The Truth About Ever After (2 page)

“She
don’t look too happy,” Danny muttered.

“Doesn’t,”
Ginny corrected.

I
took a deep breath, trying to pull myself together, before I looked back up at
the girls. “Sorry,” I said, my voice still shaky. “I got it out of my system.
I’ll be good from now on, I promise.”

Jen
smiled at me, which made me want to burst into tears all over again, but I
managed to keep it together.

“Where
did you find the troublemaker?” Ginny asked, giving Danny a stern look. He
grinned back at her unabashedly.

“He
was sneaking out of your room,” I told her. “He said Josh fell asleep with the
baby.”

Ginny
sighed. “Typical. You’d think he could manage them both for a couple hours when
my best friend is getting ready for her wedding.” She looked worriedly toward
the door. “I wonder if I should go check on them.”

“No
way,” I told her firmly. “They’re fine. I’ll stop by on my way out and bring
Danny with me. You girls are staying here. Enjoy your champagne! And the
fruit!” I gestured at the table filled with fresh fruit and mimosa, which I had
arranged to be brought up for the girls while they got ready.

“You’re
the best, Kiki,” Ginny said, smiling at me. “I haven’t even started to get
ready yet.”

“Don’t
even think about it,” I told her. “I’ve got everything under control.” I looked
down at my watch, a white gold Cartier on a delicate chain that my father had
given me for my twenty-first birthday. “Speaking of, I better get back. Just
wanted to make sure you girls were doing okay.”

“We’re
great,” Jen said. “Seriously, Kiki. Thank you for everything.”

I
grinned at her, feeling my eyes start to well up again, and was shocked to see
that Jen looked similarly choked up. She walked over to me and pulled me into a
tight hug. “Thank you so, so much,” she whispered.

“Oh,
Jen,” I said, squeezing my eyes tightly shut. “I love you.”

“Love
you, too,” she said, squeezing one more time before releasing me.

I
took a deep breath, trying to pretend I hadn’t seen Annie rolling her eyes.
“Okay, Danny, let’s get back to the room. You need to get dressed and we better
wake up Daddy before he misses the party.”

“But
I
wanna
stay!” Danny whined. “Daddy is boring. And
the stupid baby just cries all the time.”

“Daniel
McKensie
-Stanley,” Ginny said, her mom voice kicking
in. “Don’t you dare talk like that about your sister. Now do what Kiki says and
go back to the room.”

He
slowly climbed off Annie’s lap and made his way toward me, his head hanging
low, no doubt hoping one of his aunts would take pity on his wretchedness. When
no such luck came, he sighed loudly and took my hand.

“I’ll
be back in half an hour with the photographer,” I told the girls. “Have fun!”

“Thanks,
Kiki,” the three of them chorused.
 

As
I opened the door to the hallway, I looked back at the girls, feeling a little
pang at the sight of the three of them together. I knew that they all liked
me, that
Jen even loved me like a true friend, but it didn’t
stop me from feeling jealous sometimes of the relationship they had. They were
so close, like sisters. I’d never had that with any girl friends, not even my
best friend, Kara.

But now Jen will be your sister
, I told myself as I led Danny out into
the hallway.
Your own
real sister
.

Chapter Two

An
hour later, I finally let myself relax. The ceremony set-up was perfect,
exactly what Jen and I had planned. I looked out over the seats, now filled
with friends and family, and allowed myself a thrill of excitement. I had
actually done it.

When
Jen and Matt got engaged last Christmas Eve, I had been over the moon.
Matty
and I had been friends for ages, way back since he
had first transferred to my high school. He had been the one to introduce me to
his brother, Eric, when he had come to visit us both at school. Eric and I had
been living in the same dorm, completely oblivious to each other, until Matt
showed up for a visit and introduced us. The rest, as they say, is history.

I
knew he would be perfect for Jen the moment I saw them together. Matt is so
laid back, so
easygoing
and comfortable in his own skin.
Jen, on the other hand, is, well, a bit of a control freak. Don’t get me wrong,
I love her to death, but I knew as soon as we met that the girl needed a total
chill pill. Matt helped her relax and not take things so seriously. And anyone
could see they were crazy about each other.

Matt
had proposed on Christmas Eve last year. When he called Eric to give him the
news, I nearly gave my husband a concussion in my eagerness to get the phone.
Matt told me he had only just regained the hearing in his left ear from all my
screaming, but I know he was only teasing. Of course I was excited. I had
practically set the two of them up myself. And I knew right away that I was
going to get the chance to pay Jen back for the amazing wedding she had given
me. I was going to plan her perfect day for her if it killed me.

We
had our first wedding planning meeting at Annie and Nate’s annual New Year’s
Day party. I had wanted to get to work immediately after the proposal, but Jen
had demanded I wait at least a week. If it was up to me, we would have been
dress shopping on Christmas Day, but I tried to respect Jen’s
wishes—although that totally didn't stop me from running to the
twenty-four-hour gas station that same night to buy out their selection of
bridal magazines.

While
Eric, Matt, and Nate watched college football, and Josh pretended to be
interested in anything sports-related, the girls and I took over the kitchen
table. I spread out my magazines and looked at Jen expectantly.

“So,”
I said, unable to keep the tremble of excitement out of my voice. Since
starting the event-planning firm with Jen we’d had this conversation with
countless women. And now I got to do it with one of my best friends in the
world. “What do you see for your big day?”

“I
haven’t given it too much thought yet—” she began, but Annie cut her off.

“Nice
try, babe,” she said. “But we all know you’ve been planning this since you were
thirteen.”

Jen
flushed a little. “No, I haven’t.”

Annie
rolled her eyes. “Give me a break. You’re obsessed with weddings. Weddings are,
like, your favorite thing in life. Are you honestly telling me none of that has
spilled over into thoughts of your own day?”

Jen
held it together for about five seconds before a big grin broke out over her face.
“Fine,” she said, laughing. “You’ve got me. I know exactly what I want.”

I
clapped my hands together happily. “Tell me, tell me!”

“Kiki,”
Matt called from the living room. “Indoor voice please.”

I
made a face in his direction. Like I had been that loud. “So, what are you
thinking?” I asked, my voice admittedly quieter.

“I
want a destination wedding,” Jen said, her face alight. “I’m not sure where
exactly, and price is definitely a consideration, but I’m thinking I want to
get married on the beach.”

I
squealed loudly, ignoring Matt’s groan from the living room. “This is going to
be amazing!”

“I
want to keep it small,” Jen went on. “Just close friends and family. I know
it’s a lot to ask people to spend money on a trip just to go to my wedding.”

I
waved my hand dismissively. “We have tons of contacts,” I told her. “We’ll get
good deals and group rates. We might even be able to use Daddy’s jet to get
everyone down there, depending on the size of the guest list. We’ll keep it
budget-friendly, I promise.”

“Whose
budget?” Annie said under her breath. I looked at her and struggled not to
sigh. Annie had this thing about money, which I never understood. Any time I
offered to pay for anything, she got
all anxious
. It
just didn’t make sense to me. I knew I was so lucky to not have to worry about
money, what with my daddy’s business and everything. Why couldn’t I share it
with friends without it turning awkward?

“Jen’s
budget,” I said firmly. I turned my attention back to the bride.
“So, a beach wedding.
I’m assuming you mean a warm weather
beach, right? Not like, a Lake Michigan beach?”

“No,
definitely warm weather,” Jen said. “Palm trees, tropical breezes, all that.”

“Good,”
I said, grabbing the nearest magazine and flipping through it. “I think this
has a special destination section somewhere…Yup, here it is.”

I
pushed the magazine over to Jen and she glanced through it. “Wow,” she said,
her voice low. “Fiji. Man, this looks great.” She looked up at me. “But way
over the top. There’s no way I’m asking people to fly to Fiji. I’m thinking
more like Florida, or something.”

I
tried to keep the frown off my face. Florida was great and all, but when Jen
said destination I assumed she wanted something more exotic. I considered my
words carefully. “
Jen, if you could pick any destination in
the world for this wedding, what would it be?”

She
thought for a moment. “I guess…hmm. I guess I always pictured something
Caribbean.”

“That’s
totally doable,” I said, feeling my excitement return. “The Bahamas are just
off the coast of Florida, you know. It’s not a far trip at all.”
And Daddy’s partner has the most perfect
resort there
, I thought to myself, knowing better than to mention this to
Annie or Ginny yet.

Jen
continued, “When I picture it I get this kind of colonial feel, you know?”

“Colonial?”
Ginny asked, making a face. “Like, Williamsburg or something? Jen, I love you,
but I am not wearing a white wig at your wedding.”

Jen
laughed. “That’s not what I meant,” she started, but I gasped.

“Oh,
my God, I know exactly what you’re talking about!” I started flipping through
the magazines frantically. I had seen something, just the other
day, that
I thought…

“Here,”
I said, opening the magazine wide and laying it in the center of the table so
everyone could see. “This.”

The
girls peered at the open page, and I saw a grin break out over Jen’s face. I
felt a rush of pleasure; I had gotten it right.

“
‘British colonial style,’ ” Ginny read. “ ‘The melding of the stately British
empire with the ease and brightness of the Caribbean islands.’ Hmm. Looks
classy.”

“Dark
wood, cream linens, bright pops of color with flowers…” I murmured, closing my
eyes. I could picture it, down to the last detail. Jen and Matt standing under
a mahogany pergola draped in greenery and orange flowers, dark teak lawn chairs
fitted with cream linen covers, the turquoise blue water inviting behind them.
“Jen in something soft and
floaty
, her hair loose and
wavy. Nothing loud or tacky—we’re not talking
Margaritaville
here. I’m thinking, like,
Pirates of the
Caribbean
, but without the pirates.”

“Oh,
my God,” Annie muttered. I opened my eyes and looked around at the girls. They
were all watching me, Jen with a broad grin, Annie and Ginny looking amused.
“The two of you are perfect for each other, you know?” Annie continued, pointing
at Jen and me. “You sound exactly like her.”

I
grinned back at Jen, feeling proud to be compared to her. I always thought of
Jen as being so sophisticated, so classy. I, on the other hand, had a tendency
to be over the top, a trait Jen had christened “Getting Kiki.” “Don’t get too
Kiki with this,” she would warn me quietly when she could sense I was getting
out of hand. Maybe she was finally starting to rub off on me.

Now,
as I looked around at the ceremony site, I couldn't help but think I had actually
made it. This wedding was exactly as I had envisioned it all those months ago,
down to the very last detail. And I had a feeling it was going to be just as
Jen had seen it as well.

I
glanced down at my watch, and took a deep breath. It was time.

I
nodded over at Eric, waiting with his brother and their cousin, Jeff, behind
the last row of chairs. Eric grinned at me and patted Matt’s shoulder,
gesturing toward the aisle. As the three of them headed down the aisle, I
turned to the screened-off cabana the team had constructed. Pulling aside the
cream fabric hanging, I peeked inside. Jen was standing with her dad, who
looked like he was fighting back tears, while Annie fixed the flower in her
hair. Ginny was smoothing down baby Maggie’s dress and giving last-minute
instructions to Danny.

“You
guys ready?” I asked. “It’s just about time.”

Jen
looked up at me, and I could detect no trace of nervousness in her eyes. She
simply looked excited, and very, very happy. “I’m
so
ready,” she said, grinning, and I felt a lump form in my throat.

“All
right,” I said, determined to stay professional. I bent over to Danny. “You’re
on, little man. You ready to start the show?”