No Groom Like Him

by Jeanie London

  “Aunt Lily Susan, Jakie’s being gross.”

  Jake shook his head. “Nuh-uh. I’m making my own message. Like Madeleine.”

  “I’m not gross, Jake.” Madeleine stood her ground. “I made a special message for Mrs. Riley. See, Madame Lily Susan, it’s in French. Je t’aime.”

  I love you.

  “That’s a beautiful message,” Lily agreed, “And Mrs. Riley will love it. We need to mark the box so it doesn’t get mixed up with all the others, and you can give it to her special. Camille and Jake, you guys, too. You can make special messages for Mom.”

  “I got one already.” Jake stood back so Lily could see what he’d arranged with the letters.

  “Jacob.” She stifled a laugh. “Camille’s right. Penie is not a word.”

  “Told you.” Camille pumped a fist in the air triumphantly.

  Jake blew her off with a snicker. “Oh, yeah, it is, Aunt Lily Susan. Penie’s a word. It’s a boy word.”

  Lily didn’t have an answer for that one. She only bit back more laughter, so reminded of Mike. His son was so much like him, a mischievous little charmer.

  “Do you really think your mom’s going to want to eat penie cookies on her wedding day, Jake?” Lily asked.

  Jake snickered. “It’ll make her laugh.”

  No doubt there. Riley would have to be good-natured to put up with these two without sprouting gray hair.

  Mom intervened to put an end to the discussion. “If you want to make your mom laugh at her wedding then write a joke message. One without body parts.”

  They resumed the assembly line. Kids assembled the messages. Lily packed the cookies gingerly into the boxes. Mom secured the boxes with bows that had little pinecones attached to the ribbons.

  Lily thought they’d finished all private conversations, but as they met at the counter where they were stacking the favors, Rosie whispered, “I accept that you’re fine, Lily Susan, but are you happy? Because that’s what I want for my family. I want all of you to be fine and happy. Nothing less.” She met Lily’s gaze with familiar eyes that seemed to reflect all the love she felt inside, and always had. “So if you’re happy, I’m happy. Are you happy?”

  Was she?

  Lily was saved from replying when Max reappeared, still damp around the edges from a shower. His cheeks were pink from where he’d shaved. His Henley shirt hinted at all the hard muscles below, and he looked so handsome in that moment, he took Lily’s breath away.

  Her mom glanced between them and narrowed her gaze. Not so long ago Lily would have been able to reassure her mom. But not now. Right now she honestly couldn’t say what she was.

  And somehow Mom knew it.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  THE SUN HAD barely risen on Riley and Scott’s wedding day—a day that promised perfectly crisp autumn weather both bright and clear—and Lily was already dealing with nonsense. Not wedding nonsense thankfully, but the never-ending-nightmare-of-her-life nonsense.

  She’d opened her eyes this morning to find tweet after tweet from her followers, expressing concern and offering best wishes in support after an online celebrity-reporting site had launched photos of Lucas’s ex-fling, clearly not pregnant, leaving the Piazza Hotel in Manhattan with a man who wouldn’t allow himself to be photographed.

  Everyone assumed the man was Lucas, of course. The headline: Is the Mystery Man a Mystery?

  Lily hadn’t tweeted a reply, but had allowed herself a quiet morning—and caffeine—before trying to wrap her brain around this latest bomb. But even now, with the brain cells firing and a few more details knocked off her wedding checklist, Lily still hadn’t decided how she should respond. Or even if she should.

  Heading toward the paddock, she paused to open the gate only to find Max coming down the slope in her wake. She blinked, and for a split second couldn’t reconcile the sight of him looking so completely gorgeous, casually dressed in jeans and a tweed jacket, with the time and place.

  “The wedding doesn’t start for a few hours,” she said, shaking off her surprise. “What are you doing here so early? Wait a minute. Did my dad ask you to keep an eye on Joey?”

  A slow smile spread over that attractive face as he covered the distance between them. “No, he didn’t.”

  “Then why are you here?”

  Max didn’t answer right away. Instead, he leaned against the wooden fence and crossed his arms over his chest. “Riley told me you were on your way to the barn.”

  “Do you need something?”

  He shook his head. “Just wanted to see how you were doing. Offer my help if you needed it.”

  It took Lily a second to put two and two together. “The mystery man.”

  He nodded.

  “The mystery man is a mystery.” Lily let the gate fall shut.

  “So you don’t think he’s your ex?” Max got straight to the point. “Why else would he cover his head with a jacket so the paparazzi couldn’t get a photo to identify him?”

  Lily wasn’t entirely sure why Max thought this was his business. She wanted to ask, but continuing to avoid it wasn’t going to do a thing except keep the whole stupid mess simmering in the back of her brain while she tried to work. She needed to come up with an official response soon, anyway. No comment would work for the press but not for her Twitter followers, who were kind enough to care.

  “Knowing the way the ex-fling operates, my guess is this is an attempt to manufacture more press. I mean why else would she file a lawsuit she can’t possibly win?”

  “Makes sense.”

  She didn’t want to discuss this, especially not with him, but in the quiet predawn, with the first birds awakening and the air scented with cool pine, she found him all too easy to talk to. “I spoke with Lucas while we were fitting the kids’ outfits.” When she’d found out her idiot big brother had been running his mouth in front of the kids. “He mentioned that he’d changed his plans so I wouldn’t have to worry about running into him during designer week. He sent his assistant, thought it best to lay low since news of the lawsuit broke.”

  “You believe him?” Max asked.

  Lily considered that. Hooking an elbow over the rail, she stared into the paling dawn, at the freshly raked lawn leading from the house to the stable. At the wooden cart filled to the brim with clean hay. Soon there would be an archway there, too, decorated in crimson and green hydrangeas, big leathery leaves, pinecones and orange twinkle lights to mark the site where Riley and Scott would exchange vows then start off life as man and wife with a hayride to the stream.

  “Doesn’t matter what I believe anymore. Lucas claims he dumped the woman when he found out she’d tipped off the press to their whereabouts. I do believe that. Despite his faults, he’s an incredible businessman, and his reputation has taken a beating because I’m so visible to the public. He’s the bad guy.”

  “Rightfully so, as far as I’m concerned.”

  Lily couldn’t suppress a chuckle, and appreciated Max’s family loyalty. “He’s angry—at himself and his lack of judgment—for letting a woman get the better of him because his ego needed to be stroked. Suggests weakness on his part. No, I really don’t see him risking more damage to the company he has built from the ground up for a woman so clearly focused on furthering her own self-interests.”

  “That makes sense, too.”

  And it did. They’d always had business in common. A career couple, her mother had called them.

  Lily stared at Max, a man who cared. A man who would get up early on a Saturday and drive all the way from Hyde Park to check on her.

  A man she’d always cared about even though he hadn’t really been a part of her life in a long time. He was the sort of man she would want in her life if she was choosing.

  And staring into the beautiful dawn, a day filled with promises, not only for Riley and Scott, but also for everyone lucky enough to open their eyes on a new day, Lily knew without question that she hadn’t been happy in a long time.

  There was her
answer.

  “You okay?” he asked and the concern was there in those piercing eyes. “Got a lot to deal with today.”

  He wasn’t referring to Lucas, but Mike. “You’re very sweet to think of me, but I’m good. Glad we got this media nonsense out of the way before the festivities begin. Not that I expect anyone to bring up that foolishness on Riley’s big day. Not even Joey.” She smiled, hoping to reassure him. “By the way, thanks for dragging him away the other day.”

  “Don’t mention it. He’s only upset because he cares.”

  Her mom had said the same thing. She hadn’t needed to. Lily knew. So many people who cared. Even Max. “I’ve been away too long. Got a few things to clean up now that I’m back.”

  He only nodded, seemed to understand.

  “And I appreciate you making a trip all the way here to check on me.”

  “My pleasure, Lily Susan. I hope you take time to enjoy the day. You get to be a guest for a change. Sort of, anyway.”

  “Sort of is right.” She rolled her eyes.

  Silence fell between them, filled with such expectation, as if neither knew what came next but didn’t want to disturb the moment, didn’t want it to end.

  At least she didn’t.

  No, in that moment, Lily felt expectation, and an excitement she couldn’t remember feeling in so long.

  For a man who had no place in her life.

  “I’ve got to inspect the barn,” she said quickly, somehow not able to meet his gaze. Not when the thoughts racing through her brain were all about the reasons why his lifestyle didn’t work with hers, about what his mouth might feel like if they kissed. “Thanks, Max. I really appreciate you coming by.”

  “My pleasure, Lily Susan.”

  Then he reached for her hand and brought it to his lips.

  Her heart stalled in her chest, quit on the edge of a beat, as his warm mouth brushed her skin.

  “I’m glad you’re okay.” He turned and headed to the house.

  For a stunned moment, Lily watched him retreat, not registering much more than the attractive sight he made and the way her insides tingled.

  It was only when he took the back stairs two at a time and disappeared inside that Lily managed to shake off her daze, too.

  God, she had to get a grip. She needed to focus, to work. She had every reason to be happy. No heaters were necessary because the weather was cooperating. The barn should be perfectly comfortable once the sun rose. There would be sixty people inside, lots of excitement and movement, hope and well wishes, a celebration of everything Lily loved about weddings.

  She walked across the paddock, following the path the bridal party would take in a few hours. She made note of the various places to point out to Gabrielle, who would be involving the guests in a formal photo shoot outside the barn, immortalizing this family gala.

  Lily had pulled in her own photographer, hadn’t been willing to trust Riley’s memories to anyone less talented and skilled than Gabrielle—who had been Worldwide Weddings Unlimited staff for years and created visual art with her talent.

  The barn was a work of art itself, Lily decided as she pulled open the door and flipped on a light, illuminating the scene in breathtaking glory. She skimmed her gaze over every detail, claiming this moment for herself, the deep breath before the plunge, the moment she got to see her vision in form before the action started.

  The tables were round eight-tops, and were packed in close, but still allowed enough room for movement and interaction.

  White linen draped the tables, and the centerpieces featured Madeleine’s pinecones among huge white peonies and sprigs of holly berries. The effect was earthy and woodsy, perfect for the country setting.

  Each wineglass had a tiny pinecone tied around the stem with ribbon that matched the favors doubling as place cards. Those decorative boxes, filled with their homemade sugar-cookie messages, sported personalized cards with the guests’ names, and on the flipside was the message Made with Love Especially for You.

  All true. Lily remembered the chaos in her mother’s kitchen and a windy day on the grounds of Overlook, a sweet hostess and her too-charming father.

  Twinkling orange lights decorated the railings, a sparkling adornment that extended around the barn, outlining the loft and each service station.

  The retro soda bar made a cheerful addition, with its pinstriped canopy in bright green, glass jars of long straws and a glass cooler case that held row upon row of brightly colored bottles in every flavor.

  There was another beverage station that would serve coffee, tea and cold apple cider in glass urns. Baskets of crimson hydrangea and shiny green apples decorated the table, perfectly suitable for bobbing or eating. But Lily didn’t imagine anyone would be interested in the latter with the nearby dessert bar featuring hand-dipped ice cream and child-size pumpkin baskets to fill with all sorts of retro Halloween candies—Mary Janes, Tootsie Rolls and Hershey miniatures.

  The wedding cake would be displayed on another table. It wasn’t actually a cake, but a tiered masterpiece of cupcakes in all flavors. Riley hadn’t wanted the traditional bride-and-groom topper, so the baker had decorated the top tier of cupcakes with saddle straps and placed a spun sugar saddle on top. Lily had decorated the table with huge sprays of crimson hydrangea.

  Absolutely perfect.

  “It’s so different than the last wedding you planned for me, isn’t it?” Riley whispered.

  Lily turned to find her sister-in-law standing in the doorway. “Aren’t you supposed to be enjoying a leisurely morning coffee? You know, chatting with your mom and stepdad and gearing up for the day?”

  “I got the coffee. I sucked down a whole cup while wrangling with your nephew about having Pop Tarts for breakfast.”

  “Who won?”

  Riley grimaced as if Lily should know better than to even ask the question.

  “I don’t imagine that went over too well.”

  “Um, no. The little rascal. Told him I wouldn’t even keep them in the house for snacks if he didn’t back off.” She met Lily’s gaze. “Max told me you were good, but I wanted to check for myself. Gave me a chance to get out of the chaos.”

  Lily laughed. “So, what do you think?”

  Riley raked a thoughtful gaze over the interior. “It couldn’t be more perfect. Two perfect weddings. I don’t know how you do it. The kids will be thrilled.”

  “High praise indeed.” But she’d expected Riley to be pleased today. This wedding had been designed exclusively for her. It suited her personality and her wishes.

  The last wedding had been Mike’s wedding.

  Lily had been new in the wedding-planning business back then, had worked hard to please her brother, who had wanted to please his beautiful bride. So they bypassed the chapel and were married in Shakespeare’s Garden on Vassar’s campus, where the wedding party followed Mike and Riley, who’d ridden in a horse-drawn carriage through the campus.

  “Thank you,” Riley said simply.

  “You’re welcome.”

  “Your brother was the love of my life.” Riley stared into the quiet barn but there was no missing the glint in her eyes. “I never thought I could love again, and I was at peace with that. I’ve got our children and we’ll always be his family. But I’m learning love comes in all shapes and sizes and no two loves are ever the same. I’m so very blessed. And grateful. You know how wonderful Scott is. He couldn’t possibly love us more.”

  Lily didn’t have words, couldn’t have gotten them out around the thickness in her throat if she had. Riley had tackled Mike’s death the same way she tackled life—practically and with so much strength. She was such a wonderful mom to the twins, and Lily needed Riley to know that she was grateful, too.

  But she couldn’t seem to get the words out. Instead, she gave her a big hug. And in that moment, Riley became an anchor, an example of balance and grace, and Lily managed to shake off her drifting melancholy and find a smile.

  “Now, my beautiful bride, let�
�s get you to the house for a little pampering, okay? Gabrielle will be here soon to start taking pictures of the preparations. I’ll have to be ready by then, too. And no more wrestling with my nephew, got it? I’ll deal with getting the little rascal into his monkey suit if I have to sit on him to do it.”

  Riley took a deep breath, suddenly looking every inch a fluttery bride. “Promise me you’ll do more than work today. This is a family event, and you’ve worked so hard to make it happen. I want you to enjoy being together with everyone. It’s been too long. Will you promise me?”

  Leave it to Riley to be worrying about others on her special day. “I promise.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  LILY FULLY INTENDED to keep her promise to Riley. By the time the photographer arrived at the house, Lily was dressed, made up and ready to have fun. The bride was photographed in her bedroom, attended by her daughter and mother, who’d arrived from Florida earlier in the week.

  Riley’s wedding dress was uniquely suited to a second wedding on Halloween in a barn—full-length but flowing and casual with a cotton lace overlay. Her curly hair was pulled off her face and left to drape down her back. There was no headpiece or veil, only her smile and the sparkle in her crystal blue eyes, which were her most beautiful accessories.

  The florist arrived.

  Bouquets—check.

  Boutonnieres—check.

  Serving-table arrangements—check.

  Fresh sprays for the archway and chairs—check, check.

  The groom arrived. One handsome cop set to take on a ready-made family—check.

  Camille ducked out of Riley’s bedroom to get her almost stepfather settled in Jake’s room on the opposite side of the house. “You can’t see Pop Scott until you walk down the aisle,” she informed her mom. “It’s tradition.”

  “Love of weddings seems to be a generational thing.” Riley met Lily’s reflection in the mirror.

  She laughed. “So it would seem. Just make sure you do as she says. We don’t want to spoil the romance.”