Page 38 of Kiss the Bride

A shiver that had nothing to do with the temperature in the room worked its way from her shoulders to her feet. Did Ryan’s feelings for her go beyond friendship? The concept was so new, so foreign, she stilled. Her mind whirred with a whole world of possibilities she’d never allowed herself to consider.

“Evelyn. Earth to Evelyn. You okay over there?” Ryan began to rise from his chair.

Marshaling her thoughts, she waved him back into his seat. “What’d you say?”

“I said, I still don’t understand how we’re going to make sure Brianna and Daniel don’t cancel their wedding.”

She might not know whether Ryan liked her as, well, more than a friend, but she had a plan. A good one. “We’ll double-team them,” she announced, her voice firm and decisive. “Starting tomorrow, we’ll go with them to every store that’s participating in Wedding-in-a-Week. We’ll sit beside them during the tastings at I Do Cakes and Food Fit For A Queen. We’ll ooh and aah over the floral arrangements at Forget Me Knot.” When Ryan rolled his eyes at the last one, she conceded the point. “Okay, you don’t have to gush about the flowers. But the rest of it, definitely. While we’re at it, we’ll remind them why they’re perfect for one another and why they’ll never find another love as true as the one they’ve found in each other.”

“She’s the yin to his yang,” he put in. “Where he’s weak, she’s his strength. Vice-versa and etcetera.” He waited a beat. “You think it’ll work?”

“It has to. Otherwise, things like venues and who pays for dinner at Bow Tie Pasta won’t matter, ’cause without our help, Daniel and Brianna will make the biggest mistake of their lives.” She wagged her finger back and forth between them. “And guess who everybody’s gonna blame.”

“Whoa!” Ryan threw up his hands. “Neither of us wants that.” For a long minute, he sat quietly. At last, a sly smile formed on his lips. “You know, there is an upside to all this.”

Evelyn cocked her head. “What?”

“It’ll give us a chance to get to know one another better.”

Her heart caught. She’d been right earlier. There was something going on between them. She swallowed. “I’m afraid we’ll have to work pretty close together if we’re going to save this wedding.”

“Good.” Ryan stood. “We were friends for a long time. Then we just …”

“Drifted apart?” she finished. Why that had happened was one of life’s little mysteries.

“Yeah, that. So, friends again?”

“Sure.” She let out a long, slow breath. Friends. He wanted to be friends. She should’ve known she was wasting her time hoping for something more. Despite the disappointment that pricked her chest, she squared her shoulders. Heart’s Landing was counting on them. They had a job to do, a wedding to keep on track. If that meant she had to spend the next five days working with Ryan, so be it.

She’d just have to keep her guard up. She’d constantly remind herself he wanted to be friends—and nothing more. Otherwise, by the time Brianna walked down the aisle, she’d be in for a world of heartbreak.

Chapter Ten

“Would you look at that!” From the middle seat of the Town Car, Brianna craned her neck toward the window. “Have you ever seen anything so pretty in your entire life?”

Beside her, Evelyn felt her own face crinkle in delight. Spotting a bride all decked out in the back of a horse-drawn carriage never failed to send warmth flooding from her chest to her fingertips. But today wasn’t about her. She focused on the bride-to-be. “Would you like to take a ride like that?”

“Could I?” Brianna’s gaze tracked the gleaming white vehicle and its precious cargo until it turned a corner and disappeared from sight.

“We can definitely make it happen.”

Giving Brianna’s hand a squeeze, she smiled. Whether they deemed it necessary or not, few brides turned down the chance to take a carriage ride through Heart’s Landing. She wouldn’t, either, when—or if—the time came. The idea of sitting on the plush bench seat while Tom Denton, regal in white tie and tails, clucked to a matched set of high-stepping horses sent a thrill of expectation racing through her. They’d circle the town before taking that final ride up Procession Avenue to the Captain’s Cottage. When the driver pulled his team to a stop, her very own Mr. Right would be waiting for her. She pressed a hand to her heart. Just thinking of that day made her eyes go a little misty.

She glanced toward Ryan sitting in the passenger seat up front. She liked that they’d renewed their friendship. Loved the way they’d slipped so easily back into a familiar relationship. More than that, working with the tall, handsome carpenter had given her a new appreciation for the man he’d become. He’d applied the same attention to detail he’d given his restoration work to providing Brianna and Daniel with the perfect wedding. His caring attitude and the kindness he’d shown the young couple stirred a desire in her for a stronger, deeper connection. Could things with Ryan go beyond friendship?

The car turned onto Bridal Carriage Way, and she marshaled her wayward thoughts. This wasn’t the time to dwell on the future. Right now, the reputation of Heart’s Landing rested on Ryan’s shoulders and on hers. With so much depending on them, her focus had to remain on their assignment.

With that thought, she leaned forward to catch Daniel’s eye. “She’ll look radiant. Can’t you just picture it? You in your uniform, so tall and handsome. Brianna in the perfect gown and veil. All your friends and family there to share this very special moment in your lives.”

Seated by the other window, Daniel nodded. He lifted his fiancée’s left hand to his lips and kissed the simple diamond that adorned her finger. “I’ll do whatever it takes to make Brianna happy.”

Not exactly the ringing endorsement for love and marriage she’d been hoping for, but it would have to do, she thought as the driver braked in front of a small building on a deep lot off Champagne Avenue. Eat, Drink and Be Married, announced a sign that swung between two posts on the wide lawn. Finer script read, For all your wedding needs.

“You’re going to really like this place,” Ryan said, rounding the front bumper after they’d piled out of the car. He gave the driver a mock salute and waited until the man sped off before he spoke again. “Bev and Vi Gorman grew up spending summers with their grandmother here in Heart’s Landing. When she passed three years ago, they converted her house into a rental boutique featuring linens and tableware. They’ve built it into a thriving business. This is their first year as Wedding-in-a-Week participants.” He gave his hands a brisk rub. “I can’t wait to see what they have for you.”

While Brianna linked her arm through Daniel’s and followed Ryan up the stone walkway, Evelyn lifted her chin. Summer was the busiest season at the Captain’s Cottage. Small wonder, then, that she barely recalled the two sisters who’d spent a couple of months in town each year. Ryan sure seemed to know a lot about the women, though. When had he gotten so chummy with the Gormans?

She shoved those thoughts aside for another time while they climbed the wide steps to the entrance. On a shady porch, bright pink peonies sprang from planters atop the rail. Cross-stitched pillows on white wicker chairs invited customers to linger in the shade. Nearby, a tall dispenser of frosty lemonade and a plate of cookies on a chintz-covered table added to the altogether charming effect.

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