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I ve loved you from the moment I laid eyes on you, Rose. I loved you when I kissed you back
at the bar all those months ago. I ve loved you through every wedding we ve worked on. I love you
now, right this very second. And I always will.
In all the years they d worked together, he d never seen her cry. But now, tears rained down her
cheeks in miniature rivulets that didn t look like they were going to stop anytime soon.
He finally pulled her to him, holding her tightly against him while she cried. He couldn t leave
her standing there crying and not comfort her. He simply couldn t.
Not even when she didn t say I love you in return.
Chapter Fifteen
The next morning, Rose found Vanessa McIntyre standing in the middle of the chalet s main
room.
Ah, there you are Rose, Vanessa said. Anne here was just telling me, in great detail, about
some of the weddings you ve put on. It was She paused as if searching for just the right word.
fascinating.
I knew you d love it. Anne smiled as she said that, and Rose couldn t make up her mind
whether her friend was very gently making fun of Donovan s mother or not. Well, there are one or
two things with the dress I need to sort out. It was lovely meeting you again, Vanessa.
Vanessa managed to get a hand out between them, which was usually the best defense for
people who knew how much Anne liked to hug. Anne looked at her hand for a second, glanced at
Rose, and then shook Vanessa s hand solemnly before wandering off.
She s very& unique.
She s my best friend.
Vanessa s expression verged briefly on disapproval. Yes.
After the horrible night Rose had had, not only sobbing in RJ s arms but continuing to cry long
after she d gotten home, taken a bath, and crawled under the covers, Rose simply didn t have the
energy to deal with Donovan s mother this morning.
Unfortunately, that hadn t stopped Vanessa from showing up unannounced.
I wasn t expecting to see you today, Rose said in as brisk a voice as she could manage given
how tired she was from tossing and turning all night as dreams of being in RJ s arms took over her
brain every time she closed her eyes. I m sure you must be very busy.
Vanessa gestured to the wedding preparations. Did you think that I wouldn t have the time to
see how my son s wedding was coming along?
Her son s wedding. Rose thought about reminding Vanessa that it was her wedding too. Instead,
she said, It s all going well so far. This structure, the one replacing the gazebo that had been too
precious for Vanessa to possibly approve of, will have flowers all over it.
The orchids we talked about before? Vanessa looked around at the setup and frowned.
Don t you think those will look a little fussy? Maybe some other flower would be better for the
occasion.
Rose very carefully didn t mention the mite that had been going around the local orchid
growers collections. You re right. We ll have to come up with something else. I ll get my florist on
it at once.
Good, Vanessa said, and for once there was a note of approval, as though the correct
responses to any problem were to, first, agree with her, and then find someone to whom to
immediately delegate the problem.
Did I tell you that Julie Delgado and Andrew Kyle are doing the catering for the reception?
Yes, you did, Vanessa said. Of course, there are those who say that Andrew s cooking isn t
quite what it was before he started with this new simplicity. Not that I m one of them, you
understand.
Rose nodded. She understood better and better with everything Vanessa said. So far in this
conversation, she d come very close to insulting two of Rose s friends and had tried to change the
wedding plans yet again.
Yet what could Rose do? Vanessa was Donovan s mother.
Oh, that reminds me, Vanessa added, like it was nothing. A great many of the guests on my
side have to be gluten-free. I m sure you ve already made arrangements for that, but I thought perhaps
I should mention it just in case you re not prepared. You might as well make sure the entire menu and
cake is gluten-free, just in case.
Rose didn t dare look at her own reflection in the window just in case she saw steam flying out
of her ears. She couldn t believe Vanessa hadn t mentioned her guest s gluten allergies long before
now. Julie and Andrew were going to kill Donovan s mother...that is if Rose didn t do it first.
Of course, Vanessa didn t seem to notice that anything was amiss as she announced, Well,
dear, let me know if you need help with anything. I m sure I can make some calls. But now, I must
leave for a coffee meeting with the board of the San Francisco Philharmonic. Two air kisses later,
one to both of Rose s cheeks, and she was wafting away on a cloud of Chanel No. 5.
As soon as she disappeared, Anne returned to her previous spot beside Rose. Is she gone?
Yes. Rose barely bit back a thank God.
In that case, I thought I should let you know that there s a tiny problem with the dress.
Rose felt every minute of the sleep she hadn t gotten the night before in how slowly her brain
could manage a response. What s the problem?
You see, Anne explained, I ve been using this wonderful thread I found at a little market for
the beading around the edge, but then it turned out that there wasn t quite enough, and the little stall I
bought it from isn t there anymore. So now I m going to have to unpick all the thread and redo that
section, because otherwise it won t look quite perfect, and it has to look perfect, right?
Right, Rose agreed, though she found herself wondering if there was anything else that could
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