Page 33 of Moonshine and Magnolias (Just Add Peaches #1)

“I mean, I was putting away a serving tray.” Her eyes darted to the threshold leading to the hallway, signaling her desperation. “Can I get anything for you?”

Oh, what the hell. “What can you tell me about this photograph?”

A look of relief crossed her face and she hustled over to the one he indicated.

“That’s Isaac and Caroline Clayton, standing on the back end of the property.

We had some old buildings there once, but they came down long ago.

” She squinted at his uncle and tapped the picture.

“I don’t know that guy, though. A sharecropper?

No, he looks too business like. Maybe he’s the one that broke Aunt Caroline’s heart. I assume you heard that story?”

“When Ms. Eulalee was helping us with the journals, yes.”

“Hmmm.” Brandi brushed some hair back from her face. “Why the interest? Think he’s the man you were sent here to research?”

Apparently Wendy hadn’t shared the Upshaws’ reason for being at the Hall. “Very, very possibly. Is there a way to find out his name?”

Brandi shook her head. “Aunt Eulalee or Wendy might know more.”

** *

Wendy sat in the antique office chair with her pencils on the desk, newly sharpened and tips aligned.

For once, her preparation hadn’t amounted to anything.

Brandi slumped in a metal chair, staring at her with a smirk and her knee bouncing, with Sebastien on a stool behind her.

Jordan stood in front of a perfectly organized flip chart, holding a freakin’ laser pointer.

Wrong. Wrong wrong wrong. This was all wrong.

If Wendy hadn’t been so preoccupied with the fear of Rob coming down to breakfast before she could escape, she never would have agreed to listen to Jordan’s plans for the wedding. Fountenoy Hall had a set of no-fail guidelines that needed no embellishments for the activities it hosted.

Never mind that her friend’s ideas were brilliant.

This was Wendy’s Hall, her event, her responsibility.

The responsibility she had inherited, even when she had another job and another apartment and roots in another city, so she damn well should take charge of it.

“You’re kinda taking over here, Jordan.”

“I know! I kept coming up with ideas last night, so I wrote them all down.” She waved the laser light to her line sketch of Fountenoy Hall.

“Like how beautiful and symbolic it would be for the brides to walk down the split staircase at the same time and meet in front. And we’d need to figure out what rooms to use for them to get ready.

Two women can take up a lot of space with stuff.

I think having one of them in the stables might be best, to keep them from seeing each other. ”

“We’ve had weddings here before. What do the notes say?

” Wendy settled back in her chair with a deep breath before Jordan could answer, determined to relax.

Letting someone else run a meeting would be good for her.

Brandi would have to do it when she left, so having Jordan with her usual efficiency should be a positive experience.

Until her body decided otherwise.

Wendy’s vision suddenly made the room tilt to the side, and she grabbed the arms of the chair to steady herself.

Her heart beat a cadence faster than a drum roll.

She exhaled slowly, hoping to calm her inner turmoil.

Was this reaction because she was letting someone else do her work?

Or was it the thought of going back to Atlanta?

“Your grandma knew her stuff. The wedding guide book is fantastic, but it’s for a bride and groom,” Jordan said. “This is for two brides. A whole other ball game.”

“Watch out, everyone,” Sebastien said. “Jordan’s on a mission.”

She flapped her hand at him. “Stop. And I thought this would take some of the stress off you for the retirement party tomorrow.”

“It is. You’re doing a great job.” Brandi glared at Wendy as if daring her say anything.

Jordan checked her notes. “How’s the search for the chef going?”

“We found one. Anthon.” Wendy said, forcing her voice to remain steady. Something hard poked at her chest and she rubbed it while she blinked to clear her vision. “He’s coming later today to help with dinner so Eulalee can put him through her paces.”

“His experience?”

She didn’t need Jordan’s permission. Anthon had graduated from the Culinary Institute of American, but she answered with a clipped tone anyway. “He responded and was available.”

Jordan snorted. “That’s not a very good resume.”

“Good thing you’re not the one doing the hiring, then.” What the hell was wrong with her? Jordan didn’t need that sort of attitude, not when she was spending vacation time to visit with Wendy and her cousin.

Jordan smoothed the hair already pulled tight into a bun and turned back to her chart.

“Our brides are okay using the same flowers from the retirement party on Sunday, so we have to make sure they don’t wilt.

Brandi, you have to get rid of the flowers Pearl’s allergic to.

Wendy has the list; she’ll email it to you. ”

“Check.” Brandi made a note on her phone.

Wendy struggled to inhale. There wasn’t enough air in the room for her lungs. “I should be the one doing this. ”

“Weren’t you the one who told me not to shirk my responsibilities so I can learn?” Brandi pointed at her. “You don’t have to run everything. I can handle a few flowers.”

“I know how it’s supposed to go. I know what to do. I’ve done it before at Steward’s.” She rubbed harder at her chest, aware of the sheen of sweat on her forehead. The knot wasn’t going away.

“Are you all right?” Brandi half-rose from her seat. “Your face is going all white.”

“I’m fine. I’m always fine. I was fine last night, too. There’s nothing wrong.” Except she couldn’t breathe. “I don’t have to lose myself to have fun.”

“Last night,” Brandi echoed. Wendy didn’t like the tug of a smile on her lips.

“What happened last night?” Sebastien asked.

“Nothing, okay? Nothing. Let’s just get on with this.” She waved her free hand to the flip chart. “I don’t act with abandon but that doesn’t mean something has to be wrong. It was fine.”

There was a moment of silence in the room until Brandi spoke. “Are you still talking about the wedding?”

“What else would I be talking about?” Great. Now her hands were tingling. She shook them out to get the blood flowing. Maybe Sebastien’s men knew CPR or had a defibrillator on hand. “I can give up control. I can. Jordan, organize this wedding. I’m doing just fine.”

Why wasn’t anyone saying anything? They all looked at her with furrowed brows and concern in their eyes.

“What?” she asked. “Why are you all staring at me?

“Okay.” Brandi stood up and pointed to the door. “Everybody out.”

Wendy rose to file out with her friends.

“Not you, Marsh. Sit your ass down.”

She leaned back in Grandma’s chair and closed her eyes. Jordan’s clipped walk and Sebastien’s heavier tread crossed the office floor, followed by a click as Brandi closed the door behind them. “What the hell is wrong with you? ”

Wendy opened her eyes. “Me? You heard what Jordan was doing.”

“Yeah. Helping us out.” She retook her seat across from the desk. “What happened last night?”

“Why do you keep asking me irrelevant questions?” Her jumbled mind wouldn’t let her explain, anyway. The elation, the joy. The panic.

Brandi examined the cracked nail polish on her finger. “I ran into Rob in the dining room really early this morning. He was drinking water and studying the photographs. And wearing the clothes he wore yesterday.”

“You should have gone to bed earlier, with all the stuff we have to do.”

Brandi huffed out a laugh. “Don’t deflect. He had that certain satisfied look about him. You know the kind I’m talking about.”

Wendy ran her hands down the arms of the chair, avoiding looking at her cousin. She wanted to gush about Rob. But then she’d have to admit her lack of ability to relax.

The tightness in her chest lessened and she took a full breath.

“Since I know I wasn’t with him and I’m fairly certain Jordan wasn’t either, that leaves either you or Aunt Eulalee.” Her voice softened. “So?”

“Brandi, we don’t have time for this.” Wendy reached for the papers on the desk.

Her cousin slammed her hand down on top of them. “For once, you’re the reason work isn’t getting done. Lashing out at Jordan? So not you. She’s been busting her ass for us and you pitch a fit.”

“I did not pitch a fit! I asked valid and probing questions.”

“Jordan can handle the internal workings of multi-million dollar corporations. Planning a wedding when everything is mostly already in place is like catching a pop fly for her. Besides, she’s almost as anal as you are with organization and note taking.”

Wendy tapped her nails on the desk in the same rhythm as her heartbeat. “It’s our reputation that will suffer if things go wrong. Not hers.”

Brandi sat back in her chair. “What happened? ”

“How do I know? She got some kind of bee in her ball cap and started rewriting Fountenoy Hall procedure.”

“I’m not talking about Jordan and you damn well know it. Don’t make me call Aunt Leslie and get her involved.”

So much for avoiding the subject. And the threat to call Wendy’s mother was a bluff. Probably. “How many different ways can I say nothing?” She flushed when Brandi arched an eyebrow at her and tried to wait out the silence. And failed. “Oh, fine. Not nothing.”

“Ha! I knew it. I could tell.” Brandi made her way through the filing cabinets and cardboard boxes to the supply cabinet. She disappeared for half a second, then reappeared with a bottle of whiskey and a couple of plastic cups.

“It’s ten in the morning. I do not need a drink.” Wendy frowned. “And how did you know that was there, anyway?”

“So what has you freaking out?” Her cousin placed the bottle squarely in front of her.

Wendy fixed her with a stare.

Brandi poured a few fingers of the amber liquid into one of the cups. “The sooner you answer, the sooner you can go back to yelling at Jordan.”

“I wasn’t yelling at… okay.” Keeping it all to herself wasn’t helping anyway. Wendy took a swig, the familiar burn coating her throat. “I was nervous. That’s all. Now can we get back to work?”

“Nervous.”

She refused to acknowledge the heat creeping up to her face. “You know. Like how you get the first time you’re with someone.”

“Don’t go anywhere.” To her surprise, her cousin got up and left the office.

Now Wendy could escape, before everyone came back for the meeting, and keep the other reason for lashing out to herself. Whether it was being with Rob or staying in Claremont, her temper flare was too new to voice. She capped the whiskey and stood up.

Not fast enough. The door opened and Brandi came back in, followed by Jordan.

“You needed reinforcements?” Wendy asked.

“Hell no. But you know I’m going to tell Jordan what’s going on, so it would be much more efficient if you told us both at the same time.”

That made sense, in a twisted Brandi way. “Where’s Sebastien?”

“I think he went off to sketch Eulalee. Besides, you know he always leave when we start talking dirty.” Jordan leaned against the desk. “So. You banged the doctor. Nice going.”

If only.

“So what’s the problem? Didn’t you…” she waved her hand. “You know. Like it.”

“Yes.” Wendy pulled her hair over her shoulder. The papers on her desk had shifted out of alignment when her cousin had slammed her hand, and she nudged them back in place. “It was very nice.”

Brandi snorted and shook her head. “Nice is a cold drink when you’re thirsty or reading a book under a warm blanket when it’s raining. Sex should never be nice.”

“Amen to that.” Jordan toasted with the whiskey bottle. “Did he scream someone else’s name?”

“No.”

“Did you scream someone else’s name?”

Wendy groaned and leaned back in the chair. She covered her face with her hands. Looking at them was too embarrassing. She was doing well enough just talking.

“Oooooh.” Brandi leaned forward and rested her elbows on the desk. “You did. Did you?”

“No.” She peeked between her fingers. “I didn’t… finish.” Which wasn’t completely true, but she didn’t need to go into details. Her face burned enough as it was.

“So it was bad?” Jordan turned to Brandi. “We should have made popcorn. ”

“Better than any soap opera,” she agreed.

“No, it was good. Great, in fact. Really great.” She couldn’t stop the catch in her breath. She had been so out of her mind with Rob, her body had moved on its own. And that had put the experience on a whole new level.

“You were thinking too much, weren’t you?” Brandi asked. “Stop thinking. Start feeling.”

“It’s not as easy as all that.” Didn’t they realize she was trying? She picked up a sharpened pencil and tapped the eraser against the desk. “It doesn’t matter. Going to bed with him was a bad idea anyway. We need to get back to work. There are lots of things to plan for.”

Brandi removed a five-dollar bill from her pocket and handed it to Jordan. The other woman snapped it flat, then folded it in half. “Thank you.”

“You guys bet on me?”

“I knew you’d try to dismiss whatever it was that was bothering you without trying to fix it,” Jordan said.

“So you’re saying I need to get back in the sack with him? That will fix it?”

“Yeah. But so will expressing yourself. And leave your brain at the door.” Jordan took her hand. “Look, honey. It’s obvious you like him and he likes you. You’re two single, healthy adults. Do something for yourself instead of helping everyone else.”

Her cousin nodded encouragement.

Of course it was easy for Brandi, who lived for fun, to agree. She didn’t care about repercussions or consequences or anything but the present. And she wasn’t going through any emotional upheavals right now.

Maybe Brandi was on to something.

“After the fiasco of last night, I bet he’s going to avoid me until he checks out,” Wendy said.

“You’re not going to know unless you try.” Brandi nudged her chin to the door. “So try.”

“Now? ”

“Why not?”

She held up her hands. “This is not an excuse to get out of it. But we have an event tomorrow, and there are still preparations to make.”

“She’s right,” Brandi said. “Darn it all.”

“Tonight, then.” Jordan glared at her until she sighed and gave in.

“Fine. Tonight.”