by Debbie Mason
“We’re keeping the memory loss on the downlow, so I’d appreciate if you’d do the same.” She arched a defined auburn eyebrow. “Luis and Isabella are concerned that her family would object to the marriage on the grounds I’m not of sound mind.”
“They might have a point,” she murmured.
He frowned. “Why would you say that?”
“I’ve only known you for a couple weeks, but in that time you never mentioned you were in a relationship, let alone getting married in a few weeks.”
The look on her face made him question just what kind of relationship they’d been in. Things would’ve been a whole lot less awkward if he had his smartphone and he could track his communication over the last few weeks, but it’d been destroyed in the accident. “You and I weren’t—” he began.
“No, of course not. We were…friends.”
He smiled, relieved. “We must’ve been pretty good friends if I gave you these,” he teased, thinking they must’ve been a gag gift.
She seemed to take offense to the teasing. “I’m color-blind, and it makes my job as a wedding planner difficult—if not almost impossible—to do.” She pushed the glasses up her nose with her forefinger. “These help. They allow me to see the actual color. You bought them for me.”
“Huh. I’m a pretty nice guy, then,” he said, hoping once again to lighten the mood.
“I thought you were.”
That said it all right there. They’d definitely been more than just friends. It was the only reason for her to be this upset with him, and she had no idea how upsetting that was for him. He was a one-woman man. He’d never cheat on someone he loved. Hell, he wouldn’t even date another woman if he’d just started seeing someone.
But before he had a chance to ask her anything more, the study door opened and his bride-to-be and Luis entered the room. Isabella wore a white, sleeveless jumpsuit. She was a beautiful woman with shoulder-length brown hair and brown eyes, her demeanor similar to that of Jenna. Although with a little less attitude. Logan smiled at the thought. Luis, who was Isabella’s right-hand man, reminded Logan of Jasper. The older man was also tall and thin and as adept at sharing his opinion with a singular look as Jasper. Unlike Jasper, whose hair was silver, Luis’s was jet-black and slicked back from his face.
Jenna moved Logan’s hand from the armrest and furtively waved him off like a dog who’d overstayed his welcome. Gracefully rising from the chair, she gave a brief bob, bending slightly at the knees. “Your Royal Highness.”
Isabella offered Jenna a smile and cast a shy glance Logan’s way. Knowing that she must be feeling as overwhelmed as he was, Logan gave her a reassuring smile in return. Luis said something to her in Spanish, and she nodded and took a seat in the chair Logan had previously occupied.
He introduced them. “Isabelle, Luis, this is Jenna. She’ll be taking care of the arrangements for the wedding. I’ll leave everything to you ladies, but for reasons of security, I will need to sign off on the plans. As much as possible, I’d like to limit the venues to inside the manor, Jenna.”
“Certainly. But you should know your mother and grandmother have already been approached by the Widows Club and the town council to host luncheons for you both. There’s actually a barbecue planned for this evening to welcome Her Royal Highness to Harmony Harbor as well as to celebrate your upcoming nuptials.”
It amazed him how Jenna could be sweetly smiling at Isabella while still managing to convey her not-so-sweet thoughts about him. She clearly thought he was an asshat, and he planned to find out why.
Luis’s eyes narrowed as though he sensed the undercurrent between them. Logan would have to ensure that the older man didn’t think Jenna was a threat to his and Isabella’s relationship. A former military officer, Luis wasn’t to be crossed lightly. Just like the other older man who chose that exact moment to enter the study.
Let the fireworks begin, Logan thought resignedly when Jasper eyed Luis with a touch of disdain. He’d known the two men would vie for control. Logan wondered why he hadn’t suggested that he and Isabella elope. Actually, he’d wondered a lot of things when Luis told him he was engaged to Isabella and they were getting married in two weeks.
At first, Logan had thought it was a joke. But it soon became apparent that, if it were, everyone was in on it except him. He hadn’t wanted to hurt Isabella by questioning her, so he’d interrogated her personal bodyguard, Mateo, and her lady’s maid, Pilar. All their stories jibed. Feeling like he was in an alternate universe, Logan had then spoken to the neurologist, who assured him it was possible he’d lost several weeks of memory. He hoped the neurologist’s belief that Logan’s memory would eventually return proved to be true.
Luis raised his hands with a look of abject horror on his face. “What is that?” He lifted his chin in Jasper’s direction.
“I introduced you earlier, Luis. Jasper’s—”
“Not him, that.” Luis pointed dramatically at Simon.
“He is a beloved member of the Gallagher family, sir,” Jasper, who barely tolerated the cat, said in his most pretentious voice. “Your Royal Highness, may I present Simon.”
“No. The animal is bad luck. I will not have him near Isabella. Shoo. Vamoose.” Luis went to the study door, holding it open while gesturing for Simon to leave.
The cat sniffed and lifted his nose, padding regally to the window seat, where he jumped up and made himself comfortable beside…
“What is that?” Luis said, pointing to a small bird sitting on a satin pillow.
“A baby sandpiper. Her name’s Pippa, and she’s very well behaved,” Jenna said, casting a nervous glance from the bird to Luis. “I can put her in her cage if you’re frightened, but she doesn’t fly.”
Unlike Jenna, Jasper’s face was typically an unreadable mask no matter the circumstances. Clearly, he had an agenda today, and he turned his smirking face toward Luis, who lifted his nose and sniffed as disdainfully as Simon had. “Do not be ridiculous. I am afraid of nothing. My concern is only for my princess. A bird in the house is a bad omen. It means death shall come to someone within.”
Logan thought Isabella might intercede and then remembered she always deferred to Luis, who was like a father to her. “I’m pretty sure the superstition refers to a bird flying into the house, not to a bird currently living in it, Luis,” Logan said.
“I do not care. My princess and I demand the animals be removed.”
“Would you also like us to fumigate the room?” Jasper asked, making no effort to keep the patronizing tone from his voice.
Jenna cleared her throat just as Luis opened his mouth to respond to Jasper and said, “If you’d prefer, we can move to one of the sitting rooms, Your Highness.”
“It would be best, I think. This room is too small. My bodyguard and lady’s maid will be joining us shortly,” Isabella said to Jenna.
“As you wish, Your Highness,” Jasper said with a small bow. “Please, follow me. Master Logan, I believe Ms. Bell could use your assistance.”
“The princess requires her fiancé to escort her to the sitting room. I shall assist Ms. Bell,” Luis said.
“Quite. Ms. Bell, please show Princess Isabella’s manservant how to cage both Pippa and Simon.”
Obviously as unhappy with the idea as Luis, Jenna said, “I can manage on my own. Thank you for the offer though. I’ll be with you in a few minutes.”
Logan’s mother opened the door and smiled. “Oh good, you’re finished. I’ve made an appointment at Tie the Knot to have you fitted for your wedding gown, Isabella. We need to be there in—”
“You better call and cancel, Mom. Tell them Jenna hasn’t had a chance to show us—”
“No. Don’t do that. Please don’t do that,” Jenna said, clearly panic-stricken. “Just give me one minute. I think I have the perfect idea for your wedding.” She swiped through several screens on her iPad and then turned it to his mother and Isabella, who’d moved to the desk. “It’s a Cinderella theme. We’d use light b
lue and gold for the color scheme.”
“Oh yes, it is beautiful,” Isabella said, plainly happy with what she saw.
“It’s absolutely perfect for a royal wedding, Jenna. I’m just concerned you won’t be able to pull it together in time.” His mother turned to Isabella. “Are you sure we can’t push out the date by a few weeks, dear?”
Logan wondered if his mother would have better luck than him. He’d tried to push back the date in hopes his memory would return, but Luis had shot him down.
“I’m afraid that is impossible. The royal family has conceded to Logan’s request that a small wedding be held here first, as it would be difficult for all of your family to get the time off to attend their wedding in Merradien.”
Just one more detail Logan couldn’t recall.
“Oh, I see.” His mother patted Isabella’s arm. “We’ll just have to make it work, then, won’t we?”
Even though it wasn’t her nature to give in, Logan wasn’t surprised his mother acquiesced without a fight. Social status and money had always been important to her. So as long as she was gaining a princess as a daughter-in-law, nothing else would matter.
“Don’t worry, Maura,” Jenna said. “I know exactly which vendors I’ll be ordering from, and I can almost guarantee they’ll have everything in stock.”
“Excellent. You’re a gem. I don’t know what we’d do without you, darling.” She smiled at Jenna and then looped Isabella’s arm through hers. “All right, off we go to Tie the Knot to have you fitted for your wedding gown. Jenna,” she called over her shoulder when they reached the door. “Can you e-mail them the photos so they know what we’re looking for?”
“Just tell Arianna it’s for a Cinderella-themed wedding and she’ll know exactly what you’re looking for. I wouldn’t be surprised if she already has a design in mind.”
Logan frowned, wondering why Jenna looked like she’d just given away a prized possession.
Chapter Sixteen
Jenna had no idea why, but it felt worse losing Logan and the wedding of her dreams to Princess Isabella than it had losing Lorenzo and her business to Gwyneth. It made no sense. Jenna had thought she was in love with Lorenzo and she knew she wasn’t in love with Logan. How could she be? They’d known each other for only a few weeks and in that time had maybe spent a total of twenty hours together. Were some of those hours the best she’d ever spent with a man?
She thought it might be safer to plead the Fifth than to answer. The question must have come straight from her heart and not her head. Her head knew better than to trust in the fairy tale. It knew better than to put a man on a pedestal just because he seemed to be honorable, heroic, and kind. There was no such thing as the perfect man.
Through the open window in Jenna’s guest room at the manor, a light breeze ushered in the sound of laughter, music, and the scent of wild roses. The window looked onto the patio, where Logan and his beautiful princess greeted family, friends, and the citizens of Harmony Harbor.
Fairy lights were strung among the trees and shrubs while spotlights lit up the meandering flagstone paths and extensive gardens. Tables and chairs were set up on the grounds to accommodate the large number of guests. Only the Gallagher family and the princess’s entourage would remain on the patio to dine once everyone had a chance to speak to the couple and offer their best wishes.
Jenna hadn’t planned on attending and had her excuse at the ready should anyone ask. She had a royal wedding to plan in less than ten days and needed every minute of every day if she was expected to pull it off. But no one had asked her to come.
Still, after learning that Serena and Arianna were going to be there tonight, Jenna had no choice. She had to attend. They were the reason she was here, after all, planning the wedding of a man she’d begun to fantasize about, a man who for a few brief minutes on the beach had felt like her one and only.
She made a gagging noise, and Pippa looked up from digging in the miniature sandbox Jenna had bought and snuck into her room a few days before. She hadn’t been able to refuse maid service, so she left a generous tip on her pillow each morning in order to keep the staff quiet. They refused to take her money but kept her secret anyway. Pippa was popular with the staff, and a couple of the girls had offered to take her to the beach when Jenna couldn’t leave. She had a feeling she’d be taking them up on their offers over the next week.
“It’s all right, Pippa. I’m not gagging on anything but my foolish romantic notions. Ironic, isn’t it, that I’ll be the one planning a wedding between a royal princess and a commoner? It’s what I dreamed about every night for two years as I sat at my window, looking up at Greystone Manor. I used to pretend my real father was a king and he’d sent my mother and me away to protect us, and that one day he’d come to get us. Instead, Richard rode to our rescue like a knight in shining armor. I wouldn’t have traded him for a king who could give me a crown and a title and all the riches in the world.” A wave of loneliness and longing hit her, and she picked up Pippa, cuddling her to her chest. “I really miss him, Pippa. I miss him an awful lot.”
As though she could empathize, Pippa softly peeped and rubbed her downy head against Jenna’s chest. She lifted Pippa away from her to look into her eyes. “I’m being selfish, aren’t I? You probably have brothers and sisters and a father and mother out there somewhere looking for you. You don’t want to hang out in the manor or in the study just because I want to keep you around, do you?” She brought her close again, rubbing her cheek against Pippa’s head. “You have my word. I’ll get you back to your family if it’s the last thing I do.
“And speaking of family, I should probably get out there and see if my sacrifice has been worth it. Surely Arianna will forgive me now that I was able to recoup the deposits from all the vendors,” she said as she returned Pippa to her sandbox.
Jenna had called every one of the suppliers they’d contracted for her wedding and given them dibs at a real royal wedding if they refunded her nonrefundable deposit first. They happily did so, and lucky for her, they still had everything she’d ordered in stock. The calls that made her most happy though were the ones to In Bloom, the local flower shop, Truly Scrumptious, the local bakery, and A Spoonful of Sugar, the local candy shop. Like Poppy, the women who owned the shops had been beyond nice and had felt worse for Jenna than for losing the business, so it’d felt great to place another order for at least ten times the dollar value of hers. She’d actually gotten a little weak in the knees at the budget she’d been given, hoping it was the princess footing the bill and not Logan.
She got another case of weak knees when she walked onto the patio and spotted the man of the hour. Logan stood under a tree wearing a dark suit, the glow from the fairy lights creating a halo over his head. As though he sensed someone staring at him, he looked over to where she leaned against the stone wall for support. It was still warm from the sun that was just now sinking below the ocean. She mustn’t have looked crazy or stalkerish, because he smiled at her as if genuinely glad to see her. As much as she felt betrayed by him, she couldn’t help but give him a genuine smile in return. Like the ones she’d given him during the best twenty hours of her life.
His smile slowly faded, and his eyes narrowed as though he was putting the pieces of a puzzle together. Maybe he was telling the truth and had amnesia. It still didn’t explain why he hadn’t told her about his relationship with the princess. But what hurt most was that he didn’t remember Jenna and the time they’d spent together.
She couldn’t hear him but read his lips as he told the person waiting in line he’d be back in a minute. He started to walk across the patio to her but was waylaid by Luis and ushered back to the princess’s side to pose for Poppy, who was there to take their engagement photo. It was the first time Jenna had seen the couple together in person, side by side. She turned away. She didn’t want to see. She didn’t want to know. It was because of her gift that she was in this predicament.
“Jenna, over here.”
&nb
sp; She turned to see Arianna and Serena waving her over, both of them smiling. She blinked back the moisture that threatened to fill her eyes at the knowledge she’d been forgiven, and suddenly Logan and Princess Isabella came into focus. It was too late. The damage was done. She couldn’t unsee what she had seen. They weren’t the perfect match. They weren’t soul mates. They weren’t each other’s one and only.
* * *
Logan scanned the perimeter of the patio from where he stood with his brothers and cousin Aidan in a secluded corner having a beer.
“Relax and enjoy yourself, Logan,” Aidan said. “We have off-duty officers working the party.”
“Thanks. I appreciate it.” He lifted his beer to his mouth and once again found himself searching out the wedding planner in her yellow dress and red shoes. There was something about the woman that called to him. It bothered him. He was a soon-to-be married man, and he couldn’t shake the feeling he’d been in a relationship with Jenna. One that was important to him.
“You’re on edge. What’s going on?” his brother Michael asked.
Connor gave Michael a look. “You have to ask? Mr. Never Getting Married is getting married, and not to just anyone. He’s marrying into royalty. Royalty who lives half a world away. Just when we finally got you back Stateside, you’ll be gone again.”
His brother’s comment about Logan never wanting to marry bothered him. They mirrored Jenna’s and his own memory of his stance on the subject. He couldn’t remember it changing or why. He could alleviate Connor’s concerns on one count though. “We’re not moving to Merradien. Isabella wants to live in the States.”
From the short time he’d spent as the royal family’s guest after the kidnapping attempt against Isabella, she’d peppered him with questions about his home. So he wasn’t entirely surprised when, two days ago, she’d told him she didn’t want to go back. What did surprise him was that the royal family would leave the decision up to her. When he expressed his concerns to Luis, the older man had assured him all the family wanted was for Isabella to be happy. Logan wondered if it was because they thought her safer here than there.