“I never meant to hurt him,” Elliot said. “I wanted to marry him. I loved him. But it was complicated.”
“I’m sure it was, and you’ll have to tell me the whole story when I get back from my honeymoon. But right now I need to finish.” Sadie took a deep breath. “After Eric moved, I helped Mom sort through some of his things. I found a pile of letters from a girl named Elliot, and I realized she had to be the girl he’d talked about. Mom told me to let it go, and I did. Until he reminded me about his girl from the past a few months ago.”
“He reminded you?”
“Right after Adam proposed. My brother was in town for graduation, and I found him tinkering with a wedding website. Your website,” Sadie said. “When I asked him about it, he made some excuse about him doing a little research about a new application that was in development. Naturally, I was suspicious. I mean, as supportive as he is, why would my brother look at a wedding website?
“After he left to take a call, I checked his browser history, and I found your website and you. A woman named Elliot.” Sadie met Elliot’s eyes. “You looked like you were the right age, and your profile said you went to UVA. I saw the quotes, some of them ones included in the letters. I realized you were the Elliot. The woman from the letters I read years ago.”
“You’re quite perceptive,” Elliot said. “Is that why you called me? To investigate the woman who’d jilted your brother?”
“Wouldn’t you?” Sadie raised an eyebrow in challenge.
“And once we met, you decided to hire me. Why? To find out what would happen when Eric and I met again?”
“No.” Sadie reached out to take Elliot’s hand. “You have to believe me when I say I never wanted to make anything awkward. To be honest, I hadn’t planned to hire you or Engagements to do the wedding. But then I met you, and I genuinely I liked you. I loved the vision you created for our day, and I realized you were the only one I wanted planning it.”
That was something at least. Despite her initial intentions, at least Sadie had liked the pitch Elliot stayed up a whole weekend to put together. What about their friendship, though? Was it real?
“I hope you can forgive me for placing you in a terribly uncomfortable situation for selfish reasons,” Sadie said. “I can’t regret it for many reasons though. It gave me the wedding of my dreams. It gave me you as a friend.” She squeezed Elliot’s hand, until the other woman looked up at her. “And it brought my brother out of his funk. I’ll admit, there was a part of me that hoped the two of you would work things out. That’s why I insisted on putting the two of you together in as many situations as I could manage. You’re a perfect match for each other.”
“You’re wrong about that.” Elliot shook her head. “I’ll admit for a moment I thought he might still care about me, but there’s no future for us.”
“I know there is,” Sadie insisted. “Call me romantic, but when a man looks at you the way my brother does . . . When he asks where you are every five minutes at rehearsal dinner . . . When he’s ready to fight anyone who may have slighted you, I think he cares.”
A grin crossed Elliot’s lips unknowingly. “He asked for me every five minutes?”
“If he wasn’t my brother, and I didn’t adore you, I would’ve smacked him. It was so annoying.”
“And who was he going to fight?”
“First, Ben Wick. Then I explained he and Heloise are together, and the two of you aren’t, and he let it go.” Sadie bit her lip to hold back her laughter. “Then I worried he might take a swing at that Will guy when he kept laughing during the rehearsal. And my brother isn’t a fighter. He’s maybe put on some muscle with his fancy trainer the past couple of years, but I’m pretty sure Ben or Will could take him.”
Elliot started to laugh, but sobered.
“You still love Eric, don’t you?” Sadie asked.
Elliot nodded.
“Tell him.”
Elliot shook her head. “I can’t.”
“Then I’ll tell him to tell you.”
“No,” Elliot pleaded. “Please don’t.”
“Why not?”
“Call me old-fashioned, but Eric and I need to figure this out on our own. You can’t force it. We don’t even know if he still wants me.”
“I say he does.”
“Whether or not he does, right now let’s get you married.” Elliot’s eyes softened. “I promise to call your brother next week and ask him to meet for coffee. If he agrees, I’ll come clean. If he refuses, we’ll let the past go.”
Though Sadie looked like she might want to argue about this some more, she must have decided today wasn’t the right time to push the issue.
“So are you mad at me for setting you up and then meddling?” she asked.
“Not at all.” Elliot pulled the bride to her feet. “You may not realize it, but you helped save my company, my family, and me. Let’s get you hitched.”
DURING THE WEDDING, Elliot took a seat on a bench just outside the tent. She needed a few minutes of quiet before everything picked up again during cocktail hour. She needed to process everything that had happened this week, but came up short.
While Marissa and her AP chased after a few guests still needing to sign waivers and Smyth finalized arrangements with the wait staff, Chase turned off his camera and set it aside. He probably figured they had enough action of her behind the scenes, and he had two other crews filming the wedding and Smyth’s activity.
“Are you okay?” he asked. She nodded. “Want to talk about it?”
Elliot glanced up at Chase and caught the concern on his face. “No, I’m fine, but thank you.”
“You were always good at compartmentalizing.”
“Maybe. Or maybe I was just good at giving the illusion I had my act together.”
He chuckled. “Whatever you call it, you’ve never been one to burden others with your troubles. You’ve been a good friend first and foremost.” Chase took the empty spot next to her. “Marissa and I, we’ll never be able to thank you enough for making this possible. This show was her dream, and you helped her make it happen.”
“You both would have found a way without me.” Elliot adjusted her necklace, making sure the pearl pendant was straight and centered. Then she picked at an invisible thread on her tailored coat jacket. “I should be thanking you.”
“For what?”
“For giving me a chance to prove myself to my family. I didn’t completely succeed, but I didn’t fail.”
“You’ll never be a failure.”
“Thanks for that, too.” She faced him, her eyes burning with unshed tears. “I’ve never thanked you for being good to me through the years. You were a friend before my mom died, and you and your family were there for me after. And you were one of the only people who didn’t treat me differently during my chubby years. Most people didn’t have a clue what to say or how to act around me. You treated me the way you always did.”
Chase put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. “What will you do next?”
“I’m not sure.”
“Marissa told me you’re on the fence about the network’s new show.”
“I am.”
“What would you do instead?”
Elliot wished she had an answer ready, but she was no closer tonight than she had been the day before or the day before. “I’ll probably take a little time to figure out who I am. Find out what I want. Discover my life’s purpose.”
“That’s pretty deep stuff.”
“Yeah. But I’m tired of scraping the surface where my own life is concerned.” She closed her eyes and breathed in the salt air. “Maybe it’s time I consider myself as thoroughly as I do table linens and centerpieces.”
IT WASN’T UNUSUAL FOR a groom to get nervous before a wedding. Having one pull her aside in a panic after the vows were said was a first. The wedding could not have gone more perfectly. From the flower girl throwing the petals to the musicians playing the processional, the ceremony went as planned.
“I need your help,” he said. “I still haven’t written my toast, and I can’t blow it. What should I do?”
Elliot liked to think she was an exceptional wedding planner. She expected something would go wrong and was always prepared like a Girl Scout. But even she did not have a ready-made solution for this. That wouldn’t stop her from helping him now.
“No problem,” she said. Her appearance of calm soothed him, and the panic left his face. “I have some extra notecards in my office. We’ll go grab them, and I’ll help you put together something wonderful.”
Adam smiled in relief. His complete trust was humbling. She’d better not let him down.
Elliot pulled Smyth aside to let him know what was happening. She asked him to distract the bride and stall the wedding party’s grand entrance to the reception if they were ready before Adam was. At her desk, Elliot fumbled for a few index cards and a pen. She glanced out the window, where the photographer continued snapping pictures of the bride and bridesmaids under Smyth’s direction. They didn’t have much time before the bride noticed her husband had disappeared.
She smiled when she caught Heloise blowing a kiss to Ben in between shots. They seemed happy together. Maybe it wouldn’t last, but for now he’d be a steadying force in her life. In return, perhaps she’d help him relax. It fit.
Adam’s nervous cough brought her back to the task at hand.
“First, we need a quote,” she said. “People love quotes, and it’s one less thing we have to come up with on our own.”
“Makes sense to me. What quote should we use?”
“You met through a Greek mixer, right?” He nodded. “We should do something from a Greek. Socrates!”
Inspired, she grabbed the quote book on top of her desk. She skimmed through it and found a few of the philosopher’s quotes on marriage. Should they go sappy, funny, or sentimental? She considered the couple and settled on a mix of funny and sentimental.
“Here’s a good quote. It’ll get some laughs to lighten the mood, but by the end, we’ll have your mom reaching for some tissues,” she said.
“Perfect.”
“We’ll open with this quote: ‘By all means marry; if you get a good wife, you’ll be happy. If you get a bad one, you’ll become a philosopher.’”
Adam laughed, but looked slightly worried. “Saying something funny won’t make Sadie mad, will it?”
“Not after we’re done,” she assured him. Reading while she wrote, Elliot continued. “You’ll follow with: Luckily for me, I have a great wife, which is good for everyone, because I don’t know much about philosophy.”
“Nice.”
Elliot grinned, but kept rolling. “Now, wait a moment for a laugh or two, and continue: I do know a thing or two about love. Since Sadie and I met while planning a Greek mixer at our college, she has taught me about it every day. We have many more years of learning in the years ahead of us. I’ll have to learn to pick up my paperwork before we go to bed. And she’ll need to learn golf is always an acceptable excuse for me to take off an afternoon of work.”
Adam laughed, which encouraged Elliot to keep going.
“After, you can go for the finale,” she said. “Say something like: But a happy marriage is one subject I won’t mind studying, because I have the best teacher and student in my wife. Join me in raising your glass to the new Mrs. Crawford.”
She finished writing with a flourish and handed the note cards to Adam. She was thankful to have a steady hand, because she wanted him to be able to read the notes when the time came. The relief and happiness on his face was worth the effort.
“How do you know so much about this?” he asked. “Do they give you books on how to prattle on about love and romance?”
They both smiled at his joke.
“There are books about writing the perfect speech, but this comes from having been in love once upon a time,” she said.
“Oh yeah?”
“Yes. I loved him completely,” she said. “What's more, he loved me, too. I still love him. But in the end, we were young and stupid. We didn’t make it last. I still think of him and miss him every day. I may never love another person the way we loved each other, and I have to live with that.”
“Doesn't that tear you apart?” Adam asked.
“Sometimes,” she admitted. “But you know what? I wouldn’t erase one moment of the time we had together if it meant I hurt less.”
“You wouldn't?”
“The pain is worth the trade-off,” she said. “Even if I never find love again, I did once. I loved and was loved, and it was beautiful. Sometimes it lasts forever. Other times it’s for a year of college. But it is never forgotten.”
Elliot blinked hard as she adjusted the flower on his lapel again. “There hasn’t been a day I haven’t wished I would have acted differently. And that’s okay. Do you know why?”
“Why?”
“Because that’s what real love is about. It’s not something you forget. It’s all-powerful and completely consuming. Does a day ever pass where you don’t think about Sadie and love her?”
“I think about her constantly,” Adam said. “I’m scared I’ll mess it up. My parents have been married twenty-five years, but hitting those milestones isn’t the norm any more. What if I blow this and disappoint everyone?”
Elliot grabbed the groom by the shoulders and gave him a light, playful shake. She stared him straight in the eyes when she spoke. “You are going to make mistakes. Everyone does. We’re human. What matters is how you deal with them.”
She saw confidence light his eyes and the fear slip away. He nodded, and placed the notecards into his coat pocket.
“Don’t worry. You might be a little scared about what the next fifty years hold, but I see how you are, together. We’ll be celebrating your golden wedding anniversary before you know it.”
“Only if you are the one planning it.”
The tension was gone. Relief flooded Elliot. Throughout the whole process, Adam was dependable and strong. It shook her when he broke under the pressure, but she understood it. Weddings had a way of bringing out everyone’s crazy side. It was better it came unleashed now—after the vows were said—than before.
“Want to put the date in writing now?” she asked. “My schedule could be pretty full by then.”
“Okay, I can do this. Thanks, Elliot.” Adam smiled and took a few deep breaths to steady his nerves more. “I’m not an expert about these things, but I’m pretty sure you’re the best in the business.”
“I try.” She smoothed down the lines in his jacket where she’d grabbed him earlier. “Are you ready to go meet your guests?”
He nodded. “Yeah. Let’s get this circus started.”
“Smyth will give you the signal when it’s time for you and the party to walk in. Remember, it’s okay to be nervous. But if you get the urge to bolt before the first dance or the cake cutting, please don’t,” she said. “You already made it to the altar. The hardest part is done.”
The groom was still laughing when she walked out of her office and into Eric’s chest. His arms instinctively reached up to steady her.
One look into his eyes had her heart tearing apart. After everything, how could she still love him so much her heart hurt? Would it ever stop? No, it wouldn’t ever, if what she’d told Adam was true. Maybe, given time, she could live with the disappointment and find another person to ease the pain. Or maybe she could find something other than romance to fill the void.
Panic struck quickly. How long had Eric been standing outside her office? Had he heard any of her pep talk?
“Elliot,” his name sounded like a song on his
lips. He dropped his hands, and shoved them in his pockets. “My sister sent me to check on the groom. She wanted to make sure he didn’t run out on her after tying the knot.”
He looked at her quizzically, and Elliot wondered again if he’d heard the conversation. It didn’t matter, she reasoned. She could’ve been talking about someone else. Or lying. Regardless, her words had been honest and she didn’t care.
“He’s on his way,” Elliot said. “He was a little nervous about his speech, but I helped him come up with something.”
Eric’s lip turned up in a half smile. She reached up to smooth his tie and adjusted his boutonniere, more to keep her hands busy than because he needed it. Keeping busy soothed her nerves.
“Good,” he said. “I guess I should get back to the wedding party.”
“Yes. You should.”
He didn’t make any motion to go. “I’ll see you there.”
“Sure.”
Eric turned and walked away, probably back to the tent where the guests were waiting. When he was out of sight, she let out a gasp. She needed a moment for herself. She collapsed in the chair behind her desk. There was still fifteen minutes until the reception officially began. It was plenty of time for her to relax.
It had been quite a summer.
In a few months, she’d helped save her family’s fledgling business. She’d saved her family’s home, even though she wouldn’t be living there much longer. She’d become a future reality TV star—or at least someone who was in a soon-to-be-released show.
She’d done her best to save Engagements. She’d opened up her heart to the possibility of a future with Eric. Both ventures ultimately failed, but at least she’d tried. Now she had to say good-bye with the grace she’d learned from her mother.
A tear threatened to fall down her cheek, but she wiped it away. She would be okay. She said good-bye to Eric once before and survived. She would manage again. Taking a shallow breath, Elliot blotted the tear with a tissue and checked her makeup in the mirror. Not bad. She stood up as Eric walked back into the room.
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