by Amanda Tru
London couldn’t look away, no matter how much she wanted to. As she watched, he came slowly closer until she could feel his breath tickling the hair against her ear. “Just be aware, my beautiful London. I have every intention of making you fall completely and irreversibly head-over-heels in love with me.”
The music started, signaling the start of the wedding, and London felt someone slide into the seat beside her. She glanced over, expecting to see her sister. Instead, she found Mason.
What is he doing here? Doesn’t he have a movie to star in or something?
Frantically, she looked from Mason at her left to Adam seated in the chair at her right. Adam, not missing Mason’s entrance, immediately glared daggers his direction.
Please don’t make a scene, she silently begged Adam.
This was Dallas and Kate’s wedding, and she’d be mortified if either one of these men did something to distract at all from their day.
This wasn’t supposed to happen. She’d hoped Mason had simply left last night. Maybe it was a ridiculous hope, especially after he’d admitted how he felt, but she certainly didn’t expected him to show up here at her brother’s wedding!
After all, following his declaration of intentions last night, London had promptly turned on her heel and left him standing in the brush. She didn’t speak another word to him the entire rest of the evening, choosing instead to childishly ignore him.
Though she felt guilty about it, she didn’t know how to react. Everything about Mason scared her, not because of him, but because of her. Despite how she felt, she knew in her head that she didn’t want the kind of life Mason represented anymore, and she didn’t know how to convey that to him, especially when she knew for certain he wouldn’t listen anyway. So, ignoring him seemed a very viable solution to her turmoil of the moment.
“Sydney is supposed to sit here,” she hissed at her unwelcome chair neighbor.
“But Sydney told me I could sit here,” Mason smiled innocently and gestured to the seat next to him.
Sydney ducked her head forward and waved at London, the lights in her eyes dancing mischievously and thoroughly confirming that she did, in fact, make the seating arrangements.
The music changed, signaling the wedding attendants to come down the aisle and dooming London to stay sandwiched between Adam and Mason for the duration of the ceremony.
With great determination, she pushed aside the tension and focused on the picture of the bridesmaids and groomsmen taking their places at the front. No matter how uncomfortable these two men made her, she wasn’t willing to miss a single detail of Dallas and Kate’s wedding.
Looking back up the aisle, London’s heart melted at the sight of Kate’s little brother dressed in an adorable suit with a pillow balanced on his little hand. With great determination on his face, the little ring bearer made it up the aisle. As if reaching the finish line in a race, the little boy turned back around at the front, and his concentration immediately melted into a proud grin that stretched almost wider than his cheeks would allow.
Following the ring bearer came London’s niece, Chloe. London had designed the dress to be similar to bridesmaids’ dresses, but a little different as well. They were all done in a soft, sage green color that looked more elegant than a traditional pastel and suited the vintage style of the dresses. Kate’s tastes had been a lot of fun to work with. Kate dealt with antiques as a profession, and she’d adopted some of that same style as her own. Each bridesmaid dress was a slightly different design, yet they all looked like they belonged together on an elegant fashion plate from long ago.
The flowers Brooke arranged for the setting were unlike anything London had seen before, and yet they were perfect. Antique white roses mixed with a wine-colored burgundy in an elegance that fit well with the dresses. Unexpectedly interspersed among the roses were blue forget-me-not type flowers, creating the look of wildflowers mixed with elegance. From what London had seen, the flowers, dresses, and the entire scene fit Kate’s personality perfectly.
The audience stood, holding its breath in anticipation of the centerpiece of the tableau arriving to take her place. The music swelled.
And Kate appeared.
Tears immediately welled in London’s eyes. Weddings were her profession, and she should be immune to wedding tears by now. She couldn’t recall ever actually crying at a wedding, but in this case, the bride was marrying her brother. More than that, she was wearing a dress London had created. More than that, London knew the story behind the dress.
Kate was a woman of definite opinions, and she knew exactly what she wanted in a wedding dress. With complete trust in London’s abilities, she had shown up with an old dress that her great-grandmother had worn on her wedding day. Kate had explained that her father had been murdered before she was born and that his family didn’t even know of Kate’s existence until recently. Kate had never met her great-grandmother before, but she bore her name in her own—Kate Michal. She’d shown London a picture of her great-grandparents and described how she’d found the dress in an old trunk. Kate wanted London to redesign the dress as a tribute to her father, his family, and the great-grandmother to whom she bore an uncanny resemblance.
With the pressure of years and a beautiful story, London had restored the dress, keeping the vintage look while redesigning it in a way that enhanced the simple, old-fashioned elegance. London’s gaze traced over every detail of the gown, making sure everything was in perfect position. The deep v neckline suited Kate as did the simplicity of the style. The bodice was covered in a delicate lace that extended down into sleeves that ended just past her elbows. Whereas some of the lace of today seemed overdone, this was light and almost fragile. The lace ended at the waist where the skirt flared out to where it met the bottom of Kate’s ankle. Inlaid in the frothy skirt were several lines of the same delicate lace from the bodice.
The dress did not have a train, and London didn’t feel right about extensively changing the style in order to add one. Kate really didn’t care either way, but in a stroke of genius, London created a long, lacy veil that closely resembled the dress. Now the veil floated behind the dress like a frothy cloud, extending into a train of translucent lace. The effect was stunning.
As Kate passed on the arm of both her stepfather and her grandfather, London’s gaze caught on that of an elderly man on the other side of the aisle. Paul Kendall stood at attention watching his great-granddaughter come down the aisle in the same gown he watched his own bride in over seventy years before. A sob caught in London’s throat. At the look on the old man’s face, London knew she’d succeeded.
The adoring look on Dallas’s face when his bride took her place only confirmed her success. After Kate’s step-father and grandfather officially gave her away, the teary-eyed audience sat. London sniffled, struggling to stem her own tears. A tissue suddenly appeared in front of her, and with a smile, she gratefully accepted it from Adam’s outstretched hand.
London watched Kate and Dallas pledge their love for one another, and she felt a strange combination of satisfaction and longing. She felt satisfied because Dallas had found his forever love. While Dallas was a horrible tease, there wasn’t a better man in the world. By the way his bride looked at him, London knew Kate recognized the wonderful man she was marrying.
Yet London couldn’t help but feel a longing for that forever kind of love in her own life. She wanted a man to look at her in the same way Dallas looked at Kate. She wanted someone to both challenge and care for her in the same way she’d witnessed the bride and groom interact with each other. London was mature enough to know that marriage wasn’t all fairytale, but she also knew that, no matter what life brought them, Dallas and Kate would make it together because they loved the Lord and loved each other.
Lord, give me what they have, she prayed silently, feeling silly even as she did. God probably had much better things to do than listen to her lonely heart!
The minister pronounced them husband and wife, and Dallas immediately
dipped Kate back in a spectacular kiss to the sound of hoots, hollers, and applause.
The new Mr. and Mrs. Dallas Hutchins made their grand exit back down the aisle, followed by the bridal party. As she passed, Brooke, following in her role as Kate’s bridesmaid, looked pointedly at Adam and Mason before raising an eyebrow London’s direction.
London stifled a groan, not sure how she could make it through the reception with a man at each elbow. She certainly didn’t crave that kind of attention. In fact, she avoided it.
Eventually, the rows of guests dispersed to the reception area, and London followed. Though she didn’t say a single word, sure enough, both men remained her bookends. Sadly, she still couldn’t decide whether her particular story was a comedy or a tragedy, but at that moment, it felt like both.
Completely ignoring her attendants, she found a spot on the edge of the reception area and waited for the crowd to clear before she greeted the bride and groom. Thankfully, Mason had finally fallen off her trail.
“Let me get you something to drink,” Adam said, leaving her to head to the beverage table before the line got too long.
He soon reappeared holding two glasses of punch. He extended one of them to London, and she hesitated, not wanting to appear rude.
“Here you go, London,” Mason’s voice said from, once again, at her elbow.
Startled, London accepted the bottle of water, simply grateful to have something to wet her thirst.
“London doesn’t drink a lot of punch,” Mason explained, piercing Adam with a victorious gaze. “Her all-time favorite beverage is water.”
Adam’s glare made words unnecessary.
Seeing the two men face off like two tomcats, London rolled her eyes and flopped down in the nearest chair. “I’m not doing this, guys, especially not at Dallas’s wedding. I’ll stay here, and you two can go find yourselves a different lady to entertain you for the rest of the day. In fact, I have two nominations for you. My sisters are right over there, and both are highly available. Geneva is in the purple dress. She’s a doctor and a lot more fun than me anyway. Sydney is in the blue dress and looks exactly like me. She’s an upgraded version of me, so you won’t even miss me at all!”
“I thought we were attending the wedding together,” Adam said, his tone miffed. “I didn’t know he was invited.”
London was so done. She didn’t really care about hurting Adam’s feelings, she just wanted both of them to leave her alone. “I’m sorry you got that impression, Adam. I don’t recall ever insinuating this was to be a date. I didn’t know Mason planned to be here either. I certainly didn’t invite him, but at the moment, I really want nothing to do with either one of you!”
“Your mom invited me,” Mason said, not seeming to feel awkward at all.
“Of course she did!” London grumbled. “Did it take a few more chocolates to secure that invitation?”
Mason’s easy smile stayed in place, and Adam looked like he was sucking on sour candy. When neither one of them moved to leave her alone, London hopped up and took off, flinging over her shoulder, “Go bother Geneva and Sydney. I hope you’ll be very happy together. I’m off duty.”
With a bright smile, London greeted Dallas and Kate, giving both a warm hug. Then she proceeded to make the rounds of family and friends, inserting herself in any group or conversation available and completely ignoring her would-be dates. Careful to never appear available or at loose ends, she passed the reception without another incident. The food was delicious, the cake tasted divine, and London thoroughly enjoyed herself.
Only when the dancing started did she slow down enough to feel a moment’s trepidation. She caught sight of Adam making his way across the yard, and she quickly made a beeline to her brother, Israel. She got through the traditional dances, switching between her family members as partners. She even snagged a dance with Brooke’s fiancé and Kate’s great-grandfather. Unfortunately, the dancing whittled down to slower dances with couples, and London knew she needed to make her escape.
Seeking to be helpful, she made the rounds of the tables, cleaning things off. Then she took the guest book and basket of cards into the house for safekeeping. Returning outside, she gathered the gifts in a large stack and began carrying them into the house as well.
Unfortunately, when she arrived at the door, she realized she’d overloaded herself. Trying to balance the tower of packages in one of her arms, she reached out with her other hand for the doorknob. Images of dropping the load and sending gifts toppling to the ground danced through her mind.
Suddenly, her tower lightened considerably.
“I’ll help you with those,” a deep voice said.
“Thanks,” London said with relief, not even caring that Mason was the one who’d come to her rescue.
Mason followed her inside and deposited the gifts with the others. London didn’t say a word but headed back outside to finish the job. Another two trips with Mason’s assistance saw all of the gifts safely inside. London would make sure that Dallas and Kate got the cards before they left on their European honeymoon, but the rest of the gifts would likely stay put until they returned.
Mason tailed her back outside where London looked around for another job.
“Can I talk to you a moment?” Mason asked, his breath close to her ear.
“Didn’t you already say it all last night?” London asked irritably. “I’m surprised you’re even here.”
“No, I didn’t say it all,” he said, not seeming offended by her tone in the least. “But I am leaving and wanted to say goodbye.”
Well, now. This is a cause I can get behind!
London followed Mason to the shadows of a tree, hoping this was the last private conversation she would need to have with him.
“I have an early morning flight tomorrow. I need to get back to the movie set I’m working on.”
“I appreciate you coming so we could both get some closure,” London said sincerely, once again attempting an appropriate goodbye. “I know you’re a busy man, and I wish you the best in all your endeavors.”
In the dim light, London saw the corners of Mason’s mouth turn upward in amusement. “This is not goodbye forever, London. No need to wish me a, ‘Have a happy life. See you in heaven.’ This is just a goodbye for a few weeks until I can get some time off to come back to see you.”
“You’re coming back?” London asked, startled.
“Of course. I told you last night that I want you back, and I don’t intend to give up easily. Operation-Make-London-Fall-In-Love-With-Me is still underway, though if you have any tips on how to assist the mission efforts, I would be very appreciative.”
Frustration welled up inside her. “I told you last night, Mason, and I don’t know how to make it more clear. I am not interested in going ‘back.’ My past with you involved quite a bit of pain, and I’m not willing to revisit that, no matter how much you’ve changed.”
Mason shut his eyes briefly. “I’m sorry, London. I misspoke. I’m not interested in going back either. I want a relationship that is new and healthy and forever. And I want that with you.”
Forever? He wants forever?
This was new. A major part of the reason they’d broken up was because Mason couldn’t seem to commit to anything beyond today. He liked her, but they’d dated for a year and didn’t seem to have a plan for where they were headed. If ever she mentioned the future, he’d get mad at her. London wanted a husband and family, and Mason didn’t seem like a forever kind of guy.
“You’re just saying that,” London whispered, her lips trembling. “You’re playing a role and telling me what I want to hear.”
“No, I’m telling you what’s on my heart—what I should have told you before but was too much of an idiot to get out of my own way.”
London shook her head and took a step back. “I don’t believe you,” she whispered. “You didn’t care enough for me then, and you don’t now.”
Mason took a step toward her, his blue eyes flashing
intensely. “London, it’s been over a year since I saw you. All of those magazine covers were lies. There hasn’t been anyone else. I’ve waited, thinking that my feelings would fade eventually, and I would get over you and move on. But this isn’t infatuation. I’m madly and deeply in love with you, and no other woman will do. My problem before was not that I didn’t love you, but that I didn’t know how to love you. I’d never felt so deeply about someone, and yet I couldn’t translate those feelings into anything more than the superficial. I don’t want what we had before. I want so much more. When I say those words, what I’m really saying is that for now and always you will be the only one for me. That’s why I can’t take no for an answer. Because, to the depth of my being, I am in love with you.”
Mason reached his hand to her cheek. But his touch didn’t bring painful memories. Almost involuntarily, her eyes slid shut, and she leaned into his hand, feeling a deep longing and a small flame of something unfamiliar—hope.
Her eyes flickered open, and she felt his arms come around her, pulling her close.
“Mason, I…” she paused, so very tempted to feel the touch of his lips. “I’m kind of already seeing Adam.”
Mason blinked, ending the spell, but not releasing her. “I know,” he said simply. “But you don’t love him. At least not yet. If he’s half as determined as I am, he won’t mind a little competition. I’m planning to give him a good run for his money.”
London extracted herself from his arms. “I don’t like being the prize in a stupid contest while two grown men duke it out.”
“I don’t plan on ‘duking it out.’ I plan on focusing my efforts entirely on you. Prepare to be wooed.” He pumped his eyebrows up and down dramatically.