Page 153 of Wicked Serve

I freeze in the middle of the hallway, watching those dots disappear and reappear. When the text finally comes through, I stifle a gasp.

Nik

Remind me what the groomsmen are wearing to the wedding?

Chapter 73

Izzy

The night before the wedding, I’m a ball of nerves.

I’ve been running around all day, ironing out last-minute details. There will be more tomorrow, but for now, at least, I can catch my breath. I pour myself a glass of wine, nudging the refrigerator shut with my hip.

“Nervous?” Katherine asks.

I smile as she walks into the kitchen. She takes off a pair of reading glasses, tucking them into the front pocket of her shirt.

“A little.” I sip my wine. “Okay, a lot.”

She returns my smile. “The first wedding I planned was for a friend. That would have made it nerve-racking enough, but of course I wanted it to be extra perfect for her. It’s no wonder you’re feeling this way.”

“Yeah,” I say, joining her at the table in the breakfast nook. “I just hope James and Bex are happy with it.”

I’m glad she’s going to be by my side for the event. Managing a guest list of a couple hundred—with a rain forecast in the morning—won’t be a walk in the park.

“They’ll love it.” She clasps her hand over my wrist. “I know it was hard, but you did a wonderful job.”

“You always say to wait until the last guest leaves before making declarations.”

“I’m confident.” Her eyes shine. “And I’m proud of you. For so many reasons, Izzy. I haven’t had the chance to properly thank you for telling me about what was going on with Nika.”

Nika is such a cute nickname. I smile whenever I hear her say it, even though I prefer Kolya. I know things aren’t perfect between Nik and his mom, but based on what she has shared, they’re trending in the right direction.

“I... thank you.” I shake my head slightly. “I’m sorry you went through so much.”

“I’m sorry I let myself believe he was fine for so long.” She presses her lips together as she leans back in her chair. “At least he’s getting better.”

I look at the tabletop. “Do you think he’s really going to come?”

“He loves you, he—”

“There’s my favorite sister-in-law,” Bex says. She dashes across the room, giving me a squeeze. James follows behind her at a stroll, shaking his head fondly. “We wanted to say thank you before all the chaos.”

“Everything looks amazing, Iz,” he says, leaning in for a hug, too. “Thank you for being the best wedding planner we could ask for.”

“The absolute best, right?” Bex asks Katherine.

“I was just telling her that tomorrow is going to be perfect.”

“Fingers crossed,” I say.

“It will be.” Bex gives me another hug, as if she’s so full of energy, she can’t contain myself. “I’ll be walking down the aisle to my husband and daughter, what more could I want?”

“Ah,” Mom says, peering around the corner. She walks into the kitchen with Dad. “We thought we heard voices.”

“You should be so proud of Izzy,” Katherine tells them. “She’s tremendously talented.”

I’m blushing, but no one contradicts her. Mom just kisses the top of my head, and Dad smiles at me. The validation warms my chest. I did it. In the end, everything came together, exactly as I had hoped.

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