Always the Wedding Planner, Never the Bride (31 page)

H
er favorite flowers are tulips, but can you get those this time of year? If not, she also loves those tall lavender roses. Do you know the ones I mean?"

"Sterling roses," the florist acknowledged.

"I want something a little extravagant," he said.

"A special occasion?"

"Every day, with this woman."

"How sweet," the florist told him. "We have some beautiful winter tulips in white and deep purple. Maybe eight or ten of each, and I can mix in a dozen sterling roses to make something spectacular."

"That sounds perfect."

"How do you want the card to read?"

Andy thought it over, tapping on the telephone handset. "How about this," he said. "In the spirit of new beginnings, marry me at midnight on New Year's Eve. Always, only you. Andy."

"I'm sorry," she teased. "I dropped my pen when you made me swoon."

Andy laughed. "She wants to set a date. I'm setting a date." "Good for you! Taking the bull by the horns."

"I won't tell her you said that."

"Oh. Yes. Good idea."

Two hours after Joan the florist had compared his fianc��e to a bull, Sherilyn called to thank him for the flowers. Apparently, Joan had been true to her word, and she'd put together a memorable and spectacular bouquet.

"I can't get over how beautiful it is, Andy. And your idea about New Year's Eve is inspired! It doesn't give me long for planning, but—"

"You're a wedding planner," he teased. "Tell me you haven't been planning it every day since I gave you the ring."

"Well," she laughed. "Maybe."

"I'm having lunch with my mother today. Are we agreed then? Can I tell her we're going to be married at the hotel on New Year's Eve?"

"Absolutely. In a small ceremony of about fifty people."

"Won't she be thrilled." Sherilyn tried to cover it up with her hand over the phone, but Andy heard her snicker. "Can you have dinner tonight?"

"It will have to be early. I have a wedding at eight. A special bride. I think I told you about her. The one whose mother-inlaw is railroading all of the details."

"Oh, right."

"She's just really gotten to me," Sherilyn told him. "She's such a sweet girl."

Andy smiled. Every one of Sherilyn's brides seemed to take on a special place for her.

"I'll come over to the hotel around five."

"Perfect. I'll invite everyone, and we'll have a sort of engagement celebration."

"Even though we've already been engaged a couple of months."

"Andy!" Sherilyn crooned. "We've set the date. That's huge!"

He shook his head and chuckled. "Okay. We'll make a big production out of it. I'll order fireworks."

"Save those for the wedding," she said dryly. "Along with your witty retorts, Mister Smarty Pants."

"See you at five."

Sherilyn could hardly see over the huge crystal vase of flowers, but she wanted them on the table when she and Andy told their friends that their wedding date had been decided at last. She'd asked Pearl to put two bottles of sparkling cider on ice instead of champagne, and she'd invited Emma and Jackson, Fee and Sean, and Russell and J.R. to join them for a "spontaneous" early dinner. Every one of them had accepted.

After reserving the table and leaving the flowers with the restaurant hostess, she made a quick run up to the third floor to check in on Brittany. A make-up artist and hair stylist worked busily on her when Sherilyn arrived, so she sat down on the edge of the bed and spoke to Brittany through her reflection in the mirror.

"Are you all set?" she asked. "Ready to be a bride?" "I'm ready to be a wife," Brittany replied with a gentle smile. "The bride part isn't exactly about me. Or hadn't you noticed?"

She didn't know quite what to say, so she simply squeezed her shoulder.

"Oh, it's not like it won't be a dream wedding," Brittany told her. "Just not my dream, or David's."

"No? So what would be different? I mean, your dream wedding. What would it be?"

"I don't want to sound pathetic here," she replied. "I love my dress, and you've done a beautiful job putting it all together, Sherilyn. Oh, and that cake!"

"Emma Rae outdid herself."

"She's amazing," Brittany exclaimed. "But I think David and I might have gone a lot less formal in some areas. Maybe not a whole sit-down spectacle for dinner, with charger plates and . . ." She contorted her face, very high-brow as she said, ". . . grilled salmon and lobster thermidor."

Lobster hadn't made the final menu, but Sherilyn didn't figure she needed to correct her.

"And that orchestral extravaganza she has playing at the reception! They don't even know our song. Can you imagine? We can't even have one dance to our special song!"

"What's your song?"

"You'll Accompany Me."

Sherilyn brightened and laughed. "Bob Seger!"

"Right. It was playing when we met, and David played it on his guitar and sang to me the night he proposed."

"It's a classic!"

"I know! Right? But even if Beverly's symphony escapees did know the song, I imagine she might keel over if they played it."

She and Brittany cackled with laughter at the mere thought. Even the hair stylist began to snicker, and Sherilyn figured she must have already met Beverly Pendleton.

Brittany changed gears as she asked, "Oh, hey! Do you know who I saw in the restaurant this morning?"

"Who?"

"Russell Walker! Can you imagine?"

"I heard he checked in last night."

"He gave me an autograph, and he was just as charming as I knew he would be," she gushed. "He's one of my favorite

actors on the planet. And you know, he didn't seem nearly as crazy as people say he is."

"No?"

"Sherilyn, he's so
hot."

She giggled. "Do I have to remind you that you're about to be a married woman?"

"Married. Not comatose."

Sherilyn grinned at her. "Listen, I have dinner downstairs with my fiancé. Afterward, I'll be back to check on you before the ceremony."

"Thank you."

"Anything you need, you call my cell, all right?"

Brittany nodded. "If I don't remember to tell you later, you did an exquisite job."

"And you are going to have a dreamy wedding."

"Promise?"

"Of course!"

Sherilyn checked the time on her new BlackBerry before tucking it into the pocket of her chocolate brown trousers. She'd chosen the champagne satin blouse to wear to dinner because it was one of Andy's favorites, and she smoothed it in the elevator before hurrying across the lobby.

"Everything is all set for dinner, Miss Caine," the hostess told her as she crossed into the restaurant. "Your guests have just arrived."

"Thank you."

Andy stood as she approached the table, and he pecked her cheek and held out the chair next to his. "You look stunning," he whispered in her ear, and she squeezed his hand.

"Hi, all. I'm sorry I'm late. I have an excited bride upstairs. Did everyone see my beautiful flowers? Andy sent them to me this morning."

"Gorgeous!" Emma exclaimed.

"Fine," Sean taunted Andy. "Make us all look bad."

"Well, I don't think you have anything to feel bad about," Fee told him. "I mean, you know . . ." And she raised her left hand, wiggling the large round rock gracing her ring finger. ". . . Some women get flowers, others get diamonds."

Emma and Sherilyn's collective gasps set off a wave of questions, comments, and congratulations.

"You two met like twenty minutes ago," Russell said. "Sean, you're ready to invest in forever?"

"No question," Sean told them.

"And you!" Russell exclaimed, pointing at Fee. "You know nothing about this fella. He could be some born-again, bigamist serial killer with a family in eleven different cities and four bodies in the trunk of his car."

"I'll take my chances," Fee beamed. "I know everything I need to know."

"Well, Andy and I can't very well say anything. He proposed on our tenth date!"

"You were counting?" he asked her.

Sherilyn shrugged and gave him a loving smile. "Well, speaking of engagements . . ." she began, but Jackson and Emma whispered something to one another and popped with laughter. "What?" she asked them.

"Well, Fee sort of stole our thunder," Jackson replied, and he lifted Emma's hand from her lap and waved it at them.

"What!" Sherilyn cried, leaping to her feet and grabbing Emma's hand to inspect the flashy diamond that graced her ring finger. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I was going to," she said. "But when you invited everyone to dinner, we thought it would be a perfect time to share our news with all of our friends."

"And you too, Russell." The serious expression on Jackson's face melted away to a grin, and Russell crackled with laughter.

"Speaking of stealing people's thunder," Andy said softly.

"Yeah, it might not seem so big to everyone in light of all of these other announcements of marital intentions," Sherilyn announced. "But Andy and I have set our wedding date. That's why I invited you all to dinner."

"Ohhh," Emma cried. "I'm sorry."

"No, no," Sherilyn reassured her. "This is perfect. All three of us with news to share!"

Russell hopped to his feet, threw both hands on his hips, and glared down at J.R. "And you with no diamond to offer? Hmmph!"

"Oh, sit down, silly," Sherilyn teased.

"So when is the big day?" Emma pressed her.

"Midnight. New Year's Eve."

"No way!" Fee exclaimed. "Dude, that's when
we're
getting married!"

Sherilyn's hand slapped against her heart, and she felt the blood rush out of her face. "What?"

"Kidding. Congratulations."

Sherilyn grinned and deflated into Andy as he slipped his arm around her.

"Well, Jack," Russell said. "When you decided this would be a wedding-themed hotel, you really started something, didn't you? You sure aren't a bloke to mess around!"

Andy sat in the very back row of chairs, Sherilyn at his side as Brittany Lund exchanged vows with David Pendleton. When the mayor pronounced them husband and wife, and Sherilyn slipped her hand into Andy's and smiled up at him, it was another one of those moments where she completely took his breath away.

The bride reached out and squeezed Sherilyn's hand as she and her groom passed them.

"Thank you so much," she said softly. "For everything." Sherilyn looped her arm through Andy's on their march through the doors. "Wait until she sees the surprise I have for her."

Andy didn't have the opportunity to ask her what she meant before she grabbed the clipboard she'd stashed under a ficus in the hall. "The reception is in the English Rose ballroom at the far end. Go ahead and get back to Jackson, and I'll meet you at the door in an hour? Don't be late, okay?"

Jackson had invited him to kill some time up in his office while Sherilyn tended to wedding business. When Andy arrived, he had an impressive carved ivory chess set erected on his desk.

"Do you play?" he asked.

"Not in years, but I used to love the game." Andy sat down across from Jackson, picked up the rook, and examined it.

"This is a pretty cool set."

"It was my grandfather's. He taught me how to play." At the end of the match, Andy glanced at his watch and realized he'd gone over by a few minutes. "Ah, man," he said, "Sherilyn told me not to be late. She's got some big surprise planned for the bride."

"What kind of surprise?"

"No clue, but I'd better get a move on."

"Later then," Jackson said as he set the chess pieces back into place on the marble board.

"Hey, Jackson. Congratulations to you and Emma. We're really happy for you."

"I should have asked her a long time ago," he admitted.

"Well, you asked her now."

Jackson smiled and tilted into a shrug. "You better take off, buddy."

Andy didn't bother to wait for the elevator. He took the staircase down to the main floor and jogged across the lobby. Sherilyn stood waiting at the entrance to the ballroom when he turned the corner, and she rolled her arm at him.

"Come on, come on!"