Magical Weddings (47 page)

“What are you waiting for? Don’t you think you should?”

Kya should have called Mark last night and told him, but after their tense dinner the night before, she’d been reluctant to broach the subject. “I haven’t had a chance, but I will.”

“I suggest you do it before you’re husband and wife, because surprising him with a dog is not a good way to start your marriage.”

Kya was well aware of that and planned to take Lyn’s advice. Thankfully, Jill came running into the room, chanting, “Auntie Kya’s getting married,” interrupting their conversation. The last thing she wanted to think about right now was discussing Lucky with Mark.

Sara came in a minute later looking haggard and plopped down on the other side of Kya. “We finally made it,” she puffed. “The traffic was the worst it’s been in ages. I’m so glad I’m out of the city for the weekend.”

She wondered if Mark would get caught in the traffic too. Hopefully, he left early enough to take that into account. Knowing him, though, he’d wind up being late for their rehearsal. She shifted her thoughts away from all the things that could go wrong by listening to the women’s cheerful chatter.

After their nails were done, Lyn and the rest of the bridal party went over to the restaurant across the street. It would be a while before dinner, and they’d been complaining that they were starving. However, the thought of food didn’t sit well with her, as her nerves had kicked in again. Besides, she still had to pick up her dress at the bridal shop.

As she drove to Corinne’s, she was glad to have some alone time. Tonight and tomorrow would be chaotic, to say the least. When she entered the shop, the bell over the door tinkled, and Corinne, a short, stout woman in her late sixties with salt-and-pepper hair and a heavy Italian accent came rushing out of the back room.

“Ah, Kya, I was wondering where you were. Tomorrow’s the big day.”

“I’d hoped to get here earlier, but I was getting my nails done.” She waggled her fingers at the shop owner.

“No worries. I have your gown right here.” She went over to a rack full of exquisite wedding dresses and pulled out Kya’s. She hung it on a hook beside the counter for her to examine. The chiffon fell in perfect layers all the way from the drop waist to the hem. Its simple elegance was what Kya loved most about it. As soon as she’d tried it on, she’d known it was the gown for her.

“Does it look all right?” Corinne asked.

“It’s perfect.”

“Good.” She slipped a dust bag over it, then handed it to Kya. “You’re going to make a very beautiful bride.”

“Thanks.” Kya blinked back tears as she took the dress from her.

“It’s an emotional time.” Corinne kissed her cheek. “I wish you much happiness, dear.”

Kya swallowed the lump in her throat and was able to croak out another “thank you” before leaving the shop.

When she got to the Chateau, Helen took her up to her suite. “Has my bridal party arrived?”

Helen shook her head. “Not yet.”

“How about Mark?”

“No. Not any groomsmen either. Only you so far.”

“That’s okay. I need to rest a bit anyway before this evening.”

Helen smiled. “Well, if there’s anything I can do for you, just let me know.”

“Thanks, I will.” After Helen left, she hung up her gown, set the alarm on her phone to go off in one hour, and then flopped onto the bed. She closed her eyes, and as she drifted off to sleep, a man’s face appeared. Only it wasn’t Mark’s. It was Devon’s, and once again she wondered if she was doing the right thing.

****

Kya woke to the beeping of her alarm and the clatter of footsteps and laughter out in the hall. Guess the wedding party had arrived. She got up and unzipped her suitcase, then took out the taupe cocktail dress and coordinating pumps she’d brought to wear to the rehearsal dinner and changed into them. Next, she touched up her makeup, pulled her hair back in a low ponytail, and put on a pair of gold hoop earrings.

As she studied her reflection in the full-length mirror, there was a knock on her door. “Come in.”

A moment later, Mark strode across the floor, looking dashing as ever. He had on a navy sports jacket and pants almost the same color as her dress. “We couldn’t have done better, even if we’d tried to coordinate.” He kissed her cheek. “You look lovely, darling.”

“And you look very handsome.”

He glanced in the mirror, straightened his tie, and chuckled. “I do, don’t I.”

She ignored his conceit and walked over to the door. “We should get going. It’s nearly time for the rehearsal.”

As they walked down the majestic staircase together, Mark looked at her and said, “I have to admit, I’m starting to get nervous. How ’bout you?”

She bit her bottom lip. “Yeah, I am too.”

He squeezed her hand. “We’ll be fine.”

“Yeah, we will.” But deep down, she wasn’t at all sure that was true. A little nervousness was to be expected, but what she was feeling far outweighed that. She stepped down off the last stair, and as she set her foot down on the marble floor, she slipped. Luckily, Mark caught her around the waist before she fell.

“Careful now,” he whispered in her ear.

They crossed the grand foyer over to the French doors that led to the patio outside. An army of workers was scattered around the beautifully landscaped grounds, setting up white tents, chairs, and tables for tomorrow’s wedding reception. Others carried huge urns filled with gorgeous pink and white flowers. The arch under which they would take their vows was already in place and covered with roses. Shelley Thornton was kneeling in front of it, laying down strips of masking tape to mark the spots where each person would stand.

As they headed over to her, Kya’s mother’s voice rang out. “Ah, there are the two lovebirds.” She rushed over to them and gave them each a hug.

“Hi, Mom.”

“Hello, Mrs. Reynolds.”

She slipped her arm around Mark’s. “You might as well start calling me Mom. You’ll have to after tomorrow anyway. It’ll be good practice.”

“Okay, Mom,” he said awkwardly.

Shelley stood up, brushed the grass off her knees, and came to stand with them. “So what do you think?” She glanced at all the activity buzzing around them.

“I think everything looks beautiful so far,” Kya said.

“You’ve done a spectacular job, as always.” Barbara wrapped her other arm around Shelley’s. “I thank you so much for going above and beyond for Kya and Mark,” her mother exclaimed.

“It’s my pleasure. They’re a lovely couple.”

Kya stared into Mark’s eyes, and a dull ache of foreboding washed over her. There was something missing about the way she felt. She knew she loved him, but wasn’t sure she was
in
love with him. That was the worry that had been haunting her.

Thankfully, the wedding party encircled them, taking her mind off such a depressing thought. A moment later, Reverend Phillips arrived, and they were ready to begin the rehearsal.

Everything went smoothly. They even remembered their vows, and before long, they were all seated at a banquet table in the Chateau’s elegant dining room awaiting a four-course meal.

Mark’s best man tapped his spoon on the side of his wineglass. “I’d like to propose a toast to my best friend and his gorgeous bride-to-be.” He raised his glass and held it out in front of him. “May you have a long and happy life together and make many beautiful babies.”

Everyone laughed and drank, but her inner torment wouldn’t go away, and it gnawed at her even more when her mother said, “Speaking of babies, what do you think of Kya’s latest addition to the family?”

Mark looked at her questioningly. She kicked Lyn under the table and whispered, “You told her?”

She whispered back, “Sorry. I thought your mom knew. Besides I thought you were going to tell him.”

This topic could ruin the night, but there was no way to avoid it now. “She’s referring to Lucky.”

Mark took a sip of his wine, then set his glass down. “That dog you found? I thought he was back with his owner?”

Kya took a big gulp of her wine before answering. “He was. But now he lives with me. With us.”

Mark raised his brows, and she could see the anger simmering in his eyes. “Wonderful.” Then he whispered in her ear, “We’ll talk about this later.”

After dinner and several glasses of wine, she hoped that Mark would forget about Lucky, but that wasn’t the case. Once everyone had said good night and gone up to their rooms, he pulled her outside, past the patio and the huge white tents, and across the lawn to the edge of the grounds where the beach began. They were in the dark. Just the moon and stars cast light, but she could see enough to tell that he was still angry.

“So when were you going to tell me?” he hissed. “After we were married, or not tell me at all? Just let me find out when I walked in the house? Do you think this is any way to start out, not discussing things with me, keeping secrets?”

Her pulse throbbed. “No. Of course not. It’s not like that.”

“Really? It sure seems like it to me.”

“I wanted to tell you. I did. But there just didn’t seem to be a good time. I knew we’d get into an argument, and—”

He cut her off. “So you just decided to avoid it and make the decision without consulting me.” Before she could answer, his cell phone rang. “Hello,” he barked into it. “What? When? Can’t it be postponed? Okay, I’ll see you Monday.” He hung up the phone, then sighed heavily. “I have to go to London. Filming is ready to begin on a new documentary.”

Kya’s heart pounded. She didn’t even know he’d signed onto a new one. “When did this happen?”

“Yesterday. I thought I’d have at least a week before I’d have to leave.”

She swallowed hard. “Even so. You just got back from Central America.”

“What do you want from me, Kya? It’s my job. You knew that when you agreed to marry me.”

“Just like you knew I loved animals and would want a dog.”

He glared at her. “It’s late. I’m going to bed.” He spun around and marched off into the darkness.

Kya stood there for a long time listening to the waves crash against the shore. Mark’s words ran through her mind.
Do you think this is any way to start out?
She knew the answer, but what was she to do? There was no way she was getting rid of Lucky, just like Mark wouldn’t not go to London. Unfortunately, she also knew this was only the beginning. There’d be many more issues down the road that they wouldn’t agree on.

Kya woke in the morning with a pounding headache. Maybe it was from last night’s wine or the stress from the fight she’d had with Mark or both. It didn’t really matter. What did was that she felt anxious instead of elated.

With leaden steps, she went into the bathroom and took two aspirin, hoping that would help her head. However, it would do nothing to help her heavy heart. A moment later, there was a knock on her door, and Lyn came in carrying a tray filled with fruit, muffins, and a pot of coffee.

“I’m here with breakfast,” she said cheerfully. But the look on Kya’s face wiped the smile from her lips. “What’s wrong?” She set the tray on the nightstand.

“I’m really not that hungry.” Kya sank onto the bed.

“Well, have some coffee, then, and tell me what’s going on.” Lyn poured two cups, handing one to Kya.

“What am I doing, Lyn?” she asked sadly.

“You’re getting married in a few hours, that’s what.”

“But am I doing the right thing?”

“Look, everyone’s nervous on their wedding day. That’s normal. I could tell last night Mark was upset about Lucky, so I’m sure that’s not helping your jitters.” Lyn sat next to her.

“He was pretty angry.”

Lyn shrugged. “He’ll get over it. All you need to worry about right now is looking beautiful.” She flipped over her wrist to look at her watch. “And you’d better drink up, because we have to meet your mom in her suite in twenty minutes for hair and makeup.”

Kya forced a smile. “Thanks for the pep talk.”

“Anytime. You know I love you.”

****

Devon set the picture of Char back on the bookshelf. The ache in his heart wasn’t as bad as it had been last week or the week before that. He had Kya to thank. Because of her, he was capable of loving again. If only the woman he’d fallen for hadn’t been engaged to another man. His chest tightened as he pictured her in a wedding dress, reciting her vows to someone else. Soon she’d be married…

He glanced down at Daisy, lying at his feet. It wouldn’t do him any good to hang around the house moping. “Let’s get some fresh air.” He grabbed her leash and clipped it to her collar, then headed out the front door. “We’re going to the park, and we’re not taking the car today. We’re walking.”

It wasn’t far, just a couple of blocks. He hoped the exercise would brighten his mood. It did at first, but when he came to the end of the street and headed down Charles, couples were out working in their yards, and that only made him feel worse. Was he destined to spend the rest of his life alone? His gut told him that was the most likely outcome, if he didn’t do something drastic to change things. The problem was, he had no idea what to do.

When he reached the park, he was pleased that it wasn’t very busy. He sat on his usual bench, then tossed the ball a couple of times for Daisy. Even she seemed a little down today, though. He patted her back. “You miss Lucky, huh?”

She looked up with big, sad eyes, plopped down next to him, and put her head between her paws.

“I know exactly how you feel. We’re quite a pair, aren’t we?” He leaned back against the bench and crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m a smart guy. I should’ve known better than to let the woman I love walk away, but I’d been miserable for so long…and I didn’t want to make a hasty decision…and now, it’s too late.” He reached down, picked up a stick, and threw it. Daisy watched it land over by a big oak tree. It wasn’t until a brindle-and-white pit bull dashed out from behind it that Daisy shot up.

“Lucky? What are you doing here?”

Daisy ran over to him with her tail wagging like crazy. Devon headed that way too, but before he reached the dogs, they took off out of the park.