Page 77 of Trouble Walked In

“I’m on the ride with you, Della. Like it or not, we all are.”

He returned his attention to the wedding just in time to hear the minister say, “I now pronounce you husband and wife. Let your adventure together begin with a kiss.”

The couple beamed at him, then at each other. They kissed while the audience rose to their feet and applauded. The cheers grew louder, then startled, confused shouts filled the air.

A ripple of concern traveled up Renic’s spine and made the hair on the back of his neck stand up.

In a surreal moment, the guests all turned in unison tothe right. A woman in front screamed. Several chairs fell over as guests scrambled to get out of the way of something.

One moment it was a romantic evening wedding, the next a wave of wedding crashers broke over the lawn, led by two men carrying serious-looking cameras.

Adrenaline and dread shot through Renic. He swore and bolted from the room with Della close behind him.

Outside, he heard them chant, “Della! Della! Della!”

“Oh, shit!” Della hissed. “Shit, shit, shit.”

Renic fished the key to his room out of his pocket. “The Rose Room. Go! Lock the door behind you. If they see you, we’ll never get them out of here.”

“Going.” She ducked her head and ran for the stairs.

“Della! Della! Della!”

Renic reached the back door just as Lizzie threw it open. Her eyes were wide with panic.

“Where is she?” She looked around, frantic.

“She’s upstairs.” Renic looked behind her. The two paparazzi snapped rapid-fire shots of the crowd. The rest of the newcomers appeared to be fans. “Only two cameras so far. We can handle this.”

“This can’t be happening. Not here. Not now. Dammit!” Lizzie stared at the chaos with wide eyes. “The bride! Oh my God, the poor bride.”

He tapped her on the shoulder to get her attention. “Lizzie, we can handle this.”

Determination chased some of the panic off her face. “Yes. Yes, we can do this. We have to get the wedding party inside and lock the doors. Carrie!”

“Just a sec!” Carrie shouted from the kitchen.

Two students operating the buffet station stared at the confusion like startled deer until Lizzie stepped in front of them.

“You two! Lock the front and side doors. Now.”

They jumped into action.

Carrie hurried out of the kitchen, caught sight of the backyard, and swore. “Where did all those people come from?”

“Crashers.” Lizzie waved frantically at the front door. “Lock it all down. Curtains closed. Call 9-1-1.”

“On it!” Carrie pulled a phone out of her apron pocket and dialed as she rushed back to the kitchen.

Lizzie tapped the headphone in her ear. “All hands to the backyard. Get the wedding party in the house. Then the guests. Donotbring anyone that’s not dressed for a wedding inside, and don’t engage with any of them. Keep it calm. Mark and Carter, you run interference on the sidewalk. Renic and I will hold the door. Go, people. Fast, fast, fast.”

Renic stepped in front of her before she could open the back door. “Let me go first. If they see you, they’ll think it’s Della. They’ll surge.”

She nodded. “Right. Go.”

Renic stepped onto the back porch and took up position next to one of the big tables from the rehearsal dinner just in time to see Mark and Carter push through the crowd with the bride and groom. The bride carried the bottom of her dress in her arms and looked terrified. The groom guided her forward with his arm protectively around her shoulders.

Several fans followed in their wake. Renic waved the bride and groom into the house, then stepped onto the path behind them and held his arms wide, like a bouncer. “Private property. You’re trespassing.”

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