Not stupid at all.Unfortunately, Delia knew she couldn’t tell her cousin the whole truth, or even the smallest part of it.
“I don’t think it’s stupid,” she said gently.“And if your gut is telling you something, then I think you should listen to it.I’ve done some research, and there are several other chapels that could fit you in.The Little Chapel of Hearts, the Chapel of Love, Graceland Wedding Chapel — all of them have availability for your date.”
“Really?”For the first time, Olivia sounded hopeful.“And you’re sure they could fit us in on such short notice?”
“I’ve made some calls,” Delia replied.
Okay, that was a total lie, but right now she just wanted to make sure she got her cousin firmly on board with changing the venue.Maybe this was all an exercise in futility, and what she should really be doing was trying to get her cousin to move her wedding out of Las Vegas altogether, but she knew that was never going to happen, not when she knew Olivia and Alec wanted to spend their honeymoon in his new vacation house in Henderson.No, the best she could do was make sure the ceremony took place in a chapel that wasn’t owned by one of the Styx Group’s shell companies.
Anyway, she’d have to make those calls after she was done talking to Olivia, but Delia was confident she could make something work.
She continued, “The key is being flexible about timing.You might have to move the ceremony to earlier or later in the day, but at least you’ll be able to have it on the same date.”
“That would be amazing,” Olivia said, relief practically pulsing across the miles that separated them.“I just couldn’t stop worrying about the whole thing…but I also didn’t want to sound like I’d totally lost my mind.”
“There’s nothing crazy about trusting your instincts,” Delia assured her.“If something feels wrong, then it probably is.The most important thing is that you and Alec have a beautiful wedding day without any stress or worry.”
“You’re absolutely right.”Olivia’s voice sounded stronger now, more determined.“I’m going to talk to Alec again tonight.If he refuses to listen, then I’ll just have to make the decision myself.It’s my wedding, too, even if he’s paying for most of it.”
Thank God that it sounded like her cousin had started to grow a spine.Things often got tricky when money was involved, but wasn’t the bride supposed to make the final decision about anything like this?
“Good for you,” Delia said.“And if you need someone to help you coordinate the change, just let me know.Sometimes it’s easier when you can do this kind of stuff in person.”
“Well, maybe we can do it together, then.”Olivia paused, and when she spoke again, she sounded almost guilty.“I probably should have brought it up before this, but Alec and I are going to be in Las Vegas late tomorrow.My parents are flying in at the same time, and Alec’s family is coming a few days early, too.His parents thought it would be nice to have a family dinner before the wedding.Not exactly a rehearsal dinner, since the ceremony won’t be that elaborate, but a little kind of get-together.”
Well, hell.More family members meant more people potentially in danger if Olivia couldn’t convince Alec to change venues.It also meant more voices weighing in on wedding decisions, which could make it harder for her cousin to follow through with her plan to switch to a different chapel.
“That sounds like fun,” Delia managed, even though the words wanted to strangle in her throat.“How many people are we talking about?”
“Well, my parents, obviously.Alec’s parents and his sister and her husband.His grandmother, who’s flying in from Phoenix.And I think a couple of his cousins.”Olivia chuckled, but the laugh sounded a bit strained.“It’s going to be a full house.That’s part of why we’re worried about changing venues — what if the new place can’t accommodate everyone?”
“Don’t worry about that,” Delia said quickly.“Most of the chapels I mentioned can handle groups of fifty or more.The guest list won’t be a problem.”
“Okay, that’s a relief,” Olivia replied.“I just want everything to be perfect, you know?And with all the family arriving early, there’s going to be so much pressure to have everything locked down.”
The pressure was exactly what worried Delia.Family dynamics could be complicated under the best of circumstances, and adding wedding stress to the mix often made people dig in their heels about decisions they’d already made.
“Just remember that it’syourwedding,” she said.“Whatever you and Alec decide, that’s what matters.The family will understand.”
“I hope so.”Olivia released a breath.“I’m beginning to think we should have just eloped.”
“It’s not too late for that, either,” Delia said lightly, although inwardly, she was dead serious.If she couldn’t get Olivia and Alec to change venues, maybe she could convince her cousin that changing the entire plan wasn’t a bad idea, and it would be better if they just ran off to Cabo or Cozumel or something.
Olivia laughed, and this time, she sounded much more genuine.“Don’t tempt me.But I suppose after all the money we’ve spent on flights and hotels for everyone, that ship has sailed.”
They chatted for a few more minutes about logistics and timing, and by the end of the call, Delia felt cautiously optimistic.Olivia seemed motivated to make a change, and her growing unease about Angel’s Dream could only work in their favor.
But the mention of arriving family members had introduced a new complication.The more people involved in the decision-making process, the harder it would be to steer things in the right direction without raising any suspicions about her motives.
As soon as she ended her call with Olivia, Delia started reaching out to the wedding chapels she’d mentioned.She needed to have concrete alternatives ready to present, complete with availability and pricing, if she was going to help her cousin make the switch, and although doing all this might make her a little late for work, she wanted as much of this handled as possible before she went into the office.
The first chapel she called was able to offer a Saturday evening slot that would work perfectly.The second had a late afternoon opening that might be even better, since it would give the wedding party more time for photos before dinner.By the time she’d made five calls, she had three solid options with availability and hoped that would be enough.
Now the only thing left was to wait and see if Olivia could convince Alec — and the rest of the family — that a last-minute venue change was worth the hassle.
Her phone pinged, and she looked down to see she’d gotten a text from Caleb.
How’d the call with your cousin go?
