Charlotte frowned and sighed. "I just needed some space. Maybe I'm just tired from the party last night."
Clay stepped a little closer. "Are you nervous?"
She studied him, but didn't say anything.
Dakota forced a smile. "Everyone's at The Chateau, and they can't wait for you to arrive."
Charlotte turned back to the bay and slumped her shoulders.
"Everything is going perfectly—you should see it."
Charlotte nodded and then took a deep breath.
Dakota needed to handle this with care. Charlotte clearly had cold feet, but didn't seem to have it in her to admit it. "I take it this isn't about the ceremony, is it?" She moved closer and put a hand on the star's shoulder, expecting her to shoo her away.
Charlotte didn't budge. "No, I…" She paused and turned to Dakota. "I love Hugh, you know?"
"I know you do. I've seen you two together—the way you look at him. I can tell he feels just as strongly."
"But is it enough?" Charlotte asked.
"Love?" Dakota asked.
Charlotte nodded. "How many of your clients divorce?"
She froze. What kind of a question was that?
"Do you know how many celebrities split?" Charlotte asked. "Tons. Even more than gets reported. The news only bothers with the big names and the scandalous breakups."
"But there are plenty who stay together. That gets reported a lot less, unless the couple has a huge celebration, right?"
Charlotte shrugged. "I love Hugh, I just don't know if it's enough. I don't want to be another statistic in a year or two."
Dakota's mouth dropped. There was no way she could promise Charlotte—or anyone, for that matter—that everything would work out happily for the next fifty years. Both sets of her grandparents had done it, but none of them had lived lives remotely similar to Charlotte and Hugh.
Clay walked around Dakota and stood in front of Charlotte. He stared into her eyes and took one of her hands. "You say you love him?"
Charlotte nodded and wiped at her eyes. "More than anyone before him."
"Then you have all you need. You know why?"
She shook her head.
Clay glanced over at Dakota quickly before turning his attention back to Charlotte. "Love is the most important thing in the world. It's strong enough to make some people walk away from their families. Strong enough to break through social barriers. It makes people put themselves on the line. It's also how people stay in lasting marriages—even in Hollywood."
"You think so?" Charlotte asked.
"I know so. Tell me what you love about Hugh."
Charlotte pulled her hand from Clay and ran her hands through her hair. "Well, he's funny. That was the first thing I noticed about him. While almost everyone else runs around stressed and barking orders, he can put a smile on anyone's face no matter what's going on."
"There you go," Clay said. "That's huge. Someone who can find the bright spot in a situation is invaluable in a relationship. You know what I hate? Grumpy complainers. They drive me crazy—those jerks who can find something wrong with anything. But someone like Hugh—he's a gift."
Charlotte's expression brightened.
"I'm sure you two have already hit rough patches, right?" Clay asked.
"Yeah."
"And what was his response? Was he a complainer, or did he find a way through it?"
Her gaze moved to the side as though deep in thought. "First, he found something funny about what happened. Then after we stopped laughing, we figured out a solution pretty quickly. That's happened several times, actually."
"See?" Clay said. "You've got a winner there. Charlotte and Hugh stand a much higher chance of staying together than so many others because of the humor and love. My prediction? You'll be celebrating wedding anniversaries with grandchildren running around, making messes at your feet."
Charlotte's face lit up. "Really?"
"With my whole heart. Love can be tricky—I don't blame you for being nervous. But one thing I can tell you is that love is worth it. Sometimes we don't even see it when it's right in front of us. Do you want to know something I've learned recently about love?"
"What?"
"Love can make you a better person. What you feel for the other person makes you want to be the best version of yourself, and they, in return, make you feel like it's possible."
Dakota's stomach twisted in knots. Was he talking about her?
"You're right," Charlotte said. "Hugh inspires me. He doesn't just make me laugh and feel special, but he makes me want to be a better person. That's why I donated a bunch of money to the clinic that takes care of abused pets. A commercial for it brought him to tears."
"He sounds like one heck of a guy, Charlotte. I wouldn't let him go."
She stared at him, her mouth gaping.
"This sounds like the real deal," Clay said. "How do you feel?"
Charlotte jumped up from the rock. "Like I'd be crazy not to marry him."
Clay winked at Dakota and turned back to Charlotte. "Let's get going, then." He glanced around. "Wait, how'd you get here? I don't see a car."
"I took a cab."
"Looks like we're going to have to squeeze onto my bike."
"There aren't enough helmets," Dakota said.
He shrugged. "It's a short ride. I'll just let you ladies have them."
"No," Dakota insisted. "Take her to The Chateau and come back for me."
Clay looked at her like she was crazy. "You want me to leave you here?"
"I'll call over and let everyone know she's on her way. It's fine. I'm not going to have you ride without a helmet. Just get her over there."
"Are you sure?" He held her gaze.
"Go. I need to make some calls, anyway."
Clay opened his mouth, but then closed it. He seemed to want to protest.
"Hurry up. We can't have a wedding without the bride."
"I'll be right back," Clay promised.
"You'd better," Dakota teased. She realized that though they were in a stressful situation, Clay had managed to help calm her frayed nerves—just like he'd said was such a good quality to have in a love interest.
She watched as they climbed on the bike and rode off. It took her a moment to catch her breath. Once she did, she leaned on the rock Charlotte had been sitting on and called Aria.
"I hope you have good news about the bride," Aria said.
"Clay's bringing her over right now."
"Oh, thank God. The wedding is still on, right?"
"Yes, it is."
"Good," Aria said. "Hey, no! Put those in the reception hall. Hey, Dakota, I gotta go."
"No problem." She ended the call and sent Sarah a text, getting her up to speed.
Dakota shivered as she watched the water bounce around with small, calm waves. Some birds flew overhead, chasing each other. Her mind wandered back to the things Clay had said to Charlotte.
He'd been amazing. If everything had hinged on her, she never would have talked Charlotte down. In fact, she wouldn't have even found the nervous bride.
Maybe keeping Clay on staff was the better choice. It might be possible to find a workaround to her policy. Aria needed an assistant. If Clay was working with her, then technically… But he'd still be her employee.
She sighed. Or maybe it was simply time to update her policies. She and Clay were going to work on a new one for famous clients. Dakota could always take a look at all the company's policies, updating the ones that required it. Surely, there were more that could use a fresh set of eyes.
Times were changing—for the better. But she had to focus on the biggest wedding of her career before worrying about paperwork.
Twenty-Seven
Clay turned to Aria and whispered, "Who's supposed to keep the monkeys in line?"
"One of Charlotte's people." She shook her head. "But it looks like it might be on us. Have you ever worked with chimpanzees before?"
"That would be a resounding no."
> Aria tightened her ponytail. "Yeah, me neither. This should be fun."
"They're supposed to be smart, right?"
"Looks like we'll find out. We just need to be careful not to draw any attention to ourselves."
Clay glanced at the primates and scanned the audience. "Looks like a lot of the guests are already distracted."
"Come on." Aria headed around the chairs and off to the side where the flower-bearing monkeys were beginning to make a mess. One animal stuck its finger in another's ear. Some kids giggled.
Hugh was reading from his personally-written vows, and more people were focused on the chimps.
Clay made a mental note to write in a list of approved animals into the new policies.
A monkey dropped his bouquet, stuck his finger in the nose of another chimpanzee, and then pushed him over.
Aria shot him an annoyed expression. Right. Like Clay had any control over the animals. They rushed to the front. Clay waved to the creatures.
One waved back and blew him a kiss. Had the circumstances been any different, he would have found that funny. Not today.
He turned to Aria, who was sliding her finger around her tablet.
"What are you doing?" he whispered.
"Trying to find a way to lure a monkey."
"Food. Try food."
Her eyes lit up. "Good thinking." She darted away.
Clay knelt to the ground and held out his hand, hoping at least one of the chimps would come to him. None of them did, but they did quiet down as they stared at him.
Aria returned with some orange slices. She handed half to Clay. They held them out and waved the monkeys over. Two of the five came. At least it was something.
Clay held out the food, while backing up. They continued following him while Aria worked on the remaining three.
A lady in a black suit ran over to him. "I'm so sorry. I'm their trainer. I had to take a call." She gathered the two chimps and returned them with the other three. Once they saw her, all five stood in a line and remained still.
Aria and Clay exchanged an exasperated expression. At least that was taken care of.
"The ceremony's almost over. We need to go check the reception hall."
Clay had already checked it twice, but with a wedding as important as this one, they probably couldn't go over anything too much. He tested the microphones, speakers, and made sure everything was secured to the walls. Aria checked everything else.
They had barely finished when the bridesmaids and groomsmen filed into the hall, followed by guests. Clay and Aria directed everyone to their tables. They were supposed to eat and have cake before the dancing was to begin. Side dishes already lined the tables along two walls. From another entrance, servers brought in plates of salmon, chicken, and something that looked like dressed-up tofu. They set them in front of the nameplates.
A lady with white hair tugged on his arm. "Excuse me, young man, would you be able to help me find my seat?"
He smiled at her. "Of course. What's your name?"
"Estelle McFurtman."
Clay held out his arm, and she looped hers through it. He walked around with her until he found the right nameplate.
She beamed. "You're so helpful. Thank you so much."
"My pleasure."
He spun around and helped a few others find their places before the noise settled. Love songs played on the speakers and everyone seemed to be eating happily.
Clay's stomach rumbled. He'd been so busy, he hadn't even thought about food, but now with all the delicious smells, he realized just how hungry he was.
Marina came over to him. "The smaller reception hall has food for us to eat. You can start, and then when you're done, tell Aria so she can get something."
"It's like you read my mind."
She laughed. "It's hard not to get hungry when the food smells so good."
Clay made his way to the other hall and found a spread of food not as elegant as the guests were eating, but it looked good nonetheless. He piled toppings onto bread and devoured the sandwich.
Just as he threw his plate into the trash, Sullivan walked in. He stiffened when he saw Clay. "You're still working for Dakota?"
"Is this about the misunderstanding from before?"
"What misunderstanding?" Sullivan asked.
"When Dakota thought I was buying a ring for my ex-girlfriend."
His brows came together. "What?"
"I was pawning a ring—getting rid of it. The only person I have eyes for is your sister."
"You'd better mean Dakota."
"Oh, come on. You've known me how long?"
"So, the whole thing was just a miscommunication?" Sullivan asked.
"Yes. It's all worked out. I'm surprised Dakota didn't tell you."
He shrugged. "She's been pretty busy getting ready for this wedding. You guys are good, though?"
Clay couldn't help smiling. "Better than good."
Sullivan gave Clay a playful shove. "Glad to hear it. When this wedding is over, one of you is going to have to fill me in on the missing details."
"Gladly. Just know I'd never do anything to hurt Dakota."
"You'd better not. You don't want to see me angry."
"I've seen you mad."
Sullivan shook his head. "No, actually, you haven't."
"Okay. Well, you don't have anything to worry about. I swear."
"Good."
"Are we good?"
"Sure, as long as Dakota's happy."
Clay forced a smile. "She is."
Sullivan flicked a nod and went over to the food table.
"Maybe you should talk to Dakota," Clay called.
He waved Clay away.
At least it wasn't him that Clay had to convince of his love for Dakota. It was just her. His heart warmed just thinking of her smile—and the way she looked at him told him she knew.
He went out into the hallway. He could hear the music from the reception all the way from there. They must have moved from eating to dancing. A roar of laughter sounded.
About halfway to the reception hall, he passed Dakota's parents.
Clay's stomach tightened. Had Sullivan told them he didn't like Clay with their daughter?
Gary smiled at him. "Clay, how are you? I haven't seen you in years."
"How are your parents?" asked Judy.
Relief swept through him, and Clay returned Gary's smile. "It's great to see you both, too. My parents are doing well, thanks."
"Still busy with their neighborhood committee?" Judy asked.
Whatever tension Sullivan had left Clay with was now gone. He nodded. "They're running it now after their neighborhood watch was such a success."
"I'm so glad to hear it." She put a hand on Clay's arm. "Tell them to give us a call if they're ever in town again. We'd love to see them."
"I will. I'm sure they'd love to see you guys, also."
Judy smiled and held his eye contact.
"How do you like working for Dakota?" Gary asked.
"You're her new assistant?" Judy's eyes widened.
Her husband turned to her. "Why's that important?"
"Dakota's assistant. Remember?"
Clay swallowed. So much for feeling at ease. They might even un-invite his parents over.
"Right," Clay said. "And speaking of that, I really should get back to the reception."
Judy turned back to him and gave him a super-sweet smile. "Gary and I have been married over thirty years."
"Congratulations," Clay said.
"We started out as a forbidden office romance, you know."
"You… did?"
She took Gary's hand. "But nothing could keep us apart. Love is bigger and more important than any rule or convention."
Gary kissed her on the cheek. "She's a smart woman."
"Oh," Clay said.
"I'm also hungry." She laughed. "The food for the workers is in the smaller hall?"
"Right back there." He gestured down the hallway.
&nbs
p; "Can you believe that wedding?" she asked. "I wonder if all stars are that over the top."
"If we get more clients like Charlotte, we'll find out."
Gary grabbed her hand. "Let's get you some food." He glanced over at Clay and winked. "And have fun with Dakota. She really needs a nice guy like you after—"
Judy poked him. "Stop."
"See you guys later," Clay said, wondering what Gary was going to say. Could it be that Sullivan was extra protective of his sister because of something she'd been through? On the plus side, they appeared to approve of him dating Dakota, even if they hadn't come out and said that directly.
Twenty-Eight
Dakota tapped Charlotte on the shoulder. She and Hugh stopped dancing and looked at Dakota expectantly.
"You're welcome to stay and celebrate as long as you wish," Dakota said, "but I just want to let you know your limo just arrived."
Her eyes lit up. "Is it tiger orange, like I requested?"
Dakota smiled. "That it is. Fits perfectly with everything else."
Charlotte's eyes widened as she glanced at her new husband. "Are you ready?"
"To spend two weeks in paradise alone with you? You bet." He turned to Dakota. "Thank you for everything. Everything exceeded our highest expectations."
Dakota beamed. "I'm so glad to hear it. Do you want me to gather the guests outside?"
"Actually, I do have one request," Hugh said.
"Anything," Dakota said.
"Can you play We Will Rock You as we make our exit?" A grin spread across his face.
"Of course—and that sounds perfect." Dakota exchanged a knowing glance with Charlotte. She didn't think the bride could have looked any happier. "I'll let the DJ know your request."
"Thank you," Hugh called as Dakota headed for the disc jockey.
Before long, all the guests had gathered to blow bubbles on the happy couple as they made their way to the orange limo, stopping to say their goodbyes to friends and family along the way. The speakers inside and out played the requested song.
Clay came over with a grin on his face. "Everything worked out perfectly, wouldn't you say?"
"I had my doubts, but it really did. I couldn't have done it without you."
He shrugged. "Glad I could help, but you worked all the magic. I'm sure you're going to have plenty of their friends calling you when they get engaged."
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