No Falling Allowed (No Kissing Allowed) (11 page)

Chapter Fifteen

Grace

I walked outside with Lindy after an awkward breakfast of her hinting for details that I would never share. I still couldn’t figure out what had happened by the bathroom, but two things were clear—Noah said he was sorry, even if he still hadn’t explained why he’d left, and two, the undeniable attraction I felt for him that night was still very much a thing.

“So this is it,” Lindy said as we made our way down the dock to the gazebo at its end.

I peered around at the stained wood, the small metal details like the lantern at one end, a cowbell at the other. The red tin roof matched the roof of Hunter’s Place. It held a world’s worth of hard work and character that only time and family and laughter could create.

“I love it.”

She smiled. “You do?”

“I do.” Then we both laughed at the irony of my saying those words in the very place she would say them in a few weeks. “How did he propose?”

With a wistful look over the water, Lindy leaned against one of the railings and tapped her fingers against the wood to a beat only she could hear. “We’d been dating a year or so and my daddy had just passed away a month before. I was so sad, and Dane had tried everything to cheer me up. Random notes. Flowers. Funny movies. Then one night he brought me out here, sat an old boombox on one of the benches, started a song, and then reached out for my hand.”

Lindy paused, swallowed, as though trying to control her emotions, and I contemplated giving her a hug, like I would have Cameron or Lauren, but maybe she needed space. I couldn’t be sure, so I let her keep going.

“He said he was sorry, and that he wished more than anything he could make it better, but maybe he didn’t need to make it better. Maybe what he needed to do was be there for me. Then he led me to him, and we started dancing, and before long I noticed his cheeks were wet. I pulled away to look at him and asked if he was okay, and he said no. Said his heart was tied to mine, and until I was happy again he couldn’t be, either, but he’d spend his whole life trying to help me find happiness again.” Lindy smiled and walked over to the center of the gazebo. “Then he dropped down on one knee and said the timing wasn’t right, but maybe it never would be, and all he wanted in life was me by his side.”

I drew a shaky breath, embarrassed by how the story had impacted me. Here I was fighting with my father, and Lindy no longer had hers. “I’m sorry about your father.”

“It’s okay. Well, it’s not, but you find a way to move on,” she said, shrugging. “But anyway, it was then that I knew that, good or bad, Dane was my partner. He gave me his grandmother’s ring the next day, and the rest is history as they say.” She smiled again as she blinked back tears.

“No wonder you want to say your vows here.”

“If I do it here, I’m celebrating not just marrying Dane but the moment I realized I could go on without Daddy. Like maybe he’ll be watching, you know? You probably think that’s stupid.”

I shook my head. “No. I think it’s perfect.”

“Really?”

I thought of everything Lindy had told me, her obvious grief. Some people would let that kind of sadness overcome them until it swallowed them whole. But love had seen her through the hard times, helped her find happiness again. I’d never heard anything more romantic in all my life. “Really.”

“Well, you’ll need to help me keep my mama and Annalise on track then, because this joint isn’t holding more than my wedding party and Pastor Jacob and even that’s a risk.” A humorous look crossed her face, and I was glad to see her mood changing. “But we’re thinking we’ll set up chairs on the bank.”

I turned to see how much room there was on the bank and caught Noah standing by one of the windows, his gaze trained on us, before he went back to work clearing a table.

Lindy filled the space beside me. “You know, I have no idea what happened between y’all, but I do know Noah, and you’ve done something to him. Affected him.”

I watched as Noah laughed with a customer. My heart stilled. “He’s affected me, too.”

“Then what’s the problem?”

Glancing out over the water, I thought of the connection I’d felt with him before, how rare that had to be. But he lived here, had his life already set, and I wanted different things than this. My father wasn’t a perfect man, but he’d taught me how to differentiate want from need, settling for less from reaching for more. And I knew in my heart I wanted a lot more than this.

“We’re too different. Besides, I barely know him.”

Lindy cocked her head, considering something, then snapped her fingers. “Yes. I think it’s time we change that.”

“What do you mean?” My eyes widened, and I feared she was going to order Noah out here to give me a rundown on his life, but all she did was continue to smile. “Why do I get the feeling you’re up to something?”

“Nope, nothing. Just meet me at Miracle Circle at five today. Sound okay?”

“Miracle Circle?”

“That turnaround at the end of Pretty Street. There’s a giant fountain in the center. You can’t miss it.”

I wanted to comment on Pretty Street and ask whether that was really the street’s name, but I feared it’d come out too sarcastic, and I liked Lindy too much to risk offending her.

“Sure, no problem. Do you need me to bring anything?”

Her smile spread, and a glint sparkled in her eyes. This was getting more dangerous by the second. “Nope, just yourself.”

“Okay…”

Then Lindy glanced down at her watch and jumped. “Cripes! Gotta run. Five o’clock, okay?”

I smiled after her as she jogged down the dock. “I’ll be there!”

…

I spent the next several hours going over the emails Cameron had sent me, making calls to her vendors, and checking that everything was set up. There was only one casualty in the whole mess, and with any hope, my new boss could create a miracle to fix the whole thing. I hadn’t seen Annalise since that morning, but her room was directly across from mine, so maybe I could just…

Slipping out of my room, I padded across the hall to Annalise’s and knocked gently twice before taking a deliberate step back. At first, I thought she wasn’t there, but then the door opened, Annalise on the other side, her cell to her ear. She waved me inside, and with trepidation, I followed, only to be overcome with amazement.

Every square inch of space was covered in a different wedding detail. Catalogues with flower options, linen samples, dress color samples…You name it, Annalise had it, though I couldn’t imagine why she’d brought all of it with her. Come to think of it, I didn’t remember her bringing any of this with her.

She covered her cell, and as though she’d sensed my thoughts said, “I had them shipped to me.”

I nodded. “Ah.”

“Yes, but I need a white gold and crystal tiara. No, sterling silver won’t do. No. The bride is highly allergic to nickel, which is often found in even the finest of silvers. I can’t take the risk. We need white gold, and to be safe, I’ll need you to have it tested for nickel. Yes, I’m serious. Do you think a bride wants to be covered in red patches and hives on her wedding day? No, I didn’t think so. Wonderful. Send me confirmation once you have it. Great, okay, thank you.”

She ended the call with a long sigh then spun around to face me, exuberance replacing exhaustion. “I hear Lindy absolutely adores you. Well done. She wasn’t a fan of my regional director, which was one of the reasons I took over the account myself.”

“I’m so glad. I really like her, too.”

“She said you helped her select a cake?”

I shrugged. “I helped her see that she’d already made the decision herself.”

“Exactly,” Annalise said, clearly pleased. “Half of our job is keeping the bride and mother of the bride calm down enough to make the best decisions for the day. Some of them come to those decisions easily. Others need…a little push.” She winked. “But it seems as though everything will work out well with you here.”

I glanced up. “What do you mean?”

Annalise stopped in front of me. “I brought you here not only to assist me with this wedding, but to take over managing the event.”

“Wait, what?” Suddenly, my thoughts were spinning out of control, every doubt I had bubbling up. She couldn’t be serious. This was just a test, a joke.

“I have a wedding next week in the city and have to get back immediately. My flight is tomorrow morning.”

“But I thought—” Panic jolted through me.

“You’ll do great, dear. You are already doing great. I trust you to manage this. I knew the moment I sat down at the Grant-Pruitt reception that whoever designed that wedding needed to be on my team. That’s the reason I reached out to Margo.”

My mouth fell open in surprise. “You were there? I had no idea. So that’s why Margo gave me your card?”

“I saw something that day that I’d recognize anywhere—talent. You have it, Grace. Now you just need to trust yourself. So, I can stay here and walk you through each element of this wedding, even though you’ve handled dozens at the Met, or I can trust my instinct and leave you to it. My instincts have never failed me before.”

“But what about New York? I thought my job was there.”

“It is…if you want. Or you can work in the Southern region, should you desire. That choice will be yours. We often go where our brides need us, and you’re already doing that with Lindy. I thought it was wonderful how you helped her through the cake issue, and now you’re attending dancing lessons with her and Dane. It’s wonderful—great dedication to your job.”

“Wait, I’m what?” I couldn’t think straight. Annalise was leaving me. Here, in Cricket Creek, population of, like, five. Stop signs and traffic lights a suggestion. Locks a joke. And Lindy’s wedding was still weeks away. How was I going to survive down here without a single sane person—aka a New Yorker—to keep me company? And now, apparently, Lindy had signed me up for dance lessons. Dance lessons! This wasn’t happening.

“What if I make a mistake?”

Annalise placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder. “You’re going to make mistakes in this job. In any job. It’s not the mistakes that define your ability, but how you rebound from them, and something tells me your rebound is even better than your first attempt. I’ll have my phone on me at all times, and you can call whenever you need. And all the details are already set. You simply have to keep everything in order.”

Right, easy. No problem. Just make sure the entire thing goes perfectly, all on my own. Oh God. This wasn’t happening. But instead of showing how nervous I felt, I swallowed my fears and tightened my spine. “I can do this.”

“I know you can.” Then Annalise’s brow wrinkled. “I just realized you came here, I didn’t call for you. Was there something you needed?”

In all the chaos of learning Annalise was abandoning me tomorrow, I’d forgotten about Cameron’s dilemma. “Actually, I was hoping for your help. My best friend Cameron is getting married in two weeks and her wedding planner quit. Everything was okay until I discovered she never actually booked the florist, though she’d told my friend she had it covered.”

Annalise gasped. “How dare she?”

“I know! But now the florist is fully booked, and I’m nervous we won’t be able to find another in such a short amount of time.”

“Where is the venue?”

“Birmingham.”

With resolution on her face, Annalise reached for her bag, pulled out a different planner, turned several pages, then scrolled down the page with a pointed finger. “Here we go.” She reached for her phone and dialed a number. “Hello there, this is Annalise Barker. May I speak with Edith please?”

Several seconds passed, and then I heard a loud voice through the phone. Annalise grinned wide. “It’s so wonderful to speak with you as well. How are you? Yes, me too. Aging has its advantages, I’m sure, I’ve just yet to discover them!” She laughed, and I heard another laugh over the line. “I actually need a favor. I have a wedding whose florist has gone rogue. Yes, in Birmingham. The…” Annalise muted the phone and eyed me. “What’s your friend’s name?”

“Cameron Lawson. Her fiancé is Aidan Truitt.”

She pulled back. “
The
Aidan Truitt? One of New York’s most eligible bachelors?”

I grinned. “The very same.”

She unmuted the phone. “The Lawson-Truitt wedding. Yes.” Annalise muted again. “Is her mother Lorelei?” I nodded. “Edith? Yes, that’s the one. Really? That would be splendid. I would owe you a million. Wonderful. Chat soon, dear. Okay, good-bye.” Annalise ended the call and clapped her hands together. “Done.”

“Are you serious?”

“I never joke about wedding details.”

“You are amazing. Absolutely amazing.”

She beamed. “I try. Just be sure to add their information to our client listing, and then your friend is officially with Perfectly Wedded.”

“Thank you so much.”

“You’re welcome. Now run on so you can get ready for those dance lessons. That should be fun. You will have to let me know how it went.”

“Right. Fun.” Except my dancing ability began and ended in third grade when I tried out for jazz, fell on my face, and was laughed at by the entire class. I could jam it out on a dance floor when there were tons of people around to hide my bad moves, but this? Real dancing? Why had I agreed to meet Lindy? I should have asked for more details, hints, something. But oh no, I just happily said yes, and now I was…

I threaded my fingers together to keep from pressing them to my temple, a migraine building. I needed some Advil. No, forget that—I needed a Xanax.

Swallowing my fear, I thanked Annalise again, said good-bye, then disappeared into my room to look up dance videos on YouTube. I had an hour, max, to prepare, and I would need every minute of it.

Chapter Sixteen

Noah

“Can I ask you a question?”

I patted Jonah’s head and tossed the baseball I was carrying into the air as we walked. “Catch that ball and you can.”

He backed up and held out his glove. The ball fell perfectly into the glove, and I lifted my chin in pride.

“See, who needs two working hands?”

I’d spent the last hour watching Jonah frown as the rest of his team practiced while he was forced to sit on the bench. A part of me wanted to argue with the coach that Jonah could stand in the outfield and catch fly balls, but I knew that wasn’t responsible. Like always, I struggled to balance being the big brother and the parental figure.

“There. I caught it. Now can I ask you a question?”

“Shoot.”

He fumbled with the ball in his glove and it accidentally dropped out. I grabbed it before he got too frustrated. “So the question?”

“Don’t laugh.”

“I won’t laugh.”

He worked his bottom lip between his teeth. “Well, I was wondering…what do girls want? I mean, what makes them like you?”

I laughed, before remembering my promise, and faked a cough instead. “Dude, you’re nine years old. Why are you worrying about girls?”

He shrugged, and I realized then this wasn’t a random conversation. This was him asking me about a particular girl, and hell if I wasn’t in uncharted territory.

“Is there a girl you like?”

He shrugged again, and I had my answer.

“Well, see, I think you gotta just be yourself, and any girl’d be crazy not to like you. You’re a Hunter, and I don’t know if anyone’s told you yet, but we’re a catch.” I winked at him and tossed the ball again. He easily secured it in his glove, and that pride in my chest swelled.

“A catch?”

“It means…never mind. What I’m saying is that you gotta be you, little man, and if she’s got any sense she’ll wish for you to like her, too.”

“But what if I’m too shy to show her who I really am, so she never knows me well enough to find out that she should like me?”

That drew a blank. I was never a shy kid, and that difference between Jonah and me had come up before.
Tell coach you’re interested in pitching
. But I’m shy.
Tell the teacher you couldn’t hear the question
. But I’m shy. Eventually, we were bound to land on the girl conversation, but I’d hoped to have a few more years to prepare.

“If you like a girl, talk to her. Try to be yourself and see how it goes. Talk about stuff you like.”

“So, talk to her about baseball?”

I cringed. “Well, maybe not baseball, unless she’s into it too, and she might be. Is she?”

He shrugged again. “I think she likes butterflies.”

A smile played at my lips, but I swallowed to keep from showing it. I didn’t want Jonah to think that I wasn’t taking this seriously. Even if we were talking about butterflies. “Then talk to her about them.”

“I don’t know anything about butterflies.”

You and me both, brother.

We walked in silence a little bit longer, me working the ball around and around in my hand while he was clearly trying to figure out how to talk to the girl. “Just don’t be afraid to try, okay? She might like you, she might not. But still try.”

“Is that what you’d do?”

“Well…” My mind drifted to Grace, and I thought maybe Jonah and I weren’t so unalike after all. “It’s complicated when you’re an adult.”

Jonah sighed heavily. “Something tells me it’s always complicated with girls.”

A laugh broke free. “You’d be right, little man. But still try, okay?”

We’d reached Miracle Circle and started toward the bar so I could check on things before we headed home, when Lindy rushed up to me. “Perfect timing. How did I know I’d see you here?”

I glanced around, then pointed at myself. “Are you talking to me? ’Cause I pick up Jonah every Tuesday and Thursday after practice and then walk this way after. Which you know, because we had this very conversation just last week.”

Lindy snapped her fingers and acted as though she’d just recalled our chat. “That’s right. I must have forgotten. But look, I’m in the middle of a crisis and could really use your help. Think you could lend a hand?”

I started to tell her that Jonah had homework and I really needed to get him home, which wasn’t a lie…exactly, but then she threaded her fingers together all prayer-like. “Please. Jonah, you don’t mind, do you?”

Jonah looked up, as confused as me. “I guess not. What are we doing?”

Lindy pointed behind us to the one and only dance studio in town. “Dancing.”

Jonah and I both shook our heads. “No way, Hunters don’t dance.”

“Oh, come on. Just this once. Dane’s nervous to take lessons by ourselves, so he asked me to have someone else dance with us.”

“Look, I told you last week that it wasn’t going to happen with Brighton. I’m sorry. She’s an awesome girl, just not for me.”

Lindy’s face lit up. “Nope, it’s not Brighton.” She pointed again at the studio, to the female figure standing beside Ms. Mandy, the dance teacher. “It’s Grace.”

My gaze snapped over to Lindy. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Nothing,” she said, her voice tinged in guilt. “Just keeping my fiancé happy. You and Dane were always friends. Surely you won’t deny us a little help here. It’s just a dance.”

“My God, you’re relentless.” I sighed loudly, and Jonah elbowed me in the gut.

“Don’t say God,” he chided.

“Right, I forgot.”

“Don’t lie.”

“Fine, I didn’t forget.” I glanced up at the blue sky, scarcely a cloud to be seen. “Sorry, God. I’ll try not to say your name again or lie about it.”

Jonah grinned. “You’re forgiven.”

“So now you’re on the Great Man’s payroll and can offer forgiveness, huh?” I tickled him, and he giggled before ducking out of my reach.

“Please, just help us out,” Lindy pleaded again.

“Fine. But Jonah’s got homework, so we only have a few minutes.”

She clapped her hands excitedly. “Half an hour, max.” Then she all but pushed me toward the studio.

“Who’s Grace?” Jonah asked as we entered. Grace turned around, those green eyes landing squarely on me, and damn it all to hell. I tried to draw a breath or swallow or do anything that resembled normalcy, but apparently all I could do was stare. “Noah?”

“Hmm?”

Lindy intervened, saving me. “She’s a friend of your brother’s. I’ll introduce you.”

I shook myself from my daze. “Lindy…” I wasn’t ready for Jonah to meet Grace, for him to pick up on my reactions to her the way the rest of the town had, and then I’d have to explain something I couldn’t even explain to myself. But before I could argue with Lindy, she waved me off.

“It’s fine. Go talk to Dane. I’ll introduce them then get Jonah comfy so we can dance. Want to play with my iPad, Jonah?”

“Lindy, I don’t like him to use electronics too much.”

She shot me an exasperated look, and I settled over beside Dane, who wore dress slacks and a button down, his hair gelled. Clearly, Lindy’s work.

“Did my fiancée strike again?”

“Like a damn lightning bolt.”

Dane laughed, and I tried to tell myself this was no big deal. I couldn’t really dance, but I was an athlete, and that had to mean I was coordinated, so I’d figure it out. I went to prom. Though come to think of it, I didn’t actually make it
inside
prom, but still.

Ms. Mandy clapped her hands loudly from the center of the studio. “Come, come, dancers. Let’s begin.”

I pushed off the wall I’d been leaning against, curious how Lindy had managed to orchestrate this. Maybe Grace had asked Lindy to—

No. No chance.

“You okay?” I called over to Jonah and he gave me a thumb’s up.

“Stop being overbearing,” Lindy said.

“Stop being nosy.”

She opened her mouth, but one look from Dane had her shutting it. Then Grace walked up and awkward silence replaced the conversation.

“Okay, pair up please,” Ms. Mandy said.

I stepped in front of Grace, the top of her head only reaching my shoulder. I’d forgotten how easily she tucked up against me, her small body perfectly molded to my larger one.

Ms. Mandy linked our hands, then placed my right hand at Grace’s waist, hers on my shoulder, then started the music, and went to work on the lucky couple.

“Your brother is nice,” she said. I could tell she wanted to say more, but held back.

“Thanks. Yeah, he is.”

“I should probably warn you, I’m a terrible dancer,” she said. “Like the worst. I’ll probably break one of your toes before the night’s over.”

“Well then, it’s a good thing I’m a pro.” I tried to spin her out, but our legs tangled and I had to grab her before she hit the ground. “Case in point.”

A laugh vibrated through her back, and as I spun her to face me, I couldn’t help pulling her close. “I’m better at this type of dancing.”

Her arms looped around my neck, and she tilted her head up. “Me, too.”

The room disappeared as we slowly swayed, our eyes locked, my breathing shallow for fear that if I released a real breath, the connection would be lost and she’d step away from me. We stayed that way through song after song, lost in each other.

Then, too quickly, Ms. Mandy clapped. “Well done, couples. Let’s take a break for today and start again tomorrow.”

I took a step back and scrubbed a hand over my face, wishing I could walk outside so my breathing would return to normal. “Tomorrow?”

It was Lindy who answered. “For Dane and me, of course. Unless you want to join us again?” She flashed a smile, and I thought if I danced with Grace like this every night this week, her pressed against me, that smell of hers intoxicating my senses, I might never be able to let her go.

“Sorry, I can’t. Jonah, ready? I need to get you some dinner.” I waved for him to come, and he sped over, stopping in front of Grace.

“Want to have dinner with us, Grace? Noah’s cooking spaghetti.”

“Jonah…” I tried to glare at my little brother, but couldn’t manage it, so instead I turned on Lindy, my mouth open to ask for help, but she spoke first.

“I think that’s a great idea,” Lindy said, apparently missing my mood. Or ignoring it altogether. “You can talk about the wedding. Or…other things. Whatever.” Mischievousness crossed her face.

“Please,” Jonah said.

“I don’t want to intrude.” Grace peered over at me, like she was trying to see if I really wanted her to join us, wanted to let her into my world. And now all eyes were on me.

I sighed. “Yeah, join us.”

“Are you sure?”

No. Not even a little bit.

“Absolutely.”