Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

Activity hummed in the bride's dressing room of Harbor View Weddings. A makeup artist from Perfectly Flawless Day Spa brushed a final dusting of powder across Brianna's nose. Seated in a plush white styling chair, the bride practically glowed in a puffy white robe. Her hair in large rollers, she waited for the stylist to work a miracle by turning her straight locks into masses of ringlets around an elegant updo.

Thunder rumbled, the noise more ominous than it'd been a short time earlier. A distant flash of lightning caught Brianna's attention, and she stirred nervously. "Do you think the storm will hold off until after the wedding?"

Not likely. Evelyn, who'd been checking the weather reports on her phone every five minutes, tucked the device in her pocket. An isolated thunderstorm was predicted to hit their area within the next half hour. With any luck, they'd have clear skies again in time for the reception. Not that it mattered. The building was sturdy—Ryan had made sure of that. The cake, the flowers, the gift bags had already been delivered.

He'd even drafted Daniel's groomsmen to form an umbrella brigade, if necessary.

"You never told me if you and Daniel enjoyed the day yesterday," she said, trying to distract the bride from the darkening skies. "What did you end up doing?"

"First, we went for a long run along that path Ryan showed us. We'd skipped our usual run the last couple of days, so it felt good to get out and stretch our legs. Then we had a couple's massage at the spa, and I got a mani/pedi." She splayed her fingers for Evelyn to see. "My first ever!" She laughed. "After that, we took a carriage ride to the rehearsal and back. Then, on to dinner."

"Aww! That sounds wonderful! I'm glad you had time to enjoy yourselves after all the stress of the past week."

"We did. I …" Brianna cast a worried look out the window as another peal of thunder sounded. "Um , how does everything look out there?" She indicated the area beyond the door.

"Beautiful," Evelyn offered, her conviction strong. "The colors you picked, the floral arrangements, the gift bags, they look stunning together. Mildred Morrey and her crew are nearly done with the bower. I have to admit, I've never seen burgundy dahlias used in a wedding before. These are absolutely gorgeous. They go perfectly with the rest of the color scheme."

Brianna nodded. "I can't wait to see it!" She glanced at the confection of appliquéd lace over matted white silk hanging from a hook in the ceiling. "Is it almost time to put on my dress?"

Evelyn gave her an indulgent smile. The ball gown would stay right where it was for a while longer. "Relax. Enjoy your day. It's still hours before the ceremony. We'll get you into your gown an hour or so before. Curtis will want to take photos before you walk down the aisle." At Brianna's disappointed face, she suggested, "You should probably eat something. Can I make you a plate?" A small table draped in Brianna's colors held a sampling of Chef Hubbard's favorite dishes.

"I'm not sure I could eat a bite. I'm so nervous." Outside, thunder rolled across the sky. Brianna stared out the window. On the other side of the glass, rain pelted down at a good clip. "Daniel's already here, isn't he? And his friends? Have you seen him?"

"Yes, he's here, and I've seen him. He looks, oh—" She pressed one hand to her chest. "So handsome in his dress uniform. His attendants are all in the groom's dressing room with him. They're a good-looking bunch." She fingered the thin box in her pocket. "If you're ready, I have a special something for you."

Brianna bit her lower lip. "You've already done so much. You didn't have to get me anything."

"Oh, this isn't from me," she corrected. "I guess I could've phrased that better. It's a gift from your aunt."

"Aunt Sheila?"

Nodding, she slipped the slim box from her pocket. She closed the short distance between them and placed it in Brianna's hands.

"What is it?" The woman gave the box a tiny shake.

"You'll have to open it."

Careful not to ruin her manicure, the young bride removed the lid. She sucked in a sharp breath and stared down at the pearls nestled in soft cotton.

"They were—"

"My mother's," Brianna finished. She looked up through tear-filled eyes. "But how? Where?"

"Your Aunt Sheila planned to give them to you today. When she found out she couldn't make it, she asked me to act in her stead."

"I thought they were lost," Brianna whispered in an awestruck tone. She held up the strand. The pearls glowed in the light. "After Mama and Daddy …" She swallowed.

"Your aunt has been keeping them for you. I'm sure she can fill you in on all the details. She said your mom dreamed of seeing you walk down the aisle wearing these pearls."

One fat tear rolled down Brianna's cheek. Evelyn handed the girl a tissue.

"Can you help me with them?" The young woman held out the strand.

"Of course." She moved swiftly to the bride's side. In seconds, she'd fitted the metal V into the clasp and snicked it shut. She tugged it gently to make sure it held. When it did, she stepped away.

Brianna stared into the mirror, her fingers tracing the lustrous pearls around her neck. "If y'all will excuse me for a minute, I need to call Aunt Sheila." She turned to the makeup artist, her smile tremulous. "Don't wander off. I think I might need a touchup by the time we're through. "

The other women blotted their own eyes as they filed out of the room. Evelyn gave Brianna's hand another squeeze and pressed the girl's cell phone into her hand. She'd taken two steps toward the door when a particularly loud roll of thunder crashed overhead. Immediately on its heels, lightning flashed outside the window. In the ensuing silence, a loud boom shook the windows. Evelyn flinched. Brianna squealed. The lights flickered once and went out.

"It's all right," Evelyn called into the darkness. Rather than rushing to Brianna's side, she headed in the other direction. While she and Ryan had been setting up yesterday, she'd tucked a box of battery-powered candles into one of the cabinets. Now, she felt her way along the wall to the bank of storage closets. Sure enough, the box was right where she'd left it. In minutes, a soft glow filled the room. She carried a candle to Brianna.

"We lost power," the girl said, in case no one else had noticed.

"We did."

"How can we have a wedding with no electricity?"

"Well, that could be a problem," Evelyn conceded. Quickly, she added, "But I'm sure Ryan has everything under control. Go ahead and call your aunt," she said, giving the girl's hand a reassuring squeeze. "In the meantime, I'll see what's going on."

Ryan took advantage of the momentary break in the chaos to lean against one of the cedar support beams in Harbor View's ballroom. He and Evelyn had been hard at work getting the hall ready for the wedding since shortly after Brianna and Daniel's big announcement yesterday. He didn't think he could've made it without her help. She seemed to do things by instinct, but he knew hers was an instinct honed by a lifetime spent at the Captain's Cottage. She was the one who'd insisted they sort through every cabinet and closet, every dish cupboard and the pantry, checking and double-checking the supplies for the Harbor View's first wedding. It'd required more than one run to the store to stock up, but she'd made sure they had every single thing they needed. She'd even insisted on purchasing a supply of foul weather gear, which she'd hung on hooks in his office. At the time, he'd thought she was overthinking just a bit. Now, looking at the threatening sky, he had to admit having the rain gear handy didn't hurt.

As for the rest, he breathed easily. Bev and Vi had arrived at eight sharp and had immediately begun arranging tablecloths, runners, and sparkling china on three dozen tables. After lunch, they'd set to work covering two hundred chairs in navy spandex, which Evelyn had declared the best possible use for the stretchy material. Mildred Morrey and her crew had shown up at ten with two vans filled with flowers and arrangements. Ashley and a young teen had pulled into the parking lot next. In short order, they'd piled hundreds of gift bags into the old Farley boat on display in the front lobby. Soon after, Janet Hubbard and her crew had taken over the kitchen. Since the chef had helped design the layout of Harbor View's counters and appliances, she'd set to work with few questions. From then on, the front door had opened and closed at least a thousand times as stylists and musicians and deliveries had arrived. Nick Bell had rolled in with a wedding cake so tempting it'd been all Ryan could do not to swipe a bit of icing. JoJo Moss and her videographer roamed back and forth, taking preliminary shots of everything .

In well-timed movements, the shop owners and their helpers had transformed the empty hall into a space truly fit for a Wedding-in-a-Week couple. Dark purple flowers clustered around the bower where Brianna and Daniel would stand to recite their vows. The same floral design echoed down the rows of tall pedestals lining a carpeted aisle. It was repeated in the centerpieces on each of the tables set with gold-rimmed glasses and gleaming gold-tipped flatware.

In a matter of hours, guests would begin to trickle in. His parents, his brothers, and their families would be among them. He'd called his dad on the way home from dropping Evelyn off at the Captain's Cottage yesterday. The old man had rallied the entire family to attend the wedding tonight and celebrate Ryan's success. Even if they all got soaked in the process.

He eyed the dark clouds overhead. Distant lightning flashed. In the short time he'd been standing next to the window, a light drizzle had given way to a downpour. According to the weather reports, they were in for a blow.

The building didn't worry him. It was sound. The people, though—they might need reassurance. He'd barely turned away from the window when a tremendous crack of thunder roared overhead. On its heels, lightning arced down from the clouds. A loud boom rattled the windowpanes. He had a split second to wonder if they'd been struck when the lights flickered.

Then, the room went dark.

"Gosh! That sounded close." JoJo scampered down from the stepstool she'd been standing on. She clutched accessories for the photo booth in both hands.

"I think it might've hit nearby." Ryan raised his voice to be heard over the rain that sluiced down by the bucketful, turning the world outside into gray soup. "Is everyone okay?"

A smattering of, "Yeah's," and, "Fine here's," answered.

Curtis appeared at his elbow out of the gloom. "We lost power," the photographer announced, as if Ryan had failed to notice the sudden lack of light.

"I see that. Hang on while I call the power company." He was already scrolling down the contacts list on his phone. "Hopefully, it's something they'll fix in a jiff." He punched a few numbers and was immediately put on hold.

"Is your backup generator on manual? It hasn't kicked on yet."

"There's a reason for that," Ryan said, trying to remain upbeat. "We don't have one."

"Uh-oh." Curtis pulled out his own phone. "I, um, I need to check in with Regina. Let her know what's happened."

"Can't you just wait until …" A voice sounded in his ear. He paused to listen. By the time he realized it was just a recording telling him that call volume was heavy at the moment and asking for his patience, Curtis was already talking with his boss in low tones.

People streamed toward him from wherever they'd been when the lights had gone out. A door opened and closed somewhere at the front of the building. Six sturdy Marines in dress blues joined the small crowd. Speculation buzzed.

"Hold on." Ryan raised his voice to be heard above the hubbub. "I'm on the line with the power company. Let's see where things stand before we start jumping to conclusions." He turned away from the group when another voice, a real one this time, asked him for the address. In response, a few beeps sounded through the earpiece. A recording followed.

"A power outage has occurred in your area."

"Tell me something I don't already know," he muttered.

"The problem appears to be with a transformer. One hundred customers have been affected. Time to repair is estimated at …" A bead of sweat trickled down his neck. "Six hours. "

Six hours! Oh, crap! The words struck a harsh blow to his gut. His thoughts swam.

"We appreciate your—"

He didn't bother listening to the rest. Panic gnawed at his center. He searched for answers in the faces of those around him and found only more questions.

Outside the bridal suite, Evelyn rested her back against the door. She'd done her best to put Brianna's fears to rest, but she couldn't ignore the uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach. Surely by now the backup generator should've kicked on. Why hadn't it? Determined to learn the answer, she headed through the barn doors to the reception hall, where gray skies and pouring rain cast the large room in semidarkness despite the floor-to-ceiling windows.

A small group had gathered in one corner. She spotted Ryan standing off to one side, his phone pressed to his ear. Across from him, Curtis likewise had his cell phone out. The tiny screens bathed their faces in a bluish glow. Jenny and Alicia stood apart from the group, whispering, their heads close. In between, Daniel and his groomsmen, Mildred Morrey and her assistants, and Janet Hubbard all spoke at once.

"When's the power coming back on?"

"What about meal prep?"

"Will the wedding go on as scheduled?"

"What do you mean, there's no backup generator?"

That last ominous question sent Evelyn's stomach into freefall. She shuddered, crossed her fingers, and prayed the electric company would be Johnny-on-the-spot with their repairs.

She'd no sooner finished than Ryan lowered his phone. His face pale, he announced, "A transformer blew. The earliest estimate for repairs is late tonight. It could take longer."

Shock echoed through the room. The electricity couldn't possibly be restored in time for a wedding that was only hours away.

"Quiet, everyone," barked the least expected voice in the crowd. At Curtis's firm command, silence rained down like the deluge on the other side of the windows. "I have Ms. Charm on the line." He rocked his phone away from his ear and back again. "She wants me to remind you that, due to deadlines beyond our control, there can be no delay in tonight's festivities." He scanned the faces crowded around him. "Does anyone have a weather report? "

One of Daniel's groomsmen spoke up. "I do. The storm should move offshore within the next thirty minutes."

"Good. That's good news." Curtis relayed the information to his boss. After a brief pause, his chest heaved. Sliding the phone into his pocket, he took in his surroundings. "The bad news is, we can't have a wedding here without power. We'll have to move to a different location."

"Now, wait a minute," Ryan began.

Curtis shushed him with a chopping motion. Holding up his fingers, he counted off problems one by one. "There's no electricity. The sun's going down. By seven, this room will be in total darkness. No light means no photographs. No photographs means no special wedding edition."

Before anyone could count to ten, the significance of Curtis's reasoning sank in. Everyone began to talk at once. Evelyn held her breath. Many of the vendors counted on the article in Weddings Today to drum up new business that'd help them recoup substantial investments in Wedding-in-a-Week. They had every right to complain.

Though Ryan fumed, his shoulders slumped. Evelyn shot him a sympathetic glance. But she wasn't ready to throw in the towel quite so easily. There had to be a way to save the wedding for him .

Curtis aimed a pointed look in her direction. "Evelyn, you reserved one of your ballrooms for tonight's festivities in case Brianna and Daniel chose the Captain's Cottage, didn't you? I trust you haven't rented it out on such short notice."

Is he serious?

The heavy weight of failure melted from her shoulders. Relief shivered through her midsection. For an instant, she imagined Jason's face when she told him they'd won a coveted spot in the Weddings Today article after all. She pictured herself standing in the background holding Ryan's hand while Curtis snapped pictures of Brianna and Daniel.

Ryan.

She couldn't snatch success from his hands. She wouldn't. But according to Curtis, things were headed in a direction that left a sour taste in her mouth.

When she failed to respond immediately, the photographer phrased his question more sharply. "Is the room available or not?"

"It is," she answered, wishing the floor would open up and swallow her.

"Good." Curtis's head bobbed as if he'd been expecting her answer. "We'll move everything there."

"No!" Ryan shouted. His voice dropped to a growl. "You can't do that. Daniel and Brianna chose to get married here. Everything is nearly ready." A few last-minute details were all that remained.

"No!" She added her own protest. Curtis expected them to pick up and move an entire wedding to a different location and still have everything go off without a hitch? The idea was ludicrous. She eyed JoJo Moss. Her photo booth alone required at least ninety minutes to erect. Then there were the floral arrangements to transport, the wedding arch, the bride. She stopped, her thoughts in a jumble. How were they supposed to get Brianna and her dress clear across town in the pouring rain? It couldn't be done.

"You have no electricity." The man who'd insisted on staying in the background all week now overruled every objection in a flat, matter-of-fact tone. "There are only two choices: move to the Captain's Cottage, or cancel the ceremony." He singled out Daniel. "It's your choice."

The groom's features twisted into a stricken expression. His gaze darted to Ryan and then to her. The starch went out of his posture. "If those are my only two choices …"

She held her breath while Curtis nodded.

"Then I choose the Captain's Cottage. "

"You heard the man, people." Curtis clapped his hands together. "Let's get moving. We're on the clock here."

As if he'd fired a starting pistol in a race, the group dispersed, each person heading in a different direction.

Ryan's voice rose above the sounds of the rain and the sudden clatter of feet. "Wait. Let's talk about this."

"There's nothing to talk about," came Curtis's curt response. "The decision's been made."

She watched Ryan's mouth work wordlessly. Pain lanced her chest. Her eyes welled. She wanted to go to him, sling her arms around him, comfort him. But she couldn't. They'd agreed to keep their relationship under wraps until after Brianna and Daniel's wedding. I'm sorry, she mouthed.

Ryan either didn't hear her or he chose to reject her sympathy. A muscle in his jaw twitched. His expression collapsed. "You know I'll lose everything unless the wedding takes place here. And it'll all be your fault." His shoulders rounded as if they carried the weight of the world. "Congratulations. I guess you won our bet after all."

With that, he spun on one heel, shouldered his way past Curtis, and marched to the vestibule. He didn't stop when he hit the door but stalked out into the pouring rain. Moments later, his truck tore out of the parking lot.

She stared after him. She'd been in Ryan's shoes. She knew exactly how he felt. In New York, every time another actress had landed a part she'd auditioned for, she'd been crushed. When Brianna and Daniel had announced their decision to wed at Harbor View, for a moment she'd thought her whole world had collapsed. Ryan needed time to come to grips with what'd just happened. She'd give it to him. Her heart broke for him, but there was nothing she could do or say at this point to help. He'd have to deal with this disappointment on his own. For now, she had a wedding to save and not a minute to spare. She wrenched her gaze from the main entrance.

"Stop," she called. "Everybody, just stop!"

Curtis growled a warning. "Evelyn, we don't have time for this."

"We don't have time to move this wedding to the Captain's Cottage, either," she replied in her best, all-business tone. Mentally crossing her fingers, she focused on Daniel. "Curtis overlooked one option. We can still give you and Brianna the wedding of your dreams here tonight. What do you say? "

"Harbor View has always been our first choice." The groom snapped to attention. "If you say you can do it, I'd say, ‘Ma'am, yes, ma'am.'"

With the groom's support in her pocket, she scanned the room. Halfway to the kitchen, Janet Hubbard had halted. Evelyn singled her out. "Chef, that gas stove, does it still work?"

"Yes." Understanding glinted in the chef's intelligent eyes. "We can cook on it whether we have power or not."

Her heart in her throat, she pressed. "How much time will you lose transporting everything you need to the Cottage?"

"Honestly?" The chef swept her toque from her head. "It'll take an hour, maybe more, to load everything back into the van. Unloading on the other end will eat up another hour." The tall, angular woman followed Evelyn's lead. "I'd say we'd be running about three hours behind by the time we plated the meal."

"Thank you, Chef." Relieved, she breathed deeply.

Her relief short-circuited when Curtis intervened. "What if you serve everything buffet-style? Eliminate some of the dishes?"

The chef shrugged. "That would save some time. We might be able to make it."

Evelyn blinked. Okay, a buffet wasn't ideal. Nor was it Daniel and Briana's first choice. But she'd let that one slide for now. She carried on, determined to show Curtis why his plan wouldn't work. Moving on to the next item on her list, she turned to Mildred Morrey. "Will you be able to transport the floral arrangements to the Cottage and recreate all this?" She waved a hand toward the room that looked exactly like Brianna and Daniel wanted.

One of the centerpieces in her hands, Mildred let a rare irritation creep into her voice. "We've been working on this room since ten this morning. We'll never get everything to the Cottage and set up in time. Some pieces, like the bower, were assembled on-site and can't be moved at all."

"They'll make do without the arch," Curtis said as if the hours Mildred's staff had spent on it were of no consequence. "I'm sure there are flowers left over from another wedding or two there at the Cottage."

"Why don't we just fill the room with roses while we're at it?" Mildred shot back. Grumbling to herself, the florist shook her head.

Bev from Eat, Drink and Be Married caught wind of what was going on and chimed in. She gestured toward the tables and chairs. "It'll take all night to break down these place settings and move them to the Cottage. If we had another day, maybe …"

Jenny added, "The Green Room isn't set up for a wedding. At least, not this wedding."

"Look, it won't be perfect," Curtis admitted, "but you'll make do."

That was the last straw. Evelyn put her foot down. "No," she said through gritted teeth. "That's not how we do things in Heart's Landing. We deliver a perfect wedding for every bride. With a little bit of creativity and some help from our friends, we can give Brianna and Daniel the wedding of their dreams on time and right here."

She gulped air. She was putting everything on the line, but this was for all of them—for Brianna and Daniel, for Heart's Landing, and for the man she loved. "Tell Regina the wedding will go forward as scheduled at Harbor View."

She didn't see the person who started clapping first, but she wanted to hug them. As one by one the others joined in, she thanked her lucky stars for letting her live in a place where people truly believed in creating a perfect wedding for every bride.

Curtis glowered and threw out one last warning. "I hope you know what you're doing. If you mess this up … "

Tears stinging her eyes, she added her own reassurances to those of the shop owners and workers who chorused, "We won't!"

The photographer was smart enough to know when he'd been defeated. "All right, then." He waved a hand for silence and got it. "I'll let Regina know."

The minute Curtis stepped to the opposite end of the hall to call his boss, Evelyn wiped her cheeks and signaled to Chef Hubbard. "Carry on, Chef. I know you have a lot to do in a short amount of time."

Janet crammed her chef's hat on her head. Without stopping to ask questions, she strode toward the kitchen. In seconds, Evelyn could hear her begin to issue orders in a calm, professional voice.

Evelyn moved to the middle of the room. Ignoring the way her knees trembled, she called out over the rattle of pots and pans from the kitchen. "If you're still working on something that needs to be done for the wedding, continue with whatever you were doing. When you finish, come see me." She turned to Jenny. "Take my place with Brianna. Reassure her that we have everything under control out here."

Daniel and his groomsmen stepped forward. "We're here to help, ma'am. Tell us what to do. "

"There are umbrellas and a rack of foul weather gear in Ryan's office. Get whatever you need and gather at the front door." She glanced at her watch. "In about fifteen minutes, people are going to start dropping off items we'll need for tonight. If you and your squad could meet them and bring everything inside, it'll save us a lot of time."

"Yes, ma'am." Daniel turned smartly to his friends. "You heard the lady."

The group double-timed it across the hall and out of sight.

"The rest of you," she said, eyeing about a half-dozen volunteers, "break out your cell phones and start calling every person you know in Heart's Landing. This is what you're going to tell them to do …"