her heart stuttering in her chest.

  Alex walked over to the entrance where Jack stood in a tuxedo checking guests off a list. Next to him were two mammoth dogs that looked like a cross between a Great Dane and a wolf. Their noses quivered and their eyes scoured each guest from head to toe for several seconds. Then, after an almost imperceptible nod of their enormous heads, turned their attention to the next in line. Even more interesting, most of the guests were not shocked to see them. Maybe that’s how she could determine who the humans were in the mix. They were probably the ones backing away at the sight of the behemoths.

  “Alex.”

  She turned to see Sheila waving at her, looking wonderful as usual in a yellow halter dress and heels which somehow she was able to maneuver in graceful
ly without sinking into the lawn.

  Alex tapped her fingers against her leg. She had been avoiding Sheila since finding out she was supernatural. Not because she didn’t want to be her friend, but because she didn’t know how to deal with the truth, or her feelings of betrayal that Sheila had never mentioned it.

  “Hello.”

  “I didn’t know you were working actual weddings again.”

  Alex shrugged. “With the trouble Grandmother’s been having, I volunteered to help.”

  “Where’s your grandmother?”

  “Inside the clubhouse making sure everything’s ready.” Alex hesitated for a moment. “I didn’t know you’d be here. How do you know the couple?”

  “Michelle is a student in my spin class.”

  “Small world.”

  “I guess. Do you need any help?”

  “Nope.”

  Sheila’s eyebrows rose slightly. “How are you doing with being here?”

  “I’m okay.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yep.” Alex put her hand up to her earpiece as if someone was speaking to her. After a second she smiled tightly. “Sorry I can’t talk right now, I’ve got to check on a few things.”

  Alex walked away, guilt weighing down every step, especially since Sheila was being so nice to her. But she had a job to do right now, and Sheila would have to wait. Or at least that’s what she told herself.

  * * *

  Devin watched Alex stride across the lawn. Based on the speed of her departure and agitated way she was clenching her hands, she was upset. Had she seen something the rest of them had missed? He touched his earpiece. “What’s going on, Alex?”

  She jerked slightly and scanned the grounds until she saw him standing near the clubhouse. She walked toward him, slowed her steps, and shook her head slightly. As she got closer, he could tell she was scowling.

  “Why are you watching me instead of the crowd?”

  That was a good question, but he didn’t give her an explanation. “You’re upset. Why?”

  She waited to answer until she stood in front of him. She tucked her hair behind her ear. “I’m not upset.”

  “Really? Then why’d you just push your hair behind your ear? Don’t ever play poker for money.”