Page 5 of Planning on Happily Ever After

CHAPTER THREE

Holly

Holly loved her job, truly she did, but it was meetings like the last one with her nightmare of a client that had her feet feeling heavy as she trudged from the florist to the bakery. Coming from one of the most prominent and influential families in the area, Mackenzie Morrison was one of the most prominent and influential clients Holly would probably ever have, but she may also be the worst. Sometimes Holly wished the more demanding brides would just be happy they had found the love of their life and be a little more flexible when it came to every little detail of their wedding, but it was their day and she knew how important it was for it to be perfect. She wanted her own wedding day to be perfect too, if she ever got to have one.

Taking a deep breath of the salty sea air that permeated her hometown year-round, Holly felt a little better about her lack of a love life. The time spent outdoors started to work its magic, her tense shoulders relaxing more and more the closer she got to the bakery. The sun was hidden behind clouds today, so Holly pulled her coat a little tighter to keep out the cold, but as she bobbed and weaved through the people on the sidewalk, instead of taking in all the sights of her small town, her eyes darted from one side of the street to the other, looking for a face she couldn’t stop thinking about, the one that belonged to a very handsome, yet very grumpy man.

Like so many times over the last week, the memory of his gray eyes and strong hands crept back into her mind, her preoccupation growing until she swore she saw him again. A fitted sweater or shock of brown hair caught her eye, but it wasn’t him and hadn’t been the dozen or so other times she’d thought she spotted the handsome grump. It had felt like there had been something between them, and though he had seemed exceptionally irritated by her, she couldn’t stop from going back to how he’d made herfeel. From the brief interaction they’d shared, it seemed as though they couldn’t be more opposite, though maybe he’d just been having a bad day. Everyone was entitled to one, the headache that had formed during her time with Bridezilla a nice reminder of that. When she caught sight of the bakery, her hopes of running into the man were dashed. As she wasn’t her most sunny self at the moment, it was probably for the best.

The smell of cinnamon and sugar hit Holly’s nose as she entered the shop, and she breathed it in deeply, her body feeling instantly more at ease at being back in one of her comfort spots. Moving past a group of teens eagerly awaiting their cupcakes, she kissed her mom on the cheek, snagged a banana nut muffin from the case, and wolfed it down as she ran to her office. She waved at Hailey and her dad as they balanced a large cake between them. As she sat at her desk, Holly grabbed the paperwork for her new prospective client. Hopefully, this meeting went well.

With the demands of the last bride fading to the back of her mind, the excitement of getting to know a new one took over. Holly’s body went from semi-relaxed to buzzing with energy once again. She couldn’t wait to meet Patricia Williams, the woman whose voice exuded joy during their entire phone consultation. Holly could tell she would be a kindred spirit of sorts, so she wanted to do her best to impress the potential client and get her to sign on with Enchanting I Do’s. Polishing off the last half of her muffin, she took a sip of her now cold coffee and shuddered at the flavor. As refreshed and energized as she was going to get, Holly strolled out to the bakery and snagged the largest table in the corner. Hollyreallyneeded to get her own office space.

She was still clearing some space and arranging papers when the bell over the shop door rang. She glanced up and saw the sweetest looking older couple, her heart twinging at their clasped hands. Holly stepped forward, smiling tentatively. “Patricia and Marvin?”

The woman shook Holly’s offered hand firmly, her short, gray streaked hair bobbing as she did. “Yes, that’s us,” her honeyed voice replied. The soothing tone put Holly at ease, though she stayed on her game. That new office wasn’t going to pay for itself. “We’re so excited to meet with you.”

Holly turned to the fiancé who looked decidedly less excited. “Marvin Garrett.” He shook her hand limply and Holly waited a moment for the man to say more, but nothing came. His dark eyes wandered around the bakery skeptically before landing back on the table she had set up for their meeting. “This is your office?”

Patricia shifted in her sensible flat shoes, appearing slightly uncomfortable at her fiancés question. Holly wanted to put the woman and herself at ease, so she busted out her signature winning smile and spoke excitedly. “Yes! It’s so convenient to be in the bakery for the cake tasting and it’s centrally located to most of my preferred vendors as well. I also find that the comforting aroma of baked goods makes the entire planning process much less stressful.”

Patricia grinned and her voice held an excitement that matched Holly’s. “That’s such a clever idea, isn’t it Marvin? I don’t want any stress as we plan the wedding which is kind of why we’re here.”

Grateful to Patricia for the segue, Holly gestured toward the table. “Shall we sit and talk about your ideas for the wedding, and see if we would be a good fit for one another?” She pulled out her own chair and smoothed out her navy wrap dress as she sat, grabbing her tablet and stylus to make notes. “So, Patricia, Marvin, what are we thinking for your big day? You mentioned you wanted it to be sooner rather than later.”

Patricia looked at her fiancé lovingly and to his credit, he seemed to return the sentiment. “I don’t need much,” he said before turning back to Holly. “I’m just happy to be marrying this lady, and yes, we want to be married as soon as we can.”

Holly sighed dreamily. “That’s so sweet.” She got lost in her own desire for a man that couldn’t wait to be with her either before remembering this wasn’t about her. “What about you? Anything specific you wanted?”

Patricia’s expression was wistful and a small smile pulled across her face as she spoke. “Well, I was married before, and our ceremony was pretty simple.” She looked over Holly’s shoulder as if she was reliving the day, and by the look on her face, Holly could tell the memory was a good one. Patricia came back to the present and grabbed her fiancés hand. “I don’t want anything too big or fancy, but I would like some thought to go into it.”

Holly nodded and scribbled a few notes on her tablet. “Okay, great. Now a lot of brides these days have been doing theme weddings. Themes like romance or glamour, certain time periods, or just a general aesthetic. Do you have anything in mind?”

Patricia’s smile widened. “I would love a wedding that was centered on romance. Love is so important to me, and if the wedding was a reflection of that, it would be absolutely amazing.”

Holly beamed at the older woman. They seemed to be of the same mind on things already and were going to get along swimmingly. “I love that and I have so many ideas for what we could go for.”

Holly pulled up some photos and venues that she had bookmarked on her tablet to show the couple. After about five minutes, Marvin had wandered over to the display case and bought a muffin while talking to her mom about how terrible the roads were in winter while she and Patricia spent the next half hour gushing over different flower arrangements, dresses, and venues.

When they were finished, Holly pulled out her contract paperwork and placed it in front of her potential client. “Patricia, I have so many great ideas for your wedding and would love to help make your day perfect. Do you think we can work together?”

Patricia seemed to barely even think about it before picking up a pen and signing the paperwork. “Of course, dear. I knew you would be the perfect planner the minute I walked in here and saw your smiling face.” The woman stood up and gathered her purse, her expression exuding the same cheer Holly’s often did. “And please, call me Trish.”

Holly held out her hand, but instead of shaking it, Trish pulled her into a hug. Holly was surprised for a moment, but joined in, more than happy to return the gesture. “Thank you, Trish. I promise this whole process will be so much fun.”

Trish stepped back and waved her fiancé over. He nodded at Holly before helping Trish with her jacket. “Thank you, Holly.” The two started to walk toward the exit, but Trish turned back, her mouth forming a small smirk. “Oh, my son couldn’t make it today because he had work to catch up on, but he’ll be joining us for a lot of the planning too. You know, he’s just about your age and very handsome. Maybe this could be a double wedding.” She winked and joined her fiancé as they left the bakery. Holly couldn’t help but laugh at what Trish had said, even though the thought was nice. If only meeting her future husband could be that easy.

Holly’s gaze drifted toward the window only to be assaulted with nothing but more gray clouds. The weather was definitely affecting her mood, but she also knew it was the thought of still having a long road to her own happily-ever-after that was bringing the melancholy she’d felt earlier and was now back at the forefront of her mind. Holly’s heart ached to love someone, tobeloved in return, but it wasn’t happening for her. She only ever really interacted with couples in person, and navigating prospective partners on dating apps was like slalom skiing, too many red flags.

“How was your client meeting?” Holly smiled at the sound of her mother’s voice and rounded the counter to give her mom the same long, drawn-out hug she always did. Her mom may have pulled through her illness, but Holly never wanted to take her continued presence for granted. “Oh!” Her mom sunk into the hug and wrapped her own arms around Holly’s middle. Ellen Baker was only five feet tall, and Holly could easily feel like the adult with how much she towered over her, but when her mom’s soft arms squeezed her tight, Holly still felt like a small child, wrapped in nothing but comfort and warmth.

Her mom attempted to start sweeping again, but Holly nabbed the broom and took over. She was in full remission and only worked in the bakery once a week or so, but all of the Baker kids had taken it upon themselves to make sure she never lifted a finger if they were around to do it for her. “This one went well, but the one before it...” Holly trailed off as she swept up the crumbs from muffins, cookies, and cupcakes, sighing as she pushed them along the tile. “Makenzie Morrison is just kind of a lot, that’s all.”

Her mom smiled conspiratorially. “Knowing where she comes from, I can only imagine. Melanie Morrison has been the head of the downtown association for as long as I can remember and the woman isn’t exactly known for being cordial. She is one badass business woman though, and she always gets what she wants.”

“Well, her daughter is just as demanding and it got to me a little bit today.” Holly swept the pile into the bin and set down the broom, exhaling slowly to release some lingering tension as she picked at some imaginary lint on her coat. “I don’t know why. I think I just didn’t imagine how hard it would be to help other people with their happily-ever-after when I’m nowhere near getting my own.”

Her mom tutted at her, her mouth turning down in the corners. Holly wasn’t often on the receiving end of a frown from either of her parents, but she knew that’s what she was looking at. “It’s not like you to be so defeatist, honey. You’re my bright side girl. Here,” her mom grabbed her arm and pulled her over to a table near the window. Holly sat in the blue chair and avoided looking out the window, unable to look at the gray sky without thinking of a pair of eyes of the same color and why they were still on her mind. “Now, let’s find the silver lining together, okay?”

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