18. Acock #2
“ Anyway ,” Holt continues, ignoring the kissing couple, “I’ve already set aside funds for this.”
Flynn pulls back from a pink-faced Jackie, blinking. “I’m sorry, what?”
That has me snorting. “You have an actual wedding fund.” Holt nods. “For Flynn ?”
“Yes. As I do for Rose,” Holt states, like it’s a common thing for bachelor men to create wedding funds for their orphaned siblings. “After Mom and Dad died, it seemed like a good idea to ensure everything was planned for and taken care of.”
Flynn, Jackie and I look at each other in a moment of reflective silence.
Then we laugh.
“You were eighteen, Holt!” Flynn finally says, his flabbergasted tone mirroring my own amused shock. “You’re telling me you thought of creating wedding funds when you were eighteen ?”
Holt shrugs, looking mildly uncomfortable now that he realizes his financial planning might not have been all that normal.
Hands on my hips, I examine the man I rode just a few hours earlier, a huge grin on my face. “Are you a boy scout and a cowboy?”
He flushes, running a hand through his hair. When he lowers it, it drops back behind me, resting across my lower back.
Tingles shoot to my hoo-ha.
“Rose has a wedding fund too?” Flynn asks, grinning. And oblivious to Holt’s maneuver.
Jackie’s eyes are fixed on my stomach like her glasses give her x-ray vision.
Holt nods, his fingers brushing lower to the top of my ass. “Though it’s double yours.” He winks.
Everyone laughs again, the moment easing the ache in my chest. It occurs to me that it hasn’t hurt all day until Holt hesitated on touching me. Weird.
“Hey, I’m not that high maintenance!”
Four of us turn to see Rose strutting over in her fringed cowboy boots.
“Rose!” Flynn pulls in his sister for a hug. “What are you doing here?”
She thumbs behind her. “I’m here with Trish.”
We all look over Rose’s shoulder to see Trish pacing the drive next to Rose’s sports car. Her face is thunderous, and I wonder who made the sweet Southern lady so mad.
Rose eyes Flynn and Jackie before resting her hands on her hips. “You think I’d let you guys start planning a wedding without me?”
Holt mimics her stance, drawing her attention. “Um, I believe that’s exactly what you told me to do the last time I saw you.”
“I had reasons.” She shrugs and looks between Holt and me, particularly where Holt’s hand is. “And those reasons paid off, I see.”
Holt blushes and steps back, the sudden coldness on my lower back making me rub the spot on my chest.
“Excuse me, may I say something?” The stupid wedding planner, who I’d completely forgotten about until now, peeks her head out of the barn door.
“So sorry, Ms. Waguespack.” Jackie jogs over to the woman. “I didn’t mean to leave you for so long. Jules and I were just… ah…”
“That’s okay.” The woman pats her hand motherly-like, though she can’t be more than a few years older than Jackie. “I know weddings can be stressful. Even for friends.”
“ Best friends.” I narrow my eyes at the woman, ignoring Rose’s chuckle and Jackie’s sigh.
The woman just smiles. “Yes, even best friends.”
Rose steps in beside me and elbows my ribs. “I’m not sure what I’m walking in on, but why don’t we listen to what the professional has to say before you kill her with your death glare?”
I aim said glare at the perky, blond traitor. Rose just flutters her lashes.
I don’t know why I’m so set against a wedding planner.
Honestly, it’s the answer to a lot of my problems. As Jackie said, I am busy with delegating training to new astronauts, reviewing plans for future experiments aboard the ISS, public relations work, flight scheduling… and you know, dodging a stalker.
I wonder if Cookie would like to eat some forget-me-nots? Cows eat flowers, right?
Rose nudges me with her elbow.
Glancing around, it seems everyone’s waiting for my answer.
I should say okay. I should give in. But what if this Waguespack woman doesn’t get Jackie?
What if she tries to talk her into a church wedding and not a barn wedding?
What if she doesn’t know the difference between tulle and chiffon? That’s important shit, damn it.
“Ow.” I lift my hand away from my sternum.
“You okay?” Jackie asks me, glancing down at where I’d been rubbing my skin raw.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” I force my hand to my side and look the wedding planner over once more. “You sure about this?”
“Aren’t leaders supposed to know how to delegate?” Rose asks me, her lashes fluttering. It’s like she’s trying to make her eyeballs take flight.
Jackie bites her lip and nods, Flynn and Holt look everywhere but at me, though I can tell Flynn’s fighting a smile. Waguespack makes eye contact with me. That takes guts.
Sigh. “Fine.”
Everyone lets out a collective breath, even Jackie, making me feel somewhat childish.
Whatever.
“First, please call me Samantha.” The wedding planner sticks out her hand in my direction. I take it, giving her a firm shake. She doesn’t flinch or go limp noodle on me, but firmly shakes back.
Another point for her.
“And second, I couldn’t help but overhear that you’ve done some great groundwork on getting the wedding started.”
I manage a grunt.
Samantha’s lips twitch. “Why don’t we look over what you’ve done and we can see how I can help?”
Looking at Jackie’s hopeful face, I relent. “Fine. I’ll grab my laptop and my idea boards.”
“You have idea boards?” Jackie looks like an owl again. Rose doesn’t look much different.
“My dear,” the wedding planner says with all seriousness, “any self-respecting wedding planner has idea boards.”
I know I’m being played, but I don’t care. My chest puffs out all the same. “That’s right.”
Rose rolls her eyes.
I gather the small woman to my side. “Come on, Sam. Let’s go look at my boards.”
We both ignore the group laughing behind us.