Page 3

Chapter Two

Thirty minutes later, as the waiters discreetly asked our guests to be seated for dinner, Andrew and I made our way to the front of the room, where a tall, silver-haired man with bright- blue eyes was waiting for us to join him at the microphone. Victor Carrington, the CEO and owner of the Carrington Hospitality Group, was in his mid-sixties and was a gregarious, handsome man who loved luxury and sophistication. He also liked adventure, which was why this new coastal retreat would offer guests hiking trips, kayaking, and boating adventures, as well as a five-star restaurant and spa.

I'd only met Victor three times in my life, once at my first company picnic six months after I'd started working at the company and twice during the past three months when Andrew and I had met with the executive team before being selected to be the couple featured in the marketing campaign.

While Andrew and Victor had hit it off immediately, I'd felt a little intimidated by him. But then, he was my boss, and I didn't want to do anything to jeopardize a job I loved. Andrew, on the other hand, had relished the opportunity to connect with Victor. Andrew was a real-estate developer, and while his small business was far from the scale of operations of the Carrington Group, Andrew had big ambitions and admired Victor immensely.

"Here's to our beautiful couple," Victor said, stepping up to the microphone, as he waved his hand toward us.

His gesture brought forth a wave of applause, and my nerves ratcheted up a notch as I looked out at the crowd. There were so many people I didn't know. So many people who didn't seem that supportive, like Ethan Stark and the beautiful redhead who was giving me a very speculative look. Or maybe that was only in my mind.

I'd never been good in groups. I felt more comfortable in the background. I liked my work to show how creative and interesting I was, but there was no work tonight. This was all personal, and yet it felt very impersonal, too. I wished Andrew and I had eloped. It wouldn't have been my dream wedding, but this dream wasn't turning out exactly as I'd imagined.

"Thank you all for coming," Victor said. "I'm honored to be hosting the wedding of Lauren and Andrew. This weekend is going to be very special, and my family is thrilled to be a part of it. My wife, Paula, will arrive tomorrow. But I have my son, Bennett, here." He waved his hand to the thirty-two-year-old brown-haired man standing off to the side.

Bennett nodded his head to the crowd as another round of applause rang out.

"At the Carrington Hospitality Group," Victor continued, "we've always believed our resorts should feel like a home away from home, and our fellow travelers and hosts should feel like family. So, this weekend, we're all going to be family. And we're going to celebrate the beautiful love story that Lauren and Andrew have found together. We want this new resort to be the site of many more happy weddings to come. We appreciate that Lauren and Andrew are giving us a chance to start with them. Now, Andrew, would you like to say a few words?"

I was happy Victor had called for Andrew instead of me.

Andrew let go of my hand to shake Victor's. Then he moved to the microphone and sent his dazzling smile around the room. "Lauren and I are grateful and honored to be having our wedding at this beautiful new resort. As Victor mentioned, we truly feel like we're part of the Carrington family, and we want you to know how appreciative we are. To the resort staff and to the company employees who have helped create this magical time, you are all amazing, the best of the best. To our friends and family who have made the trek here, we can't tell you how lucky we feel to have you be a part of this."

He paused for a moment, turning to two women standing off to the side. "We want to give a special shout-out to Megan Farris and Jeanette Bilson, who have put in long hours before tonight, and I'm sure will put in many more long hours before this weekend is over. You are truly making this our dream wedding. Thank you."

As the crowd clapped once more, Andrew turned to me and held out his hand.

I stepped forward, feeling anxious, shaky, and more than a little relieved when his fingers tightened around mine.

"And to my beautiful bride," he said, gazing at me, "who is making me the happiest man on earth, I can't wait to see what our future brings."

He gave me a kiss as our guests cheered once more.

As he ended our kiss, he added, "We'll have more toasts later in the evening. But for now, please enjoy your meal."

The music ensemble in the corner of the room began to play quietly as Andrew ushered me to our table and pulled out my chair. He was always such a gentleman.

"You didn't want to say anything, Lauren?" Harper asked as I sat down next to her.

I shook my head. "I'm happy to let others do the talking. It was very nice of Victor to be here to welcome everyone."

"He's definitely taking a personal interest in this event," Harper commented as she sipped her wine. "But it's not surprising. He's invited a lot of industry media here, so he needs to be front and center."

The reminder of the media present sent another wave of anxiety through me. I dreaded the thought of the photos and interviews ahead, but I wasn't going to think about those now. Putting my napkin in my lap, I smiled at our friends.

Sitting next to Harper was my other bridesmaid, Jamie Trent, and her fiancé Brad Stevens. On the other side of Brad was Andrew's best man Colin McCallum, who was on his own this weekend. Filling out the table was Jay Hollingsworth, who was with a woman named Dana. Apparently, she was someone he'd just started dating, which was why I hadn't met her before tonight. Both Colin and Jay worked with Andrew at his real-estate development company.

"This wine is fantastic," Colin said as he held up his glass of red wine. "The Carringtons are pulling out all the stops for you two."

"They've been very generous," Andrew agreed. "It's probably because Lauren is one of their best employees."

"It's all about the marketing campaign," I said hastily. "That's why everything is so good. It's not about me."

"It's a little about you," Harper said dryly. "It's not like they offered Jamie the wedding of a lifetime. She's engaged, too. This could have been her dream wedding."

My gaze swung to Jamie, a short brunette who was far more easygoing and positive than Harper. But tonight, her smile looked forced.

"I already had my venue selected when this all started, and I'm having a much bigger guest list," Jamie said. "This is perfect for you, Lauren. I have no hard feelings about it. I wouldn't have felt comfortable getting married as part of a promotion, not that this isn't amazing. And I'm thrilled I can help make this weekend special for you both. I want it to be perfect."

"It will be perfect," Andrew interjected, putting his hand on my thigh, sensing I probably needed the comfort of his touch.

He was so good at reading my feelings. I didn't even have to say anything most of the time; he just knew what to do. And that's why it didn't matter that I didn't know half the people in this room, because I knew him. All I had to do was eat a delicious meal and enjoy myself. I really didn't need to worry about anything else.

The dinner was wonderful, as expected, and after dessert, there were fun toasts from Harper and Colin, both of which recapped our first meet and our whirlwind love affair. After that, Megan and Bennett introduced us to the media, both traditional industry press, as well as travel bloggers and influencers. Most of those conversations were brief, with promises of a longer chat over the next few days. Eventually, the room began to clear, and we were able to call it a night.

As Andrew and I left the restaurant and walked hand in hand through the lush grounds of the resort, I felt my stress ease. It was a beautiful starry night with a temp in the low sixties and the crashing ocean waves adding a reassuring and calming cadence.

"It's nice out here," I murmured.

"The weather gods want this weekend to be perfect, too," Andrew said lightly.

I gave him a smile. "I'm beginning to worry we've said perfect too many times. I don't want to jinx anything."

"That would be impossible." He paused, turning to look at me. "I wish I could help you feel more relaxed, Lauren."

"I wish you could, too," I said with a sigh. "I don't know why I feel so anxious. It's probably all the people we need to impress. It doesn't feel like this is about us starting a marriage. I know that's the trade-off we made for getting all this for free, but it doesn't feel the way I thought it would."

"I get it. But there are more positives than negatives, right?"

"Yes, that's true."

"But you don't look convinced," he said, giving me a knowing look.

"I just feel a little off. Harper and Jamie have been tense, too. I'm starting to think they both have some resentment toward me getting so much attention from the Carringtons. You heard what Harper said about Jamie not getting picked to be the bride."

"I also heard Jamie say her wedding will be much bigger. That was a factor, remember? We were the right couple because we had a good story and because we didn't want a big wedding."

I nodded in agreement.

"I've never been good at girl drama," he continued. "But I suspect Harper is feeling sorry for herself because she's single again. And maybe Jamie wishes she could have her rehearsal dinner in a five-star restaurant. But you're all good friends, and I'm sure they care more about you than about the rest of it."

"I hope they do. I've always thought we were close, but lately…I don't know. It has felt different ever since we got engaged. I wish…" My words fell away as I realized I didn't even know what I wished.

"What? What do you wish, Lauren?"

I gave him a helpless smile. "I don't know, Andrew."

"Yes, you do. I think your nervousness is because you're missing your mom. You don't want to think about the fact that she's not here. So you're getting annoyed by everyone else. Could that be why no one seems as supportive as you want them to be?"

He made a fair point. "Possibly. It is difficult to do this without her. I'm mostly okay, but now and then, I'm reminded of how much of my life she'll miss. She never even got to meet you. And she won't be able to see me get married or have kids." I blew out a breath. "I guess it is bothering me more than I thought."

"That's completely understandable. But from everything you've told me about your mom, I'm sure she would want you to be happy on your wedding day."

"She would. She wanted me to be happy every day. We had some good talks before she died, but it's still hard."

"What can I do?"

"You're already doing it." I leaned in for a kiss, letting my mouth linger against his warm heat. "You're such a good man, Andrew. I love you so much."

"I love you, too."

"Maybe we don't need to sleep apart tonight," I suggested. We'd made the plan earlier, thinking it would make our wedding night more special, but we'd practically been inseparable the last few months, so I didn't really know what we were trying to prove.

He gave me a regretful smile. "It's tempting, but I think we should stick with our plan. It will make tomorrow even better. Everything is going to be fine, Lauren."

"I guess," I said with a little sigh.

He laughed. "Come on, let's go."

A few moments later, we entered the hotel lobby and headed to the elevators. I was staying in the bridal suite on the third floor while Andrew would be spending the night in a three-bedroom villa with Colin, Jay, and Dana.

"You don't have to walk me all the way to my room," I said as I pushed the button for the elevator. "I can make it from here."

"I'm going to see you safely to your suite."

"Our suite," I corrected. "It feels too big and extravagant for only me."

"Well, I'll enjoy it tomorrow night and for the rest of the week."

When we got off the elevator, Andrew used his keycard to open the door, and I was shocked to see Harper and Jamie sitting on the couch with a few other women from work.

"It's girl time," Harper declared. "No boys allowed, Andrew."

"I know. Have fun, ladies." He gave me a smile. "I told you everything would be fine. You should always believe me, Lauren."

"I do believe you. I'll see you tomorrow." I kissed him again and then turned back to my friends as he left.

"We couldn't let you spend this evening alone," Jamie said as she got up from the couch to hand me a glass of champagne. "It's your last night as a single woman."

"This is really special. I appreciate all of you so much," I added, my gaze sweeping the four women in the room, two of whom would be standing up with me tomorrow.

"We feel the same way about you," Jamie said, giving me a hug. "Sorry if I seemed off earlier. Brad was in a pissy mood. I'm not jealous of your wedding, but he's a little annoyed that we can't afford anything so grand. I was angry with him, not you."

"I understand, and we're good. Everything is good," I said, finally feeling the truth of that statement for the first time all day. I might not know everyone at my wedding, but I had the groom and my friends, and that was all that mattered.

"Change out of those clothes and get comfortable," Harper ordered.

"I'll just be a minute," I said, slipping through the living room into the bedroom, which was a white haven of romantic décor. I took off my dress and put on my comfy PJs. As I put on my slippers, I realized the door to the balcony was slightly ajar, which seemed odd. I must have left it open when I'd changed for dinner.

As I moved to close the door, I heard voices on the lawn, and one sounded like Andrew. When I stepped outside, I saw two people walking away from the building toward a thicket of trees. My heart skipped a beat when I realized it was Andrew, and the woman with him had red hair that glinted in the moonlight. He was with Allison McGuire.

I swallowed hard, my earlier doubts rushing back like a freight train intent on wiping me out. I told myself there was nothing to be concerned about. They weren't touching each other, although they were walking very close together, but they were friends. He'd invited her to the wedding. She was a coworker.

But as they disappeared behind the trees, a number of questions ran through my mind. Was Allison the reason Andrew had been happy to spend the night apart? Why hadn't he told me about her before inviting her? And why hadn't he introduced us at some point tonight? I'd seen her looking at us a few times, and Andrew had gazed in her direction as well, but they'd made no move to connect. Had that been deliberate? Or was I making up problems that weren't there?

I decided to go with the latter, but then a gust of cold breeze came off the ocean, sending another chill down my spine. I shook off the foreboding feeling and forced myself to go back inside. I closed the door and locked it, as if that would banish the worrying thoughts from my mind.

Andrew had told me Allison was just a friend, and I had no reason not to believe him. Once we had the pressure of the wedding behind us, our lives would go back to normal, and I was really looking forward to that, which probably wasn't the sentiment a bride should be having the night before the wedding.

I put a smile on my face and went to join my friends, because no one could know that I was anything less than thrilled.