Chapter Seventeen

Tori’s ringtone sang out seconds before she pulled into a parking spot downtown. Lettie’s name lit up the screen, and she put the car in park as she answered. “Hello?”

“Hey. Where are you right now?”

“I just got back from Dawson Manor.” She’d been there all morning ironing out details and coming up with more ways to use the space to their advantage.

“Perfect. Want to get some lunch with me?”

Tori held the phone between her ear and her shoulder and took the opportunity to organize the notes she’d jotted down at the manor. “I would love to, but I still haven’t found the right venue for the Maxwell-Edison wedding, and I wanted to check out a few places this afternoon.” Her poor feet ached just thinking about it. Why had she thought heels were a good idea today? “And I need to confirm the vendors for the Bedland wedding with Dani.” And by Dani, she really meant Georgina, since she was the one Tori had been doing most of the conferring with through all this planning.

Every meeting Tori scheduled with the bride turned into a last-minute work emergency where she’d sent Georgina in her place. The few times Tori was able to get with Dani, she almost always agreed with whatever her mother thought. Tori swore she had never seen a daughter who trusted her mother’s taste so much in her life. And while that seemed to work for them, there was nothing more frustrating to a planner than not being able to discuss what the bride wanted with the bride.

“Speaking of the Bedland wedding, have you thought any more about booking Reese’s band for the reception?”

She stopped rifling through her papers. “I have. And I’m just not sure it’s a good idea.”

“But they’re good, Tori. You should hear them.”

“I believe you.” She took a deep breath. She did not want to add upsetting Lettie to her ridiculously long list of things to do today, but sometimes being the boss meant doing things she didn’t want to. “But this is an important gig. I don’t think Georgina will be impressed by my booking Necessary Irrelevancy. I mean, what does that even mean?”

“It’s an oxymoron. They thought it was clever. And isn’t it supposed to be Dani and Collin’s decision, not her mother’s?”

Yes, it is, but good luck getting her opinion on anything. “I’m sure we can try them for some other wedding, Let. Just not this one.”

“But if they just heard them—”

“I said no, Lettie!” she burst out before immediately regretting it. She didn’t think she’d ever raised her voice at a coworker like that, or at her best friend for that matter. “I’m so sorry. That was completely uncalled for. It’s just that getting everything squared away for the Bedland gig is taking a lot longer than I expected.”

She’d decided to go with some of the high-end vendors she’d used when she was still at her old firm in Atlanta. Not only were they experienced with this kind of wedding, but she’d already had a good relationship with the owners and knew she could trust them come the big day. It was the reason she was so hesitant to book Reese’s band. Well, one of them anyway.

But the manor was a couple hours outside of Atlanta, and it was a bit of a hassle finding places that could work on such short notice, had an opening for that day, and didn’t mind driving all the way out.

“Well, why don’t you lay some of your workload on my and Deb’s plates? We’re here to help you, remember?”

“I know you are, but I promise I’ve got it all handled. Honestly, I’m on such a roll right now, it’ll just be quicker if I handle these things myself. This wedding is too important for me to drop the ball.”

“Well, it’s also important to take care of yourself. You sound exhausted, and I know you haven’t been eating like you should either. If you keep running yourself ragged like this, you’ll burn out completely and then you’ll be no good to anyone.”

Tori set her notes aside completely. “You’re right. And I promise to take it a bit easier as soon as this Bedland wedding is over. I just have to make sure it’s—”

“Perfect. Yes, so you’ve said.” There was a muffled sound of another voice on Lettie’s end. “Oh right. Deb just said to remind you that you have a meeting with Chloe Vandenberg about design concepts at four.”

Oh, shoot. She’d been so caught up in everything else she hadn’t even had a chance to come up with ideas. “I totally forgot. Okay, um…I’ll just have to do a stop right now at the florist’s in town to try to get some ideas.” It usually worked back at her old firm whenever she needed a little inspiration.

“And what are you going to do about lunch? You still have to eat at some point.”

“Um…I’m sure I can pick up something real quick to take with me after I finish at the florist’s. You want me to grab you something and drop it off?”

“Nah, that’s okay. I think I’ll take Deb to the café and see if I can get her to eat a full-fat muffin.”

This time Tori recognized Deb yelling, “A moment on the lips…” in the background on Lettie’s end.

“A lifetime on the hips. Yeah, yeah, we know,” Lettie practically growled. “Or maybe I’ll just go by McCluskey’s and see Reese.”

“That still going well?” It was an unnecessary question. The guy was just about all Lettie talked about in her free time.

“Very well, thank you. What about you? You said the wedding guy was a no-go. Are there any other guys for things to potentially be going well with?”

“Hardly. Too busy, remember? As you said earlier, I barely have time for myself, let alone a guy.”

“You should really work on that.”

Tori huffed. “Yeah, well, ask me again in six weeks.” They said their goodbyes, and Tori finally turned the car off, put her papers away neatly in her playbook, and grabbed her bag. Instead of heading right down the sidewalk toward the small alley where Del Mar was hidden—she’d been craving those shrimp tacos like crazy the past few days—she turned left in the direction of the flower shop on the corner a few blocks down, the thick binder in her arms feeling heavier with each step.

Any sane person would have left the thing in the car, but Tori had been lugging it around so much lately it felt like an extension of herself. She never knew when she might have a wedding planning emergency and need it. Especially with the Bedland wedding looming so close.

Tori shifted the twenty-pound book in her aching arms. She’d be grateful when all this was finally over.

She’d been meaning to check out Pocket Full of Posies for a while now, so at least she’d kill two birds with one stone. She reached the corner where the business sat. There were dozens of flower arrangements lining the windows on each side of the little brick shop under the shade of light yellow awnings, as well as a cart full of bright, colorful blooms soaking up sunlight out front in the middle of the sidewalk corner.

Roses, tulips, camellias, hydrangeas. Pinks, purples, oranges, reds. The sheer number of varying arrangements and colors was overwhelming, so much so that it was impossible to find one that stood out over any of the other equally beautiful options. But even so, nothing screamed the unique, slightly edgy wedding her client wanted.

This was the worst part for Tori. She’d always struggled a bit more with the design aspects of the wedding. She’d learned so much from her design classes at school, but she still didn’t seem to have that knack for it like her mother had. She knew she could do it. She’d put together the concept for the Bedlands that they’d loved. But that had taken her two weeks. Today she only had minutes.

Tori stopped at a bouquet of white and yellow daisies. They looked so simple amid all the other bright and colorful arrangements, and she felt the urge to buy them just to affirm their own beauty. They were the complete opposite of what her client wanted, but there was a spot in her own office they would be perfect for.

She ran her finger over the soft petals, then lowered her nose to them, inhaling the light scent.

“Daisies, huh? Not what I would have guessed.”

Tori straightened, not the least bit surprised to find Wyatt grinning beside her. His dark blond hair rustled in the warm breeze, a reminder that summer was only a few weeks away.

“They’re nice.” She smiled down at the daisies, then back up at him. “I’m actually more of an orange dahlia woman myself.”

He chuckled. “That sounds more like it.” His attention fell to the binder in her arms. “Whoa, that the famous playbook I’ve heard so much about?”

“The one and only.” Tori instinctively clutched it tighter as he eyed it, suddenly feeling self-conscious. “It’s nothing special, really. Just a book I made to help keep me organized.”

“I’m not sure if I’d call that a book so much as a weapon. You must really mean business.”

She shrugged, not really sure what to say to that.

“What are you doing here?” he asked. “Looking for anything in particular?”

“Not really. Just browsing. Looking for my muse, so to speak. How about you?”

He stared down at his feet. “Just picking up some roses, no big deal.” There was clearly more to the story, something he felt shy or embarrassed about. Something he didn’t want her to know about. He didn’t elaborate further.

“You got a hot date tonight or something?” The idea shouldn’t have bothered her, but knowing that didn’t stop the bile from rising in her throat.

His head snapped back up. “No,” he said firmly, and his shoulders fell. “They’re an apology for Astrid.”

Oh.

She was officially a terrible person. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s a long story, but the short version is that she was trying to help but I was in a bad mood this morning and basically accused her of saying I can’t handle running my own business.”

Yikes. “Why were you in a bad mood?”

“Just a few things I’m trying to figure out in order to grow the business some.”

“What kinds of things?”

He’d been worrying his bottom lip but stopped, as if suddenly remembering what he was saying or who he was talking to. “Like I said, it’s nothing. These things always manage to work themselves out anyway.” He pasted on his usual carefree smile, but there was a tightness behind it. His shoulders were rigid. Did he notice how tense he got whenever he talked about his business?

“Have you ever thought about…?” She froze. How did you suggest to a friend that maybe instead of going bigger they step back from the business altogether? Especially after he’d just admitted to an argument with his sister over the subject?

It wasn’t that Tori didn’t think he could do it. But what was the point of working so hard for a job that clearly didn’t make him happy? Sure, he liked the creative side, but did that make up for all the other parts he’d already admitted to hating?

“Thought about what?”

She just wanted to help him, and friends were supposed to be able to talk about this kind of stuff openly, right? She sucked in a breath, readying herself.

“Here you go, Wyatt.” A woman with a short black bob placed a bouquet of pink and light purple roses in his hands.

He grinned down at the flowers. “These look great, Ames.”

“Thanks. I especially like the added touch of the echeveria elegans.”

Tori gave the flowers a second look, this time noticing the pale succulents, like small green peonies with smooth cactus leaves instead of petals, mixed in. Her mouth fell open. “These are beautiful.”

“I can’t take all the credit for this one. Wyatt told me what he wanted. I just put them together.”

“You came up with this?” Tori asked him.

He shrugged. “Astrid loves the look of roses but hates the cliché. I thought the Mexican Snowballs would help make them feel fresh.”

Amy placed a manicured hand on Wyatt’s arm. “I guarantee she’s going to love them,” she assured him with a warm smile, and it was pretty obvious from the way she batted her eyelashes at him that she had a crush. Just like it was equally obvious that Wyatt had absolutely no idea.

Tori couldn’t decide if she liked this last bit of observation or not.

“Oh, yeah, Tori, this is Amy. She manages the flower shop, and her family owns the old rope mill I showed you.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Amy said. She offered her hand, and Tori shook it between them.

“Nice to meet you too.”

“Tori moved here last month. She took over Planned to Perfection after her mom left.”

Amy’s hand stilled, and her smile fell. “Oh, I see.” She discreetly pulled away from Tori’s grasp. What on Earth was that about?

“Your flowers are gorgeous. I’m going to have to start getting some every week for the office.”

“Yeah, sure. Well, like I said, it was nice to meet you,” she repeated, this time with next to no enthusiasm. “I’ll put these on your tab, Wyatt.”

She gave Tori one last look, a cold glare that sent a chill straight to Tori’s bones, before heading back inside.

“Amy’s a master at arrangements and stuff. If you’re ever looking for inspiration, she’d be the one to ask.”

“I’m not sure she wants me to ask her for the time, let alone for help.”

“What do you mean?”

She stared up at him. “Are you kidding? She totally just gave me the brush-off. She clearly doesn’t like me.” Not that she even knew her. Of course, that never seemed to matter to some women.

“It’s not that she doesn’t like you,” he said, a little too knowingly.

“But there is something?”

His fingers combed through his hair, but he remained silent.

“Tell me, Wyatt. I can handle it.” Clearly, there was something going on if she’d managed to upset a complete stranger. Was it because she’d been talking to Wyatt? But then why had Amy gotten so upset after they shook hands? “How am I supposed to fix it if I don’t even know what’s wrong?”

“Okay,” he relented. “Just promise me you won’t shoot the messenger.”

She shifted her binder in one arm onto her hip, her hand settling on her other hip, and scowled. “Fine. Now spill.”

“Word has gotten around that you got the Bedland gig.”

“Okay…is she mad that you lost or something?” It kind of made sense, especially if Tori’s suspicion about Amy’s crush on him were true.

He shook his head. “It’s nothing like that.”

“Then how does me winning hurt her?” He said nothing. “Wyatt?”

“It’s because you’ve been booking vendors from Atlanta.”

Okay, that she had not expected. “She’s upset because I didn’t hire her business to do the flowers for the wedding?”

“Not just her business,” he said quietly. “You’ve hired an outside bakery for the cake, equipment rental, invitations. This wedding is a big deal, and so far you haven’t booked a single one of the local vendors. Vendors who could really use the business. It’s a small community, and we all try to help each other out when we can. That’s why your mom always—”

“My mom?” Of course. Tori had thought by getting the Bedland wedding she’d already proved herself. And maybe she had somewhat in her old circles. But not to anyone here in Bedland Shores. Despite working herself to the bone these last several weeks, she still couldn’t measure up to her mother in their eyes. At this rate, she probably never would.

The bubble she’d been slowly inflating over the last month burst.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have told you.”

“No, it’s fine. Friends should be able to talk about this stuff.” At least that was what she’d been telling herself right before Amy showed up. She wanted so badly for it to be true. Especially for them. “I get that it’s important to support local businesses. I’m not saying these places aren’t good. I’m sure they’re all great, and I wish I could be the good guy who comes in with all this work for the people who really need it. If this were any other wedding, I’d be happy to give Reese and Amy and everyone else in this town a shot if they wanted it. But this isn’t just any wedding; it’s the Bedlands, for crying out loud! It is huge and probably the single-most important event of my career. I need everything to be perfect.”

Tori panted, her chest growing heavier as the weight of sleepless nights, skipped meals, and an impossibly heavy binder settled in on her.

“Tori?”

Her eyes filled with unwanted tears, and she looked away before Wyatt could see them.

The next thing she knew, the playbook was pried from her hands. He set it aside on a nearby cart, along with the bouquet of flowers for his sister, and gently pulled her into his chest. It was meant to comfort her, but the sweet sentiment only made her want to cry harder.

“If they had any idea how hard I’ve worked on this wedding, not to mention all the others I’ve been booking. I’m trying to keep them all straight and give each one of them my all. But this Bedland wedding is taking so much out of me, and I’ve only got six more weeks to get it all done.” Planning the biggest wedding of her life in only three months, trying to make so many people happy at once, proving to herself and everyone else that she could.

She sucked in a sharp breath. “I just didn’t realize it would be this hard.”

He wrapped her tightly in his arms and rubbed one hand in circles on her back. “There you go. Let it all out.” She felt each of the worries she’d been harboring the last four weeks fall away until there was nothing but her and him and the soothing sound of his heart beating steadily at her ear.

He held her like that for several minutes.

His hand stilled at the spot just between her shoulder blades, his thumb rubbing back and forth. “Feel better?”

She nodded into his T-shirt.

“How long have you been holding all that in?”

“A while.” Since the moment she’d won the Bedland gig, if she had to guess. “There’s just so much riding on this wedding, and I’m barely keeping it together. I’ve done this a hundred times, but this one is different. There’s too much at stake. For me, for Lettie and Deb. I can’t let them down.”

“I bet they’re more concerned about you. It can’t be healthy wearing yourself out like this. You need to take care of yourself, too, find some time to relax when you need it.”

“You sound like Lettie.”

He chuckled. “She’s a smart woman.”

She nestled deeper into his hold, enjoying his warmth even on this late spring day. His chest was solid and strong and smelled faintly of detergent and cologne. She thought she’d liked it the night they met, but that was nothing compared to the feelings it stirred in her now. She felt safe, secure. Like nothing could hurt her as long as she stayed right here. If only he could hold her like this forever.

Their arms still around each other, she pulled her face away just enough to look him in the eye. She froze. What must this look like to those passing by on the street, watching as the two of them held each other for all the world to see?

His hand slid down to the small of her back, holding her body even closer to his if it were possible. Her eyes fell to his lips, only inches from her own. If she leaned forward just a little bit…

Tori felt unbearably warm all of a sudden.

She pulled out of his arms and wiped at her tear-streaked face to avoid meeting his gaze again. She scanned the sidewalk around them. How many people had witnessed their incredibly personal moment?

“Thank you for…comforting me. And for letting me cry it out all over your shirt.”

“As long as it helped, I consider it a worthwhile sacrifice. He went down for a worthy cause.”

“It did help.” He had no idea how much. “And I really do feel much better.”

“Anytime.” That glint in his eye, she had no doubt he meant it. A small fire lit in her stomach, its warmth burning her beyond her comfort level.

She laughed nervously. “You were saying something about trying to relax?” She couldn’t be further from it at this particular moment.

“Right. I don’t think it will hurt you to take a night off sometime.” He coughed to clear his throat. “After the weeks we’ve had, it sounds like we could both use a break.”

Tori’s hands slid down her shirt, straightening out the wrinkles it had sustained while she was pressed against him. Another wave of heat swept through her. Oh boy. She shook her head, trying to erase the memory like an Etch A Sketch.

“Easier said than done, I’m afraid. There’s still so much I need to do.”

“Nothing you can’t finish with some help from your team. I meant what I said, Tori. You’ve got to take care of yourself. Relax, have some fun this weekend. We both know you need it.”

She scowled up at him, but only managed to hold her ground for about five seconds. She hated to admit it, but as stressed and exhausted as she felt right now, she probably needed the rest more than either of them realized. “All right, fine. I guess this weekend is as good a time as any to give 'Gossip Girl' another go.”

“I have a better idea. They’re showing House on Haunted Hill at the movie theater tomorrow night. Why don’t we go together?”

She grinned. “You’re right. That’s a much better idea.” She hadn’t seen a good horror flick in so long. And after the crazy mix of emotions she’d been feeling these last several weeks, it was exactly what she needed.

“Want me to pick you up?”

“Sure. Wait, no,” she blurted out. “Actually, why don’t we meet at the theater instead?” She was still too keyed up from whatever just happened to think clearly right now. She didn’t need any awkwardness tomorrow night making things even worse. They were supposed to be on the same page. Friends. So then why was her heart trying to make up its own rules as it went along?

“Okay, sounds good.” He held up the bouquet of flowers. “I better get these to Astrid and start preparing my groveling speech.”

“Try telling her how lost you’d be without her.”

“I’m pretty sure she already knows that.”

“Oh, all women do. But it’s still nice to hear a man acknowledge it every once in a while.”

Wyatt chuckled. “The movie starts at eight.”

“Then I’ll meet you there a few minutes before?”

He grinned, the crooked kind she’d grown to lo—like. She was going to say like.

“It’s a date then,” he said.

Red-hot fire burst into Tori’s cheeks. Of course he didn’t mean a real date. It was only a figure of speech. But knowing that didn’t keep her lungs from temporarily forgetting how to breathe. “I should go,” she managed to say after finally catching a breath.

“Sure.”

She spun around, fighting every urge to bury her flaming face in her hands and run away.

“Hey, Tori?”

She slowly turned back to face him. “Yeah?”

Wyatt grinned, eyes twinkling with what she imagined was suppressed laughter. He pointed at the giant pink binder on the cart beside him. “I think you forgot something.”

Crap. Tori darted over to him, refusing eye contact as she carefully scooped up her playbook. “Thanks.” This could not possibly get more embarrassing. What kind of wedding planner left her book behind? Clearly her emotional outburst had affected her more than she thought.

She blinked up at Wyatt. “Right. So, um…bye.” She turned away again without another word, Wyatt chuckling behind her as she speed-walked down the street and away from whatever the heck that was.

She barely made it a block before an uncontrollable grin emerged.