The Beach Wedding (Married in Malibu Book 1)

F
our years ago
, I wrote and published the first book in my
Four Weddings and a Fiasco
series. Five books later, after all of the Rose Chalet happily ever afters had been told, I knew that I wouldn’t be able to stay away from writing about weddings for long. Which is why I’m positively thrilled to be launching my
Married in Malibu
series and introducing new heroes and heroines for you to fall in love with.

I hope you love everyone at Married in Malibu as much as I already do! And please sign up for my New Release Newsletter at
http://www.LucyKevin.net/Newsletter
so that I can let you know when the next story in this fun and romantic new series is released.

H
appy reading
,

Lucy Kevin

T
he beachfront property
of Married in Malibu felt like it was a million miles from downtown Los Angeles, even though it was only an hour away. The bright blue sky overhead seemed to stretch forever, while the ocean was calm, looking almost like glass.

The ocean was a lot calmer than Liz Wilkinson felt just then. The small former boutique hotel was the perfect spot for a wedding venue, and knowing she was going to be in charge of putting on exclusive celebrity weddings sent tingles of excitement through her. But she was also nervous because the owners, Rose and RJ Knight, had just arrived on site to take a look at the way things were shaping up for their new spin-off company. Rose, who was well known for putting on amazing weddings in San Francisco at the Rose Chalet, had decided to expand into Southern California, where the Hollywood elite would hopefully appreciate what they had to offer.

With Liz’s honey-blond hair, bright blue eyes, and lightly tanned complexion, people occasionally mistook her for no more than the standard Malibu stereotype, as though she should be lying on the beach in a swimsuit all day long. So when it came to business, Liz always made sure that her hair was carefully styled, her makeup was elegant and understated, and her business suit was appropriate for the boardroom.

She’d been in more than a few boardrooms, as a matter of fact. Though she was only in her early thirties, over the past handful of years she’d put on high-level corporate events, conferences, and product launches for some of the biggest companies in the world. But she’d grown to hate corporate politics and the endless business travel—which was yet another reason that working at Married in Malibu was a dream come true. It felt like being part of a wonderful family business, rather than being just another cog in the wheel at a multinational corporation that assigned employees ID numbers to keep track of them. Running Married in Malibu was everything she had dreamed of as a teenager while waiting tables at a diner in middle-of-nowhere Kansas.

Now, as Liz led Rose and RJ through their newly acquired venue, she said, “As you can see, everything is coming along well for the opening next month. Of course, if you see anything that concerns you, please let me know and I’ll make sure to take care of it immediately.”

Rose’s smile was both impressed and reassuring. “You’re clearly doing a fabulous job, Liz. Thanks again for taking the position. It’s so nice to know our new wedding venue is in safe hands.”

Liz had clicked with Rose right from their first interview, but even so, the idea of running a wedding business aimed at A-listers was thrilling—and daunting, too. Especially when weddings weren’t something Liz had worked on before. Apart from her own, that is, which hadn’t exactly gone well...

“We’ve kept most of the grounds as they are,” Liz explained as she deliberately pushed her thoughts of the past away. “It’s still a little overgrown, but we’re working hard to get the gardens back into shape. It’s great that you decided to keep the pool—it is going to be so lovely to decorate for receptions. We have also made sure that the access down to the cove is clear and easy for brides and their guests to manage in heels.”

The beach cove had been one of the former hotel’s big selling points when Liz had helped Rose and RJ find their new location. Married in Malibu had its own corner of sheltered beach, sealed off from the outside world—and it would be next to impossible for paparazzi in helicopters to get good shots of anyone in the cove. It was perfect for those couples who wanted to get married outside without any unwanted media attention.

“How far away do you estimate opening day to be?” RJ asked as they walked past painters’ sheets and ladders.

“One month,” Liz said. “Which is right on schedule, thankfully.”

Rose smiled again, looking positively thrilled as she took in the site. “I can’t wait to meet the new staff.”

“Our team is an amazing group,” Liz said, “and they’re all very excited to be a part of what we’re putting together. Everyone is waiting for us in the main hall.”

Liz had personally headhunted her employees and was glad that Rose had allowed her to do so. It was one thing to jump in as the head of a team that someone else had put together. It was quite another to put together your own group of talented individuals, working out how they would fit together and what unique talents each would bring to the business. She was extremely proud that she’d been able to find such a highly skilled group for Married in Malibu.

The large hall was an arched, well-lit space with stunning views out over the ocean. Through the doorway she could see Daniel Brooker, the new Married in Malibu photographer, talking with Jenn Fairhurst, the cake designer. The massive form of the security chief, Travis Houston, eclipsed the more rangy build of Nate Waterson, the IT expert. Margaret Ashworth and Kate Bryson, Married in Malibu’s stylist and garden designer, were having a quiet conversation in the corner.

The team—
her
team—all looked up as Liz, Rose, and RJ walked inside. “Hello, everyone. It’s good to finally see you all together. I’d like to introduce you to Rose and RJ Knight, the owners of Married in Malibu. As this is the first time we have all been in a room together, and given that Rose and RJ haven’t had a chance to meet you yet, why don’t we do some quick introductions? I’ll start. I’m Elizabeth Wilkinson, but please call me Liz. I previously put on events for large corporations, and I’m sure we can all agree that celebrity weddings are far more interesting than product launches.”

They all laughed at that—a start toward breaking the ice.

When Liz smiled at Daniel, he immediately took her cue. “I’m Daniel Brooker. I worked as a photojournalist for many years, but I’m excited to be shifting gears into wedding photography. I have two great kids, Kayla and Adam, who mean the world to me.”

Daniel was fair-haired, with a trim physique that suggested he ran or swam regularly, and was wearing a short-sleeved shirt, along with khaki cargo pants. Daniel had won plenty of awards for his work, and convincing him to come work for Married in Malibu had been one of Liz’s major wins in the early weeks. She hadn’t met his kids yet, but she hoped he would bring them by the venue sometime soon.

“Thank you, Daniel,” Liz said. “Jenn, would you like to go next?”

Jenn was very pretty with dark, shoulder-length hair. She was smiling, but there was a hint of sadness lurking behind her eyes. She had clearly been baking already that day, judging by several small spots of flour on her dark, skinny jeans and navy blue top.

“I’m Jenn Fairhurst, and I’ve been baking for as long as I can remember. I’m really looking forward to having the chance to make great cakes and pastries for our weddings.”

“I just ate one of her cupcakes,” Daniel cut in, “and it was the best I’ve ever had.”

Jenn blushed at the compliment and turned to Travis as if to silently ask him to take over the spotlight.

“I’m Travis Houston.” He was easily the largest person in the room, built like a quarterback, his dark hair cut military short. In spite of the Malibu heat, he was wearing a suit, looking every inch a bodyguard to the rich and famous. But then, that’s exactly what he had been before Liz had persuaded him to take a job with Married in Malibu.

“I’m the head of security,” Travis explained, his voice deep and steady. “I will be making sure there are no intrusions from the press or the public while we’re holding events.”

Liz had no concerns whatsoever about his ability to do just that. “Thank you, Travis. Margaret?”

The woman who stepped forward was the youngest of their group, although her hair was carefully coiffed and there was a deeply ingrained elegance to her beauty. Yet, despite how perfectly put together she was, it was obvious that she didn’t feel particularly comfortable speaking in front of a group. Fortunately, everyone was smiling at her encouragingly. Liz had heard endless raves about the parties Margaret had styled. Married in Malibu very much needed her on their team.

“My name is Margaret Ashworth, and I will be working as the wedding stylist.” She was quiet for a moment before saying in a very serious voice, “I’ve been dreaming of doing something like this for so long. Thank you for the opportunity. I can’t wait to get started. And I won’t let any of you down.”

Liz gave Margaret a warm smile to let her know she didn’t need to be nervous, before turning to Nate.

Their IT expert stepped forward, looking nothing like the standard image of a computer geek. Instead, he was tall and well built, handsome with dark hair that curled just slightly over his collar, and dressed more like a handyman than a computer specialist in jeans and well-worn work boots. Only the dark-framed glasses he wore hinted at the real nature of his job.

“I’m Nathan Waterson, but call me Nate. I’ll be handling IT and our website, along with online promotions. But I want to let everyone know that if you need me to help out elsewhere, I’m more than happy to do whatever needs to be done.”

Which left one person, a woman who kept glancing out the window, looking longingly at the gardens as if she’d much rather be there than in the middle of a meeting. Her long hair was plaited in a braid, and she wore a simple checked shirt and jeans. She was a beautiful woman, but seemed not to care at all about her looks.

“Kate?”

She turned back, slightly startled at the sound of her name. “I’m Kate Bryson, and I’ll be growing and finding the flowers for the weddings, as well as taking care of the landscaping.”

It was obvious that she was barely restraining herself from dashing out the door and back into the gardens to tend to her flowers, but Liz didn’t mind. Kate’s passion for what she did—and her amazing skill with flowers and gardens—was exactly why Liz had hired her.

Rose spoke next. “It’s wonderful to meet all of you. I can’t tell you how excited RJ and I are that Married in Malibu is finally coming together.”

RJ smiled at his wife—with whom he was obviously deeply in love—before turning to the group. “When we decided to put on exclusive, intimate weddings for the Hollywood crowd, we dreamed of big things. But getting to work with a team like you far exceeds our expectations. We’re both looking forward to seeing the magic you make happen here in Malibu.”

Now that the introductions were over, Liz was ready to get down to business. Namely, convincing Hollywood to look at Married in Malibu as the place to get married.

“We will all get to know each other much better in the coming weeks and months,” Liz said to the group, “and as we move forward, if there is anything you ever feel you need to discuss, please don’t hesitate to pull me aside. Our opening date is a month away, and before that, we have a lot to do. Finishing the refurbishment of the venue and the gardens. Nailing our online presence. And doing our best to spread the word in every way we can.” She took a breath. “Remember that, for most events, we will be restricted by nondisclosure agreements. That means not talking about the couples holding their weddings at Married in Malibu. We will be relying, instead, on our clients being so impressed by us that they’re the ones who want to tell their friends and co-workers about using our services.” When everyone nodded and smiled, she knew without a shadow of a doubt that she’d put together a great group. “Okay, then, let’s get started.”

Margaret headed off with her phone in hand, obviously ready to go through her extensive list of contacts. Kate went in the direction of the gardens. Jenn made a beeline for the kitchens. Daniel left to continue setting up the work room where he’d be developing both print and digital pictures. Travis said he wanted to check the perimeter fence. RJ joined in, too, saying he’d be happy to help Nate redo some wiring.

“I can see that you have everything set up extremely well,” Rose said to Liz once it was just the two of them. “If you need any help, however, don’t hesitate to call. And I can always get on a plane if you need me.”

Liz had great respect for Rose. How many executives in the business world would have offered to fly out at a moment’s notice to make sure everything was fine? The corporate world was all politics and machinations, not to mention the executives who made outrageous demands for conferences on impossible timetables. A world in which everyone else secretly hoped you would fail so they’d look better wasn’t where Liz wanted to work anymore. This job at Married in Malibu was everything Liz had hoped and dreamed of since the days when she had been on her feet all day waiting tables, hoping for her big career break to come.

So if making the wedding venue a success meant working ‘round the clock for a while, then it was just as well that Liz had absolutely no social life of her own, wasn’t it?

One week later, Liz was impressed with how much the staff at Married in Malibu had managed to get done. She had expected that there would be a few start-up problems as they all settled into working together, but they were actually a little ahead of schedule.

Working here was so very different from her old life—in all the best ways. When she’d worked for major brands, her offices had always been blank, featureless, glass and steel spaces. She’d tried to bring some personality into them with inspirational pictures and personal photos, but none of it had really worked.

Her new office, by contrast, was a warm, yet classic space. Her desk, which had been sold along with the building, was a reproduction Louis XIV that had looked a bit over the top until she’d put a stack of bridal magazines and her computer on it. A comfortable, yet elegant sofa sat against the wall across from her desk, and she had hung a few pictures from her travels on the walls. It already felt as if it was her personal space, not just an office that she used during work hours.

Nate popped his head in. “I’m about to head out to Malibu T & Coffee. Do you want me to bring you anything?”

Nate, she’d quickly learned, was a bit of a caffeine addict. Fortunately, they’d lucked into a great coffee shop right across the street. “I’d love an Americana, thanks.”

After he headed out on his coffee run, she turned her attention back to the notes on her desk that she planned to summarize in an email for Rose.