Gulf Coast Wedding by Maggie Miller

Chapter Nineteen

Georgia returned to the inn to find things moving along swimmingly. In most of the rooms, small vignettes had been set up for specific shots.

In the living room, a reading area had been arranged in front of one of the windows, presumably to take advantage of the gulf view. Of course, any guest who came to the inn looking for that particular chair in front of that particular window wasn’t going to find it, because leaving it like that would block one of the main traffic patterns, but she could see how it would work for a photograph.

The breakfast room hadn’t been rearranged as much as it had been decorated. The plants and flowers were all distributed so that there was greenery available in every angle. Even the outside had been touched up with a few plants.

They looked so nice, Georgia realized they needed more plants on a permanent basis. She didn’t expect Hilda to sell her the plants, but Beachside Hardware had a small garden section. She could certainly pick up some large pots and small palms to mimic the effect. A few strategically placed would go a long way.

She found Lilly standing off to one side as the magazine photographer was working. Griffin and Kelly were on the other side, with Griffin snapping a few pictures of his own. Mia was next to Susanna, looking very much like the second in command.

Georgia leaned in toward her sister. “I love how the plants and flowers look.”

Lilly nodded. “Me, too. I was thinking you should really have some big potted palms for the back deck. Really transforms it.”

Georgia laughed. “I came over here to say that same thing to you, but I was thinking we need them for inside, right here in the breakfast room. But I like doing both.”

“Great minds,” Lilly said.

“I’ll take a look next time I’m at Beachside Hardware and see what they have in the way of pots and plants.”

Lilly tipped her head. “You know what might be nice, too? Some citrus trees. Maybe an orange and a lemon? I’m sure Coffee could use any fruit they produced, but it would be such a Florida thing, you know?”

“It would be. And really, there is no better smell then citrus blossoms. That’s a great idea. Maybe I’ll see if Hilda could help us out with that after all. I know she doesn’t grow her plants to sell, but maybe she’d make an exception in our case.”

“I bet she would.” Lilly gestured with her chin toward the scene before them. “They’re getting some amazing shots.”

“I’m so glad. I was a little worried about leaving. Not that I don’t trust you and Mia, but you know how it is.”

“I do,” Lilly said. “But it’s been going great. Susanna has a clear vision for this article and it’s going to make the inn shine. You’re going to be swamped with reservations after this. Might need to increase your prices.”

“What?”

Lilly’s brows went up. “I’m serious. I already talked to Mia about it, and she agrees. I’m not saying make them outrageous but there is no other place like this around here. Bumping up prices by ten percent or so won’t hurt. I promise.”

“I need to think that one over.”

“So?” Lilly looked at Georgia expectantly. “How’s election day going?”

Georgia shrugged. “Hard to say until tonight, but I’m very hopeful. Oh, and get this. Lavinia—”

A knock at the door interrupted her. She lifted her finger. “Hold that thought.”

She went to the door and opened it to find the very woman she’d been speaking of. “Lavinia. What are you doing here?”

Lavinia didn’t bother answering or removing her sunglasses. “Do you have a permit for this photoshoot?”

Georgia stared at her. “What are you talking about? This is private property, and they have my permission. I don’t need a permit.”

“This isn’t private property. This is a business and where your property line ends, the public beach begins. Are you telling me they haven’t once left your property? Or that the beach won’t be featured in any of the photographs.”

Georgia shook her head. This was insane. And she was so over Lavinia’s antics. “You’re absolutely nuts, you know that? Go home, Lavinia.”

She started to close the door, but Lavinia put her hand against it. “The permitting department of Blackbird Beach requires a photography permit anytime the public beach appears in photos used for commercial purposes. Additionally, there is a hundred-and-fifty-dollar fee for that permit and the permission must be granted ten days prior to the photography being carried out.”

That actually sounded legit. Georgia was beginning to wonder if Lavinia genuinely had the power to shut them down.

Then Kelly stepped up beside Georgia and squared off with Lavinia. “That permit is required only in cases where the shoot will either disturb the natural surroundings, which this one doesn’t, or in the event that the town would incur the costs of monitoring such a shoot, which it won’t, because there’s no need to monitor a shoot taking place on a private location.”

She glared at Lavinia. “And this is still a private location. Just because it’s a business doesn’t mean Georgia doesn’t retain ownership or control of the property.”

Lavinia’s eye twitched and after a long moment, she finally spoke again. “It had better not. Or the council will slap you with a fine so fast, your head will spin.”

Georgia shook her head slowly. “I feel sorry for you, Lavinia. What a small, petty life you live, so focused on what you can do to hurt instead of help. It’s not too late to change, you know that? To make amends for all the hurt you’ve caused. You might actually find some happiness then. Something to think about.”

Lavinia grunted and hurried off the porch.

Georgia shut the door to find Lilly, Griffin, Mia, the photographer, and Susanna behind her. Lavinia had succeeded in interrupting things, even if only for a short time.

Georgia sighed. “We should have seen that coming.” She smiled at Kelly. “I’m so glad you were here and knew the details of that permit business.”

Kelly shrugged. “The paper has a standing permit, which I have to renew every year. That’s how I know about all of that.”

“Good thing, too, because I’m pretty sure without you, I would have bought into all of that.”

“I have no doubt that’s what she was counting on,” Kelly said.

Susanna blinked like she wasn’t sure what had just happened. “So are we good to go?”

“Absolutely,” Lilly answered. “And we’ll be just fine for you to move outside later and capture the sunset, too.”

“All right.” Susanna clapped her hands. “Let’s get back to it.”

As she, the photographer, Griffin, Mia, and Kelly went back to the scene they’d been shooting, Lilly approached Georgia. “What were you about to tell me right before she showed up?”

Georgia had to think a moment. “Oh, about Lavinia. I know. She made a fuss at the polling station earlier and got Denise kicked off her volunteering job because Lavinia saw Denise giving Travis a cup of coffee, so she complained to the election commissioner that Denise was actually working for Travis.”

“Are you serious? She has to meddle in everything, doesn’t she? I mean, we obviously just saw proof of that. But I feel bad for Denise. No one needs that kind of aggravation, but her especially.”

“No, she doesn’t. But she ended up hanging out with Travis for a couple hours and helping him campaign, so it all worked out. But Lavinia is really losing it. Did you know that Sam has come up with a plan to spread a fake wedding date around so that Lavinia, and possibly her mother if she’s still in town, don’t show up for the real one? Word is already being filtered through the grapevine, as it were.”

“Now that’s a brilliant move.” Lilly smiled. “What’s the fake one?”

“Saturday morning.”

Lilly nodded. “Good. Then hopefully, they’ll miss Wednesday night altogether.”

“That’s the plan. How are things coming for the wedding?”

Lilly glanced at Mia. “Really well. I think Mia inherited some of my party planning ability. She’s doing a great job. For such short notice, this wedding is going to be beautiful. Small, but very well put together. And with the flowers that Beach Blooms is providing, and all of these plants already in here…kind of makes me want to renew my vows.”

Georgia smiled. “Somehow I think that event would have a slightly bigger budget.”

Lilly laughed softly. “I’m sure. And definitely more planning time. But there’s a lot to be said for simplicity, too.”

Georgia gave her sister a look of playful disbelief. “Who are you and what have you done with my sister?”

Lilly poked her in the arm. “This gulf coast life is changing me. I won’t deny it. And for the better too. I’m just not sure what Andre’s going to think when he sees me again.”

“I’m sure he’ll love the new you.” The inn and this easier, laid-back way of life had changed all of them in some way. Made them stronger. More capable. More independent. Happier, too.

Georgia went back to watching the photoshoot, full of contentment. Lavinia might have interfered for a brief moment, but all she’d really done was highlight the differences between them.

Sad and bitter.

Happy and joyful.

And Georgia didn’t think there was a thing in the world Lavinia could do to change that.