“‘According to a source, Luke Baxter is no longer employed at a Manhattan law firm but has been transferred to Indianapolis, closer to his family. A clerk at the firm in Indianapolis, a member of the Meritas network, said that Baxter will be working exclusively on Dayne Matthews’ legal affairs when he starts his new position in December.’”
“Nice. We’ve got a leak, and Luke hasn’t even had his first day.” Dayne chuckled. “There’s no getting around them.”
The story explained that Dayne had wrapped up his romance movie with Randi Wells and that the film was expected in theaters in early spring. “‘Dayne’s next movie doesn’t start shooting until May or later. Sources say the director for But Then Again No hasn’t cast the female lead opposite Dayne as of yet. Some sources say he will marry former mystery woman Katy Hart before filming begins.’”
“There it is.” He tightened his hold on the steering wheel.
Katy gave him a blank look. She let the magazine fall to her lap. “I’m not surprised really.”
Dayne sighed. He needed to let go of his anger, of the tensions the tabloids had caused him since his accident. He’d taken them in stride before. He reached out and took Katy’s hand. “You’re right. The surprising thing is that we’re not on the cover.”
“At least not this week.” She smiled at him, and her eyes were full of understanding.
He sighed, and the sound filled the car with tension.
“Hey . . . we’ll get through this.”
“I know. Bob gave me some verses about forgiveness.” He felt himself relax. “I looked at a few of them this morning.”
“And . . .”
“I can’t stay angry. I know that.” Dayne took off the baseball cap and tossed it on the console between them. “But I can feel the pain in my leg with every step, Katy.” He kept his tone in check. “I don’t want photographers chasing us the rest of our lives.” He felt weary. “I’m not sure what to do.”
Katy was quiet for a few minutes. Then she took a long breath. “I think I might have an idea.”
“About the press?” Dayne was surprised. Katy was especially hesitant around the cameras. Whatever plan she had was probably not one they could actually pull off. Not as long as he was making movies.
Katy turned in the seat so she was facing him. “What if we take an entirely different approach?”
“You mean like every time we see a photographer, we stop and smile for him?” Dayne laughed. The idea was certainly not what Katy had in mind.
“Actually, yes. That’s just what I mean.” She didn’t wait for him to object. “Like I said, I’m more afraid of running.”
He had to clench his teeth to keep from interrupting her.
“Say we tell them what they want to know. We schedule an interview with one of the more reputable magazines. Celebrity Life maybe. We can announce our engagement, and you can explain that you’re moving to Bloomington to live a more private life.” She seemed to be holding her breath, as if she’d been considering this possibility for some time. “If they don’t have to guess about us, maybe it’ll take away some of the thrill. The love of the chase.”
Dayne wanted to blurt out that he could do nothing of the sort. He could never intentionally give the press details about his life. But even as he was about to say so, Katy’s idea gradually began to make sense. Even just a little. If the press wanted to know about their lives, they would hunt them down until they had the information. Accurate or not. But if they scheduled an interview and photos with one magazine, the others would find a few stock photos of the two of them and reword and run the same story.
Yes, they’d still want new photos, but so what? It was possible Katy was right. By making the information public, they would do away with the throngs of photographers chasing them through the streets of Malibu and Hollywood. He gave a slow nod. “Interesting.”
“Thank you.” Katy sounded like she was proud of herself. “I’m right there with you. I don’t want to be chased forever. So if we give them what they want . . .”
“And if I tell them I’m moving to Bloomington for privacy . . .”
“I mean, they aren’t going to send a photographer to Bloomington more than a few times a year. And when they do, we can stop and smile for the cameras.” Katy ran her thumb along the side of his finger. “That’s a small price to pay for sharing my life with you.”
Hope filled Dayne’s heart, and a love that knew no bounds filled him to the core. “How can I be marrying you, Katy Lynn Hart?”
She grinned. “I love when you use my whole name.”
“I’m practicing for the altar.” He felt the burdens from earlier lift. “All morning I’ve worried about the press. If they’re speculating about a wedding, then keeping it secret will be harder than we thought.”
“But if we give an interview announcing our engagement, and if we throw them off by telling them the wrong month . . .”
“It could work.” They were at the exit for downtown Indianapolis. Dayne eased Katy’s car off the freeway. He made a few turns until they were in the Hyatt parking lot. “I can’t believe you love me.”
Katy closed her eyes and kissed him. “I love you, Dayne.”
“I’m the luckiest guy in the world.” He returned her kiss. “We better go. Wilma’s waiting for us.”
She handed him the baseball cap. “Keep your head low.”
“Thanks.”
He put the cap on. They climbed out and held hands as they made their way quickly to the back door of the Hyatt. Wilma had arranged to meet them there, and as they walked, Dayne flipped open his cell phone and called her. “We’re heading in.”
“Okay. I’ll be just inside.”
Dayne closed his phone and dropped it back into his pocket. He looked around the parking lot, but he didn’t see anyone looking for him, no paparazzi lurking anywhere. He put his arm around Katy. “No press; it’s a good sign.”
“Everything’s going to be fine.” Katy smiled up at him.
He wanted to shout that yes, it was. The wedding they were about to plan and the future they would build together were going to be better than any movie script. Because of Katy, he’d found new life with God and with his birth family. And one day after they got married, they would find another kind of new life.
The family he would share with his forever love, Katy Lynn Hart.
His Katy.
It was anything but normal to meet with a Hollywood wedding coordinator to talk about planning a secret wedding that might possibly include boarding the guests onto a private jet and whisking them off to a place like the Bahamas. But for Dayne, Katy tried to act nonchalant.
He had been struggling with his feelings about the paparazzi since the accident, but over Thanksgiving he found a new sense of peace. The break was just what they’d both needed. Now, though, it was time to face the future, which meant finding a way to deal with the press, both in person and in attitude.
Katy held tight to Dayne’s hand as they headed through the back door of the Hyatt. A wiry woman met them. Katy knew from Dayne that Wilma Waters was in her midfifties, but she didn’t look a day over forty. She wore tight black pants, black stiletto heels, and a black button-down cotton shirt, which was untucked. Her short hair was blonde, and she had red manicured fingernails. Wilma’s eyes were clear, blue, and kind. She was the picture of artistic professionalism. Katy liked her immediately.
“Dayne, you look marvelous.” Wilma took Dayne’s hands and kissed first one cheek, then the other. She turned to Katy. “And you must be the mystery woman the tabs are in love with!”
“This is Katy Hart.” Dayne smiled, and pride shone in his eyes. “Katy, this is Wilma Waters.”
Katy shook the woman’s hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“The photographs don’t do you justice.” Wilma stepped back and surveyed Katy. “There isn’t a wedding dress I can think of that wouldn’t look stunning on you.” She motioned for them to follow, and the only thing faster than her
pace was her constant stream of conversation. “I’ve booked resorts in three beach communities without giving any names, including mine, because at this point my name is synonymous with the weddings of top celebrities and . . .”
By the time they took their seats at a round table in a small meeting room, Katy was dizzy trying to keep up.
Wilma stopped suddenly and looked at her and then at Dayne. “I’m going too fast again, aren’t I?” She winced, and a nervous laugh slipped from her throat. “Sorry. I get so excited about weddings.”
Beneath the table, Dayne took Katy’s hand. “Let’s start at the beginning.” He leaned back in his seat. He looked more relaxed than he had earlier in the car. “Neither of us has done this before.”
Katy felt a chill run down her arms. It was really happening. They were here because she and Dayne were going to be married. So many times life had taken them on a crazy ride to where Katy had often doubted that they would ever see this day. But here they were. She focused on the energetic woman across from them.
“. . . and not much parking, which wouldn’t be an issue if we flew in the guests, but even so we need three locations, three options. A place that will help make this the wedding you both want.” Wilma grabbed a breath. “Have you decided on that much?”
Katy felt a sense of peace warm her heart. With Wilma’s reputation and her mandate from Dayne to keep the wedding a secret, Katy figured they might have little to say about where the wedding would be held. But clearly Wilma wanted this to be their celebration. Katy gave the coordinator a tentative smile. “I’m not sure we’ve got three places in mind.” She turned to Dayne. “Do we?”
“We wanted to think through some of this with you—” Dayne sat a little straighter—“since you know what places make a secret wedding possible.”
“True.” Wilma nodded, her expression thoughtful. “Well, I can tell you right now we can’t do a church wedding.” She made an apologetic face. “Sorry.”
“That’s okay.” Under the table Dayne squeezed Katy’s hand. “God will be with us wherever we get married.”
“And we sort of wanted something outdoors, anyway.” Katy shared a look with Dayne.
“Outdoors and secluded.” Dayne’s expression showed the anxiety from earlier today. “If that’s possible.”
“Very possible.” Wilma made some notes on a pad of paper in front of her. “So let’s start with Bloomington. That’s where you live, right, Katy?”
“Yes.”
“Actually,” Dayne cut in, “it’s where I live too. The media doesn’t know yet, but I’m staying with family, and before Christmas I’ll move into the lake house I’ll share with Katy.”
Wilma looked up from her pad of paper. “So what are the possibilities in Bloomington?”
Katy took the lead. “There’s the lake house. It’s newly renovated, and the yard is big enough for a large wedding.”
“Good.” Wilma made a few more notes.
“And there’re the people I live with. They have seven acres, and we could easily hold an outdoor wedding there.” Those were the two options she and Dayne had discussed. “Beyond that, the city has the lake and a few parks. Nothing very secluded.”
“All right, I’d like to make a suggestion.” Wilma folded one hand over the other. “You want around a hundred and fifty people. Is that right?”
“Yes.” Dayne cleared his throat. “Katy’s family and friends in Bloomington, several of the theater families she works with, and everyone in my birth family.” He hesitated. “And my manager and agent and my close friends from Hollywood.”
Wilma shook her head the way Katy had seen Jenny shake hers when one of the kids had an outlandish request, like whether a snake could be brought into the house. “If you want that many guests, Bloomington’s out of the question. The press will know about the lake house in a matter of weeks.”
Katy bit her lip and tried to hide her disappointment. The lake house would’ve been a beautiful place for the wedding. But Wilma was right. It would take just one photographer following either of them back to the house, and the news would be on the front page of the tabloids: “Dayne Matthews Buys House in Bloomington.”She stifled a sigh.
Wilma looked at her. “As for your friends’ house, that’s an option. But I’d say it’s an option we use as a decoy.”
Dayne blinked. “Decoy?”
“Yes.” Wilma tucked a strand of her golden hair behind her ear. “I said earlier that we need three options. Here’s why.” She explained that they would have a first option—one that they would make a heartless attempt to cover up. A second option would feel secretive and seem secretive, one that even the guests would fall for. And then a third option. She smiled. “The place where the actual wedding will be held.”
Three plans for three places? All the while certain that only one would actually pan out? Katy wasn’t sure she could keep it all straight. “Who do we tell about the third one?”
“No one.” Wilma held up one finger. She looked at Katy and Dayne, and her eyes made it clear that she was serious. “Absolutely no one. Not your close friends, not your family. No one at all.”
“Isn’t that kind of . . . awkward?” Dayne made a face. “I mean, we trust our families.”
Wilma sat back and tossed her hands. “You want a secret wedding or not?” It was the first time she’d shown any edginess. But it was a confident edginess that told them she could give them what they wanted if they cooperated. “Tell your families you want to surprise them. It’ll be an adventure for everyone.”
It took a few seconds, but Katy could feel herself warming to the idea. “What about the dates?”
“Yes.” Wilma flipped her book to a calendar section. “Let’s take care of that right now.”
The three of them talked for fifteen minutes about Dayne’s filming schedule and the need for three dates to match the three locations. Delays had changed the start date on Dayne’s next film to mid-May.
“When do you want to get married?” Wilma had her pen poised over the calendar.
Dayne looked at Katy and silently asked her to object if she’d changed her mind. “We’d been thinking April or May. But now we’re leaning toward March sometime. We want time in Bloomington before I shoot my next film.”
“Perfect.”
A few more minutes of conversation and Katy and Dayne agreed that March 18 would be the best time for the actual wedding, the one no one would know about.
Wilma circled the date. “Dayne, we need to talk about the press.” Her tone filled with sympathy. “I haven’t seen you since your accident, so before we go much further, I’m sorry. The paparazzi caused the wreck, and you were caught in the middle. I don’t blame you for wanting a private wedding.” She clenched her jaw and made a subtle shake of her head. “I want this celebration kept from the press as badly as you do.”
“Thanks.” Dayne tensed up, probably because of the mention of the accident. “We appreciate everything you’re doing.”
“That said—” Wilma tapped her pen on her notebook—“we need an interview with the press or they’ll be rabid trying to find out information.”
“Exactly what we talked about on the way here.” Katy slid her chair a little closer to Dayne’s. As she did, she felt his body relax again. “Celebrity Life magazine, maybe.”
“Good.” Wilma jotted something down. “I’ll call the editor tomorrow morning. You’ll need to fly into LA sometime in the next few weeks and use the interview to announce your engagement. Explain that you’re considering a wedding in late April, before the start of your next film.”
Dayne chuckled. “So basically lie?”
“Yes.” Wilma made no apologies. “These people will eat you alive, Dayne.” She turned to Katy. “The two of you should know that more than anyone. If you want a private wedding—and you’re entitled to that much—then you’ll need to tell them things that simply aren’t true. Later on it’ll only look like you changed your mind.” She shrugged. “Besi
des, you are considering a wedding in late April. That’s what we’re doing right here.”
It didn’t matter how Wilma spun the plan; Dayne had called it. Wilma wanted them to lie. Katy felt a knot forming in her stomach. Lying went against her nature. Honesty was the cornerstone of everything she believed in, everything she tried to teach her young acting students. The best actor was the one who was the most honest with the character. But in this situation, they had no choice. Wilma was right. The press would be relentless until they thought they knew when and where Katy and Dayne would get married. They couldn’t have a private wedding without saying something to throw the tabloids off the track.
“But we tell our guests the real date . . . right?” Dayne sounded resigned about the lying. He had probably processed the idea and come to the same conclusion: there was no way around it.
“Good question.” Wilma took a deep breath. “Here’s what we do. . . .”
The plan was fascinating, a coordinating of dates and events that would require hours of work on the part of Wilma and her two trusted staff members—her husband and her daughter. Katy tried her best to follow along. Four weeks before the actual wedding, Katy and Dayne would alert their guests to keep a certain date or dates open for a prewedding party. Then, forty-eight hours before the wedding, invitations would be hand delivered by Wilma or one of her staff to each guest.
“The invitation will tell them when and where to meet.” Wilma smiled, confident. “That way there isn’t time for the press to figure out what’s going on.”
“They’ll think it’s for a prewedding party?” Katy couldn’t imagine how elaborate the plans needed to be.
“Most of them will have an idea that it’s something more. But we’ll never come out and say so.” Wilma flipped a page in her book.
At the same time, there was a knock at the door.
Wilma cast them a knowing look. “Come in.”
“Hello.” A woman stepped into the room. Her dark hair was pulled back tightly into a bun, and she wore a skirt and a suit jacket. Her name tag declared her the banquet manager. “Your salads are ready, Ms. Waters.” As she shot a few furtive glances toward Dayne, her cheeks turned a deep red. “Should I have them brought in?”
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