He grinsagain.
“Hun, I’m the weddingdelegator. I have one wedding planner and ten wedding coordinators at my disposal, which really are just glorified assistants.”
Of course he would delegate all of his duties. Now I’m really nervous. He has put trust into other people, whereas I’d rather kill myself by trying to do it alone.Check your pride, Rose.Right, my pride is not fucking upanythingtoday. I go to look at what else has been ruined, but he keeps his hands on my shoulders, forcing me to stay.
“This is going to be a long day. I want you beside me, not crawling out of a window,” he tells me. “What do you say? You accept this challenge, Rose Calloway?”
I nod, willing to feed into his plans to calm my nerves.
Just this once.
“Where is everyone?!”My heels clap down the empty corridor that echoes. No one is here. I don’t understand. No Lily or Loren. No Ryke or Daisy. No guests or parents. I’m not stupid. It’s clear that Connor changed the time of the wedding.
“What’d you push it back to?”
“Four,” he says. “You wanted to be early.”
“Notthreehours early.” Is he crazy?
I put my hands on my hips, but he sets his palm on the small of my back and leads me in a new direction.
“Where are we going?”
“Outside.”
“I need to call Lily. I need to find her and make sure she’s not hyperventilating.”
“Lily’s fine.”
“I’m sure she’s on the precipice of a mental breakdown,” I ignore his comment. “It’s my duty as the maid of honor to calm her.”
“Has anyone ever told you to stop and smell the roses?” he asks with an edging smile.
I roll my eyes. “Ha ha,” I say. “I’ve heard them all, believe me—” I’m distracted as soon as my heels sink into the manicured lawn. And then I look up and I become rooted to the earth. Connor waits by my side, his hand never leaving my back.
Cream, pink and red roses cascade along hedges, filling the gardens. But it’s not the gorgeous flowers that have me overflowing with emotion.
In the open courtyard stands Lily, Daisy and Poppy, wearing pale pink bridesmaids’ dresses, simple and light, unlike the one I’m smothered in. Almost like something I used to wear at ballet recitals.
“I don’t…” I shake my head as I take in their bright, glowing features. Lily is crying. And smiling.
Then I see Poppy’s husband and Ryke and Loren, all in tuxes, dapper and handsome. And then…
“Mother?”
My mom wipes a couple tears as she smiles. She has her hands to her chest, choked with emotion, her pearls gone for the day. I almost start crying at the sight. My father stands by her side with an equally heartfelt reaction towards me.
Connor gently leads me closer to them.
I add together all the pieces and I shake my head quickly. “Connor, Connor we can’t hijack my sister’s wedding.”
“I didn’t,” Connor says.
“We gave it to him a month ago,” Loren explains with a growing smile.
“What?” I look between all of them, incensed that they kept a secret from me at first, but then I absorb each face, each family member and friend.
Everyone is happy.
