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Clara scrolled down to the photos, wondering what else Tula had taken from the wedding they’d worked so hard to plan and used for her real wedding. And then her eyes caught on a photo of Andrew.He was there? He’d known? Was this what he’d wanted to talk to her about?
Had he known all along? No. Surely not. But then she recalled his words to her on the phone…I had to pick up a gift for my brother’s birthday. This week he turns twenty-five. It’s going to be an unforgettable event.
It certainly had been unforgettable.
Clara searched the Internet, finding all of the news outlets were running the same story. Andrew wasn’t prominent in the other pictures, but there were glimpses of him here and there. The ache in her chest became more intense with each vision of him.
How had she missed the fact that Tula was planning this? There had to be signs Clara had missed. As she searched her memories for some telltale sign, her head began to throb. For some reason, the facts weren’t adding up. Her biggest question was why had Andrew set her up to plan this wedding?
Clara scrolled through the wedding photos. It was abundantly obvious this wasn’t a quickly thrown-together wedding. The photos included a rose-covered arch and an elaborate wedding cake. She’d been duped. They’d all been duped. But why?
And then she realized the answer. Everything Clara had done had been a decoy—a way to throw off the paparazzi. In fact, she wouldn’t have put it past Tula to have personally leaked the story to the press about the wedding plans at the Seabreeze Wedding Chapel.
When her gaze returned to the photo of Andrew, it was like a swift jab to the gut. It stole away her breath. Had he known about Tula’s other wedding, and he hadn’t told her?
She continued staring at the photo. It was a side profile of him. He was talking to his brother and gesturing with his hands. Was it possible they were arguing? She didn’t know, and at this point, she really didn’t care.
Her phone rang. The caller ID showed it was Andrew. What could he possibly want now? It didn’t matter. She didn’t want to hear it.
Wanting to make it clear to him to stop with the flowers, notes, and phone calls, she answered. “Andrew, please stop—”
“Clara, I need to tell you something—”
“If it’s about Tula’s wedding, I know. And we have nothing left to discuss. Please stop calling and sending flowers.” And then she disconnected the call.
Her gaze strayed back to the computer display where Andrew’s image stared back at her. With a huff, Clara closed the Internet page. As much as she wanted to hide away from the world and nurse her broken heart, she couldn’t. In fact, she didn’t have time to waste. She had to come up with a statement for the media. But what did she say? That she was duped? It would crush her professional reputation. Then what bride would trust her with their most important day?
Clara typed out a statement. She read it over, and then she presseddelete. This wasn’t going to be easy to explain and still maintain some shred of respect. She tried typing a new statement.
A short time later, there was a knock at the door. “Come in.”
Brooke looked hesitant as she stuck her head in. “I’ve been getting a lot calls from news outlets about Tula and our part in the wedding debacle.”
Clara frowned at the computer monitor and presseddelete. Again. “I’ll come up with a statement. I… I just need a moment to clear my thoughts.”
“I understand.” Brooke hesitated in the doorway. “I’m really sorry this happened. It’s not right. If I can do anything to help, just let me know.”
Clara gazed over the top of her monitor at her friend. She knew this debacle wasn’t easy on either of them. “Why don’t you take the rest of the day off and let the rest of calls go to voicemail?”
Brooke hesitated and then shook her head. “I won’t leave you to deal with this alone.”
“Thank you. But it’s best not to say anything in the heat of the moment. We’ll state our position tomorrow morning.” She only got one chance to speak the right words. “You’ve been great. You deserve the time off. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Uncertainty reflected in Brooke’s eyes. “You’re sure? Because I don’t mind staying.”
“I’m positive. Go ahead. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
As Brooke closed the door, thoughts of Andrew came back to her. She could understand a spoiled starlet like Tula doing something like this. That didn’t make it right, but it was somewhat understandable. Tula was worried about herself and her own image. Clara doubted she ever stopped to consider the feelings of others.
However, Clara hadn’t expected something like this from Andrew. She wanted to tell herself that he didn’t know anything about the secret nuptials, but she wasn’t that good of a salesperson.
Her gaze slipped back to the photo of Andrew at the wedding. He was all dressed up in a dark suit, and it appeared he’d just had his hair cut. He’d definitely put some effort into looking his best for the evening—for the wedding.
But then she recalled his message with the flowers about needing to talk. If he wanted to talk about their future, he could save his breath. Did he really think a talk would make up for keeping her in the dark about Tula’s real plans and in the process putting her professional relationships in jeopardy?
Impossible. Without trust, there couldn’t be love. And to think she’d been ready to tell him that she still loved him. The backs of her eyes stung. She blinked repeatedly. Alone or not, she refused to give in to the tears. She had to focus. She had business relationships to salvage.
Later, when she was alone, she’d pour out her heart. And grieve for the love she’d lost not once but twice.
