Not Quite Over You

by Susan Mallery

“Hey, yourself.”

  Leigh’s voice was happy and filled with affection. They were only twelve years apart in age, so more like sisters than mother and daughter.

  “I got your text about the trailers,” Leigh continued. “What are you going to do?”

  “I’m still thinking.”

  “It seems like a good opportunity.”

  “You think I should work with Drew?”

  “If he’s going to be a minority partner, then why not? You get the trailers, you don’t have to worry about a bank loan and you can grow the business how you want to.”

  “But it’s Drew.”

  “At least you know him and he has a strong business background.”

  “Maybe knowing him is the problem,” she grumbled. “I don’t know if we can work together or not.”

  At one time, she’d been wildly in love with him, but they’d both been young and that was so different from a business relationship.

  “Could you trust him?” Leigh asked. “Because without trust, there isn’t anything.”

  “I have to think about that, too,” Silver told her. “I would need to get to know him again.”

  Leigh laughed. “Good thing he’s already committed to the trailers. It means he’s stuck with your timetable.”

  “I hadn’t thought about it that way, but you’re right. So what’s new with you?”

  “I do have some exciting news. At least I hope you’ll think it’s exciting.”

  “Yes?”

  “Denton has decided he really wants a wedding.”

  Silver smiled. Leigh’s fiancé had been all in on a big wedding, then had wanted an elopement and was, apparently, back on with a wedding.

  “That man. He needs to make up his mind.”

  “I agree. The thing is, I told him it doesn’t matter to me, but I’d really prefer a wedding. Some for me but mostly for Autumn. She is desperate to be a bridesmaid.”

  Silver felt her chest tighten a little at the thought of Autumn in a beautiful dress, walking down the aisle in front of her mother.

  “Have you two figured out when? Or where, for that matter? Just say the word and I’ll clear my calendar.”

  Silver would be at the wedding, but just as important, she would stay with Autumn while Leigh and Denton went off on their honeymoon.

  “It’s funny you should ask that. We have set the date. It’s in a couple of months.”

  “Oh?” Silver swung her feet to the ground and sat up. “Won’t Autumn be in school? Are you going to delay your honeymoon?”

  “I know, I know. So many details. And here’s the thing.” Leigh hesitated. “Gosh, I hope you’re going to be okay with this.”

  Silver frowned. What wouldn’t she understand? “You’re marrying a great guy. Of course I’m good with it.”

  “It’s not the who—it’s the where. Now hear me out. Once Denton said he wanted a wedding rather than us just eloping or getting it done at City Hall, things kind of snowballed. We were talking locations and on a whim, I called around in Happily Inc. You’ll never guess!”

  Silver felt her breath catch in her throat. Happily Inc, as in the town where she lived? Where Drew lived?

  “Tell me,” she said, hoping she didn’t sound the least bit worried.

  “I spoke to this wonderful woman—Pallas. Do you know her?”

  Silver told herself to stay totally calm. That everything was going to be fine. “Uh-huh. She owns Weddings Out of the Box.”

  “Yes, that’s her. She’d just had a cancellation for a theme wedding. The bride and groom couldn’t stand waiting and eloped, but everything had already been ordered, so it was just there if I wanted to claim it. I’d never thought about doing anything like that, but it’s a Great Gatsby theme. The time period is so fun and the ideas they had were just charming. My dress is going to work and I’ve been looking online and I’ve found the best dress for you and another one for Autumn and well, Denton and I want to get married in Happily Inc and then have Autumn stay with you while we go on our honeymoon. Is that okay?”

  Silver was grateful to be sitting on the floor so she didn’t have to worry about freaking out and fainting. Autumn here? Leigh getting married here? No. No! They couldn’t. She couldn’t. There was no way to keep Drew from finding out about their daughter if Autumn was in town for a week or two.

  “I could take care of Autumn at your place,” Silver offered, thinking that if she limited the amount of Happily Inc time then...

  “Funny story.” Leigh laughed. “You know Denton and I each listed our condos and we’re building a house together?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “Well, our condos have sold and are closing right before the wedding, but we can’t get into our new place until after the honeymoon. We’re moving everything into storage. I guess technically we’re between homes. Or we will be.”

  Silver pulled her legs to her chest and rested her head on her knees. She told herself to breathe, that everything would be just fine.

  “Silver? Is this okay?”

  “Of course it is,” she lied. “Yes, and yes. I’m thrilled you’re getting married here, and of course Autumn can stay with me while you and Denton are on your honeymoon. It will be fun.”

  She hoped she sounded perfectly happy and excited and did she mention happy? “What about Autumn’s schoolwork?”

  “I’ve taken care of that. Her teachers are giving her the assignments ahead of time. There’s a homeschooling kind of internet lab in town and I’ve already checked with them. Autumn will be there for six hours a day, Monday through Friday, just like regular school.” Leigh laughed. “It’s all coming together, just like it was meant to be.”

  “Just like.” Silver’s voice was faint.

  She was well and truly trapped. She loved Leigh and couldn’t be anything but happy for her. Being with Autumn was always fun and she looked forward to their one-on-one girl time. The only problem was, of course, Drew. There was no way Silver could explain away a kid who looked like him, who was the exact age their child would have been. He wasn’t stupid—he would put the pieces together. And not just him. Anyone who saw Autumn and Drew within twenty feet of each other would have questions.

  “I’m going to have to come clean with him,” Silver said. “Tell Drew about Autumn.”

  “There is that.” Leigh’s voice softened. “I’m a little worried about it. Am I pushing you?”

  “No, of course not. You’re getting married and I’m so happy. I’ll get together with Pallas and talk to her about how things are going. You’re going to love how she handles things. I’ll create the perfect signature cocktail for your reception. Leigh, this is going to be the wedding of your dreams.”

  “Oh, sweetie, thank you. I appreciate what you’re saying so much. Autumn is super excited about everything. Okay, I need to run but we’ll talk soon.”

  “Of course. I love you.”

  “I love you, too. Bye.”

  They hung up. Silver pulled the earbuds from her ears and closed her eyes. Too much had happened too quickly and she was going to need a minute to process everything.

  Leigh’s wedding was going to be its own kind of mess. Not the logistics—Pallas knew exactly how to throw the perfect event. It was more that Silver was going to have to explain her relationship to Leigh. Which meant telling people about Autumn. She was fairly confident her friends would be totally on board but she was less sure about how Drew would accept the information. Yes, he knew about their child, but nothing else.

  Guilt tapped on her shoulder, but she ignored it. She hadn’t done anything wrong. She wasn’t the bad guy. She’d been up-front from the beginning. Her relationship with Autumn was her business. If he’d cared, he could have asked what had happened, but instead he’d gone on with his life without so much as a backward glance. Which all sounded really good, but did
nothing to take away her growing sense of dread and discomfort.

  A reckoning was coming—she could feel it.

  * * *

  “SILVER, I’M REALLY SORRY. I kept hoping I would get better.”

  Silver told herself it would be wrong to respond with anything but sympathy. Georgiana was a steady, dependable worker and she’d never once flaked out on an event.

  “It’s okay. You go take care of yourself. I’ll be fine.”

  “You won’t be fine.” Georgiana groaned. “I gotta throw up, and then I’ll call you—”

  Conversation ended with a gagging sound followed by a noise Silver didn’t want to identify. It took her a second to keep from throwing up herself. She ended the call and tucked her phone into her jeans pocket, then tried to figure out what on earth she was going to do. In less than four hours, there was a wedding for three hundred and twenty people at Weddings Out of the Box. The bride and groom were expecting her to handle all their beverage needs and as of ten seconds ago, she had no staff.

  She got out her tablet and double-checked the drinks menu for the night. The theme was a casual beach wedding. In order to keep costs down, the couple had chosen two signature drinks, along with beer and wine. In a pinch, Silver could get by with minimal help, but she absolutely needed at least one other person around.

  All the usual suspects were unavailable for the same reason Georgiana wouldn’t be in. That left friends, most of whom worked in the wedding business, so would be busy on a Saturday night with minimal notice. She tried Carol, but the call went directly to voice mail. Wynn’s did the same, leaving Silver cursing under her breath. A name occurred to her, but she ignored it until there were no other options.

  “Hey,” Drew said when he answered. “I didn’t expect to hear from you so quickly. What have you decided?”

  “I haven’t. I’m still considering.” More things than he knew about, she thought. Not just the business proposition but how she was ever going to tell him about Autumn. Neither of which concerned her now.

  “Did you mean what you said about helping me with events?” she asked. “That you’d be a real working partner?”

  “I did. Why?”

  “I want to give you a trial run. It will help me decide.”

  She knew she was assuming a lot—for one thing, that Drew would be available on a night when most single, good-looking guys had plans. Not that she’d heard of him dating anyone, but he often kept his romantic relationships private. For all she knew, he was practically engaged, something she found herself not wanting to think about.

  “You want me to work a wedding?” he asked. “Tonight?”

  “Yes.”

  “Is the last-minute thing a test or desperation?”

  She sighed. “Mostly desperation. My regular hires called in sick. They worked a party at the Chapel on the Green. Someone brought in some bad shrimp and they all have food poisoning.” Silver shuddered. “Based on what I heard, it’s really awful.”

  “I don’t need any details,” he said quickly. “I’m happy to help. Just tell me when and where.”

  “Weddings Out of the Box in an hour. Wear khakis and a Hawaiian shirt. That’s what all the servers are wearing.”

  “Should I bring anything?”

  “I’ve got that handled.” She hesitated. “Thanks, Drew. You’re helping me out of a jam.”

  “Glad to do it. See you in an hour.”

  Silver hung up. She’d already changed into khaki shorts, a red bikini top with an open red Hawaiian shirt tied at the waist. Her hair was pulled back in a simple braid with a silk hibiscus clipped to the end. Her makeup was light, her earrings simple gold hoops. Her job was to provide bar service and otherwise blend in with the background. In a perfect world, she wouldn’t be noticed at all.

  She drove over to Weddings Out of the Box and backed the trailer into place. Once it was in position, she unhitched it and drove the truck around to the far end of the parking lot, then returned to her Airstream to start setting up. That morning she’d collected all the supplies she would need for the drinks. The decorations had been finalized and delivered at the last prep meeting on Thursday. Except for additional manpower, she was good to go.

  She’d barely unlocked the trailer when she heard the sound of rapid footsteps on the walkway. She turned and saw Renee Grothen scurrying toward her.

  The petite redheaded wedding coordinator had a tablet in one hand, a clipboard in the other and an air of concern pulling her eyebrows together. Looking at her, one would assume the sky was falling, but Silver had done enough weddings with Renee to know that the woman was always in full-on freak-out mode right up until the wedding started. Once the happy couple were safely married, she slowly relaxed. As the reception transitioned from appetizers to entrées to cake-cutting with nary a disaster, she relaxed a little more and the frown went away. Renee knew her stuff, but she was a little on the tightly wound side.

  “I’m fine,” Silver said before Renee could ask.

  Renee’s green eyes widened. “I heard there was food poisoning and that everyone was vomiting.”

  “They are, but I wasn’t there and I’m fine.”

  Renee’s hands trembled. “You can’t handle the bar yourself. It’s too much. Even with the limited drink menu there is simply no way—”

  Silver smiled. “Renee, trust me. I have it under control. Help is on the way. This part of the wedding is totally taken care of.”

  Before Renee could start keening or whatever it was she did when she was really upset, Pallas, the owner of Weddings Out of the Box, joined them. Silver and Pallas had been friends for years. When Pallas had started working at Weddings Out of the Box and Silver had opened AlcoHaul, they’d begun working together on a regular basis.

  The previous year Pallas had fallen madly in love with artist Nick Mitchell. They’d married and were expecting their first baby. Silver glanced at her friend’s still almost-flat stomach.

  “How are you feeling?”

  Pallas’s first trimester had been a nightmare of morning sickness.

  “Better,” her friend said. “I’m only occasionally queasy and it passes quickly. What a relief!” She turned to Renee. “If Silver says she has it covered, she has it covered. You can let it go.” She smiled. “I mean that.”

  Renee’s nod was reluctant. She’d only been working for Pallas for a month or so and was still in triple-checking mode. Or maybe she was always like that, Silver thought. It would be a tough way to live but she would guess it meant all the details were managed.

  Pallas led Renee away and Silver finished opening up the large double doors on the side of the trailer. She connected two power cords, then turned on the lights inside. She pulled out boxes of decorations and set them aside. The folding tables and chairs came next. They were stacked together to be assembled later. The large easel and chalkboard were in the back. She got them out, along with a box of chalk.

  Drew walked up, dressed as she’d requested. He looked good. Calm and capable and just a little bit sexy. When he spotted her, he frowned.

  “Hey, you’ve already unloaded. Did you leave anything for me to do?”

  “Plenty,” she said, trying not to let her relief show. Of course, she’d known he would be here, but having him actually present made her feel better about everything. Despite her promises to Renee, she was a little concerned about getting everything set up in time. Even with Drew around, she was short a body and both her helpers had known what to do. Drew was a novice.

  Still, he’d always come through in a pinch. Back when she’d told him she was pregnant, the first thing he’d done was propose. Compared to that, tonight should be a snap.

  She had him hook up the hose that would keep the water tanks full, then wash his hands.

  “Your first job is to cut up honeydew melon,” she told him. “It’s messy so you’ll want t
o wear an apron.”

  She half expected him to protest the coated cotton apron covered with drawings of landmarks of downtown London, but he only settled it over his head, then tied the strings behind his waist.

  “Cut up how?” he asked. “Big chunks? Little chunks?”

  She got out a massive cutting board, a serving spoon and large knife. “I keep it sharp, so be careful.” She set two bowls in front of him. “The bigger one is for the melon. The smaller one is for the seeds. The fastest way to do this is to cut the melon in half, then seed it.”

  She demonstrated. She placed the flat side down on the cutting board and cut it into two-inch slices. “Cut off the rind then chop the slices into big cubes. Those go in the bowl.”

  “Got it,” Drew said. “How much do you want me to do?”

  She showed him the case of honeydews. “All of them. There are more bowls in the cupboard by your feet. When you have five full bowls, come get me.”

  “Will do.” He winked.

  The unexpected movement caught her off guard. She felt a flash of heat low in her belly. No, no and no, she told herself. She wasn’t going down the Drew is the sexiest man I’ve ever known path. Not now, not ever. This was work only. Work and maybe an awkward conversation about the child they’d given up. There would be no funny business, regardless of how he winked at her.

  Drew went right to work. He cut and chopped deliberately, being careful to keep his fingers away from the blade. After a couple of seconds, she realized she couldn’t monitor him—not if everything else was going to be ready on time.

  She left him in the trailer and went outside. She pulled the portable, custom-built bar from its storage hatch at the back of the trailer and carefully lowered it to the ground, then wheeled it into place. She locked the wheels, then began stacking the plastic racks that held the glasses. Beer would be served in the bottle, so no glasses needed there. She had wineglasses for the Sangria, champagne flutes for the mimosas and highball glasses for those who only wanted water. The soda/coffee/tea station was self-serve and across the way, so not her problem today.

  She put out two small squat tables and set a big galvanized steel beverage tub on each. The beer was in the refrigerator and there was plenty of ice in the freezer. She would put out both right before the ceremony started. The placement—behind the bar—would keep the beer handy, but not available for guests to simply grab and run. Silver liked to know who was drinking what. Part of her job was to make sure no one got too drunk and ruined the event.