This Wedding is Doomed!

by Stephanie Draven

  “Tessa is beautiful. You are going to have a great day.” Julie smiled because she meant it. “Have either of you seen the maid of honor?”

  Graham looked at the best man, who shrugged. “I’m afraid not,” Graham said.

  “Then we’ll let you get back to preparations.” Julie grabbed Seth’s arm and dragged him out of the room.

  Whatever happened in the end, two people who loved each other would be bound together. One perfect day to start their marriage, to keep the flame of their love alive for years to come. She always got a warm feeling in her heart when she thought about it and how she could make that happen for them.

  And they would never know about the mess that happened behind the scenes.

  ***

  “Can you believe that guy?” Seth said as they climbed the wooden stairs to the second story. The other rooms had given no clue of Renata’s whereabouts. Not too long ago, the groom and his best man had kept a running tally of women. They practically had a written playbook. He wasn’t convinced they’d left it behind. “Shamelessly flirting with you.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “The best man?” The vein throbbed in Seth’s neck just thinking about Blake all over Julie, but he couldn’t tell the pretty wedding planner that the groom and his friend were players. “Blake’s not . . . the right guy for you.”

  She turned and put her hands on her hips. “All he did was ask for a dance. Didn’t you ask me to dance with you?”

  “Yeah, but it was the way he looked at you when he said it. Guys like him are only after one thing.”

  Seth could see his words weren’t having the desired effect when she rolled her eyes at him.

  “Aren’t you after the same thing?”

  He rubbed the back of his neck. This wasn’t going the direction he’d hoped. “I’m a gentleman.”

  He had nothing and he knew it. His stomach hardened. Blake was a smooth guy. He got a lot of women, but he shouldn’t get Julie.

  “Blake isn’t right for you,” he repeated.

  Her eyebrows raised in surprise. “How would you know who’s right for me?”

  With her on the step above him, they were level. Eye to eye, lips to lips. His jealousy dissipated, replaced by the desire that had been burning within him since the wine cellar. The desire to kiss her. He restrained himself long enough to say, “You need someone spontaneous. Someone who won’t bow down when you try to assert your control. Someone who’ll treasure every moment in your presence. Someone who you can have fun with without scheduling every moment.”

  “How do you know what I need?”

  He lifted his gaze from her lips to her eyes. “I just do. And I know you need this.”

  Reaching for her nape, he pulled her in until their mouths met. For a second she softened beneath him. He felt sparks ignite at the touch. He expected her to melt against him.

  What he hadn’t expected was for her to shove his chest and mumble against his lips, “What do you think you are doing?”

  He broke the contact.

  When he opened his eyes, her eyes weren’t dewy with love or lust, but they weren’t angry either. Had his boyish charms finally failed him?

  She was waiting for an answer.

  The sweet taste of her lips was still on his, so he shrugged. “I was seizing the moment?”

  She fairly bristled but didn’t back away. “This was a ‘moment’?”

  Before she bit it off, he pulled his hand back. “I thought it was.”

  “Obviously it wasn’t.” Her eyes flashed with fire.

  This was not good. “I can see that now.”

  It hadn’t really been a kiss. Merely a meeting of their lips. It had been like touching a live wire. The sting of electricity was too quick to keep hold of.

  Her eyes softened and her mouth curved into a small smile. And the knot in his chest loosened.

  “Look, I’m supposed to be working.” She brushed his hair with her fingertips. “I can’t just go around kissing my client’s relatives. It’s bad form.”

  A little jolt of hope seared through him. “So if I disown my nephew, we can kiss again?”

  She chuckled. “Right now, there are more important things to do, like—”

  “Find a closet to duck into for an hour.” He caught her hand in his.

  “Like find the maid of honor,” she said. Her fingers curled into his.

  Warmth flooded through him at the sparks that ignited between their palms as he looked at their joined hands. Maybe that hadn’t been the moment, but there would definitely be a moment. Seth could wait. “Let’s go.”

  Chapter Five

  Pretending the kiss hadn’t happened only made her think about it more. Wanting another chance to feel the press of his firm lips against hers. Wondering what it would feel like if he pulled her close and explored her mouth. Deep, satisfying—

  “Julie?” Seth’s voice pulled her to the present.

  She swallowed the lump in her throat. “Yeah?”

  “I asked where to next?” His smile had a hint of wicked about it.

  Focus. Work. Find the maid of honor. Save the wedding. “The end of the hallway is the Westcott Room. Maybe she is in there.”

  He led the way to the Westcott Room. The room was long and narrow with a fireplace in the center of the room. Today it was set up as a resting lounge for the ladies. Long couches and high-backed wing chairs were clustered into small groupings. The windows faced out toward the garden where the ceremony was to be held. In the distance, the mountains rose all around.

  The only thing missing from the room was Renata. As long as Julie focused on the task at hand, she could put aside the warmth that had filled her at the touch of Seth’s hand on her nape, the press of his firm lips against hers.

  “Empty.” Seth plopped down on one of the couches. “What now, boss?”

  Julie went over to the window that looked over the gazebo. She could see the other ushers and a few of the family who had started to arrive for pictures. The maid of honor should stand out in her fancy blue bridesmaid’s dress. However, the only blue Julie saw were the bows on the chairs and the flowers.

  “Where could she be?” Julie said softly and leaned her forehead against the window. This shouldn’t be so hard. It was a large estate, but Renata knew where she needed to be. It was like she’d vanished into thin air.

  “Where else can we look?” Seth’s voice surprised her. He’d moved while she’d been staring out the window. Now he was next to her leaning against a pink floral chair.

  “The cellar.” Julie turned from the wedding preparations. She asked him the one thing she’d been wondering, “Tell me, why do you want to ruin this wedding?”

  He stiffened as if she’d physically assaulted him. “I’m not trying to ruin it. This is one day. One day in what is supposed to be a lifelong commitment. So what if the flowers are a little wilted or the band plays a wrong note? It’s one day.”

  This was what she’d built her life around and the fact that he took it so lightly bothered her. She crossed her arms and leaned against the wall. “One day that’s supposed to be special and unforgettable. One perfect day to begin their lives together. One day you’ve spoiled for your nieces and nephews.”

  He stepped toward her. “I don’t spoil anything.”

  “Ha! I’ve heard all the stories.” She straightened to her full height, wishing she had a step stool so she could look down her nose at him. She picked out the worst offense. “A dirty limerick about the bride when the minister asked to speak now or forever hold your peace. How was that not ruining her day?”

  “You want to do this?” He cocked his eyebrow and she nodded. “The bride thought it’d be funny. We’ve been friends for years. She knew my reputation in the family and dared me to do it.”

  “What about the children?”


  “Children weren’t invited to the wedding. By the time I finished my limerick, which I spent hours crafting, the entire congregation applauded me and the ceremony went on without a hitch.”

  She leaned against the wall again and ticked off another one on her hand. “You glitter bombed your niece and her husband.”

  “That was based on a little curiosity because of a YouTube video. Putting glitter in the car’s vents and turning the fan to high, it was too good to pass up. I made sure the photographer was there to capture the moment.” He smiled and moved closer.

  “They had to pick glitter out of their car for over a year.” She pressed her hands against the wall to keep from reaching out and pulling him to her.

  “Pure hearsay. As a little girl, the bride couldn’t get enough glitter. It was on her clothes and on every art project she ever made my mother—her grandmother. I was just fulfilling her dream of having glitter thrown on her at her wedding.”

  “What about the cake?”

  He moved slightly closer and the heat of him washed over her like a physical caress. “What about the cake?”

  She drew in a deep breath and met his eyes. “Do you deny that you’re the reason every one of your nieces and nephews waits until the last possible moment to bring out the cake for fear of what you’ll do to it?”

  “Why would they do that?” His breath fanned her lips, sending skitters of sensation sliding down her back.

  She curled her fingers into fists to keep from reaching out. “To keep you from making a giant mess again. From the way they tell it, you were too drunk to stand up straight.”

  He had the courtesy to flinch at that one. “Do I drink at weddings? Hell, yes. Everyone does. Have there been a few times I drank a little more than I should have? Definitely, and I’ve had the hangovers to prove it.”

  This was everything she was working against. “You are the drunk uncle!”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Every wedding has one. A relative who regardless of who he hurts or offends takes over the wedding when he becomes so drunk he does and says things that shouldn’t be said or done.” Now that she’d gotten on her high horse, Julie needed to get this off her chest. “Do you know how many of those people I’ve had to deal with?”

  “How many?” He reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

  She went on like he hadn’t spoken. “They patronize my staff. Think that every shapely bottom needs a pinch or a pat. Don’t get me started on what they think is acceptable to say.”

  “You shouldn’t have to put up with that.” His hands squeezed her arms.

  “You don’t get it. God, why would you?” She licked her lips and focused on his eyes and not on how close he was. “You are the drunk uncle. If I don’t run interference, what happens? It’s the bridesmaid who gets pinched or the mother of the groom and then it’s a whole fiasco. My whole purpose is to make sure the bride and groom have the day they always wanted without the crap they put up with on a daily basis from their dysfunctional families.”

  “Why is it your responsibility?” His tone was slightly softer.

  “Why else would I be here?” If she swayed any closer, their lips would meet. She closed her eyes tightly before opening them and continuing, “I’m hired to make sure a wedding is perfect from the smallest detail to the largest. Women come to me to make their dreams come true and that’s what I do. I give them that one day they’ve been dreaming about since they were little girls. I make sure that guys like you stay far away from making a disaster that will ruin everything.”

  “You didn’t answer me, Julie.” His gaze dropped to her lips briefly.

  She drew a breath into her suddenly tight chest. “Answer you what?”

  “Why you?”

  “Because they hire me.”

  His hands slid down her arms until he took her hands in his. “Want to know what I think?”

  Warmth engulfed her hands and flooded her system. Her hands seemed to fit perfectly in his. Suddenly at a loss for breath, she nodded.

  “I think you need to control everything because something is out of your control. Do you have something you can’t control, Julie?”

  Her mother had taught her that to have control meant nothing could go wrong. The only thing out of her control right now was her feelings for him. She glanced away before she said, “No one can control everything.”

  “You don’t always have to be in control. You can relax with me. I promise not to demand anything you aren’t willing to give.”

  She opened her mouth and closed it. It would be so easy to lean into him and surrender to another kiss. To make him forget about trying to analyze her and her problems. To lose herself for a moment. Just a brief touch to quell the raging desire. “I think we should try the kitchen and maybe the wine cellar. She could be down there.”

  “Whatever you want.” Seth put his hands in his pockets. That boyish grin was back on his face, but instead of being obnoxious, it was comforting.

  “All right. We have a plan.” She took a deep breath and turned to go.

  Seth caught her hand. When she glanced back, he said, “About the cake.”

  “What about the cake?”

  “Aunt Bea made the cake for that wedding.”

  “So?”

  “Aunt Bea can’t boil water. She thought she was doing everyone a favor by supplying the homemade cake. I saved the wedding by ruining that cake. I swear if you could get food poisoning from a cake, everyone would have if they’d been forced to eat it. In the end, I saved both the wedding party from eating gross cake and Aunt Bea’s feelings when everyone would have run to the bathroom to spit it out.”

  “You were saving the wedding?” Julie turned her body to face his again.

  “That and having a good time doing it.” His smile was slightly crooked and his eyes danced with merriment. “I admit I have a tendency to go overboard, but what’s more fun to talk about with your grandkids? The day that went perfectly or the day that Uncle Seth went flying into your cake?”

  For some reason, Julie believed him, or maybe she just wanted to believe that this guy she was so attracted to wasn’t the goof-off everyone believed he was. At first she’d thought he was jaded about weddings because of his job, but now, she wasn’t so sure. Maybe there was a romantic under the layer of cynicism. Her chest filled with warmth and hope. In his own way, he was trying to save the wedding and not ruin it.

  Seth searched her eyes for a moment and she thought maybe he’d kiss her. Her heart skipped in her chest.

  “We should . . .” She pointed toward the door. Start over?

  Chapter Six

  3 hours until ceremony

  He didn’t kiss her again, which was odd because she was sure he’d wanted to. She certainly wanted him to. Maybe he was waiting for her to kiss him. After all, she’d been the one to stop the kiss earlier.

  “Where’s the food?” Seth asked.

  She looked around the empty kitchen. If anyone could make this work in such a short amount of time, it would be her caterer. He’d have to make it work. Stacey was on top of it. Julie was up to her eyeballs in crises at the moment. She stopped at the door to the basement. “The caterer will be here. He won’t let me down.”

  Seth’s brows furrowed as he pulled open the door for her and followed her down the steps. The wine cellar door was tightly shut—as it should be, including the little window latched on the outside. Whoever thought of a viewing window for a wine cellar? That one must be above her pay grade.

  “Are you seeing anyone?” Seth blurted out, taking her by surprise.

  “As in dating?” She spun to face him. The lighting was dim and even though they were in a long open hallway, it felt small and cozy. Like they were the only two people in the lodge.

  He ran his hand over his nape. “Yeah.�
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  She couldn’t contain her grin or her incredulity. “Shouldn’t you have asked me that before you kissed me?”

  “Probably.” His crooked smile and shrug made her heart skip a beat. “I’m asking now.”

  “Why now?” While he avoided her gaze, her mind went racing thinking of their recent conversation and then snagged on an important detail.

  Her eyes went wide. “You think me and the caterer . . . ?”

  He started to nod, but froze when she laughed. She couldn’t help it. Just the thought was so preposterous. Sure, the caterer was cute, but how cliché could she be? The wedding planner and the caterer.

  In a monotone voice, he said, “I’ll take that as a no.”

  “No.” She tried to stop laughing, but the laughter kept bubbling up. “Definitely no. But I know a few women who have gone weak in the knees over his chocolate cake.”

  “And there’s no one else?” The distance between them vanished until they were almost but not quite touching.

  The laughter faded as she breathed in his scent, but her grin remained. “Not yet.”

  “We should fix that,” he said. His eyes were intense and pierced her right to her center.

  “What we should do is check the wine cellar for our missing maid of honor.”

  She couldn’t control the breathlessness of her voice, so she walked over to the door. But his words stopped her. “Have you ever done something spontaneous? Something silly or childish, just because you can?”

  Silly? She spun around with her back to the door. He leaned his hand on the door next to her head. Her breathing hitched. If she wanted to, she could easily move away, but she was up to the challenge.

  Raising an eyebrow at his hand next to her head, she let the door hold her up since her knees felt weak. “Not really. I have responsibilities. Things that have to get done and I barely have time for those.”

  “Not everything has to go by the book. Not everything needs to be perfectly planned.”