Page 15 of Love, Honor, and Ink

Chapter Five

Six weeks. Six weeks since Arianna had walked away from everything, and she hadn’t had a meltdown. Okay, so not a full one. Not since Harper had kicked her butt in gear, but it could have been worse. Way worse.

Still in jeans and a long-sleeved cotton shirt, she finished dealing with the last-minute catering issues because really, there were always last-minute catering issues. Her house was wedding central until she moved to the reception site. It was in the middle of a Denver winter, and yet she couldn’t help but feel overheated. She’d dress a little more professionally later, but working around her home in heels and a business suit while she was running around and sweating like crazy wouldn’t help anyone. Today was the first wedding planned and organized by her new business, and she was going to be sick.

Anticipation thrummed through her, and she was so excited to see what came of it, but the fear and angst that slammed into her every time she thought about everything that could go wrong never really helped her breathe.

Since Harper and Colleen had kicked her butt in gear, she’d been in a whirlwind, setting things up and finding out if she could actually handle it all. Her work wasn’t just making lists and phone calls. She’d had to find clients and formulate her business from the ground up. While she’d been with King’s Weddings, she’d already had some of the background done. If she’d been promoted like she’d thought she would be, she’d have been far beyond where she was now. But things had changed, and honestly, even though she might be sick, she knew she was better off now. And even though she was doing most things on her own, she was sleeping more than she had before. It just went to show what happened when she focused on what mattered and did things in small bursts rather than what she thought her father required.

Arianna hadn’t been alone, though. She was a two-person company, and she knew she wouldn’t have been able to do anything without those who supported her. Colleen had been a lifesaver, but none more than Harper.

God, she didn’t know what she’d do without Harper.

While Harper had helped her with her site and some of the background things, Arianna and Colleen had found the storefront they needed. While in some cases, others would have been fine to work from their homes and online, Arianna knew she had to draw the line somewhere. She needed her home to be a place where she rested—or at the moment, worked her ass off on her ‘off’ hours. Still, she had to remind herself that she was sleeping more hours now than she was before. And this company was her baby. Not something her father had destroyed.

The location they’d picked was in an older building that had been redone by none other than the Montgomerys that Harper now worked with. He’d been the one to show her the place when they’d first started looking. The other tenants had decided to move away even though the business area was still thriving.

She knew she wouldn’t have many—if any—walk-ins, but the idea of having a pleasant area to work thrilled her. There was a coffee shop right across the way, and a bookstore, as well. Not to mention her favorite bakery where her ordered cakes were made, and one of her top smaller florists. Everything she needed for a smaller wedding.

Exactly how Arianna wanted it.

She’d not only be able to show her clients photos of wedding ideas but she’d also have samples in her place. Plus, they could go on field trips together and see the other establishments for themselves. In fact, with this current couple, she’d done just that. They’d sampled different cakes and only had to walk there from her office. Even with the snow on the ground, the area had been salted and cleaned up before her clients had shown up. She truly loved the area and knew this could work.

Because it had to work. Her evil ulcer would not be coming back, she promised herself. She could do this. One step at a time.

There were three small offices in the back of the store where she and Colleen could hold meetings, plus she used one of them as her clutter room. As if Arianna would have actual disorder, but her organized piles worked for her.

The front area held some of the older King antiques that her grandmother had given her. She’d had them in her home and in storage for years, but now they would be getting good use. Plus, she liked the thought of her grandmother having a hand in what she was doing—with or without her father’s help.

Everything was working out beautifully.

In other words, Arianna was a nervous wreck, waiting for the shoe to drop.

She checked the display on her phone and cursed. It was already six in the morning. She’d woken up at four and started rechecking everything, though she’d already done that before she went to bed. Honestly, she’d never been so worried about a wedding going right before in her life.

She’d done so many weddings, it should have been second nature, but she knew that each ceremony and reception was different. Each one took her entire focus and dedication to pull off.

It was just that this one meant so much more because she didn’t have the safety net of King’s Weddings underneath her. Though failure was never an option in her father’s eyes; now, it couldn’t even be in the realm of possibilities. She honestly couldn’t afford it.

Today, thankfully, she was only handling the reception. Starting small was always a good way to go. The couple had gotten married the week prior by the Justice of the Peace so they wouldn’t have to deal with each of their family’s religious views. Each had extended family that had wanted things their way, not the way the couple wanted. Apparently, that had caused friction for over a year, and they’d gone through three wedding planners before deciding to skip the elaborate multi-faith ceremony altogether.

Instead, they’d spoken their vows in front of their best friends and parents, and today, would be celebrating with the rest of their friends, family, and loved ones.

It had been Arianna’s idea to have the reception at an older winery she loved. It would be small and intimate, but with the decadent flair that signified a love between a couple Arianna had already fallen in love with herself. It looked beautiful in winter, as well, and with the large outdoor heaters and safety-conscious firepits, it was perfect for what they wanted.

Now, though, she needed to get going so she could look into any last-minute problems.

The soft knock at the door startled her, and Arianna checked the time again. Who on earth would be by her place so early?

She checked the peephole and smiled, her stomach doing that odd clench that happened every time Harper was near recently. She couldn’t think about that too hard, though, not with so much at stake.

“Harper, you’re here early,” she said as she opened the door. There was a slight chill in the air, but it had also been an uncommonly warm winter so far. He wore a soft leather jacket that he’d let her borrow a time or two in the past, and his hair looked like he’d rubbed a towel over it after he’d gotten out of the shower.

Harper grinned at her—her stomach doing that flip again—and held up two to-go coffees. “Two caramel macchiatos.” His gaze traveled over her. “Go get in your work attire, and I’ll start packing up your car. You have the dress you’re wearing for the day?”

She blinked, her heart warming that he was there…and skipping a beat at the sight of him in her home.

Arianna mentally slapped herself. No, this was Harper. He was just being helpful. He was only her friend. Had only ever been her friend. It didn’t matter that he’d been touching her more, tucking her hair behind her hair, holding her hand while they walked. He hadn’t pushed anything, hadn’t changed who they were. And she wasn’t in a position to do anything about what was going on in the back of her mind anyway. She was too busy, too focused, and too…not Harper’s.

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