Chapter 45
Ford
Iguide Harper into the reception area, my hand resting gently on the small of her back, feeling the warmth of her skin through the silky material of her dress.
Being close to her sends electricity through my fingertips.
Whether I’m holding her delicate hand with its rose-painted nails, wrapping my arm around her shoulders where her perfume lingers strongest, or touching that sensitive spot on her back that makes her lean into me, I feel like the luckiest man in the world.
As I glance around, I understand why Harper dreamed of a Christmas Eve wedding.
The decorations transform the ordinary ballroom into a winter wonderland with crystal icicles dangling from the ceiling, garlands of pine and holly woven with tiny white lights encircling every column, and centerpieces of red roses nestled in beds of frosted pine cones.
Clearly, Alex and Tracy had nothing to do with this elegant display.
I’m determined to give Harper the wedding she envisions.
Wherever she wants it: a rustic barn or five-star hotel.
Twinkling fairy lights strung across a starlit sky, soft snowflakes drifting through the air as she walks down the aisle, and if the weather betrays us, I’ll rent the most expensive snow machine on the market.
She deserves everything she’s ever whispered about in the dark when we talk about our future together.
“I think this is a good spot,” Harper says, selecting a place well away from the head table.
“What do you think they’re serving?”
She smiles brightly. “Well, I had chosen roast beef with steamed vegetables, so there’s a good chance Kenzie swiped that, too. It’s delicious! The tastings are the highlight of wedding planning.”
“Noted.”
“You’re a fun date, you know that?”
“Just wait until later. I plan to be very fun.”
A delightful blush spreads across her cheeks at my teasing, and I wonder if I can persuade her to sneak into the coatroom with me again. Honestly, I’ve never enjoyed a wedding more than Gina’s.
Murmurs begin to ripple through the crowd, and Harper leans against me with a groan. “I think they’ve struck again.”
“What is that smell?” I ask, scanning the room. “It smells like…”
“Bad fish.”
Servers bring out the dishes, and Kenzie sobs into her hands at the head table. Asher looks on in horror, while Harper covers her nose and turns her face into my chest.
“Is that… Lutefisk?” I mutter.
“It’s not bad once you get past the smell,” calls someone from a nearby table.
Harper stands abruptly. “I need some air.”
“Me, too.”
We start moving toward the exit when a blood-curdling scream pierces the air, freezing us mid-step.
We turn to see Asher, his face flushed crimson, struggling to pull Kenzie away from Alex and Tracy.
Kenzie’s knuckles have gone white from her vise-like grip on both women’s hair.
Tracy’s sleek updo is now a disheveled mess, and Alex’s carefully styled curls tangle between Kenzie’s manicured fingers.
The three women twist and writhe like a grotesque sculpture, their dresses bunching and wrinkling as they flail against each other.
Harper rushes toward them, her silk dress flowing behind her like water, and I follow, knowing she can’t separate this human knot alone. “What is going on?” she cries, her voice cutting through the chaos.
“They ruined everything!” Kenzie wails.
“Let go, Kenzie,” Asher pleads, wrestling to pull her back.
Alex and Tracy scream, and Harper grabs Kenzie’s wrists, squeezing gently. “Let them go, Kenzie.”
Reluctantly, Kenzie releases them and throws her hands up in defeat. “Are you happy now, Harper? You officially win.”
I grab both Alex and Tracy, holding Alex in one arm and Tracy in the other as they lunge toward Kenzie. My concern shifts from them to Harper, who stands right in the middle. The last thing we need is for her to get hurt in this chaos.
“Kenzie, I can’t win something I’m not playing. You shouldn’t have to deal with this on your wedding day,” she says firmly.
“Don’t let her off that easily!” Alex protests. “She stole everything from you.”
Harper turns, hands on her hips. “Did you ever consider that crossing a line doesn’t make you better than Kenzie? You didn’t get back at her. You humiliated all of us.”
Tracy stops struggling in my grasp and lets out a sigh. “We didn’t mean to embarrass you.”
“I know you thought you needed to get revenge for me, but I didn’t want this. I told you that. You thought it was a joke, but do you know how humiliating it was to hear the reverend say my name instead of Kenzie’s? You crossed the line four sabotage attempts ago.”
“You’re not going to like what comes next,” Alex warns.
Taking a risk, I let them go. “What else could you have possibly done?”
“We may have changed the cake.”
“What?” Kenzie cries, her voice rising in disbelief. “What did you do? What did you change it to?”
Crossing her arms, Harper clenches her jaw. “Go and get something she can eat. Now. I don’t care if it’s pie. You will bring something back for her.”
“But Harper—”
“Go!”
Her tone is stern but not unkind. I feel a rush of admiration for her, envisioning her as a mother to our future children. It is incredibly sexy.
“What did they do?” Asher asks, confusion etched on his face.
“They made it a chocolate cake,” Harper replies. “That explains why Greta was so insistent on giving me a different cupcake for Gina’s wedding. She thought I was allergic to chocolate.”
“They hate me that much?” Kenzie asks, tears streaming down her cheeks.
As much as I feel for her, a part of me thinks she deserves this. If the roles were reversed, she would have gone to great lengths to sabotage Harper’s wedding.
“Kenzie, you aren’t a good friend,” Harper says with a shrug. “While they shouldn’t have done half of what they did, you need to step back and see why they acted like this.”
“You’re blaming me?”
“I’m saying you need to take accountability for your actions. No one has ever targeted you. Most of what people do is a reaction to you.”
Kenzie laughs, incredulous. “I can’t believe you’re blaming me for this.”
“If that’s your takeaway from what she’s saying, maybe they didn’t go too far. They’re just karma’s helpers,” I interject.
“I’m sorry your wedding day was ruined, Kenzie. I truly am.”
“If you’re not here to take pleasure in my pain, then what are you doing here?”
Harper sighs and smiles. “Closure. I hope you two find happiness, and I wish you the best.”
My girl has more class than most, and I’m in awe of how she can let the past go. These two hurt her more than anyone else ever has, yet she wishes them well.
“I’m going to get our jackets,” I say.
“I have to grab my purse from the table.”
I hand our ticket to the woman at the counter, but Harper hasn’t come out by the time she hands the jackets to me. Heading back into the smelly reception, I find her still at the table, talking to Asher.
“I made a mistake, Harper. Please—”
“You’re married, Asher.”
“I can get divorced. We can—”
“No.”
He sighs, frustration evident. “You can’t love him—”
“Yes, I can. And I do. The only reason I came today was to prove to you and everyone else that I’m done. I’m over this. And I’m over you. You made your choices, and now you have to live with them.”
“You really love him?”
The disbelief in his tone sends my pulse raising. Of course, he doesn’t think Harper could love me. Not like she loved him. Then again, I don’t want the love he had with her. It wasn’t real.
“I really do.”
Shaking his head, Asher looks disgusted. “I don’t even know who you are anymore.”
“Because you tried to change me to fit what you wanted.”
“She doesn’t have to do that anymore,” I say, holding out her jacket for her to slip into. “I fell in love with her for who she is, and I don’t want her to change. She’s perfect just the way she is.”
“Sure. If you say so.”
My fist clenches again, but Harper takes my hand and squeezes it. “Let’s go.”
“Yeah, listen to your woman!” Asher calls after us. “Big, tough guy is whipped. You’re an embarrassment to men everywhere.”
“You just tried to get me to reconcile with you. On your wedding day,” Harper retorts, surprising us all. “I don’t think you understand what it means to be a man, Asher.”
“For the record,” I call out, “I am whipped. Not even a little ashamed.”
She laughs and pulls me out the door. “Come on. Let’s go.”