Starting with the wedding hall first, Isabella, Finn, and Landon lugged boxes holding the table centerpieces from the back of Landon’s truck. Isabella tried to take some of the stress off Norah by instructing people exactly how the reception tables were to look.
“Tablecloth, burlap, centerpiece, candles around the centerpiece. That’s it,” she said, spreading a white tablecloth over a round table.
“I think we can handle that.” Leo winked at her, a box with branches sticking out of it tucked under his arm.
Her knees went a bit wobbly as she smiled.
“Once we’re done in here, we’ll decorate under the tent,” Isabella called over her shoulder.
Landon stood back, admiring the table Isabella finished decorating, his pointer finger pressed to his pouted lips. “Hmm…”
“What’s wrong?”
Landon stayed quiet, his eyes scanning the room.
“Nothing,” Norah said. “Everything looks great.”
“You sure?” Isabella bit the inside of her cheek. “If you want us to add something, or move something, we can. Like, maybe pinecones around the centerpieces mixed in with the candles?”
“No, no…this is good. I think adding the pinecones would be too much, don’t you think, Landon? Less is more, right?”
“Absolutely.”
Less also meant they’d be done decorating sooner. And she and Leo would finally be alone. She would give him the gift. They’d be kissing and—
“Maybe we could just see what it would look likewiththe pinecones?” Landon suggested.
Isabella fought back a sigh. “Sure. Sounds good.”
Norah shot her a grateful look, chewing her lower lip.
It turned out that Landon did not, in fact, like the way the pinecones looked spread across the tables. But he didn’t decide this until after Isabella had finished placing them strategically on all sixteen tables. The wastefulness of her energy was the least of her concerns. It was the wasted time that bothered her. But at least she and Leo were still together, stealing glances and sharing flirtatious smiles and gestures all day.
Underneath the big white tent, Dad and Finn had already placed the white chairs for Norah and Landon’s guests in perfect rows. Along with three chandeliers hanging above the middle aisle, Norah and Landon had chosen simple decorations for the ceremony. And as long as Landon didn’t change his mind—which was shaping up to be a high probability he most definitely would—they’d be done in no time.
Finn and Landon hauled the potted fir trees from the back of Landon’s truck, and Isabella helped assemble them in a nice row across the front near the makeshift platform where the wedding party would stand. Nina helped Mom fill tall cylinder glass vases with water while Norah placed them on the floor at the end of each row of chairs, and Ava placed a floating candle in each one. Isabella draped garland around each vase. Simple—yet elegant. Both aspects she could get behind.
A frazzled man entered the back of the tent, heading straight for Norah and carrying two pathetic-looking bouquets of red roses. After a moment, Norah clutched one of the bouquets, her mouth hanging open, and her brows pinched together. Isabella rushed to her sister’s side.
“What’s going on?”
Norah’s eyes glossed over. “The florist only got half of the roses in his shipment. It’s either these or we go with a different flower entirely.”
Seeing Norah’s pained expression sent a pang of worry to her own heart. “Okay, I’m sure we can figure something out.”
“But all the other decorations are with roses,” Norah’s voice vibrated.
“I can do carnations,” the florist suggested.
Norah shook her head. “No, no, Landon specifically said he doesn’t want carnations.”
Isabella’s first thought was,who the hell cares what Landon wants?“Okay, sweetie, but what do you want?”
Norah looked at her, eyes brimming with tears, like she didn’t have a clue.
Leo approached them, setting a hand on Isabella’s back. “What’s wrong?”
Isabella held up the bouquet. “The florist only has half of the roses he was expecting. So it’s either these, or Norah needs to pick another flower.”
