Chapter 26
ZINA
“I told you not to come over here.” I tried to stuff Lacey back in the truck. “You’re supposed to be on bed rest.”
“I can’t miss out on this.” Lacey pushed the door open, leaving me no choice but to step back or get sideswiped. “Why didn’t she call ahead? Why didn’t she tell me she was coming?” Lacey continued to shout questions even as she stomped toward the warehouse.
“I told you, she didn’t tell anyone she was coming. She wanted it to be a surprise. I think she wanted to catch us totally unprepared to see how we’d react.”
Lacey stopped and spun around. “That’s just mean.”
I couldn’t agree with her more. “Just wait until you meet her.”
“How much time do we have until she gets back?” Lacey propelled herself toward Alex like she had a rocket strapped to her hips. I had to jog to keep up with her.
“We told her to come back at nine, but I wouldn’t be surprised if she showed up a bit early.”
“This is all we need. On top of being on bed rest, now I’ve got the biggest wedding this town will ever see imploding around me.” Lacey waved her hands over her head, mimicking the tornado she must imagine swirling around her.
“We’ve got this.” I stopped, thrust my hands to my hips, and leveled my friend with my best glare.
“Alex is marking off where the tents will go. I already called the place in Houston and reserved their two largest event tents for that day. Chyna seemed to like the idea, plus it means we won’t have to worry about moving the dogs out of the warehouse so fast.”
“Yeah, but how are you going to make sure they don’t bark through the whole wedding?” Lacey rounded on me.
“I haven’t made it that far yet.”
“Hey”—Alex joined us and slung an arm over my shoulders—“coming up with the tent idea on the spur of the moment was pure genius. I’m sure you’ll think of something between now and the wedding.”
I leaned against him, grateful for his show of support.
“Let me ask you this.” Lacey’s jaw clenched. “How did you go from hating the idea of turning this town into wedding central to running behind the scenes on our biggest wedding yet?”
I looked from Lacey to Alex and back again. “I guess I got pulled into it. You know I’ve got your back though. There’s a ton riding on this, not just the reputation of Ido, but the dog shelter, too. We’ve all got a vested interest in pulling this off.”
“You’re right.” Lacey reached for my hand. “I’m sorry. The bed rest thing is stressing me out. I don’t know what I’d do without your help.”
“Relax. Alex and I have this all under control.” I smiled up at Alex.
“Speaking of control, I’d better finish laying out the perimeter of the tents before she gets back.”
I reluctantly let him go. It had been a long time since I felt like part of a team, working toward a common goal.
Granted, throwing the wedding of the century wasn’t a common goal I would have picked if given the chance, but I’d missed that feeling of support I had when I’d been serving overseas.
Like I was part of something bigger than myself and that everyone was just as committed to seeing it through.
By the time Alex had created a layout of where the tents would go, Chyna had pulled her rental car into the parking lot again.
“Let me handle this.” Lacey ran a palm over her shirt. I noticed the tender way she curved it over her stomach. There was just the slightest hint of her pregnancy, but it was only a matter of time before baby Phillips would be bumping out that belly.
Alex and I hung back as Lacey met Chyna at her car. They exchanged a few words and then Chyna moved toward us, Lacey hot on her heels.
“Show me what you have in mind.” It was more command than request.
Alex pointed to where the twine outlined the perimeter of the tent. “We’ll set up a tent for the ceremony here. The wedding party will walk down the aisle, followed by the penguins. Then the bride will make her entrance.”
“How many guests are you expecting?” Lacey held a pen poised over her notebook. “I want to make sure we have enough chairs.”
Chyna barely glanced at her. “The penguins. Where will they be during the ceremony?”
“I, uh”—Alex shot a look to me, and I shrugged—“Munyon just said he wanted them to waddle down the aisle. I figured I’d usher them out the back during the actual wedding.”
“They need to be present.” Chyna tapped a hot-pink talon against her lips. “We want them to lead the bride and groom back down the aisle after they exchange their vows as well.”
Alex’s mouth twisted like he was about to say something that would threaten the wedding.
“We’ll be happy to make an adjustment to the procession,” Lacey said.
“Can one of them hold a tiny basket?” Chyna walked the center of where the tent would be. “And sprinkle flower petals or maybe ice shavings down the aisle?”
Alex’s eyes widened. “Penguins have flippers, not hands.”
“I’m well aware of that. But seeing as how you’re a penguin trainer, I’m assuming you can make some sort of accommodation.”
I nodded. “We’ll figure something out.”
Apparently appeased, Chyna picked her way across the grass to the other wall of the imaginary tent. “Let’s run through the ceremony. I’d like to see the flow.”
“How exactly do you plan to do that?” Alex’s gaze bounced between the three of us. “We don’t have the bride and groom. We don’t have a wedding party . . .”
Chyna let out a huff and checked her watch. “I have two hours before I have to leave for the airport. Rustle up some friends and make it happen.”
A stifling silence settled between us, like even the crickets decided not to chirp for fear of angering the tiny dictator with the pink hair.
“Of course we will.” Lacey scribbled something in her notebook. “Why don’t you go grab a sweet tea from the house and we’ll pull it together. Morty? Would you be so kind as to take our guest to the house for some tea?”
“I’d be happy to. Miss?” He held out an arm for Chyna. She tossed him a look, then proceeded across the lawn without him, her heels sinking into the grass with each step.
“Just do your best to keep her away until we’re ready, will you?” Alex put a hand on his grandfather’s shoulder.
“I’ll do my best, but if you ask me, that woman’s got a lot of nerve showing up here and trying to take control of—”
“Good thing no one’s asking you then, Gramps.” Alex smiled.
I watched Morty hobble after the wedding planner as I struggled to come up with some sort of plan.
How would we find enough people on such short notice to orchestrate a wedding walk-through?
I’d been quick to come up with the idea of using tents, but that must have used up all of my spontaneous-thinking power.
At a complete loss, I turned toward Lacey.
Lacey, who had that certain blend of cat-ate-the-canary mixed with about-to-burst expression. I’d seen that look before. Not often, but often enough to know that Lacey had one heck of an implausible plan up her sleeve. And that I wasn’t going to like it. Not one tiny bit.
Alex must not have noticed the smug satisfaction Lacey wore like her favorite sweater. He shook his head, rolled his eyes, and shuffled the toe of his boot on the gravel.
“What are we going to do now? Where are we going to find a wedding party to walk through everything? The penguins aren’t ready. We haven’t even practiced what might come after the wedding, they’ve barely mastered just getting down the aisle.” He paused long enough to shoot a glance at me.
I’d crossed my arms while I waited for his little tirade to end.
“What?” Alex asked.
I shook my head slightly. “Ask her.” I nudged my chin toward where Lacey stood, her grin splitting her face in two.
“You have an idea?” Alex turned toward Lacey.
“Oh boy, do I.” Lacey clapped her hands together, her enthusiasm leeching from every pore. “Here’s what we’re going to do.”
Alex
I cleared my throat for the tenth time, maybe fifteenth.
Who was counting? Then I glanced down the strip of red carpet we’d laid out to mark the aisle.
A handful of men I barely knew stood to my left—the fake groomsmen Lacey had scrounged up at the last minute.
Zeb on my left; then Jasper, the guy who’d adopted Buster; and Kirby, the aspiring limo business owner.
As I cleared my throat again, trying to dislodge the apprehension that appeared determined to prevent me from speaking during this sham of a rehearsal, I watched the never-ending stream of bridesmaid stand-ins drift down the aisle.
Suzy smiled as she took her place. Then Char came down the aisle, followed by Jordan.
Lacey must have called in every favor ever owed to her. Seemed like the whole town had descended upon the Phillips House to run through the ceremony. And all for the benefit of the she-devil who sat in the front row.
The music changed. Lacey stood on the opposite side of the lawn and signaled to Bodie, who fiddled with his phone.
A choppy rendition of the bridal march began and Gramps released the penguins.
I couldn’t hold back a smile as the dozen tuxedo-clad birds waddled toward me, half of them decked out in snowflake necklaces, the other half in bow ties.
They knew I had a pocketful of fish waiting for them at the end of the carpet.
I still hadn’t figured out how to reward them for their trip down the aisle during the real ceremony.
Odds were the groom probably didn’t want to distribute a handful of fish right before he took his vows.
Thelma came first. She always was a greedy gal. I tossed a treat to each bird, then Izzy corralled them over to the side where Frankie and Dolly waited.