Chapter 4
ALEX
I ran a finger around the inside of my collar, trying to loosen its choke hold. It had been years since I’d worn anything but a thermal undershirt or a T-shirt this close to my skin. Char suggested I dress up a bit if I wanted to pitch to Lacey. She was the mayor now after all.
The mayor.
What the hell had been going on around here since I’d been gone?
My sister filled me in on how Lacey’s dad had to step down amid a cloud of controversy and Lacey had taken it upon herself to step up.
The gal had gumption, that was for sure.
But would she be willing to take a risk on my wild plan?
I stepped into the mayor’s office, figuring there was only one way to find out.
“Alex Sanders here to see Mayor Cherish.” I stopped in front of the receptionist’s desk.
“Take a seat, I’ll let her know you’re here.” The woman gestured toward a set of worn leather couches.
I sat down and leaned back against a cushion.
I glanced at the magazines spread out in front of me.
An issue of Texas Times stood out. I recognized the image on the cover—the Phillips House.
As I scanned the article, it gave me some hope.
Seemed Char’s version of events was right on the button.
Lacey had rebranded the entire town to become a mecca for high-profile brides.
The demands the oil baron had for his daughter’s wedding ought to fit right in.
Before I had a chance to finish the article, Lacey appeared in the doorway to her office.
“Alex?”
I stood, holding on to the magazine. If she showed any resistance to my idea, I might need it to remind her how big a risk she’d taken before.
“Mayor Cherish, it’s nice to meet you.”
“Don’t you dare pretend you don’t remember me.” She brushed my hand away and gave me a hug. “You used to TP my house when we were younger.”
I returned the embrace as I let out a laugh. “I wasn’t sure you’d remember.”
“Remember?” She pulled back and met my gaze. “I ought to have my husband take you into custody. I think there are still some pieces of toilet paper stuck in the branches of the old pecan tree my dad’s got out front.”
For half a heartbeat I didn’t know if she was kidding. But then she shot me a dazzling smile and stepped aside. “It’s good to see you again.”
I let out a breath. Wouldn’t do me any good to get arrested for pranks I pulled over a decade ago before I had a chance to make my pitch. “I hear congratulations are in order. You and Bodie got married last year?”
“That’s right. Come on in.”
I stepped past her and entered the mayor’s office. Pictures of bridal bouquets, decorations, and wedding dresses covered the walls. I’d expected some sense of grandeur. Instead, I walked into wedding central.
“Sorry, I’m kind of in the middle of a big project. Grab a chair. Tell me, what brought you in today? My assistant said you were pretty cryptic on the phone and wouldn’t tell her exactly what this visit is about.”
I took a seat and set the magazine down on the desk in front of me. If I’d been unsure of Lacey’s commitment to positioning Ido as the wedding capital of Texas, my worries were dashed by the sheer quantity of wedding pictures she’d posted on the walls.
“I have a proposition for you, Mayor Cherish.”
She plopped down into the chair behind the desk. “Oh, call me Lacey. And fill me in. What do you have going on?”
I cleared my throat, wishing I’d opted for a damn T-shirt and not this noose Char had knotted around my neck. “I’m looking for a place to hold a wedding.”
Her eyes widened. “You’re getting married?”
I couldn’t help but laugh. Tying the knot was the farthest thing from my mind. “No. But I’ve been put in touch with a man whose daughter is. They’re looking for a place to hold her wedding and have a few particular requests.”
Lacey squinted as she leaned back in her chair. “So you’re a wedding planner now?”
“Not exactly.” I swallowed, forcing the lump in my throat past the tight collar.
“I’m not sure I understand what you need.”
I leaned forward, putting my palms on the desk. “I’ve been working at a research station in Antarctica studying penguins for the past several months.”
“Penguins?” Lacey crossed her arms over her chest, and a deep furrow bisected her forehead. “What’s this got to do with weddings?”
“I spoke with an attorney last week who wants to hire me. He needs someone to care for some penguins that need to be rehomed while the aquarium renovates their habitat.” I was royally botching this.
The look on Lacey’s face proved it. If her eyebrows dropped any lower over her eyes, she probably wouldn’t be able to see out of them.
“I still don’t get what this has to do with the warehouse.”
“That’s where the wedding bit comes in. You know who Tad Munyon is?”
“The oil guy?”
I nodded.
“Everyone in Texas knows who the Munyons are. What’s he got to do with penguins?”
I cleared my throat but before I could get to the heart of the problem, the intercom on Lacey’s desk buzzed.
“Mayor Cherish, you’ve got Cyrus Beasley on line one. He has a few questions about an upcoming wedding.”
“Thanks, Chelsea. Tell him I’ll be with him in just a moment.
” She disconnected, then leveled her gaze at me.
“I’m sorry, I’ve got to take that call. Our local newspaper photographer’s trying to convince me to let him do all of the wedding pictures at the Phillips House.
Can you tell me real quick exactly how I can help you today? ”
“I need a place to rehome some penguins. Just for a few months. And Munyon wants somewhere to host his daughter’s wedding.”
Lacey shook her head.
“Her winter wonderland wedding.” I paused. “With the penguins.”
A peal of laughter tumbled from Lacey’s lips before she clamped her hand over her mouth. “I’m sorry, did you say she wants a wedding with penguins in it? We’re talking about live birds, right?”
I nodded.
“The birds who live where there’s ice and snow?”
I nodded again. I was starting to feel like a bobblehead doll.
“In Texas?” She pushed back from the desk and stood. “I mean, I’ve fielded some odd requests since we started this venture, but this takes it to a whole new level.”
“I know, it’s strange.” I got to my feet. “Caught me off guard, too, when I first heard it. But he’s offering a ton of money to make this happen. I was thinking, if you’re not using the warehouse for anything, maybe I can create a temporary habitat for them there.”
“For the penguins?”
When she said it out loud it sounded even worse than when I’d first heard the idea over the phone.
“It’s an odd request—”
“Oh, you have no idea what kind of requests I’ve had. I had two trapeze artists who wanted me to rig a whole circus setup so they could get married in the air, then I had a guy who makes swords call and ask if I could set up an entire Viking encampment for his wedding, complete with a forge.”
“Really? So penguins aren’t so off the wall then.”
“No, it’s bizarre.” Lacey rounded the desk and perched on the edge. “I’ve never had anyone ask me to turn my warehouse into living quarters for marine life before.”
“It would just be for a couple of months. And he’s willing to pay.”
“How much are we talking about?”
“Name your price.” I shrugged. I’d been given the authority to negotiate with Lacey when I agreed to take the job. Munyon didn’t care what it cost, he just wanted his daughter to be happy.
“Five grand.”
“No problem.”
“Seriously? To use my empty warehouse for a couple of months?”
“Actually, I may need it for three or four. The wedding isn’t until August. You know, winter wonderland with the penguins and all that. But for five grand a month, I think that’s fair.”
“A month?” Lacey’s jaw dropped open. “You’re going to pay me five grand a month to house some penguins?”
“Yeah.” I finally allowed myself a smile since it seemed like things were going to work out. “He’ll cover all the costs to create the habitat and then return the warehouse to its original state when we’re done.”
“Naturally.” Lacey tucked her hands in the pockets of her dress pants and circled the desk. “And when is all of this supposed to start?”
“Well, if the wedding’s in August, I’d say we need to move them in by sometime in May or June.”
She nodded. “That’s only a few months away. And you’re going to oversee all of this? You know how to handle penguins? I won’t have to do a thing?”
“That’s right. In addition to my time in Antarctica, I used to work with penguins in the summers over at the big marine life park in Houston. I’ll handle everything, assuming I can get full access to the property so I can keep the penguins in check.”
“The penguins who will be living in my warehouse . . .”
“I’m sure they’ll want to have the wedding there, too. If you could touch base with the wedding planner they’ve hired to get plans rolling for that . . .” I reached into my wallet and pulled out the piece of paper I’d scrawled the wedding planner’s name on. “Here you go.”
Lacey took one look at it and started to fan herself. Her cheeks turned red as she flipped the tiny piece of paper back and forth. “You’re kidding me.”
“What?” The way her face flushed, like she had a hot rash marching up her cheeks, made me wish I hadn’t requested a private audience with the mayor. I couldn’t let her pass out. What would her assistant think?
“It’s . . .” Lacey wheezed. Her chest heaved, and she looked like she couldn’t catch her breath.
“Hey, are you okay?” I wrapped my hands around her upper arms. “Take some slow breaths, nice and easy.”
She met my gaze, her green eyes wild. “But it’s . . . Chyna . . .”
“Yeah, weird name, huh?”
“You don’t understand . . .” She drew in another deep breath. “Wedding planner . . . famous . . .”
I nodded, my pulse spiking as I tried to get her to calm down. “Breathe in . . . one . . . two . . . three . . .”
Lacey blinked fast as she broke away from my grasp. “She wants to come here?”
“Yeah, what’s the big deal?” I asked.