Page 146 of The Business of Love Box Set 1: Books 1 - 4

KATIE

H ailey reached out and took my hand. Her fingers were warm and clammy, and she looked entirely uncomfortable sitting in her floral-printed dress in the third row from the front at the outdoor ceremony.

Jackson was on her other side and he flashed Peter and me a smile as we took our seats near the aisle.

I leaned over to her. “Do you want to switch with us so you’re sitting on the aisle, Hailey? You can make a quick getaway if you have to pee or whatever.”

“No, I’m good,” Hailey said, shaking her head.

She plucked a white lace fan from where it hung off the back of the chair in front of her.

With a dramatic flip, she opened it up and began fanning her face.

“I just want to get out of this heat. It’s a beautiful wedding and all, but if I had balls, they’d be dripping with sweat. I’d leave a puddle on this seat.”

I snorted.

“Charming,” Jackson muttered.

Hailey shot him a death glare. “Shut it, Jack. Do you have an extra twenty-five pounds weighing you down? Because I do, and on top of that, I have tiny feet playing ping pong with my insides, and my feet are bigger than your—”

“All right, all right.” Jackson chuckled nervously and put a hand on her shoulder. He began massaging gently. “Take it easy there, sweetheart. I know you’re uncomfortable. As soon as the ceremony is over, we’ll get out of this heat and get you some ice water.”

She shrugged out from under his hand. “Stop talking to me like I’m an uneasy cow lining up for slaughter.”

Jackson paled and looked over at me for help.

I shook my head. “Don’t look at me.”

Even though I felt sympathy for Hailey, I also felt a pang of jealousy because I would never feel those things.

I would never know what it was to carry my baby inside me.

I would never be able to complain about my aching feet and ankles and pinched nerves and tender breasts, and I wanted all of those things.

Or rather, I wanted what came after enduring those things.

The pair of them continued to bicker as I turned to Peter and retrieved a fan for myself from the chair in front of me.

The day was pretty hot, especially for the fall in California.

I supposed it had to do with the lack of air flow that passed through these parts of the gardens.

There was no gentle breeze, just the midday sun beating down on us from above.

I fanned myself as my hairline started to grow damp with sweat.

“Are you comfortable?” I asked Peter.

He nodded and leaned back in his seat. He looked handsome in his white button-up shirt and khaki pants.

His brown belt matched his shoes and the leather watch on his wrist. He’d slicked his hair back, but as it dried, it became a little unruly, and his wavy texture returned. I liked it better this way.

“I’m good,” Peter said. “The heat has never bothered me that much.”

“Lucky for you,” Hailey muttered on my other side.

I laughed nervously and hoped Peter didn’t take it seriously. The poor girl was uncomfortable. All she needed was to sit in an air-conditioned room and put her feet up while she sipped on cold water, but that wouldn’t be within her reach for a little while yet.

Peter tapped my thigh and leaned into me. “So Kim helped them plan this and she’s the maid of honor?”

I nodded. “Yep. She refused to let them hire a different wedding coordinator and insisted she do it all herself. I mean, can you blame her? Look at what she pulled off. This wedding is incredible.”

I wasn’t lying.

The gardens were stunning. The aisle was made of white rose petals that wove in a gentle S through the chairs and led up to a raised platform beneath a floral arch where the couple would exchange their vows.

There was enough room up there for the bride and groom, their maid of honor and best man, and the officiant.

Along the aisle were little lanterns stuck in the grass from which colorful blown-glass vases hung.

Some held fresh flowers while others held flickering white candles.

It was simple, romantic, and elegant, and there was no doubt in my mind that this would be a wedding all the guests would speak about for years to come.

When the harpist started to play, everyone twisted around in their seats to watch Rhys walk down the aisle with his grandmother on his arm.

She wore a powder-pink dress and little white sandals, and she smiled adoringly up at her grandson as they made their way to the front row.

He gave her a tight hug, kissed her cheeks, squeezed her hands, and guided her to her seat, where she sat with trembling hands and tears streaming down her cheeks.

Next to her was Vanessa’s grandmother. I’d heard from Kim that their relationship, which had been rocky for a long time, was now rock solid.

On Nana’s other side sat Vanessa’s mother.

The two women whispered excitedly to each other as they anticipated Vanessa’s walk down the aisle.

Once Rhys took his place on the platform, the music picked up and his best man strode down the aisle with a confident grin.

Following him came the flower girl, Sandi, Vanessa’s niece, tossed the petals in her basket like it was her day job.

Kim came next in all her glory in her champagne-colored maid-of-honor dress.

She looked incredible, and I gave her a thumbs-up as she passed us by.

The music slowed.

Hailey fanned her cheeks so vigorously beside me that her chair squeaked. I didn’t dare say a word.

The music picked up and swelled, and from around the corner at the far end of the aisle came the bride on her father’s arm.

“Wow,” I breathed when I laid eyes on Vanessa.

She looked like a fairytale princess.

In all the years I’d known her, Vanessa had never been one for grand entrances or flashy clothes.

But today was her day, and she had seized her moment.

People whispered about how beautiful she looked as she took her first steps across the white petals.

The hem of her bridal gown, an A-line, dramatic, cinched-bodice masterpiece, glided gently over the petals.

The skirt had flecks of sparkle in it that caught the sunlight and dazzled the eyes, and an overlay of lace gave it a feminine softness.

Her dark hair was drawn up off her shoulders and secured with floral pins and pearls, and her veil trailed behind her, where it tugged gently at the white rose petals and flipped some of them over.

I had never seen a more beautiful bride in my life. My eyes flooded with tears and I sniffled as she passed us.

Peter reached over, took my hand, and ran his thumb over my knuckles.

When Vanessa met Rhys at the platform, he offered his hand. She hugged her father and kissed his cheeks before she took her groom’s hand and stepped up onto the platform. The two of them stared into each other’s eyes like the rest of us weren’t even there.

The officiant cleared his throat. The guests giggled. Rhys and Vanessa moved toward him and the ceremony began. Peter held my hand the entire time, especially when they exchanged their vows and I got extra sniffly.

When they kissed, all of us went wild and cheered for them, and in the chaos of it all, Peter turned to me, pressed two fingers under my chin so I faced him, and kissed me.

My heart fluttered like a wild bird in my chest and I smiled against his lips.

The reception was held on a private patio on the fifth floor of the resort. There were over a dozen tables set up to accommodate all one hundred and forty guests, and the bridal party table overlooked it all against a backdrop of vines and twinkle lights and two light-up letters, R and V.

In the middle of our table was a beautiful arrangement of white roses. Some of them had been painted in sparkling gold that was a sharp contrast against the greenery poking out. Our plates were white and set upon gold chargers, and every second table was set with a shimmering gold table runner.

“I feel like we’re at a royal banquet,” Peter said to me after we finished eating dinner. He leaned back in his seat with his glass of red wine and swirled it around. “I’ve never been at such a nice event before.”

“Vanessa has good taste. Or rather, Kim does. I’m not sure who had more influence on this.”

The music changed and couples took to the dance floor in the middle of the patio. Peter got to his feet and asked me to dance.

I looked from his extended hand up into his eyes. “I’m not a very good dancer.”

“Neither am I,” he admitted.

I smiled, put my hand in his, and let him lead me to my feet and through the tables to the dance floor.

Rhys and Vanessa were out there, along with Kim and Rick.

Jack and Hailey were who knows where. She probably had her feet up somewhere and had stripped out of her dress into something cooler.

I wouldn’t blame her if she’d gone down to one of the pools to cool down.

That didn’t sound like a bad idea.

Maybe later.

Peter pulled me in close, put a hand on my waist, and began guiding me around the dance floor.

“For someone who can’t dance and has a bad habit of being a bull in a china shop, you’re pretty graceful,” I said.

Peter winked. “It’s the wine.”

“Ah, the truth comes out.”

He gave me a slow twirl and spun me back to him. We ended with my back to his chest, and we stayed like that for a moment, swaying side to side to the gentle rhythm of themusic while other couples milled around us.

I stepped out, ducked under his arm, and came around beside him to trail my fingers over his shoulders. He watched me walk around him until I stopped in front of him once more. He gathered me up, pulled me in close, and rewarded me with a kiss.

“I’m glad you’re here with me,” I whispered.

“Thank you for inviting me.”

“It wouldn’t have been nearly as fun without you.” I meant it. Not only would the wedding have been less enjoyable without Peter, but I also would have had to deal with all the questions about arriving single, as always.

I’d also have been forced to contend with questions about becoming an auntie soon. I didn’t want to face that right now.

Peter looked down at our feet. I noticed that something seemed to be on his mind. His movements slowed and his hand on my waist slid a little lower. He was lost in thought.

“Is something wrong?” I asked.

He looked up at me. “Wrong? No, not at all. Sorry.”

“What were you thinking about?”

For a second, I thought he wasn’t going to answer me.

He got a far-off look in his eyes before he sighed and met my gaze.

“My family is here in LA. At least what’s left of them is.

And when I left for St. John, I had no intention of coming back here until my three months were up.

But, now that I’m here…” He trailed off.

“I don’t know. It wouldn’t seem right to go back home without stopping in to visit them. ”

My heart did a little hop step. “Home? The island already feels like home to you?”

Peter smiled. “Part of it does.”

It was a good thing he had a hold of me because my heart soared so high my feet felt like they left the floor.