Page 146 of Hale Yes
When I release him, he straightens his black bow tie and flashes me a cheesy grin. “Well, since I’m the best brother who ever lived, it only makes sense.”
I head off down the hallway, pausing beside the bridal room where I know Nicolette is getting ready. I hear laughter from inside and smile, so happy she’s having a good time on what I know can be a stressful day. I credit her friends for that. Lehra, Artie, Gianna Bouvier, and Nicolette’s pharmacist friend,Shay, make up her bridal party. They have all been nothing but supportive to my bride.
Kissing my fingertips, I lay them against the wooden door and whisper. “Love you, baby. See you at the altar.”
Then I wind through the hallways of the luxurious Ashworth hotel to the sunlit atrium, where our reception will take place after the ceremony. It looks stunning, with intricate off-white and scarlet flowers on every flat surface.
Blaze runs up, a look of panic on his face. “What is zee groom doing here? Is somezing wrong? Is it zee centerpieces? I promise zhou, zee candles will be lit at zee end of zee ceremony so everyzing will be…” He makes a chef’s kiss motion with his fingers.
I pat his shoulder. “Everyzing, I mean,everythinglooks perfect, Blaze. You and your team have done an amazing job. I was just going to see if I could grab a glass of wine for my mother.”
His panicked demeanor settles, and he pats his chest in relief. “Whew. I vas vorried.” He smiles widely. “And Ms. Ophelia, ahhh, how I’ve tried to recruit her for my team. Amaaaaazing lady!”
“I couldn’t agree more. Can you tell me where to get a glass of red?”
Blaze twiddles his fingers toward the back. “In zee keetchen back there. Vould you like me to get eet for zhou?”
“No, it’s fine. I know you have plenty to do. Thanks again, Blaze.”
After grabbing my mother a glass of her favorite shiraz, I trek down the hallway to find the Galleria ballroom. Seriously, this place is like a damn maze.
The fashion tycoon, Auburn Bouvier, is walking up and down a wide corridor with his nine-year-old twins, Jaxon and Jane,and his younger daughter, Eliana, holding onto his finger. I think the little toddling one is a bit over a year old.
“Hey, man,” he says when he sees me. “A little anxious aren’t you? The wedding doesn’t start for a while.”
I laugh and hold up the glass I’m holding. “An offering for the wedding goddess,” I tell him before explaining, “My mother.”
He nods his dark head. Auburn looks dapper as hell in a navy-blue tuxedo that’s obviously been custom-made to fit him like a glove. I guess that’s not unexpected when you’re the CEO of a major fashion company.
“I saw Ophelia a couple minutes ago. She was down that adjoining hallway. I’m just walking some energy off of these kids before they have to sit still.”
We look at his two older children, who have linked their hands with their little sister and are playing ring around the rosy. “Good plan. There’s a duck pond back that way,” I tell him, jerking my head.
“Really? Okay, thanks for letting me know. Dad is in the bathroom, so I’ll wait for him so he can help me watch Eliana. She’s fast on the breakaway.”
As if on cue, the little one takes off running down the carpeted hallway with her brother and sister chasing her. Paul Bouvier, the patriarch of their family, steps out of the restroom just in time to intercept his grandbaby before she can escape.
Auburn chuckles. “That’s why we keep the old guy around. He’s an excellent baby-catcher. And don’t worry, I’m taking Eliana to the nursery room before the ceremony. That was a nice touch, by the way.”
“Hey, the Hales do it classy,” I joke, popping my cuffs.
He eyes my attire appraisingly. “You look good. Monty did an excellent job with that tux.” Monty is his younger brother and one of the top designers at Bouvier.
“I’m sure he did a great job with Nicolette’s dress as well,” I say. It’s possible I’m fishing for details.
Auburn sees right through my weak attempt and shakes his head in disappointment. “Nice try, bud, but I’m not saying shit except you’re going to be a very happy man in less than two hours.”
My heart jackhammers in my chest at the thought of my bride in her fancy gown. “I can’t wait.”
We start off at a stroll down toward Paul and the kids, and my old friend says, “Hey, I was recently approached by an organization that provides free medical care for kids whose families can’t afford it. They mostly focus on children who need orthopedic surgery of some sort.”
I notice his eyes are firmly on Jane. He and Gianna adopted their twins from a children’s home a few years ago. Little Jane was in a wheelchair due to having a couple pieces of shit as their birth parents. I recall that she had extensive surgery just to be able to walk. Now she’s able to run and play with the other kids.
“How can I help, Auburn?”
He turns his blue gaze on me. “It’s still in the works, but they’re looking for businesses to partner with for a huge event. They wanted a cosmetics company, and I recommended Hale.” His eyes go back to his older daughter who is laughing as she skips around her grandfather. With a soft voice, he says, “We were lucky we were able to afford everything Janie needed. Some families aren’t so fortunate.”
I rest my hand on his shoulder. “I’ll mention it to Dad. I’m sure he’ll want to be involved.”
