Driving Tempo

by Raine Thomas

  “I have a stalker.” When Dane reached over and took her hand, Lily gratefully accepted the comfort he offered. “Possibly more than one. I’ve been receiving threats on social media and via e-mail, and I was recently cornered by a man at a spa in Denver.”

  “Lily. Why didn’t you tell me before now?”

  Guilt had Lily hunching her shoulders rather than shrugging them like she planned. “I didn’t want to worry you,” she said.

  That wasn’t the full truth. She hadn’t thought to mention it to Rosemary or anyone else in her family. It was a pathetic testament to her relationship with them. Even now, the only reason she was bringing this up was because Rosemary needed to be aware of the potential threats they might encounter while she was with them.

  “There’s an investigation underway,” Dane said, saving Lily from stumbling through more of an excuse. “The spa attendant saw the man who, uh, cornered Lily. We have a sketch that I think you should see so you can keep an eye out for him.”

  “Oh, right.” Lily mentally shook her head over not having thought of that herself. “Hold on a sec.”

  She felt Rosemary’s gaze on her as she rose and went into the bedroom to retrieve the sketch from her suitcase. She felt horrible for not thinking to show it to her sister. What if the stalker learned that Rosemary was related to her and tried to do something to her? Stalkers had done crazier things to get the attention of the object of their fixation, right? And Rosemary looked a lot like her. While their coloring made it unlikely they would be mistaken for each other, who knew what the stalker might think? It made sense to prepare Rosemary for any possibility, which made it all the more appalling that it hadn’t even occurred to Lily.

  When had she and Rosemary gotten so distant from each other? Had Lily done it herself, or had it been a mutual growth apart?

  In either case, Lily needed to stop being so self-absorbed. Rosemary was doing her a huge favor by traveling all the way out here to help plan her wedding. Lily wasn’t about to make her sister regret it by inadvertently putting her in harm’s way.

  “Here it is,” she said as she returned to the living area. “This is a copy so you can keep it if you want.”

  Rosemary took it from her outstretched hand and gave it a careful study as Lily returned to her seat next to Dane. “Jeez. He looks like anybody.”

  “I know,” Lily and Dane said at the same time.

  That brought a small smile to Rosemary’s face. It faltered as she asked, “Did he hurt you?”

  “No,” Lily replied. “Just scared the shit out of me.”

  “The Ordinem team doesn’t think the stalker means Lily any harm,” Dane explained. “But we’re not taking any chances.”

  “Is Ordinem the company that employs the McDream Team working on your security?”

  Lily laughed. The members of their security team were all fit, attractive people. Rosemary had obviously noticed.

  “Yeah,” Dane replied, nudging Lily in the side. “They’re working with Denver PD to try and identify that guy. Just be aware of the people around you, okay?”

  Rosemary nodded. “Of course. Thank you.” She put the sketch face-down on the coffee table between the loveseat and her chair. “I’m almost afraid to ask, but what is the second thing you didn’t mention yesterday? Are you pregnant?”

  Lily sensed Dane stiffen beside her and almost laughed again. “No, but the media is likely to think that I am.” Taking a deep breath, she added, “Our wedding date is September twenty-second.”

  Rosemary showed no reaction. “Of this year?”

  “Yes.”

  Lily braced for her sister’s freak out. She didn’t know what to think when Rosemary just smiled and reached for her iPad.

  “Then we have a lot of work to do in a short amount of time,” she said. “We’d better get started.”

  Lily blinked. “That’s it? You’re not going to kill me for the short notice?”

  Making a pffft sound, Rosemary waved that concern away. “I’ve planned weddings in less than a week. Just don’t go getting any wild ideas. I’ll take all the time I can get.”

  “Well...great.” Lily once again reached for Dane’s hand. At least that was one less stressor on her shoulders. “Where do we start?”

  Rosemary picked up her iPad and touched the home button. “I’m going to begin by asking you some questions to give me a better idea of your vision. It’s best to start by nailing down your budget and prioritizing the services that are the most important to you so I know how to allocate that budget.”

  “There is no budget,” Dane told her.

  “That’s okay,” Rosemary said as she tapped on her iPad. “I can help you develop one once I know what—”

  “No, I mean there’s no limit to the budget.”

  Lily saw Rosemary’s eyes widen the slightest bit. She figured this was something her sister hadn’t heard often from her previous clients. Lily’s instinct was to tell Dane he was being over-the-top and frivolous. She was all too aware of the House of Archer cameras angled on the living area and recording their every word, however.

  Plastering a smile on her face, Lily gave Dane’s bicep a squeeze and said, “That’s exactly what I wanted to hear, sweetie.”

  Rosemary tilted her head to the side as she studied them. After a moment, her gaze drifted to the ceiling and moved briefly around the room before settling back on them. Lily knew her sister had guessed why she was acting so strangely.

  “That makes my job a lot easier,” Rosemary said smoothly. “I’d still like to prioritize your wedding services so I know what’s most important to you.”

  At least it was a starting point, Lily thought. They went through the list of services from photography to food and beverage. By the time they were midway through the list, Lily’s head started to spin. It was all so overwhelming.

  She hadn’t ever thought about things like lighting, linen rentals, or coordinating wedding stationery. How in the world was she supposed to choose all of these things in a matter of a few weeks? She couldn’t even say which service was her top priority. She hadn’t ever been one of those females who dreamed of the perfect wedding day. Even if she had been, she would have dreamed of something small and intimate with only her closest friends and relatives in attendance.

  Was it too much to ask to just show up and marry the man she loved?

  “Okay,” Rosemary said at last. “You two are doing great. I know it’s a lot to think about all at once, but this should give you an idea of the decisions you’ll have to make as we go along. I’m going to push for quick decisions so we have time to get everything booked. Having an unlimited budget will make it a lot easier.”

  “Of course,” Dane said, lounging against the back of the loveseat like he didn’t have a care in the world.

  Lily wasn’t sure how much of that was truly how he felt and how much was for the show. Not for the first time, she thought how sad it was that they had to live with that kind of uncertainty between them now.

  “You didn’t mention your services,” Lily said to her sister. “Help with planning is definitely near the top of the list. We need to include that in the expenses.”

  “Oh...well, I didn’t want to assume anything,” Rosemary replied, looking flustered for the first time since the meeting began.

  “Of course we’re going to pay you,” Lily assured her. “Whatever Petit Planning would typically charge.”

  If she hadn’t been staring right at Rosemary, she might have missed the flash of incredulity and wonder in her expression. Was this the biggest wedding her sister had planned? The idea made Lily inexplicably happy. She felt as though she was helping Rosemary a little as Rosemary helped her.

  “That works,” Rosemary said with a smile. “Now let’s discuss the next big step...your guest list. Usually it’s important to narrow it down as much as possible so your budget will stretch further. In your case, I encourage you to narrow it down to give you more options for venues. Not many can accommodate re
ally large groups unless it’s a ballroom, and you’ve both indicated that you’re not interested in a ballroom wedding.”

  Lily shook her head. She didn’t have much in mind for her wedding, but with all of the parties and after-parties she had attended on this tour in one ballroom or meeting room after another, she had no desire to be married in one.

  “Have you discussed the guest list yet?” Rosemary asked.

  “Yeah,” Lily said. “I’ve got a list going in the app I downloaded to help with this stuff.”

  “Can you e-mail it to me?”

  “Sure.” Lily picked up her phone from the coffee table and opened the app to send the list. “Right now there are about three hundred and fifty names on it.”

  “That’s a pretty large list,” Rosemary commented as her phone dinged with Lily’s message. “It’s not unmanageable, of course, but I’d recommend trying to hone it down if you can.”

  That would largely be up to Dane. Lily’s guest list consisted of five close friends from college including Sydney and Aria, a couple of friends she made during her journalism internships that she didn’t think were even in the country at the moment, and the members of her immediate family. If she could cut that last part from the list aside from Rosemary and her uncle Ray—whom she considered her father in every sense that mattered—she would.

  What a terribly sad statement that was.

  She couldn’t help it. She wasn’t close with her older half-siblings, Scott and Bianca, nor did she particularly like them. She could barely stand to be around Caroline and Bridgette, who felt the world revolved around them. Her mother had already dampened Lily’s excitement about her engagement by calling and texting her numerous times to try and insinuate herself into the planning. There was no doubt in Lily’s mind that Rhonda would stage a scene at some point. While it would make for great television, it had Lily’s stress headaches and stomachaches coming with more frequency...something she hadn’t shared with Dane. He worried enough about her as it was.

  This wedding meant so much to him. He hadn’t been able to wait to call his mom and dad to share the big news. Their joy over the engagement meant the world to Lily. They had always treated her like their daughter and now it would become a reality.

  But a big wedding also meant there was no way to keep her crazy family from getting involved. The guest list would also include a bunch of Dane’s Hollywood acquaintances, making the event feel less personal. Lily hated to say it, but it all seemed like a waste of good money.

  You know how important this is to Dane, she reminded herself, brushing her thumb over his hand in hers. And this is helping Rosemary too. Thousands of women would kill to be in your shoes right now. Suck it up.

  “We need to shop for your gown sooner rather than later, Lil,” Rosemary was saying, pulling Lily’s attention back to the conversation. “Most salons need at least six months to custom-order gowns. Fortunately you wear a size that should offer a good number of off-the-rack options.”

  Thinking of the cameras, Lily wrinkled her nose. “Off the rack? I don’t think so.”

  Rosemary didn’t miss a beat. “There are always exceptions to these things,” she said with a knowing smile. “Money has a way of making things happen.” She reached into her bag on the floor beside her chair and pulled out a flexible measuring tape. “I’d like to take your measurements to share with Monique, my associate back at Petit. She can do some preemptive calls to the salons in L.A. and schedule some appointments for when we’re back in town.”

  Lily lifted an eyebrow as she rose to accommodate her sister. “What else do you have in that thing?” she wondered, eyeing her bag.

  “Mostly just fabric samples and a color wheel to establish your wedding’s color palette. Lift your arms to the sides,” Rosemary instructed as she began her measurements.

  It wasn’t the first time Lily had been measured for wardrobe. The memory inspired her.

  “You know,” she said as Rosemary tapped some notes into her iPad, “one of my friends in high school became a fashion major. She started her own design studio.”

  “Really? Who?”

  Lily sometimes forgot that Rosemary had only been a year ahead of her in school and knew many of the same people. “Tierney Nessel. I wonder if she’d be interested in designing a gown for me or my bridal party.”

  One of the positives that Lily had found in her newfound fame was that she could influence the lives of others. The moment she realized that it became her goal to help as many people as she could. She’d love nothing more than to nudge along the careers of the people who had in some way supported her through the years.

  “I can certainly reach out to her if you’d like,” Rosemary said as she encircled Lily’s hips with the tape measure.

  “I would like that, thanks.”

  She studied her sister as she measured her waist. Having just mentioned the bridesmaids’ dresses, this would be the ideal time to invite Rosemary to be a part of her wedding party. Even if Rosemary didn’t want to do it since it would likely piss the rest of their family off, Lily should extend the invitation. The words sat on the tip of her tongue, but something stopped her.

  Her hesitation weighed heavily on her as she and Dane spent another two hours with Rosemary hammering out as many details as they could manage before Lily’s head felt like it was going to explode. Rosemary left with the assurance that she would be consulting with her team at Petit Planning and would have some more ideas to present to them within the week.

  Lily walked her to the door and thanked her, then closed the door behind her with a deep sigh. Dane approached and took her hand, tugging her wordlessly behind him until they were safely in their unrecorded bedroom behind closed doors.

  “Are you okay?” he asked, framing her face with his hands.

  “Honestly, I’m exhausted. I had no idea how much work this was going to be.”

  “I know. But you did great. Rosemary is going to be a tremendous help. You made the right call bringing her on board.” Something must have reflected on her face, as he said, “What is it?”

  She shook her head, not entirely sure she knew the answer. “I just wish things were different between me and Rosemary. That all felt so...professional, you know? It didn’t feel like I was making wedding plans with my sister. It felt like I was sitting with my wedding planner.”

  He nodded slowly. “I can understand that.” He brushed his thumb along her cheekbone and lowered his head to brush his lips against hers. “Do you trust me?”

  “Of course.”

  “Then I’m going to do something to help you and Rosemary. I’ve got an idea that I’m pretty sure will work.”

  She smiled. “Taking care of me, are you?”

  “Always.”

  It was enough to melt her heart.

  Who needed a big wedding? she thought. That vow alone was enough for her.

  Chapter Eight

  For the third night in a row, Sage wandered down to the hotel’s outdoor pool shortly after midnight in search of Rosemary. They were in Nashville now, but the pool was just as quiet at this time of night as the one they had left in Kansas City. The main difference was that the air was heavier with moist southern heat here. He felt it clinging to his skin as he passed from the air-conditioned hotel out to the pool deck.

  The darkness didn’t keep him from spotting Rosemary in one of the poolside double loungers. He smiled, pleased to find her there. Their meetings up until then had been casual and unplanned, a result of two night owls with sleep issues. Tonight was the first time he had gone in deliberate search of her. He had even napped on the tour bus earlier to make sure he was still awake during the night. It was worthy of hearty scoffing by his band mates.

  So he hadn’t told them.

  There wasn’t anything wrong with enjoying someone’s company, he rationalized as he approached Rosemary with a silent wave of greeting. He found her funny, quirky, and unafraid to tell it like it was, something she had in common with Lily. />
  He had learned that she loved Greek food, was a fanatic about Halloween, spent time volunteering at her local library teaching English to non-English speaking LA. residents, and had developed an avid enthusiasm for origami while studying napkin folding. She said she found the art of origami both elegant and precise, and it helped relieve stress. When she became proficient at it, she started giving her new clients an origami butterfly in their wedding’s signature color because it was the symbol of beauty, transition, and marital happiness. Her clients apparently ate it up.

  He couldn’t blame them. She had gifted him with a paper crane the night before and he’d been inexplicably touched. The crane had been in his favorite color—green—and symbolized happiness and good fortune according to Rosemary.

  It had been such a thoughtful thing to do. The gesture was one more reason he had deliberately planned to meet with her that evening.

  Perhaps the biggest reason, though, was that she was such a great listener. He was surrounded every day by some of his best friends, but while they were well-meaning, they tended to offer advice or lectures. Rosemary, however, didn’t speak her mind unless he asked her opinion. He’d found himself opening up to her in ways he’d never done with someone he had known for such a brief period of time.

  “Hi there,” she greeted him as he took the seat beside her. “Another rough night, huh?”

  He considered and dismissed the idea of lying. “Not really.”

  “Ah.” She smiled. “Well, it’s nice to see you. Milk Dud?”

  Shrugging, he held out a hand and accepted a few of the chewy chocolate-covered caramels. “Thanks.” He popped one into his mouth and settled back in his seat. “What great mysteries are you pondering out here tonight?”

  “Oh, they are many and varied.”

  “I’m sure.”

  “Don’t think you could handle most of them.”

  “Then pick something my paltry, uncivilized mind can handle.”

  She issued a light snort of humor. “Okay. I was thinking about tonight’s House of Archer episode.”