Chapter 4 #2
Before she could answer, Lacey collapsed to the ground. I stood, totally paralyzed for a long beat, every part of me frozen in place. What if I’d just killed the mayor?
Then I dropped to my knees next to her. “Mayor Cherish?”
Zina
I pushed the curtain to the side as I entered Lacey’s hospital room. My friend sat propped up in bed, her back against a fort of pillows.
“Are you alright?” I moved closer to the bed and reached for Lacey’s hand.
Lacey gritted her teeth, not meeting my gaze. “I’m mortified is what I am. How did you hear about this? Please tell me there’s not a photo of me sprawled out on the floor of my office that’s gone viral on social media.”
I bit back a laugh. “Bodie called me from the road and asked me to check up on you. He sure sounded worried.”
“He had to do some training down in Austin. I told him I was fine and not to come back. Can’t have him hovering around, makes me nervous.”
“You really passed out in your office?”
“Flat on my ass.” She finally turned her head, her eyes searching out mine. “And right in front of Alex Sanders.”
“So he managed to track you down?”
“Yeah. He wants to use the warehouse as temporary housing for . . . wait for it . . . penguins.”
I stepped back, my hand still clasping Lacey’s. “Penguins?”
“Can you believe it? Tad Munyon’s daughter is getting married and wants a winter wonderland wedding.” She rolled her eyes.
“With penguins?” I asked.
“A half dozen of them.”
“So that’s what Alex is doing back in town.” I nodded to myself. Things were starting to make sense. A little.
“It’s a great opportunity. They’re even bringing in, get this, Chyna Daniels as the wedding planner.” Lacey let out a little squeal as she said the name. “Chyna Daniels . . . she’s one of the hottest wedding planners in LA. In the world, really.”
“And I’m supposed to be impressed about that, why exactly?
” I tilted my head, suddenly very much aware of how Lacey’s life had taken a different turn.
While she was wrapped up in celebrity wedding planners and the lifestyles of the rich and famous, I’d been trying to get by, keep my head above water, and ensure my dog shelter stayed dry.
Lacey sat up straighter, her eyes taking on a little bit of a wild shine. “She could put us on the map. I’m talking big weddings. The six-figure kind. The kind that could—”
“The kind that could make this town even more outrageous than it already is.” I shook my head.
“What are you talking about? This is good news for all of us.”
I clucked my tongue, a trick my mother used to pull on me when I’d done something and should have known better. “Lacey, who’s going to do your million-dollar wedding’s cake?”
“Well, Jojo’s been doing a great job so—”
“The flowers?” I leaned over the bed. Before I gave Lacey a chance to respond, I fired again. “The food? The people in this town aren’t prepared to handle zillion-dollar weddings. They can barely handle the day-to-day business they’ve got.”
Lacey pushed herself up, her eyes burning bright, apparently ready for a verbal throwdown.
“Oh yeah? What’s our unemployment rate since we started the wedding venue from where it was when the Phillips Imports business shut down?
Those weddings you seem to hate are giving the good people of this town jobs, paying to put food on their table, and keeping the economy afloat. ”
I hung my head. “I just think you’re setting them up for disappointment.
What’s going to happen when Jojo’s cake receives a scathing review from one of those celebrity rags?
Or there’s nowhere to stay because the Sleep Tight Inn is all filled up?
Are you going to set up some luxury campground for guests? ”
“You know”—Lacey tapped her lip—“that’s not a half-bad idea.”
“Oh, give me a break. This whole thing is getting out of hand. First you wanted puppies, now you’ve moved onto penguins—”
“Puppies and penguins could be cute together.” Lacey reached for a notepad on the side table.
“Can you even hear yourself?” I asked.
At that moment, the curtain shifted. Alex stood there, a paper cup in one hand. “Sorry, I hope I’m not interrupting anything, but I got you some fresh water.”
My cheeks heated as his gaze roamed over me, probably trying to figure out how I fit into the day’s events. “What are you doing here?”
“He followed the ambulance over.” Lacey tossed a pearly smile his way. “I see the two of you already know each other. Have you had a chance to get all caught up?”
I gritted my teeth as I faced Lacey. The tone she’d used was a dead giveaway.
Now that she’d found her happily-ever-after with Bodie, she couldn’t wait for me to settle down with my own Mr. Right.
But the problem was, Ido was only so big and there weren’t a whole lot of misters to choose from.
It didn’t take someone with a PhD in matchmaking to figure out the kind of ideas Lacey must have whirring around in her head.
“I don’t think now is the time for catching up.” I smoothed my hand over the crisp hospital sheet. “We need to make sure you’re okay. Maybe you need a painkiller”—I leaned closer to Lacey—“or a sleeping pill.”
Lacey laughed off the attempt at shutting her up. “Don’t be silly. I’m fine. Besides, you’re not supposed to argue with a hospital patient.”
Before I could respond, a nurse came into the room. “You’re free to go, Ms. Cherish. I’d suggest making sure you eat breakfast from now on. You’ve got to keep your blood sugar more consistent with a baby on the way.”
“Looks like you’re not going to end up a hospital patient after all,” I said.
Alex stifled a laugh.
“Wait. Did you say ‘baby on the way’?” I asked.
Lacey’s eyes went wide. “I was going to tell you.”
“When?” I crossed my arms over my chest, all of a sudden feeling the need to put a bit of a barrier between myself and Lacey. Although, it wasn’t like getting knocked up was contagious. “When exactly did you plan on telling me you had a baby on board?”
“I just found out about it a couple of weeks ago.” Lacey shifted to hang her legs over the side of the bed.
“Weeks? You’ve known for weeks and you haven’t said a word?”
“Most couples don’t share the news until after the first trimester.” Lacey’s voice dropped a notch. “In case things go wrong.”
Guilt rolled over me and I put a hand on Lacey’s shoulder. “I’m sorry. Let me give you a ride home.”
Lacey slid off the edge of the bed. “I’m not going home. I still have work to get done today. But I’ll tell you what you can do.”
“What’s that?” I asked, already dreading whatever plan Lacey might concoct. There was a ninety-nine percent chance it would involve me and Alex.
“Alex needs to take a look at the warehouse. Why don’t you let me take your truck, then he can drop you at the shelter, and you can show him the warehouse on the way?”
I wasn’t going to let myself be manipulated that easy. Not when Lacey’s plan had a whole lot more to do with matchmaking than it did with being efficient. “That seems unnecessary. Why doesn’t Alex drop you off back at your office and you can stop at the warehouse on the way?”
“Because I don’t have time to traipse around while there’s a Munyon wedding to plan. I’m already way behind.” Lacey held out her hand.
“Fine.” I huffed out a breath as I handed over my keys. “I don’t know why I let you boss me around like that.”
“Because you love me.” Lacey flung an arm around me as she stood. “Now the two of you get going. I’m going to get dressed and then I’ve got a wedding planner to call.”
I didn’t have the energy to argue. Giving in to Lacey was always the path of least resistance.
Besides, I was still reeling with the news that my best friend had managed to keep a secret of epic proportions from me for weeks.
I shot a glance toward Alex, who’d been a silent witness to our entire exchange.
“Come on, Sanders, let’s go.” So much for him not sticking around. I tamped down any lingering sparks of interest. Now that Lacey was pregnant, she’d probably double down on her efforts to get me matched up with one of the few single men in town.
I might let Lacey get her way when it came to insignificant struggles like where to order takeout and whose turn it was to drive.
But if she tried messing around with my love life, she’d be in for a rude awakening.
Whether Alex Sanders was lickable or not, I decided there was no way in hell I’d be another bell for him to ring.