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Relief flooded Gia’s face. “Oh, are you intending to propose? Of course, that would be better.” She rested a hand on my forearm. “Why didn’t you say something when I first started jabbering on about professionalism?”
“So, you’re okay as long as we’re engaged?” I asked, uncertain if I understood what she was saying.
Gia pursed her lips as she thought about it. “Yeah, I think that would be fine. Abby and Nick are engaged. As are Lily and Jake.”
I shifted on my feet. “The thing is, Everly doesn’t know yet. Can we keep it a secret?”
Gia smiled. “Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me. I’m so happy for you and Everly. Who knew you’d find love with your best friend?”
“I sure didn’t.” Although it didn’t feel as strange as it once did.
“We’d better get to work. I’ll check in with Remi about the weather. In the meantime, go ahead and set up in the woods. I have a feeling Remi will want to hold the wedding there, rain or shine.”
“Sounds good to me.” I wanted the bride to be happy, and I loved when they weren’t worried about the weather. It was about spending time with your loved ones and having what you dreamed about. Not letting a little rain ruin the day. I’d seen too many brides distraught over the weather.
I set up the arbor at the place Remi picked out. We’d never had a wedding in the woods like this. The guests would have a small hike to get to this spot, but she’d warned her guests ahead of time. It was a great venue with a leaf-covered floor and tall trees. There were enough leaves left on the trees to provide some coverage from the rain. Yet something told me Remi would view the rain as good luck on her wedding day.
When I set up the arbor and the chairs, Lily, the florist, took over arranging the flowers on them. I’d already set up the tables and chairs in the barn. I just needed to add the linens. On the walk to the barn, my phone buzzed with an incoming call. Worried there might be something wrong with Wren, I answered without looking at the screen.
“Cain here,” I answered, unsure if it was a business call forwarded from my work number or a personal call.
“Is this Cain Rentals?” a deep voice asked.
My shoulders relaxed. “That’s right. I’m Harrison Cain.”
“Oh, good. You’re the one I wanted to talk to.”
“May I ask whom I’m speaking to?” I paused on the tree line where I could observe people walking in and out of the barn with flowers and other items.
“Silas Sharpe.”
Not seeing Gia around, I asked, “What can I do for you, Mr. Sharpe?”
“You can call me Silas. I own Chesapeake Resort.”
“I’m aware.” I wondered what he wanted from me. Gia didn’t want any of us working with him, but I didn’t sign anything saying I was working exclusively with Happily Ever Afters.
“I have a business proposition for you,” Silas said succinctly.
I tightened my fingers around my phone as anticipation shot through me. There was no harm in hearing him out. “I’m listening.”
“We have some chairs and linens on hand, but brides frequently want something custom or something we don’t have on hand.”
“I specialize in custom. I can get whatever your bride requests.” I had most of it in stock and I kept up with what was on trend and in demand.
“I have to be honest. I haven’t had much luck with vendors. They don’t ship on time or get back to me. I can’t work with that. I need someone who’s reliable, and I’ve heard good things about your business.”
I stood a little straighter. “I’ve built my business on that reputation.”
“Glad to hear it. I want you to be my sole supplier.”
My heart galloped in my chest. If I had two wedding planners using my rental company exclusively, I could afford to hire help. Perhaps be able to take a step back. “I’m interested in hearing more.”
“I’ll have my assistant call you sometime this week to set up a meeting so we can discuss the details.”
We needed to agree on cost and logistics since he was outside of my usual service area, but I was hopeful this was my chance to level up. “I’ll look forward to their call.”
We hung up, and excitement surged through me. All my hard work was finally paying off. First with the contract with Gia, and now with Silas. I was making a name for myself in this business. I’d always known I wanted to be someone my clients could count on, and to be recognized for that was satisfying.
