Chapter 6
“Don’t you dare cry. You’re going to ruin your makeup, and I’m going to start crying too, and then we’ll look like pandas.” Charli shook Ellie by the shoulders, making everyone in the room laugh. Nicole, the hairdresser and beauty therapist who owned the local salon, had done a great job on Ellie and the other bridesmaids, but if Ellie started crying, Charli wouldn’t be able to hold back the tears. And it would be a mess.
Ellie chuckled as she fanned her face and blinked rapidly to fight back the traitorous tears. Once the disaster was averted Charli went back to being in charge of the three bridesmaids, Adam’s cousins Erin and Kacey, who’d earned their spots on the bridesmaid team since they were like sisters to the Cavanagh brothers, and Lauren. The three girls, wearing beautiful burgundy gowns with long, lace sleeves, all flitted about Ellie’s small cottage following Charli’s orders.
“Ladies, are you ready?” Ethan called from outside the room, his tone slightly nervous—exactly the way the father of the bride’s would be. “I know it’s probably trendy for the bride to show up late but—”
“We’re ready.” Charli opened the door and smiled at the handsome guy in a dark grey suit. He took a step forward, then froze when his eyes landed on his sister.
“You’re… wow, Els.”
Ellie smiled as her cheeks pinked a little. “You’re just saying that because you’re my brother.”
He took her hand while his other brushed the veil off her shoulder. “No. I’m saying it because I mean it. You look gorgeous, and I do hope Cavanagh knows how lucky he is.”
“I’m the lucky one.” Ellie’s eyes took on that dreamy expression Charli had witnessed every time her friend had looked at her fiancé over the last week. The look of real happiness and pure bliss. The look of true love. She had a feeling she’d never get to experience those feelings herself, and the thought stung.
“Yeah, okay, you’re both very lucky. Now let’s go, before your groom thinks he’s been jilted.” Charli interrupted the emotional moment out of wedding planner’s efficiency—and maybe the sting of tears behind her eyelids had given her a shove and shaken her from her pity fest.
The wedding party got into the car Lauren had borrowed from her mother, while Ethan got behind the wheel of a rented black Mercedes, smiling from ear to ear as excited as a kid in a toy shop. Guys and their love for cars—Charli would never understand that.
While Lauren followed Ethan, Charli went through her last-minute checklist from the passenger seat. She dialed Enya’s number to check everything was okay on their end. Once she’d made sure that the groom was already there, pacing nervously in a circle while trying to convince his daughter to keep the petals in her wicker basket, and that the best man and the rest of the groomsmen had all shown up on time, she relaxed against the seat, knowing these would be the last ten minutes of peace before the craziness of the day took over. She could only hope that, since Ellie had insisted on a small ceremony without too much fanfare, there would be no major glitches.
At the church, Charli got back into efficient wedding planner mode, smoothing gowns, fluffing hair, and interrogating Sophie to make sure she knew what she had to do. The little girl had been ultra-excited about her role as flower girl. She’d given Charli a headache by insisting Meatball should walk down the aisle with her, and Adam and Ellie had asked Charli to figure out a way to let the dog take part in the wedding.
So now Meatball was wagging her tail beside Sophie, waiting for their turn to walk down the aisle. Charli could only hope the dog wouldn’t need a toilet break until the ceremony was over, or she’d have a breakdown.
To say Ellie was nervous would be an understatement. Her hands hadn’t stopped shaking since she got out of bed. She’d barely managed to drink a glass of orange juice and eat the slice of buttered toast that Charli had all but forced down her throat, and she’d gotten teary-eyed over the silliest things. Charli knew that the major reason for Ellie’s emotion was because of the two missing guests—her mom and dad. And Charli hated knowing that even though she was the best event planner on the West Coast, she’d never be able to make her best friend’s wedding perfect. Too bad they didn’t teach you how to bring back the dead in Wedding Planning 101.
“Okay, girls, get in line. We’re up in sixty seconds.”
A chorus of “Yes, boss” answered as the three bridesmaids took their places. She smiled. Kacey, the youngest of Cayden’s siblings, was at the front of the line, followed by her older sister Erin, and lastly by Lauren, who nodded at Charli to remind her she was supposed to get in line too.
“Oops, sorry. I’ve never been a guest at a wedding I planned.” Charli lifted a shoulder, then checked that Ellie was ready and not seconds away from bawling. When her friend smiled brightly, she turned back to the bridesmaids and nodded. “Let’s do it.”
As the girls started their march down the aisle, Charli couldn’t stop her wedding planner’s mind from working overtime and checking everything was as it was supposed to be. When she eventually looked up toward the group of Cavanagh men standing next to Adam, which included his brothers, and his cousins Cayden and Ryley, she had to admit they were quite a sight to behold.
Kean had been Adam’s best man at his first wedding, so Adam had wanted his younger brother Kyle to be his best man today. Which had turned out to be a good idea; at least she wouldn’t have to feel awkward pairing Kyle with Lauren, who, she’d learned from Ellie last night, had been his high-school sweetheart. According to Ellie, neither had ever really gotten over their breakup, although they were both adamant that they had. And she had to agree with Ellie when, the moment Kyle’s blue eyes landed on Lauren, his jaw nearly hit the floor.
Bonus point, thanks to Kyle being the best man, she wouldn’t have to walk side by side with Kean, and risk biting each other’s heads off before they exited the church.
She got a little emotional when her eyes settled on a smiling, drool-worthy Adam. He mouthed a ‘thank you’ when their eyes met, and she smiled at him. Her clients appreciating her efforts had always been the best reward, but this time, it was even better. She tried to ignore the fact that Meatball was right behind her, and hoped the dog wouldn’t suddenly decide to bite her butt or gnaw on her ankle. She turned to make sure the animal was at a safe distance, and Sophie looked up at her with her adorable, dimpled smile.
“Am I doing it wight, Auntie Charli?” she asked, her eyes wide with innocence. Maybe she’d been a bit too strict with the girl, and forgotten she was not even four yet and that this was only supposed to be fun.
She smiled. “You’re perfect.”
Sophie rewarded her with another dazzling smile, while she scattered handful of petals with her chubby hands. “Daddy, look at me. I’m throwing flowers like Auntie Charli teached me! I’m perfect!”
The guests and the priest laughed at her exclamation, and Adam nodded as he smiled at his daughter. “Yes, you are, baby girl. Absolutely perfect.”
He lifted his eyes from his little girl and stared at Ellie. At that very moment, Charli wished someone would look at her the way Adam was looking at his bride-to-be. His dark eyes, so similar to his older brother’s, softened and filled with warmth and love. His smile lit up his face under the scruff Ellie had forbidden him to shave off for the wedding, and when Ethan placed Ellie’s hand in Adam’s, it looked as if the rest of the world had disappeared. The couple stared at each other as if they were on a deserted island, just the two of them and the love they felt for each other. It was sickeningly beautiful and romantic, and her vision blurred as traitorous tears veiled her eyes. She’d never been emotional at weddings; they’d always been just another event she’d had to plan, another task in her diary. This time it was different though. Seeing the way her friend’s face lit up when Adam took her hand, the love that permeated each word of their vows, and the genuine smiles that cracked their faces when they were finally declared husband and wife, made her realize all that she was missing. For a fraction of a second, when they kissed and the church erupted into a round of applause, Charli wished she could experience that kind of happiness, too.
She surreptitiously wiped a tear from under her eyes, before it could cause any damage to the work of art Nicole had done, but when a strong hand squeezed her forearm, she realized she hadn’t been as inconspicuous as she’d thought. Kyle was staring at her with his head tilted to the side and a cute smile.
“So what? I got a little emotional, sue me.”
His smile got even wider at her defensive remark. “There’s no need to hide your emotions. Your best friend just got married—it’s okay to be emotional.” He offered his arm. “Shall we?”
She nodded, and they followed Ellie and Adam down the aisle, toward the dark wooden doors that were now wide open.
“Has anyone told you you look gorgeous?” Kyle whispered in her ear.
Charli chuckled. “Sorry, I might be old-fashioned, but you’re a bit too young for me.”
He rolled his eyes. “I’m not trying to hit on you. I just wanted to show we all appreciated your hard work on making this wedding perfect, in case neither of my idiotic brothers does it.”
“Well, in that case, thank you. You’re quite handsome yourself.”
He smiled coyly. She had to admit he really was beautiful. He looked very much like his brothers, only his eyes were a deep shade of blue, and his face was smooth and clean-shaven, unlike his brothers’. But nobody would think they weren’t related.
They stepped outside, and cheers erupted as white and burgundy paper petals filled the air, falling all around the bride and groom. Sophie squealed as she danced in the shower of petals, and as soon as the last one fell to the ground, she tugged on Ellie’s hand while holding onto Adam’s at the same time.
“Can I call you Mommy now?”
Ellie’s face softened into a smile and tears sparkled in her eyes. “Of course, sweetie,” she said with a trembling voice.
Adam picked up his daughter and hugged Ellie with his free arm. He kissed Sophie’s temple, then Ellie’s, and Charli waved at Adam’s mother, who’d taken care of her bag for her, so she could retrieve her phone and snap a picture of the family. It would be perfect in a silver frame in the center of their living room. When she worked as a wedding planner, she would usually take unofficial pictures and videos throughout the wedding that she would later put on a DVD as her personal gift to the happy couple. It was an idea she’d come up with and that she was sure none of the people at Golden Gate Events would be doing anymore, now that she’d left. She wanted to do the same for her friend, knowing Ellie would love to have a special gift with the best memories of her special day.
She took a couple of pictures of the trio before Meatball photobombed the third and she had to take a step back, afraid the dog would jump at her. No matter how many times Ellie had reassured her the golden retriever was harmless and as sweet as you could get, she was still determined to put as much distance between herself and the beast as possible. Kyle chuckled when she crashed into him, and put his hands on her arms to steady her.
“Whoa, I thought you said I wasn’t your type, and here you are throwing yourself at me.” The way he held her was totally innocent, but she shook him off anyway. The last thing she needed was for Adam to think she was trying to seduce his baby brother.
“Don’t go getting your boxers in a twist, boy. Unless you’ve aged eight years in the last ten minutes, you’re still not my type.”
He laughed, and when Kean approached them, looking quite scrumptious in his tux, she decided it was time to get back into wedding planner mode.
“Okay, we need to get moving now. We have a schedule to follow.”
Kyle gave her a salute, with a “Yes, ma’am,” while Kean only rolled his eyes.
“This isn’t a conference. There’s no schedule.”
Charli brought a hand to her heart. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t know you had a Master’s in wedding planning, on top of the one from the Bob the Builder Academy. My bad.”
Kyle laughed, and Kean grumbled as he walked away. She pulled her notebook out of her bag and proceeded to tick off the things they’d already accomplished and memorize the ones that still needed her attention.
Getting the bride and groom to the reception was next on the list, so she set off toward them, keeping an eye on Meatball just in case the dog decided to lunge for her.
* * *
Kean stood on the far side of his parents’ living room later that evening, staring at the happy couple dancing away on the makeshift dance floor. Sophie, who apparently had a bad case of sugar high, hopped around them in her frilly flower girl dress she’d said she’d never take off, while Meatball spun in circles, waggling her tail and wanting to join in the fun. His heart squeezed at the sight of the happiness on his brother’s face, as well as on his new bride’s. Not because he wasn’t happy for him—hell, Adam had been through painful times no person so young should ever have to experience, and he deserved all the happiness he could get. But Kean wanted that happiness for himself, too. He remembered experiencing the same feeling—envy perhaps?—when Adam married Hannah. They’d been childhood sweethearts, and everyone knew they’d get married one day, but back then he’d hoped to attend his middle brother’s wedding sporting a ring of his own and with Paige hanging off his arm, maybe pregnant with their baby to make it even more perfect. Too bad his high-school sweetheart dumped him in their third year of college because she wanted to become a nurse and work for Doctors Without Borders.
And now his little brother had not only managed to get out of the pit of hell he’d fallen into when Hannah died, but he’d fallen in love again and found the most perfect stepmother for Sophie. He had it all, and Kean had nothing. Was it so wrong to want a family instead of enjoying jumping from one bed to the other, looking for simple, no-strings-attached fun and physical release, the way other men his age did? At nearly thirty-two, he just wanted the white picket fence and waking up next to the same woman every day. It wasn’t too much to ask for, was it?
Laughter rumbled in the room at Sophie’s funny antics, and when Adam scooped her up from the floor and lifted her in the air, bringing her to his face for a big kiss, Kean had to look away. Because at that moment, he wished he was the one cradling a little girl to his chest. A little princess who’d look up to him for everything, who’d ask him to read her bedtime stories and to take her riding in the woods. A baby girl he would spoil rotten, just the way he enjoyed spoiling his only niece.
Dreaming about it wouldn’t make a baby appear out of nowhere, though. And finding a woman who wanted more than just some casual fling had turned out to be harder than he’d thought. He shook his head and finally left the room when Ellie joined in on the hug and the three of them all danced together, laughing like the happy family they were going to be.
The house was nearly empty now, and only the closest friends and family members remained. Nearly everyone in town had shown up at the house, even if they weren’t on the guest list, just to congratulate them and bring gifts or food, in the good old-fashioned small-town way he’d grown used to and loved. They’d stayed for a drink and to eat some pastries his mother and Jenna had made, but left shortly afterward, for Charli’s peace of mind. She’d nearly gone ballistic when she’d seen groups of people showing up, and her cool, no-nonsense party planner façade had cracked. Her eye had stopped twitching only when his mother, Jenna, Lauren, and Adam had reassured her the visitors weren’t going to stay for the main reception, that it was only a display of affection people in Spring did to celebrate the couple’s special day.
Apart from that little hiccup, though, it had been a great wedding. He had to give Charli credit—she’d managed to put together something awesome in such a short time, which he was sure hadn’t been easy. No wonder Ellie had never had any doubts that her friend would pull it off and had been the most easy-going and relaxed bride that ever existed. Charli had done a great job, even though she’d made it her mission to be a pain in his ass.
As he walked toward the kitchen, thinking perhaps he could check if there were any of his mother’s mini cupcakes left, he noticed the front door was open. His eyes landed on Charli’s hourglass silhouette on the porch, wearing nothing over the beautiful burgundy bridesmaid gown which, with its lace sleeves, couldn’t be keeping her very warm. At some point during the reception, she’d freed her hair from its intricate hairdo, and now it was hanging in dark waves down to the middle of her back.
She tipped back a full glass of wine, and when she placed the flute on the floor, her shoulders lifted as she heaved a sigh. She leaned on the wooden railing and stared at something in the distance. She looked lost and alone, and he was feeling more or less the same, so he reached for a half-full bottle of champagne on a nearby table and took two flutes, then walked out onto the porch, pulling the door closed behind him.