Page 13 of Nothing Breaks Like A Heart

"Lauren? Is everything okay? Are you looking for me?"

"No. Why?"

"Allison said she thought you called her."

My heart almost leapt out of my chest.Had Allison immediately called Andrew the second I'd hung up or had he been standing right next to her?

"Lauren?" Andrew pressed. "What's going on?"

"Nothing. Sorry, I'm distracted. I was about to jump into the shower."

"Why did you call Allison?"

I could lie and say it wasn't me, but that might be easily disproven, and getting caught in a lie would be worse than saying I wanted to talk to her. But I needed a reason, a good reason. My mind spun. I had to come up with something fast.

Finally, I said, "The caterer told me that Allison hadn't marked down her entrée choice for steak or halibut. I said I'd find out. I didn't think the call went through. I didn't hear anything on the other end of the line. I was going to have you call her on her personal phone to find out what she wants to eat."

"Oh, okay. I can do that."

"Great. Can you text me the answer? I need to shower before the hair and makeup people arrive."

"No problem. You're sure there's nothing bothering you? Because I want this day to be perfect, and if anything is not perfect, you need to tell me."

My hand tightened on the phone. I was being stupid. Andrew loved me, and I loved him. Nothing and no one else mattered.

"I am happy. You're happy, too, right?"

"More than I ever thought I would be," he said with a sincerity that touched my heart. "I love you, Lauren. I can't wait to spend the rest of my life showing you that."

He always knew the right thing to say. "I can't wait for that, either."

I ended the call and vowed it would be the last time I let doubts about my wedding get into my head. I didn't want to look back at this day and wonder why I'd let an obsessed insurance investigator and an attractive redhead mess up my wedding.

ChapterFour

When Harper returned at eleven, along with Jamie, Jeanette Bilson, and Megan Farris, I was ready to go and determined not to get bogged down by unrelated problems on my wedding day. Andrew and I would have a lifetime to talk about everything and everyone in our lives—past, present, and future. And once Jeanette and Megan started going over my schedule for the day, I doubted there would be time to think at all.

While Jeanette would be acting as my day-of-wedding coordinator, Megan would be focused on directing the media team, which included two photographers, a videographer, and a social media expert, who would be posting throughout the day, beginning with the getting ready shots, to the first look, the actual wedding ceremony, and finally the reception.

Jeanette and Megan were both high-energy, driven women who were incredibly organized and determined to showcase their talents through a series of events that would be under the scrutiny of Victor, Bennett, and, even to some degree, Paula. While Paula didn't work in the company, her opinion might still matter to her husband and her son. And Bennett technically oversaw Megan's division, so she would definitely want to impress him.

I also wanted everything to go well and to do my part to the best of my ability. Because at the end of this, I still had a job I wanted to do well and a company I wanted to grow with.

As soon as Jeanette and Megan finished with the rundown, Taylor Castle and Carrie Ridgway arrived to set up for hair and makeup. Taylor and Carrie would be running the resort salon once it opened, but today they were responsible for making me and my bridesmaids look as good as possible.

"I think that's it for now," Jeanette said, drawing my attention back to her. "I've also scheduled room service to deliver healthy snacks and drinks for you and your bridal party. They should be arriving shortly."

"You've thought of everything," I said. "I really appreciate all the work you're both doing for me."

"This day will be perfect," Jeanette said. "You can count on that. If you have any questions, please contact me." She glanced at Megan, who had brought a photographer into the room and was discussing what photos should be taken. "Megan, do you need me for anything else right now? I need to talk to the banquet manager and the ceremony staging crew."

"I'm good," Megan replied. When Jeanette left, she turned back to me. "I'm going to the villa now to talk to Andrew and his groomsmen. My media crew will be back to take some photos at different points during the day. I've given them keycards so they can come and go. Do you have any questions, Lauren?"

"Not at the moment."

"Okay then. I can't stress enough how important all of this is. I know it's your wedding day, but the Carringtons have sunk a huge amount of money into this marketing campaign, and it has to work."

"I understand."

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