Swiping at her damp cheeks with the back of one hand, smearing her makeup even worse, Serena managed a shaky smile. “Thank you.”
Kinley rested a hand on Serena’s shoulder. “Let’s go freshen your makeup and get rid of that bow, shall we?”
Gratefully, Serena nodded and turned to precede Kinley into the dressing room. Telling herself she would be supremely grateful when this day was over, Kinley glanced again at Dan, then followed Serena to see what they could do about the too-frilly wedding dress.
* * *
The ceremony started only twenty minutes late. The groom and his groomsmen, given the signal by Dan, took their places on the raised gazebo floor. The ring bearer, bridesmaids and flower girl proceeded toward them from the inn while the pianist played Pachelbel’s Canon in D. Her hair brushed into a soft, shiny curtain around her shoulders, adorned with a simple white flower clipped above one ear, her face glowing with only a touch of natural-looking makeup, the bride came down the path on her father’s arm. Her strapless dress was still a little poufy, but looked somewhat more streamlined without the lavender sash and bow.
The solois
t sang “Just A Kiss.” The nontraditional song made some of the older ladies raise their eyebrows in surprise, but Chris and Serena gazed at each other in visible delight during the rendition. Kinley found herself getting lost in the lyrics about a kiss in the moonlight leading to a potential lifelong partnership.
“Be the one I’ve been waiting for my whole life.” Something about those words made her heart contract with what felt suspiciously like fear.
She peeked toward the woods beyond the gazebo and swallowed hard. Then glanced at Dan, who leaned against the railing of the deck above her. He was there ostensibly to take photos, but when she looked up at him, she found him gazing back down at her. Their eyes held for several beats of the romantic song, but then she made herself turn away.
She had a job to do, she reminded herself. It wasn’t like her to let anything, or anyone, get in the way of that. She would probably have to remind herself again before this night was over.
Chapter Ten
Several hours later, Kinley sat in her sister’s living room, sipping a glass of wine and wondering where she was going to find the energy to drive herself home. Maybe she’d just crash in Bonnie’s spare room. It wouldn’t be the first time. And if she did that, she would definitely be the only one in the bed, she thought, looking at Dan through her lashes over the rim of her glass. Bonnie had invited him to join them in their traditional after-event celebration, which usually consisted of a glass of wine each while they sprawled wearily on Bonnie’s furniture.
“I can’t believe how close we came to total disaster today,” Bonnie groaned from her armchair. “Can you imagine if Serena had really called off the wedding right before it started?”
Logan shook his head incredulously. “With all that planning and expense and trouble, you’d think she’d have had the guts to tell her mother sooner what she wanted in her wedding.”
“Her mother’s a scary woman,” Dan said with a chuckle. “But I have to say I’d never seen her as quiet as she was after the wedding. I think Serena’s rebellion knocked her for a loop. For once, Eva was at a loss for words.”
“Here’s to Eva Sossaman being at a loss for words,” Logan said gravely, raising his glass.
Everyone sipped along with him.
“And you.” Dan nodded toward Kinley. “Were you really prepared to restructure the whole wedding half an hour before it started, right down to the bride’s dress?”
She shrugged ironically. “If I’d had to. I was taking a bit of a calculated risk, though. I hoped that if she felt as if she had a choice, Serena would leave most everything in place. I know her mother railroaded her into some of the choices, but I was there when quite a few of the decisions were made, and Serena had a little more input than she let on. She’s the one who wanted lavender and white for her colors, and she made a few suggestions to the menu that her mother approved. Once she’d made a few minor changes, she was calm enough to go on with the ceremony.”
Dan smiled wryly. “So basically she turned a case of bridal jitters into an all-out rebellion against her mother.”
“Basically.”
“So, do we really want to keep specializing in weddings?” Logan asked with his dry humor. “Maybe we should switch to hosting fiftieth wedding anniversaries. Catering to nice, sane older couples rather than hysterical brides and meddling mamas.”
“We love hosting weddings,” Kinley asserted firmly, pointing a finger at Dan. “Be sure you make that clear in the article. Everything you’ve heard us say in private family quarters is off the record.”
He grinned. “I wouldn’t dare betray your confidences. Your brother would probably sic Ninja on me.”
“I’d be more worried about Kinley than Ninja,” Logan muttered before setting his empty wineglass aside. “I’m heading home. I’ll be out early in the morning taking down the rest of the wedding stuff.”
Many of the decorations had been removed during the leisurely wedding dinner. The florist’s crew had hauled away rented accoutrement, the musicians had packed up the keyboard and sound equipment and Logan and Zach had swiftly folded and stacked chairs. Soft background music for the dinner had been piped from speakers discreetly installed on the side lawn. The elaborate cake had been cut, toasts made, bouquet thrown. For guests interested in dancing and drinking, the party had then moved to a nearby club where a live band and an open bar would be provided for their entertainment beginning at eight o’clock and going quite late. Though she hadn’t been involved in the planning for that part of the celebration, Kinley had heard that there would be a two-free-drink limit at the bar. Probably a good idea, considering everything else that had happened that afternoon.
“Do you have a wedding next weekend?” Dan asked.
“A very simple one Sunday afternoon,” Bonnie replied. “Only two attendants and thirty guests, a few candles and flowers for decorations and hors d’oeuvres and wedding cake afterward rather than a meal.”
“That sounds more to my taste,” he remarked.
“Does it?” Bonnie looked with a smile from Dan to Kinley, who frowned at her playful sister.