No Groom Like Him

by Jeanie London

  Mara spun her chair from the desk and removed a file from a drawer in the credenza. Without a word she flipped it open to reveal sketches and notes in Ginger’s familiar handwriting.

  “The instant Max mentioned the time frame, I knew we didn’t have a moment to lose,” Ginger said.

  “Looks like we’ve got a jump on things then,” Lily said, flipping through the pages. She recognized the grounds at Overlook and potential arrangements for the flow of traffic inside. At first glance there were a few good possibilities.

  Why had Lily ever wasted the energy trying to circumvent the inevitable? She’d never had a choice about this wedding.

  “I’ve got to nail down some of the details today. I promised the press an exclusive before business close,” Lily said matter-of-factly. Then it occurred to her that she hadn’t seen Mara’s assistant anywhere. “Mara, where’s Denise?”

  “She’s on bed rest until the baby comes. But no worries. We’ll get everything done. I’ve been keeping up with the paperwork. Denise transcribes from home when I need her.”

  “When did this take place?” They couldn’t manage without an office assistant. “I don’t remember seeing anything about Denise going on leave.”

  “No?” Mara frowned. “That’s strange. It’s been nearly a month, Lily, and she’s not due for another few weeks yet. I was sure I sent an email.”

  Lily shook her head.

  “Not sure what happened there. I’ll take a peek at my email and see if I can find the original message. Thought it was strange when I didn’t hear anything about it from you.” Mara shrugged. “Things have been hectic. Thank goodness for Ginger helping out. Not sure what I’d have done without her.”

  They should have brought in a temp—it wasn’t rocket science. But Lily let it go. She’d touch base with human resources to check on the details. At the moment, she was more concerned in what was bothering her about this new development. She couldn’t put her finger on it. And with two weddings that should be in production, Lily didn’t have time to figure it out.

  “Let’s start with the contracts then,” she said. “If you’ll get me the standard workup, I’ll track down Max so we can decide on these sketches. Has Max seen these yet, Ginger?”

  Ginger waited until Mara left the room before saying, “Not yet, dear. I thought you’d prefer presenting.”

  Lily didn’t flinch. She’d known this was coming, known this situation wouldn’t be simple. But she wasn’t playing games here. Dialing Max’s number, she waited for the call to connect.

  He finally picked up. “Hello, Worldwide Weddings Unlimited.”

  “Hello, Worldwide Weddings Unlimited’s newest client. You want a wedding so I need your undivided attention for an hour. Preferably ASAP. We have to hash through some details so I can provide an exclusive to your competition before business close.” Which would teach him to sandbag her at press conferences. “How soon can you be at the office?”

  Before he had a chance to reply, the chimes from the front doorbell rang gaily throughout the office.

  “Shall I?” Ginger asked.

  Lily shook her head as she was already closest to the office door. “Hang on a sec, Max,” she said into the phone while making her way through the foyer.

  “No problem.”

  Cradling the phone against her ear, she pulled open the door then let out a gasp at the unexpected sight.

  Max in all his tall, dark and business-suited glory, holding a cell phone to his ear. His green eyes glinted with childish mischief but there was nothing childish about the set of his wide shoulders that tapered to a flat stomach.

  “This ASAP enough for you?” he deadpanned, still speaking into the receiver.

  Lily rolled her eyes and disconnected the call. She stepped aside and waved him in. “I hope you’ll be equally accommodating through all the planning.”

  “I can be accommodating. Very accommodating.” His voice was low and husky, and sent a shimmy of heat down her spine. But she ignored his teasing. Max was good at that. And as her older brother’s best friend, he’d enjoyed pushing her buttons for years. But she wasn’t rising to this bait.

  “Behave,” she admonished. “Come into the office. Your mother’s here.”

  He didn’t say anything, but Lily couldn’t help noticing his playful expression faded. She had no idea what was up between Ginger and Max. But she didn’t need more complications.

  As if life wasn’t already convoluted.

  “Please make yourself comfortable,” she said, as she settled Max into the client office. “I’ll be right back.”

  She found Mara in the staff office.

  “Contracts,” she said, handing Lily a thick folder.

  Lily scooped the file of sketches off the desk and glanced at Ginger. “Coming?”

  Ginger smoothed an imaginary speck of lint off her pants and yawned delicately. “You run along, dear. You don’t need me for those sorts of details.”

  Lily returned to find Max had done exactly as she’d suggested—made himself comfortable. He’d removed his suit jacket and it now lay across the settee. He wore a soft green shirt that brought out the intensity of his eyes. He’d rolled up his cuffs. His appearance was one of lean, catlike elegance.

  He’d settled in a chair in front of the desk and set up a notebook computer with a remote wireless attachment, and she could make out Skype on the screen.

  “Bride or groom?” she asked.

  His long fingers tapped the keys. “Both if we need them.”

  “Wonderful.” Lily took a deep breath to dispel her mood because she was already feeling annoyed and pressured and bullied, which was not the place to begin. “Let’s talk wedding.”

  Sinking into the chair behind the desk, she faced Max and noticed the way the sun from the window silhouetted him until he sort of glowed around the edges. He might know nothing about weddings, but one wouldn’t know it from his calm demeanor. Since he’d strolled in, he dominated the space around him.

  Damn. He looked yummy. From the soft crinkles around his eyes, to his full lips and square jaw, he was all male. She thought she could detect a hint of his cologne, a smell that was all uniquely masculine and him.

  Poising her pen over her own notepad, she jotted: I am thirty-two, not thirteen, and I do not have time for distractions right now. Not one measly second.

  CHAPTER NINE

  MAX SAT in Lily Susan’s office, explaining the vision for someone else’s wedding, in broad strokes, as Lily Susan termed it. She hadn’t started asking questions yet, but Max knew one thing already—he hadn’t been this involved in his own wedding.

  But, he reminded himself, he was involved for a good cause. And he would use this time to get to know Lily Susan. He wanted to know what made her tick. Was she as romantic at heart as her career would suggest? She’d been younger than he and Joey so Max had never paid much attention to her.

  No, back then she’d simply been the girl twin, one of the two reasons Joey would occasionally miss ball games or fishing trips or other activities. The other reason had been her twin brother Mike. They’d been too young to leave unsupervised at home, so whenever required, Joey would have to take his turn being home to babysit. It wasn’t fair that the task always fell to Caroline because she was a girl. Rosie and Joe were all about fair.

  But life didn’t play fair. He’d been dead inside for so long and had been okay with it. Now, around Lily Susan, he suddenly remembered he was a man. Of course, Max was a father, too. A father first, in fact. That was his choice. Lily Susan lived a life diametrically opposed to everything he wanted for himself and Madeleine. Lily Susan’s main priority appeared to be her career. Her own family didn’t factor high on her list from what Max had seen. And he couldn’t imagine she’d been looking for any kind of family life by marrying Lucas Olivier.

  So what was the appeal? Why was he so affected by the way she gazed at him from under her lashes? True, she was exquisite, with her heart-shaped face and that cool poise
as she listened to him share what he knew. Jamilyn hated seafood. Raymond wanted a small wedding party because he only had a few close friends.

  She scrawled notes on a pad, her slender fingers moving gracefully across the page, her lips pursed thoughtfully. She had a mouth made for kissing. Why should he be so surprised that he would think about kissing her?

  Still, Lily Susan?

  Maybe he shouldn’t be so surprised. Lily Susan wasn’t a stranger. He’d known her most of his life. He simply hadn’t realized how beautiful she’d grown to be because he hadn’t been looking at her as anything but Joey’s little sister.

  Not anymore. The beautiful woman sitting across from him was impacting him on so many levels.

  All his life he’d struggled to keep grounded, keep balanced between his family obligations and everything else he considered to be important. Even before he’d learned the hard way how very short life could be, how precious each moment was, he’d struggled to keep his life—and Madeleine’s—real.

  Lily Susan was the opposite of real. She lived in a fantasy world that was possibly more disconnected than his own family, and that was saying a lot.

  He didn’t see how his feelings could lead anywhere except to a dead end.

  “Tell me about Raymond,” she said.

  “My brother-in-law is a career military officer.” Max was impressed by how normal he sounded. “He cares enough about this country to make protecting it his life.”

  “How many of the groomsmen will be in uniform?”

  Max nodded. “All of them. Marines. Except the best man—my other brother-in-law. He’s air force.”

  “How many siblings are there in Felicia’s family?”

  “Five. Two brothers and three sisters. She was the baby, like you.”

  “Then you should know that we family babies aren’t so easily bullied. We toughen up fast. We have to.”

  Felicia had definitely been one to hold her own in any situation. “No arguments there. But what if I’m not looking to bully?”

  The statement implied a question: What was he looking to do then? Not even Max was sure.

  She seemed to arm herself with professional detachment. “So, this is Raymond’s first marriage?”

  “It is. He’s always been focused on his career. My in-laws had almost given up hope that he’d ever settle down and make a life for himself. I can’t say it’s shocking that he wants to continue to serve in some capacity after his retirement. He’ll make a good governor.”

  “And this wedding is going to show that to the world.”

  Max nodded. “A normal society wedding. Nothing trendy, just a traditional romantic wedding. I know it’s not your typical fare, but it will be supersize and high-profile so you’re the best person for the job.”

  Lily Susan kept her gaze fixed on her notebook. “Contrary to popular belief, I do plan my fair share of normal society weddings. I happen to like traditional romantic.”

  Had that been the sort of wedding she’d planned for herself? At heart was she still a small-town girl? “I meant the destination part, actually. I’m sorry if you feel I’ve dumped everything in your lap—”

  His gaze dropped to where she played with her open collar. A flush on her cheeks suggested she’d noticed. Was she flustered? That surprised him. She was such a beautiful woman. Surely she was used to men openly admiring her.

  “Max, you have dumped everything in my lap,” she said matter-of-factly. “You’re asking me to accomplish eighteen months of work in eight weeks.”

  “Only out of necessity and only for a good cause.” Several good causes, actually. Especially the one that made it necessary for them to work closely together. To get to know each other as adults. Max wasn’t going to analyze the feeling too closely. He wasn’t going to talk himself out of a woman whose priorities and lifestyle weren’t his own. Not now. Not yet. Not when he hadn’t felt this alive in so long. Not when her slim fingers and neat French manicure made him think of how her hands might feel running through his hair. Or down his back.

  She leaned forward with a secretive expression that drew him forward to meet her. So close he could smell her perfume—a delicate and floral scent. Probably French and expensive. Intriguing.

  “It’s damage control,” she whispered conspiratorially. “I’ve already figured out that part. You need me to keep your mother in check.”

  Their gazes met, and from this vantage her deep gold eyes—eyes that should have been so familiar—were somehow transformed into smoldering, molten eyes.

  Oh, yeah. Let her keep believing that. He wasn’t going to admit that he wanted her all to himself.

  Max swallowed a grin and attempted to look guilty.

  “Don’t act surprised and don’t even bother denying it.” She gave a light shake of her head and sent waves of hair tumbling around her shoulders. “Your mother’s playing the same game. She wants to be involved and expects me to run interference with you.”

  “You’ll have to choose sides then because we’re not like your family. Downeys like clearly delineated loyalties.”

  She rolled her eyes. “We’re planning a wedding not a war.”

  “I know, but once I chose to involve my family, the planning was bound to become a battlefield.”

  She toyed with the pen and considered him. “I wonder why you chose to involve your family, then.”

  He shrugged. “Same reason I involved you. You’re the best person to coordinate the wedding. Overlook is the best venue. Since my family lives there, I did have to mention it to avoid scheduling conflicts.”

  She gave a huff that seemed to say she didn’t have time for any of this. Or maybe she didn’t want to make time for him. Luckily for him, she no longer had a choice.

  “For the record, I’m not choosing sides. I’m a professional you’re hiring to plan an event. Period. Now I need numbers. I can come up with all the brilliant ideas I want, but the budget will dictate what I put in the proposal, which I have one night to produce, thank you.”

  “I have numbers.” Max pulled up the file with the pertinent information. “And a guest list and addresses and everything Raymond and Jamilyn thought you’d need.”

  Not only was there a total budget, but there were also suggestions about how they’d like to see their money allocated. Jamilyn wouldn’t spend ten thousand dollars on a designer dress when she could direct the cash to feeding her guests.

  He turned the notebook computer to face Lily Susan then waited while she scanned the information. He’d thought the number reasonable, particularly as they weren’t going to have to rent a venue. Precisely one of the reasons Max had offered Overlook. But her silence gave him pause. “If that’s not enough to cover what you need, give me an idea of how short we’ll be, and I’ll see if I can make up the difference. I want this to be a special event.”

  “Because of Raymond’s political career?”

  Max nodded. “That certainly factors, but even more important is the start of their marriage.”

  A tiny frown furrowed Lily Susan’s brow. “I’m sensing more than that. Anything you can tell me will be helpful.”

  “Part of your process for coming up with brilliance?”

  “Absolutely. Part of my expertise is translating visions. Most of the time my couples aren’t really sure what they’re looking for. Sometimes they think they know, but it turns out what they’re saying and thinking are two different things. It’s up to me to translate. I’m at a distinct disadvantage here without the couple, so I’m forced to take you at your word, which impedes my process. Please tell me what you can.”

  Okay, far be it for Max to impede her process. “You’ll keep it between us?”

  “Of course.”

  “Felicia’s death jolted Raymond into realizing how little time any of us have, enough to take a chance on living his life to the fullest. He fell in love with Jamilyn and doesn’t want to waste a second.”

  “So, the theme of their life together is new beginnings on several
levels.”

  Max nodded. He admired his brother-in-law tremendously for taking this chance. Max wondered if he’d find the strength to do the same. He’d held onto his own past for a long time.

  Lily Susan frowned at the guest list. “Most of the bride’s family will be traveling in from Maryland and Ohio.”

  “Is that a problem?”

  “It’s definitely not optimal. Not only don’t I have a bride to work with, but her wedding party won’t be accessible, either.” She was pensive as she jotted more notes on her pad. “Final fittings are going to be an issue. Jamilyn mentions here that most of the guests are aware of the difficulties, though. It might make sense to incorporate Thanksgiving festivities since everyone will be traveling. Just a thought.”

  “A good one. I can’t imagine anyone will be thrilled about flying during the busiest travel week of the year.”

  “True. I think we can pull something together while keeping to the budget, though. Jamilyn seems practical about the money. But that’s not really the issue. It’s the time frame. Cutting corners takes work and we’ll be paying top dollar to have things shipped priority, rushing alterations and things like that. There’s just no way around it. Such a waste of our resources.”

  “It was either Thanksgiving or wait until next year. Raymond retires from the service in May, but Jamilyn won’t be back in the States until August.”

  “Will they even have time for a honeymoon?”

  “Of sorts. They deploy to Germany right after the wedding but they won’t ship out to their respective duties until closer to Christmas.”

  “That’s something at least. Let me know if they want to plan a getaway while they’re there. I work with some excellent travel consultants.”

  “Thanks. That’s generous.” Max meant it. “They’re excited to start their life together. And please remember what I said about helping to pad the budget. If it comes down to a choice, give me a chance to kick in.”

  “Oh, I will.” She managed to make that sound like a threat. One that made him smile. Turning the computer display to face him again, she said, “Would you mind forwarding that file to me? I’ll need to refer to it tonight. And you can disconnect from Skype, too, by the way. We won’t need Raymond or Jamilyn until tomorrow.”