A Wedding on Bluebird Way

by Lori Wilde

  Jessy was still whimpering. Jenny had come to crouch close to her sister, her dark eyes huge in her small, pale face. “Don’t be scared, Jenny.” Harper reached out to pat her shoulder. “Jessy got stung, that’s all. She’s going to be fine.”

  Looking closely, Harper could see the yellow stinger, like a tiny dart in Jessy’s tender, pink flesh. She held her daughter close as Chance took a credit card from his wallet and used the edge to scrape the stinger away. It was gone, but Jessy was still in pain. Tears were running down her face, and the red lump was swelling.

  “Have you got any Benadryl?” Chance asked. “That’ll calm her down and help with the pain and swelling.”

  “At home. Nothing here.” She glanced at her shoulder bag, thinking, too late, what a good idea it would’ve been to pack some emergency supplies. Bad mother. “If only I’d thought to bring—”

  “Don’t worry about it. We’ll find something inside.” He scooped Jessy up in his arms and set off toward the kitchen. She clung to him, blubbering into his expensive white tuxedo shirt. Harper followed him with Jenny hanging onto one hand and Jessy’s sandal in the other.

  They burst into the kitchen. A pleasant-looking, older woman, standing at the sink, looked up with an expression of concern. Harper remembered hearing the inn’s owner call her Aunt Molly.

  “What have you got for a sting?” Chance asked. “We’ll take anything that helps.”

  “Oh, dear! Poor little thing! There’s ice in the fridge. And I believe we have a tube of cortisone ointment in the medicine cabinet. Or we can put baking soda on it like my grandma used to do.”

  “The cortisone would be fine,” Chance said. “And thanks.”

  “I’ll be right back.” She hurried out of the room and returned with the ointment. Setting Jessy on the counter, Chance rubbed a small smear on the swollen bite.

  “It still hurts,” Jessy whimpered.

  “It’ll feel better in a little while,” Chance said. “You’re a very brave young lady.”

  The compliment coaxed a tear-streaked smile from Jessy. The doctor definitely had a way with children. It was surprising he’d waited so long to have a family of his own.

  And now he’d be waiting even longer.

  Harper had spoken with her assistant, Brad, who’d agreed to stay for the final check-over so she could take her girls home. Thank heaven for capable help.

  “We can go now,” she said. “I’ve got some Benadryl at home. How much should I give her?”

  “The directions are on the bottle. They should be about right.” Chance gathered Jessy into his arms. “I’ll help you to your car,” he said.

  “Thanks—for everything. You’ve been a lifesaver.” Would she ever see the handsome doctor again? Not likely, Harper told herself. If Savannah Loving was an example of the young society women he liked to date, Chance Worthington was way out of her league.

  “I hope you won’t mind giving me your card,” he said. “Who knows? I might want you to plan my next wedding.”

  Harper gave him a startled look, then realized he was joking. After stashing Jessy’s shoe in her purse, she reached into her jacket and gave him one of the cards she kept handy for anyone who asked about her business. “Here’s wishing you better luck next time,” she said.

  He was still holding Jessy. When he nodded toward his pants pocket, she slipped the card inside. “Thanks,” he said. “I can’t say my luck’s been all bad today,” he said. “After all, I did meet you.”

  Heat warmed Harper’s face. She steeled herself against the too-pleasant feeling. Stop it! she told herself. This man thinks that because he’s rich and handsome, every woman he meets will fall all over him. He’s flirting with you because he can, and because it costs him nothing. But it doesn’t mean a thing.

  “My car’s out here, at the back of the parking lot.” She turned away from him, holding on to Jenny with one hand and fumbling for her keys with the other. She usually kept them in the zip pocket on her purse. But the pocket was empty.

  “Hang on.” Stopping, she let go of Jenny’s hand and rummaged through her purse. There was no sign of her keys.

  “Is everything okay?” Chance asked.

  She shook her head. “I can’t believe this. I must’ve left my keys in my car when I got here this morning. I only hope I didn’t lock them inside.”

  “Don’t worry,” Chance said as they walked out to the parking lot. “Every teenage boy learns how to break into a locked car. It’s like a rite of passage. I’ve never forgotten how.”

  “Well, I hope you won’t need to—” The words died in Harper’s throat as she spotted the space where she’d left her blue Toyota sport wagon.

  Her car was gone.

  Chapter Four

  “You’re sure this is where you parked it?”

  Chance’s question, meant to be helpful, was met with grim silence. By now the parking lot was three-quarters empty. Even if Harper’s car had been left in a different space, she would’ve had no trouble spotting it.

  Jessy had started to cry again. Now Jenny joined her in a whining, sniffling duet that grated like sandpaper on Chance’s nerves.

  Harper looked as if she were about to cry, too. She shook her head in disbelief. “Why would anybody take my car? It’s nothing special. It’s even got a dented bumper. And it had the booster seats in the back. Now they’re gone, too.”

  “Thieves will take anything with keys in it,” Chance said. “Maybe it was kids taking it for a joyride. If that’s the case, they’ll probably just leave it somewhere. But if it went to a chop shop . . .” Chance let the words trail off as he realized he was only making her feel worse. “I can call the police for you,” he said.

  “I can call them,” Harper said. “At least I’ve got my phone.”

  Chance waited, soothing the twins, while Harper gave the dispatcher the description and license number of her sport wagon, along with her contact information. She sighed as she ended the call. “Well, I guess there’s nothing to do but call a cab and wait for it to show up.”

  “How far is your place from here?” Chance asked, though he should have known better. He was already getting in too deep.

  “Half an hour if the traffic’s not too bad.”

  “No problem. I can drive you. My car’s by the side entrance to the inn.” Chance had parked it there for a fast getaway with his bride.

  “You’re sure? You don’t have other plans?”

  He raised an eyebrow. “Think about that question.”

  “Oh.” She gave him a half-hearted laugh. “In that case, if it’s not too much trouble, we’d be happy to accept.”

  Actually Chance did have other plans. But he still had plenty of time to get to the hotel tonight and make it to the airport tomorrow morning for the flight to Hawaii. “Follow me,” he said.

  Jenny had stopped crying. But Jessy was still sniffling against his damp shirt. That sting on her foot would still be hurting. The sooner they could get some antihistamines in her, the sooner she could rest and feel better. They could pick some up at a drugstore, or stop by his townhouse here in Serendipity, where he kept a few samples in his bag.

  As they took the brick path to the back of the inn, a new thought struck him. “Your keys were stolen with your car,” he said to Harper. “Do you have a way to get into your house?”

  She groaned. “Oh, no! I didn’t think of that! Our condo is on the third floor. The door is deadbolted. There’s no way to get in without a key. I don’t suppose your boyhood skills extend to lock-picking.”

  “Not with a deadbolt. Unless you can find a spare key, you’re going to need a locksmith.”

  Harper was silent. Chance could guess what she was thinking. She’d be stuck outside her door with two tired, hungry, whining children, one of them in pain, and probably both of them needing a bathroom, while she waited for a locksmith to show up.

  “We could go to my townhouse,” he said. “I’ve got Benadryl for Jessy and a place for your girls to
relax and watch TV while you make an appointment with the locksmith. Once he’s on his way, I can take you to meet him.”

  “Oh . . .” She hesitated, but only for an instant. “I know it’s an imposition, but thank you. We’ll try not to be a bother.”

  “No problem.” Chance would still have plenty of time to make it to the hotel and catch his early morning flight. He could tell Harper about his planned trip, but that would only add to her stress. She already had enough on her plate.

  “My car’s right around here.” He rounded the corner of the inn and stopped as if he’d run into a wall. The twins began to cheer. Jenny was jumping up and down. Jessy, still in his arms, was laughing and clapping her hands.

  His silver Mercedes-Benz sedan had been decorated from bumper to bumper with crepe paper streamers and balloons, and tin cans had been strung behind. Painted across the rear windshield were the words JUST MARRIED.

  Stifling a string of curses, Chance glowered at his car. He’d made it clear to everyone in the wedding party that he didn’t want the car decorated. But somebody—most likely Savannah’s brother Joshua, who’d been his best man—had gone with tradition and done it anyway.

  Annoyed, Chance grabbed a fistful of colored streamers and yanked them off the car. A cry of protest went up from the twins.

  “No-ooo—oo!” wailed Jessy.

  “Don’t! It’s pretty!” Running ahead, Jenny plastered herself against the car as if trying to protect it. Chance glanced at Harper. She wasn’t saying a word.

  With a sigh of surrender, he fished out his keys and clicked the remote to unlock the car.

  “Since you don’t have any safety seats, I’ll sit in back with the girls and hang onto them,” Harper said.

  “Good idea.” He opened the rear door, helped her and Jenny inside, and passed Jessy into her arms. Then he went around the car and climbed into the driver’s seat, but not before pausing to untie the string of tin cans from the rear bumper. He’d be attracting enough attention without rattling down the street. At least his townhouse was only about fifteen minutes from the Bluebird Inn.

  Everything was under control, Chance told himself as he pulled away from the curb. He would do a good turn for Harper and her twins, get to know the beautiful wedding planner a little better, and have them home in time to start his trip. After his vacation, he’d give her a call and suggest dinner—without the children. From there, with luck, one thing would lead to another.

  So far, his plan was looking good. So why did he feel as if an invisible storm were about to blow in, leaving that plan in tatters?

  * * *

  Wedged in the back seat between her daughters, Harper took a moment to breathe and think about her day. She’d planned and implemented every detail of the perfect wedding, a wedding that could have meant everything to her career. But it was as if the day had been cursed by an evil spell. The sick babysitter, the traffic ticket, the runaway bride, the missing twins, the ruined cake, the bee sting, and finally the stolen car.

  And the day wasn’t over. Here she was, riding through the streets of Serendipity in the decorated getaway car with the jilted bridegroom at the wheel. If she were watching this as a scene in a Hollywood comedy, she’d be laughing her head off.

  Sadly, it was all too real.

  Chance was hunched low in the seat as if he didn’t want to be recognized. But the twins were having the time of their young lives. Strangers, seeing the decorated wedding car, were driving past, honking and waving. Pressed against the side windows, the little girls were smiling and waving back. Even Jessy was having too much fun to whine about her foot.

  It was a blessed relief when Chance pulled up to his townhouse in an upscale, landscaped community. After driving the car into the garage, he helped Harper carry the twins inside. The interior of his home was tasteful and immaculate, with modern furnishings and a neutral color scheme. Black-and-white art photos hung on the walls, all in matching ivory mats and black frames. Harper kept a firm grip on her daughters, imagining their sticky little handprints on the walls and furniture. With luck, they wouldn’t be here long. Meanwhile, she would need to keep her curious little imps from running amuck.

  She took the girls into the spotless downstairs bathroom and washed their hands and faces. When they came out, Chance had turned on the TV and found a popular children’s show. He also had a sample bottle of Benadryl with a dropper.

  “Open up,” he told Jessy. “This will make your foot feel better.”

  Jessy took the medicine without hesitation. She’d had it before and knew it was sweet. “Now you two can watch TV on the couch. I don’t have many snacks here, but do you like string cheese?”

  The twins nodded. Soon they were settled on the leather loveseat, covered with a fleece throw, nibbling on cheese as they watched an animal cartoon.

  “You’re amazing with children,” Harper told Chance.

  “I get lots of practice.”

  “You should have a few of your own.”

  A pained look flickered across his chiseled face. “I suppose that was the idea,” he said. “Now what can we do about finding a locksmith?”

  * * *

  Chance kept an eye on the twins while Harper, who’d declined his help, sat at the kitchen counter with her phone and a pad of paper, making one call after another and shaking her head. Evidently this wasn’t a good weekend to find a locksmith.

  Finally, with a sigh, she put down her phone. “I can’t believe this. They’re all backed up. The soonest I can get somebody to come and open the door is first thing tomorrow morning.”

  Chance weighed the news. On the upside, he’d be spending more time with lovely Harper. On the downside, if Harper and her twins had to spend the night here—and he had little choice except to invite them—there was no way he could make his morning flight to Hawaii.

  But never mind that. He could book a later flight and still have his vacation. For now, he could enjoy the company of the most desirable woman he’d ever met—even though she came with two little chaperones.

  “I’ve got a guest room upstairs,” he said. “It just has a double bed, but if you don’t mind bunking with your girls . . .”

  The other arrangement he had in mind would likely have gotten his face slapped.

  “Thank you,” she said. “And I’m sorry. I never meant to impose on you like this.”

  “Don’t worry about it,” he said. “Hey, we can make it a party. I’ll order pizza and root beer, and we can stream a movie on TV—something the kids would like.”

  Her smile told him he’d made the right suggestion. “That would be great. But the girls are so tired and dirty. Would you mind terribly if I gave them a bath while we’re waiting for the pizza to arrive?”

  “That’s fine. The tub’s upstairs. I’ll round up some old T-shirts they can use for nightgowns—you too if you want. That way we can put their clothes in the wash and have them clean for tomorrow morning.”

  “Thank you again.” She rose from her place at the counter, looking exhausted. She’d had a long day. They both had. “The locksmith will be at my door by 8:30. You can let us off and get on with your plans.”

  “Whatever they might be.” Chance was glad he hadn’t told her about missing his flight. “Bathroom’s down the upstairs hallway on your right. Toss the clothes out the door, and I’ll put them in the wash.”

  While Harper hustled her twins upstairs, Chance called a good pizza parlor and ordered a large pepperoni with extra cheese and a half gallon of root beer. Then, with the sound of water running in the bathroom overhead, he called the hotel and the airline and canceled his reservations. The Hawaiian beach house was non-refundable. It would be waiting for the next two weeks, whenever he could arrange for another flight.

  In the back of his bedroom closet, he’d stashed away a box of souvenir T-shirts from classic rock concerts. Most of them were worn and faded, but he’d kept them for the memories. The twins would enjoy the colorful designs. Why not let them choose
their own shirts to sleep in?

  After changing out of his tux and into comfortable sweats, he lifted the box out of the closet and carried it down the hall to the bathroom. Through the door, he could hear the faint whir and splash of the jetted tub. The girls’ dirty play clothes had been piled just outside.

  “Come on in,” Harper’s voice replied to his light knock.

  He opened the door to find the twins in the tub, giggling and splashing in the swirling water. Harper was kneeling next to the tub. She’d taken off her jacket. Underneath she was wearing a lacy tank top that showed off her creamy skin and luscious figure. She was laughing with her girls, her face flushed from the steamy warmth, her hair curling in damp tendrils.

  The sight of her roused an ache in the depths of Chance’s body. He imagined that dark hair spread on a pillow, that soft, lovely face smiling up at him the way she was smiling now. Damn it, he wanted her in the worst way. But there were two adorable little reasons why it wasn’t going to happen. Not tonight, at least.

  “I dug these out of my closet.” He held up the box of concert shirts. “The pizza’s ordered. It should be here soon. While we’re waiting, I’ll toss your laundry in the wash.”

  “Oh—thanks. Just leave the shirts here. We’ll be downstairs in time for pizza—if I can talk the girls out of their bath. They love it.”

  “Take your time.” Whistling to himself, he closed the door, gathered up the small pile of laundry, and took it downstairs to the washer. He hadn’t been crazy about the idea of inviting Harper’s little family here and missing his flight. But when he weighed curling up on the couch with pizza and a beautiful woman against the prospect of spending what would’ve been his wedding night alone in a hotel, even with the twins in the mix, he wasn’t sorry.

  The pizza and root beer arrived. Chance was setting everything up on the coffee table when his three guests came downstairs. Jessy was wearing the Journey shirt, which hung almost to her ankles. Jenny had chosen the Rolling Stones shirt, and Harper—he caught his breath at the sight of her—had shed her pantsuit and was clad in his favorite tee, the Grateful Dead. The hem skimmed her legs at mid-thigh, still showing enough to scorch his fantasies.