Chapter 44

Grant

I was at the realtor’s office later that afternoon, finalizing the transaction on the house which I’d forced her to rush, when my phone rang.

“Hello?” I said.

“Grant, this is Faith.”

“Faith, it’s lovely to hear from you, sweetheart.”

“Cut the crap, Grant. What the hell are you doing?”

“I’m surprising Lacey.”

“By throwing her a wedding?”

“I’m going to propose to her first.”

“You are?”

“Yes. Don’t worry. I have a plan.”

“I hope you do.”

“I do.”

“Because if you don’t know what you’re doing, this could be a disaster. Lacey’s a strong-willed woman. She doesn’t like to feel controlled. And I love her more than I love any other woman on earth. So you better not screw this up and hurt her.”

“I won’t screw it up, Faith.”

There was a pause on the other end of the line before Faith finally said, “All right, so Jackson tells me I need to find her a wedding dress, today.”

“Yes. Do you have any ideas?”

“I actually happen to know what wedding dress Lacey wants already.”

“You do? You’ve already talked about it?”

“Of course we’ve talked about it. Lacey’s been wanting a wedding for years, and until very recently, she even thought she was going to have one, with Rob.”

“That’s all off, now.”

“So I hear.”

“Do you think you’ll be able to go pick up the dress?”

“Grant, it’s not that simple. These wedding dresses are in high demand. And they take months to order.”

“Who’s the designer?”

“Her name is Packham, and she’s here in the city.”

“So go to her store and get a dress.”

“No can do. I already called. She said it would be impossible to get a dress on this short a notice.”

“Did you tell her we’d pay extra.”

“She doesn’t care, Grant. She’s world famous. She’s made dresses for Hollywood stars, and the Princess of England.”

“Where’s her store?”

“You’re going to go there?”

“I have to get this dress, Faith. You help Jackson with the flowers.”

I finished the paperwork on the house and then drove straight to the Packham boutique across town. I drove so fast I was lucky I didn’t get pulled over.

I double parked outside the boutique, which was on a trendy little street overlooking the bay, and knocked on the door. An elegant woman with a British accent buzzed me in.

“This is a matter of life and death,” I said.

“Excuse me, sir?”

“I don’t know how I can put this without making myself sound crazy,” I said, “but I really need your help.”

The lady looked me over. I must have looked crazy already bursting in, covered in tattoos, stubble, and a leather biker jacket.

“You’re lucky you’re my type,” she said, her eyes sparkling, her voice sounding regally British. “What is it you want from me?”

“When I was a kid, a man saved my life. He took me into his home, brought me up, taught me a trade.”

“That was very nice of him,” the lady said.

“Yes, and he died a few years ago.”

“How sad.”

“I grew up with his daughter. We’ve been breaking each other’s balls for seventeen years. We fight about everything. Right now we’re fighting over something.”

“Sounds awful.”

“It’s not. It’s the exact opposite. She’s sublime. And I can’t risk losing her.”

“So tell her how you feel.”

“I’m going to. Tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?”

“Yes, and then I’m going to propose.”

“Delightful.”

“And then I’m going to give her the absolute wedding of her dreams.”

“Right then and there?”

“Yes, before she has a chance to change her mind and get mad at me again.”

“Sir, I’m not sure you’re very familiar with the way this works. There’s usually some time, like many months, between the proposal and the wedding.”

“Why?”

“Why? Lots of reasons.”

“Name them.”

“First of all, you can’t force her to marry you.”

“I won’t force her to marry me. I’ll propose. We’ll only get married if she says yes, and believe me, when she doesn’t like something I say, she has no trouble letting me know.”

“Well, secondly, women have certain ideas about their ideal wedding. Things they’ve been dreaming about since they were little girls.”

“I’ve known this woman since she was a little girl. I already know everything about her ideal wedding. She spelled it out to me. I’ve got it all arranged.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Sort of.”

“So you just need a dress?”

“Not just any dress. I need one of your dresses. The most beautiful one you’ve got. And I need it right now.”

The woman shook her head. She rose to her feet and made her way to the door. She opened the door and looked at me. “That’s a very lovely story you told me, sir, but I’m afraid what you’re asking is quite impossible.”

“Impossible?”

“Yes.”

“Isn’t that what love is? Impossible? Isn’t that what weddings are? Isn’t marriage supposed to be an impossible promise? Isn’t that the point? To believe in the impossible? Isn’t that what your entire business is about?”

“My business is about sane adults getting married.”

“But what’s sane about getting married? Nothing. Trust me, I’ve given it a lot of thought. Two grown people, promising each other that from this day forward, they’re going to forget everything else about the world, and put each other first.

They’re going to try and merge their two, completely unique personalities, and create something new that combines the best of both. They’re going to wager their lives against everything the world can throw at them, and promise God and everyone they love, that no matter what, they’re going to stay together, and look after each other, and cherish each other.

Impossible? That’s impossible. Love is impossible. It’s supposed to be. That’s the point. Because when two people believe in something impossible together, because of love, that’s when magical things happen.”

“Magical things?”

“Think about it. A family is magical. Something that comes about where nothing existed before. That’s real magic. And that’s what love and marriage create.”

The woman looked me over.

“You’re really serious about this, aren’t you?”

“Lady, you bet your British ass I’m serious about this.”