Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Snatches of conversation between busy shoppers and the sounds of traffic along Honeymoon Avenue faded as the door to Tux or Tails swished closed behind Ryan. In the well-appointed menswear shop, the soft strains of classical music broke the hushed quiet. He stepped forward, his footsteps muffled by thick carpet. At his side, Daniel whistled.

"Whoa," the groom-to-be whispered. "This sure ain't the rental shop where I got my tux for prom."

Ryan grinned. "I'm betting Tux or Tails is a little more upscale?"

"This here might be a little too rich for my blood." Daniel shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

"You're fine. Trust me. "

"Easy for you to say. You ain't the one getting measured and poked and prodded."

Ryan's smile steadied. "Big, strong Marine like you? You can handle one tux fitting."

Daniel lifted a skeptical eyebrow but squared his shoulders. "I guess if I can make it through the Crucible, I can make it through this."

Before Ryan could ask for details, Greg bustled out from the back. An assistant with a tape measure followed him. Behind them, three handsomely turned-out men waited in the wings.

"Welcome. Welcome. So glad you could make it to Tux or Tails this afternoon." The owner extended his hand as if he hadn't just shared lunch with Daniel at the White Dove Deli. The groom shook hands with Greg while Curtis, who'd taken up a position beside a mannequin wearing a smart suit coat, snapped a few candid shots.

Greg rubbed his hands together. "Let me tell you a little bit about my shop. My family has owned and operated a tailoring business in Manhattan for three generations. When it came time to branch out, I chose Heart's Landing because, well, who doesn't love a good wedding?" He stopped long enough to laugh at his own joke. "I opened Tux or Tails some thirty years ago. Back then, we primarily rented and altered tuxes, but we've grown to meet the needs of Heart's Landing. While our main focus remains on providing the best in wedding apparel for the groom and his attendants, we offer a full line of men's clothing. Everything from ready-made to bespoke suits designed expressly to suit the wishes of the most discriminating customer." He paused to take a breath. "Do you have any questions?"

"Not exactly a question, sir, but …"

Ryan canted his head. Daniel stood at attention, his posture rigid as if his entire future rested on what came next.

"What is it?" Greg leaned forward. "Whatever it is, we'll do our best to take care of it for you."

"Well, sir." Daniel inhaled. "I had my heart set on wearing my uniform. Is that going to be a problem? The folks at Weddings Today said it was fine with them."

"Your uniform." Greg hesitated. "For the wedding." He stopped again. "Not a tux?"

"Yes, sir. I—I mean no, sir. My uniform. That's what I want to wear."

Ryan blinked as Greg's head swiveled away from the Marine to pin him with a questioning look. He answered with a blank stare. This was the first he'd heard of Daniel's request .

Greg rubbed one hand over his balding pate. He swung to face Curtis. "Did you know anything about this?"

The photographer held up a hand. "Nah, man. You'd have to ask Regina Charm. I'm just here to take pictures."

Ryan stifled a groan. He'd never met the senior editor for Weddings Today , but from all accounts, the woman was a piece of work. Hadn't she sent Tara to Heart's Landing with a hidden agenda? Things hadn't worked out the way the editor had hoped they would that time. Was she up to mischief again? If so, he was pretty sure she'd fail. He swiped a peek at Greg. To his credit, the shop owner hadn't flinched. His ruddy complexion hadn't gone a single shade lighter. Clearly, the mayor could handle whatever monkey wrench Regina had thrown into the works.

"You want a military wedding?" Greg asked.

"Yes, sir." Daniel snapped to attention. "My buddies from boot camp are flying in on Friday. They'll stand up front with me."

"You'll wear dress blues?" Greg peered closely at Daniel, sizing him up. "Do you have dress blues?"

"Yes, sir."

Ryan could almost picture it. A radiant Brianna in a white gown. Daniel, tall and proud. The two of them dashing hand-in-hand through the doors of Harbor View Weddings, while a line of uniformed young men and women stood at attention. It'd make for a beautiful ceremony.

"It sounds like you've thought of everything, young man. That's excellent." The mayor stroked his chin.

"You're sure it's not a problem?" A muscle in Daniel's cheek twitched.

"A problem?" The mayor's eyes rounded. "That you're honoring your country and you've answered the call to serve? How could that possibly be a problem?" At the snap of his fingers, the trio of young men disappeared into the back of the shop. "So you'll wear your uniform. And your buddies, they all have the appropriate attire as well?"

"Yes, sir. Gloves, covers, the works."

"What about swords for the arch?"

"No, sir. Not enough rank, sir. That honor is reserved for NCOs and above."

"All right, then." Greg tapped his chin. "Here's what we can do. What say we outfit you in a very nice suit? Something you can wear when you're off duty and want to take that lovely bride of yours out to dinner. Will that work?"

Daniel studied his surroundings. "I'm sorry, sir, but I don't think I can afford to shop here."

Ryan followed Daniel's gaze around the store. Two chairs flanked a hobnail leather sofa by the window.

The wood on the mahogany coffee table between them glowed. A wall of cubbies held the latest in men's shirts, while suits in rich fabrics hung from wooden hangers on recessed racks. It didn't surprise him that the young man had taken one look at the place and decided he was out of his element. But he'd change his mind once he knew Greg a little better.

"This would be a gift, son. Instead of the tux," Greg said, just as Ryan thought he might.

"I don't know." Some of the stiffness went out of Daniel's posture. "A whole suit? Isn't that too much to ask for?"

Was that a touch of wishful thinking in Daniel's voice? Pretty sure he'd heard correctly, Ryan pulled the young man aside. His voice low, he whispered, "Greg signed up to provide tuxes for you and all your attendants. In exchange, Weddings Today planned to mention Tux or Tails in their Wedding-in-a-Week spread. That publicity is gold for a store like this."

"Yeah, but a suit. In a place like this, that's gotta cost a pretty penny."

He held up a hand. "Let me finish. Your service is something to be proud of, something everyone in Heart's Landing is grateful for. We'll all be happy to see you in uniform on your wedding day. But if you walk out of Tux or Tails empty-handed, Weddings Today won't have anything about the shop to include in their article. You'd actually be doing Greg a favor by taking him up on his offer."

"You're not just saying that? You're sure?"

There was that hopeful note again. The one Daniel had tried to hide. The one that let him know the young groom recognized a chance of a lifetime when he saw it and didn't really want to turn down this one. He nodded firmly. "I'm sure."

"Okay, then." Daniel turned to Greg. "I'd be honored to accept, sir."

"Excellent." Greg clapped his hands together. "Now, I need a moment to pull together a few things. If you wouldn't mind, take a seat over there. I'll be right with you. Help yourself to a glass of wine. Cheese and crackers, too."

Leather creaked as Ryan lowered himself onto the couch. He'd shopped at Tux or Tails in the past and knew from experience that Greg didn't rush things. He settled in to wait while Daniel piled crackers on a napkin and poured himself a glass of wine .

"Have you heard from Brianna?" he asked when they were seated.

"Not since lunch." Daniel popped one of the crackers into his mouth and chewed. "I hope she's doing okay."

He smiled. He'd done some work at Dress For A Day several years ago. The place was every bit as sumptuous as Tux or Tails but decidedly feminine. He was pretty sure Evelyn and Brianna would feel right at home there. Without warning, the image of Evelyn dressed as a bride popped into his thoughts. He savored the picture for a moment before he blinked it away to focus on his young charge. "If Brianna is anything like every other woman I've ever known, dress shopping is more than just a pastime; it's a serious undertaking. From what I hear, looking for a wedding dress, well, that's like an Olympic sport. Brianna and Evelyn are in good hands with Cheri Clark. My mother swears by her."

Daniel demolished a few more crackers. "You seem to know everyone in town. Have you always lived in Heart's Landing?"

"Most of my life," Ryan answered. "My family's from around here. I was born and raised right up there." He aimed his chin past the center of town to Cathedral Heights. His childhood home sat above the residential neighborhood overlooking Heart's Landing. "I moved away for a few years, but I always knew I'd move back here. As soon as I had the chance, that's exactly what I did. How about you? You plan to head back to Florida after your hitch is up?"

"Not anytime soon." Daniel shook his head. "Lots of little kids want to wear a uniform. They dress up as firemen or police officers or astronauts for Halloween. For me, that dream never faded. It's always been the Marines." He took a long pull from his wineglass.

"I respect that decision." Without thinking about what he was doing, he massaged his knee. He'd torn his ACL in a summer league football game the year he'd graduated. Surgery and months of PT had followed. He'd healed well, but the injury had virtually eliminated any chance of a military career. Not that he'd seriously considered it. He was a woodworker. Always had been. The posters in the recruitment offices didn't exactly shout, "We're looking for a few good carpenters!" He leaned back, his ankles crossed. "Your dad owns an orange grove, doesn't he? You didn't want to follow in his footsteps?"

"My dad loves what he does, but raising citrus was never in my blood." Daniel broke the last cracker in half. "There are easier ways to make a living than in the Corps. I'm not kidding myself about that. I can handle it. It's Brianna I worry about."

He studied the dedicated young man. Daniel had clearly considered all the angles to his career choice, but from what he'd heard, the frequent moves and long separations sometimes took a toll on marriages. "You don't think she's up to it?"

"Oh, no, sir. Not that. Brianna is strong. She's had to be." One by one, Daniel ate the final two pieces and emptied his glass. "It's just that, well, she's already been through so much. As soon as we get back from our honeymoon, I'll report for more training. I could be gone as long as three months. I hate to think of leaving her alone all that time. Deployments mean even more time apart. Is it fair to ask her to share that kind of life?"

Ryan leaned forward, one elbow propped on his knee. "I assume you've talked with her, voiced your concerns?"

"Sure. We've talked. She says she's on board, that whatever I choose, she's there for me. I just—I worry she doesn't really know what she's getting into. Being the wife of a Marine is a huge commitment. What if she wakes up one day and wishes she'd chosen a guy who works from nine to five, stays home on weekends, and helps coach the kids' soccer games? It keeps me up nights." Daniel brushed a few crumbs from one pants leg into his cupped hand.

"Do you love her?"

"More than anything else in the world."

"And she loves you. I can see that in her eyes every time she looks at you. They say that's all that matters." Ryan lowered his head. The young man deserved better than platitudes, but the advice was the best he could give.

"Yeah, but when I think about the things she's giving up to marry me, I, um, it's an awfully big ask. I've been on the verge of calling the whole thing off more often than I like. Sometimes I can't get past the idea that asking her to marry me was the most selfish thing I've ever done."

Every fiber of his being focused on the man sitting across from him. The one who apparently was willing to sacrifice his future happiness to give Brianna a chance at a better life. That was true love. A Heart's Landing kind of love. The kind of love he wanted for himself one day.

How could Daniel possibly walk away from that?

He wished he knew what to say to ease the young Marine's fears, but he'd drawn a blank, and his time had run out. Even as he searched for the right words, he spotted Greg emerging from the back of the shop, carrying an armload of fabric swatches.

Daniel saw their host for the afternoon, too. He leaned in. "Ah, man. Listen to me. I shouldn't have had that glass of wine. It makes me run my mouth. Forget I said anything, okay? I made a commitment, and I won't back out on Brianna. I wouldn't do that to her."

Ryan forced his back into the couch cushions. Feigning a relaxation he didn't feel, he zipped one finger across his lips. "Mum's the word if that's what you want. But, uh, you'll let me know if you have any second thoughts, right?"

"Sure. But I won't. Me and Brianna, we're going to get married on Sunday." With that, Daniel jumped to his feet, his eyes on the approaching store owner.

"I'll catch up with you in a minute," Ryan said when Greg beckoned the young Marine to a tall worktable. He waited until the two had their heads together before he ran a hand behind his neck and wiped away a trickle of sweat. Heart's Landing had a lot riding on seeing the Wedding-in-a-Week couple walk down the aisle. With a photographer from Weddings Today on hand to snap pictures, the publicity the town stood to gain from the event was worth its weight in solid gold bullion. If that were all, it'd be reason enough for concern. But it wasn't. Not by half. Every citizen from Boutonniere Drive to Champagne Avenue was invested in giving this couple the wedding of their dreams. From Mildred Morrey at Forget Me Knot Flowers to Walter's son at the Honeymoon Cottages, every person in town would be crushed if Brianna and Daniel broke up the very week of their wedding. Not only that, but he'd personally be called on the carpet. After all, the mayor had put him in charge of shepherding the groom throughout the week. Of making sure the wedding went off without a hitch. He could just imagine the pointed questions he'd have to answer if he failed.

He suddenly wished he could talk to Evelyn. He felt certain she'd know exactly what to say to convince the young Marine he'd be making a huge mistake if he walked away from the woman he loved in the hopes of giving her the kind of life he thought she deserved. Sighing, he pulled his phone from his pocket and hit speed dial. Seconds later, he listened to a recorded message that let him know the one person he wanted to talk to, the one person he'd sworn to stay away from, was unavailable .

"Great." It was just his luck that Evelyn was nowhere to be found when he needed her the most. With no other option, he left a message asking if he could stop by her office at the Captain's Cottage later. He crossed his fingers, disconnected, and went to help Daniel and Greg design the perfect suit for a young man who was teetering on the brink of leaving his bride at the altar.

Evelyn slid the first paycheck from the stack, held it up to the computer screen, and compared the numbers. They matched. She'd known they would, but it never hurt to double-check. She lowered the paper to her desk. Bending, she signed it, slipped the payment into a waiting envelope, and crossed the first name off her list. One down. Seventy-five more to go. She grabbed the next one from the pile.

Three knocks in rapid succession interrupted her routine before she got any further. She straightened, but it was no use. A two-foot-tall wall of fabric samples stacked on the edge of her desk blocked her view. Grumbling, she propped herself up on her chair's armrests to peer over the pile. Her pen clattered to the floor the instant she spied the tall figure standing in the doorway of her office. Her heart rate leaped into overdrive. Ryan! A welcoming smile sprang to her lips.

"Hey." She waved him in. "I didn't expect to see you tonight."

She was certainly glad he'd stopped by, though. She needed to talk to him. But more than that, she'd wanted to see him, wanted to spend time with him.

"You didn't get my message?" Ryan's brow furrowed.

"Sorry. No." She lifted her cell phone from her desk. The screen, which normally sprang to life whenever she so much as breathed in its direction, stayed dark. "Battery's dead," she announced, feeling her face warm. "I've been so busy since I got back from shopping with Brianna, I didn't even notice."

"Looks like I've caught you at a bad time." Ryan lingered at the door. "Payroll?"

"Yeah. Much as everyone loves working at the Captain's Cottage, no one wants to do it for free." She grinned.

"Well." Ryan hesitated. "I'll let you get back to it."

"Don't be silly. You're here, aren't you? C'mon in." She started to motion him to a seat, but a quick glance confirmed what she'd feared. While she'd been busy with other things—like holding the hand of a weepy Wedding-in-a-Week bride—someone had stacked mail and other deliveries in the guest chair. She leaped to her feet. "Here. Let me get rid of that."

Ryan covered the distance between them in two quick strides. Her breath caught in her throat when they reached for the boxes at the same time. Their fingers touched, a move that sent tiny lightning bolts arcing up and down her arms. She told herself she should break the connection, should withdraw her hand, but she remained where she was, secretly enjoying the steady zing of electricity that coursed through her.

"Um." Ryan's voice severed her connection to him.

She stared at her fingers. "What was that?"

"What was what?" He peered down at her, confusion tightening the skin around his eyes.

"Nothing. I must've jammed my finger." He hadn't felt the same thing she had. She pretended to examine her hand. The move bought her enough time to shake off her disappointment.

"You okay? Where would you like these?"

"What? Oh, yeah." Her hand fell to her side, and she peered up at the man who stood, his arms filled with boxes and envelopes. "Anywhere." She pointed to a bare spot on a nearby workbench. "Sorry for the mess. It's not usually like this. Well, it is, but not this bad. Things have kind of gotten out of control the last couple of weeks. But I'll get …" She trailed off when Ryan stood rooted to the spot, a silly grin stretched across his face.

"Have you forgotten we grew up together? You've always been a little on the disorganized side."

"Hey! I resent that." She propped her hands on her hips. "This may look like a mess, but I know exactly where everything is."

"Don't get your feathers in a bunch," he said over his retreating shoulder. "I've always considered it part of your charm."

At that, she straightened. "You think I'm charming?" she asked, hating the doubt that laced her tone.

"Yeah, of course. Everybody does, don't they?"

She sighed. And here she'd thought he might, just might, consider her special. Wrong again, Heart. So why had he shown up in her office? "Did you need something? Besides to concede you've lost our bet? "

"You wish," he said, giving her that smile that always made her stomach flutter. Unfortunately, his lips quickly straightened. When they did, concern etched its way across his brow. "Seriously, though. You got a minute? I'd like to get your advice on something."

"Funny you should say that. I was hoping to pick your brain about a couple of things that happened today." Motioning him into the chair he'd so nicely emptied, she shoved things aside on her desk until she had room to sit on the corner.

"Ladies first?" Ryan asked.

She grinned, loving the way his lips quirked as if he knew she'd argue. She wouldn't disappoint him. "I went first last time. It's your turn."

Her abdomen tightened as Ryan filled her in on his discussion with Daniel at Tux or Tails. When he finished, she felt like someone had punched her in the stomach.

"He can't be serious." Daniel's idea was so preposterous, she didn't quite know where to begin. "He loves Brianna. He wouldn't walk out on the wedding, would he?"

"I'm pretty sure he'd have the decency to call things off before the big day." Ryan held up a hand, halting her mid-protest. "I know—it doesn't make sense. But you have to admire his willingness to sacrifice his happiness for hers."

"Yeah, but …" She cupped her head in her hands and groaned out loud. "How can he possibly think she'd be better off without him? Men can be so dumb." She gave Ryan her most direct stare.

"You say that like you've never done something you regretted later."

"Okay, I'll give you that one. I've made my share of mistakes," she admitted. "To be honest, Daniel's not the only one poised on the brink of doing the wrong thing. Brianna's thinking along the same lines, but for different reasons. She thinks Daniel deserves someone stronger, someone more suited to becoming the wife of a Marine."

Ryan's lips pulled down at the corners. "She doesn't resent his commitment, does she?"

"No. Just the opposite." She rushed to clarify before he got the wrong idea. "Brianna thinks Daniel practically walks on water. She's honored he's chosen to serve his country. But she doesn't want to drag him down. Right now, the only way she can see to prevent that is by refusing to marry him."

"Hmm." Ryan cupped his chin in his hand. "It sounds like they both have the best of intentions, but they've drawn the same wrong conclusion."

"If we don't stop them, the situation is only going to get worse, not better." She didn't doubt that for a second.

"You're right. The last thing they need to do is to walk away from love."

Evelyn sighed. How had their Wedding-in-a-Week couple gotten so confused? Love meant finding your soul mate and building a life with them. Making a home. Raising a family. She wanted that. Didn't everyone?

She paused for a quick peek at Ryan. There'd been a time when she'd thought he might be her Mr. Right. He checked all the boxes—smart, driven, independent, caring. He laughed at her lame jokes. He even thought her worst flaws were charming. It also didn't hurt that looking at him made her heart race. Like she had a dozen times over the years, she wondered why they'd drifted apart instead of growing closer. If things had been different between them, who knew—maybe they'd be planning their own Heart's Landing wedding instead of helping Brianna and Daniel with theirs.

"So how are we going to do that?"

Ryan's voice hauled her back to the problem at hand. She slouched forward. "I have no idea. "

At her answer, his mouth dropped open in shocked confusion. She smiled. The man clearly had a higher opinion of her than she'd thought. But with real love at risk, they needed to come up with a solution. And fast, before either Daniel or Brianna made a move that would lead to a lifetime of unhappiness and regret.

She tugged on her ponytail, thinking. "What's on the agenda tomorrow? Eat, Drink and Be Married?"

"In the morning, yeah. After lunch, they go to Forget Me Knot Flowers." Ryan rubbed a hand over one knee. "Unless they finish up at Be Married early. I mean, how long can it take to pick out a few dishes and some silverware?"

Evelyn felt her eyes go round. "You're kidding, right? You seriously did not grow up in Heart's Landing without learning the importance of a proper table setting?" At Ryan's blank look, she shook her head. For a man who was opening his own wedding venue, what he didn't know could land him in a world of hurt. "You might want to bone up. Read a few bridal magazines. Learn the ins and outs of everything that goes into a wedding."

"Why? Won't the wedding planner take care of all the details?" Ryan's eyebrows arrowed down, and he frowned .

"Have you hired one? Put one on retainer?" When Ryan shook his head, she groaned. "You're gonna need a good one, and it's not like they grow on trees." The man clearly needed a crash course in Weddings 101. Fortunately, she was more than qualified to give it to him. She plunged into the subject. "About that table setting—it's second only to the bride's gown and the groom's tux. The whole reception is built around it, so it can't be done willy-nilly. First, the couple has to choose a theme. That'll drive every other choice they make, from the centerpieces to the wine goblets."

She thought she saw a smile pass over Ryan's face, but the fleeting expression was gone in a second. Not before it raised a tiny flicker of doubt, though. Did Ryan know more than he was letting on? No, she reassured herself, he couldn't. Not when he sat there staring with a clueless look on his face. She must've imagined that smile.

Returning to her lecture, she gave examples. "Say the couple settles on a nautical theme. Their table decor might include an elaborate display of miniature ships and oars, braided ropes and anchors. Or, for a ceremony on the veranda, they might go with something as simple as roses." She drummed her fingers on the desktop. "Okay, where were we? "

"I have no idea." Giving off the vibe of a bored teenager, Ryan crossed one ankle over the other.

She swallowed. The man was toying with her. Why else would he flaunt those long legs of his? Well, if he thought he was going to distract her, he needed to think again. "We were talking about why tomorrow will be such a busy day," she reminded him. "Once Brianna and Daniel have their theme, everything has to support and coordinate with it. But not too close, or things will end up all matchy-matchy." She nodded, agreeing with herself. "No one wants that."

"Let me see if I've got this right. You're saying pink on pink does not make a good color scheme." Ryan threaded his fingers and stretched.

"Right." He'd caught on quick. She gave him a quick nod of approval. "Next comes china. They'll want something that looks nice when paired with the linens. That's when it starts to get tricky, because each choice limits what they can pick next."

Ryan's eyes narrowed. "I don't get it. Why is that?"

"Say the dinner plate they choose has a gold rim. They'll need to keep that in mind when they look at flatware. Silver clashes with gold unless …" She tapped her chin and waited .

"Unless they pick out silverware with a little gold trim?" Ryan asked.

"Exactly!" She let her smile widen. "Stemware—the same thing. If they chose delicate plates and cups, they'll need to look for something similar in glassware." She slid off her desk. Crossing the room, she headed straight for the spot where she kept a sample box. The cardboard flaps creaked open. Packing paper rustled as she dug for the pieces she wanted. She wrapped her hand around the stem of a chunky glass and held it aloft. "You wouldn't pair this glass with …" She pulled out a piece of bone china. The fragile plate was so fine, it was practically translucent. "With this," she finished.

"Got it." Showing far more interest than she'd expected, Ryan nodded.

"All of which explains why tomorrow will be such a long day. There's a lot to consider, a ton of decisions to make. I haven't worked with Eat, Drink and Be Married before." The Cottage had its own linens and china. For specialty items, they turned to a prescribed list of vendors, and Be Married wasn't on it. Her brow furrowed. Had Ryan even lined up his suppliers yet? She made a note to circle back and ask him. "I imagine the owners will have stacks of idea books for Brianna and Daniel to look through. It could take hours before they decide on a theme. Let alone all the stuff that comes after."

"We can skip that part," Ryan said, his expression turning as self-satisfied as a cat who'd just eaten the canary. "Daniel and Brianna want a military wedding."

"As in everything red, white, and blue?" She tried to picture the couple standing beneath an arbor draped in patriotic bunting. Her breath stalled. She couldn't breathe again until Ryan shook his head.

"That's where I went, too. But no. I asked Daniel about it. He said he was thinking more about all the gold buttons and insignia on the Marine uniform. Gold, with touches of red. He'll wear his uniform instead of a tux. The same for his groomsmen."

"That could work. It'd definitely make for a beautiful wedding." An unsettling uncertainty stirred in her chest. She tilted her head. "Does Brianna know about this?"

"From what Daniel said, it was her idea."

That decided it. If the couple had chosen their theme together, who was she to argue? She'd been right about one thing. Ryan had been keeping a secret. She slanted a look at him. Did he know how important this was? How many people needed this information? "Who else knows this will be a military wedding? Did you mention it to Alicia or Jenny?"

Ryan's sheepish grin made her heart quiver. "Never even thought of it."

"When we finish up here, we'd better make some phone calls if we want to give this couple a perfect wedding." She paused when a new thought occurred to her. Ryan had known about the theme all along, but he'd let her spend the last fifteen minutes giving him a lesson on weddings. A lesson he obviously hadn't needed. She pursed her lips. "If you knew about the theme and everything else, why'd you let me ramble on for so long?"

Ryan shrugged. "I must like listening to you talk, I guess."

She stared at him. Had his ears actually turned pink? She blinked and looked again. Yep. Like they had whenever he'd gotten flustered as a kid, his ears had turned so red they practically glowed. Why was that? They were just two friends, having a discussion. He shouldn't be embarrassed. Unless …

She picked at a loose thread on the hem of her shirt.

Unless he liked her .

A shiver that had nothing to do with the temperature in the room worked its way from her shoulders to her feet. Did Ryan's feelings for her go beyond friendship? The concept was so new, so foreign, she stilled. Her mind whirred with a whole world of possibilities she'd never allowed herself to consider.

"Evelyn. Earth to Evelyn. You okay over there?" Ryan began to rise from his chair.

Marshaling her thoughts, she waved him back into his seat. "What'd you say?"

"I said, I still don't understand how we're going to make sure Brianna and Daniel don't cancel their wedding."

She might not know whether Ryan liked her as, well, more than a friend, but she had a plan. A good one. "We'll double-team them," she announced, her voice firm and decisive. "Starting tomorrow, we'll go with them to every store that's participating in Wedding-in-a-Week. We'll sit beside them during the tastings at I Do Cakes and Food Fit For A Queen. We'll ooh and aah over the floral arrangements at Forget Me Knot." When Ryan rolled his eyes at the last one, she conceded the point. "Okay, you don't have to gush about the flowers. But the rest of it, definitely. While we're at it, we'll remind them why they're perfect for one another and why they'll never find another love as true as the one they've found in each other. "

"She's the yin to his yang," he put in. "Where he's weak, she's his strength. Vice-versa and etcetera." He waited a beat. "You think it'll work?"

"It has to. Otherwise, things like venues and who pays for dinner at Bow Tie Pasta won't matter, 'cause without our help, Daniel and Brianna will make the biggest mistake of their lives." She wagged her finger back and forth between them. "And guess who everybody's gonna blame."

"Whoa!" Ryan threw up his hands. "Neither of us wants that." For a long minute, he sat quietly. At last, a sly smile formed on his lips. "You know, there is an upside to all this."

Evelyn cocked her head. "What?"

"It'll give us a chance to get to know one another better."

Her heart caught. She'd been right earlier. There was something going on between them. She swallowed. "I'm afraid we'll have to work pretty close together if we're going to save this wedding."

"Good." Ryan stood. "We were friends for a long time. Then we just …"

"Drifted apart?" she finished. Why that had happened was one of life's little mysteries.

"Yeah, that. So, friends again? "

"Sure." She let out a long, slow breath. Friends. He wanted to be friends. She should've known she was wasting her time hoping for something more. Despite the disappointment that pricked her chest, she squared her shoulders. Heart's Landing was counting on them. They had a job to do, a wedding to keep on track. If that meant she had to spend the next five days working with Ryan, so be it.

She'd just have to keep her guard up. She'd constantly remind herself he wanted to be friends—and nothing more. Otherwise, by the time Brianna walked down the aisle, she'd be in for a world of heartbreak.