“Is there something going on? There are so many people up and about already.”
That was probably the bride’s doing. I glanced past Madi to the courtyard that wrapped around the entirety of the hotel. Folks were already setting up the aisles in the back, white chiffon ribbons blowing in the breeze.
“Weddings are held here sometimes,” I explained. “It’s a tiny hotel, but it gets a lot of foot traffic. It’s one of the better venues in Whynot.”
“It’s so cute.”
I had to agree. Austin and Avery had got the creative gene, and Austin’s revealed itself in the way he revitalized places like the hotel. When our father died, he took over everything andfocused on how to liven up the town we’d known our entire lives. It became his coping mechanism, for better or worse.
Madi’s shoulders deflated. “Thank you for bringing me over here. I realize now I could have just walked, but I was stressing about being in a new place and the car and it’s been a bad time. A really bad, bad time. I think I need a full day of sleep and food.”
“The hotel has great food in the restaurant that’s attached. The peach pancakes are a favorite, but they also have breakfast tacos, and a lot of other things too,” I said. “They’ll get you fed. Do you want my number in case something else comes up?”
Madi looked over at me with a dreamy smile.
Were my hands actually sweaty?
“You know what? Sure,” she said. “It wouldn't hurt to have a cute friend here. In case I need another rescue.”
“Cute friend, huh?” I smiled to myself. “I’m available anytime.”
Madi rattled off her phone number and I added it quickly, saving her contact before sending her a message. She nodded when it came through. “Got it.”
I fully blushed as I watched her add my name asMr. Knight in Shining Armor.
I cleared my throat. “Great. Let’s get you checked in.”
CHAPTER THREE
June
I should have let that woman hit me with her car. At this point, it would have felt better being one with the pavement than listening to this bullshit.
I was about to throw Bridezilla’s bouquet straight into the trash.
“I told you that I wanted pink roses. These aren’t pink. These are almost white, and they’re not at all what I imagined.”
Brittany stomped around the courtyard at Whynot Stay, but I kept my smile pinned in place. Set up was mostly finished for her wedding tomorrow and the roses had been delivered.
They were pink.
Not only were they pink, I’d taken the time to shade match the roses to the invitations Brittany had forced her mother-in-law with arthritis to spend six hours hand addressing with a gold ink quill pen. I’d even pulled some strings to get these exact roses delivered out into the middle of nowhere, which was far more impressive than anyone ever gave me credit for. I’d ensured everything would be perfect, because if I did it, it had to be the best.
Brittany was officially on my shit list. It was too early for this sort of behavior. My coffee hadn’t even kicked in yet, I’d nearlybeen taken out by a stranger, and I’d hardly slept last night. The sun was barely up over Whynot, but Brittany demanded the team be here the day before so that she could ensureeverything was to her vision.
Thank god for the maid of honor.
The rings beneath her eyes were deep, poor girl. I hoped, for her sake, that the makeup artist had brought a metric ton of concealer because everyone in the wedding party was looking a little ragged.
Anne rolled her shoulders and offered me an apologetic look. “The roses are beautiful, Brittany is just a nightmare right now. Sorry. I knew I shouldn’t have let her have that energy drink this morning.”
She turned her focus to her friend. Or maybe soon to be ex-friend. I would have already left by now, but Evie and Avery would never behave this way.
I didn’t say anything, but did keep my customer service smile from curling into a smirk as Anne grabbed Brittany’s arm and dragged her off.
“What? This is a problem,” Brittany growled. “I wanted pink.”
“They are pink, Brit,” Anne insisted. “They’re fucking pink.”
