Showing off the Goods

by Weston Parker

  “Then the accident happened, and Mom and Dad…” She trailed off too before clearing her throat. “You know what? Let’s not talk about any of that right now. How did things go with you two? Did you get a lot done?”

  “We did. We worked really well together, surprisingly,” I said. “She didn’t even threaten to cut off my balls once.”

  “We’ll take that as a win, then.” She smiled at me, her eyes lighting up again as she put her attention firmly on what lay ahead instead of what was in the past. “Are you going to tell me what you’ve gotten done?”

  “You trying to get confidential information out of me?” I sat back in my chair and washed down the bite of French toast I’d just taken with some of the sweet juice.

  She chuckled, releasing a breath through her nostrils as she gave her head another shake. “Information about my wedding is confidential? I’m pretty sure you’re allowed to share it with the bride.”

  “Nope. We’re still waiting on some things, so you’ll get the goods when it’s time,” I said. “Don’t even bother to try to get it out of me before that.”

  “But I’m so excited,” she gushed. “It’s okay if you’re still waiting. I won’t be disappointed if some of the vendors you’ve contacted don’t come back or whatever. I just want to know where you are in the process.”

  I mimed zipping my lips. “Nope. Sometimes, the best part of being a brother is getting to tease your sister. I haven’t had nearly enough material to tease you with for years. This is gold.”

  Besides, I really didn’t want to get her hopes up until we knew if our leads were going to pan out. We’d made some good headway last night, but I also wanted to have our ducks in a proper row before presenting them to the bride.

  “Seriously? You’re not going to share any of the details you and Colette pinned down last night?” She mock pouted. “That’s cruel. It goes way beyond the realm of teasing. You can’t string me along like that.”

  “I can, and I will.” I cut another bite of my toast and shoveled a piece of bacon into my mouth. After I swallowed it, I smirked at her. “When the time is right, all of your questions will be answered. All that you need to know is that we’re on top of it, it’s going well, and you’re going to have a hell of a wedding.”

  “Okay,” she said slowly, but I could see the curiosity still burning in her eyes. She gave up on asking me, though I had no doubt she’d be on the phone to Colette as soon as we were done here. Or she’d call Brett, who would then call Colette and get the goods from her.

  “If you don’t want to tell me how you’ve been faring, let me tell you where we are,” she said. “I’ve finalized the details for the reception with the venue, but their chapel is being renovated suddenly, and it might not be ready.”

  I frowned. “What do you mean? Why would you choose a venue that doesn’t have a chapel for you to use?”

  The corners of her lips turned down. “It’s the same venue where Mom and Dad had their wedding reception.”

  “Oh.” Shit. “Is that why it’s so important to you to get married there even if the timeframe is insane?”

  I’d been wondering, but I hadn’t been able to figure it out until now. She nodded, her teeth sinking into her lower lip as she wrestled to get emotions under control.

  “Do you think it’s crazy?” she asked. “We could wait, but we’ve been waiting for so long that I really don’t want to have to wait until next year. That’s the next date they have available that falls on a Saturday.”

  Mentally preparing myself to add to the work she’d already asked me to do, I squared my shoulders and reached out to take her hand. “It’s not crazy. The next few weeks might feel like it is, but it’s not. If you don’t want to wait that long, then we’ll be ready in a month.”

  “We need to find a different chapel or have the actual ceremony in the garden,” she said. “Mom and Dad got married before they had a chapel on their premises, so it’s not the one they used anyway, but the one they got married in doesn’t exist anymore.”

  “Then we figure something else out.” My mind was already racing to work out how I could make this better for her. “What about the chapel Brett’s parents got married in? Where’s that? Could it be an option? I know they’re still around, but it might be a nice way to honor them as well.”

  “I didn’t think about that.” She perked up and grabbed her phone. “I’ll find out. I don’t think Brett’s thought about it either. Thanks, Pax.”

  “Anytime.” I let out an internal sigh of relief at having possibly found a solution for this particular problem. “If it’s not available, or it’s not an option, don’t stress about it. We’ll find something else, and it’ll still be meaningful. Mom and Dad both loved gardening. Getting married in the garden at their venue might not be such a bad thing.”

  “We’re discussing it, but I’m worried about the weather. It feels like whenever someone plans a wedding outside, they always need to change their plans last minute.”

  “That’s just the stress talking,” I said, squeezing her hand. “Plenty of people around the world get married outside every day. If it looks like it might rain, we could rent tents or something?”

  “I’ll think about it,” she finally conceded. “Brett also suggested tents. I’ll look into it and keep it in mind.”

  “Great. What’s next, then?”

  She withdrew her hand from underneath mine and started counting on her fingers. As she made her list, I understood why she’d worried that putting it together in a month might be crazy. It turned out that there were a ton of things people had to do for a wedding that I hadn’t even thought about.

  For the next hour or so until we had to leave, I tried to help her where I could and simply listened while she vented about things I couldn’t help her with. Like whether to invite one of their colleagues who she was sure had a thing for Brett, or whether more people preferred chicken to salmon.

  After brunch and while I was on my way to the second day of my current shoot—not in leather this time but in casual wear—I got a message from Colette. The email was so long that I had to wait until I’d parked before I could read it.

  Attached were a number of brochures and price lists. She’d also sent me links to vendors and a party package for brides and grooms to have epic bachelor and bachelorette parties that started separately and came together at the end of the night.

  It sounded perfect for Tierra and Brett to me. I’d already designed an invitation for people to save the date and had sent it over to her before I’d gone out to brunch to meet my sister. Since Colette had also given me the go-ahead for that to go out without making any changes to my design, I had my work cut out for me after I finished actual work.

  It would all be worth it in the end, though. I knew it. Colette and I were going to help them make sure everything was as amazing as it could be, even if it killed either or both of us to do it.

  Chapter 14

  COLETTE

  There was a reason I didn’t have a side hustle as a wedding planner. If I’d ever thought it was easy to throw together an event like that on a timeline like this, I’d been proven woefully wrong.

  Between my workload at the office and planning the wedding, I was freaking drowning. It had been a week since that first night Paxton had come to my house, and even though we always worked hard, it felt like we were falling further behind with everything that needed to be done instead of getting ahead.

  “Fuck,” I cursed when I stubbed my toe as I shoved my chair back from behind my desk.

  Pain bolted through me, but I didn’t even have time to nurse my foot or just sit there feeling sorry for myself for a minute. If I didn’t get moving, I was going to be late picking up April at daycare.

  Overwhelmed, flustered, and with my toe still feeling kind of numb but throbbing, I hauled ass to my car and had to double back when I realized I’d forgotten my phone in the office. I needed a serious break, but I’d only get one after the wedding.

/>   Heck, I might even book a little honeymoon for myself once this was over. There was probably no rule saying no one else could have a well-deserved getaway after a wedding. Maybe April and I can get out of the city for a few days next month.

  The thought of it was enough to fortify me and help me pull myself back together. When I arrived at the daycare, April practically bounced over to the car and didn’t stop talking once she was buckled in.

  “Am I still going to spend the night with Uncle Brett and Aunt Tierra?” she asked. “Please. Please. Please. Uncle Brett said we could keep reading that book we started last time. The one with the monkey in it.”

  “You’re still going to spend the night with them, honey,” I said, smiling at her in the rearview mirror. “They agreed to it, and Mommy needs to go finalize some stuff with Paxton.”

  “I like him,” she said, and my heart nearly stopped. Luckily, she circled back to what she was looking forward to at Brett and Tierra’s, and we didn’t have to talk about him any longer.

  Paxton had come over a few more times in this last week, and I’d been in near-constant contact with him. We updated each other on developments several times a day as and when they happened, and more than once, we’d had to drop everything and hurry off to middle-of-the-day meetings with vendors who could only see us then.

  I knew April had taken a liking to him, but I didn’t have to like it. Thankfully, she was so busy chatting all the way to Brett’s that she didn’t ask why Paxton wasn’t just coming to our house again. She’d had a lot of fun with him. They’d finally gotten around to having that tea party, and she loved looking at all the pictures of the “pretty wedding things” with us.

  Brett met us outside when we got to their place, explained that Tierra was busy setting up a surprise for April inside, and then waved me away without keeping me much longer.

  “Go,” he said. “We’ll be fine. We haven’t spent any quality time with this little girl for way too long. To be honest with you, we’ve both really been looking forward to having her. Tierra needs a break, and so do you. Maybe an early night after you’re done with Pax?”

  “Why? Do I look that bad?” I joked, but Brett laughed and then shrugged. I whacked his shoulder but decided to take his advice.

  April gave me a big hug, Brett promised they’d text me, and then I was back in my car after they turned to go inside. Paxton had sent me the name of some other trendy bar where I was supposed to meet him, but I had to look the address up on my phone and program it into Google Maps before I could be on my way.

  It had been so long since I’d been out that I had no idea where any of the newer, hipper places were. I also had no idea how people were supposed to be dressed for this place, but I didn’t have time to go home and change.

  My pencil skirt and sleeveless turtleneck shirt would have to do. At least I was wearing heels, and my makeup hadn’t completely melted off. It probably could’ve used a touch-up, but I didn’t bother with much more than fresh coats of mascara and lip gloss once I’d parked.

  Walking into the bar was like walking right back into my early twenties. Except I’d never noticed then how loud the music was, how many people were crammed around each cocktail table and into each booth, or how it smelled like hormones in here. Seriously, what’s with the heavy cologne and perfume, people?

  Maybe I was just getting too old for this, but on the other hand, I was here now. I had to try to enjoy it at least a little bit.

  Paxton was already waiting for me at a booth in a courtyard area outside. There were vines growing on the white-painted walls, and unlike the glass and metal of the inside, it was cozy out here.

  Fairy lights were strung from one wall to the other overhead. The music was still audible but not nearly as ear-splitting as inside.

  Since he hadn’t seen me come through the door, I stole a moment to check him out before going over to the table. It had only been a little over a week of having him back in my life, and I already hated him a little less than I had at the start. I still wanted to loathe him. It would’ve been easier that way, but it just wasn’t true.

  He’d been consistent and reliable, and it was refreshing. Brett had also told me that he was being an absolute rock for Tierra, and throughout it all, I knew his days were jam-packed at work. Yet he hadn’t complained once, nor had he ever told me no for an appointment with a vendor or that he couldn’t speak when I called.

  I couldn’t help but notice how handsome he was as I approached him. His black hair was damp, like he’d taken a shower before he’d come here. His head was buried in the binder he had open in front of him, but he didn’t slouch.

  Shoulders broad and open, legs spread out beneath the table, and with an elbow propped up as he read whatever that was, he looked like he was posing for a shoot. It was unfair how freaking effortlessly looking good came for him.

  The light blue T-shirt he had on made his eyes pop when I slid into the chair across from him and he looked up. There was the faintest stubble on his square jaw, and when he smiled when he saw me, my insides turned to goo.

  “Hey,” he said. “I hope you don’t mind. I’ve already ordered us cocktails. They should be here in a minute.”

  As if the mention of them had summoned her, our waitress appeared with four cocktails on her tray. The smile she shot Paxton was flirty as all get out, but he hardly looked at her.

  “Thanks,” he said before helping her offload them and then smirking at me. “There’s a two-for-one special, so I thought I’d get us each one. They might keep us busy for a while. That way, we won’t have to worry about getting thirsty while we’re working. It can get pretty busy here when the rest of the after-work crowd rolls in.”

  “Hi. I don’t mind, and thank you.” I even managed to give him a genuine smile when I saw he’d ordered me a mai tai. “Good day?”

  “It was fine. Busy, but I wrapped up another job, so that’s something. Yours?”

  My eyes widened as I shook my head. “Definitely not fine. Also busy, but it’s like even my easiest patients have become more demanding.”

  He laughed. “Amen to that. Everything seems to take more time than it should when I’ve got less time on my plate than ever. And I don’t even have a kid to have to keep up with along with everything else.”

  Grabbing for the glass closest to me, I nodded and filled my mouth with the tart drink before swallowing it all down. “That’s exactly how I feel. About everything taking longer and having less time. Not about April. I’ll always find a way to slow down for her.”

  “She’s with my sister tonight, right?” he asked, raking one of his own drinks closer.

  “Yep. Brett said she also needed a break from wedding stuff. I don’t really see how offering to babysit qualifies as taking a break, though. April’s bound to keep them pretty busy.”

  “I think that’s the point,” he said. “It wouldn’t count as a break for you, but they don’t get to spend as much time with her as you do, and if she keeps them that busy, they won’t have time to worry about the arrangements they could’ve spent the night making.”

  “When did you become so wise?” I asked jokingly, but his nostrils flared before he laughed.

  “Somewhere along the way.” I frowned at the vague answer but didn’t push it when he slid the binder over to me. “Okay, so we need to discuss the final details for the bachelor parties first.”

  “Right. I have a list of all the people who have RSVP’d right here.” I took my phone out of my purse and pulled up the appropriate folder. “Have you received the contracts back from the company?”

  “Indeed I have.” He shifted to pull his own phone out of his pocket and opened the attachment to the thread of emails we’d exchanged with the organizers. “I’ve already added and saved my signature on it digitally. You just need to do the same, then we can send it off.”

  “I can’t wait until we can tick another item off our list.” Taking the phone from him, I navigated to the bottom of the document and
quickly scribbled something resembling my signature on the screen before passing it back. “There we go. One more thing done.”

  “I’m proud of us for everything we’ve accomplished in one week,” he said, lifting his glass and waiting for me to do the same. “Cheers. To being the best man of honor and head groomswench we can be.”

  “Cheers to that.” Our gazes caught and held as we each took our sips, but I looked away after. I couldn’t keep staring at him. It would only serve to suck me in further. “I’m also exhausted from all the hustling we’ve been doing after hours.”

  “Yeah, I can see that,” he joked. “You should drink that up so I can order the next round. We have a few more things to talk about, and you look like you’re halfway asleep.”

  “I’m not,” I protested, but I also laughed. “Besides, it’s not like you can really talk. Are you even allowed to have bags under your eyes, or are you risking a lawsuit if you don’t get your beauty sleep?”

  “No one would sue me,” he said, raising a hand to circle it around his face. “Have you seen me? I’m pretty enough that they’ll take me even with the bags.”

  “I bet all they want you for is your charming personality anyway,” I teased, wishing that he wasn’t as charming as he was.

  A week ago, I’d detested him, and now I was sitting here joking around with him and actually enjoying his company. It was ludicrous, and yet it was so very true.

  It wasn’t just that either. Those eyes… he looked at me like he saw me. No one had ever looked at me like that—not since the last time he had. Even when he was cracking jokes at my expense, I still ate it up and gave it right back.

  When Paxton caught the waitress’s attention and ordered yet another round of cocktails even though I was hardly halfway through my first, I cursed my lack of willpower. I should not want to stay here with him.

  So why was I in absolutely no rush to discuss the rest of the wedding stuff so I could get out of here as fast as possible?