Page 64 of 4 Weddings and a Feud

His heart twinged. He’d never had anyone he could count on to wait at the hospital with him. He glanced back at the doors that led to the recovery room where they monitored his mother. The doors remained shut.

“I love—” But he could tell from the silence on the line she’d already hung up.

ChapterTwenty-Six

When the zipper stalled, Mary looked over the bride’s shoulder into the mirror and caught the shimmer in her brown eyes.

Mary had done nothing but triage emergencies all day, and since the makeup stylist had already left, the most pressing one was the flakes of waterproof mascara mixing with the tear trickling down Rochelle’s cheek. Oh, and the fact that her wedding gown didn’t fit.

Mary dropped the zipper pull, snatched a tissue from the dresser, and blotted under Rochelle’s eyes. “Don’t worry. We’ve got this.”

“How?” The bride’s voice was dangerously watery, like a Lake Mead’s worth of tears threatened just behind the dam.

Exactly. How, genius?“Well, we’ve got two options. One is a shaper garment.” She pulled the black piece of spandex from her tote bag. It was hers, but she’d be happy to look lumpy under her own dress if it meant Rochelle looked fabulous.

“But”—Rochelle rubbed a hand over her midsection—“what about the baby?”

Mary looked over her shoulder. So far, they were alone in Rochelle’s bedroom in her suite at La Villa. Her bridesmaids and her mother had gone out into the living room to cruise the array of snacks that had been delivered. Still, she whispered, “I’m sure the baby will be fine. It’s the size of a banana. A small one. A little compression won’t hurt.”

Rochelle’s lower lip stuck out.

“Or,” Mary continued, “we can go with option B.”

“What’s option B?”

“We do minor surgery on your dress.” Mary circled behind the bride and examined the inside of her gown. There appeared to be enough fabric folded into the side seams to let out and give Rochelle’s baby bump a little more space. And she knew someone who sewed.

“Can we? Do we have time?” Rochelle twisted to look at her over her shoulder.

“Of course we have time. You’re the bride. Nothing starts until you’re ready.” At least Alex wouldn’t be hovering today, checking that everything was perfect. She silently thanked the thieves who’d stolen the catalytic converter from his car in the hospital parking lot. Rafe had picked him and his mother up from the hospital earlier in the Tank. And now both Villas were at his mother’s new rehab facility. Without wheels. Though the many just-checking-in texts he’d sent her indicated sitting with his mother wasn’t a full-time job. “I need to make a quick call. Why don’t you go have a snack?”

“A snack? Snacks are what got me into this mess. That and Rohaan’s IUD-defying swimmers.” Rochelle’s chin trembled.

“A snack will keep your blood sugar up. We can’t have you fainting as you walk down the aisle. How would that look on the big screens Alex set up for you?”

“You’re right, I’ll eat some carrots.”

Mary helped Rochelle step out of the dress and laid it on the bed. After blotting under her eyes, Rochelle put on the fluffy robe with the La Villa logo on the chest and left the bedroom to join the raucous group of women in the main room. It sounded like they were enjoying the champagne Alex had provided. Too bad the bride couldn’t drink any.

With the door shut, she called Evie. “I need you here at La Villa,” she said as soon as Evie picked up.

“Can’t,” Evie said tightly. “Bees.”

“Bees?”

“The rain last week sent everything into bloom, and now there are bees everywhere.”

“I don’t suppose anyone has a can of pesticide?” Mary was only half joking.

“Believe me, I asked. But the botanical garden folks flipped out. Apparently, pollination and the health of the bee population are more important than our guests’ comfort.” Evie’s flat tone showed what she thought of the gardeners’ priorities.

“Shit. What can we do?”

“The pest control company I called suggested a natural citronella repellent that won’t harm the bees. They’re on their way.”

“Okay, that sounds perfect,” Mary said. “I’ll ask Rafe to meet them there since he’s closer. I’ll get there as soon as I can to take over the wedding. Could you come here? Please? With your sewing kit. We need more room for baby in Rochelle’s gown.”

“Dammit,” Evie said. Footsteps scuffed on gravel. “Didn’t she just have her final fitting this week?”

---