Don't Tell the Wedding Planner

by Aimee Carson

  For now.

  Matt wasn’t entirely sure why he didn’t want to discuss Callie with Tommy. They’d been living in each other’s pockets for so long the reluctance felt strange. But something about his time in New Orleans felt too personal to discuss. A private time Matt didn’t want to share with anyone.

  Including his brother.

  Regardless, a small knot of tension curled low in Matt’s gut as they weaved their way through the crowd of people, passing the strolling minstrels on their way to the largest tent set in the middle of the field. A meeting place, of sorts, with a crowd clearly intent on reliving the feel of a medieval tavern.

  Tommy found two empty stools at the end of a crudely constructed wooden table. A barmaid arrived to take their order and, as soon as she returned with two mugs of beer, the two of them were left alone with nothing but the noise around them and several years’ worth of unresolved issues between them.

  Sticking with the matter at hand seemed best.

  “To you and Penny,” Matt said, lifting his mug.

  Tommy grinned and toasted Matt back. When his brother took a drink and set his beer down, the determined look on his face left Matt wishing he could go back to throwing another ax, even if it meant risking getting booed by a large crowd.

  “There’s something I’ve wanted to ask you,” Tommy said.

  Matt felt like a fool for not meeting his brother’s eyes. “Fire away.”

  “What’s up with you and Callie?”

  Matt lifted his gaze to his brother’s brown eyes—puppy eyes, their mother had called them. Funny how Matt had forgotten about that until just now. But she’d been right. Tommy had the same look that managed to look happy and sad, wise and innocent, all at the same time.

  Matt shrugged. “We’ve decided not to label the relationship just yet.”

  Long-distance was the only label that fit. But the idea totally sucked. He’d been down the long-distance relationship road before. He couldn’t imagine this time would end any prettier.

  “But you’re sleeping with her,” Tommy said.

  Frowning, Matt ran his thumb up his mug, staring at the trail left behind in the condensation. Not being the kind to kiss and tell left him in a bit of a quandary. He only had two choices, to either share too much or lie. And neither sat right with Matt.

  Tommy let out a laugh. “Never mind. Your silence is good enough. Actually, I’m kind of relieved.”

  “Really?” Sleeping with Callie certainly made Matt feel better. But why the heck would Matt’s relationship make Tommy feel better? “Why?”

  A grin crept up his kid brother’s face. “Because all that time you were down here in New Orleans, arranging this shindig, I felt bad that you had to be the one working out how to pull this weekend off. When a few days turned into almost two weeks...” Tommy ruffled his shaggy brown hair. “I don’t have to tell you I was feeling pretty guilty.”

  “No worries, sport.” Matt reached across the table and gave Tommy’s shoulder a cuff. “You just owe me your undying allegiance for the rest of your life. Simple enough.”

  Matt’s attempt at dodging a heavier discussion with a lighthearted response didn’t work. Tommy’s expression remained fixed on Matt and serious. And the look never went well for Matt.

  “But before you stand up beside me tomorrow,” Tommy said. “I want to say it again.” Tommy leaned his elbows on the table. “I’m sorry for everything I put you through.”

  More than just the words, the expression on his little brother’s face left Matt on edge.

  Matt didn’t look away, and every ounce of tease in his tone disappeared. “I know you are.”

  “But I also need to know that you forgive me,” Tommy said.

  Well, hell.

  Matt sat back and stared out at the chaos beyond the tent. Forgiveness, he’d found, had been harder and harder to come by. The first relapse had been easy. The second, not so much. By the third round of rehab, forgiveness had been a huge struggle. A battle Matt had sometimes thought he wouldn’t win.

  But here they sat, two years later...

  You can’t make them keep paying for the same mistakes over and over again.

  Callie was right. Even if they had been in this very spot before, and Tommy had screwed up again. And clearly Tommy needed a truthful answer and not a glib response. Maybe Tommy had put his brother through an emotional wringer, but his hard work this past twenty-four months meant he deserved nothing less than an honest answer.

  That and the fact the man was set to get married tomorrow.

  Matt delivered the words while staring at his mug. “I’m not gonna lie, Tommy. It hasn’t been easy.” He lifted his gaze to his brother. “But...come on.” Matt leaned forward and folded his arms on the table. “Why would I help arrange this weekend if I still had even a trace of resentment left? All I want is for you to be happy. I mean, look around you.” He gestured toward the scene that included knights, and maidens, and trolls. Matt let out a huff of humor as he looked at his kid brother. “You think I’d go to all this trouble otherwise?”

  Sam’s serious face didn’t budge. “Yeah, you would. You totally would.” Despite the words, a grin slowly spread across Tommy’s face, bringing the same the response from Matt. “But it’s good to know that’s not the case.”

  Matt blew out a breath, and the tension in his shoulders eased. “Well, now that we have all that cleared—”

  “I’m not done, Matt. I need you to lighten up a little.”

  “Lighten up?”

  “You know what I’m talking about,” Tommy said.

  The noise of the tent filled the air between them, and tension curled in Matt’s gut. He watched a juggler wander by, wishing he could avoid the upcoming conversation.

  “Look,” Tommy said, “I’m getting through this, day by day. Both Penny and I. And yeah, sure—” Tommy pushed his hair back from his face “—some days it takes all I have to make it through. But I’m clean.” He stared at Matt. “I’m clean.”

  Matt blinked back the pain, hating the words that needed to be said, even after all this time. He’d spent ten years watching Tommy, struggling to help him fight this demon that had him firmly in its grip. He’d never said the words before, because the sentiment had felt like a betrayal. But they needed to be said now.

  I’m clean.

  Because how many times had Matt heard those words?

  Matt’s words came out rough. “Yeah, I know you are, Tommy,” he said. Two sharp heartbeats thumped by. “But for how long?”

  Tommy barely registered a flinch on his face.

  Jesus, Matt. You’re such a bastard.

  “You have to stop hovering, Matt,” Tommy said. “I’m not a kid anymore.”

  “I know you’re not.”

  Tommy went on as if Matt hadn’t spoken. “Because you and I know there is no end point here. I’ll always be at risk. Some days are so damn hard I want to curl up in a corner and cry.” Tommy leaned closer, and Matt’s chest ached so hard he thought his ribs would fracture. “I know you have this intense need to fix things. I know you see a problem and your first extinct is to swoop in, tough love and all. But you can’t fix this for me. This is something I have to do all by myself.”

  “Maybe so.” Matt set his mug on the wooden table with a thump. “But I can damn sure be around if you start to slip again.”

  Be around, stuck in a job where the typical day left Matt wishing he watched paint dry for a living. What was the point of this conversation? What could it possibly solve? Matt had been examining Tommy’s problem from every possible angle for the past ten years. And as far as he figured, there was only one solution.

  “Now if were done with the best man talk,” Matt said, easing his words with a gentle pat on Tommy’s back. “I’ve got another ax-throwing compe
tition to lose.”

  NINE

  Over the past ten years, Callie had sometimes wondered if she’d been fooling herself about her life. Today Callie had determined with absolutely certainty that her mistake all those years ago had been both the worst and the best turning point of her life.

  If she hadn’t blown that scholarship she’d probably be working for someone else right now, because that would have been the safer, easier route to take. But when her choices had been limited to only one—that one choice being whatever she could build herself from the ground up—she’d set about and done just that.

  With the most important event in the history of Callie’s business currently taking place right before her eyes.

  The day of the Paulson-Smith wedding began just as beautifully as the day before. The grassy field was dotted with white tents that flapped in the cool breeze, providing a sharp contrast against the crystal-blue sky. A crowd of guests dressed in their best medieval fair, maidens and princesses and knights stood next to wizards and trolls. Penny’s silver silk gown shimmered around her slender figure and made her look like an elegant elf.

  Gorgeous.

  The crowd had grown from online gaming friends to several hundred interested well-wishers. From the three news cameras mixed in with the crowd, clearly the publicity would be bigger than even Colin had guessed. With her ex, along with Penny and Tommy, set to be interviewed during the reception, the day clearly promised to be a boon for Callie’s business.

  So how come all she could focus on was Matt?

  With about eight other things she should be checking on, Callie shaded her eyes from the sun, grinning as a chain-mail-wearing Matt walked Penny down a makeshift aisle composed of friends dressed as knights, swords drawn and creating an arch over a red carpet leading to the front of a gorgeous canopy. The sight created a happy thrum in Callie’s veins. Publicity aside, the scene was the single most satisfying event in her life to date.

  But Matt wearing chain mail would never cease to be Callie’s favorite part. And while he protested that he was no one’s knight in shining armor, she begged to differ. The smile on the bride’s face, and the almost embarrassed look on Matt’s, brought about a pressure in Callie’s chest.

  An emotion she couldn’t name.

  Feeling like a sappy fool, Callie grinned as she discreetly wiped the tears gathering at the corners of her eyes. Tommy looked happy. Penny positively beamed. And Matt, the man who played the largest role in ensuring this ceremony happened, looked adorably embarrassed and charmingly put out. He’d stuck by his brother and refused to give up when things got tough. And, no matter how silly Matt thought the whole affair, he’d thrown himself into making sure today took place just how Tommy and Penny wanted.

  A buzzing started in her chest, creating a warmth that had nothing to do with the sun or the crowd pressing in around her.

  Standing on the other side of the makeshift aisle, Colin discreetly waved at Callie and then pointed at his watch. They’d caught up earlier and planned on running through the best way to handle the news interviews set to take place after the ceremony. Which she was about twenty minutes late for.

  She knew she should slip away and meet up as planned, but she couldn’t force her feet to move. Callie blinked and glanced back up the aisle, unable to shift her gaze from Matt as he leaned in for Penny’s kiss. Or when he stepped forward to stand by Tommy.

  The buzzing grew stronger. Callie pressed her hand to her chest as the pressure became a physical ache, the realization washing over her with all the gentleness of a tidal wave.

  She loved him.

  The terrifying and wonderful and life-altering realization kept her rooted in place. Even as Colin managed to unobtrusively weave his way through the crowd of people craning to watch the small three-person bridal party make their way beneath the white awning covering the wooden platform—a last-minute addition ensuring the larger than expected crowd could see the ceremony.

  But all Callie wanted to watch was Matt, in his chain mail and leggings and boots and the sword hanging at his side. A small grin on his face as he watched Tommy take Penny’s hand and step in front of the officiant dressed as, of all things, a wizard.

  And falling for the man who lived a thousand miles away felt significantly more terrifying than failing at this publicity event.

  Jeez, what had she done?

  A hand lightly gripped her elbow, but she didn’t budge as Colin whispered in her ear.

  “We were supposed to meet twenty minutes ago,” he said.

  “I know.”

  Still, she didn’t move. No matter how many times she told her feet to start walking.

  “What’s the matter?” Colin leaned forward, his gaze landing on her face. “Good God, Callie. What’s gotten into you?”

  She stared up at Colin, her mind still stuck on her personal epiphany. And then she felt a drop of water hit her cheek. Concerned, Callie glanced up at the sky. Still no clouds. She touched her face and finally realized she was still crying.

  Despite her ridiculously romantic ideals, she’d never cried at a wedding before. Of course, realizing she’d fallen hard for the brother of the groom was a first, too.

  Concern clouded Colin’s voice. “Are you okay?”

  Callie didn’t respond, simply watched Tommy and Penny begin to repeat their vows. And the signal that the ceremony was quickly coming to a close provided the impetus to move. With one last lingering look at Matt on stage, hands clasped behind his back, eyes fixed on his little brother, Callie turned and followed Colin silently through the throng of people to a quiet spot well away from the crowd and the ceremony.

  Colin still looked at her as if she were about to go off the deep end. “Callie, are you sick?”

  “No.” She shook her head, hoping the motion would clear her spinning brain.

  No such luck.

  Colin crossed his arms, a skeptical look creeping up his face. “I know you love weddings. But this is kind of over the top, even for you.”

  She wiped her cheek again and found her cheek just as wet as before. Good grief, she felt as if she’d sprung a leak.

  “So what’s wrong?” Colin asked.

  She stared up at her ex, a million responses flitting through her brain before the only one that fit came out.

  “I love him.”

  Colin suddenly looked as though he’d prefer to be identified as the evil Zhorg and taken into custody by the crowd to be hanged by the neck until dead. And then drawn and quartered. Followed by a massive festival as the townsfolk danced while he burned, his body cremated just to be sure the deed was done.

  Her ex’s eyes shifted from Callie’s face to the focus of her gaze, the small party standing on stage, and then back to Callie again.

  Worry laced his tone. “I hope you’re talking about Matt and not Tommy.”

  Forcing back the bubble of hysterical laughter, mostly triggered by panic, Callie rolled her eyes. “Of course I’m talking about Matt.”

  “Good.” Colin winced. “Because falling for a man who just walked down the aisle probably wouldn’t end well.”

  A surge of fear hit. “Matt lives in Manford, Michigan. A thousand miles away.”

  “I’m sure y’all can work something out.”

  She wished she felt so optimistic. And why hadn’t she concerned herself with this detail before? Suddenly pulling off a fabulous event without losing her focus seemed a terribly stupid reason for avoiding a relationship with Matt. But this? Falling in love with a man who lived so far away? One who clearly felt responsible for his brother?

  She’d only just begun to realize how complicated their relationship was.

  Callie had ten years—and most of her identity—invested in Fantasy Weddings. Her business wasn’t portable. She couldn’t just pick up and start over
again. And she loved New Orleans. Her family was here. Her friends were here.

  The tension in Callie’s stomach expanded.

  “Hey.” Colin laid his hand on Callie’s shoulder. “Now’s not the time to fall apart, okay?”

  The concern in his face only highlighted how truly screwed she was. She wiped her cheeks and forced herself back to the matter at hand. “Of course not. I can handle this.” She tried for a confidence-inspiring smile, hoping it didn’t feel as weak as it felt. “Let’s go talk to the news crew and figure out the best place for the interviews.”

  Right.

  Interviews.

  Medieval wedding reception.

  Dungeons of Zhorg.

  Callie turned her back on the end of the ceremony—and the view of Matt standing on stage—and followed Colin in the direction of the news crews. Focusing on getting through the rest of the day appeared to be her only option.

  * * *

  The sun was setting as Callie forced herself to focus on the staff taking down the tents. When Matt came up beside her, she gave strict instructions to her heart to calm down. Much to her distress, her instructions went ignored when he slipped an arm around her waist.

  “You okay?” he asked.

  “Absolutely.”

  Her smile felt forced, and Callie knew Matt suspected something, but she concentrated on remaining calm so she could finish her job. During the reception, Tommy and Penny’s brief interview had come out really cute, mostly because they were both so ridiculously happy. Callie had no doubt their two minutes of fame would be well received by viewers. As the maker of the video game, Colin’s interview was less emotional. But Colin was more than just a geeky gamer. He excelled as the marketing guru, as well. His smooth, well-polished blurb mentioning Fantasy Weddings and the Dungeons of Zhorg sounded casual and didn’t come across rehearsed at all.

  “How much longer before I can get you alone again?” Matt murmured, a crooked smile on his face.