Page 39 of Moonshine and Magnolias (Just Add Peaches #1)

Tina beat a hasty retreat when the wedding guests started overflowing the lobby. Wendy was only mildly disappointed by her departure, though the woman did say she’d email a contract with her new position information.

As soon as Tina’s vehicle had sped out of sight, all her strength seeped out of her. Rob held out his arms amid the fallen chuppah and empty chairs. She walked into his embrace, her body liquid against his. “This did not just happen.”

But it had, and another sense of foreboding came over her when Rob’s arms tightened around her. “Wendy, your aunt is coming.”

“No. Don’t say anything.”

His hand stroked her back. “Either she was mud wrestling in candy land or something bad went down in the kitchen.”

“If I don’t look, it didn’t happened,” Wendy said into his chest.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart.” He kissed her head.

Sweetheart? Hmmm. She could get used to that. She braced herself, then turned to greet her aunt.

Or, the purple monstrosity.

Purple frosting decorated her hair and half her face. Her apron might have been yellow or white, but now swirls of lilac and lavender were the only colors visible. Every inch of her arms was covered as well.

“Can’t figure what happened.” Eulalee wrung her hands, smearing the frosting even more.

“I was carrying the middle layer of the cake and suddenly it was in my hair and the bottom layer was smashed. It ended up on the ceiling. I ended up on my rear on the floor.” She rubbed her posterior, leaving purple in her wake.

The comfort-seeking Wendy grabbed the labels of Rob’s jacked and pressed her forehead into his chest, inhaling his woodsy scent. She let go and became the in-charge Wendy. “Go get cleaned up, Aunt Eulalee. I’ll meet you in the kitchen once I’ve talked to the brides.”

Her aunt stood there, shaking her head. Wendy put a hand on the last clean spot on her shoulder. “We’ll fix it. Don’t worry.”

Eulalee nodded and went across the grounds to the kitchen’s back door, mumbling about fairies and gravity and tripping on her own feet.

Wendy took Rob’s hand and headed up front steps.

“I can tell Jennifer and Pearl it will be fine, but I’d be lying.

They’d know it. With the flowers and the cake and any other problems we’ve yet to find.

” She paused at the heavy wooden door. Living without the weight of family expectations and adult responsibilities sounded pretty damn good.

“Do you think that instead of going inside, we can run far away from here and just be carefree?”

“As long as we can do it naked.”

With those words, the stress deserted her for the first time since Pearl had started sneezing. She laid her hand on his cheek and stood on her toes, letting her lips brush his in a gentle caress. “You’re very good for me. Even if we have to be dressed,” she said. “Come with me?”

He pushed open the door in response.

The lobby and parlor were stuffed with guests mingling and drinking and snacking on food that had escaped the purple wave in the kitchen.

Brandi and Sebastien circled among the crowd, smiling charming smiles and laughing charming laughs, though the anxiety in Brandi’s eyes didn’t match her vivacious attitude.

This could be fixed. Even though the plan for guests to mingle outside wouldn’t be happening now. Fountenoy Hall was huge. There were plenty of gathering spaces.

Wendy surveyed the number of people milling around and did some mental calculations. “Do me a favor?”

“Anything.”

“Get Sebastien and his men and anyone else you can find to help. Move the chairs from outside into the ballroom. We’ll have the ceremony there.”

“You’re brilliant.” Rob kissed her forehead, then put his hand on the library door. “Ready?”

At her nod, he slid it open. Jennifer was kneeling by Pearl, who sat on the sofa with the Rabbi next to her.

She clutched Jennifer with one hand and tissues with the other, her nose red enough to give a drunk Rudolph reflecting a stoplight a run for his money.

Her wedding dress was in a heap on the floor and she wore a white robe.

Her mother stood behind her, combing out her updo.

Jordan paced nearby but out of the way, attentive to what the women were doing without being intrusive.

“How are you, Ms. Arsdale?” Wendy asked.

“Bedder,” Pearl wheezed.

“I’m so sorry for the mistakes. If you’re up for it, we can still perform the ceremony.”

Pearl shook her head. “I cand go oudside.”

“We’re moving everything into the ballroom. Ten minutes.” She hoped.

“But there’s too much pollen in her clothes,” Jennifer said. “She’s not dressed for this anymore. Look at her!”

Pearl put her hand on Jennifer’s shoulder. “Whad does id madder whad I’m wearing, honey? I’m nod going do love you any less because I dond have on Spanx and a crinoline.”

Jennifer covered Pearl’s hand with her own. “But you looked so beautiful.” Her voice softened and she tucked a stray lock of hair behind Pearl’s ear. “My beautiful bride.”

There was no one in the room for them but each other. Even Pearl’s mom had stopped moving. Longing pull at Wendy’s gut and she had to look away.

“We can really have the wedding in the ballroom?” Pearl’s mom asked.

“Yes, ma’am,” Wendy answered. “We sure can.”

Fifteen minutes later, Jennifer and Pearl prepared to pledge themselves to each other dressed in matching white robes, sharing their love in front of family and friends.

As far as weddings went, this one turned out very nice and simple.

Wendy snuck off to the kitchen, where Anthon was whipping up another dessert and assured her he had it under control.

When she returned to the ballroom, she kept ahold of Rob’s hand, not noticing how tightly she squeezed it until the brides kissed at the end of the ceremony and she released her vice-grip on him. He shook it out with a sigh of relief.

“Oh, ouch. Sorry.” She kissed his knuckles. “All better. Or it will be, once we see the cake.’

Her body remained strung up like she was pitching a tie game with the bases loaded until Eulalee rolled out the pastel multi-tiered dessert.

It wasn’t the magnificent display of patchwork textures and purple flowers, but Anthon had done a good job of replicating the spirit of the cake, if not the actual design.

The brides didn’t notice a thing.

Finally, Jennifer and Pearl changed into actual clothes and ran down the Fountenoy Hall steps under a spray of birdseed and drove off together.

The remaining guests slowly drifted to their cars and down the tree-covered drive.

As soon as the last car hit the dirt, the crew hired to clean up spread throughout the first floor, armed with trash cans and brooms.

Wendy watched them disburse and shook her head. “I’m afraid to go into the kitchen, but I can’t just leave it.”

Rob tossed off his sport coat and unbuttoned the cuffs of his shirt.

“What are you doing?” Wendy asked.

He rolled up the material, exposing his sinewy forearms. “Let’s go clean. ”

She examined his white shirt and her own simple pale green sundress. “Not in these clothes.”

“Not a problem.” He grinned at her. “Take them off.”

She laughed, surprised at how easy it was with him. Being with him wasn’t a chore. He was really, truly hers. “I’m very glad you decided not to go somewhere else with your reservation.”

He leaned forward and gave her a light, teasing kiss that barely brushed her lips. “Me, too. Even if we haven’t yet found everything we need about Louis.”

That must be his client’s ancestor. It was the first time he let the information slip. Since he had talked about confidentiality before, she didn’t comment on it. “Let’s go check out the kitchen.”

Wendy entered the room. Jordan was already there, rinsing out a sponge. Wendy walked around the island, inspecting the black and white checkered walls and the tiled floor.

Her muscles melted in relief. “I had visions of frosting dangling from the ceiling and falling on the head of anyone who walked underneath, Anthon. The kitchen looks amazing.”

“Thank you,” Anthon said. “Your aunt is well-versed in food removal. She could teach a class. Everything else is done.”

“That’s great. I don’t know how we would have survived this without you.”

“Good night, then.” He gave a quick nod, and left through the back door.

Jordan collapsed against the island. “We did it.”

“Hell yeah, we did.” Wendy reached over to give her a high five then extended her hand to Rob. “Thank you for your help today. Both of you. I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t been here.”

He caught her hand and kissed her fingers. Then her palm. Then the inside of her wrist.

She locked her gaze on his desire-filled eyes. Untamed lust rippled through her. Too bad her friend was there. She’d push Rob to a chair, hike up her skirt, and see where it took them .

“For God’s sake,” Jordan said. “Get a room.”

“I’d like to,” Rob muttered.

Brandi’s voice carried into the kitchen by way of the pass-through window, followed my Sebastien’s muffled response.

He entered the kitchen first, holding Brandi by the wrist. Her lips stuck out in a pout and she glared at him.

The moment of intimacy was shed as quickly as Pearl’s pollen-covered dress.

Brandi stopped and wrenched her hand out of Sebastien’s grasp. She crossed her arms over her chest, her jaw tight and posture stiffer than a general in the saddle.

He gave Brandi a nudge. “Show her your email.”

“No. It’s not going to matter. She had me convicted faster than a cat lapping chain lightning.”

Wendy’s muscles tensed and a deep pit of darkness filled her belly. Sebastien had always been Brandi’s staunchest supporter, even when she was so obviously in the wrong, but there was something different in his tone this time.

“You guys say the weirdest things sometimes,” Jordan said in the silence that followed.

“What email?” Wendy asked.