Page 23 of The Magic of Sea Glass
“She saved you,” Brody said to the fish. Then he leaned over the edge and released it. The trout darted away out of sight, under the yellow beam of morning sun that was now crawling across the water’s surface. For an instant, she wondered what it would be like to be that fish—saved and headed for anywhere it wanted to go.
* * *
“I can’t believe you gave everything up, only to be wedding planning again,” Andy said through the phone.
“I couldn’t avoid it.” Lauren rocked back in Mary’s desk chair, a mere ten minutes before she was to meet Stephanie Clark, her fiancé, and Brody’s mother, Melinda. Brody made a loud smack out the office window, knocking out railing slats with his hammer. She turned away from the view. “I have to go in a second so I can meet with her.”
“Think she really resembles you or was that guy at the shop just trying to pick you up?”
Lauren pressed the phone to her ear. “I could see where, from across the room, he might make that mistake.” A slight pinch formed in her chest. “What if, when she’s dressed all in white, she lookstoomuch like me? How will I manage that? Not to mention that I’m going to be working here at the inn, and you know as well as I do that planning a wedding on aregulartime crunch will be a full-time job.” She chewed on her lip, still debating her next question. But if she didn’t ask, she’d never know. “Do you think you could plan it for me? I’ll pay you for your time…”
“I wouldn’t make you pay. But I can’t do it. I’ve got the Baker wedding this month.”
“Shoot,” she said, remembering the small wedding they’d been planning before she left.
“And I’ve already met with the Maxwells. We’re starting this month. We’re in preliminaries, so I’m sure you can imagine what I’m dealing with.”
“Preliminaries” was their term for documenting logistics. They had a full interview where they charted all the basics they’d need before beginning, to plan the event. Prior to preliminaries, they researched and personally visited at least twenty venue options and then documented parking for each option, travel routes, security, accommodations for guests, and the staff that would be required for the event, along with the pricing and fees for each, just to name a few of the items that went into it. And that was for non-billionaires.
“I could send a couple of team members,” Andy suggested.
“That’s a great idea. Tabitha and Rachel could do it.”
“Rachel would love nothing more than a free trip to the beach,” Andy said with a laugh.
Lauren smiled, thinking of their employee who had a different pair of sunglasses for every outfit. “I’ll run the option by the couple,” she said, praying for a miracle. While she’d do the wedding if she had to, she knew it would be better for everyone involved if she allowed someone else to do it.
She straightened a row of pens on the desk. “How about you? Has Dave chilled out about the show at all?”
The sound of Andy’s huff on the other end gave the answer. “No. In fact, with the Maxwell wedding, he wanted to get started this week. He’s really putting the pressure on to have you there. I told him, flat out, that you aren’t with Sugar and Lace anymore, but he won’t let up. I’ll have to come up with a plan to make him see that it can be done with just me.”
“Did you explain to him that I’ve taken another job?”
“I didn’t mention it.”
“Explainit to him. He doesn’t have to know that my job here is temporary. Tell him I’ve got my own wedding to plan here at the inn and that I cannot, under any circumstances, leave North Carolina.”
“You’re okay with me telling him that?”
“Of course.”
“Okay. Maybe it’ll help him to understand. The Maxwells have already agreed to the TV crew being there. I just need Dave’s okay to get started. I need that show so much… But it’s my own fault. You warned me.”
“Hopefully, Dave will get it together and move forward with the show. He’s just throwing a little temper tantrum because things aren’t going the way he planned and he likes things the way he likes them.”
“Yes,” Andy said.
Lauren looked at her watch. “I should probably go.”
“All right. Call me again soon.”
“Okay.” Lauren ended the call and headed out to the main room to wait for everyone.
* * *
Summer, 1957
Fairhope, Alabama
