Chapter 29
ZINA
The next few weeks flashed by in a haze of wedding preparations, rehabilitating the puppy mill dogs, and spending as much time as possible with Alex.
Bodie was certain the dog-fighting ring had moved out of town, so he’d given me the go-ahead to move back into my place.
But Alex insisted I stay at the Phillips House with him.
He used all kinds of logical reasoning to make his point: it was closer to where the dogs were staying, I could help with the wedding, and the most convincing argument of all .
. . it would give us more time to be together.
It didn’t seem fair for one person to have so much happiness, but I was trying hard to enjoy it.
I’d been dreading the upcoming wedding not only because of all the work, but because of what it represented.
But now, based on what Alex said, it was no longer a looming date signaling the end of whatever had been growing between us, just a milestone marking the end of his job with the penguins and when he’d have to start looking for something else that would keep him nearby.
I didn’t know what kind of opportunity he might be able to find or how far he might have to go from Ido. But he seemed committed to sticking around and that was good enough for me.
“You ready for this afternoon?” Lacey fluffed the pillow behind her and sat up straighter.
I’d stopped by to get last-minute instructions for the wedding weekend. Poor Lacey. The biggest event Ido had ever hosted and the woman who’d made it all possible was stuck in bed. She was her own worst enemy, though, since she kept pushing herself too hard and ending up right back on bed rest.
“We’ve gone over it at least a dozen times. Don’t worry, I’ve got this.” I took the folder Lacey held out to me. “What’s this?”
“I took the liberty of doing a little research on all of the members of the wedding party. Those are just some helpful hints. You know, like the bride’s mother prefers her cosmos with a twist of orange instead of lemon. Little things that will make a difference.”
“You cyberstalked the Munyon family?”
“No, I did the groom’s family, too. His grandma is allergic to hairy caterpillars, so I’ve asked your brother to do a sweep of the tents before everyone arrives.”
I shook my head. “How long did it take you to pull this together?”
Lacey waved her hands. “What else am I supposed to do? Between you and Bodie I’ve barely been allowed to walk to the bathroom. I’m bored out of my mind.”
“I’ll pass the info along. I’m sure everyone will find it extremely helpful.” I tucked the folder into my bag. “Anything else you need to fill me in on?”
Lacey shook her head. “Nope. Just be nice. I know you’re not one hundred percent on board with the whole wedding destination thing. Try not to piss anyone off, okay?”
“Piss anyone off? What exactly do you think I’m going to do out there?” I pressed a hand to my heart in mock offense.
“Nothing.” Lacey reached for my hand and gave it a squeeze. “You’re just not as warm and fuzzy as . . .”
“As you?” That was the gospel truth. And thank God for that. I could tell by the way Lacey’s shoulders drooped that I’d hit the proverbial nail on the head.
“You know I love you, Z. Just channel your soft side. These people are going to be demanding and probably push every hot button you’ve got. I’m just asking you to keep the needs of Ido in mind before you fly off the handle because of some stupid request.”
I could appreciate her concern. Lacey had always been the mushy, gushy one. I was more calculating, a lot less enthusiastic, and had a history of dissing people who came up with outlandish expectations.
“Don’t worry. I’ll be so accommodating they won’t know what hit them.”
Lacey smiled but her brows drew together, showing she didn’t fully believe the promise.
“What now?” I pulled my hand away and picked up my bag. “Make it quick. I’ve got to get over to the Phillips House to make sure they’ve got those garlands installed just like you wanted.”
“Nothing. I know you’ll be great. Just . . .”
“What?”
“Thanks.” Lacey wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. The pregnancy hormones must have been jacking with her emotions. Even as the emotional one in our relationship, she was rarely reduced to tears.
“Oh, honey, you’re welcome.” I perched on the edge of the bed and pulled my bestie in for a gentle hug. “We’ll get through this weekend and then you can stop worrying about everything and focus all of your attention on growing that baby.”
“You’re the best. And I know you’re not the hard-ass you pretend to be. At least not so much now that you’ve got a certain birdman in your life.”
“Do not call him a birdman. That strips away any kind of attractiveness.”
“It’s true though. Alex said he might be sticking around for a while, maybe even for good?”
She was digging for info. I hadn’t had the time or desire to fill Lacey in on the plans Alex and I had discussed.
Partly because I hadn’t had a chance. But mostly because I still wasn’t totally sure he meant it.
Once we got through the wedding from hell, I’d have a better idea if he would follow through.
“We’ll see. Can we talk about this after I spend all weekend working my ass off?”
“Of course. Call me if you need anything. I might not be allowed to leave my bed, but I can still make calls or follow up on things or look stuff up online.”
“Try to get some rest.” I slid the strap of my bag into place. “Alex and I have everything under control. I promise.”
A half hour later I wished I hadn’t uttered such a ridiculous assurance. As I pulled into the drive leading to the Phillips House, I came across the florist stringing garland along the low wooden fence. I pulled over and rolled down the window.
“Hey, Suzy, how’s it going?” Had Lacey approved the clash of colors currently being installed on the fence? Based on what we’d talked about I clearly remembered the bride’s request of using only white flowers in all of the decor.
“Great. Almost done here, then I’ll go over and set up the centerpieces for the reception dinner tomorrow.”
“I thought Lacey talked to you about using white flowers in all of the decor?” I reached for the three-inch-thick notebook Lacey had saddled me with so I could confirm the floral order.
Suzy shook her head. “The wholesaler didn’t have enough, so he had to make some substitutions. Besides, that would be so boring. With all of the gorgeous colors available this time of year, don’t you think it’s better to amp up the display?”
“Suzy.” I lowered my voice. I remembered how the florist had botched Lacey’s own wedding last year. Since then Lacey had warned her about taking creative liberties and she’d been following the flower orders to a T. Until now.
“You’ve got to agree, this is a lot more welcoming for all of those Hollywood types heading our way.” Suzy stepped back and crossed her arms as if she needed to take a minute to admire her own creation.
I groaned as I climbed out of the truck. “You can’t just change things on a whim. The wedding planner wants all white flowers. It’s our job to give them to her.”
Suzy barely came up to my chin, but she carried herself with such power that even I took a step back when the vertically challenged spitfire turned her attention my way.
“I tried. The order didn’t come in and now it’s too late to get new flowers anyway.”
This wasn’t a good way to start the weekend events. “What are we going to do?”
“I spent the past two days stringing these garlands together. There’s no way you’re going to be able to change them out before that hoity-toity wedding lady with the pink hair gets here.” Suzy turned her attention back to the flowers.
“We have to do something.” I forced my hands to my hips, ready to stand my ground. I’d gone up against much fiercer opponents in the military. Ones who weren’t taxidermists posing as wedding florists.
“It’s your funeral, sweetie.” Suzy dropped the garland she held in her hand and stalked back to where she’d pulled her truck onto the side of the road. “Good luck.”
“It’s not a funeral, it’s a wedding,” I muttered under my breath.
Or at least I hoped it wouldn’t turn into a funeral.
Because right then it was my head on the chopping block.
I consulted the minute-by-minute schedule Lacey had printed out, detailing the weekend’s events.
Chyna and the bridal party would be arriving in three hours.
That gave me one hundred eighty minutes to figure out a way to magically transform the colorful garland into winter wonderland white.
With the threat of a headache twinging at my temples, I gritted my teeth and climbed back into my truck. I’d figure out a way to make this work. I didn’t have another choice.