With Erica’s party out of the way, I was able to focus on the event I really wanted to plan: Taylor’s reception. Having Blake back in town made the luau a lot easier to put together—not that he’d been super helpful, but he was good at taking directions. He made all the calls I asked him to make and even had a pretty good eye when it came to making decisions about decorations. All in all, we were spending a lot of time together. More than I wanted to, but it did give me plenty of opportunities to bring up Hailey.
I suspected he was into her because he always had a lot of questions when I brought her up. But my suspicions were confirmed one night when we were sampling different caterers for the party.
He’d been much quieter than usual, which, for Blake, meant only interrupting every third sentence or so. When I’d been able to finish an entire five sentences without any interjections from him, I couldn’t take it anymore.
“Are you okay?” I asked as we pulled up in front of our second caterer.
“Yeah, why?” He backed into the spot, executing a perfect parallel park without cheering or bragging about it afterward. Totally abnormal.
“You seem kind of down.” I pulled my wallet out of my purse and counted out coins for the meter.
“I’ll get it.” He pushed away the handful of quarters I offered him. “Keep your change.”
“I don’t want it.” I offered them to him again.
“Those machines always eat half of what you put in.” He pushed my hand away again but less playfully than before. “I’ll use a card.”
“Fine.” I stuck the coins back in my wallet, trying not to be offended by his brusqueness. “But only if you tell me why you’re ticked.”
He snorted and turned the car off. “Fine.” He wrapped his fingers around the door handle but didn’t pull it. “Maybe you can help me. There’s this girl who’s driving me crazy.”
“And it’s not me?” I figured it wasn’t, but maybe a little part of me hoped it was. I think that part is called the ego.
He laughed again and shook his head before pushing his door open. “You drive me crazy in a different kind of way than this girl.”
“Rude.” I climbed out of the car, relieved he didn’t have feelings for me, for Hailey’s sake. It would be too heartbreaking to have another guy she liked be into me instead. “I’m tempted to not even help you with your girl problem, but go ahead and tell me about her.” I hoped he was talking about Hailey. She might be less heartbroken if it was someone other than me, but she’d still be heartbroken.
“I don’t know how to prove to her I’m ready for a long-term commitment. She thinks I’m a big flirt.”
“Hmm.” I considered his problem as we walked toward the bakery. Actually, my problem. I had to figure out who he meant. He didn’t know very many local girls, so if she was a local, it could be Hailey. But he’d also traveled home. Maybe his trip hadn’t been just about seeing his mom. “That’s a tough one. Did she tell you that’s what she thinks of you?”
He shook his head. “Not in so many words. She’s sort of kept her distance since I got back. Like when we went surfing. I was out of my mind when I saw her there, but after everything I did for her, she barely thanked me. She couldn’t get away from me fast enough.”
There was the clue I’d been looking for. It had to be Hailey. Who else could it be? Jami and I were the only other girls there, but he hadn’t rescued us. “I don’t think she was anxious to get away from you. I think all the excitement probably got to her, and it didn’t have anything to do with you.”
“I guess that could be it.” He opened the bakery door for me, and we walked in. The smell of yeast and cinnamon filled the air, and my stomach growled even though I’d already eaten a slice of pineapple cake at the last place. “But what do I do now? I’ve got to prove to her I’m solid; I’m not going anywhere. She’s hasn’t had enough of that in her life.”
“You have to do something big,” I said, getting more excited the more he spoke. “Some grand gesture to show her your feelings. Something she’s never seen you do for anyone else.” I may have completely miscalculated Elton being perfect for Hailey, but I was right about Blake.
“You’re right! And I think I know what it is.” A smile crept across his face. “It’s going to be so perfect!”
“What?”
“It’s a secret. You’ll find out soon.”
The girl at the counter waved and asked how she could help us. There wasn’t time to press Blake for details before he reached across the counter to shake the baker’s hand and introduce us.
I’d have to wait a week to find out what he was planning for Hailey, but in the meantime I could get her prepared. Surprises were great, as long as the surprisee had some idea it was coming. Hailey would need a little time to practice her happy-surprised face so the pictures I’d be telling the photographer to take would turn out perfect.
My excitement over telling Hailey to be prepared for a surprise waned somewhat when I walked into the shop to find the huge mess on my worktable I’d asked her to clean up still there while she sat on the couch sending Snaps while Xander slept.
“Did it get busy while I was gone?” I asked as I picked up the trash can and brushed cut stems, leaves, and ribbons into it.
“Not really,” she said before striking a pose. The click of the camera grated on my ears. I picked up the two pairs of clippers and dropped them into the plastic bin where they belonged, preferring the sound of metal hitting plastic to the shutter-flashing sound coming from Hailey’s phone.
“Oh, sorry.” She stood and tucked her phone into her back pocket. “I was about to clean that up. I just needed a quick break after Xander fell asleep.”
“Yeah, I get it . . .” I didn’t really, but I didn’t know how else to respond. I wanted to treat her more like a friend than a project, but she was also my employee. I wouldn’t be doing her any favors if I didn’t expect her to act like the responsible worker I needed her to be.
I took a deep breath and said what had to be said. “When I ask you to do something, I really need you to follow through. We’ve got a lot of orders to get out, and things will only get busier the closer we get to Valentine’s Day. You’ve got to stay on top of things so we don’t get behind.”
“I’m really sorry.” She shrank into her shoulders. “I promise I’ll do better.”
“I know you will.” I hoped so anyway. The longer she worked for me, the less likely it seemed she would.
When she grabbed a broom without being asked and started sweeping, I decided to let go of my irritation with her.
“Hey, I’ve got some good news for you.” I smiled wide.
“What is it?” She stopped pushing the broom and returned my grin.
I put a vase away and grabbed a rag to wipe down the table, letting her excitement build until she tapped the broom on the floor demanding I tell her.
“Someone has a surprise planned for you,” I sang.
“Who? What kind of surprise? When?” She threw questions at me faster than Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth went through engagements.
I ran the cloth over the table. “I can’t tell you who or what, but I’ll give you a hint about when.” I wanted her to be prepared, but I didn’t want to ruin the surprise altogether. “Soon.”
She peppered me with more questions for the rest of the week until I wished I’d never said anything to her, especially because her anticipation turned into one more distraction at work for her. That’s the last thing I needed when I had a party and a wedding to finish planning on top of all the orders I was getting.
Still, her excitement added a layer of eagerness for me. As much as I didn’t like the fact that Taylor rarely had time to spend with me that wasn’t devoted to planning her wedding, I was looking forward to her pre-wedding reception.
When the actual day arrived, there was no way I could have known the party would be the disaster it became. The venue was perfect—not too fancy but not too casual either. Taylor loved the luau theme but still wanted good food and dancing. And nobody barefoot. That was important to her. Hawaiian shirts were fine, but bare feet were not.
We’d rented a room that overlooked the ocean and had an outdoor patio with fire pits. The fires kept us warm enough to enjoy the sunset—a perfect combination of reds and yellows that matched Taylor’s wedding colors—but the night was cool enough to keep people inside where the music and dancing were happening. Perfect.
I’d even convinced Daddy to go. He never would have agreed if Taylor weren’t my oldest friend, but since she was he forced himself to go, as long as I promised not to make him stay long. Since I had to be there early, Parker brought him, which also made things easier for Daddy.
Once they arrived and I had all the party details under control, I went through the poke bowl buffet line then scanned the room to find where they were sitting. I spotted them at a table across the room but not far from the dance floor. For some reason, seeing Parker help Daddy into his seat reminded me of the last wedding we’d been at together: my sister’s. I remembered how he’d held me tight and danced with me when all I’d wanted to do was cry.
As happy as I was for Taylor, I was going to need a dance with Parker, just like I’d needed one at Caroline’s wedding. His seat next to the dance floor plus the fact that the DJ wasn’t going light on the slow songs made for a perfect setup. I’d be sitting right by Parker when the next slow song came on.
I made my way across the room and set my bowl in the spot next to Parker. “Is this seat taken?” I assumed it wasn’t and was nearly in it before he answered.
“I’m supposed to save it for Hailey,” he said with a sheepish look and a glance behind me. I followed his eyes over my shoulder to see Hailey standing there.
“Thanks, Parker!”
I’m sure she didn’t mean to be rude as she nudged me out of the way to get to the seat—her seat. It felt a little rude though. Maybe even a lot rude. Especially when she scooted my bowl out of the way without a word.
Daddy sat on the other side of Parker, which meant I couldn’t. I opted for the next best option and took the seat to Daddy’s other side.
Before I’d even pulled out the chair, Hailey had monopolized the conversation, telling Parker all about her latest math quiz. This one hadn’t gone as well as her big test, and she was convinced it was the teacher’s fault.
“I don’t understand what he’s saying,” she said. “How can I when he barely speaks English?”
I cringed, but Parker nodded politely. It was then I saw Blake wandering around with his food, and I realized I had the perfect place for him to sit. I stood and waved him over to our table.
“There’s a seat next to Hailey,” I told him when he was close enough to hear me over the music.
He looked down at Hailey then back at me. “How about the one next to you? Is that taken?”
I frowned—hopefully not noticeably. My plan had been for him to distract Hailey so I could talk to Parker, but I couldn’t tell him no without it being awkward.
“Sure.” I plopped back down and pushed my food away. I needed cake, not fish.
To make matters worse, Blake waved the Bateses and Jami over when he saw them looking for a seat. There had been no way not to invite them after Taylor had announced her engagement while Nancy and Martha were at our house. I’d tried to find a way, but Blake had pointed out that since Jami was friends with all of us, she should be invited, which meant her aunt and grandma had to be invited too.
Nancy took a seat right next to Blake and immediately leaned over him to talk to me.
“Everything is beautiful. Just beautiful.” She stopped talking long enough to take a breath and press her hands to her heart. “I’ve never had a poke bowl. Is that how you say it? Poke. Like you would with a stick?” She made jabbing motions with her chopsticks.
“Pok-ay,” I said, but she kept talking, uninterested in the answer to her question.
“I usually don’t eat fish, but I’m trying it today—”
“Here.” Blake interrupted her and stood. “Trade me seats so you won’t have to talk around me.” He picked up his bowl then slid Nancy’s into its place. She had no excuse not to move then, so after thanking him four hundred and thirty-four times, she sat down next to me, he sat next to Jami, and my night went from bad to worse.
By that point I figured nothing else could go wrong. I was wrong. So wrong. Because as Nancy sat down, she caught a glimpse of two more people looking for a place to sit. She waved them over before I could stop her. She didn’t know Elton and Erica; it was just my bad luck they happened to be the last two people who didn’t have somewhere to sit. I hadn’t wanted to invite them either, but Weston did all of Elton’s marketing, so I didn’t really have a choice.
“Oh no,” I moaned. I didn’t mean for anyone else to hear it, but Parker’s smug grin and laughing eyes told me one other person had at least seen me mouth it.
The couple sat down across from me and said their hellos to everyone. Somehow Erica’s didn’t make it to me. I was okay with that.
“Isn’t this an interesting choice of food?” she asked, stabbing at the food with her chopsticks. “I hope the crab is real. I suspect it’s crab with a K.”
“It’s not.” I forced a polite smile. “It’s real.” Poke bowls were Taylor’s favorite, and it had been my suggestion to serve them since they were a Hawaiian dish. It hadn’t been cheap, but since I’d helped plan the food, I made sure to cover what she couldn’t without her knowing. But somehow Erica seemed to know and wanted to criticize me for it. Or I was being paranoid.
Except then she had something to say about the flowers. “What an interesting way to decorate the table,” she said, picking at the mini pineapple sticking out of the arrangement of blooming artichokes, roses, and carnations, which rested on an areca palm frond.
“Thank you.” I was proud of the clever way I’d mixed together a variety of plants from Hawaii. Judging by the way she’d wrinkled her nose when she said “interesting,” we had differing opinions about my design.
“I’m sure Taylor loved it,” she shot back.
“She did,” I said, smiling through gritted teeth.
“I love them!” Hailey exclaimed. “I want to do the same thing for my wedding.” She paused and glanced at Parker. “If I ever get married, that is.”
I was about to answer Hailey when someone tapped my shoulder. I looked over to see Blake leaning toward me behind Nancy’s chair.
“I’m going to do it!” he loud-whispered.
“Do what?”
“My big gesture. For Jami.”
The music and Nancy’s chattering kept the words from reaching me before Blake stood. Then they sucker punched me twice. First as I realized the big gesture I’d encouraged him to do was happening on Taylor’s big day. The second one landed as I realized his gesture was for Jami, not Hailey.
And by that time Blake was already halfway to the mic.