Chapter 2
TWO
Amelia hated being the center of attention. Behind a computer screen was where she was most comfortable, parsing thousands of lines of data into clean, beautiful conclusions. She liked numbers more than she liked people, and leading a bridal procession wasn’t something she’d do for anyone but her sister. As they approached the nave of the church, the rustle of fabric grew loud. Pews groaned as guests shifted to watch, and the weight of two hundred stares felt heavy on Amelia’s skin.
Feeling her stiffen, Leo placed his free hand on top of hers. His palm was warm, and it sent little shivers darting through her blood. Her heart thundered, and she didn’t know if it was the touch or the nerves or the anticipation of seeing her sister married. She glanced up and saw him flash a wide smile at the assembled guests. What would it be like to walk through the world with that much confidence?
Leo’s fingers curled around hers and he turned to meet her gaze. “You ready?”
She nodded and let her lips curl into a wobbly smile of her own. Leo squeezed her fingers gently and kept his hand on hers as they began to move. Then they walked down the aisle and took their places. Emory took her hands and kissed her cheek, then he shook Leo’s hand and clapped him on the back. He did the same to each of the four bridesmaids and groomsmen, his face full of quiet joy.
Amelia watched him, so she saw the moment he spotted Maggie. Emory’s face lit up in a way she’d never seen before, his blue eyes shining bright, his spine straightening. Love poured off him in waves, and Amelia knew this man was meant to be with her sister.
She followed his gaze to the end of the aisle, where Maggie held onto their father’s arm, aglow. Music swelled as Maggie made her way toward her husband-to-be, and Amelia’s emotions grew with every step her sister took.
It was impossible not to smile at the sight of her sister floating down the aisle. Her dress was an elegant trumpet shape, with lace and tiny pearls overlaying every inch. Her blond hair shone, the glossy waves held back with jeweled pins. Maggie’s lips curled into a smile that betrayed nothing but utter happiness. Her eyes were already wet with unshed tears. She was so beautiful, and she deserved every bit of joy coming her way.
But when Emory took her hands, Amelia felt a tiny, shameful twinge of jealousy. It had no venom; she definitely didn’t want Emory . But after so many years on her own—so many years telling herself she didn’t care about men or relationships—Amelia finally admitted to herself that she’d like to have a man look at her the way Emory did her sister.
The bride and groom took a step closer to the altar, and she met the green gaze of Leo St. James. He tilted his head slightly, like he could read every thought passing through her mind. His lips curled into a half-smile, and he arched a brow in question. She saw it, then, how he used his smile like a weapon. She didn’t like it aimed at her.
Amelia couldn’t help the scowl that tugged her brows. Oddly, that only made Leo’s smile widen, his eyes twinkling at her from the other side of the altar. What did a man as attractive as him have to do with her? Shouldn’t he be looking at one of the other bridesmaids? They were as glamorous and beautiful as Maggie.
Flustered, she shifted her gaze back to her sister. The ceremony began, and an hour later, after many tears and heartfelt words, her sister was a married woman.
Stirling, New Hampshire was a town of ten thousand people and almost as many wedding venues. Amelia followed the bride and groom outside the gothic church, trailed by their many wedding guests. Outside, the sun shone. Flowers were in full bloom, lining baskets and beds all along Main Street. It was a perfect Saturday in early May, with a soft, warm breeze fluttering every petal, leaf, and hem in sight.
Amelia wobbled down the church’s steps, gripping the handrail on her way down. Her emotions had run the gamut over the past few hours, and she was utterly exhausted. She made her way to the clump of bridesmaids at the bottom of the steps and leaned against the handrail. The groomsmen followed.
There were photos to take. The rest of the guests made their way to the reception venue, which was a short, five-minute walk away in a nearby hotel.
Amelia let herself be led to the side of the church, where a beautiful garden made for the perfect backdrop for photos. A stream wended through the trees at the back of the church and through the garden, burbling along, oblivious to the wedding party gathered on its banks.
“Okay, bridal party! Maid of honor and best man in the center,” the photographer called out, waving Amelia forward. “Everyone else, fan out.”
Click, click, click . Her smile held on by its fingernails until Leo, who stood beside her, let his hand brush her lower back. Then her smile collapsed completely as she glared at him.
“Say cheese, maid of honor!” The photographer looked up from his camera, then took another dozen photos with various combinations of people. This went on for an eternity.
When the groomsmen were the focus, Amelia found herself engulfed in a cloud of pale lilac and strong perfume. The other bridesmaids tittered around her while Maggie and Emory stood aside, arms around each other. At the sight of them, surrounded by blooming flowers and singing birds, their eyes only on each other, the same twinge of loneliness pierced Amelia’s heart. But now was not the time to feel sorry for herself. Banishing her dark thoughts, she turned back to the gathered bridesmaids.
“So,” Tori said to Amelia, a funny gleam in her eyes. “You’ve finally met Leo.”
“Pestilence, you mean,” Lauren cut in.
The three of them covered their mouths and sniggered.
Amelia frowned. “What are you talking about?”
“You haven’t heard?” Rinn asked. She was the shortest of the bunch, her dark hair and skin set off beautifully by the lilac dress, damn her. When Amelia shook her head, she continued, “Leo St. James has a reputation.”
“Ever since college,” Tori added.
“His nickname was Pestilence,” Lauren explained, “because he gave our entire graduating class chlamydia.”
“Slept with everyone ,” Rinn said, spreading her hands wide for emphasis. “There was one party where he slept with five women in the same night. They all got the clap.”
“Even Tori got stung,” Lauren added, eyes teasing. “Although their relationship lasted longer than most of his others.”
“Worst two weeks of my life. His skills were way overrated,” Tori grumbled, and an unpleasant sensation traveled through Amelia’s middle. It was similar to the feeling she got when she looked at Maggie and Emory’s happiness—but sharper.
“You slept with Leo?” she asked, voice low. Then she frowned. “And it was bad ?”
Laughter erupted from Rinn and Lauren. Lauren leaned in. “She’s revised her version of events. At the time, she thought he was amazing.”
“I was delusional,” Tori grumbled. “He gave me chlamydia!”
“Either him or Gerard Hill.” Rinn arched a brow and tweaked her dress to adjust the fall of the skirt. She grinned at Amelia.
“It wasn’t Gerard,” Tori hissed. “It was Leo.”
“Mm-hmm,” Lauren said.
The photographer called out, and Amelia stood beside her parents to take a photo with them and Maggie. Her head spun, eyes drifting to where Leo stood under the branches of a maple tree.
“How’s my girl?” her father asked softly, putting his arm around Amelia. “The church looked amazing.”
She tore her gaze away from the best man and smiled at her father. “Thanks, Dad.”
“Now,” he said, reaching around to put his other arm around Amelia’s mother. “We’ve talked about it, and you’re going to relax for the rest of the day.” He glanced behind his wife to smile at his eldest daughter. “Isn’t she, Maggie?”
Maggie smiled beatifically at Amelia. “I want you to have fun today. You’ve helped me so much during the planning, and you deserve to enjoy the day just as much as I do.”
“I will.”
“Good.” Maggie smiled again, then let her gaze drift to her husband. Then the photographer called out more directions, and Amelia pasted another smile on her face.
She felt Leo’s gaze, then, like her body was attuned to him. Pestilence , they called him. Did he really give his whole college chlamydia? It didn’t surprise her that he was a player. After all, he’d flirted with Amelia, of all people, within seconds of meeting her.
“Okay,” the photographer called out. “We got it! Now wifey and hubby, you’re with me. We’re going to go to the top of Stirling Hill for some shots.” He put his camera in its case and waved them forward.
Maggie squeezed Amelia in a tight hug. “See you at the reception in an hour. Let me know if you need anything.”
“Will do,” Amelia lied. She wouldn’t bother her sister while she was taking wedding photos—no way. Her father and mother led the way to the hotel, hands clasped. They’d just celebrated thirty-five years of marriage, and the way her dad looked at her mom, Amelia knew they were on track for thirty-five more.
“You can relax now,” a deep voice said beside her. “The hard part’s over.”
She glanced up at Leo. The sun warmed his complexion, casting shadows under his cheekbones and lighting up the green in his eyes. She didn’t know what to think of him, and it didn’t help that her brain seemed to malfunction anytime she looked directly at him. No wonder she hadn’t had a boyfriend in six years; even being this close to an attractive man made her body feel like it belonged to a stranger.
Tori, who was walking ahead of them, glanced over her shoulder and scowled.
“Who says I’m not relaxed?” Amelia answered Leo, lifting her chin up.
His laughter was warm and a little bit teasing, and it wrapped around her like a silk ribbon. His hand brushed her lower back as they stepped onto the sidewalk, sending a trail of fire through her veins.
This man was dangerous, with or without the risk of a sexually transmitted infection. Best to stay away from him altogether.
He didn’t seem to get the memo. He walked beside her all the way to the Stirling Hotel where the reception was held, only leaving her side when they entered the big revolving doors to join the other groomsmen across the lobby. Most guests were in the lobby bar, talking and laughing as delicate music floated through the air. Amelia had spent the morning directing workers in the lobby bar and the hotel ballroom, setting up decorations and attending to last-minute tasks while Maggie got ready to be married.
Now, her work was on full display. She took a deep breath at the sight of the easel holding a board with Maggie and Emory’s names at the mouth of the lobby bar, the entrance framed with an arch of flowers. Beyond it, she saw the small arrangements of flowers on the high-top tables, plates of appetizers being passed around by bow tie-wearing waiters, and the busy bartenders pouring drinks.
“Oh, Amelia,” her mother said, bustling up to wrap her youngest daughter in a tight hug. “It looks incredible.”
Warmth spread through Amelia’s chest, chasing away the fire Leo had laid there. “Thanks, Mom.”
“Come and have a drink. You heard Maggie and Dad; you need to relax now.”
“I will,” she promised. “I just have to check on the ballroom first.”
Her mother huffed but relented.
Amelia crossed the lobby to the reception desk and smiled at the older gentleman behind the desk. “Hi, Renny.”
The hotel manager gave her a wide smile. “Everything’s set up,” Reynold told her as he handed her the tablet she’d stashed behind the desk. “Kitchen’s on schedule, and the bar is ready, as you can see.” He gestured behind her. “It looks great, Amelia. I wonder if I could hire you full-time for wedding set-ups. We’d blow the Old Road Hotel out of the water.”
She grinned at the mention of Renny’s bitter rival in the wedding venue business. “No way,” she told him. “This was a special occasion for my sister. I’m never planning a wedding again.”
“Not even your own?” the older man smiled at her. “One of those groomsmen seems to be glancing over here pretty often.” He wiggled bushy eyebrows.
It took all of Amelia’s self-control not to glance over her shoulder. It was silly to hope that it was Leo looking over at her. Completely ridiculous. And, really, marriage? If Maggie’s friends were to be believed, two weeks was as long a relationship as Leo had ever had. It was certainly more than Amelia had managed in the past half-decade.
All this wedding planning had gone to her head.
“Yeah, yeah,” Amelia said, unlocking her tablet to pull up the master checklist she’d created months ago. “Did you get the seat covers we rushed over this morning?”
“We did. They’re all in place. I can take you to the dining room if you’d like to take a look.”
Amelia smiled at Reynold. “That would be great.”
She followed the older man across the lobby as guests laughed boisterously in the lobby bar. The sound of merriment faded as they made their way down the hallway to the main ballroom. Round tables draped with white tablecloths filled the space, with a big dance floor at the front of the room. The DJ’s table stood in the corner, and the man behind it lifted an arm to wave at Amelia.
She waved back with her free hand. He bent his head to plug another cable into a speaker, then moved to his laptop with a deep furrow between his brows.
Amelia turned to her tablet and scrolled through her checklist. The centerpieces were in place, bursting with flowers in all shades of purple. The seat covers were tied with elegant bows, the swags of fabric were draped around the walls of the room, DJ, dance floor, lights, name cards, seat map…
Good, good, good. Everything was in place.
Amelia let out a huff, her shoulders dropping. For the first time in three weeks, she felt like she could take a breath. A wide smile tugged at her lips as she met Reynold’s eyes. “It looks amazing, Renny.”
The kindly old man smoothed a hand over his thick gray hair, then did the same to his mustache. He nodded solemnly at her. “Couldn’t have done it without you,” he said as he gave her a nod. “And as soon as the cake gets here, we’ll be all set.”
Amelia froze. Blinked. Inhaled. “The…cake? What do you mean? Where’s the cake?”
Reynold frowned, his mustache quivering. “I…well… I was going to ask you the same thing.”
Her heart stopped as she scrolled down the list, reading every item twice. Her eyes were deceiving her. There was no way. After everything, after all the hours, after every painstaking detail…
Amelia had forgotten to pick up the wedding cake!