Disbelief.
And then relief.
Her reaction worked in my favor.
“Axel,” she mouthed, and then, to my surprise, she stood up and moved around the table toward me.
Everyone watched us, so I opened my arms. When she faltered, I grabbed her wrist and pulled her reluctant body against my chest. She felt better than she should have.
“This would be a good time, if you’re here to save me,” she mumbled against my chest.
I smiled in spite of myself. “From what?”
She lifted her face to mine. “I need to make all these decisions, and I can’t do it.”
I looked down into her deep brown eyes. “What kind of decisions?”
“I don’t know what I like, or what you like either. Everything I suggest makes Aunt Lena mad, and when I lean toward something she likes, she changes her mind and we start over.”
“It can’t be that bad.”
“She told me I’m the worst bride she’s worked with.”
I searched her face to see if she was being dramatic, but she was serious.
“What do you need from me?”
“Make it stop.”
I laughed, aware that everyone at the table was watching but was unable to hear us. “Let me see what I can do.”
“Thank you,” she breathed. “You have no idea.”
“Axel, to what do we owe this pleasure?” Aunt Lena asked in a cool voice as we approached the table.
“Came by to help my fiancée with our wedding,” I said, lifting Mila’s small hand to my lips so I could kiss the back of it. “She wanted the groom’s input.”
“He’s got final say,” Mila added.
I worked to hide my smile. Mila was quick on her feet and knew how to work situations to her advantage. This was her way of getting me to wrap things up.
“Well.” Lena sniffed. “We’ll see what we can do.”
I held out the chair across the table for Mila, and I sat down beside her. “Let’s go.”
Lena looked nonplussed. “The guest list is set at two hundred people max. The ceremony will be in our local cathedral, and then a wedding dinner and dance will happen here at our home. We need to start with the color scheme.” She put down several color swatches.
Mila didn’t need my input. She needed a mediator.
“What are your top two choices, Lena?”
She paused dramatically. “Based on supply and what’s available, I’d say the top two options are either the dusty rose with the gold accent or the turquoise with silver accents.”
“Mila?”
She cleared her throat and avoided my eyes. “I like the rose one.”
“Me too,” I agreed, not caring in the least. “We’ve chosen our color scheme. What’s next?”
