“Kaelin? Where are you?”
Her voice sounded funny. “I’m on my way home. Again.”
“What happened?”
“You won’t believe it.”
Now she sounded pissed. What was going on?
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. But now I’m running even later.”
“We’re getting the flowers,” he said, keeping his voice calm. “What else do we need to do?”
“They need to be dropped off at your mom and dad’s place. They should be put in the fridge.”
“No problem. What else?”
She sighed. “That’s enough. I’ll just go straight to the church.”
“We’ll meet you there.”
“No, you don’t—”
“Bye, Kaelin.” He handed the phone back to the girl before Kaelin could argue with him. He gave her another of his most charming smiles. “Thanks. We’ll take the flowers.”
They put them in the back of the Jeep, drove back to his parents’ place, encountering Avery dressed in a butt-ugly terry cloth robe with a towel turban on her head. “Nice,” he said. “Is that your dress?”
“Smart-ass. Why are you bringing these and not Kaelin?”
“She’s running late,” he said, making room in the refrigerator.
“How do you know?”
“Never mind.”
He stood and closed the door, the bouquets safely resting in coolness. He brushed his hands together.
“Tyler, what are you doing?” His mother appeared in the door, also in her bathrobe, her forehead furrowed.
“We’re going to help her decorate now,” he said, starting for the door.
Avery followed them to the door. “Maddie’s supposed to help.”
“Um. Yeah.” Had Kaelin finally answered her phone? His gut clenched with worry, something very unusual for him. “She’ll find us.”
“Kaelin’s supposed to be here by two,” she called to them from the front door as they hoofed it down the sidewalk.
Tyler snorted and jumped into his Jeep. Not damn likely. “She might be a few minutes late,” he called to her and his mom, both standing there gaping at them, and he and Nick pulled out, leaving them staring after them.
“Nice,” Nick said. “Nobody’s wondering anything.”
“Fuck off.”
Nick just shook his head, smiling.
Tyler returned to the church where they’d just had the rehearsal the night before. Christ, that seemed liked days ago. They pulled up out front at the same time as Kaelin. She jumped out of her Mazda, wearing jeans and a snug little T-shirt and flip-flops. Not the ladylike attire he’d seen her in the last couple of days. Huh.
Her hair was wet, she had no makeup on and her cheeks were red. She didn’t seem to notice them, instead raced up the front steps to greet the delivery guy standing there, leaning against the doors looking annoyed.
“Sorry I’m late!” she said to him. “You can bring everything in now.”
“Kaelin.”
She whirled to face them. “Oh. Hi, guys. Did you get the bouquets?”
“You bet. Safe and sound and waiting for you. What do we need to do here?”
They helped carry in the massive arrangements of flowers. Tyler had no clue what they all were, big fluffy pink ones, small fuchsia ones, waxy white ones, lots of greenery. They set them up at the front of the sanctuary on either side of the altar. Then they helped her decorate the oak pews with bows and small sprays of flowers.
“So what happened to you?” Tyler asked.
She sighed. “I got a speeding ticket.”
His head snapped up. “You’re shitting me.”
“I wish I was.” He watched her mouth press together. “It was Brent.”
Tyler paused in the act of attaching a satin bow. “And he gave you a fucking ticket?”
“Watch your language. We’re in church.”
Nick choked on a laugh. “Seriously, Kaelin, he gave you a ticket?”
“Yes.” She scowled at the flowers in her hand. “I think he sort of figured out what happened last night. I was still wearing the same clothes and…” She looked around the church as if to make sure the minister wasn’t within earshot.
“Sweetheart, nobody could even imagine what happened last night,” Tyler said. “Which reminds me. Your panties are sitting on the desk in our room.” She glared at him and he firmed his lips to keep from laughing. “Sorry.”
“Whatever. He wasn’t impressed.” She took a long breath in, then out, stood back to survey their work then nodded. “Okay, we’re done here. Now back to the hotel.” She glanced at her watch.
They found Maddie waiting in the ballroom where the wedding was to be held. “There you are!” she cried. “I tried to call your cell phone. When you weren’t answering I called Avery and she said you were running late.”
“Yes. Sorry, Maddie. We’re here now.” She smiled brightly. “Tyler and Nick are going to help, so we can get over to the house and get ready.”
“The photographer’s coming at three,” Maddie reminded her.
“I know,” Kaelin said tightly.
It seemed like a shitload of decorations to Tyler, but he dutifully did as asked, setting out more floral centerpieces, the same pink and fuchsia and white flowers. Nick helped Kaelin drape masses of white tulle and little white lights around tables. Finally they had to set candles into each centerpiece and lay out little wrapped packages at each place setting.
They dimmed the lights and Kaelin studied the room. She sighed with relief. “It looks beautiful.”
“Yeah.” Tyler and Nick exchanged a grimace.
“Your mom would have my ass if it didn’t,” she said to him and he burst out laughing.
“I don’t know,” he said. “I think you’ve pretty much got her wrapped around your finger.”
It was her turn to make a face. “Not.” She picked up empty boxes and stacked them.
“We’ll get those,” Nick said. “Are you done?”
“Yeah.” She picked up her purse. “I still have to go home. All my makeup and hair stuff is there. I didn’t have time to pack it earlier.”
“I’ll just head over there now,” Maddie said. “See you soon.” With a wave she disappeared out the door, leaving the three of them alone in the vast empty ballroom.
Tyler set his hands on Kaelin’s waist. She tried to pull back, but he held on. “I’m sorry, Kaelin. We shouldn’t have all crashed like that.”
She shrugged, avoiding eye contact. “Only to be expected when you stay up all night, I guess.”
He looked down at her. Her jaw was pink and he rubbed a thumb over the whisker burn. She had dark circles under her tired eyes. “What else can we do?” he asked.
She shook her head. “Nothing. Thank you.” She paused. “Really.”
“I’ve heard if you put tea bags on your eyes it helps with the puffiness.”
Her eyes flew open wide and met his. “My eyes are puffy?”
“Just trying to help.”
She must have seen the laughter in his eyes, because her mouth slowly curved into a smile. “I look like hell, I know,” she said. “And I have to pose for pictures.”
“At least you don’t have a black eye.”
She touched her fingertips to his cheekbone. “It’s barely noticeable today.”
“Yeah. Whatever.”
She sighed. “I better go pack a huge bag of makeup.”
“You look beautiful.”
“You do, Kaelin.” Nick moved behind her and squeezed her shoulders. “It’ll be fine. Go on, we’ll finish cleaning up here.”
She smiled at him over her shoulder and nodded. “Okay. I’ll see you at the church, I guess.”