Chapter 3
CHAPTER THREE
A my wondered for the hundredth time if she should have agreed to help with this wedding. The one positive to her day was that no one had mentioned yesterday’s bass assault. The story must not have made the rounds yet.
The limousine pulled to the curb in front of the small Two Hearts church and not a moment too soon. As always, the building looked inviting with its fresh white paint and church spire. It had never been more welcoming to Amy than at this particular moment.
“I don’t know if I can go through with this.” The frantic bride beside her was moments away from a full-on panic attack.
This had been the longest two hours of Amy’s life. “It’s a charming church, Maxine. You’re just going to walk up the aisle and say I do. Easy.” Amy had said words like that so many times today that she’d lost count. If this was what it was like assisting with weddings, she’d stay as far away from them as she possibly could.
The bride sucked in air, something between a gasp and a sob.
At that moment, the limousine door opened. “Can I help you ladies out?” The male voice sounded familiar, but she couldn’t quite place it. He must be someone from the security detail who helped with the weddings.
He reached down a hand, which the bride stared at for a moment before taking it. When she had stepped out of the vehicle, Amy released the breath she’d been holding. There had been a very real possibility that Maxine would have asked her to return them both to the motel and help her pack up to go home.
Once the man had the bride stable on her feet, he helped Amy out, and she came face to face with none other than last night’s intruder.
“Mr. Miller. How nice to see you.” She forced a smile. Her humiliation from last night hadn’t faded, but the last thing they needed was more angst within a fifty-mile radius of this wedding.
“Scott works fine.”
Amy stared into his eyes. They really were the most amazing shade of blue. A whimper brought her back into the moment. “Scott, maybe you could walk on Maxine’s right side, and I’ll take her left. Let’s help Maxine into the church and to the bridal room.”
His surprised expression said that hadn’t been on his agenda, but his years in public service must have told him to go with the flow. When they were moving up the front steps, the bride slipped on a step and landed on the front hem of her skirt. A tearing sound and Maxine’s strangled cry had Amy’s heart racing.
Please, please, please tell me her dress is not torn. Amy stepped around to look at the fabric and saw that everything from the hem up was intact, but when she stood, she noticed one of the narrow bejeweled straps over Maxine’s shoulders dangling free. If she could get the bride inside without her learning about the problem, she’d quietly call Bella to have her fix it.
Amy gathered up the dress and held it to one side while the bride continued up the stairs and inside the building. When they’d almost reached the door, Maxine put her hand on her chest and over the loose spaghetti strap.
“Oh, no, no, no, no, no! Maybe it’s a sign! Maybe I shouldn’t marry him!”
Amy did her best to stifle her groan. She went inside the room and thankfully found Maxine’s maid-of-honor and two bridesmaids waiting. Their eyes widened when they took in the scene. One of them leaped to her feet. “Maxine, don’t cry. It’s going to be okay.”
Maxine sniffed. They’d be in even bigger trouble if they needed makeup repair minutes before the ceremony started.
Amy tried for a cheerful tone. “Scott, follow me out here, and we’ll see what we can do about getting some help for Maxine.”
Scott backed away toward the door. Once in the vestibule, he said, “I hope you have a plan. I can’t handle this wedding stuff.”
That got the first laugh out of her today. “I want to stay far away from them after this. I’ve been running a weekly historical wedding article in the paper for a while. I don’t know if I can handle even that now after this debacle.”
He chuckled.
Amy texted Cassie and Bella. Bella responded first with, “On my way.”
“I’ve been surprised that no one has commented on our meeting last night. No fish or bunny jokes.”
His brow wrinkled in confusion. Then he smiled. “That’s because I only said I’d asked you to prove who you were and left. No details.”
Amy released a sigh. “Thank you. I need good news right now.” Amy’s phone chirped an incoming message. “Cassie says she’ll be here soon.” A quick check of the time told her they had twenty-two minutes until the bride was supposed to walk down the aisle to the groom.
When Amy looked up, she discovered Scott had disappeared. She didn’t blame him for running. Besides, that fit in with her plan of not being around him.
Paige arrived with her camera and gear. “The bride said she didn’t want photos before the ceremony. Do you think I should go inside to see if she’s changed her mind?”
Amy cracked the door to see what was happening inside. The maid-of-honor was comforting the bride while the other two women stared in horror. Amy wasn’t sure if it was because of the damage to the dress or the bride curled up in a ball on a chair in the corner.
After closing the door, she said, “The only decision she may have changed is whether or not she’s marrying her groom.”
Paige gasped. “You’re joking, right?”
Amy shook her head.
“Then I’ll do exactly as the couple requested.” She moved a few feet away.
Bella ran through the church’s front door with a tote bag in her hand. She slid to a stop in front of Amy. “Is it just the strap?”
Amy nodded. Then, after a second, she shrugged. “But I’m not a clothing expert. That’s the only damage I saw. At first, I thought she’d torn the front of the dress when she stepped on it, but?—”
Bella gasped. “I hope you’re right because I can’t fix major damage in—” she checked her watch, “twelve minutes.”
“The hem looks fine to me.”
When Bella reached for the doorknob, Amy put her hand on her arm to stop her. “And the bride is a basket case.”
“Well, that’s understandable with this happening at the last minute.”
“No. The bride already was a basket case. This put her meltdown on steroids.”
Bella gave a single nod before disappearing through the door. Amy wasn’t sure if she should follow, but there wasn’t anything she could do. She had offered all the comfort she could, and Maxine had her friends with her now.
A few minutes later, she heard a squeal of joy and cracked the door open to peer inside. The bride was smiling, and a bridesmaid was trying to touch up her makeup. After taking a deep breath first and releasing it slowly, Amy stepped back into the room to offer any help she could.
Bella gave her a nod as she checked her work again. “The dress is as good as new. And I checked the other strap.” In Amy’s opinion, Bella’s perky, happy tone sounded forced, but no one else appeared to notice.
The bride reached out to hug her. “Thank you, Bella. The dress is beautiful again.” Her voice was now filled with happiness. “I’m ready to walk down the aisle to Oliver. I’m glad this was the only big catastrophe this morning. I’d have hated to have my joy interrupted.”
Could this be the same bride? Was this what it was like to work in the wedding industry? One moment the bride is freaking out, and the next moment she’s happy. How did Cassie do it? She’d made a career out of this.
Cassie appeared just as the music rose. “I saw your message but knew you’d manage. The groom had a crisis, and I’ve been with him.”
“Wasn’t sure he wanted to tie the knot?”
Cassie nodded.
Amy hoped the couple had a long, happy marriage. She wondered, though.
Cassie opened the door to the bride’s room. With a smile, she asked, “Ready? Your groom is waiting for you.”
Paige moved over with her camera as the attendants stepped out and began their walk down the aisle first. She snapped photos as Maxine passed, a shockingly ethereal expression on her face. She appeared as though she truly did want to get married. But would she say yes?
Amy watched the ceremony from the back of the church, wondering if she should have Maxine’s things ready to grab when she made her escape. When the bride said, “I do,” and kissed her groom, Amy relaxed. Until that moment, she’d thought the wedding had little chance of ending well.
After today, she would do her best to stay far away from everything associated with weddings. While the bride and groom stood at the top of the front steps for photos, Amy waited inside.
Cassie stepped beside her. “You ready for the second half of the day?”
Amy sighed. “Does my answer have to be yes?”
After a laugh, Cassie leaned closer and, in a low voice, said, “Maxine was a trial from day one, but I knew you’d be able to handle her.”
That made her feel better.
A little.
“I want to beat the couple to the reception.” Cassie checked her watch. “Can I give you a ride?”
Amy watched the bride. She’d been stable on her feet, but Amy didn’t trust her to go down the stairs upright without assistance. “I’ll stay here to make sure everything’s okay.”
“Thank you.”
A moment later, pink and white rose petals showered the bride and groom as they walked down the steps to the limo that would now transport the couple to their reception at Levi and Cherry’s flower farm north of town. Amy had straightened the bride’s dress before she’d started her descent to avoid any more incidents. Then she’d watched carefully to make sure the bride didn’t get tangled.
When the newlyweds drove away, a weight lifted off her, but exhaustion slipped in, reminding her of the late night she’d had in order to free up time to be here. If only her wedding duties for the day were over.
Amy heard vehicles starting up and down the street. She’d walked the short distance to the motel this morning, so she’d need to walk home to get her vehicle.
The sheriff’s car stopped at the curb, and Greg rolled down his window. “Need a ride?”
“I won’t be able to get home if I take you up on that.”
He shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. I’m sure someone will be available. If you’re there at the end, Cassie or I can help.”
She’d foolishly chosen shoes that weren’t ideal for the day she’d had, so Amy elected to take the easy route and avoid another walk. As she neared Greg’s car, she realized someone else was inside.
Scott.
So much for avoiding him.
She could come up with an excuse for not getting in the car, or she could be a mature woman and climb in. After a moment’s debate—long enough that Greg asked, “Is there a problem?”—she went with maturity . But it had been touch and go there for a moment.
Forcing a smile, she opened the door to the back seat and climbed inside. Greg greeted her, then started driving. Firmly in cop mode, Scott gave a single nod. Did the man ever smile?
Greg took a call a few minutes into their drive and stayed on it until they pulled onto the long driveway to the farm, thankfully eliminating the need for conversation.
Amy opened the door and had one foot on the ground as Greg put the car in park. “Thank you for the lift.” She gave a single wave before starting her search for Cassie.
The reception was already in full swing under the big white tent set up in a cleared area. The backdrop of tulip fields almost took her breath away. Most guests had been seated, with the stragglers arriving and immediately being taken care of by Cassie and her team. Amy headed in that direction. The bride glowed with happiness.
Cassie looked up when Amy neared. “I’m glad you’re here.” When she continued with the words, “If you don’t mind,” Amy tensed, panicking at what she might say next. After her earlier time with the bride, she wasn’t in a hurry for more. “Could you help Paige with anything she needs? She may need help to get the shots right and people in the correct places. The couple was more focused on photos of the wedding and the reception than what happened before.”
“Good thing,” Amy muttered.
Cassie grinned. “It never gets old. Brides—and their mothers—keep me on my toes.”
Amy nudged her shoulder toward the newlyweds. “She made me wonder if there would be a wedding today.”
“Crying, hysterical, smiling, laughing . . . I’ve seen it all,” Cassie whispered, “And you can’t tell which marriages will last.”
“Really? I’d think it’s obvious.”
“Oh no. There’s no pattern. Maxine and Oliver could be married for six months or sixty years. I’ve had happy brides who don’t last six months in the marriage. Of course, that could be the groom’s fault.” She shrugged. “You can never tell what will happen.”
Amy couldn’t picture that. But thankfully, she’d never be immersed in the wedding industry, so she wouldn’t have the experience to tell one way or another.
She glanced around the tent and then pointed to her left. “Paige is over there.” She rested a hand on Amy’s arm when she turned to go there. “And thank you again.”
“I’m happy to help.” And she was. Mostly. The rest of the evening should go well.
Paige greeted her. “Ready to make some photographic magic?”
Amy grinned. “Just tell me how I can help you.”
The next couple of hours passed quickly. Paige took pictures of the first dance, speeches, and the couple cutting and neatly feeding each other cake. Amy made notes of every shot for Paige’s reference, fluffed the bride’s dress, and assisted with lighting a couple of times.
As a journalist, she knew a thing or two about images. They were important in telling a story, especially in her articles. Paige’s level of professionalism took the perfect photo to a higher art form.
When the party seemed to be slowing down, Paige said, “Let’s get some fresh air.”
“Gladly! You don’t get breaks, do you?”
Outside, Paige set her camera on the table they’d used earlier to hold the seating assignment cards, rolled her shoulders, and stretched. “Weddings can be long, but this is truly my dream job.”
“I feel the same about writing.”
Paige gave her a pointed look. “Then why are you running a newspaper?”
The question took her aback. Why was she? “I wanted stability. I wanted a steady income I could rely on.”
“I thought you had a job you quit to move here.”
Amy sighed. “I did, but I was only there because of Logan.” As soon as she said his name, she wanted to take it back. She’d been too embarrassed to mention him earlier.
Paige raised an eyebrow. “That’s a name I haven’t heard you talk about before.”
“I guess that’s what exhaustion can do. I won’t mention him again.”
Paige opened her mouth to speak, then closed it, but her expression said, Tell me more.
She hadn’t spoken about her ex-almost-fiancé, but Paige had become a friend. “Okay. Here’s the story. Logan told me he needed more time before making a commitment, so I followed him to North Dakota when he got a job there. I thought the man was going to propose a dozen times. Maybe more than that.”
“Nothing?”
“Not to me. When I pushed for a commitment, we broke up. Six weeks later, he was engaged to someone he worked with.”
Paige winced. “Ouch. That must have hurt.”
“It did. So I did the smart thing and bought a defunct small-town newspaper.” Even she knew that sounded ridiculous. “I don’t plan to be proposed to any time soon. Nor do I want to be.”
Paige picked up her camera. When they turned to go inside, Amy saw a couple beside the field of tulips. She and Paige weren’t the only people seeking fresh air.
When the man knelt in front of the woman, Amy nudged Paige. “There.”
“What?” When Paige looked, she held up her camera and started snapping photos.
He pulled what must have been a ring out of his pocket. They couldn’t hear what he said, but the woman threw her arms around him when he stood. He spun her in a circle before leaning down and kissing her gently on the lips. The wedding she’d just seen had been beautiful, but this was unpracticed. The couple walked hand in hand toward them.
Paige stepped in front of them. “I hope you don’t find this intrusive, but I’m the wedding photographer. I won’t give any of these photos to the newlyweds, but I took photos of you when I noticed your moment.”
“Thank you! We’ll treasure those forever.” The newly engaged woman reached out and impulsively hugged each of the women. Then she looked up at the man with a sweet expression. “I’ll be so happy to have the photos.”
As they started to walk away, an impulsive idea sprang to Amy’s mind. “Excuse me.” She stopped them. “I own the town’s newspaper. Would you mind if I put one of the photos in the Two Hearts Times? It’s a wonderful moment.” Amy waited for their response, hoping her request wasn’t intrusive, knowing she had no right to ask what she had.
The woman smiled. “I’m fine with it. Carter?”
He nodded. “Sure.”
Paige returned to the tent while Amy talked to the couple. Amy collected their names and contact information and then calculated whether she could squeeze the photo in this week’s edition. It would be nice to have something that had just happened instead of week-old news.
Inside, Cassie greeted her. “How was your first wedding?”
How did she answer that? Slow torture? She cleared her throat.
Before she could reply, Cassie patted her on the back. “I know what you went through with Maxine. Bella told me the story. I’m sorry that happened.” She motioned her forward. “Walk with me while I do my routine check on the room.”
“It’s fine, but I don’t want to see another wedding soon. Or have anything to do with weddings.”
Especially proposals.
They checked the drinks, finding everything fine. “Weddings are my life. But you probably have little to do with weddings with your newspaper.” Cassie asked, “What’s the most popular story you’ve done since you started the paper?”
Amy laughed and thought about it for a moment. “That’s easy. When Nick proposed to Simone. Paige was in her backyard and saw the whole thing. She took photos with her phone, and the couple let me run one in the newspaper. I received a ton of great comments about that story.”
Cassie nodded. “Maybe you should do a column in your newspaper with wedding-related things like tips and current trends.”
Amy waved her hands in front of her face. “Today kind of put me off of everything wedding for a while.”
Cassie laughed. “You’ve moved to the wrong town if you want to avoid weddings.”
Amy was sure that was true. The town had been dying before becoming a wedding destination had brought it back to life. It had embraced everything bridal.