The Chesapeake Diaries Series (122 page)

“Too cute,” she murmured.

She took half a dozen shots with her digital camera, grabbed a sweater and the tray, and set out for Vanessa Keaton’s house on Cherry Street. Brooke was the last of the party-planning group to arrive, and she sailed into Vanessa’s kitchen and placed the tray on the counter.

“So, what do you think?” Brooke’s friends gathered like staring vultures and peered over her shoulder.

“Oh, dear Lord.” Vanessa crossed both hands over the center of her chest. “Are they real? They’re too pretty to be real.”

“Gorgeous.” Steffie Wyler leaned closer. “They look like flowers. Perfect little flowers.” She looked up at Brooke. “How could anyone eat one of those pretty little things?”

“Like this.” Dallas MacGregor, Brooke’s closest friend and Steffie’s soon-to-be sister-in-law, scooped up a cupcake that looked like a pale pink rose and took a bite. “I happen to know from experience that these little numbers are perfection.”

“Keep scarfing them down and we’ll be ordering your wedding dress two sizes up,” Stef warned.

Dallas licked frosting from the corner of her mouth. “Then there’d be more of me for your brother to love.”

Steffie rolled her eyes.

“Stef’s right.” Brooke nodded. “I don’t want to be known as the woman who ruined Dallas MacGregor’s film career by pushing an extra thirty pounds onto her previously flawless body.”

“I have no immediate plans to return to the big screen. For the time being, I’m happier behind the
scenes.” Dallas took another bite and smiled. “This is heaven.”

Vanessa studied the array of goodies, then reached for the yellow rose cupcake, muttering, “No willpower. None at all.”

“Dallas, how’s your new screenplay coming along?” Brooke asked, knowing that Dallas was dying to talk about her new project.

“It’s finished. Finished and fabulous, if I do say so myself. I can’t wait until we complete the casting and start shooting the film.”

As teenagers, Dallas and Brooke had been rivals for Grant Wyler’s affection. On her way to becoming a big screen star, Dallas had left St. Dennis and Grant behind. But since she’d moved to St. Dennis following a divorce, Hollywood style, Dallas and Grant had fallen in love all over again, and she and Brooke had become best friends in spite of their history.

“I think it’s so cool that you’re building a studio right here in St. Dennis.” Vanessa peeled the paper from her cupcake.

Dallas shrugged. “Those old warehouses were just sitting there, waiting for someone to come up with a good use for them. I was lucky to buy them before someone else did. The renovation work is coming along quite nicely, by the way. The contractors have promised that everything will be finished by spring.”

“Grant said some Hollywood types would be in town next week to look over your progress.” Steffie looked from Dallas to Vanessa, who were obviously enjoying their treats. “I can’t be the only holdout here. It would be wrong.”

She glanced up at Brooke as she lifted her choice, chocolate with ganache rosettes. “But I do think you should pick up the tab for the alterations on the dress I was planning on wearing to the party.”

“Brooke did not force you to commit …” Vanessa paused and appeared to ponder. “Now, would overindulging in cupcakes be considered gluttony or lust?”

“Both,” Brooke told her.

“In for a dime, in for a dollar.” Dallas grinned and surveyed the remaining cupcakes as if debating with herself. “I really shouldn’t have a second.”

“No, you shouldn’t,” Steffie replied. “A moment on the lips, forever on the hips.”

Dallas backed away from the tray and sat on one of the stools that were lined up in front of the counter.

“I think it’s nerves. There’s so much going on right now that some days I don’t know what to do first,” she confessed. “It’s the wedding and starting my business—just trying to decide who to invite to the one and who to hire for the other is making me crazy.”

“Understandable.” Brooke nodded. “But the answer isn’t in food.”

“Where is it?” Dallas asked.

“We could have consulted the Ouija board,” Stef told her, “but Ness gave hers to Grace Sinclair. Maybe I should buy one. I wonder if it would work as well …”

“Yoga.” Brooke ignored Steffie. “It’s amazing how calming it is.”

“I’ve done yoga for years and I’m still running on fumes right now,” Dallas told her.

“In that case, I’d go for the cupcake,” Stef told her. “But I do highly recommend yoga.”

“You’re having the wedding at the inn and they have a wedding planner, right?” Brooke said, referring to the Inn at Sinclair’s Point, St. Dennis’s renowned historic inn where more and more weddings were being booked. “Don’t they take care of everything? Shouldn’t their wedding planner be worrying about all the stuff that’s making you crazy?”

“One would think. But apparently the new person isn’t accustomed to an event on the scale Grant and I are having,” Dallas replied.

“I thought you were going low-key. Small wedding party, not a lot of fuss,” Brooke noted.

“That was before we started making up the guest list and found we weren’t able to leave anyone out. We are still sticking to just the few attendants,” Dallas told her. “The three of you plus one old friend for me, Wade, Beck, and Cameron for Grant. And of course, my soon-to-be stepdaughter, Paige, will be my junior bridesmaid and Cody will be a junior usher.”

“Did you make a decision on who will walk with you down the aisle, Dallas?” Vanessa asked.

“Wade is the only person I want to make that walk with.”

“Will your mother be there?” Stef asked, knowing that Dallas and Wade’s mother hadn’t been a big part of their lives for a long time.

Dallas shrugged but made no comment.

“You should talk to Grace.” Brooke was still thinking about the logistics of the actual wedding and the reception. “You know that her daughter, Lucy, is an
event planner in California, right? Maybe some of your Hollywood friends have even used her. I heard she’s really popular.”

“If she’s really good, she’ll be busy out there,” Dallas said. “Grace did say she’s been trying to get Lucy to come back to St. Dennis and take over the wedding part of the business, but Lucy isn’t interested.”

“Lucy and my brother, Clay, went all through school together,” Brooke recalled. “They used to be good friends, but I don’t think they keep in touch anymore.”

“Well, it would be nice if the inn had someone who didn’t seem to be overwhelmed every time I called her.” Dallas took the stool next to Brooke. “Madeline seems to be in a perpetual state of confusion.”

“So have you and Wade set a date yet?” Brooke turned to Steffie. “Or will you be saving that bit of info to make an announcement at your engagement party?”

Steffie shook her head. “We can’t decide on a date.”

“What’s the problem?” Dallas asked.

“We just have different ideas, that’s all,” Steffie explained.

“Like what?” Dallas persisted.

“Like just stuff.”

“Talk, Stephanie.”

“I can’t.” Steffie shook her head.

“Why not?”

“Because she doesn’t want to upset you, that’s why,” Vanessa chimed in.

Dallas glanced from Vanessa to Steffie. “One of you will have to tell me.”

“Steffie always wanted a winter wedding.” Vanessa
blurted it out. “But since you’re getting married in December, she feels like she can’t.”

“Ness.” Stef turned to her friend. “Shut. Up.”

“I don’t understand.” Dallas frowned.

“It’s all about asking people to make the trip twice, you know, one wedding right after the other …” Stef began to fidget. She turned to Vanessa. “Did someone say there would be wine?”

Vanessa took a bottle of Chardonnay from the refrigerator. “Who besides Stef?” she asked.

Brooke and Dallas both raised their hands.

“If you always dreamed of a winter wedding, you should have a winter wedding,” Dallas told her. “Grant and I can wait till spring.”

“No. You have dibs,” Stef protested. “You got engaged first. And you already reserved the date at the inn.”

“So you and Wade take the date,” Dallas offered.

Steffie shook her head. “All along you’ve been saying that you wanted the wedding behind you before spring because you’re going to be tied up with your movie.”

“Well, that part is true, but—”

“I have the solution.” Brooke pinged a fingertip against the side of her wineglass to get their attention. “You both get married in December at the inn. On the same day.”

“What?” Steffie frowned.

“Wow, that could be very cool,” Vanessa said. “If, of course, you’d both be all right with that.”

“Interesting idea.” Dallas considered. “We’d be inviting a lot of the same people, so they would only
have to make the trip once. We could reserve the inn for the entire day, and—”

“Your wedding is going to be much bigger than ours. We’re small town. You’re Hollywood.”

“Hollywood
and
small town,” Dallas reminded her. “I like to think we’re both.”

“Your Hollywood friends won’t care a fig about seeing Wade and me married,” Stef continued.

“Why don’t you have one ceremony in the afternoon, and the other in the evening?” Brooke suggested. “Cocktail hour in between ceremonies. Big blowout reception after the second one.”

“We’ve already decided that what we really want is a big party. After all, this is the second wedding for both Grant and me,” Dallas reminded them. “But having both on the same day could be fun. What do you think, Stef?”

“I think you’re all bat-shit crazy if you think I’m going to set myself up to be compared to Dallas MacGregor on my wedding day.”

“What are you talking about?” Dallas frowned.

“You’re going to be the most beautiful bride that ever was.” Stef replied. “I’m—”

“You’re the woman my brother fell in love with,” Dallas told her gently, “and you will be a drop-dead, stunningly magnificent bride.”

Steffie sniffed and Vanessa went for the tissues.

“That’s so nice of you to say, but …” Steffie held out a hand and Vanessa handed her a tissue.

“No
buts
. Let’s look at the bottom line. You’re right to consider that some members of your family will have to travel a distance to get here. I know I’ll need to talk to Grant—and of course you’ll discuss it
with Wade—but as far as I’m concerned, I would love to share my wedding day with you and Wade. It’s up to you, of course, but that’s my two cents.”

“It could be really fun, Stef. A big family affair. Brother and sister marrying brother and sister.” Vanessa refilled everyone’s wineglass. “Why don’t you think it over and talk to Wade?”

“I haven’t even started looking for a dress,” Steffie reminded them.

“We’ll go to Annapolis tomorrow,” Dallas told her. “And if they can’t accommodate you there, we’ll go to New York. We will find the dress of your dreams and it will be ready by December.”

“This will really throw Madeline for a loop. If she’s having trouble with just one wedding for that date, how do you think she’ll handle two?” Brooke glanced from friend to friend.

“Probably not very well,” Dallas conceded.

“Which means we have to work on Grace to get Lucy back here, even if it’s just for your wedding.” Brooke thought it over for a moment. “Maybe you need to remind Grace that this is Dallas MacGregor. This wedding will draw a lot of attention to the inn. It could be great publicity for them, especially since they’re actively trying to build up their reputation as a wedding destination.”

“Grace isn’t the problem, it’s Lucy. She’s the one who hasn’t wanted to come back here,” Vanessa reminded them. “But someone should point out to Grace that if they are trying to establish the Inn at Sinclair’s Point as the go-to place on the Eastern Shore, they need to hire someone who can handle anything that’s being thrown at them. Madeline’s a
sweet girl, but she doesn’t seem to have much confidence in herself.”

“I have the feeling she doesn’t have a lot of experience,” Dallas added. “I wonder why Grace hired her.”

“It wasn’t Grace,” Brooke told her, “it was Daniel. He knew he was in over his head when he realized the number of weddings he had booked and he knows he doesn’t have the temperament or the background to handle anything but small weddings. He mentioned once that he doesn’t even really like doing those. Said he’s an innkeeper, not an event planner, doesn’t like dealing with all the little details, which is why he put the ad out for a professional. Madeline was the first person to respond to the ad and I think she caught him at a moment when he was feeling overwhelmed and desperate.”

“You’re right, of course. I’ll talk to Grace,” Dallas said. “I’ll tell her that things are going to get much more complicated with two weddings back-to-back. She won’t have a choice but to talk to Daniel. And with luck, between the two of them, they can convince Lucy to come back, even if it’s only for us for that one day. For Lucy to stay in business for any length of time out in L.A., she has to be good, and she has to have experience with long guest lists and big affairs.”

“Maybe Daniel will have more luck with his sister than his mother did,” Brooke noted.

“One can hope.” Vanessa pulled up a stool and sat. “Now, to get back to the business at hand, that being the party we’re supposed to be planning. Though we all know this ‘meeting’ was merely an excuse for the
four of us to get together, drink wine, and eat delicious cupcakes.”

“The cupcakes will be ready for Saturday,” Brooke told them. “Assuming, of course, that you like what you sampled, Stef.”

“I feel I can’t really make a decision without trying one of each.” Stef smiled. “Or at the very least, one of the fruity ones. Perhaps the lemon. Or maybe the strawberry …”

“I can attest to the fabulosity of the lemon,” Vanessa said.

“The strawberry is equally fabulous,” Dallas assured her.

“But of course, if you feel you must …” Brooke moved the tray of cupcakes closer to Stef.

“I had one. I’ll resist the temptation to have another.” Steffie sighed. “But, Brooke, I think you should be selling these in my shop. What’s more wonderful together than ice cream and cake?”

“Well, I admit, I had thought of asking you about that,” Brooke replied.