by Dylann Crush
* * *
* * *
“That’s actually a brilliant idea.” Chyna slid the giant shades from her eyes and let them rest on top of her head. “I think the Munyon family will be very pleased with what you’ve put together.”
The waves of panic that had been rolling through Alex’s gut stilled. “Fantastic. We just want to make sure the bride has the wedding of her dreams.”
“It will be. My staff will make sure.” Chyna paused at the entrance to the warehouse. “Now, walk me through exactly how you envision the setup.”
The waves gathered momentum, crashing into the sides of Alex’s stomach. This was it, the moment where Chyna would realize he didn’t have a plan. The moment everything would fall apart.
Zina came out of nowhere. “Actually, we thought it might be best to hold the ceremony and reception in tents.”
Tents? Since when had they talked about tents? He blinked, hard, trying to figure out where that idea had come from.
She gave a slight shake of her head. He nodded, willing to see how it played out.
“Tents?” Chyna pulled her blouse away from her skin and fanned herself, even though the sun hadn’t fully risen and the temperature lingered in the low seventies this early in the morning.
“Air-conditioned tents, of course.” Zina nodded. “Alex mentioned that Mr. Munyon was willing to spare no expense.”
“That’s true, but tents?” Chyna eyed them both from under thick fake lashes. “Don’t you think that’s a bit, um, rustic?”
Alex bit back a laugh. Rustic? They were having a winter wonderland wedding in the middle of nowhere with penguins. And she was worried about guests feeling like the location was too rustic?
“With a tent we can create whatever kind of environment we’d like. For the winter wonderland I was thinking a white tent with blue snowflakes projected on the walls and ceiling,” Zina said.
Chyna nodded. “I can see it. The white sides of the tent will make guests feel like they’re surrounded by a frosty winter wonderland.”
“Right.” Alex jumped into the conversation. “And we can have ice sculptures on the buffet tables—”
“No buffet. This will be a sit-down dinner.” The look Chyna shot him could have turned him to ice.
At that point he decided to shut the hell up and let the two women figure out how best to set the scene. His job was to make sure the penguins played their part, no more, no less.
“And the penguins . . .” Chyna turned her attention on him. “I’d like to do a run-through so I can let Mr. Munyon know the birds are ready for their role in all of this.”
“Um, sure.” He glanced to Zina for direction.
“Why don’t you head into town for breakfast while Alex and I set up? We’ll mark off where the tents will be and then do a quick run-through with the penguins,” Zina suggested.
“I could use a double espresso. That flight sucked the life force right out of me.” Chyna spritzed something on her face from a small spray bottle she pulled out of her clutch. “I also need to hydrate. This heat and humidity is taking a toll on my skin. I can feel it already.”
Zina put a hand on Chyna’s back and directed her to the parking lot. “Give us at least an hour. We’ll have everything ready to go when you get back.”
“That sounds good.” She paused when she reached the door of a white Mercedes. “I’ll be back at nine sharp. I’d also love to have Mayor Cherish on the scene when I return. She’s the one I’ve been dealing with on this.”
Alex opened his mouth to tell her Lacey wouldn’t be able to join them but Zina waved him off.
“I’ll see if she’s available on such short notice. She’s very busy this time of year.” Zina stepped next to him while the wedding planner situated herself inside the vehicle and slowly pulled away.
“What was that?” he asked. “How are we going to get Lacey here while she’s on bed rest? Tents? Do you have any idea where we’re going to get a tent big enough to hold the wedding and the reception?”
Zina waited until he finished spewing out rhetorical questions. “Would you rather have her mingle with the pit bulls and penguins? The whole warehouse smells like a sushi factory.”
“I was going to work on that once we got the dogs out of there.” Alex hung his head. “This whole thing is turning into a shit show.”
“You’re right about that.” Zina bit her lip, a move that Alex had come to recognize as her thinking mode. “But this is going to be our shit show. Let me get Lacey on video and we’ll figure this out. There’s no way she can get over here. We’ll say she’s out of town or something. But she’s the one who’s put more work into this than any of us. She’ll know what to do. Grab some of those stakes and a hammer. I’m going to look up tent rental places so we can mark off a perimeter. I figure you’ll parade your penguins out, have them walk down the aisle, and then she’ll be on her way.”
“Yeah, okay.” Alex left Zina standing in front of the warehouse while he went inside to find the hammer and stakes. One thing was certain. If he questioned their commitment to each other before this, it was clear they were now in this together, for better or for worse.
twenty-six
“I told you not to come over here.” Zina tried to stuff Lacey back in the truck. “You’re supposed to be on bed rest.”
“I can’t miss out on this.” Lacey pushed the door open, leaving Zina no choice but to step back or get sideswiped. “Why didn’t she call ahead? Why didn’t she tell me she was coming?” Lacey continued to shout questions even as she stomped toward the warehouse.
“I told you, she didn’t tell anyone she was coming. She wanted it to be a surprise. I think she wanted to catch us totally unprepared to see how we’d react.”
Lacey stopped and spun around. “That’s just mean.”
Zina couldn’t agree with her more. “Just wait until you meet her.”
“How much time do we have until she gets back?” Lacey propelled herself toward Alex like she had a rocket strapped to her hips. Zina had to jog to keep up with her.
“We told her to come back at nine but I wouldn’t be surprised if she showed up a bit early.”
“This is all we need. On top of being on bed rest, now I’ve got the biggest wedding this town will ever see imploding around me.” Lacey waved her hands over her head, mimicking the tornado she must imagine swirled around her.
“We’ve got this.” Zina stopped, thrust her hands to her hips, and leveled her friend with her best glare. “Alex is marking off where the tents will go. I already called the place in Houston and reserved their two largest event tents for that day. Chyna seemed to like the idea, plus it means we won’t have to worry about moving the dogs out of the warehouse so fast.”
“Yeah, but how are you going to make sure they don’t bark through the whole wedding?” Lacey rounded on her.
“I haven’t made it that far yet.”
“Hey”—Alex joined them and slung an arm over Zina’s shoulders—“coming up with the tent idea on the spur of the moment was pure genius. I’m sure you’ll think of something between now and the wedding.”
Zina leaned against him, grateful for his show of support.
“Let me ask you this.” Lacey’s jaw clenched. “How did you go from hating the idea of turning this town into wedding central to running behind the scenes on our biggest wedding yet?”
Zina looked from Lacey to Alex and back again. “I guess I got pulled into it. You know I’ve got your back though. There’s a ton riding on this, not just the reputation of Ido, but the dog shelter, too. We’ve all got a vested interest in pulling this off.”
“You’re right.” Lacey reached for Zina’s hand. “I’m sorry. The bed rest thing is stressing me out. I don’t know what I’d do without your help.”
“Relax. Alex and I have this all under control.” Zina smil
ed up at Alex.
“Speaking of control, I’d better finish laying out the perimeter of the tents before she gets back.”
Zina reluctantly let him go. It had been a long time since she felt like part of a team, working toward a common goal. Granted, throwing the wedding of the century wasn’t a common goal she would have picked if given the chance, but she’d missed that feeling of support she had when she’d been serving overseas. Like she was part of something bigger than herself and that everyone was just as committed to seeing it through.
By the time Alex had created a layout of where the tents would go, Chyna had pulled her rental car into the parking lot again.
“Let me handle this.” Lacey ran a palm over her shirt. Zina noticed the tender way she curved it over her stomach. There was just the slightest hint of her pregnancy, but it was only a matter of time before baby Phillips would be bumping out that belly.
Zina and Alex hung back as Lacey met Chyna at her car. They exchanged a few words and then Chyna moved toward them, Lacey hot on her heels.
“Show me what you have in mind.” It was more command than request.
Alex pointed to where the twine outlined the perimeter of the tent. “We’ll set up a tent for the ceremony here. The wedding party will walk down the aisle, followed by the penguins. Then the bride will make her entrance.”
“How many guests are you expecting?” Lacey held a pen poised over her notebook. “I want to make sure we have enough chairs.”
Chyna barely glanced at her. “The penguins. Where will they be during the ceremony?”
“I, uh”—Alex shot a look to Zina, who shrugged—“Munyon just said he wanted them to waddle down the aisle. I figured I’d usher them out the back during the actual wedding.”
“They need to be present.” Chyna tapped a hot-pink talon against her lips. “We want them to lead the bride and groom back down the aisle after they exchange their vows as well.”
Alex’s mouth twisted like he was about to say something that would threaten the wedding.
“We’ll be happy to make an adjustment to the procession,” Lacey said.
“Can one of them hold a tiny basket?” Chyna walked the center of where the tent would be. “And sprinkle flower petals or maybe ice shavings down the aisle?”
Alex’s eyes widened. “Penguins have flippers, not hands.”
“I’m well aware of that. But seeing as how you’re a penguin trainer, I’m assuming you can make some sort of accommodation.”
Zina nodded. “We’ll figure something out.”
Apparently appeased, Chyna picked her way across the grass to the other wall of the imaginary tent. “Let’s run through the ceremony. I’d like to see the flow.”
“How exactly do you plan to do that?” Alex’s gaze bounced between the three of them. “We don’t have the bride and groom. We don’t have a wedding party . . .”
Chyna let out a huff and checked her watch. “I have two hours before I have to leave for the airport. Rustle up some friends and make it happen.”
A stifling silence settled between them, like even the crickets decided not to chirp for fear of angering the tiny dictator with the pink hair.
“Of course we will.” Lacey scribbled something in her notebook. “Why don’t you go grab a sweet tea from the house and we’ll pull it together. Morty? Would you be so kind as to take our guest to the house for some tea?”
“I’d be happy to. Miss?” He held out an arm for Chyna. She tossed him a look, then proceeded across the lawn without him, her heels sinking into the grass with each step.
“Just do your best to keep her away until we’re ready, will you?” Alex put a hand on his grandfather’s shoulder.
“I’ll do my best, but if you ask me, that woman’s got a lot of nerve showing up here and trying to take control of—”
“Good thing no one’s asking you then, Gramps.” Alex smiled.
Zina watched Morty hobble after the wedding planner as she struggled to come up with some sort of plan. How would they find enough people on such short notice to orchestrate a wedding walk-through? She’d been quick to come up with the idea of using tents, but that must have used up all of her spontaneous-thinking power. At a complete loss, she turned toward Lacey.
Lacey, who had that certain blend of cat-ate-the canary mixed with about-to-burst expression. Zina had seen that look before. Not often, but often enough to know that Lacey had one heck of an implausible plan up her sleeve. And that Zina wasn’t going to like it. Not one tiny bit.
Alex must not have noticed the smug satisfaction Lacey wore like her favorite sweater. He shook his head, rolled his eyes, and shuffled the toe of his boot on the gravel.
“What are we going to do now? Where are we going to find a wedding party to walk through everything? The penguins aren’t ready. We haven’t even practiced what might come after the wedding, they’ve barely mastered just getting down the aisle.” He paused long enough to shoot a glance at Zina.
She’d crossed her arms while she waited for his little tirade to end.
“What?” Alex asked.
Zina shook her head slightly. “Ask her.” She nudged her chin toward where Lacey stood, her grin splitting her face in two.
“You have an idea?” Alex turned toward Lacey.
“Oh boy, do I.” Lacey clapped her hands together, her enthusiasm leeching from every pore. “Here’s what we’re going to do.”
* * *
* * *
Alex cleared his throat for the tenth time, maybe fifteenth. Who was counting? Then he glanced down the strip of red carpet they’d laid out to mark the aisle. A handful of men he barely knew stood to his left—the fake groomsmen Lacey had scrounged up at the last minute. Zeb on his left; then Jasper, the guy who’d adopted Buster; and Kirby, the aspiring limo business owner.
As he cleared his throat again, trying to dislodge the apprehension that appeared determined to prevent him from speaking during this sham of a rehearsal, he watched the never-ending stream of bridesmaid stand-ins drift down the aisle. Suzy smiled as she took her place. Then Char came down the aisle, followed by Jordan.
Lacey must have called in every favor ever owed to her. Seemed like the whole town had descended upon the Phillips House to run through the ceremony. And all for the benefit of the she-devil who sat in the front row.
The music changed. Lacey stood on the opposite side of the lawn and signaled to Bodie, who fiddled with his phone. A choppy rendition of the bridal march began and Gramps released the penguins. Alex couldn’t hold back a smile as the dozen tuxedo-clad birds waddled toward him, half of them decked out in snowflake necklaces, the other half in bow ties. They knew he had a pocketful of fish waiting for them at the end of the carpet. He still hadn’t figured out how to reward them for their trip down the aisle during the real ceremony. Odds were the groom probably didn’t want to distribute a handful of fish right before he took his vows.
Thelma came first. She always was a greedy gal. Alex tossed a treat to each bird, then Izzy corralled them over to the side where Frankie and Dolly waited.
The music swelled. His gaze was drawn to Zina, who held a hastily gathered bouquet of long grass and wildflowers. Even though everything about the moment was fake, orchestrated and totally inauthentic, seeing her at the opposite end of the aisle took his breath away. She hadn’t even had a chance to shower that morning and she still radiated beauty. As she took small, tentative steps toward him, his pulse ticked up, his breath shortened, and his face heated. Her hair was swept off her face in a ponytail that swished behind her as she walked.
“Slower.” Chyna stood in the front row, barking out directions. “The bride will be walking much slower than that.”
Lacey’s dad had even joined the charade, and was standing in for Munyon himself. He smoothed his hand over his T-shirt and mumbled something to Zina. She smiled
at him and they resumed their trip down the aisle, at a turtle pace. A turtle who’d been fed a tranquilizer.
At this rate it might take all day for the two of them to reach him. Alex tried to take in a deep breath to slow down his heart rate. It didn’t do any good. The sight of Zina walking toward him, posing as his bride, knocked the breath right out of him. He’d never been so uncomfortable and felt so confident in the same moment. For half a heartbeat he let himself imagine what it might be like if the two of them weren’t just puppets going through the motions to satisfy the wedding planner of a couple of strangers.
Could he ever make this kind of commitment to someone? Hell, he’d never committed to anything much less anyone. But being around Zina, being part of the wedding plans, feeling like he was working with a team of people, it had gotten to him over the past several weeks. He’d found himself daydreaming about what it might be like to stay put for a change. Instead of making him feel like he wanted to run, for the first time in his life he thought he might be up for the challenge.
Because of her.
Zina reached him. Her gaze met his. Her eyes bright, those full lips curved into a smile, Alex looked at her and everything else faded away. Lacey’s dad mumbled something and then tucked Zina’s arm into the crook of Alex’s elbow.
“Bet you didn’t see this coming,” she muttered under her breath.
“Not in a million years.” He grinned as they began to turn toward what would hopefully be where the officiant would stand to preside.
Lacey’s voice came from the back. “Okay, they exchange vows, yada yada yada. Should we practice the exit now?”
“Not yet.” Chyna rose from her chair. “I think we need to try this again. Can you add a little pep to the step of the penguins?”
Alex gritted his teeth.
“Easy now, she has to leave for the airport in just a bit. You can do this,” Zina whispered.
He nodded, swallowing the backlash he’d been about to release on the wedding planner. “I’m not sure what you mean by ‘pep to the step.’ Care to demonstrate?”
