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I looked over at Basia, who rolled her eyes at me, but thankfully pointed Gwen toward Amanda, who waved her over to a stack of fancy cloth napkins.

“I should probably go check on Elvis,” I said. “You know, to make sure he doesn’t need anything.”

Basia sighed. She knew I was looking for a way to get out of the agony of making more decorating decisions.

“Go check on Elvis,” she finally said. “I’ll text you if I have any questions.”

“Please don’t have any questions,” I murmured with heartfelt feeling. “You’re the best matron of honor ever, Basia.”

“Had you any doubt?” She tossed her head.

“Never.” I bolted for the exit, stopping at the threshold. “By the way,” I called out. “White.”

She looked at me, puzzled, so I pointed at a chair. “The white bow. I think it will look best on the back of the chair. It’s simple, classy and goes with the flower arrangement. If you really need my opinion.”

She glanced down at the satin bows still draped over her arm, smiled, and gave me a thumbs-up. Without wasting another moment, I hightailed it out of the room and bounded up the stairs to see Elvis.

THREE

Lexi

Istopped in front of Room 204 and knocked once. I could hear thumping inside. A minute later Elvis answered the door dressed in jeans and a white T-shirt bearing the wordsData Whisperer. He was sweating. Apparently, he and Gwen weren’t traveling light. His dark-rimmed glasses were perched unevenly on the tip of his nose.

“Lexi?” His blue eyes widened when he saw me standing there. “What’s wrong? Shouldn’t you be decorating?”

“Save me. Please.”

Concerned, he opened the door wider, so I walked in. I spotted an armchair with a suitcase perched unevenly across the arms. I muscled the bag to the floor and collapsed into the chair. “No one needs me. I have no idea which napkin ring looks best with the silverware or whether the name cards would look better in the center or offset at the plate. Does it really matter? Please, just let me hide here. I beg you.”

Elvis ran his fingers though his hair and sat down on a small couch angled toward the sliding glass doors of the balcony. “I’m not going to lie, it sounds awful. Did you see Gwen?”

“Yes. She’s so excited, but more importantly, she’s happy to take my place.” I leaned back against the cushions, closing my eyes. “I owe her one now. A big one.”

“Hey, thanks for including her in the planning. It means a lot to her that you thought of her…and me.” He stared at me cautiously. “Wait. You’re not here to ropemeinto decorating, are you?”

“What?” I opened my eyes to look at him in alarm. “No. Of course not. Unless you want me to.”

“Oh heck, no.” He leaned forward, typing something on his laptop, which already sat atop the tiny coffee table even though the suitcases were barely in the door. “Besides, I’m busy right now.”

“Doing what?” I joined him on the couch and peered at his screen.

“Anything that doesn’t involve wedding decorating,” he quipped.

I smacked him on the shoulder. “It’s not wedding decorating, it’s rehearsal dinner decorating. Which, I admit, isn’t that much different from wedding decorating, but still…” I sighed, resting my hands on my thighs. “Just tell me you’re doing something interesting on the laptop. Take my mind off the insanity.”

Elvis tapped a couple of keys. “I wish I could. I’m just getting connected and boosting the signal a bit. Things are a bit slow out here on the beautiful bluffs by the bay.”

“My connectivity has been just fine.”

“It’s probably the inconsistent wiring in this historical house. How old is this place?”

“Bluff House was built in 1877. I’m sure it’s had many updates since then to make sure it’s up to code.”

“If you say so. As much as I’d like to, I won’t be doing anything much on the computer this week, anyway. Gwen has given me the rules for the week, which involve no work or gaming, and loads of time supporting you and Slash.”

I felt his pain. “Ugh. I’m sorry to have contributed to those restrictions.”

To my surprise, he laughed, his eyes twinkling behind his glasses as he clapped a hand on my shoulder. “Seriously, I don’t mind…much. Gwen’s right. I need to get off the computer and live my life a bit more.” As if to prove his point, he closed the laptop and pulled open the balcony door. Fresh spring air swept inside.