by Debbie Mason
“You know, if I didn’t know you as well as I do, I wouldn’t be buying the just friends line. But I can see how she’d bring out your protective instincts.”
“That’s very magnanimous of you. Now, I have to get up in a couple hours, so could you get to the point…Wait a minute. Why are you up at one in the morning? You didn’t just get back from the police station, did you?”
“No. We’ve been back for hours. As a matter of fact, up until twenty minutes ago, I was sleeping soundly. Then Shay heard someone sneaking out of the house, that someone being Jenna. Now I’m sitting at Kismet Cove ensuring my fiancée’s best friend doesn’t drown while she attempts to teach Pippa how to find her food. At this rate, I figure I have another half hour to kill before the tide comes back in and decided to kill it talking to you. I actually thought you’d be up. Aren’t you the head of the princess’s security detail?”
“Yes, but while you’ve always looked up to me as if I’m some sort of superhero, I actually do require sleep.”
“Really? I’m disappointed, bro. I thought you were…What the hell was that?”
Logan frowned. “What’s going on?”
“I’m not sure. Something just hit the rocks near…Jenna, be careful. There’s a drop-off—”
Logan heard his brother swear and then a feminine shriek over the sound of splashing water.
Logan walked to the window looking onto DC’s skyline and reminded himself that all the Gallaghers were strong swimmers, including his brother. Logan had just finished assuring himself Jenna would be fine when he heard her calling frantically for the baby bird. She wouldn’t be all right if something happened to Pippa. His brother’s voice joined hers, sounding equally panicked.
Frustrated with his inability to do anything, Logan began to pace the suite as he strained to hear what was going on at Kismet Cove, the small, sheltered bay at the base of Greystone Manor. He was just about to disconnect to call in backup for a search when he heard a low woof and then a happy cry from Jenna and a relieved one from Michael. From what Logan could make out, his brother’s Irish wolfhound, Atticus, had saved the day, and the bird.
“Hey, Michael,” he called into the phone to remind his brother he was still there. Logan wanted to talk to Jenna and had a feeling she wouldn’t have her phone on hand.
“Sorry,” his brother said, sounding breathless. “We had a little excitement. Jenna got caught in an undertow near the rocks, and when I went to pull her out, Pippa must have followed. Atticus spotted her and went after her. We’re all good though. I’ll let you get back to—”
“Really? How exactly do you expect me to go back to sleep without knowing what’s going on with Jenna?”
His brother gave an unhappy grunt. “That sounds like more than concern for just a friend, big brother. Jenna, Logan wants a word.” There was a pause, and then his brother muttered, “Oh, yeah, you two are so not ‘just friends.’”
Obviously, Jenna’s reaction was the reason behind his brother’s testy remark. If the expression that came over her face was anything like the one she wore the morning after they’d hooked up, Logan could understand his brother’s concern. He wondered if he should be concerned too, but none of that mattered once Jenna’s voice came over the line.
“I’m just one big screwup, Logan. I ruined everything. Arianna and Serena are facing financial ruin because of me, and I nearly let Pippa drown, and I’m not sure she’s getting enough to eat, and I can’t afford to take her to the vet and—”
“Come on, nothing is ever as bad as it seems. Just take a couple of deep breaths and then tell me what happened.”
He sat on the edge of the bed as she filled him in on what went down at Tie the Knot today. It was pretty bad and so easily avoidable that he bit back a frustrated sigh. He didn’t know what was up with Jenna and this idea that she had some kind of psychic ability and could tell that Faith and her fiancé weren’t meant to be together and that her stepsister and Wilson were. At least it explained why the officer was now Jenna’s champion. Though Logan wondered how Serena felt about it, not to mention Wilson’s wife.
But at the small break in Jenna’s voice, he kept his opinions to himself. Other than to make her feel worse than she already did, it wouldn’t change anything. “First off, stop worrying about Pippa. Everyone else, including the vet, wrote her off last week. The only reason she’s still alive is because of you. So just keep doing what you’re doing and she’ll be fine.”
She sniffed. “Thank you.”
He smiled. She really was a sweet woman, and he didn’t want to hurt her, but it had to be said. “Jenna, do you think maybe it’s time you stop trying so hard to win over your sisters?”
“Arianna might take issue with that statement. All I’ve done this past week is embarrass them and destroy their business. I have to fix it, Logan. I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t make this right. It’s what my dad wanted. He wanted us to be a family. It’s all I’ve ever wanted.”
“I think I have an idea how you can do that. My cousin Finn’s wife, Olivia, is having a baby any day now. She’s the wedding planner at the manor, and I’m sure they’re looking for a replacement. You take the job, you could send business your sisters’ way.”
“You’ve already done enough for me. I don’t want your family to feel obligated to hire me.”
“I’ll handle it, okay? This is your chance to make things right with your sister. Take it.”
“Okay. Thank you. I owe you, Logan.”
“Yeah, you do. So no more drowning your sorrows at the Salty Dog. Next time I’m in town, you’ll have to tell me how you ended up in jail for assault and prostitution.”
She groaned. “I was hoping you didn’t hear about that.”
Chapter Fourteen
Jenna didn’t know what she’d been thinking when she’d agreed to Logan’s suggestion that she take the job as Greystone Manor’s wedding planner. That was the problem, wasn’t it? She hadn’t been thinking. But no matter her doubts about her ability to do the job, for her stepsisters’ and Logan’s sakes, she’d give it her best shot.
It had taken several days and part of yesterday for Logan to convince his family to give Jenna the position. They’d had several promising candidates interviewing for the job. Jenna had a lot to live up to. The other candidates’ reputations and credentials were no doubt impeccable, and thanks to her last week in Harmony Harbor, Jenna’s were not.
So even though Logan wasn’t sure he wanted to keep the manor in the family, because of her he’d joined the Save Greystone Team. When that didn’t completely win over his grandmother, he agreed to date whoever won the Bachelor of the Month auction.
Jenna had a feeling Logan didn’t know that his grandmother and his mother expected him to not only date the winner of the auction, but also marry her. She’d talked with Logan about this kind of thing enough to know that while he might agree to a date, there was no way the man would marry. At least not until sometime in the distant future. In fact, he showed every sign of being a confirmed bachelor. Jenna was thinking along those lines herself. Being a confirmed bachelorette was sounding better and better these days. All she had to do was look at Arianna, Faith, Serena, and Kimberly for evidence.
She pulled out the leather office chair and sat behind the formidable mahogany desk in the study at Greystone Manor. It was a lovely room with its ornate dark wood paneling and mullioned window that overlooked the front gardens. The window seat looked particularly inviting at the moment. She’d much rather be soaking up the morning sunshine alongside Simon than perusing the swatches of fabric laid out before her.
The manor’s previous wedding planner, Olivia Gallagher, had put together boards with three wedding themes for today’s bride-to-be to choose from. The first board held ideas for a garden wedding, the second board a beach wedding (always a popular choice in summer), and the third board was a rustic wedding. Olivia had exquisite taste and was well organized so there wasn’t much for Jenna to do, other th
an pin the fabric to the boards.
For any other wedding planner, that would not be a big deal, but for Jenna it was. And after Logan had gone to so much trouble getting her the job, she couldn’t let him down. She couldn’t let her sisters down either. Jenna had already made notes of everything she could purchase through Tie the Knot for each wedding theme. She may not be able to replace the income they’d lost due to the Fourburger cancelation just yet, but if Jenna booked a few good-size weddings over the next few weeks, she might be able to. Unless she got fired first, she thought, chewing on a thumbnail as she stared at the swatches.
“Being a Negative Nellie isn’t going to do me much good, is it, Pippa? No offense, my little friend, but at the moment, I wish you were a member of the Corvidae family instead of the Scolopacidae. You’re surprised I know the difference, aren’t you?” she said when Pippa wobbled across the desk on her sticklike legs to look up at her. She stroked the peep’s downy head. “That’s what happens when you spend hours learning everything you can about birds, even birds you’re not particularly fond of. Until recently, I wasn’t a fan of crows. I thought they were bad luck and scavengers. But they’re actually incredibly smart. They’re being trained to pick out colors on command.” She sighed. “I could really use a crow right about now.”
As though offended by Jenna’s remark, Pippa toddled over to the fabrics, tapped one with her beak and then flung it off the desk. “Pippa.” Jenna laughed as she bent to retrieve the swatch from the hardwood floor. Another piece of fabric landed on her head while she was down there, and then another.
“If you’re trying to make a case for you being the smartest bird on the block, I’m sorry to tell you it’s not working. And since you’re no help at all and Shay has meetings all day, there’s only one person I can call.” About a gazillion butterflies took flight in Jenna’s stomach at the thought of talking to Logan. It’s just nerves, she assured herself.
Pippa stopped pecking at the beach wedding board to look at her. “Fine, so I might have a small case of hero worship. It’s not a big deal. Logan’s saved me at least three times now, and we did have sex, on the beach, under the stars, and he’s an incredibly nice man. Handsome too, and he has…” Feeling someone’s gaze upon her, she glanced at Simon, who was no longer sunbathing but regarding her intently. “Sorry, Simon. You can go back to sleep now. I’ll stop talking about Logan. I should probably stop thinking about him too.”
She got back to work and picked up the swatches, studying them for several moments before placing the ones she felt complemented each other together. Then she attached them to the corresponding boards. Once she’d taken a picture of each, she sent them to Logan, asking for his opinion.
Her phone rang a few minutes later. “Hi. Sorry to bother you. I’m sure you’re busy with the princess, but I didn’t know who else—”
“Jenna, it’s fine. If it weren’t, I wouldn’t have called you back. So I take it you’re having a problem figuring out which fabrics go with which wedding.”
“Yes, and I bet you’re wishing you didn’t put your inheritance and your bachelorhood on the line for me. I didn’t think this through, Logan. Neither of us did.”
“I did, and I just checked tracking. Your glasses should arrive at the manor before the end of the day.”
“Glasses?”
“Yep, they look like sunglasses, only they should help you see colors more clearly and vividly. These ones are specifically made for people with tritanopia.”
“I…I don’t know what to say.” Tears welled in her eyes, and she blinked them away. She wouldn’t cry. He’d think her silly and sentimental, but he had no idea how touched she was. She couldn’t seem to go a day without Logan Gallagher doing something kind for her. She didn’t know how she would ever repay him.
She didn’t until there was a knock on the study door just before it opened and his mother popped her head inside. “Jenna, is it? I was wondering if I could have a moment of your time?”
“Certainly, Mrs. Gallagher.”
“If that’s my mother, don’t let her know I’m on the phone. She’ll keep me on forever, and I’ve got to get Isabella and at least fifteen other people and two tons of luggage to the airport within the hour. I’ll text you.”
“All right. Thank you very much, Mr. Knight.”
He laughed. “Better than ‘Mr. Charming,’ I guess. I’ll see you Friday.”
Outwardly, she didn’t react to the news he was coming to Harmony Harbor, but inwardly, her butterflies did a happy dance. Which meant she forgot to remind him about the swatches—her appointment with the couple was at noon—before he disconnected. As his mother made herself comfortable in the chair across from her and Jenna returned Pippa to the decorative birdcage on the desk, there was the sound of an incoming text. Certain it was from Logan, Jenna had a difficult time not checking right away and keeping the silly grin off her face.
She inwardly berated herself for acting like an idiot and gestured to the silver tea tray and heated carafes, reminding herself to stay focused on her goal. Fate had handed her the perfect opportunity to repay Logan, and she wasn’t going to waste it. “Can I offer you a coffee or tea, Mrs. Gallagher?”
“Yes, I could use a cup of tea, thanks. Black,” she said when Jenna began to pour.
Jenna smiled as she stood up to bring Logan’s mom her tea. Feeling uncomfortable and somewhat out of place sitting behind the formidable desk, Jenna sat in the wingback chair beside Mrs. Gallagher.
Logan’s mother smiled faintly. “I can see why you earned rave reviews for customer service at Southern Belle. You’re obviously a considerate person. You make people feel comfortable right away. It’s a good trait to have when you’re in trade.” She nodded as if she’d been talking to herself.
Her years of dealing with people left Jenna with little doubt Logan’s mother had something to ask or say and wasn’t completely sure how to go about it just yet.
Jenna smiled. “Thank you. That’s very kind of you to say.”
Maura made a moue and then lifted the teacup from the saucer, liquid sloshing over the side as her hand noticeably shook. Jenna didn’t want to embarrass her, but she didn’t think pretending not to notice was helpful. “Sorry. I overfilled your cup,” she said, and leaned across the desk to grab a napkin.
“I was right,” Maura murmured, and then took the napkin from Jenna with a tight smile. “Thank you.”
She appeared brittle, as if you’d place a finger on her and she’d crumble beneath its weight. Despite her impeccably applied makeup, Logan’s mother looked wan, her eyes tired and dull. It was obvious she hadn’t been sleeping well. Jenna’s heart hurt for her, and for her son. It was because of Logan she worked up the courage to say, “Is there anything else I can get for you, Mrs. Gallagher? Are you in pain?”
Her head jerked in Jenna’s direction. “Why would you ask something like that?”
“I’m sorry. I spent some time with Logan last weekend. He’s worried about you, Mrs. Gallagher. He needed someone to talk to. Your confidence is safe with me. I won’t say anything to anyone. Not even Logan if you don’t want me to. I just thought maybe you could use someone to talk to. Someone who isn’t family and can be objective.”
“All my family does is talk at me and tell me what to do. I’ve spent my entire life doing what everyone else wanted me to. I think it’s about time I did what I wanted to for a change, don’t you?”
“Definitely. As women, we’re not very good at putting ourselves and our needs first, are we? And you’ve more than earned the right to do whatever makes you happy, Mrs. Gallagher. My mom did, and her last few months were spent doing exactly what she wanted. Some of my happiest moments with her were from that time.”
Maura avoided looking at Jenna, keeping her gaze firmly on the teacup. “You lost your mother to cancer?”
“Yes, when I was twelve.” After she shared a little bit about her mother’s diagnosis and treatment, Jenna was heartened when Logan’s mother be
gan asking questions. At least it appeared she hadn’t offended the woman. She hoped it remained the case when she said, “Mrs. Gallagher—”
“Maura, please.”
“Maura.” Jenna smiled. “I know it’s none of my business, and if you were putting off testing because you’re perfectly happy to just go on living your life the way you want and on your own terms, I’d say, go you. But I don’t think that’s why you’re not having the testing. I think you’re afraid. When my mom’s doctor first raised the possibility she had cancer, the worst time for us—the absolute worst—was when we didn’t know what we were dealing with. Because you can’t fight what you don’t know, right?”
“But if I don’t know, I can pretend everything’s fine.”
Jenna reached over and took her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “You might be able to pretend on the outside, but your mind never lets you forget, does it? You’re living in fear, and that’s no way to live. What if you’re wasting all this time being afraid for nothing? You might not even have cancer.”
“Given my family history and the results of the tests I’ve had so far, my doctor is fairly certain that I do.”
“It never hurts to get a second opinion, you know.”
“My son Connor has already set one up for me with the oncologist who treated Griffin’s ex-wife for breast cancer.”
“I’ve met Lexi, and she’s doing amazing. I actually wouldn’t be surprised if we’re planning her wedding in the near future.”
“Hopefully we’ll be planning both my sons’ weddings before hers.” She slanted Jenna a look. “You seem very fond of Logan. You’re not interested in marrying him, are you?”
Knowing how difficult Maura had made Shay and Michael’s life a few months back, Jenna was flattered that she actually thought her worthy of her son. “I can honestly say I’ve never met a man as incredible as your son. And trust me, I’ve met a lot of men in my years of being a matchmaker. But after what my fiancé just put me through, I have no interest in marrying or dating. I’m going to focus all my energy on my job here.”