With These Four Rings - Book Five: Wedding Bonus (Billionaire Brides of Granite Falls 5) (3 page)

Desire pushed the binders toward the middle of the table, and motioned for them to lean in. For the next couple of hours, they discussed the checklist, eliminating, modifying, and adding to their choices of the menu, napkins, seating, cake—flavor and decoration—photographers and videographers, the orchestra and music selections, transportation and reservations at Hotel Andreas for out-of-town guests, and a host of other wedding preparations that none of the brides had foreseen.

Desire finally closed her binders, returned them to her tote, and leaned back into the cushioned chair. “Fae told me you’ve been having trouble deciding on the flowers for the church,” she said. “Have you been able to resolve it?”

“Not yet,” Michelle stretched out her legs under the table. “As close as we are, we have different tastes and preferences, and we do want some things to be unique.”

“Like your dresses, bouquets, and the four cakes. But your rings are all the same,” Desire pointed out. “Designing one set of rings for four couples is a unique idea, unheard of, really. Can I ask why you decided to do it?”

The women smiled and automatically joined hands. “We love each other like sisters,” Michelle spoke for all. “The one set of rings is a way of sealing our friendship, just like our husbands sealed theirs in high school in a blood oath. Our rings symbolize our commitment and promise to always be there for each other.”

“Not just for each other.” Shaina squeezed the hands in hers. “If anything happens to me, I know all these ladies will be there for my kid, or kids if I have more.”

“And our husbands, too,” both Kaya and Tashi said simultaneously, and then gave each other bizarre stares.

“You even have the same thoughts,” Desire said. “Your devotion to each other is positively exemplary. Every couple should have friends like you.” She smiled in obvious admiration as the women untangled their hands and sat back in their chairs.

“Friendship aside,” Michelle said, “every bride wants the church aisle to be lined with the flowers of her choice—flowers that have a significant meaning to her.”

“What do you each want?” Desire opened up an app on her laptop and began typing.

“I want red and white peonies,” Tashi provided. “Shaina wants purple, red and pink tulips. Kaya insists on pink, white, and yellow orchids, and Michelle—”

“I want lilies—Peruvian, calla, and those of the valley.”

“We thought of using a little of each since the purpose of this group wedding is to symbolize the bond of friendship and sisterhood we’ve created over the years, but it seems too crazy, like overkill, to have so many varieties of flowers in one place,” Kaya stated.

“Then why not have four aisles?” Desire opened another app, and began sketching away rapidly.

“Four aisles?” Shaina strained her neck to peek at Desire’s sketches.

“Why not? The church is big enough.” Desire motioned them close again. “Instead of walking down one aisle in single file as you’d previously planned,” she began, pointing to a rough blueprint of the church divided into eight seating sections and four aisles, “you’ll each simultaneously walk down your own aisle lined with your favorite flower. You’ll have your own spotlight, and your individual husbands—standing at the head of each aisle under an arched trellis fashioned from the flower of your choice—can focus on you, and you alone, while you walk toward him.”

Michelle took a closer look at the drawing. “I like that.”

“The great thing about the trellises,” Desire continued, “is that they can be remotely controlled, so that once the person who gives you away delivers you—”

Shaina cleared her throat. “We’re delivering ourselves. We’re giving ourselves to them.”

Tashi raised her hand. “About that, my dad insists on walking me down the aisle. Sorry, guys, but he’s missed so much of my life, he doesn’t want to pass up on this sacred opportunity. You don’t have to follow suit, but—”

“Yes, we do,” Shaina interjected. “I can have Cameron walk me. He’d love that.”

“Robert gave me away once. He’d be delighted to do it again,” Michelle said.

Kaya smiled. “Jason wasn’t too thrilled about being an usher. He thought it would be cool to walk me down the aisle. It’ll make his day when I tell him he can have his wish.”

“Wonderful,” Desire declared, enthusiastically. “Once you’re given away, your husbands will escort you—under your individual trellis—to the center of the church where Pastor Kelly will be waiting to officiate. I’ve never done anything like this before,” she cautioned, “but I’m sure with some adept maneuvering and lots of practice, we can pull it off without a hitch.”

“Oh my gosh! Wow! This is awesome! Brilliant!” the women exclaimed in turn as they grinned at each other.

“I like that we each get our individual bride and groom section,” Michelle said.

“Exactly,” Desire responded. “That way, there’s no bickering over which family members get to sit in the front row.”

Shaina laughed. “Yeah, we were actually going to toss coins.”

“Now you don’t have to.” Desire closed her laptop and placed it in her tote.

Tashi shrugged. “Didn’t make any difference to me since the only family I have is my father, and besides you guys, Mindy is my closest friend. My bride section is gonna be practically empty.”

“That’s true for all of us,” Shaina remarked.

“If there’s one thing I’ve learned in this line of work,” Desire offered, “it’s that quality is more important than quantity. I know of many brides who’ve regretted inviting people they hardly know to their weddings, just because they didn’t want to offend them. In the end, your wedding day is all about you, and nobody else. Since none of you have much family and since you’re all already married, my suggestion is that you don’t divide the bride and groom sections. Just quarter off a few rows in the front for your family, closest friends, and VIPs, and have the ushers seat the other guests from front to back. The early guests get the better seats.”

“See, this is why we wanted you in the first place.” Shaina gave Desire an animated smile. “You have vision.”

“You’re really giving us the wedding of our desire, Desire.” Michelle turned to Kaya. “You have to convince Bryce to let her do our wedding.”

“I know. I will.” She’d just have to take off her panties before she arrived at his office, Kaya thought, or maybe she’d keep them on and leave them as a scented gift, a reminder of how obliging she could be when he saw things her way.

Desire stood up, picked up her tote, and swung it over her shoulder. “Well, ladies, it will be exciting putting the finishing touches on the planning of your unprecedented wedding.” She shook each of their hands. “I’ll start my team working on these changes when I get the confirmation call later today.” She spoke to everyone, but kept her eyes on Kaya. “If it’s positive, we’ll set up another meeting for later this week. See you around.”

“Anyone for dessert?” Michelle asked, after Desire left. She eyed a piece of German chocolate cake with walnuts nestling in the frosting.

“I have to go home and feed my baby. These things are bursting.” Tashi pressed her arms into the sides of her swollen breasts.

Shaina gave Tashi a slanted look. “And by ‘baby’, are we talking Adam or Alex?”

“Both. Adam is working from home today.” She pushed back her chair.

“Didn’t I give you a LaCrosse pump at your baby shower?” Michelle watched Tashi walk over to a sofa and retrieve the designer purses they’d all tossed there earlier. “Have you ever even used it?” she asked as Tashi returned and handed the purses to their owners.

Tashi stood behind Michelle’s chair and placed her hands on her shoulders. “Adam tossed it. Said he and Alex are the only pumps I need, and there was no way in hell a LaCrosse was pumping his wife’s breasts.”

The room lit up with laughter.

“Those were Massimo’s sentiments. Verbatim. The cousins must have had a discussion about it.”

“Anyway, after trying several others and realizing that it really is the best on the market, I had to buy another LaCrosse pump to use during the trial.”

“Word,” Michelle pinned Tashi with an
I told you so
stare.

“What about you?” Tashi asked Kaya. “Did you ever use the one she gave you?”

“No way. With two babies and a husband fighting for nursing sessions, there was no need.” Kaya looked at Michelle. “I think you’re the only one of us who uses the LaCrosse pump.”

Michelle twisted her lips sheepishly. “Since we’re being honest, I do have to get home to nurse Fiona.”

Shaina tossed her an evil look. “So you don’t use your own pump, hypocrite?”

Michelle grimaced. “Just once. Last New Year’s Eve when I had to leave Fiona for a day. Don’t need a LaCrosse pump when I have the real LaCrosse’s tender lips, do I?”

“Case in point.” Shaina vacated her chair and tucked her Zagliani clutch under her arm. “We all have babies at home, waiting to be fed. No, no, no,” she added when her friends stared at her with questioning eyes. “I don’t still nurse Aria. I just like to have her meals with her.”

They let out their breaths, then Kaya said, “I have a husband to seduce, so—”

“Wait.” Michelle held Kaya’s wrist as she attempted to get up from the table. “Before you go, can we chat a little?” She turned to Tashi and Shaina who were sporting curious stares at her. “You two go ahead. We’ll catch up later.”

“Sure, Mama. Come on nosy.” Tashi tugged a reluctant Shaina toward the door.

CHAPTER TWO

Fontaine Enterprises – Same day…

Kaya’s heart was beating two miles a second as she rode the up elevator at Fontaine Enterprises. It wasn’t the exciting kind of acceleration she’d come to enjoy at the anticipation of seeing her husband. Even after three years of marriage, he still took her breath away when he walked into a room, just as he’d done the very first time she’d laid eyes on him.

No, this quickening of her breath was caused by dread—not necessarily about Bryce’s reaction to the news she was about to give him, but about what revisiting the most painful period of his life would do to him—to them as a family.

As far as she knew, Bryce’s nightmares had ceased altogether, and he had tucked Pilar to the back of his mind. That’s where Kaya wanted her to remain. Interacting with any member of the Summers family would only trigger Bryce’s feelings of anger and regret and send him back into the dark pit she’d dug him out of three years ago.

Kaya didn’t know if she had the strength and will to handle Bryce’s ghosts again once they were evoked.

While on the island of
Kaya
, she and Bryce had talked about the significance of pledging themselves to each other again before God, family, and friends, and especially in the church he’d once refused to attend because it brought back too many painful memories, but where they now worshipped regularly together. The wedding was supposed to be a joyful occasion, a way for them to strengthen their commitment to each other and their children, and move forward into a solid future as a family.

She’d been all geared up to use foreplay and even sex-at-the-office to convince Bryce to let Desire plan their wedding, but after Shaina and Tashi left, Michelle had stayed back to give her some sound advice.

“We’ve joked about you seducing Bryce, and I have faith in your powers of persuasion, but this situation is a lot more serious, Kaya,” Michelle said with warmth and concern in her voice.

“I’m not taking it lightly. Bryce’s heart was closed to love and life when I met him. It took a lot to bring him back to a place where he could believe in happiness again. He has buried his ghosts, and—”

“That’s the thing with ghosts. Most people bury them, but they never deal with the demons associated with them, and because of that the demons have the power to resurface, and subsequently resurrect the ghosts at will—usually when things seem to be going well. Take this upcoming wedding, for instance.”

Kaya frowned in confusion. “Aren’t ghosts and demons the same thing?”

Michelle cleared her throat. “No. They’re two separate entities. Demons are catalysts for ghosts. I didn’t even know that until I had to deal with Erik’s demons. You see, after he found out how Cassie lied to him, Erik was able to bury her ghost, and move on with me. But when he learned that my father—or the man posing as my father—was the one who’d killed Cassie, his demons of guilt, anger, and regret came back at him full force, and they brought a couple allies with them for ultimate destruction.”

“Allies?” Kaya raised an enquiring eyebrow.

“Um-hmm. Our sessions with Samantha brought a lot to light for both Erik and me. From childhood, the most important people in his life had been secretive and less than honest with him. His demons were born from his parents’ unorthodox relationship, being taken from his biological mother as a baby and raised by his biological father and her best friend, practically being coerced into marrying Cassie, and then Cassie not trusting him and blatantly lying to him for five years.”

“The people who should protect you as a child can really mess you up for life. My own mother and father included.”
As did Bryce’s by allowing his grandmother to take over the job of raising him
, she thought, recalling the heated conversation she’d overheard between Bryce and his parents three years ago.