“He’s been working for her for only a few months. But no, you see, our brother Hayes is a lawyer. One of those shark types. So if you don’t show up, your life would get very complicated. And no one wants that.” He’d said that with a huge dose of humor, so I knew he was mostly kidding.
I bristled anyway, though it was half for show. “Are you threatening me?”
Monroe sobered a bit. “Not really. I know you’re a good guy, West Walker. So all of that is really moot. Let me pay in full now, and then none of us have to worry about anything on the day.”
I caved because I’d be stupid not to. No one prepaid in full in advance, and there had been plenty of times I’d had to chase money down. Once I’d even had to get lawyers involved before I received payment. This was a far better option. After the transaction was complete, and Monroe tucked his credit card into his wallet, he looked at me and grinned. I really did like how much and how easily he smiled.
“So I’ll see you in a couple of weeks then?”
“Of course.” I took offense, even though I was pretty sure he didn’t mean it like I thought. He wasn’t implying that I wouldn’t show up on the wedding day with the flowers after we’d already established that I would, right?
“Good.” His voice dropped an octave. “I look forward to seeing you again, West.”
I knew it was my imagination and my starving libido that read far too much into that statement. But the truth was, I was looking forward to seeing Monroe again, too. Probably way more than I should. 3
It was a bright, sunny day with hardly a cloud in the sky and with a very subtle breeze that picked up every now and again. Warm, but not overly so. No one would sweat through their formal clothes, but anyone who chose to wear a dress would be comfortable as well.
All in all, it was a perfect day for a wedding.
The Deveraux Estate was about a mile outside of Landry’s Fall proper. By the time I rolled up at two in the afternoon, there were already a dozen cars in the lot. I followed the discrete drive along the side of the Victorian mansion so I could unload near the terrace. Since I was by myself, it would make things so much easier.
Normally, either Lenore or Zoe came with me, but it was a Friday—and I was still amazed by the amount of people who forwent the traditional Saturday for weddings these days—and the shop was busy. I’d left them both there, assuring them I could handle the small order on my own.
I’d just hopped down from the van and was circling around to the back to open the doors, when a bang made me jump. I turned to see the screen door swinging back from hitting the house and Elise Deveraux herself tearing down the steps.
“Oh, thank God you’re here,” she all but yelled, then threw herself into my arms.
I hugged her tight and schooled my scowl before I pulled back. Perhaps it was because the conversation with Monroe was still fresh in my mind, but I really took offense at even the suggestion that I wouldn’t show up. But I apparently didn’t do as good a job as I wanted at hiding my expression, because when Elise saw my face, she frantically shook her head, setting her curls swinging.
“No, no. Not like that. Lincoln is all but having a breakdown.” Elise sucked in a huge breath and tried to get herself under control. “Maisy had a fire last night! Did you hear?”
I gasped. I hadn’t. I mean, I’d heard the firetruck sirens about three o’clock in the morning. The town wasn’t that big, and Maisy’s Catering was only three blocks from my house just off Main St. But the sirens hadn’t necessarily meant fire. They responded to a lot of different emergencies, and since tourist season was in full swing, their presence could have meant anything.
“Yes. Some sort of faulty wiring, they think. The damage wasn’t so bad, but of course, she couldn’t spend the day cooking and now she’s using the kitchen—” she gestured behind her at the house “—trying to get everything done. The kitchen here isn’t really equipped for it, you know. But she’ll get it done. And the DJ they hired cancelled last week with no explanation. We found a replacement…I had to pull some strings, but at least we got someone here. Lincoln is convinced something else will go wrong, and he’s sort of spiraling.”
“Oh, jeez,” I whispered, my heart squeezed. Poor Lincoln
“And he absolutely refused to see James before the wedding, even though James is the one who can calm him down the best.” Elise took another breath. “James has been standing at the door to their suite for the past two hours, trying to talk him down.”
“What can I do?”
A bright grin bloomed on Elise’s pixie-ish face. “Set up the flowers, of course! I’ll run up and tell Lincoln it’s all good.” She spun around, then paused, and turned just her head to look at me over her shoulder. “That man is a life-saver. He keeps me organized and this business running. I will do damn near anything to make sure his wedding is perfect.”
I had to laugh at the fierceness in her gaze. Anyone thinking they could cross Elise was in for a world of hurt. I loved it.