Page 7 of Achievement Unlocked

I couldn’t help but strain my hearing. The door didn’t block much of the conversation and despite their low voices, I caught snippets.

…extra food…

…can’t find…

…decision…

“Megan.” Carly’s voice was sharper this time. She put her hands on my cheeks and forced my face back to the mirror. “I need your attention here, or so help me…”

“You’ll what?” I countered. “Call offmywedding?” Why did I like the sound of that so much? It was Carly’s fault. She hadn’t in any way tried to hide her disdain for Easton.

I hated when I had to pick between family and love. Where was I supposed to side?

She sighed. “I’m trying to help, and it’ll be easier if you cooperate.”

“I know.” I poured the apology into my reply. “But something’s wrong.”

“I’ll go see what’s going on. Don’t move.”

I stood the instant Carly moved away, and followed her to the exit.

She rolled her eyes but opened the door anyway, just as Sonya said, “…she has to besomewhere.”

“Who?” I asked.

Nigel gave me an apologetic smile. “Gretch, but we’re figuring it out.”

Lyn was with him, a scowl etched on her face. “No, we’re not. I need a solution five minutes ago.”

“I need details.” Like why my wedding planner was missing. What kind of solution we were looking for. Why the butterflies in my stomach just kicked up toAlert Level: Nausea.

“We have another problem.” A new voice came from around the corner. When Violet, Lyn’s manager, stepped into view, her gaze landed on me and she frowned. “Have they told you what’s going on?”

“No, but someone better in the next two-point-five seconds.” There was a distinct cut-off point to my need to be polite and composed in public. If the pending consequences looked more humiliating than speaking up, I tended to hold my own.

Problems with my wedding would be mortifying.

Lyn sighed. “We have a second food delivery here, that’s not mine. Fruit cut like flowers. They’re insisting Gretch placed the order. If you want an additional caterer, I need to know how to rearrange.” Her tone held a heavy note ofand maybe you should’ve told me.

“We also just had an extra wine shipment show up,” Violet said.

My blood pressure spiked. Both deliveries were ideas I’d nixed, that Gretch insisted I was stupid to not fulfill. I would’ve caved to her demands, but the cost put us over the budget Easton had set. “And no one knows where Gretch is?”

Sonya held up her phone. “I’ve tried calling her multiple times. She’s not answering.”

Was this what I got for hiring friends to work my wedding? I’d paid her full fee. I’d tried to treat her fairly. She’d insisted I had the final say, and that she hadn’t made any arrangements I didn’t sign off on.

“Are both deliveries in the kitchen?” I asked.

Violet nodded.

I expected someone to try to stop me as I hitched up my skirt and train, and headed in that direction, but they all fell into line with me instead. At the pace I was setting, it was a good thing I hadn’t put on my shoes or stockings yet, but the thought of what I might be stepping on in bare feet made my skin crawl.

Please don’t let anyone in the wedding party see me like this.Godthis was embarrassing.

Both new arrivals looked surprised when I walked into the room. Was it the dress or the red flush I had to be wearing at this point that startled them?

“Hi, I’m the bride, Megan.” I gave them both sweet smiles. “I understand there’s been a mix-up.”

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