Best Man For The Wedding Planner

“The sculptures are hours early. They’ll be melted before the reception even starts.”

“A freezer in the kitchens?”

“I thought of that. But then we have to move them again...and we’re down staff members. The flu.”

“What about outside? On the balcony? It’s cold enough they’ll stay frozen. We could ask if we can have a dolly and move them all back at once when they’re needed.”

“It might work. Let me make a call.”

When she got approval to move the ice sculptures outside, Dan stepped in and helped load them onto the dolly, and then supervised delivering them to a corner of the balcony where they could come back and get them in the afternoon. Adele waited inside, where it was warm, but when he came back in, she ate a little humble pie. “Thank you, Dan. I was suddenly so overwhelmed. This is a great solution.”

“About getting them back to the room and unloaded...”

“You’ll have photos with the wedding party. Don’t worry. I’ll find someone. And if I have to, I’ll get it myself. I can lift forty pounds.”

He lifted an eyebrow. “Are you sure? You haven’t started lifting weights, have you?”

She laughed in spite of herself and then covered her mouth. “No, though I do run quite often. Just not today. Today I’m in crisis-management mode.”

“What else has gone wrong?”

“Besides not enough staff to serve tonight? I’ve lost the string quartet. I don’t know how I’m going to break that one to Holly. She’s going to lose her mind.”

“Probably.” At her wide-mouthed expression, he shrugged. “It’s her wedding day. I’m assuming she wants everything to be perfect.”

“I don’t know if I can get a substitute at this late hour. And I still have to find three more servers somewhere. I have an idea about that, but I have to clear it with the catering office first.”

“Is there anything I can do to help? I’m off the hook until the before-wedding pictures at one.”

Was he genuinely offering to help? It seemed he was. She gazed up at him, unsure of where she stood. “Last night we didn’t exactly end things on friendly terms,” she said.

“I shouldn’t have said what I did at the end,” he admitted, his gaze never leaving hers. “About the team player thing. It was a cheap shot. You’re right. This is your job and you know what you’re doing. I let personal resentment get in the way.”

“I guess I’m glad that you’re able to admit you resent me,” she replied softly. “I prefer honesty over subtext. And I don’t blame you, Dan. I just...don’t want to fight now. It was so long ago.”

But was it, really? Clearly not if both of them were unsure of what to say or how they felt.

“The thing is, I want to keep on being angry. And I can’t. I’m just...oh, hell. I don’t know what I am. But I do know that my best friend is being married today and if his bride is unhappy, it’s not going to be good for any of us.” He smiled at her. “So, if there’s anything I can do to help you out of your pickle, let me know. Hand me your phone.”

She did, because she was too surprised to do anything else.

“There.” He handed it back. “My number’s in there. If you don’t find a replacement for the quartet by noon, message me. I might have something up my sleeve.”

“Thank you,” she murmured, looking down at the phone and back up. “That’s...kind of you.”

He took a step back. “I might still be a bit angry with you, but it doesn’t mean I want you to fail, Delly.”

“No one calls me that.”

“I can call you Adele if you want.”

She swallowed against a lump in her throat. “It doesn’t matter.”

“If nothing goes wrong, I’ll see you at the ceremony.”

“Or before. I’ll be taking the boutonnieres to Peter’s suite before your photos. Those are the last flowers to arrive.”

He gave her a mock salute and headed off down the hall, leaving her standing there, feeling unsure and off-balance. And only a little of that was because of her illness.

* * *

A brief discussion with the contract manager gave her the ability to bring in three additional servers, paid out of her own pocket. She called Emmeline and Jerry Richards, who owned a catering business she’d used often. They’d send three servers to the hotel by four o’clock so they could meet with the banquet staff ahead of time. Then she went to the bridal suite, where she faced a radiant and excited Holly.

“How is it? Is it all coming together?” Holly asked. “What do you think? The dress is still perfect, isn’t it?” Harper was there, snapping pictures, and despite her growing fatigue, Adele went forward and adjusted the zipper and hook at the back of the dress.

“It’s lovely. And it is all coming together, with one hitch.”

Holly’s face fell. “Oh, no. Is it bad?”

“It’s nothing I can’t handle, but it’s big enough you need to be aware. Your string quartet has backed out. Half of them are down with the flu.” And apparently not as amenable to working while sick as she was.

“But...that’s all the music!” Her voice raised with panic. “That’s what I’m supposed to walk up the aisle to!”

“I know,” Adele said, feeling a little panic herself but keeping calm for the sake of the bride’s sanity. “I’ve got calls in to a few replacement ensembles that I’ve worked with before. I’m hopeful, because January isn’t a busy wedding month. We might be lucky.”

“And if we’re not?”

Adele reached out and took her hand. “I have never let a bride down yet, and you won’t be the first.”

“Okay.” Holly let out a breath. “I’m going to trust you with this, Adele. Please, please make it work.”

“Everything else is ready, and your flowers should be on their way up in the next thirty minutes. The weather is perfect, too, so don’t fret.” She sent a reassuring smile. “I’ve pulled off miracles before.”

She left the suite and rested against the wall after the door was shut. Keeping a bright face had been a big chore. She needed to take another dose of pills soon; the fever and chills were worsening, and her whole body ached.

Her phone dinged with a text message—the quartet she’d used before was already booked for this evening. That only left one option. If they weren’t available...

She grabbed a bottle of water, but then stopped and got a bowl of soup to get her through the day. The warm broth helped her throat, which was feeling a bit raw, and revived her a bit. Until she got the final refusal. They were two and a half hours from wedding time and had no music. Holly was not the sort of bride who would want a recording played for her walk down the aisle, either.

Desperate times called for desperate measures. She tapped in a text message to Dan, asking for his help. By the time she’d finished her soup, he’d messaged back, saying that a pianist and flautist would be there and set up by two thirty, and if guests could wait until after that to be seated, it would allow them a few minutes to warm up.

She hadn’t wanted to rely on him, but he had come through anyway. Just like he always had when they’d been together.

Her heart ached a bit thinking about it. If she’d told Dan she’d been diagnosed with cancer, he would have stood beside her. If she’d told him it had spread to her uterus and she had to have a hysterectomy, he would have held her hand and insisted it would be all right.

And then she would have had to face him every day, feeling responsible for denying him the joy of his own children. Wondering if he would grow to resent her as his siblings had children and they remained childless. If he’d regret staying with her all that time, and if he’d eventually stop loving her.

The way her dad had stopped loving her mom.

Dan was still a good man. And he had come through today, helping her out of a jam. But nothing had really changed.

Nothing at all.

CHAPTER FOUR

DAN HAD GLIMPSED Adele briefly when she’d dropped off the boutonnieres to Pete’s suite, but she’d slipped in and out again so quickly, he hadn’t had time to speak to her. Her cheeks had looked flushed, though, and her eyes strangely bright. He supposed it might be because everything was coming down to the wire.

As he and the groom and other groomsmen stepped out of the elevator, the muted sound of piano and flute touched his ears. He let out a sigh of relief. A Calgary colleague had a daughter studying music and it had only taken one phone call and the promise of a generous last-minute fee to arrange something. They were almost to the doors of the hall when Adele came around the corner, her phone in hand.

“Whoa,” he said, reaching out and grabbing her arms to avoid a collision.

She looked up, dazed. “Oh, gosh, sorry!” Her cheeks flushed a deep pink. “I didn’t even see you...all.” She looked around at the rest of the men. “But this is perfect timing. You all know what to do, yes? And we’re just about ready to open the doors and begin seating the guests.”

“Pete and I will hang back and go in with the JP,” Dan said, letting go of her arms.

“Yes, that’s perfect.” She smiled a little. “Everything is finally coming together. The last few minutes can get a little manic, though the idea is to appear as if everything is tranquil and calm.”

The groomsmen headed for the main doors, and Pete saw someone he knew and sidestepped to say hello.

Dan looked down at her and frowned a little. Her eyes were brighter than normal, and not in a good way. He lifted his hand and touched her forehead. “Oh, my. You’re sick, aren’t you?”

She swatted his hand away. “Don’t say a word. I’m doing okay. It’s just a touch of...something.”

“The timing is horrible.”

“Don’t I know it.” Her face softened, though, when she looked up at him. “Dan, thank you for the assist earlier. The soloist is just perfect. How did you know who to call?”

He was more pleased than he should have been at her gratitude, and it didn’t settle well. “The guy who moved to Calgary to set up the satellite office, his daughter studies music. I gave him a call, she was available and brought an accompanist, and there you go.”

She smiled at him, a genuine smile. Maybe she was delirious. “You make it sound like no big thing, but it totally saved my butt today. And I’m not in the habit of it needing saving.”

“I’m coming to realize that. Anyway, I’m glad I could help.” He had to stop looking into her eyes. It made him forget how much he resented her for walking away. “Pete’s a good friend, and Holly’s a sweet person. They deserve their fairy-tale day.”

And he would not be bitter about it. Just because he’d been prepared to propose after graduation...it hardly mattered now. Clearly it wasn’t meant to be.

Her phone vibrated. “Call?” he asked.

She shook her head. “Alarm. It’s time to get you with Ms. Fraser, and time for me to head upstairs for the bride and bridesmaids.”

She turned to leave but he put a hand on her arm. “Are you really okay? Considering people are dropping like flies with this bug...”

She looked at his fingers for a moment, and then looked up into his face. For a fleeting moment, something passed between them. Not regret, not awkwardness. If he didn’t know better, he’d swear it was longing. But that didn’t make any sense. She’d left him. And never looked back.

“I’ve been drinking lots of tea. It helps.”

“Okay,” he responded. There was nothing to be done, anyway. The wedding would go on and she was stubborn enough to power through. He’d learned last night not to bother insisting on anything. Adele was far more stubborn than he remembered.

The next time he saw her, she was standing by the door of the hall, cradling an actual mug instead of a paper cup. He moved into position at the front, standing next to Pete, while the ushers took their places to his left. She took a sip and then put the mug down on a small table at the back, rolled her shoulders and gave the flautist a nod.

When the opening bars of Gounod’s Ave Maria sounded, she slipped out the door.

Then the doors opened—both sides—and the first bridesmaid entered, her hair perfect, smile wide, her navy dress rippling along the carpet runner. Then the next bridesmaid and the maid of honor, all carrying identical bouquets of mostly white blooms with silvery accents. Looking around at the twinkly trees, flowers, chairs and other preparations, Dan started to understand exactly how much planning went into a wedding day, and how Adele had taken Holly’s vision of her magical day and made it a reality. A new respect for her blossomed. She was good at this. Really good.

The music changed, shifting to Pachelbel’s Canon, and Holly stepped inside the doors.

A collective gasp went up from the guests, and one glance at Pete told Dan his best friend was a goner. Pete’s hands were folded in front of him, but Dan saw the fingers clench and release several times as Holly started her walk up the aisle. And when Pete’s eyes misted over, Dan reached inside his pocket and took out a pristine white handkerchief. When he handed it over, an emotional laugh fluttered across the room, making the vibe suddenly very warm and personal.

He looked to the back of the room and saw Adele standing there, a satisfied smile on her face.

He gave her a brief nod before turning back to the ceremony.

And yet, as the people he cared about said their I dos, as he handed over the wedding band and signed the register, he couldn’t stop a hole from opening in his chest. This should have been them. It would have been them, if it had been his choice. And maybe it was better this way. Maybe she’d known something he didn’t, and they wouldn’t have lasted. Not getting married had to be better than going through with it and divorcing later.

But for the first time in several years, he came face-to-face with the fact that he’d never gotten over her. And now he wasn’t sure if he ever would.

* * *

Relief was the only emotion Adele felt right now.

She had twenty-five whole minutes during the ceremony to sit down at the back of the room, out of sight, and sip her tea, which was miraculously still hot. One of the waitresses for the cocktail hour had noticed her sniffling and had brought her a fresh cup, a very thoughtful gesture and one of the reasons Adele loved having events at the Fiori Cascade. Luca, Mariella and their team did a fabulous job.

But once she got through her mental checklist for the ceremony, making sure nothing needed the smallest tweak, she found her mind wandering to Dan.

His help and concern today had been utterly unexpected, but he had backed off instead of pressing the issue like he had last night. Of course, he’d made it plain he was doing it for Pete, and not for her. Still, he didn’t have to. And then that moment when he’d put his hand on her arm...there’d been something. Something that was impossible to ignore, even though she knew she should.

But again...she’d never stopped caring about him. So maybe she should stop thinking and just give herself a break. It was natural for feelings to crop up, wasn’t it?

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