Call all the guests to relocate
Photographer
Inform caterer and band of venue change
214 chairs
Ribbon
Flowers
String lights
Lanterns
Fabric
Order dance floor
Zoe scanned her list for the tenth time, ensuring she hadn’t forgotten anything. Who was she kidding? Of course she’d forgotten something, but as long as she had the bride and groom, that’s all that mattered.
Fifteen minutes until go-time and by some miracle, she’d pulled off the venue change. She cast an eye over the scene before her and smiled at the early 1900’s home, turned Dachshund Rescue Center, turned wedding venue.
The two-story canary yellow farmhouse was draped with sweeping panels of organza at every entrance and tied back with ribbon. Flowers exploded from every space around the wraparound porch and dripped from the thick tree branches arcing over the yard. Twinkling string lights hugged every post, every tree, and even the fence for the dog enclosure where the guests’ pets were free to enjoy the celebration.
Since most of Zoe’s stock decor had been obliterated in her office explosion, and then replaced, only to be destroyed in the explosion that morning, she picked up what she could on the way to the center. What she couldn’t scrounge up from her new office and random stores, she had to beg, borrow, and steal to get.
Addison and Felix had called everyone on the guest list, giving them strict orders not to tell anyone about the new location. Marilyn, Bob, and a few other center volunteers helped prepare the house and yard for the influx of over two hundred people, some of whom she could see still making their way up the long driveway to the center.
Since the parking lot wasn’t big enough to accommodate many vehicles, the guests had to park along either side of the driveway and walk to the house. However, it wasn’t an unpleasant walk beneath the mature acacia trees arcing over them like a lush tunnel. Zoe had even decorated the branches with glowing lanterns and pink flowers so they dangled above the guests’ heads.
All things considered, it had actually turned out pretty well. Zoe took a deep breath. The worst of it was over.
Arms slid around her waist and she felt a kiss on her neck. She leaned back into the embrace, welcoming the reassurance.
“You really pulled off a miracle today, you know that?” Levi said.
“Thanks,” Zoe said. “It’s not perfect, but it feels good.”
“They’re getting married, and that’s all that counts.”
“You’re right,” she said. “Got your violin all tuned up for Canon in D?”
Levi’s face went slack. “Crap. I was supposed to bring a violin?”
Zoe’s heart officially stopped in her chest. It began to pack its bags, ready to give up on the whole ordeal when an angelic look crossed his face.
“Just kidding.”
Zoe slapped him on the chest, and after a good-luck kiss, she hurried up the stone steps as fast as she could in her dress.
Sweeping through the French doors into the reception, she found Aiden and his two groomsmen seated around the hearth. They glanced up at her as the brass bell announced her entrance.
“Okay, gentlemen,” she said. “We’re almost ready. Please go take your places under the gazebo.”
As they filtered out, sounds of clinking dishes drifted from the kitchen in the back where the caterer was making do with smaller facilities than expected.
Aiden remained behind until it was just the two of them. He reached up to tighten his tie self-consciously. “How do I look?”
She automatically reached up to tweak it. “Like Mr. Right.”
He leaned in to give her a hug. “Thank you for everything.”
“Don’t thank me. You might have been better off with a different planner.”
“It couldn’t have turned out better,” he said.
“Better hurry,” she told him. “You don’t want to keep Piper waiting.”
He gave her a look like “here we go” and slipped out back. Zoe checked her watch. Ten minutes until go-time.
She headed upstairs, her heels clicking rapidly. When she made it to the second floor, she beelined it for the room at the end of the hall. Piper sometimes used it to nap when she had to stay overnight at the center to monitor sick pups. But today, the little wooden sign that Zoe hung around the door knob said it was The Bride’s Room.
The door squeaked open, and in the dim hall light, she saw Piper’s mother coming out. She’d never met her friend’s mother before that day. They looked so much alike, except her hair was darker and contained none of the natural red highlights that made up Piper’s auburn locks.
She squeezed Zoe’s shoulder on the way by. “She’s all ready for you.”
“Thanks.” Zoe knocked and waited until she heard, “Come in!”
Zoe turned the handle and headed inside. The corner room was bright with both windows open, and she squinted against the afternoon light bouncing off the bright ivory dress in front of her.
Piper turned to her, and she was literally glowing. The sun caught the delicate beading along the bodice, making her shine like the beauty she was.
Zoe gasped. “You look perfect.”
“Thank you.” She spun to take another look in the floor-length antique mirror.
Addison watched from the bed. “I went with a half-updo.”
“Very nice.” Zoe ran a hand over the soft curls. “Your auburn hair complements the champagne lace on the skirt.” She picked up the veil. “May I?”
Piper nodded and spun around. Zoe set the comb into her hair and fanned the veil around her shoulders. As Zoe stood back and took in the finishing touch, she sighed.
She’d seen a lot of brides, but when she said, “You’re the most beautiful bride I’ve ever seen,” she’d never meant it more.
Piper’s eyes widened. “Zoe! Are you crying?”
Zoe blinked, the droplets getting caught in her lashes. “I-I guess I am.” She laughed, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue. “I’ve been having all sorts of emotional revelations lately.”
Piper laughed and grabbed Zoe for a hug.
“Wait! Me too. Me too,” Addison yelled, wedging herself into the huddle.
When they all pulled away, they were sniffing and laughing.
Addison started throwing tissues at them. “Don’t ruin the makeup, ladies.”
As Zoe dabbed at her tears, there was a knock on the door. Zoe checked the time. Five minutes to go.
“Come in!” Piper called.
Zoe didn’t know who she expected to be on the other side, but when the door opened, it was the last person she would have guessed.
And obviously Piper felt the same because her mouth fell open. “Ethan?”
Piper’s brother hovered at the threshold. “I wanted to come tell my little sister good luck.”
“Thanks,” she said.
He looked stiff, but Zoe didn’t think it had anything to do with his designer suit. She had to hand it to him. The man knew how to dress. But she supposed he had to, being a high-priced lawyer in Washington. It kind of went hand-in-hand. They probably offered classes about it in law school—Lawsuits 101.
An awkward moment passed, and Ethan stepped into the room cautiously, as though the floor was made of marbles. His arms rose jerkily, unsure if he should hug her. Piper eventually gave in and moved into the uncomfortable embrace. Zoe and Addison shared a look.
Piper and her brother weren’t exactly on hugging terms. Zoe wondered how long it had been since Piper had last spoken to him. Since their father’s funeral ten years before, Piper had only seen him once or twice. Their relationship was strained to say the least.
Zoe remembered sending out his wedding invitation, but she didn’t think Piper had even called her brother to ask him to attend. Maybe she’d been hoping that he wouldn’t.
When the siblings pulled away, Ethan shoved his hands in his pockets. “I also came up here to, well … see how you’re getting down the aisle.”
Piper’s forehead creased in confusion. “My own two feet.”
Undeterred, Ethan tried again. “Well, I was just wondering, you know, since Dad isn’t here, if maybe I could be the one to walk you down the aisle.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “You?”
“Yeah. I mean, I know we aren’t exactly close anymore, but you know, we’re still family and … I don’t know.” He shrugged, and Zoe hoped he was better at his closing arguments in court than that. “I guess, I thought it would be nice if I could walk with you.”
Zoe noticed how he didn’t say “give you away,” which was probably a smart idea since nobody owned Piper Summers. For Piper’s sake, she hoped that Ethan’s offer was the start of them building a bridge, and not just because Piper was marrying a man with a butt load of money.
Piper crossed her arms while she considered him with a skeptical look. “Did Mom put you up to this?”
He shook his head. “No. I’d really like us to be closer. I’ve actually been talking with Mom. We’re considering moving down here to San Francisco. I think it would be nice if we were all together.”
Piper’s eyes hardened. “Why?”
“Because we’re all we’ve got left.”
Piper’s harsh gaze lowered to the floor, and when it came back up it was less daggery, if still a little guarded.
Zoe’s gaze flicked from Piper to her brother. Unable to help herself, she checked her watch. Two minutes. Through the open windows, she could already hear Levi start up a classical piece on his violin.
Finally, Piper nodded. “All right. That would be nice. Thanks.” She attempted a smile.
Zoe clapped her hands, startling everyone in the room. “Great. Now that’s settled, it’s time.”
Piper took a deep breath, and then they were off. Their anxious footsteps thudded down the stairs and through the house until they were all lined up with everyone else at the back door. Marilyn was waiting with Picasso by her side to guide all of them. She was practically glowing with excitement for Piper.
Since Zoe was one of the ones walking down the aisle, she’d given Marilyn instructions regarding who goes when. Piper’s mother had already made it down the aisle so Zoe threw Addison a thumbs-up to let her know she was up. She stepped out the back door and onto the porch before sashaying down the aisle.
When it was her turn, Zoe turned around to the bride. “Good luck.”
Piper smiled, all teeth, but seemed unable to find her voice to answer.
As Zoe made her way down the peony-lined path, she spotted a few guests out of place, a toppled vase, and a bow on a chair that needed retying. However, she focused instead on Levi’s playing, and by the time she was half-way to the gazebo, she’d forgotten all about the details.
Head tilted against his violin, Levi grinned at her as she passed. She winked back before climbing the gazebo stairs and taking her place next to Addison.
Next out the door was Naia in her flower-girl dress. While she tried to toss the odd petal here and there, she was mostly concerned with the tougher job of controlling the two ring bearers who stopped to sniff nearly every guest they passed.
Aiden and Piper’s dogs, Sophie and Colin, carried the rings on little bows tied around their necks. With difficulty, Naia gradually coaxed the doxies down the aisle where Aiden helped her untie the rings.
The porch door squeaked open and the congregation turned around. Zoe swore that even the dogs had stopped rolling around in their enclosure to watch. But as Ethan and Piper crossed the property, it might as well have been just Piper and Aiden there.
Her best friend looked magnificent, off-the-rack dress and everything. The way Aiden stared into her eyes, Zoe could see that he wouldn’t have cared if she’d worn a dog-food bag to walk down the aisle in.
Zoe watched as though she’d never seen a ceremony before or heard vows exchanged. Maybe it was because this ceremony involved two of the most important people in her life. After what they’d over come to be together at the start of their relationship, how could even the biggest skeptic continue to believe it wouldn’t work out? Or that every marriage was doomed to fail—or in Zoe’s case, not begin at all?
How could she have denied it for so long? How could she have lied to herself for so many years, when there was love in the world like theirs? Or maybe, just maybe it was her new growing hope for her own future with Levi that had her singing a different tune.
“I now pronounce you husband and wife,” the justice of the peace said. “You may kiss the bride.”
As Aiden smiled and reached out for his new wife, he kissed her as though for the first time. When they finally pulled away, Levi started up another happy tune on his violin and the couple unceremoniously made their way down the stairs of the gazebo where they ate pancake brunch every Sunday morning.
The congregation stood and clapped, while some barked, as they walked down the stone path. Zoe even saw Freddy running the length of the fence.
Aiden’s best man offered Zoe his arm, and she took it. They followed behind the couple, making it as far as the porch before the crowd swallowed the happy couple to congratulate them. It was chaotic and spontaneous. And utterly perfect for Piper and Aiden.
It was the kind of intimate, laid-back wedding Piper had told Zoe she wanted, or at least had tried to tell her. It seemed that despite all the setbacks and obstacles that had been thrown at her, Zoe had pulled off Piper’s perfect wedding—even if it was accidental.
As Zoe maneuvered through the crowd, Piper caught her eye and mouthed the words “Thank you.”
Zoe waved and moved toward the dog enclosure. Seeing her come for him, Freddy pushed to the front of the cluster of dogs vying for attention, like My ride’s here, guys!
Appetizers were already being served on the other side of the house, drawing the guests away from where she needed to get the band set up on the wrap-around porch. Then there was the dance floor that needed to be assembled, chairs gathered, and dinner tables set. But if she was really going to be able to hop into the wedding-planner role, first she needed to grab her tablet from the van.
Clipping Freddy’s leash on, she headed for the parking lot. When she unlocked her van and reached in to grab her tablet from the console, the screen glowed with a long list of recent notifications from Holly Hart. With a flick of a finger, she scrolled through them. She opened the latest one.
Hey, Holly’s Hounds! Have I got a treat for you! The wedding is back on track with a new locale. It’s the perfect fairy-tail ending for this puppy: The San Francisco Dachshund Rescue Center.
Zoe snapped her tablet cover shut. Dammit, she thought. Now all the gossip mongers around the city were going to converge on them. Good thing she’d called in the best security company in town. Hopefully they’d sent enough guards to cover the large property.
When she headed to check in with the head of security, she spotted two guests who had strayed from the rest of the wedding group. But when she got closer, she did a double-take. What she’d mistaken as a dark suit was actually a police uniform. And the other guest that was speaking with the cop was Bob, Marilyn’s detective boyfriend.
Zoe glanced around. There was no one else nearby. They obviously didn’t want to be overheard, whatever they were discussing.
The presence of a cop at the wedding couldn’t mean anything good, especially after recent events. But things were going so smoothly—other than Holly’s announcement. What could possibly be going on?
This was supposed to be Piper and Aiden’s perfect day. Nothing was going to go wrong. Well … nothing else. Not if Zoe had anything to say about it.
Zoe plucked Freddy off the ground and tucked him under her arm. “Now behave,” she told him. She held a finger to her lips like he would understand, hoping that they’d finally be on the same team.
Holding him close, she slipped off her noisy high heels. The hot pavement burned the soles of her feet. Wincing with each step, she crept closer until she was hidden behind the closest car to them, a silver Mercedes—obviously a guest of Aiden’s. But they were still too far away for her to hear.
Crouching low, Zoe inched her way to the front of the car, careful not to be seen over the hood, or more important, soil her dress. The angle gave Freddy plenty of opportunity for kisses. She ignored him—whatever kept him quiet.
“… we have patrol units parked out front,” the cop was saying.
“Do you think anything will happen tonight?” Bob asked.
“We’re not sure. It’s just a precaution for now. We’ll keep an eye on things, but after the reception we’ll take Miss Plum into police custody.”
Zoe gasped, but covered her mouth before she could make another noise. They were going to arrest her? But what for? Did it have something to do with Chelsea? Maybe she was setting Zoe up again. Or it could have been about the venue bombing that morning on Broadway. They thought she might have been responsible for the first one. What if Detective Warner had yet another breakthrough that pointed straight at Zoe as suspect number one?
“Don’t you think you should take her in sooner?” Bob asked.
Zoe scowled. Thanks, Bob. Whose side was he on anyway?
If Bob was coordinating with them, whatever they had on her must have been incriminating. But still, as her friend, she’d expected him to back her just a little.
“We’ve got the place surrounded,” the cop said. “No one gets in or out without our knowing. We don’t want to alarm anyone in case it affects the investigation. We’ll take her quietly after it’s done.”
“All right. I’ll keep an eye on things in here. Thanks for keeping me informed.”
Freddy began to struggle in Zoe’s arms, clearly bored of her little spy mission.
“Shh, Freddy. Stop,” Zoe whispered as she tried to keep a hold on him. “Stop.”
But Freddy’s calm limit had been reached and he wanted to play. Squirming out of her arms, he flopped on the ground and made a break for it.
Zoe lunged for the leash, but it slipped out of her grasp. He skittered out from behind the Mercedes right toward Bob and the cop. Obviously they weren’t on the same team yet.
Even though Freddy had just blown her cover, she couldn’t let them know that she’d overheard, in case they decided to slap on some handcuffs and take her away right then and there. If she hadn’t ruined Piper and Aiden’s wedding so far, then that would surely top their wedding cake.
Stooping low, she ran back a few vehicles, further away from the men, until she was hidden behind her van again. She slipped on her heels and hopped from foot to foot to make some fake running sounds before rounding the bumper and heading in their direction.
She slapped a smile on her face, hoping that she was a good enough actress to pull one over on a cop and a veteran detective. She slowed down when she passed the Mercedes and huffed a little like she’d just run all the way there.
Bob was holding Freddy’s leash. “Lose something?” he asked, without even a hint that anything was amiss. Like he wasn’t just talking about her incarceration with the officer.
Well, two could play that game. “Yeah, thanks. I don’t know where his energy comes from.” Now that she was at the top of the driveway, Zoe could just see flashes of movement outside the distant gates. Zoe nodded. “What’s going on out there?”
“Just some party crashers,” the officer told her. “Someone called to complain that they’re getting a bit riled up, so we came to check it out.”
So that was the story they were going with. Zoe’s eyes automatically flicked to Bob. His face remained pleasant, like they were all just having a casual conversation.
Zoe laughed. “Holly’s got the city as amped up about the wedding as she is.”
“Don’t worry,” the officer said. “We’ll be sticking around to keep an eye on things.”
I’m sure you will, thought Zoe. “Great. Thank you. Well, everyone’s here that’s supposed to be here.”
“No one will be getting in those gates on our watch.”
Or out, she thought. But that was okay with her. This day was about Piper and Aiden. She planned to do what she needed to do to finish it off. Then she’d go quietly.
“I’m sorry you have to waste staff watching our party,” she said.
He shrugged. “We do this kind of thing at public events all the time.”
She pulled a face. “I just wish it were a little less public.” Taking Freddy’s leash from Bob, she began to back away toward the house. “Well, thank you. I’d better get back. Lots to do.”
She left the two men behind, who most likely began talking about her the moment she was out of earshot—hopefully not about what a terrible actress she was.
But Zoe knew how to act cool—she’d had years of practice under her fanny pack. She was confident she’d pulled it off.
She sashayed back to the wedding party like the only things on her mind were centerpieces and photo ops. And right about now, that’s all she could worry about, because despite socialite wannabes banging on the front gates, someone wanting to blow her to bits, and cops poised to arrest her for God knows what, she was still the best damned wedding planner in San Francisco. And she had a wedding to oversee.