Best Man for the Wedding Planner

by Donna Alward

  She left the suite and rested against the wall after the door was shut. Keeping a bright face had been a big chore. She needed to take another dose of pills soon; the fever and chills were worsening, and her whole body ached.

  Her phone dinged with a text message—the quartet she’d used before was already booked for this evening. That only left one option. If they weren’t available...

  She grabbed a bottle of water, but then stopped and got a bowl of soup to get her through the day. The warm broth helped her throat, which was feeling a bit raw, and revived her a bit. Until she got the final refusal. They were two and a half hours from wedding time and had no music. Holly was not the sort of bride who would want a recording played for her walk down the aisle, either.

  Desperate times called for desperate measures. She tapped in a text message to Dan, asking for his help. By the time she’d finished her soup, he’d messaged back, saying that a pianist and flautist would be there and set up by two thirty, and if guests could wait until after that to be seated, it would allow them a few minutes to warm up.

  She hadn’t wanted to rely on him, but he had come through anyway. Just like he always had when they’d been together.

  Her heart ached a bit thinking about it. If she’d told Dan she’d been diagnosed with cancer, he would have stood beside her. If she’d told him it had spread to her uterus and she had to have a hysterectomy, he would have held her hand and insisted it would be all right.

  And then she would have had to face him every day, feeling responsible for denying him the joy of his own children. Wondering if he would grow to resent her as his siblings had children and they remained childless. If he’d regret staying with her all that time, and if he’d eventually stop loving her.

  The way her dad had stopped loving her mom.

  Dan was still a good man. And he had come through today, helping her out of a jam. But nothing had really changed.

  Nothing at all.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  DAN HAD GLIMPSED Adele briefly when she’d dropped off the boutonnieres to Pete’s suite, but she’d slipped in and out again so quickly, he hadn’t had time to speak to her. Her cheeks had looked flushed, though, and her eyes strangely bright. He supposed it might be because everything was coming down to the wire.

  As he and the groom and other groomsmen stepped out of the elevator, the muted sound of piano and flute touched his ears. He let out a sigh of relief. A Calgary colleague had a daughter studying music and it had only taken one phone call and the promise of a generous last-minute fee to arrange something. They were almost to the doors of the hall when Adele came around the corner, her phone in hand.

  “Whoa,” he said, reaching out and grabbing her arms to avoid a collision.

  She looked up, dazed. “Oh, gosh, sorry!” Her cheeks flushed a deep pink. “I didn’t even see you...all.” She looked around at the rest of the men. “But this is perfect timing. You all know what to do, yes? And we’re just about ready to open the doors and begin seating the guests.”

  “Pete and I will hang back and go in with the JP,” Dan said, letting go of her arms.

  “Yes, that’s perfect.” She smiled a little. “Everything is finally coming together. The last few minutes can get a little manic, though the idea is to appear as if everything is tranquil and calm.”

  The groomsmen headed for the main doors, and Pete saw someone he knew and sidestepped to say hello.

  Dan looked down at her and frowned a little. Her eyes were brighter than normal, and not in a good way. He lifted his hand and touched her forehead. “Oh, my. You’re sick, aren’t you?”

  She swatted his hand away. “Don’t say a word. I’m doing okay. It’s just a touch of...something.”

  “The timing is horrible.”

  “Don’t I know it.” Her face softened, though, when she looked up at him. “Dan, thank you for the assist earlier. The soloist is just perfect. How did you know who to call?”

  He was more pleased than he should have been at her gratitude, and it didn’t settle well. “The guy who moved to Calgary to set up the satellite office, his daughter studies music. I gave him a call, she was available and brought an accompanist, and there you go.”

  She smiled at him, a genuine smile. Maybe she was delirious. “You make it sound like no big thing, but it totally saved my butt today. And I’m not in the habit of it needing saving.”

  “I’m coming to realize that. Anyway, I’m glad I could help.” He had to stop looking into her eyes. It made him forget how much he resented her for walking away. “Pete’s a good friend, and Holly’s a sweet person. They deserve their fairy-tale day.”

  And he would not be bitter about it. Just because he’d been prepared to propose after graduation...it hardly mattered now. Clearly it wasn’t meant to be.

  Her phone vibrated. “Call?” he asked.

  She shook her head. “Alarm. It’s time to get you with Ms. Fraser, and time for me to head upstairs for the bride and bridesmaids.”

  She turned to leave but he put a hand on her arm. “Are you really okay? Considering people are dropping like flies with this bug...”

  She looked at his fingers for a moment, and then looked up into his face. For a fleeting moment, something passed between them. Not regret, not awkwardness. If he didn’t know better, he’d swear it was longing. But that didn’t make any sense. She’d left him. And never looked back.

  “I’ve been drinking lots of tea. It helps.”

  “Okay,” he responded. There was nothing to be done, anyway. The wedding would go on and she was stubborn enough to power through. He’d learned last night not to bother insisting on anything. Adele was far more stubborn than he remembered.

  The next time he saw her, she was standing by the door of the hall, cradling an actual mug instead of a paper cup. He moved into position at the front, standing next to Pete, while the ushers took their places to his left. She took a sip and then put the mug down on a small table at the back, rolled her shoulders and gave the flautist a nod.

  When the opening bars of Gounod’s Ave Maria sounded, she slipped out the door.

  Then the doors opened—both sides—and the first bridesmaid entered, her hair perfect, smile wide, her navy dress rippling along the carpet runner. Then the next bridesmaid and the maid of honor, all carrying identical bouquets of mostly white blooms with silvery accents. Looking around at the twinkly trees, flowers, chairs and other preparations, Dan started to understand exactly how much planning went into a wedding day, and how Adele had taken Holly’s vision of her magical day and made it a reality. A new respect for her blossomed. She was good at this. Really good.

  The music changed, shifting to Pachelbel’s Canon, and Holly stepped inside the doors.

  A collective gasp went up from the guests, and one glance at Pete told Dan his best friend was a goner. Pete’s hands were folded in front of him, but Dan saw the fingers clench and release several times as Holly started her walk up the aisle. And when Pete’s eyes misted over, Dan reached inside his pocket and took out a pristine white handkerchief. When he handed it over, an emotional laugh fluttered across the room, making the vibe suddenly very warm and personal.

  He looked to the back of the room and saw Adele standing there, a satisfied smile on her face.

  He gave her a brief nod before turning back to the ceremony.

  And yet, as the people he cared about said their I dos, as he handed over the wedding band and signed the register, he couldn’t stop a hole from opening in his chest. This should have been them. It would have been them, if it had been his choice. And maybe it was better this way. Maybe she’d known something he didn’t, and they wouldn’t have lasted. Not getting married had to be better than going through with it and divorcing later.

  But for the first time in several years, he came face-to-face with the fact that he’d never gotten over her. And now he wasn’
t sure if he ever would.

  * * *

  Relief was the only emotion Adele felt right now.

  She had twenty-five whole minutes during the ceremony to sit down at the back of the room, out of sight, and sip her tea, which was miraculously still hot. One of the waitresses for the cocktail hour had noticed her sniffling and had brought her a fresh cup, a very thoughtful gesture and one of the reasons Adele loved having events at the Fiori Cascade. Luca, Mariella and their team did a fabulous job.

  But once she got through her mental checklist for the ceremony, making sure nothing needed the smallest tweak, she found her mind wandering to Dan.

  His help and concern today had been utterly unexpected, but he had backed off instead of pressing the issue like he had last night. Of course, he’d made it plain he was doing it for Pete, and not for her. Still, he didn’t have to. And then that moment when he’d put his hand on her arm...there’d been something. Something that was impossible to ignore, even though she knew she should.

  But again...she’d never stopped caring about him. So maybe she should stop thinking and just give herself a break. It was natural for feelings to crop up, wasn’t it?

  Dan handed the ring over to Ms. Fraser and then stood back, clasping his hands loosely in front of him. He was still so handsome, too. And when he’d grabbed her arms this afternoon, stopping her from colliding with everyone, he’d smelled the same as she remembered.

  I’ve got to be delirious, she thought to herself. She was spending far too much time thinking about the best man when she should be thinking about the next steps the moment the ceremony ended.

  But sitting down had been a bad idea. Now she felt as if a fifty-pound weight was tied to her feet, and she didn’t want to get up. Exhaustion started to creep up on her, and she knew that was a bad thing. A few more hours were all she needed. Once dinner was served, once the cake was cut and the first dances over with, everything else would just play out. The guests would enjoy the open bar and the music, the happy couple would retreat to the honeymoon suite, and that was that.

  A few hours. She could make it.

  But first, she had to stand up.

  She got to her feet and made a point of draining the mug of honey lemon tea. The flautist was playing something simple now as the bride, groom and witnesses signed the register. It would only be a few more minutes and they would walk out of the hall as Mr. and Mrs., and Adele would zip up to the lounge to ensure the cocktail hour was ready to go.

  That she was feeling weaker by the moment didn’t help matters. At all.

  But she persevered, mentally pushing through by reminding herself she could sleep all day tomorrow if she wanted to. She dashed to the lounge to ensure the champagne was chilled and the bartender ready, as well as the waitstaff who would circulate with hot and cold hors d’oeuvres. She slipped out of sight as all two hundred and fifty guests made their way past the wedding party. Immediate family would stay behind for pictures.

  Once the hall was clear, Adele and the Cascade staff leaped into action. The whole room was reconfigured, adding tables and moving the chairs around them, and then topping the tables with navy and white linens. Adele blew her nose and then reached in her bag for hand sanitizer before helping place the centerpieces on each table. Place settings were added. A tech crew came in and adjusted the microphones and added a podium for the emcee and speeches. The potted trees were moved for a more precise placement and the showstopper, the champagne table, was wheeled in and prepared.

  Which meant that it was time to bring in the sculptures.

  Adele checked her watch. It was ten minutes to five—perfect. The doors would open to the reception at five thirty, giving the ice an hour more time than initially planned. The man with the dolly seemed to have disappeared and the setup staff were clearing away the unnecessary items, so she retrieved the dolly herself and pulled it to the glass doors leading to the patio. Three sculptures. She could handle that. Better to get started now than waste time searching for someone to help. Forty pounds was nothing...or at least, normally nothing. Today she thought it might as well be a hundred, but she’d manage. So far, so good.

  The air was frigid, and bit through her cashmere sweater as if it was nothing. It didn’t help that she hadn’t grabbed gloves. Her shoes squeaked as she walked across the stone, little bits of snow stuck in the mortar. Three sculptures. It wouldn’t take long and she’d be back inside, toasty and warm again.

  The first icy square was manageable, but just. She grunted as she lifted it onto the dolly, and when it was secured, she stood, stretched her back and caught her breath. Her heart pounded unusually fast, disproportionate to the exertion it would normally take to heft that much weight. A shiver ran through her and she shuddered, feeling the sudden urge to cry. Why did she have to be sick, today of all days?

  She was just reaching for the second block when a pair of hands appeared beside her. She looked up to see Dan, his breath frosty in the air, coming to assist. She shouldn’t let him, but the help was so welcome that she took a step back. “What are you doing out here?”

  “Photos on the patio. Right now it’s just Pete and Holly, and I saw you come out.” He lifted the sculpture as if it weighed nothing and placed it on the dolly. “Are you crazy? You’re sick and you don’t even have a jacket on.”

  “I know,” she admitted. “I’m in get-it-done mode, but it’s freezing.” She reached for the last sculpture, determined to show him she was fine. But she lifted, stood and everything went woozy.

  “I got it.” He took the weight from her hands. “I’m guessing you don’t want to drop one of these.”

  “They’re not big, but they sure do cost a lot,” she admitted. “Thank you again, Dan. You keep running to my rescue. Normally that’d make me mad, but today I’m just grateful.”

  He put his hand on the handle of the dolly and started pulling it toward the doors. “You’re really sick, huh?”

  She nodded. “I feel worse now than I did this morning. But we’re nearly there.” She tried a laugh as she opened the door for him. “I can manage.”

  They got inside and he unloaded the ice blocks to their spot on the table. She knew she shouldn’t read too much into his actions today, but he really had gone above and beyond.

  “Dan, I mean it. Thank you. I know we... That is, it’s...”

  “We don’t need to talk about it,” he said, his voice sharper than before. “It’s over and done with.”

  The teamwork vibe of only moments before was obliterated with his terse reply.

  “Look, I’ve got to get back out there. You’ve got this. I’ll see you later.”

  He spun on his heel and disappeared back out onto the cold patio, leaving frost in his wake.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  SHE WAS EVERYWHERE.

  Dan had hoped that Adele would disappear once the reception started, but he saw her here and there, flitting about, adjusting the microphone for the emcee, switching place cards at the last minute, supervising servers.

  He sat at the head table with the other members of the wedding party. The mood was celebratory and he did his best to join in and not bring it down, but it was hard with reminders of Adele all around him.

  He picked at the watercress and arugula salad, barely tasted the soup. When his main came, a delicious-smelling plate of stuffed chicken and asparagus risotto, he made more of an effort. He looked over at Holly, whose face was alight with happiness. Pete leaned over and kissed the crest of her cheek. Dan reached for his glass of wine and took a sip, and then wished for something stronger.

  He’d stepped in to help Adele several times, and he kept asking himself why. She certainly didn’t need rescuing, and he didn’t owe her anything. He might pass it off as simple good manners, but he knew that would be a lie. He refused to label it further, but it annoyed him just the same.

  He’d nearly finished his chic
ken when Adele came forward and knelt between Pete and Holly’s chairs.

  “Sorry to bother you,” she said softly, “but I was wondering if you’d like something else to drink, Holly? I noticed you haven’t touched your champagne. Is it okay?”

  “Oh.” Holly was turned slightly toward Dan’s side of the table and he could see her face. Her cheeks colored and she looked to Pete, who grinned.

  “I might as well tell you,” she answered quietly. Dan could barely hear her. “We were waiting until after the wedding to say anything, but since you noticed I’m not drinking... We’re expecting.”

  Adele’s face paled and her knuckles whitened around the rungs of Pete’s chair. But she recovered quickly and smiled brightly. “Oh, that’s lovely news! Mum’s the word, I promise.” She laughed a little, but Dan had known her long enough to know it wasn’t quite her genuine, heartfelt laugh. “Mum’s the word. Get it?”

  Awkward. That was the only way to describe the moment. He didn’t know what to do, either. He’d never noticed Holly abstaining during their other meals together, but it was easy enough to assume a mixed drink contained alcohol.

  Pregnant.

  Adele pushed herself to standing again and smiled. “In that case, I’ll just make sure your water is topped up, unless you’d like something else.”

  “I’m fine, really.” Holly couldn’t contain her smile. “And thank you, Adele. You were right. Today has been perfect.”

  “I’m glad. I’d better disappear into the woodwork again. Just shout if you need anything.”

  She disappeared out a side door, but not before he saw her pale face or the shadows beneath her eyes. He wasn’t sure if she’d taken more meds, but she was clearly feeling worse by the minute.

  But it wasn’t his problem. Not in the least.

  CHAPTER SIX