AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You still have this?” Jenna asked, her face lighting up with amusement.
Caitey bit her lips, embarrassed. Would Jenna make fun of her sentimentality?
“Of course,” she swiftly replied, trying to exude confidence. “A charm for every wedding I’ve planned and executed successfully.”
The pewter and gold-plated or glass charms were all couples dressed in their wedding finery. The grooms with a top hat, the brides with flowing gowns and veils. Her very first charm had come from the bride as a thank you gift for planning a successful—Caitey’s first ever—wedding.
The amount of work just about killed Caitey, but it was so gorgeous with no major problems, that she was proud ofher accomplishmentandthe beautiful little charm of the couple. The bride had even painted their faces and eye colors.
So far, the bracelet boasted ten little silver charms. Jenna’s and Logan Hearst’s wedding would be the eleventh she had executed over the previous few years since striking out and building her own business.
Jenna fingered each charm, smiling, and then lifted her eyes. “This is super cute.”
“Maybe it’s just superstitious, but I think—I hope—it brings me luck. So far, ten out of ten have been pretty darn good—and all ten couples are still married. I consider that a roaring success.”
“Indeed!” Jenna said with a small laugh. “It must have been the secret sauce in the cake.”
“Or the rum!” Caitey said, giggling. “A major coup d'état of revenge after getting fired from my old job.”
“Indeed! I love these silver bells you found. They’ll look great lining the patios, like we discussed. Perfect for a fall wedding,” Jenna said, digging into one of the boxes and pulling things out.
“Look at this ribbon. It matches the shade of silver and the mauves you wanted perfectly. I’ll string it between the stakes with the bells. Which makes a better and more elegant ‘rope’ line than regular old rope, of course.”
Jenna gave her a humorous smirk. “But not nearly as effective as actual rope where you can strangle the drunk guest makingpasses at the women.”
“Quite true!” Caitey retorted. “I ordered the flowers for the arch that you wanted, twenty black, comfy chairs for the guests, a rug for the aisle, hanging lamps, andlotsof tulle that I’ll decorate with roses and lilies.”
“When do we pick all the rest of it up?” Jenna asked.
“Tomorrow for sure, so we can get it all decorated. Except for the flowers, of course. We’ll pick those up first thing on the morning of the wedding.”
“I made sure Logan ordered my bouquet and boutonnieres for him, his dad, Marcus, and my father. I also told him to get one for Reginald, who will be our Master of Ceremonies, so to speak.”
“Perfect!” Caitey exclaimed. “Have you given him instructions yet?”
“He’ll usher all the guests to the ceremony outside, and then the wedding party into the drawing room afterward, and make sure everyone is seated properly. He told me—with a tiny, wry smile—that he would be honored. And I know he’ll be splendid.”
“He’s like every British butler you see in the movies.”
“I told you we’ve invited a few neighbors up here on the mountain, right?”
“Yes, you mentioned that.”
Jenna laughed at herself. “I confess my head is spinning. Maybe I should start making lists like you do! The Hearsts have a few close friends in Santa Barbara, another one of Logan’s old college roommates, and Marina and Wade, of course.”
“When do they arrive?”
“They’ll fly in that morning. Which is nice for them because they’ll gain two hours in time, and the ceremony isn’t until mid-afternoon. Marina still has a bit of morning sickness, so she’s worried about being tied to the bathroom and throwing up during the festivities. Her doctor prescribed anti-nausea pills, although she’s been using them sparingly.”
“Do they know if they’re having a boy or a girl?”
Jenna shook her head. “The two of them are old-fashioned and plan to be surprised. I’ll bet the nursery will have plenty of antiques.”
Caitey smothered a laugh and shook her head. “Too perfect. A wooden rocking horse, porcelain dolls, an antique crib, and furniture. I love it.”
They opened the rest of the boxes of decorations and snowy white tablecloths, plus the crystal-cut centerpiece bowls they would fill with orchids and lilies.
“I’ll ask Maggie to iron these tablecloths,” Jenna said as a bell rang from the entrance hall. “Wow, it’s already time for dinner. Don’t show me anything else, Caitey. I want to be surprised.”
