Page 63 of 4 Weddings and a Feud

“Can’t wait,” Evie said grimly.

“Okay, so today’s schedule.” Mary woke up her ancient desktop computer’s screen. “You should be able to handle the cars. Rentals are pretty light today. I’ve got to spend some time on the weddings. I’ll call Rochelle, and then…” She pulled Alex’s gift from her satchel.

Evie’s eyes widened. “Oh my god. Are you actually joining the twenty-first century?”

“I guess?” Mary glanced longingly at her stack of binders. “Somehow, I’ve got to get all that”—she tapped the biggest one, Rochelle’s—“into this.” She waved the tablet in its box.

“Gimme.” Evie snatched the box from her. “By the end of the day, every detail will be loaded into here. Don’t worry, you’ll love it.”

“Will I?” Mary asked ruefully. “Because I really love my binders.”

“We’ll keep them as a backup, I promise. But that tablet will make you look like the real deal. And be easier on your back.”

Alex had said the same thing. She’d suspected at the time it was a power play to insert himself into her business. But maybe he was only looking out for her. Because he cared.

There was also that photo of her on his desk. Maybe he did love her. In his own way.

“If you say so.”

ChapterTwenty-Five

As he hit the button to call the one person who could make him feel better about all this, Alex peered out the window of the hospital waiting room. Rain beat against it. Torrential rain! In Las Vegas! It was like a giant had picked up the snow globe that was his carefully controlled world and shaken it until the casino and his mother had come unfixed from the base to float around with the flakes of fake snow.

Fortunately for him, Mary stayed glued in place. When he’d gotten the call last night from his mother’s nursing facility, she’d offered to come to the hospital with him, but he knew she had a big day today with the wedding. Not the Richardson wedding but the other one. The lesbian couple with the funny names that had vacated his brain due to all the stress hormones swimming around in it. He’d kissed her forehead and left her sleeping in his bed. He liked the thought of her being there, one bit of color in the black-and-white world he called home.

“Hi, Alex.” Mary’s voice sounded high and strained. “How’s your mom?”

“She’s out of surgery and in recovery. They said it was a clean fracture, so they didn’t have to replace her hip. I should be able to see her in an hour or so, they say.”

“I’m so glad to hear it. How are you holding up?”

“Besides feeling guilty that I ever suggested she walk in the gardens? I’m all right.” He raked a hand through his hair and looked down at his feet. For the first time, he noticed he was wearing one brown loafer and one black one. Shit. He hoped he didn’t see anyone he knew.

“That’s good. Listen, I’m sorry, but I have to go.”

“Right. Wedding stuff. How’s it going?”

“Um, it’s not.” She laughed, but it wasn’t her regular laugh. It had a note of hysteria in it. “Have you looked outside?”

Lightning flashed. “Oh, no. Was it an outdoor wedding?”

“It was. And the backup tent isn’t going to cut it in this. The whole place is flooded. It’s just my luck to get a hundred-year storm during my first wedding.”

Alex’s heart hurt for her, but why hadn’t she planned for this? “There’s no indoor space available?”

“Already reserved. We knew when we scheduled it there were other weddings, but…” She sighed. “We’re moving it to next weekend.”

“Next weekend? But you can’t.” His heart thundered in his chest. “The Richardson?—”

“It’ll be fine,” she said firmly. “I have an assistant who can handle Teagan and Twyla. You’ll have me all to yourself at Rochelle’s.”

He slowly let out his breath.All to himselfsounded good. Better than good. Fantastic.

“But really, I have to go,” she said. “I have a thousand calls to make to get everything moved.”

“Good luck.” Even he heard the note of accusation in his voice. How could she not have planned better? Two weddings on the same day, even with an assistant, was too much.

“I’ll call you later. And I’ll come to the hospital as soon as I can.”

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