Chapter 6 #2
A long pause, followed by a shaky sigh. “They’re getting worse,” Olivia replied.
“Last night I dreamed that the chapel caught on fire during the ceremony just as Alec and I were about to exchange rings. All the guests were trapped inside, and…oh, God, Delia, I could see them burning, could practically feel all their pain, like I was burning along with them.” She paused there before finishing simply, “I woke up in a cold sweat.”
That sounded absolutely horrible. Whatever psychic sensitivity her cousin might or might not possess, something was clearly trying to warn her away from danger. “Did you talk to Alec about changing the venue?”
“I brought it up at dinner last night, but he just laughed it off again. He said I’m having pre-wedding jitters, and I need to calm down.
And of course he had to tell me all over again that we’ve already paid for Angel’s Dream and it would be crazy to throw that money away over a couple of bad dreams.” Another pause.
“The problem is, they don’t feel like normal dreams, or even normal nightmares.
They feel like warnings. That’s totally stupid, though… right?”
Not stupid at all. Unfortunately, Delia knew she couldn’t tell her cousin the whole truth, or even the smallest part of it.
“I don’t think it’s stupid,” she said gently.
“And if your gut is telling you something, then I think you should listen to it. I’ve done some research, and there are several other chapels that could fit you in.
The Little Chapel of Hearts, the Chapel of Love, Graceland Wedding Chapel — all of them have availability for your date. ”
“Really?” For the first time, Olivia sounded hopeful. “And you’re sure they could fit us in on such short notice?”
“I’ve made some calls,” Delia replied.
Okay, that was a total lie, but right now she just wanted to make sure she got her cousin firmly on board with changing the venue.
Maybe this was all an exercise in futility, and what she should really be doing was trying to get her cousin to move her wedding out of Las Vegas altogether, but she knew that was never going to happen, not when she knew Olivia and Alec wanted to spend their honeymoon in his new vacation house in Henderson.
No, the best she could do was make sure the ceremony took place in a chapel that wasn’t owned by one of the Styx Group’s shell companies.
Anyway, she’d have to make those calls after she was done talking to Olivia, but Delia was confident she could make something work.
She continued, “The key is being flexible about timing. You might have to move the ceremony to earlier or later in the day, but at least you’ll be able to have it on the same date.”
“That would be amazing,” Olivia said, relief practically pulsing across the miles that separated them. “I just couldn’t stop worrying about the whole thing…but I also didn’t want to sound like I’d totally lost my mind.”
“There’s nothing crazy about trusting your instincts,” Delia assured her. “If something feels wrong, then it probably is. The most important thing is that you and Alec have a beautiful wedding day without any stress or worry.”
“You’re absolutely right.” Olivia’s voice sounded stronger now, more determined. “I’m going to talk to Alec again tonight. If he refuses to listen, then I’ll just have to make the decision myself. It’s my wedding, too, even if he’s paying for most of it.”
Thank God that it sounded like her cousin had started to grow a spine. Things often got tricky when money was involved, but wasn’t the bride supposed to make the final decision about anything like this?
“Good for you,” Delia said. “And if you need someone to help you coordinate the change, just let me know. Sometimes it’s easier when you can do this kind of stuff in person.”
“Well, maybe we can do it together, then.” Olivia paused, and when she spoke again, she sounded almost guilty.
“I probably should have brought it up before this, but Alec and I are going to be in Las Vegas late tomorrow. My parents are flying in at the same time, and Alec’s family is coming a few days early, too.
His parents thought it would be nice to have a family dinner before the wedding.
Not exactly a rehearsal dinner, since the ceremony won’t be that elaborate, but a little kind of get-together. ”
Well, hell. More family members meant more people potentially in danger if Olivia couldn’t convince Alec to change venues. It also meant more voices weighing in on wedding decisions, which could make it harder for her cousin to follow through with her plan to switch to a different chapel.
“That sounds like fun,” Delia managed, even though the words wanted to strangle in her throat. “How many people are we talking about?”
“Well, my parents, obviously. Alec’s parents and his sister and her husband.
His grandmother, who’s flying in from Phoenix.
And I think a couple of his cousins.” Olivia chuckled, but the laugh sounded a bit strained.
“It’s going to be a full house. That’s part of why we’re worried about changing venues — what if the new place can’t accommodate everyone? ”
“Don’t worry about that,” Delia said quickly. “Most of the chapels I mentioned can handle groups of fifty or more. The guest list won’t be a problem.”
“Okay, that’s a relief,” Olivia replied. “I just want everything to be perfect, you know? And with all the family arriving early, there’s going to be so much pressure to have everything locked down.”
The pressure was exactly what worried Delia. Family dynamics could be complicated under the best of circumstances, and adding wedding stress to the mix often made people dig in their heels about decisions they’d already made.
“Just remember that it’s your wedding,” she said. “Whatever you and Alec decide, that’s what matters. The family will understand.”
“I hope so.” Olivia released a breath. “I’m beginning to think we should have just eloped.”
“It’s not too late for that, either,” Delia said lightly, although inwardly, she was dead serious.
If she couldn’t get Olivia and Alec to change venues, maybe she could convince her cousin that changing the entire plan wasn’t a bad idea, and it would be better if they just ran off to Cabo or Cozumel or something.
Olivia laughed, and this time, she sounded much more genuine. “Don’t tempt me. But I suppose after all the money we’ve spent on flights and hotels for everyone, that ship has sailed.”
They chatted for a few more minutes about logistics and timing, and by the end of the call, Delia felt cautiously optimistic. Olivia seemed motivated to make a change, and her growing unease about Angel’s Dream could only work in their favor.
But the mention of arriving family members had introduced a new complication. The more people involved in the decision-making process, the harder it would be to steer things in the right direction without raising any suspicions about her motives.
As soon as she ended her call with Olivia, Delia started reaching out to the wedding chapels she’d mentioned.
She needed to have concrete alternatives ready to present, complete with availability and pricing, if she was going to help her cousin make the switch, and although doing all this might make her a little late for work, she wanted as much of this handled as possible before she went into the office.
The first chapel she called was able to offer a Saturday evening slot that would work perfectly.
The second had a late afternoon opening that might be even better, since it would give the wedding party more time for photos before dinner.
By the time she’d made five calls, she had three solid options with availability and hoped that would be enough.
Now the only thing left was to wait and see if Olivia could convince Alec — and the rest of the family — that a last-minute venue change was worth the hassle.
Her phone pinged, and she looked down to see she’d gotten a text from Caleb.
How’d the call with your cousin go?
Better than expected. She wants to change venues, but she has a bunch of family arriving tomorrow, and that might complicate things.
We’ll figure it out. Meet for lunch later? I want to hear everything.
Sure. Just let me know where.
After last night’s revelations, the prospect of seeing him again sent a happy rush of warmth through her. Whatever challenges lay ahead with the demons’ plot or the family’s dynamics, at least she wouldn’t be facing them alone.
Her phone rang again, and this time it was her mother.
“Hi, Mom,” she answered, wondering if Linda had somehow sensed the drama brewing around Olivia’s wedding…or was maybe wondering why Delia hadn’t come in to work yet. The hour was inching dangerously close to ten, and usually she would have been in the office at least half an hour earlier than that.
But it turned out her tardiness wasn’t what was on her mother’s mind.
“Morning, Delia,” Linda said. “I just sent your father off to find a new suit for Olivia’s wedding. Things have been so busy that I just realized you and I hadn’t really talked about whether you’re even planning to attend.”
“Yes, I’m going,” Delia replied. “Olivia asked me to be involved with some of the local arrangements, actually. I’m helping her scout some venues.”
“‘Venues’?” Her mother repeated, voice sharpening a little. “I thought everything was already set with Angel’s Dream. That’s what was on the invitation, anyway. Is there a problem with the chapel?”
Okay, time to come up with a plausible explanation for such a last-minute change.
While Linda wasn’t exactly an expert on the wedding industry, she still knew enough, mostly because selling real estate in a city where destination weddings were big business lent itself to picking up a few things.
Anyway, her mother would definitely notice if something seemed off about a last-minute venue change.
“Not a problem, exactly,” Delia said, doing her best to sound casual. “Olivia’s just been having some second thoughts about the chapel. You know how brides can be — she wants to make sure everything is perfect and that she made the right choice.”
“Hmm.” Her mother didn’t sound entirely convinced by this explanation. “The Angel’s Dream chapel is fairly new, isn’t it? I seem to remember it changing hands recently.”
Trust her mother to remember a detail like that. “Yes, I think it was sold a few months ago. Maybe that’s part of what’s making Olivia nervous — it sounds as if the staff is the same, but I can see why she’s worried that the new management might make some last-minute changes.”
Linda seemed to think that was a reasonable concern, since she only said, “Well, if she needs help with alternatives, you know I’d be happy to lend a hand.”
“I appreciate that, Mom,” Delia replied, “but I think I have it taken care of. Besides, you and Dad will probably have enough to do, what with all those out-of-town family members showing up in the next day or so.”
“True enough. Your Aunt Vicky is flying in tomorrow, and she’s always been a bit high-maintenance when it comes to travel.” Linda paused there before adding, “Just let us know if you need anything, okay? Family weddings can be stressful enough without venue drama.”
Delia assured her mother that everything was under control, and then said she’d be at the office in the next half hour or so.
Technically, theirs was a partnership, and Linda didn’t have any say in the hours her daughter worked, but she knew her mother wouldn’t be too thrilled if she decided to start showing up after ten o’clock every day.
After they ended the call, Delia realized the situation had just gotten even more complicated. If nothing else, her mother’s sharp business instincts meant she’d be watching for any inconsistencies in Delia’s explanations about the venue change.
Oh, and let’s not forget that somewhere in the background, a citywide demonic conspiracy was building toward whatever climax they had planned for May thirtieth.
She thought about Caleb’s words from the night before, his fear about losing her, and couldn’t hold back a corresponding chill of her own.
They were walking into something much bigger and more dangerous than anything they’d faced before, and the people she loved most were going to be right in the middle of it.
But there was no backing down now. Too many lives were at stake, including her cousin’s and her parents’. Whatever it took, she was going to find a way to keep them safe.
Even if it meant lying to everyone she cared about in the process.
Her phone pinged to let her know she had another text, this one from Olivia.
Talked to Alec. He’s still resistant, but I think I can wear him down. Can we meet tomorrow afternoon to look at those other chapels? Our flight is getting in at one, and I want to have all the facts in hand before our families arrive.
Good thing Delia didn’t have any house showings scheduled for tomorrow.
She’d planned to use the slow day to get some paperwork taken care of and swing by to check on the contractors at the flip house, but none of that was totally urgent.
Absolutely. I’ll pick you up & we’ll make an afternoon of it.
At least Olivia was taking the initiative. That was something. Now Delia just had to hope that between the two of them, they could present a compelling enough case to overcome Alec’s reluctance and the inevitable family pressure that would come with all the early arrivals.
She glanced at the clock and realized she needed to get going, especially if she wanted to get any significant work done before she had to meet Caleb for lunch.
Once she got to the office, she could do more research on the alternative chapels and maybe come up with a strategy for handling all the complicated family dynamics that wouldn’t result in a total meltdown.
Because one way or another, she was going to make sure her cousin didn’t walk down the aisle at Angel’s Dream on May thirtieth.
Even if she had to kidnap the bride to make it happen.