You’re Still The One by Erika Kelly

Chapter Four

Stella stoodin front of an enormous screen in the conference room, beyond impressed with the stunning images splashed across it. Taji’s office didn’t have this kind of technology, so it was a learning curve, but Stella loved the way each wedding was displayed like a digital wish book.

“I’m in awe of your work.” Stella smiled at her boss, whose face appeared in a box at the top of the screen.

“Oh, thank you. That’s lovely to hear. I feel terrible that I’m not there to help you but extremely grateful you didn’t jump ship like the others.”

“Well, I’m definitely in over my head—I’ll be honest with you about that—but between Quinn and Austin, I think we’re doing all right.”

“Austin?” Diane sounded amused.

“I’m not even joking. He was here my first day, and he saved me. For a fourteen-year-old, he’s surprisingly knowledgeable and insightful.”

Someone caught Diane’s attention, and she held up a finger. “Excuse me a moment.”

Right then, Quinn walked in. “A glacier wedding? I’m born and raised in Calamity, and I can’t even imagine jumping out of a helicopter and standing on the side of a mountain to exchange vows.”

Stella laughed. “Actually, the view’s spectacular at the summit. And the ride down’s a blast.”

“What’s your dream venue?”

“For a wedding?” As if she hadn’t visualized it a thousand times. “I definitely want it here in Calamity. Probably something small.” She couldn’t imagine marrying without her sisters standing beside her and her dad walking her down the aisle.

Her heart squeezed so hard. She still hadn’t told her parents she was back, and she just didn’t know how to. How did she explain not talking to them for seven years? How did she make that first move?

“Have you seen Mountain Chapel yet?” Quinn asked. “It’s small and intimate. It’s just so romantic.”

She’d seen the images on the website. And, honest to God, she could picture herself in a wedding gown facing her groom. He had dark, tousled hair, the perfect amount of scruff, tattoos everywhere, and a look in his eyes that said The minute I get you alone, I’m stripping you bare.

And that man was Griffin. The only man she could ever imagine spending her life with.

“It really is.” Built of river stone and reclaimed wood, its stained-glass windows and rustic timber trusses and beams gave it an old-world feel. “It’s perfect.”

Diane’s voice cut into her reverie. “Sorry. That was the nurse. The doctor will be here in a few minutes, so let’s move ahead to the princess since that’s the most important one.” Clicking forward, she landed on the royal wedding.

So far, everything her boss had shown her was impressive, but this one? She blew out a slow breath.

“Right? Diane’s a goddess.” Quinn threw an arm around Stella’s shoulders. “But this one’s a goddess-in-training. You picked a good one. She’s doing an amazing job.”

“Oh, I know.” Diane gave her an approving grin. “Believe me, I knew what I was doing when I made that call. Now, let’s finish this up because we, ladies, are going to crush this.”

Stella smiled because she hadn’t expected that phrase to come out of this elegant woman’s mouth.

“Okay, so this wedding is not quite what the bride wanted,” Diane said. “But she’s very happy with the outcome.”

Lavish bouquets of white flowers, massive crystal chandeliers, the finest bone china, and silverware…it all looked perfectly royal to Stella. The bride would walk down a grand staircase with gleaming banisters. “What did she want?”

“Since she’s having a formal ceremony at the palace, she’d hoped for something simpler here. Something that better reflected her and Brodie’s personalities. Unfortunately, once her mother got involved, it slowly transformed into a mirror image of the royal wedding.”

“Mostly, it’s because of the guest list,” Quinn said. “They didn’t expect so many royals to fly out here for a second ceremony. But since they’re coming, they can’t exactly throw a hoe-down.”

“Why not?” That’s the best part about wedding planning—coming up with wild ideas, thinking outside the box.

Until she remembered her wild idea to be “engaged” to Griffin.

And then she deflated like a popped balloon.

Because, boy, had she blown it. Big-time.

If she’d had any hope of getting back with him, she’d ruined it with a stunt like that. Instead of helping him, she’d put him in a position to lie. To make Austin lie.

She didn’t think there was any way to come back from this one.

Fortunately, Diane kept talking, forcing her back into the moment. “At this point, Rosie’s fine with it. But for obvious reasons, we need to stay on top of this one. We can’t afford to have anything go wrong, which is why, I suppose, my two assistants quit, to impress upon me that I can’t function without them.”

“I’m so sorry.” Quinn looked apologetic. “I wish I could give you more time—”

“Nope,” Diane said. “That’s not what you signed on for. I’m grateful for the time you give me.”

“Well, thank you,” Quinn said. “But I do wish I could help more. In any event, we’ve got three experienced event planners interviewing on Monday. We’ve got this.”

“Thank you, sweetheart.” Diane smiled warmly. “Well, I must go, but you’ll find all the details in Rosie’s file. It includes contact information for all the venues and service providers and a log of past conversations. I’ll try not to micromanage you, but you’ll forgive me if we do a lot of video-conference calls, so I can see what you’re doing in real-time.”

Stella smiled at her. “I’ll want you with me every step of the way.”

“As I’m sure Quinn already told you, I encourage you to record the details of all your conversations. Emotions run high during wedding planning, and I’ve been grateful more times than I can count to forward my notes to those who swear I’ve gotten it all wrong.”

“I hear you, and I get it. I actually love how you do things here. It’s far less chaotic than the other offices I’ve worked in.”

“As for new clients, please remember to do all the work in the shared file so I can follow along. That way, I can catch anything early in the process that might not work with our location or vendors.”

“Perfect. Oh, I just wanted to ask…Austin’s babysitter’s having surgery, so how do you feel about him coming here after school when Griffin’s got a meeting or a project he can’t miss?”

“I don’t mind at all. He’s always welcome.”

Stella didn’t miss the look Quinn and Diane gave each other. “What?”

And then Quinn broke out in a big grin. “It’s just really nice that you make him feel so important and valued. He doesn’t get enough of that.”

“Okay, well, I wish I had better news about my mother’s health, but I do hope to get her home and with a caregiver in the next couple of weeks. I can’t apologize enough for not being physically present, but I’m available any time of day or night to jump in and help. And Stella? As daunting as it all seems, I can’t think of anyone better to handle the situation than you. Good luck you two. Bye, now.”

Once the screen went blank, silence weighed heavily in the room.

And then Quinn got busy, gathering up files. “I know why Diane hired you, you know.”

“Because of my mom?”

“Nope. The two who used to work here would be all stressed out and snapping orders, but you’re really chill, and from what little I’ve seen, you’ve got great ideas.”

“Thank you for saying that. It makes me feel better about taking this on.”

“All right, back to work for both of us.” Quinn gave her a big grin, before heading out of the conference room.

Back at her desk, Stella dove right in. Checking her to-do list, she saw she had to return six calls and dozens of emails, check in with three vendors, and figure out orders for some future events. Oh, brother.

Well, as her dad liked to say, You reach the summit by taking one step at a time. So, that’s what she’d do, check off one item after another. And as soon as they hired a few people, her load would ease.

Truthfully, she didn’t mind having so much on her plate. Not only did it give her a crash course in wedding planning at the Owl Hoot Resort and Spa, but it kept her mind occupied, so it didn’t stray where she didn’t want it to go.

Toward Griffin.

How she’d done a spectacular job of reminding him why he’d broken up with her.

On the plane from New York, she’d fantasized about getting back together with him. Picnicking on the ledge, holding hands, and gazing up at the bright blue sky through a canopy of pine trees. She’d wanted to explore each of his new tattoos and find out what they meant. Because everything Griffin did had a purpose.

She wanted to catch up on everything he’d done the last seven years.

What happened to his friends?Did any of them still live in town? That night had changed Griffin. Before, he’d been wild and reckless. After, he’d become this super-responsible, think-everything-through-first kind of man. And she got it. Of course, she did.

But also…had he fallen in love?

A lot happened over seven years.

But now was not the time to wallow in what she’d lost.

Now, she needed to return the florist’s call. But just as she reached for the phone, Quinn walked in with a huge smile. “You’ve got a visitor.”

Automatically, Stella checked the wall calendar. She didn’t see any appointments.

“It’s your sister.” Quinn made it sound like the greatest gift in the world. “You want me to send her in or…?”

And yet, for Stella, it was like hearing the cops say she was under arrest. That terrible fight-or-flight instinct kicked in.

Of course, she’d known she was planning Gigi’s wedding—that was the main reason she’d taken the job—but she hadn’t talked to her or set up an appointment yet, so she wasn’t prepared to see her.

Quinn’s smile wavered. “She just wanted to drop something off for Diane, so I told her I’d see if you could chat with her for a sec. Figured you didn’t want me sending your sister away.” She watched Stella carefully.

“Of course. Absolutely, send her in.” Fear numbed her legs, keeping her rooted to the chair.

“Great, one sec.”

She didn’t even have a moment to check her lipstick or smooth her hair, as Gigi breezed right into her office, coming to an abrupt stop when she saw Stella.

“Stella?”

“Hey, yes. Surprise.” Her brain sent multiple commands at once.

Stand up.

Say hello.

Drop to the floor and curl up in the fetal position until she leaves.

And then her sister came barreling around the desk, arms open wide. Forced to get up, Stella had barely cleared her chair when Gigi wrapped her in her arms, holding onto her as if the office were slowly sinking into the earth.

She only realized she’d braced for Gigi’s wrath when it didn’t come. So, when she got nothing but love and warmth, Stella’s body went weak with relief. She sank into the embrace, breathed in the essential essence that was Gigi—a summer outdoor concert with fresh-cut grass, clear blue skies, and bright yellow sunshine.

Truthfully, as the baby of the family, Stella hadn’t been super close to her oldest sister. Gigi had always been larger than life, like a celebrity visiting your house that barely interacted with you. While Stella had admired her, she hadn’t really known her.

But she’d always loved her.

“I am so happy to see you.” Gigi lifted a strand of hair. “You went blonde.”

“I did.”

“You look like a movie star.” Her sister lifted both hands in a helpless gesture. “I can’t believe this. What in the world is going on? I fully expected to see Diane.”

“I know. Crazy, right?” She smoothed shaky hands down her skinny black pants. Her legs felt weak. “Well, surprise. You’ve got me instead. I was going to call you, but I just got in yesterday, and I’ve been thrown right into the job.” Her mind was revving so fast, it was hard to think. “Diane’s training me to take over the business, but her mom’s sick, and she had to leave unexpectedly, so…it’s just me. I mean, Diane’s still around. We’ll talk every day.”

“Hey, slow down. It’s me.”

Stella let out a shaky breath. “Yeah, but you’re a big deal to me. You’re my sister, and I…” Now is not the time to get emotional. “And I’m just really nervous.”

Gigi’s expression clouded. “So, I don’t understand. You’ve moved back to Calamity? You live here now?”

“That’s right.”

“And no one told me? Do Mom and Dad know?”

This is way more awful than I ever imagined. “No.”

“I don’t get it.” Gigi stepped back. “How long have you known that you were moving here?”

“I got the call two weeks ago, but I had to give my notice, pack up my apartment…I got into town yesterday.”

“You’ve known for two weeks? Okay, I’m super confused right now. If Mom and Diane are friends, why doesn’t Mom know about this?”

“Because I asked Diane not to say anything. She knows I haven’t been home in a while, and—”

“In a while?” Gigi took another step back. “A while is a semester abroad. A while is a summer internship. You haven’t been home in seven years. We haven’t even heard from you. We only found out three months ago that Dad and Mom knew where you were this whole time.”

“I know. I’m sorry.”

“You’re sorry? Sorry doesn’t cut it. What did we do to deserve a punishment like that? I mean, you’re the one who kissed Lulu’s fiancé. Why punish us?”

“Okay, whoa. Just…” As shame and embarrassment came crashing in, she had to make a concerted effort to hold it at bay. “This is why I haven’t told anyone I’m here.”

“Well, if you’d warned us you were coming home instead of springing it on me in my wedding planner’s office, it might have gone better.”

“I know that. I know.” God, she was shaking. “I really am sorry. I thought I had a little more time—”

“You needed more than seven years to figure out what to say?”

“Can you stop attacking me, please? I get that you’re angry. I get that I haven’t handled things well, but I’m here. I’m home, and I’ll do everything I can to make things right with you, with Lulu, with everyone.” She placed a cool palm on her forehead. “You have to understand…I did it again. And after blowing up another one of her relationships, did you think I could just pop in and say, Hey, guys, I’m back! She’ll never forgive me now. None of you will.”

“Lulu?” Gigi waved a hand. “She’s fine. She and Xander got married.”

“They did?” Oh, thank God. The relief nearly dropped her to her knees. Maybe it wouldn’t be so hard to see Lulu after all. “I’m so happy to hear that. You have no idea.” Finally calming down, she let out a breath. “In any event, I really just need you to back off and give me a chance, okay?”

“Yes, of course. I’m sorry. It’s just…you’re the last person I expected to see when I walked in here. I mean, if it had been Oprah Winfrey, I’d have been less surprised.”

“I know. Believe me, I know I have a lot of explaining to do, and I have a lot to make up for, but I’ve been thrown into the deep end of a job I’m not experienced enough to handle.” She took a calming breath. “I can’t get into family issues at work. So, if you want to talk about your wedding, please sit down and let’s do it. But for God’s sake, you’re going to have to wait until tonight and a bottle of tequila before we get into the hardcore conversations that I owe you. Fair?”

It took a long moment filled with tension before Gigi’s features softened. “Who are you, and what have you done with my baby sister?”

“I’ve been living on my own for a long time now, so I’ve grown up.” Feeling more in command, she said, “Now, are you okay with me working on your wedding, or would you rather wait for Diane to come back?”

“Are we really going to talk about weddings right now?”

“Either that or you’re going to have to leave so I can get back to work. I’m barely keeping my nose above the water line here, and the only way to survive is to get through it one task at a time.” Stella gave her sister a look that said, What’s it going to be?

Her sister sat in the chair. “This is weird.” She pulled a magazine out of her tote bag. “But yes, I want you to plan it. To be honest, I can’t imagine anyone I’d want more than you to do it.”

“I really appreciate that, but I don’t have a lot of experience with this stuff.”

“That makes two of us.”

“Okay, so Quinn said you wanted to drop something off?”

“Just this.” She tapped the magazine. “When Diane asked me what I wanted, I told her I didn’t have a single clue.”

“You were never the girl who dreamed of weddings.”

“I was the girl who dreamed of being married to Cassian Ellis.”

Warmth rushed through her. Her sister had loved that boy so hard. He’d loved her too, but their dad had made him promise to keep his hands off Gigi. “I’m so glad you two finally got together.” Her phone buzzed, and she silenced it. “We’ll talk about that later, too. So, you didn’t have a single clue…”

“Right, and she told me to start looking around. She said to check out bridal galleries, magazines, that kind of thing. And let me just tell you, I saw mountains of tulle and fairy lights and…ugh. I still didn’t have a clue. But then I was at the airport, and I saw this…” She set the magazine on the desk and flipped through the pages. “I love this.”

Stella pulled it closer to look at the photographs. It was kitschy—a doughnut truck, a candy table, a wall of paper flowers in teal blue, orange, yellow, cream, pink, and sea green. “Are you going to wear go-go boots? A white patent leather miniskirt?”

Gigi looked horrified. “No, why? Does this give a whole seventies vibe?”

“I don’t know what a seventies vibe looks like, but this is very fun. I can totally make this happen.”

Her sister looked uneasy.

“You don’t have to wear go-go boots. I was kidding. You can do whatever you want.”

“That’s the thing. I don’t know what I want.”

“But this caught your attention because it wasn’t traditional?”

“Right. Exactly.”

“Okay, great.” Stella took out a sheet of paper and wrote down Traditional and drew a line through it. “There. We’ve just eliminated something.”

Gigi smiled. “It worked, that little technique of yours. I feel better already. One less thing on my list of possibilities.”

“Exactly. So, let me ask a few questions, okay?”

“Sure. Hit me.”

“How many people are you thinking of inviting? Are we talking about everyone you, Cassian, and our parents have ever known? Or something small and intimate, with just close friends and family? Or somewhere in between?”

“It’s football season, so we haven’t talked about the details, but I’m pretty sure we want to keep it small.”

“And when you imagine yourself in a wedding gown, what does it look like? Because anything goes. You can be a princess with miles of tulle or a go-go girl with a mini skirt.”

“You know, I’ve spent half my life wearing costumes. For auditions and concerts and appearances. I think if I’m going to exchange vows with the love of my life, I want to be as real as I can.” She grinned. “Wait, scratch that. That sounds like I’m wearing leggings and no make-up. There will be no bed-head on my wedding day.”

“I get it. You want to look beautiful, but you don’t want to feel like your wedding is a performance. Let me show you something.” She turned to her computer screen and opened up a file. “I call this look Understated.” Nudging it toward Gigi, she said, “Does this feel right to you?”

“Ew, no.”

Stella wrote down Understated and then crossed it out.

Her sister smiled. “Okay, this is good. There’s nothing understated about me.”

“It’s possible you’ve spent half your life wearing costumes because you love dressing up. And you can have an intimate wedding and still wear a magnificent ball gown. Literally, anything goes.” An image dropped into Stella’s mind. A sleeveless, off-white gown, plunging necklines in front and back, sparkling with crystals. A fitted top and gobs of flowing skirt. “Something like…” She tapped the keyboard, opening up the Flair file, and clicked through until she found the exact dress she had in mind.

“Oh...” Gigi looked in awe. “That’s…dramatic. And gorgeous. Because when you said ball gown, I was thinking Cinderella, and I guess that’s what I associate traditional with.”

“And you don’t want it.”

“Right. I like that one because it’s unique and sexy and a show-stopper.”

“Perfect. Now, do you have a date in mind?”

“Nothing in particular. It just can’t be between August and February.”

“So, we know it’ll be in spring—either next May or the year after. Check with Cassian and let me know.” She opened up her spring wedding file. “We’ll go with fresh and lighthearted elements. We can give you a free-flowing bouquet, cocktails with an edible flower garnish…is any of this working for you?”

“Yes. Oh, my God, yes.” Gigi sat back in her chair. “I’m really just blown away right now. I’ve been all over the place. Happy to be getting married but really lost in all the details, and it’s like the more magazines I look at the more confused I get. But right now, I feel like I’m in really good hands. And I have to say, knowing that it’s my sister’s hands? It’s just…I’m really happy right now.”

“Me, too.” This is going to be okay. Stella was going to get back to her family, and it was all going to work out.

For the first time, she was so glad she’d taken this job. Happiness reared up, and she had to fight back tears.

She wanted to hug Gigi. She’d missed her family so much, and she hadn’t seen a path back to them. “I’m sorry I didn’t stay in touch with you. I’m sorry I created so much drama.”

“Why, though? That’s the thing I don’t get. I mean, I know it was a horrible time. Lulu took off to Paris, and Griffin broke up with you, but the rest of us, we were there for you.”

“No, Gigi, you weren’t. You were a Lollipop. And I’m not blaming you, but you were on a world tour during the whole time Lulu was dating that jerk. And Coco was in college. I’m not blaming anyone, I swear. But I was the only one at home, and honestly? I’d never felt all that close to you and—”

“Can I go in?” the most familiar voice in the world said from the outer office.

The shock to her system shorted out Stella’s brain.

“Sure,” Quinn said. “Your sister’s already in there.”

Lulu Cavanaugh strode right into the room. “Sorry, I’m late. It’s snowing like mad—” Lulu froze solid as an ice sculpture. “Stella?” Her gaze snapped to Gigi as though her sister had set her up.

“I know. I was shocked, too.” Gigi got up cautiously. “Surprise, Stella’s home. She’s going to plan my wedding. Isn’t that great?”

The clash of emotions playing out across Lulu’s features sent a knife through Stella’s heart. Confusion, torment, anger…it was like her sister didn’t know where to land.

And then, Lulu turned on her heel and walked right back out the door.

Her presence hung in the room, a rebuke, a reminder of her failures. If scents triggered emotions, Lulu’s perfume was devastation.

It took her back to the rehearsal dinner.

To the awful taste of too much champagne in her mouth.

The growing desperation that her sister wasn’t listening to her, that she’d actually go through with marrying this guy who was using her.

The sickening twist in her stomach as Trace’s eyes had glazed over when his hand had clamped onto her ass.

When his disgusting mouth had closed over hers, and he’d kissed her.

God.

And then Gigi came around the desk and rubbed her back. “She’ll come around. She was just surprised.”

“This is why I stayed away.” Because there was nothing she could say or do to make up for kissing Lulu’s fiancé at the rehearsal dinner.

There just wasn’t.