A Simple Wedding

by Leigh Duncan

  The back-handed compliment landed like a lead weight in Jenny’s stomach. She pulled the phone away from her ear and stared at it. Had her aunt really meant to say she’d failed to live up to her potential? She swallowed. “I thought you wanted me to work for Kay, Aunt Maggie. You asked me to help her out right after graduation.”

  “I didn’t mean forever, dear.”

  Well, no, but… Tears stung her eyes. “I owe you and Kay so much for all you’ve done for me. Helping out was my way of paying back.”

  “Sweetheart. You don’t owe me, or Kay, a thing. You never have. When your parents died, I wanted you to come and live with me. It was like…”

  Jenny heard the strain in her aunt’s voice and gripped the phone tighter.

  “It was like having a little bit of my sister with me again.”

  Oh!

  Jenny stared hard at the horizon. All those years ago, a freak train wreck had changed her life forever, but she’d never considered how much her aunt had lost that night. “I—I don’t know what to say.”

  Aunt Maggie’s voice firmed. “One of these days, you’re going to strike out on your own. When you do, I’ll be one of the first to cheer you on.”

  “I appreciate that, Aunt Maggie. Maybe more than you know.” A thready sigh shuddered through her. She’d need time to absorb everything she’d learned from her aunt. Sometime this weekend, she’d make an opportunity for the two of them to sit down and have a longer chat. Right now, though, a series of appointments and events stretched across the next twenty-four hours like stepping stones across a pond. Only, Kay was in serious danger of missing the first step that would culminate in her walking into the grand ballroom of the Captain’s Cottage tomorrow and exiting a short while later as Mrs. Chad Grant.

  “So, where is my talented, disorganized cousin?” Hoping Kay’s plane was even now circling the airport, Jenny crossed her fingers.

  “Hang on. I’ll get her.”

  She’s still in California!

  The realization struck another blow to her stomach. She doubled over, her carefully built schedule imploding like a building on the set of a disaster flick. At the very least, the fitting and appointments at Perfectly Flawless were out. Would the bridal party even arrive in time for the rehearsal dinner? She checked her watch. If Karolyn left for the airport within the hour, they could still run through the ceremony before their dinner reservations.

  “Oh, Jenny. I’m so glad you called.” Talking a mile a minute, Kay blurted, “Ever since the news of our engagement got out, reporters and photographers have camped out on the street outside the gates. It’s like a zoo here, only I’m the one on display! Can you make them go away?”

  She could no more control the paparazzi than guess what stunt her cousin would pull next. Tired of Karolyn’s shenanigans, she spoke through clenched teeth. “I’m in Heart’s Landing. Where you sent me to plan your wedding. Which, in case you’ve forgotten, is happening to-mor-row. Only, I’m short a wedding party. Why are you still in L.A. when you’re supposed to be here?”

  “Right. About that.” As if her cousin had clamped a hand over the receiver, the voice in Jenny’s ear grew distant and muffled. She tapped her foot until, at last, Kay picked up the conversation where she’d left off. “Chad and I decided we’d fly in tomorrow with the rest of our guests.”

  “Wait! What? No, Kay.” Hating the whiny sound of her own voice, Jenny pulled the phone from her ear and counted to ten. Staring up at the sky, she decided it was probably a good thing she wasn’t close enough to grab her cousin by the neck. As it was, she could barely speak. “The rehearsal is this evening. The rehearsal and the rehearsal dinner. And—”

  “I know. I know. And I’m sorry. But it didn’t feel right to leave our friends to fend for themselves on the flight.”

  But it was okay to leave her hanging? “It’s not like they’re going to suffer,” she protested. She’d flown with Kay enough to know everyone on board would be treated to first class service, a coast-to-coast open bar, movies, meals. “They’ll have everything they could possibly want.”

  “But what they want is to spend time with Chad and me. Besides, I can’t fly to Rhode Island tonight. I have other plans.”

  Other plans? Plans more important than your wedding rehearsal?

  Jenny stalled, trying to find a way to get her cousin to change her mind. “What about the restaurant? I reserved one of their private dining areas.”

  “Oh, just cancel the reservations. People do it all the time.”

  “Kay, be reasonable.” She thought of the cooks and kitchen staff at Bow Tie Pasta. “Do you have any idea how much prep work went into preparing for twenty-five VIP’s? People have put a lot of effort into making sure everything is perfect for your rehearsal and your wedding. You can’t just change your mind at the drop of a hat.” When Kay didn’t answer, she added, “Even if they could fill those seats at the last minute, I’ve already paid the bill.”

  “I don’t suppose they’d give us a refund.”

  “Have you completely lost your mind?” Jenny gulped. She’d pushed too hard. Listening to dead air, she half expected Kay’s next words to be, “You’re fired!”

  “You’re right. I’m sorry,” came the words she least expected to hear. “I’ve been a pain, and you have every right to be upset with me. I’ve asked too much of you.”

  Jenny swallowed. The abrupt change of direction threw her off guard. “It’s okay,” she said, calming. “Weddings are stressful.” She should know—she’d been at her wits’ end over this one, and it wasn’t even hers.

  “No. I’m really sorry. Mom’s been on my case about taking advantage of people. Especially you. She says I don’t hear the word no enough.” Kay’s voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper. “I think she might move into the guest house once Chad and I get back from our honeymoon. I bet I’ll hear no plenty then.”

  “Whoa, that’ll be different.” The image of her mega-star cousin being bossed around by her aunt made her smile. But with Aunt Maggie there to run Kay’s life it sounded like she might be out of a job sooner than expected.

  Needing some time to sort out how she felt about that, Jenny steered the conversation back to the topic at hand.

  “So, the rehearsal is out. But you can wing it. Remember the wedding in The Blossom Point?” In the blockbuster movie released the previous fall, Karolyn played a girl whose rocky courtship had finally concluded with her walking down the aisle in her mother’s hand-me-down wedding dress. Viewers across the country had reached for tissues as the closing credits had rolled across the screen. “Just think of that scene tomorrow, and you’ll do fine. Better than fine,” she corrected. “Because you’ll be marrying Chad.”

  “Thanks, Jen. I knew I could count on you.”

  Maybe that was part of the problem. Jenny exhaled a ragged breath. Maybe Nick had been right again, and she’d been too accommodating. That was something else she’d have to change when—and if—she returned to California. But for now, they had a wedding to get through. “I’ll see you tomorrow, then. The flight still gets in around eight?” She’d arranged for a dozen busses to ferry the guests to Heart’s Landing.

  “I guess.” Karolyn’s voice grew distant. Jenny caught snatches of effusive greetings and the rustle of fabric before her cousin said, “Hey, I have to go. Haley and Sue just got here.”

  “Sure.” Jenny nodded. Haley, her cousin’s bestie, and Chad’s sister Sue were in the wedding party.

  “We’re getting facials, then they have some sort of bachelorette party in the works. So, see you tomorrow?”

  “Yeah. On your wedding day. Don’t worry about a thing.”

  “Oops. The girls say I have to hang up now or they’ll steal my phone.” Kay’s voice dropped to a whisper. “I’m sure everything will work out perfectly. It always does when you’re in charge.”

  Jenny
listened to the click that indicated Karolyn had ended the call. She wished she shared Kay’s confidence. But, in less than twenty-four hours—without trying on the gown she’d chosen for her reception, without ever taking a peek at the location for her wedding, or running through her lines even once—her cousin planned to walk down the aisle in front of some of the industry’s top movers and shakers. So much could go wrong with that plan that Jenny couldn’t bear to think about it.

  She sank onto the steps of the Captain’s Cottage. In rapid succession, she cancelled the appointments at Dress For A Day and Perfectly Flawless. Her next call went to Mildred, who agreed to deliver the floral arrangements for the rehearsal dinner to the Captain’s Cottage. If nothing else, they’d use the flowers to brighten nooks and alcoves throughout the mansion. She worked her way down a list of musicians and drivers until, near the end, she spotted an item that nearly gave her heart failure.

  “The gift bags.” Two hundred and fifty of them, to be precise. Each one empty and waiting to be filled by a bridal party that had decided they had better things to do.

  Now what? She shook her head. This was exactly the kind of problem she and Nick used to discuss at I Do Cakes each afternoon. She’d walk into the bakery with the newest wrinkle in Kay’s wedding hanging like an albatross around her neck, and somehow over coffee and a cupcake, he’d set her free.

  She wished she could turn to him now.

  But she couldn’t go to him for help. Couldn’t turn to the one person in Heart’s Landing she trusted to come up with a solution whenever Kay threw a stumbling block in front of the wedding plans. She and Nick were never going to find happiness together. They weren’t even speaking to each other.

  Her face fell. The barriers she’d erected around her broken heart weakened. Another round of tears threatened. She fought them down.

  Dusting her hands together, she reached a decision that was long overdue. No matter how the future played out between her and Nick, no matter how badly Kay had messed up the plans for the rehearsal, she was done with letting her will-o’-the-wisp cousin determine her future. It was time to move on. She hadn’t nailed down the particulars yet, but she’d work on it. She might even come up with a plan tonight. In the meantime, she needed to speak with Alicia about cancelling this evening’s rehearsal and get to work on those gift bags. Moments later, she knocked on the event coordinator’s door.

  “Jenny! Come in. Come in.” Alicia rose from the chair behind her desk. “Is Bob with you?” The coordinator glanced over Jenny’s shoulder as if she expected the nonexistent groom to appear in the doorway. “I’ve been so looking forward to meeting him.”

  “Bob—” Her tongue tripped over the name of her mythical fiancé. She rubbed her head, tired of the pretense. According to the plan that lay in ruins, she should be introducing Karolyn to the star-struck citizens of Heart’s Landing right about now. But here she was, still stuck with keeping her cousin’s secret for another day. She cleared her throat. “I’m sure he’d love to meet you, too. Unfortunately, there’s been a delay. He and the rest of the wedding party weren’t able to leave as soon as they’d hoped. I’m afraid they won’t get here till tomorrow.”

  “I see.” Alicia’s eyebrows might have climbed to her hairline, but otherwise she did a good job of controlling her shock. “You poor thing,” she gushed, stepping forward. “I know how much you were counting on his arrival tonight. I suppose this means the rehearsal is off?”

  Jenny took a big breath and exhaled it slowly. “Yes. I’ve notified the minister and called Mildred. She’ll bring the flowers here.”

  Alicia ventured a tentative, “And the wedding?”

  “Oh, it’s still on,” she rushed to reassure the woman. Kay might waffle when it came to having a plan and sticking to it, but her cousin and Chad Grant were in love with one another. That much, she knew for sure. “Everyone should get here by ten tomorrow morning.”

  Alicia’s head swung back and forth in wonder. “Seriously, Jenny. I don’t know many brides who could handle this as well as you have. Not only did you pull your wedding together on very short notice, you’ve taken every curve and upset in stride. You’ve done an amazing job.” Alicia glanced around the room, her focus coming to rest on a family photograph. “I don’t suppose there’s any chance you and your new husband will decide to settle here, is there? Because I could use someone with your skills to help me run this place until I retire in a couple of years.”

  Her pulse jumped. That sounded an awful lot like a job offer and what might be an answer to her prayers.

  As much as she wanted to talk more, though, she’d promised her cousin she’d keep her secret until Karolyn arrived in Heart’s Landing. And that meant, any talk of her future would have to wait until after the wedding. “If circumstances were different, I’d jump at the chance.” She glanced down the hall to the room where boxes were stacked from floor to ceiling. “But right now, I need to see about the gift bags for our guests.”

  “You’re going to do those yourself?”

  She brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “I guess it wasn’t such a good idea to count on putting them together with my bridal party.” She straightened her shoulders and aimed for levity on her way to the door. “It’s going to be a long night. But with all that chocolate, I’ll have plenty of fuel to keep me going.”

  Leaving Alicia’s office, she headed for the room where wine crates lined the walls and towering stacks of boxes from Favors Galore covered two of the six tables. She eyed the cartons of tissue paper and ribbon that had been piled in one corner and sighed. Like she’d told Alicia, the job wasn’t going to do itself.

  She grabbed a bag and a handful of tissue and went to work. Minutes later, she finished off the first of the gift bags with ribbon. “One down. Two hundred forty-nine to go,” she murmured. She checked her watch and groaned. At this rate, Karolyn and Chad would be on their honeymoon by the time she finished.

  “Where are you? I thought you were watching out for this girl.”

  “Hold on.” The mixer had practically drowned out Alicia’s voice. Nick turned the dial. Quiet descended on I Do Cakes’ kitchen. “Now, what was that again?”

  “I asked where you were, although from the sounds of things, I know exactly where you’re not. You’re not here—watching out for Jenny—like you’re supposed to be.”

  Nick bristled. He’d done exactly what everyone had asked him to do, and what had he gotten for his efforts? Nothing. He’d given Jenny his heart, and she’d tossed it aside, scratched his name off her list of favorite people, and made it perfectly clear that she wanted nothing further to do with him. “She’s no longer my responsibility,” he replied firmly. That had ended the moment Bob had stepped off the plane. “I did everything I was supposed to.”

  “Then why is she alone in the conference room, putting together gift bags for her wedding without a single person to help her?”

  “I don’t know anything about that, Alicia. If you want answers, talk to her fiancé.” According to the schedule, Bob and the rest of the wedding party had arrived earlier this morning. By now, the happy couple should be walking about Heart’s Landing arm-in-arm. Which explained why he’d hunkered down in the bakery, determined not to so much as stick his nose outside until this particular wedding was over and Jenny was out of his life forever. Not that he had any intention of telling that to Alicia. Or anyone else, for that matter.

  “You’re not hearing me, Nick. The point is, Bob isn’t here. Jenny said his flight was delayed, and he won’t be able to get here till tomorrow. In the meantime, she’s trying to assemble those gift bags by herself.”

  Nick wiped a dab of frosting from his hand and frowned. Like the cake he’d burned, the caramel he’d scorched, and the marzipan he’d ruined after seeing Jenny on Wednesday, he would toss this batch of frosting in the trash. This time, he’d let the butter sit too long at room temperatur
e. It had separated, leaving a slick, oily residue on his fingers that felt as wrong as Jenny’s wedding.

  But that situation was no longer his problem. After they’d spoken outside Dress For A Day, he’d made a promise to himself. From now on, he’d stay as far away from Jenny as possible. She’d made her choice, and it wasn’t him. No matter how much it hurt to think of her in the arms of another man, he had to respect her wishes.

  Or did he?

  The man Jenny planned to marry had let her down. It hadn’t been the first time. Nick was afraid it wouldn’t be the last. He couldn’t be certain of that, of course, but he was sure Jenny needed a friend. Could he be that for her? Could he ignore the empty hole where his heart used to be long enough to help her one last time?

  “That’s too big a job for one person, Nick.”

  Alicia’s not-so-gentle reminder was just the nudge he needed. “I’m on it.”

  Of course, there was always the possibility that Jenny would take one look at him and say, “Thank you very much, but no thanks.” To keep that from happening, he needed reinforcements. He reached for his phone. In minutes, he’d enlisted several volunteers who were more than happy to pitch in and help a true Heart’s Landing bride out of one more jam. After all, Jenny might refuse to let him lend a hand, but she couldn’t very well refuse an army.

  Now, all he had to do was hide his broken heart for a few more hours. Long enough to help the woman he loved put the finishing touches on the preparations for her wedding to someone else.

  He gulped.

  Helping Jenny was going to be harder than he’d thought it’d be. A lot harder.

  Chapter Seventeen

  In the conference room of the Captain’s Cottage, newscasters chattered on the television mounted on the wall behind Jenny. Leaning away from the table, she stretched. It hadn’t taken as long as she expected to settle into a routine. Grasp the handles. Shake a fresh bag open. Layer enough tissue into the bottom to cushion the wine bottle. Wedge the candy in beside it. Top with more tissue. Tie the whole thing off with a ribbon. Voila! Ten down, another two hundred forty left to go.