◻ Brody does not like to be bothered on wedding days unless it is a true emergency. He has enough on his plate as it is. He will need to sign off on the purchase orders, but that is it! As soon as you get his signature, leave him alone. Do not tell him about how cute the delivery boy was or good the cake smells.
◻ Do not, I repeat, do not talk to Memaw when you go into the kitchen to start bringing the food out. And do not taste-test any of the food, Josie. I’m serious. Memaw is only to be spoken to after all foods are displayed. Remember, it will be buffet style as we cut costs on staffing.
◻ Be sure to have Lady DJ announce the tables one at a time to go to the buffet. This is a wedding, not a Black Friday Sale at Macy’s. We do not want a stampede of hungry guests.
◻ Be sure to mingle as the guests eat and ask if they are enjoying the meal. I know they didn’t pay for service but if you have time, fill a few glasses of tea to make them feel special. (Be friendly but not flirty. I know you can’t help it because you’re so dang cute, but I do not want to see a guest running his finger over the outline of your Mickey Mouse tattoo like I did at the Navy Seal Marries a Prom Queen wedding.)
◻ Just a reminder: Dim the lighting when Lady DJ switches over from the elevator dining music to the dance songs. Last time, you didn’t hit the lights until we were two verses into ‘We are Family.’
◻ Brush your hair. Though your messy bun is adorbs, it is not professional. Thank you.
I could picture my sister rolling her eyes as she read my list. I knew she thought I was extra. A little overkill. But, in the end, when it came to weddings, I was always right. I placed my notebook in my bag and threw my bag over my shoulder. It was time to go.
Chapter Two
As soon as my boots touched ranch soil, last night’s kiss was quickly forgotten. The workday was a whirlwind preparing for the wedding. I was in my element and the hours slipped by like minutes. Still flying from the high of hitting the magazine’s Top Ten list, I worked away making my client’s dream a reality. Once the barn was finally decorated for the ceremony, I stepped back to take in my work.
Everything was perfect.
Rows of white chairs were set up on either side, creating an aisle down the center of the barn. A white runner ran from the barn doors to the platform we had built. Okay, not ‘we’ exactly. I had shown Hayes the plans, and he had built it while I handed him tools. And he had looked damn good swinging a hammer with a tool belt around his waist.
A long table stood on the center of the platform. A white table runner with pink rose petals stretched across it. A filmy gauze weaved its way around a line of fifty-four white LED-battery-operated candles of varied sizes and shapes. I would turn them on via remote control just as the guests were arriving. Convenient, gorgeous, and... safe. I wasn’t ready to admit that Hayes had been right about switching the candles.
Front and center, where the bride and groom would stand to exchange their vows, I had discreetly marked the floor with a taped B and a G. Just one of the touches I picked up over the years to help the day run smoothly.
To the right and the left of the marks were pillars with tall vases of white roses that were so pretty you couldn’t tell they were fake. I had even dabbed several teardrop-shaped dots of hot glue on the petals to emulate dewdrops. Normally, I use our local florist for fresh flowers, but a few months before the wedding, our bride had come to me in tears, explaining that her father had some unexpected bills come up and had to cut her budget in half.
I calmed her down. The steaks changed to chicken, the fish to a vegetarian pasta. I bought the fake flowers myself. I could reuse them for Hearts on Fire—our romantic couples getaway that took place over Valentine’s weekend. The LED candles I borrowed from Alice’s stash that she had saved from the annual Christmas Eve bash. As the proud mother of the four Jenkins men, she was one of my favorite woman and I loved when she helped out with the weddings.
Josie had even found a cute female DJ who volunteered her time in exchange for private riding lessons from Colton (he had his hands full these days with admirers). I had managed to pull off the wedding of our bride’s dreams and still stay within half of her original budget.
Taking a deep breath, I crossed my arms over my chest. Why not get the full effect? Pulling two little white plastic remotes from the pocket of my skirt, I clicked on the candles. Then the stereo. Soft music began to play, echoing through the empty barn. It was all so beautiful. The white lights twinkling, the classical music playing in the background. I thought of Memaw, busy in the kitchen bossing her crew around to get the food just right. Later, there would be dinner and dancing in the Mess Hall—also decorated to perfection if I do say so myself—followed by a vanilla buttercream cake with roses made of pink icing.
It was a dream wedding.
It was my dream wedding.
Would I ever tire of making the dreams of other women come true? Surely, one day I would have a wedding of my own, right? Float down a petal-dotted aisle in a white gown, headed toward the man I would spend the rest of my life with.
Who was I kidding—I barely had time to shower, let alone date. I was going to grow old on the ranch, planning other people’s weddings for them while I became an old maid. Feeling a little sad, I slipped the remotes back into my pocket. I gave a heavy sigh, murmuring to myself, “Always the wedding planner, never the bride.” Giving the candles one last glance, I turned to leave the barn.
“Oompf!” I cried, running smack dab into what felt like a wall—a warm, muscular, soap-scented wall. I looked up into the more-blue-than-gray-today eyes of Hayes Jenkins. His gaze locked on mine. A flutter lifted in my stomach as his hands grasped my shoulders, steadying me. His touch made heat course through my body, shamefully melting my core.
“Slow down, Luna.” he said. His eyes caressed my face, lingering a moment too long on my lips. Memories of the kiss washed over me like a warm wave. Hands still on my shoulders, he asked, “You okay?”
A blush rose in my cheeks. I spoke too quickly, suddenly filled with nerves from his nearness as I replied, “I’m okay. Sorry—I didn’t see you there.” A deep heat radiated through my skin where his hands rested on my shoulders. Out of nowhere, the whispered taboo word ‘Daddy’ echoed in my mind.
My cheeks were burning. My pussy was pulsing. My panties were soaked. I forced myself to look up into his eyes. The second our gazes locked, I was at a loss for words. There was no denying it—the dynamic between Hayes and me had irrevocably changed. The innocent crush had grown into a carnal yearning. Fluttering my lashes, I lowered my gaze to the floor. It was all... too much. I had a wedding to pull off. I gulped down my emotions with a difficult swallow and managed to say, “I was just leaving... actually. Did you need something?”
Hayes leaned down, his lips brushing against my ear and sending a delicious tingle over the back of my neck, raising the tiny hairs to attention. His breath was hot against my cheek as he whispered, “Only one thing. You.”
My nipples tightened, straining against the constraints of my bra. My pussy clenched again, a gush of desire dampening my already soaked panties. I pulled away, looking up at him, shocked by his words.
Hayes didn’t often smile but I noticed he seemed to do so more regularly since his permanent return to the ranch. A grin spread over his face. “But I’ll find a way to put my needs aside and focus on the task at hand.” Hands dropping from my shoulders, his eyes left mine. He crossed his arms over his chest, gazing over the barn and my handiwork. “I was just seeing if you needed anything, but clearly, you don’t. Everything looks great. Really pretty. But I don’t need to tell you that—it always looks great.” His eyes were back on me, causing prickly heat to dance across my neck and chest.
“Thanks. I think it’s one of my favorites that we’ve done.” I stood next to Hayes, my eyes going back to my work. A heat radiated between our barely touching arms. I willed myself to ignore the invisible bubble of passion that seemed to envelop us. “And the candles we
re a good idea,” I shyly admitted.
“Thanks. You only took a smidge of convincing.” He raised a brow at me, making my cheeks flush. I trained my eyes before me, taking in the decorations. I could feel his gaze resting on me as he said, “It looks like you.”
I further warmed from his compliment. I shrugged. “The bride and I have similar tastes, so it was easy to come up with something she would like.”
“Every wedding you’ve done the bride has loved,” Hayes said. “It must get old, always planning the wedding yet not getting to participate.” My eyes widened, my mouth dropping open as I turned to look at him. Smiling, he shook his head, giving a sigh. “Always the wedding planner, never the bride.”
Hayes had overheard my little pity party. How humiliating! His smile and his scent and his nearness and my embarrassment—it was overwhelming. Not to mention that looming elephant in the room, the kiss.
I needed some space.
I began to back away from him. With a wave of my hand, I stammered, “Oh, you heard that? Ha, ha. I was just joking around. I’d... I need to get back to work, now. I just have a few more adjustments and then,” I took another step, “aaaaaah!” My heel caught the leg of one of the chairs and to further add to my humiliation, I began to make my descent toward the ground.
One long stride and an arm reach later, Hayes scooped me up, holding me against his chest. I half stood, half hung suspended in his arms. His arms surrounded me—he radiated heat like the summer sun—and his chest was pressed against me. Looking down at me—had he grown even taller since last night?—his gaze was cloudy with concern. He asked for the second time that day, “You okay?”
“Yes.” I righted myself, wriggling from his hold. I brushed off my skirt, though I hadn’t fallen and there was no dirt there. My eyes stayed on the ground as my cheeks burned, willing him to leave the barn.
Suddenly, a fingertip was under my chin, lifting my gaze to meet his. The place where his finger touched my skin sparkled with warmth. “You need a daddy to take care of you, sweetheart... I swear you’re a danger to yourself, falling all over the place.” He gave a chuckle.
“I can take perfectly good care of myself,” I mumbled. “Hayes... we should talk... about last night. The kiss...”
“Best kiss of my life. I’ve been dreaming of it for over ten years, baby girl. And you don’t always have to be the wedding planner, Luna. I’m happy to change that for you. Just say the word.” With a wink, Hayes left the barn, leaving me standing with my knees shaking and my jaw dropped.
Hayes had me flustered. And if there was one thing I hated being when I was trying to pull of an event, that was flustered. Suddenly filled with nervous energy, I marched myself up the aisle to the front. My head shaking, I started straightening the already perfectly situated candles. As I worked, I murmured to myself, a habit that came up when I was nervous. “When did I become such a klutz? And when did Hayes get so tall? Did he always smell like that—that soapy, piney, manly smell? And what did he mean exactly? Was he offering to make me... a bride? That was incredibly unprofessional. I should tell him. Just because we’ve known each other practically forever—and yes, things are happening between us—does not mean that he can joke around about marriage proposals. Of all things!”
Throwing my hands on my hips, I took a step back to take one last look at the table. I gave a nod of satisfaction. I looked down to be sure there were no tripping hazards for me or my bride.
My eyes froze, glued to the ground. Directly centered between my feet was the letter B.
* * *
The ceremony went smoothly. Our blushing bride was grinning from ear to ear through the whole thing. The groom dabbed at happy tears as he declared his love through the vows he had written for his wife.
Dinner afterwards went as planned. The menu was a little more casual than I would have liked but when you are on a shoestring budget, you make do.
Lady DJ—as she had named herself—had an upbeat personality that the guests loved. Pulling my notebook from my pocket, I scribbled a reminder to call her on Monday to see if she would be open to becoming our exclusive wedding DJ. Her music selections were excellent, and both the bride’s and groom’s families were out on our parquet dance floor kicking up their heels. Which is something we don’t often see at weddings. One side of the family usually dances while the other side looks on bored, or envious.
I hated to break up the party, but we were on a tight schedule as the couple could only afford to staff the hall for three hours. After an hour of dancing, we transitioned to the obligatory tear-jerking songs for the father–daughter and mother–son dances.
It was getting late—almost time to cut the cake and send everyone on their way. I gave the DJ my signal, spinning my finger in the air and mouthing the words ‘wrap it up,’ which meant cue the romantic music for slow dancing. It was one of my tricks—when the guests were having a blast, but the wedding had a hard stop time, we played songs that made everyone want to slow dance in one another’s arms, or nod off to sleep, to get them ready to go home. She gave me a thumbs-up and started up a romantic number.
Folding my arms over my chest, I hugged myself. Watching the couples dance, a pang pricked at my core. One older couple in particular held my attention. The way they looked into one another’s eyes, the way he held her as though she were the blushing bride.
Would I ever have that?
A hand lightly pressed into my shoulder, startling me. It was Hayes. My pulse quickened as I considered his handsome, kind face. His eyes were soft and a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. “You did it again, Luna. Another wedding that will go down in someone’s family history as one of the best days of their lives.”
“Thank you,” I murmured. As we stood quietly watching the crowd, I mulled over his words. “It’s true, isn’t it? That’s why I love it so much. Helping to create a memory that will hopefully last forever.” Feeling like what I had said was too heavy, I jokingly added, “Unless they get divorced that is.”
His serious gaze fell heavy on me as he said, “I don’t believe in divorce. When I get married, it’s till death do us part, no matter what.”
A shiver ran through me at his words. I stammered, “I didn’t mean that I thought they would... I just meant that—”
“It’s not something to joke about.” One of his brows rose up toward the sky, his voice stern. I suddenly got the feeling I was in trouble with him.
“Okay,” I answered, looking back at the dancing couples. A heaviness settled in my chest as I murmured, “It’s just that not all love stories have happy endings.”
“I’m sorry, Luna, I know it’s hard for you to believe after what you went through but trust me. They’re not all like... him.” He placed a gentle hand on my lower back.
And I knew they weren’t. I had seen how the Jenkins men were with their woman. Fully and utterly devoted. They would never up and leave their wife like my father had my mom. But even seeing good men firsthand couldn’t remove all of the fear from my heart.
After an awkward moment of people watching, Hayes, standing rigid by my side, said, “Sorry to be so blunt. That’s just how I feel about the matter.”
“Noted,” I murmured. “Hayes Jenkins does not believe in divorce. Let the future brides in the crowd know.” I forced a laugh.
He turned to me, his gaze locking on mine. “There’s only one woman in this crowd I would consider as my future bride.”
My breath caught in my throat. I stared into his eyes. Was he serious?
He gave me a smile, holding his hand out toward me. “Care to dance?”
We had danced a few times in the past... Winterfest, prom, family weddings. But everything was different now. I froze. Hayes was my childhood friend. My off and on crush. Yes, his tongue had been inside my mouth last night but sober dancing—that seemed more intimate than sex. Especially after the joke he had made this morning about me being his bride.
I placed my hand in his. When our skin touch
ed, mine tingled. Did his?
Shyness overwhelmed me as Hayes led me onto the dance floor, our fingers intertwined. His arms wrapped around my lower back. Mine went to his neck, winding their way around as they had years before. He was so much taller now, his shoulders broad from hard work.
He smiled down at me. The pace of my heart quickened in my chest. We swayed to the music, him gently leading us as we danced. His gaze locked on mine. His voice was soft as he spoke. “It’s good to be home.”
Home.
I looked up at him, taking him in. His hold tightened, pulling my body to his. My breasts pressed against his muscular chest, my nipples hardening. I wanted to lay my head on his chest, to feel his chin resting on the top of my head. I wanted him to hold me like this for longer, call me Luna, or baby girl, maybe even give my cheek a gentle kiss. But the soft music floating through the night ended. Lady DJ’s voice called out, “Please join us for the cutting of the cake.”
The swaying stopped. Hayes’ arms dropped from my waist. I untangled myself from around his neck. We were no longer touching, but our eyes remained locked on one another’s. I could sense that great, passionate shift that now stood between us—a force larger than our relationship as friends, or boss and employee.
I stood speechlessly staring at Hayes as if he were an altogether different man. I could see in his blue-gray eyes what everyone had been telling me all along. Hayes Jenkins was in love with me. And I had feelings for Hayes. Dormant ones that had been hidden deep within me. Buried by time, distance, another partner. Feelings that now bubbled to the surface. Freed by one kiss and the magic of one dance.
As reality sank in, my breath caught in my chest. Hayes opened his mouth to speak, his soft gaze resting on me. “Luna, I—”
“Louie—cake time!” my sister, Josie, called from across the room. My eyes snapped over to where she stood, her arms frantically waving at me, her white-blonde messy bun bobbing on the top of her head. Apparently, she did not check off the final box on her list. Cupping her hands around the sides of her mouth, she gave a loud whisper, “I can’t find the knife.”
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