by Melissa West
“I’m so glad. I really like her, too.”
“She said you helped her select a cake?”
I shrugged. “I helped her see that she’d already made the decision herself.”
“Exactly,” Annalise said, clearly pleased. “Half of our job is keeping the bride and mother of the bride calm down enough to make the best decisions for the day. Some of them come to those decisions easily. Others need…a little push.” She winked. “But it seems as though everything will work out well with you here.”
I glanced up. “What do you mean?”
Annalise stopped in front of me. “I brought you here not only to assist me with this wedding, but to take over managing the event.”
“Wait, what?” Suddenly, my thoughts were spinning out of control, every doubt I had bubbling up. She couldn’t be serious. This was just a test, a joke.
“I have a wedding next week in the city and have to get back immediately. My flight is tomorrow morning.”
“But I thought—” Panic jolted through me.
“You’ll do great, dear. You are already doing great. I trust you to manage this. I knew the moment I sat down at the Grant-Pruitt reception that whoever designed that wedding needed to be on my team. That’s the reason I reached out to Margo.”
My mouth fell open in surprise. “You were there? I had no idea. So that’s why Margo gave me your card?”
“I saw something that day that I’d recognize anywhere—talent. You have it, Grace. Now you just need to trust yourself. So, I can stay here and walk you through each element of this wedding, even though you’ve handled dozens at the Met, or I can trust my instinct and leave you to it. My instincts have never failed me before.”
“But what about New York? I thought my job was there.”
“It is…if you want. Or you can work in the Southern region, should you desire. That choice will be yours. We often go where our brides need us, and you’re already doing that with Lindy. I thought it was wonderful how you helped her through the cake issue, and now you’re attending dancing lessons with her and Dane. It’s wonderful—great dedication to your job.”
“Wait, I’m what?” I couldn’t think straight. Annalise was leaving me. Here, in Cricket Creek, population of, like, five. Stop signs and traffic lights a suggestion. Locks a joke. And Lindy’s wedding was still weeks away. How was I going to survive down here without a single sane person—aka a New Yorker—to keep me company? And now, apparently, Lindy had signed me up for dance lessons. Dance lessons! This wasn’t happening.
“What if I make a mistake?”
Annalise placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder. “You’re going to make mistakes in this job. In any job. It’s not the mistakes that define your ability, but how you rebound from them, and something tells me your rebound is even better than your first attempt. I’ll have my phone on me at all times, and you can call whenever you need. And all the details are already set. You simply have to keep everything in order.”
Right, easy. No problem. Just make sure the entire thing goes perfectly, all on my own. Oh God. This wasn’t happening. But instead of showing how nervous I felt, I swallowed my fears and tightened my spine. “I can do this.”
“I know you can.” Then Annalise’s brow wrinkled. “I just realized you came here, I didn’t call for you. Was there something you needed?”
In all the chaos of learning Annalise was abandoning me tomorrow, I’d forgotten about Cameron’s dilemma. “Actually, I was hoping for your help. My best friend Cameron is getting married in two weeks and her wedding planner quit. Everything was okay until I discovered she never actually booked the florist, though she’d told my friend she had it covered.”
Annalise gasped. “How dare she?”
“I know! But now the florist is fully booked, and I’m nervous we won’t be able to find another in such a short amount of time.”
“Where is the venue?”
“Birmingham.”
With resolution on her face, Annalise reached for her bag, pulled out a different planner, turned several pages, then scrolled down the page with a pointed finger. “Here we go.” She reached for her phone and dialed a number. “Hello there, this is Annalise Barker. May I speak with Edith please?”
Several seconds passed, and then I heard a loud voice through the phone. Annalise grinned wide. “It’s so wonderful to speak with you as well. How are you? Yes, me too. Aging has its advantages, I’m sure, I’ve just yet to discover them!” She laughed, and I heard another laugh over the line. “I actually need a favor. I have a wedding whose florist has gone rogue. Yes, in Birmingham. The…” Annalise muted the phone and eyed me. “What’s your friend’s name?”
“Cameron Lawson. Her fiancé is Aidan Truitt.”
She pulled back. “The Aidan Truitt? One of New York’s most eligible bachelors?”
I grinned. “The very same.”
She unmuted the phone. “The Lawson-Truitt wedding. Yes.” Annalise muted again. “Is her mother Lorelei?” I nodded. “Edith? Yes, that’s the one. Really? That would be splendid. I would owe you a million. Wonderful. Chat soon, dear. Okay, good-bye.” Annalise ended the call and clapped her hands together. “Done.”
“Are you serious?”
“I never joke about wedding details.”
“You are amazing. Absolutely amazing.”
She beamed. “I try. Just be sure to add their information to our client listing, and then your friend is officially with Perfectly Wedded.”
“Thank you so much.”
“You’re welcome. Now run on so you can get ready for those dance lessons. That should be fun. You will have to let me know how it went.”
“Right. Fun.” Except my dancing ability began and ended in third grade when I tried out for jazz, fell on my face, and was laughed at by the entire class. I could jam it out on a dance floor when there were tons of people around to hide my bad moves, but this? Real dancing? Why had I agreed to meet Lindy? I should have asked for more details, hints, something. But oh no, I just happily said yes, and now I was…
I threaded my fingers together to keep from pressing them to my temple, a migraine building. I needed some Advil. No, forget that—I needed a Xanax.
Swallowing my fear, I thanked Annalise again, said good-bye, then disappeared into my room to look up dance videos on YouTube. I had an hour, max, to prepare, and I would need every minute of it.
Chapter Sixteen
Noah
“Can I ask you a question?”
I patted Jonah’s head and tossed the baseball I was carrying into the air as we walked. “Catch that ball and you can.”
He backed up and held out his glove. The ball fell perfectly into the glove, and I lifted my chin in pride.
“See, who needs two working hands?”
I’d spent the last hour watching Jonah frown as the rest of his team practiced while he was forced to sit on the bench. A part of me wanted to argue with the coach that Jonah could stand in the outfield and catch fly balls, but I knew that wasn’t responsible. Like always, I struggled to balance being the big brother and the parental figure.
“There. I caught it. Now can I ask you a question?”
“Shoot.”
He fumbled with the ball in his glove and it accidentally dropped out. I grabbed it before he got too frustrated. “So the question?”
“Don’t laugh.”
“I won’t laugh.”
He worked his bottom lip between his teeth. “Well, I was wondering…what do girls want? I mean, what makes them like you?”
I laughed, before remembering my promise, and faked a cough instead. “Dude, you’re nine years old. Why are you worrying about girls?”
He shrugged, and I realized then this wasn’t a random conversation. This was him asking me about a particular girl, and hell if I wasn’t in uncharted territory.
“Is there a girl you like?”
He shrugged again, and I had my answer.
“Well, see, I think you go
tta just be yourself, and any girl’d be crazy not to like you. You’re a Hunter, and I don’t know if anyone’s told you yet, but we’re a catch.” I winked at him and tossed the ball again. He easily secured it in his glove, and that pride in my chest swelled.
“A catch?”
“It means…never mind. What I’m saying is that you gotta be you, little man, and if she’s got any sense she’ll wish for you to like her, too.”
“But what if I’m too shy to show her who I really am, so she never knows me well enough to find out that she should like me?”
That drew a blank. I was never a shy kid, and that difference between Jonah and me had come up before. Tell coach you’re interested in pitching. But I’m shy. Tell the teacher you couldn’t hear the question. But I’m shy. Eventually, we were bound to land on the girl conversation, but I’d hoped to have a few more years to prepare.
“If you like a girl, talk to her. Try to be yourself and see how it goes. Talk about stuff you like.”
“So, talk to her about baseball?”
I cringed. “Well, maybe not baseball, unless she’s into it too, and she might be. Is she?”
He shrugged again. “I think she likes butterflies.”
A smile played at my lips, but I swallowed to keep from showing it. I didn’t want Jonah to think that I wasn’t taking this seriously. Even if we were talking about butterflies. “Then talk to her about them.”
“I don’t know anything about butterflies.”
You and me both, brother.
We walked in silence a little bit longer, me working the ball around and around in my hand while he was clearly trying to figure out how to talk to the girl. “Just don’t be afraid to try, okay? She might like you, she might not. But still try.”
“Is that what you’d do?”
“Well…” My mind drifted to Grace, and I thought maybe Jonah and I weren’t so unalike after all. “It’s complicated when you’re an adult.”
Jonah sighed heavily. “Something tells me it’s always complicated with girls.”
A laugh broke free. “You’d be right, little man. But still try, okay?”
We’d reached Miracle Circle and started toward the bar so I could check on things before we headed home, when Lindy rushed up to me. “Perfect timing. How did I know I’d see you here?”
I glanced around, then pointed at myself. “Are you talking to me? ’Cause I pick up Jonah every Tuesday and Thursday after practice and then walk this way after. Which you know, because we had this very conversation just last week.”
Lindy snapped her fingers and acted as though she’d just recalled our chat. “That’s right. I must have forgotten. But look, I’m in the middle of a crisis and could really use your help. Think you could lend a hand?”
I started to tell her that Jonah had homework and I really needed to get him home, which wasn’t a lie…exactly, but then she threaded her fingers together all prayer-like. “Please. Jonah, you don’t mind, do you?”
Jonah looked up, as confused as me. “I guess not. What are we doing?”
Lindy pointed behind us to the one and only dance studio in town. “Dancing.”
Jonah and I both shook our heads. “No way, Hunters don’t dance.”
“Oh, come on. Just this once. Dane’s nervous to take lessons by ourselves, so he asked me to have someone else dance with us.”
“Look, I told you last week that it wasn’t going to happen with Brighton. I’m sorry. She’s an awesome girl, just not for me.”
Lindy’s face lit up. “Nope, it’s not Brighton.” She pointed again at the studio, to the female figure standing beside Ms. Mandy, the dance teacher. “It’s Grace.”
My gaze snapped over to Lindy. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“Nothing,” she said, her voice tinged in guilt. “Just keeping my fiancé happy. You and Dane were always friends. Surely you won’t deny us a little help here. It’s just a dance.”
“My God, you’re relentless.” I sighed loudly, and Jonah elbowed me in the gut.
“Don’t say God,” he chided.
“Right, I forgot.”
“Don’t lie.”
“Fine, I didn’t forget.” I glanced up at the blue sky, scarcely a cloud to be seen. “Sorry, God. I’ll try not to say your name again or lie about it.”
Jonah grinned. “You’re forgiven.”
“So now you’re on the Great Man’s payroll and can offer forgiveness, huh?” I tickled him, and he giggled before ducking out of my reach.
“Please, just help us out,” Lindy pleaded again.
“Fine. But Jonah’s got homework, so we only have a few minutes.”
She clapped her hands excitedly. “Half an hour, max.” Then she all but pushed me toward the studio.
“Who’s Grace?” Jonah asked as we entered. Grace turned around, those green eyes landing squarely on me, and damn it all to hell. I tried to draw a breath or swallow or do anything that resembled normalcy, but apparently all I could do was stare. “Noah?”
“Hmm?”
Lindy intervened, saving me. “She’s a friend of your brother’s. I’ll introduce you.”
I shook myself from my daze. “Lindy…” I wasn’t ready for Jonah to meet Grace, for him to pick up on my reactions to her the way the rest of the town had, and then I’d have to explain something I couldn’t even explain to myself. But before I could argue with Lindy, she waved me off.
“It’s fine. Go talk to Dane. I’ll introduce them then get Jonah comfy so we can dance. Want to play with my iPad, Jonah?”
“Lindy, I don’t like him to use electronics too much.”
She shot me an exasperated look, and I settled over beside Dane, who wore dress slacks and a button down, his hair gelled. Clearly, Lindy’s work.
“Did my fiancée strike again?”
“Like a damn lightning bolt.”
Dane laughed, and I tried to tell myself this was no big deal. I couldn’t really dance, but I was an athlete, and that had to mean I was coordinated, so I’d figure it out. I went to prom. Though come to think of it, I didn’t actually make it inside prom, but still.
Ms. Mandy clapped her hands loudly from the center of the studio. “Come, come, dancers. Let’s begin.”
I pushed off the wall I’d been leaning against, curious how Lindy had managed to orchestrate this. Maybe Grace had asked Lindy to—
No. No chance.
“You okay?” I called over to Jonah and he gave me a thumb’s up.
“Stop being overbearing,” Lindy said.
“Stop being nosy.”
She opened her mouth, but one look from Dane had her shutting it. Then Grace walked up and awkward silence replaced the conversation.
“Okay, pair up please,” Ms. Mandy said.
I stepped in front of Grace, the top of her head only reaching my shoulder. I’d forgotten how easily she tucked up against me, her small body perfectly molded to my larger one.
Ms. Mandy linked our hands, then placed my right hand at Grace’s waist, hers on my shoulder, then started the music, and went to work on the lucky couple.
“Your brother is nice,” she said. I could tell she wanted to say more, but held back.
“Thanks. Yeah, he is.”
“I should probably warn you, I’m a terrible dancer,” she said. “Like the worst. I’ll probably break one of your toes before the night’s over.”
“Well then, it’s a good thing I’m a pro.” I tried to spin her out, but our legs tangled and I had to grab her before she hit the ground. “Case in point.”
A laugh vibrated through her back, and as I spun her to face me, I couldn’t help pulling her close. “I’m better at this type of dancing.”
Her arms looped around my neck, and she tilted her head up. “Me, too.”
The room disappeared as we slowly swayed, our eyes locked, my breathing shallow for fear that if I released a real breath, the connection would be lost and she’d step away from me. We stayed that way throu
gh song after song, lost in each other.
Then, too quickly, Ms. Mandy clapped. “Well done, couples. Let’s take a break for today and start again tomorrow.”
I took a step back and scrubbed a hand over my face, wishing I could walk outside so my breathing would return to normal. “Tomorrow?”
It was Lindy who answered. “For Dane and me, of course. Unless you want to join us again?” She flashed a smile, and I thought if I danced with Grace like this every night this week, her pressed against me, that smell of hers intoxicating my senses, I might never be able to let her go.
“Sorry, I can’t. Jonah, ready? I need to get you some dinner.” I waved for him to come, and he sped over, stopping in front of Grace.
“Want to have dinner with us, Grace? Noah’s cooking spaghetti.”
“Jonah…” I tried to glare at my little brother, but couldn’t manage it, so instead I turned on Lindy, my mouth open to ask for help, but she spoke first.
“I think that’s a great idea,” Lindy said, apparently missing my mood. Or ignoring it altogether. “You can talk about the wedding. Or…other things. Whatever.” Mischievousness crossed her face.
“Please,” Jonah said.
“I don’t want to intrude.” Grace peered over at me, like she was trying to see if I really wanted her to join us, wanted to let her into my world. And now all eyes were on me.
I sighed. “Yeah, join us.”
“Are you sure?”
No. Not even a little bit.
“Absolutely.”
Chapter Seventeen
Grace
I couldn’t feel my hands, that’s how nervous I felt, which had to be the most ridiculous thing on the planet. We were walking down the sidewalk toward the bar, where we would get in Noah’s Jeep and drive to his house. To eat. In Noah’s house. Where he was a father, in all ways except biologically. Lindy hadn’t told me much—after all, Jonah had been standing there the entire time—but I knew that Jonah was nine and that Noah became his guardian after their parents died. Guardian. The weight of that responsibility hit me, adding yet another reason why I should back slowly away from Noah and the idea of something developing between us. He had enough going on in his life, and I definitely wasn’t ready to settle down with a family. And yet, I couldn’t deny that I felt something for him.
