Marry Me (22 page)

After spending a few nights tossing and turning because of images of Seth and Amy cuddling in front of a fire dancing through her brain, Julia needed a distraction. Any distraction. Since weddings were the only thing in her life, one of those would have to do. Two weddings answered the need even better.

Yeah, some demented soul had gone and scheduled two weddings in one day. The knowledge that she had the power to screw up
two
couples' nuptials served to wipe all thoughts of pesky romantic entanglements from Julia's mind.

Compounding the anxiety for the day was the fact that she'd managed to lose both folders containing the information on the weddings. No more little diagrams with the squares and circles and the little yellow triangles. So, she was literally flying blind in a hailstorm.

Couple #1. Robin Sutcliff and Joe Bremmer. About the only thing Julia remembered from the missing file was the wedding was taking place out by Lake Rice. There was a picturesque pagoda on the north shore, a popular spot for weddings she'd been told.

The other fact lodged in her memory was that the ceremony started at eleven. Bleary-eyed from lack of sleep, Julia arrived at the lake as the sun began to peak over the horizon. Someone had beaten her to the venue, however. Amy was already standing in front of the pagoda directing the set up of chairs for the ceremony. Today, she'd exchanged her usual flowery dress with a decidedly feminine, but professional powder-blue suit.

“We need twelve rows, ten chairs across, five on each side of the aisle,” Amy said, directing the guy who'd delivered the chairs. “Don't forget, there should be exactly eighteen inches between each chair.”

Julia saluted with her free hand. “Good morning, General Vining.”

Amy spun around, her mouth forming a perfect “O” of surprise, like a five-year-old who'd gotten caught with her hand in the cookie jar.

“Are you going to take out a ruler and make sure they follow the 18-inch guidelines?” Julia asked.

Amy flushed and Julia had to admire how truly adorable General Dynamo looked doing it. On the rare occasions when Julia blushed, she got all mottled and blotchy like she'd developed some sort of communicable disease.

“I've done it again, haven't I?” Amy asked. “I got here, and no one was around. Then the workers arrived, and it seemed—”

“I'm not mad,” Julia said, holding up her hand to forestall the sputtering explanation.

Amy sighed in relief. “Oh, good.”

“Is Betsy here yet?”

A delicate, blond eyebrow arched. “She's at the second site, meeting the caterers. We talked about this on Thursday. Since we have so little time between the two weddings, we decided to send her over to get things started.”

Right. The clue helped jog her memory somewhat. “Of course, I'm so out of whack this morning. I somehow misplaced both files for the weddings today.”

“You lost the files?”

“I didn't
lose
them,” Julia said through clenched teeth. “I'm sure they're somewhere in the back office. It'll be fine, though. I'm pretty sure I can remember enough to get by.”

Amy patted Julia on the back. “You don't have to worry. I've got the plans.”

Don't maim the assistant.
“You have the files? Why didn't you say so?”

“I don't have them physically, but I read through them the other day,” Amy said. “I know what they said.”

“You know all the plans off the top of your head? Do you have a photographic memory or something?”

Amy flashed a no-irony-whatsoever smile and nodded. “Yes, so you rest easy. I'll take care of everything.”

“Of course you will,” Julia muttered, thinking she might have been better served to play hooky and go to a movie.

She's a robot, Julia thought. A cute, smart, perky, robot.

Amy beamed. “All you have to do is follow my lead, boss.”

True to her word, Amy remembered every single detail about Wedding #1. Wedding #2, as well.

Before long the pretty lakeside vista had been transformed, and people were starting to arrive. The ushers were seating the guests, while the groom stayed out of sight behind some bushes. Since dressing rooms were not part of the lakeside décor, the bridal party planned to arrive in limos right before the ceremony. A fact Amy had reminded Julia about after she panicked because the bride hadn't arrived yet, and had a horrible flashback of the last disastrous wedding with the cold-feet groom.

Exactly fifteen minutes before the ceremony was to begin, two limos pulled up. Girls started pouring out, like overdressed clowns spilling out of a circus car. The bride emerged last. In the morning sun her white dress gleamed bright enough hurt your eyes.

Amy had gone with the caterer to supervise the final setup of the reception area, so Julia greeted the new arrivals.

The bride's smile flashed almost as brilliant as her dress. “Julia, is everything ready? Is Joe here?”

“Hi, Robin. Everything is perfect, and yes, Joe's here. He's waiting behind those bushes over there,” she said, pointing across the way.

“I can't believe this is happening,” Robin let out a tremulous giggle.

Frankly, Julia couldn't believe it either. Robin and Joe looked like they shouldn't even be driving on their own, let alone be getting married. They were, in fact, nineteen, which didn't seem much better. Julia supposed the trend of putting off marriage till later in life hadn't swept through Covington Falls the way it had in the rest of the country.

Julia didn't have time to dwell on Robin and Joe's youth because the string quartet started processional music. Julia remembered this part from the rehearsal at least. The mothers were seated. Then the bridesmaids made their way down the aisle.

Finally, only Robin and her father were left. “You ready, Robin?”

Robin beamed and nodded.

“Umm… you're not allergic to bees are you?” Julia asked.

“No, why?” Robin asked, with a puzzled frown.

“It's something I feel I should ask for an outdoor wedding.”

“Oh, right, because of what happened at Lisa's wedding,” Robin said, with an amused huff. “No worries. I'm not allergic to anything.”

“Okay then, let's get you hitched.”

The processional began, and Robin floated down the aisle on her father's arm. Julia breathed a sigh of relief. Another successful launch. Of course, they weren't out of the woods yet, but at this point she considered both parties showing up on the big day a success. Almost any other problem could be solved.

The minister went right to the vows. Julia drifted closer so she could hear their soft replies. Rings were exchanged, and the minister asked everyone to bow their heads. Prayer commenced. Julia kept her eyes open, mostly because she had an irrational fear that something disastrous might occur if she looked away for even a second.

She glanced toward the groom and something about him made her pause. He looked strange. Then he began to sway in a slow circle. Before Julia had a chance to move, Joe's legs buckled, and he fell in an ungraceful heap, pulling Robin to the ground with him.

Instantly, the guests surged to their feet. Julia started running and managed to push her way through the crowd.

Robin lay in a heap on top of Joe, her wedding dress billowing around them. “Joe! Joe!” she cried, shaking him like a rag doll.

“I think he's fainted,” one of the groomsman said. “I told him not to close his eyes when we prayed.”

Julia reared around to look at him. “You're not supposed to close your eyes? I thought that was one of the rules of prayer.”

“Not when you're standing up. You start swaying and boom.”

“
Boom?
”

“Boom. Happened to a buddy of mine at his wedding.”

This was a new one to her. “Who knew praying could be a hazard to your health?”

Now that Julia felt sure she wouldn't need to treat anaphylactic shock again, she took a deep breath.

“Robin, you have to get up,” Julia said, tugging on the bride's arm. The girl hung on like a baby monkey clinging to its mamma. “Someone help her.”

Hands reached out and lifted the panicked bride off the ground. Julia knelt down next to Joe. By now he'd started to groan a little. She slapped his cheeks to get him to come around. If Betsy were here she would've already produced some smelling salts. Someone else lifted his legs. It was the groomsman who'd warned against eyes-closed praying.

“This will get the blood flowing back,” the groomsman explained. “He'll come around in a sec.”

“Are you a doctor?” Julia asked.

He shook his head. “No, but there was a nurse at my friend's wedding, and this is what she did.”

Whether it was the slapping or the raised legs, the groom seemed to be coming around. Joe looked up in confusion.

“Hey, Joe,” Julia said. “Welcome back.”

“Where am I?”

Robin wrenched free from whoever had pulled her away. “Joe! Joe! Are you all right? Talk to me.”

“Robin, give him a little room to breathe,” Julia said, holding the bride back. “He just fainted.”

Joe blinked. “I did?”

“Afraid so,” Julia said. “Can you stand up?”

An embarrassed groan escaped him. “Can't I stay right here?”

Julia grinned down at him. “While I sympathize, no. I've got a busy schedule. Besides, Robin is here in the dress, and think of all the deposits you'll forfeit if you lie here all day.”

“You're heartless,” he said, eyes narrowing.

“No, I'm a realist. Just pretend you got knocked out playing football, and when you stand up everyone will clap and cheer.”

“Let me try,” Robin said. She leaned toward him and stroked his cheek. “Joe, sweetie, please get up. You're scaring me.”

Joe popped up to a sitting position in an instant. “All right, honey.”

Robin beamed, and Joe gave a sheepish smile.

“I guess sweet does work on occasion,” Julia said, acknowledging Robin's supremacy in groom handling.

Several groomsmen helped Joe to his feet. Julia looked around at the crowd of anxious faces. “Okay, everyone, drama's over. We've got a wedding to finish. Reverend, I think you were right at the part where he gets to kiss the bride?”

The minister took the hint and nodded. The guests returned to their seats, and Robin and Joe took their places again.

Julia went back to her position. Amy had returned, and she looked shaken and pale.

“You look worse than the groom,” Julia said.

Amy's curls practically quivered with horror. “I don't deal well with illness.”

Ah ha! A kink in Amy's armor! The cute robot fell apart in a crisis.

“You don't?” Julia asked, hoping the question came out curious and not gleeful.

“I fell off a swing when I was six and got this huge gash in my forehead. Blood everywhere,” Amy said, as sweat broke out on her upper lip. “Now I can't stand the sight of it.”

Julia managed not to pump her fists in the air in triumph. Instead, she patted Amy on the shoulder. “Don't worry, Amy, you let me take of everything.”