Entice (34 page)

In front of family and friends, they were about to commit to one another, promising to love one another forever.

Forever.

That’s such a long time
, Shelly thought as she waited for Lena to open the door. Just as it unlatched, Josh suddenly flashed into her mind, but she quickly pushed him aside when Lena appeared, beaming at her.

“And how is the lovely bride on this beautiful morning?” Shelly asked as she stepped forward.

Lena moved aside to let her in. “Ahh, the bride is nervous, and the groom has already called five times.”

Shelly had to laugh at that. It sounded just like Mason to be worried about his doctor today. The two of them had been through a lot to get to where they finally were now. He was probably having a minor case of paranoia, believing it wasn’t actually going to happen.

“Well, the groom is out of his mind. There is no way I’m going to be slacking on my duties, even if I have to pick you up and carry you to the wedding myself.”

Lena laughed as she closed the door, and Shelly took that moment to lay her garment bag across Lena’s couch.

“You don’t have to worry about that. There’s no other place I want to be this evening than standing at the alter with Mason,” Lena told her with a smile on her face.

Shelly returned it, reaching out to hug her friend. Shelly’s heart tightened. She felt herself getting somewhat emotional, hearing her friend so sure of her path and direction, not to mention, the person she intended to share it with.

“You’re lucky you know,” Shelly told her as they parted.

“Oh, I know I’m lucky. But why do you think I am?” Lena asked with a laugh.

 She stepped around her and made her way into the kitchen. Shelly followed and took a seat on one of Lena’s breakfast bar stools.

“Because you know exactly what you want,” Shelly told her with true conviction.

Lena turned and arched a brow, holding a chilled bottle of wine.

“Wine? This early?” Shelly asked with a raised brow and a smirk.

“Just one—to calm the nerves a little and to celebrate.” Lena paused. “I do
not
want to be tipsy tonight.”

Shelly let out a small chuckle and assured her friend. “I will not let you be tipsy for your own wedding.”

Lena grinned and moved toward the counter, taking two glasses from the cupboard overhead. After she had poured them each a glass of wine, she turned to face Shelly.

“What do you mean I know what I want? In life? In general? Or with Mason?” she queried as she passed a half-filled glass in Shelly’s direction.

Shelly took the wine and raised it to her friend. They tapped the glasses gently in a soft clink as Shelly looked at her closest friend.

“All of the above, my friend. You have it all worked out, and that makes you a
very
lucky woman.” Raising her wine glass, Shelly saluted Lena. “Cheers to you on your wonderful wedding day.”

“Cheers!” Lena returned as they each took a sip of their wine.

***

A little distance away from the girls, Josh sat on his friend’s couch, looking out of Mason’s huge living room windows.

Wow, what a view,
Josh thought as he waited patiently for Mason to come back from making yet
another
anxious call to Lena.

Josh had to smile at his friend. He knew Mason was nervous that Lena would disappear and not show, so every hour on the hour, he was calling his soon-to-be bride to ease his worried mind. Josh wondered what Mason would do if she was stuck under a hair dryer or something and wasn’t able to answer the phone. He’d probably go a little insane.

Ahh, isn’t love grand?

As he waited, his mind slipped back to the night before with Shelly.

He knew she had been close to telling him exactly what he had been waiting to hear, but it had not been how or where he wanted it. He knew he couldn’t control when she was going to say it. That wasn’t the point at all. The point was he wanted her to say it
and
feel it no matter what time of the day it was—not because she missed him and
certainly
not because he had just blown her mind in a coat closet.

As Josh started to slip deeper into those thoughts, he was saved by Mason reappearing from the bedroom.

“So?” Josh asked his friend lazily.

This routine had now been repeated several times today.

“She’s good. Her and Shelly are in the process of getting their hair done.”

Josh chuckled. “Fancy that.”

Mason shook his head and moved over to sit down on the couch. “I’m going crazy, right?”

Josh smirked at his friend. “No, you’re in love. You’re about to get married, and you’re just a little nervous, I’d say.”

Mason took a deep breath and then let it out on a sigh. “Yeah, I’m a little nervous, but not because I’m getting married.” He paused, and then looked at Josh with the most serious expression Josh had ever seen on his friend. “Have you ever looked at someone and just thought,
Yes. I know you. You’re meant to be mine
.”

Josh raised a brow, thinking about that for a minute.
How did it happen with Georgia?
Well, it had been more like a sledgehammer blow across his head. Before he could say that, Mason continued.

“Lena couldn’t stand me when we first met, and I remember thinking she was so prickly and rude. But when she walked into the restaurant that same night, it all just fell into place. I
knew
I needed to know her.” Mason stopped, and then laughed at himself. “Listen to me, I sound like a total fool.”

Josh shook his head and assured his good friend. “No, you don’t. You sound like a man who went after the woman he loves and got exactly what he wanted.” Josh paused, and then decided to let his friend in on his own secret. “I’m familiar with that, man.”

Mason looked at him, cocking his head to the side. “You and Shelly?”

Josh nodded, letting out a deep breath. “But it’s complicated.”

“It always is, Josh. Look at Lena and me. We had a rocky moment at every turn.” Mason paused, and then told him seriously, “But, if it’s what you want, don’t wait to tell her. Women like Lena and Shelly don’t come along every day. Smart
and
beautiful—that’s hitting the goddamned jackpot, man.”

Josh laughed at that. “I won’t wait too much longer, but she already pulled a fast one and ran away once. I want to be sure she won’t do that again.”

Mason raised a brow. “And how do you plan to do that?”

Josh sighed and admitted, “I actually have no idea, but I’ve been working on it.”

“So, will you be sticking around after the wedding?”

Shaking his head, Josh stood, moving to the window. “No. I need to get back to work.”

“Are you ever going to tell me where you’re staying?” Mason inquired from the couch.

Josh looked over his shoulder and shook his head. “Hell no, you’d squeal to Shelly in two seconds.”

“Hey! I resent that.”

Josh let out a loud laugh. “Hey! I don’t give a damn.” Looking at his watch, he noticed the time had just turned 4:00 p.m. “Well, you ready to head over?”

His friend stood and walked into the adjoining room. When he came out, he was carrying a garment bag that held his tux. He nodded and said, “Yep. I’m ready. Let’s go and get me married.”

With that, they headed down to the valet where Josh’s truck was being brought around to the front.

***

It was 5:50 p.m., and the time had rolled around quicker than Shelly had expected. As she stood inside the Field House at Promontory Point, she glanced out the window to see all of Lena and Mason’s family and friends seated under a lovely white tent that covered the lakefront patio.

The main aisle had been set up to run between two sections of white chairs. Each section was comprised of four seats across and twelve down, and every aisle seat had a small cluster of blue Singapore orchids and white roses attached to it to complement Lena’s choice of bouquets and boutonnieres.

Rachel had assured Lena that these flowers would look both elegant and classy. Shelly had to admit that Rachel had gotten a keen eye since she had started to work afternoons down at, Precious Petals, after spending the mornings baking for Exquisite.

Lena had chosen a color scheme that included crisp white and a lovely vibrant shade of blue to complement Mason’s tie and the gorgeous bridesmaids’ dresses.

The wedding wasn’t a huge event people-wise, but for the city of Chicago and all of its single women, one of the most eligible bachelors was going to be off the market in approximately—Shelly looked at the clock on the wall, noticing it had just turned 5:52 p.m.—eight minutes.

Turning, she found Lena standing over with Rachel, who was fussing with the back of the bride’s dress. Shelly made her way over to them, noticing Lena’s father had also arrived. When she reached Lena, she stood before her and looked at her friend with pure female appreciation.
She is so beautiful.

Lena was wearing one of the most stunning wedding dresses Shelly had ever seen. It was made up of miles of white lace and had sleeves that were only a few inches wide. It sat perfectly on her elegant shoulders before sweeping down in a soft dip across her breasts.

That, of course, was what Shelly saw before Lena turned around. Shelly then got a glimpse of the back of the dress, where the material intricately covered her in a peek-a-boo fashion of lace and skin, ending in a V-shape at the sway of her back.

Under Lena’s bust was a beautiful broach made up of sliver and diamonds that Shelly knew Lena’s mother had given her to wear. Lena had two hair clips made similar to match her and Rachel’s. Beyond all the trimmings on the dress, the fabric molded to every line of her body until mid-thigh where it gently flowed out into a spectacular pool of lace and loveliness around her feet.

Simply put, Lena looked like a princess.

Shelly stood silently and waited for her friend to look at her. When Lena finally raised her eyes to meet hers, Shelly smiled and nodded. She watched as Lena looked at the clock on the wall. 6:00 p.m.

It was time.

***

Josh stood by Mason up at the front of the crowd and waited expectantly for the music to start up, signaling Lena’s appearance. He looked over to his friend and noticed he looked a little tense.

Josh leaned in and asked, “You doing okay, man?”

Mason looked over to him and nodded. “Yep. I just want to see her.”

Just as he said that, the music began. Instead of the usual wedding march for the beautiful bride to walk down the aisle to, Josh grinned as the familiar chords to “Crash into Me” by Dave Matthews Band filtered in through the speakers.

Several seconds later, Rachel appeared.

Wearing a long sweeping dress in a light shade of blue, she made her way down the aisle. Her dark hair was curled and clipped on one side, leaving the length of it to fall down, covering her back.

In her hands, she held a small bouquet of blue Singapore orchids and white roses, matching the same orchid that was pinned to his lapel.

Rachel’s eyes met her brother’s, and Josh noticed there were tears in them as she made her way closer to where they were standing. Watching them both closely, Josh wondered what exactly was going through Rach’s head as she moved over to stand on the left side of the aisle.

Her eyes finally met his, and Josh smiled at her, trying to reassure her everything would be okay. He felt like she needed it and wasn’t quite sure why, but before he could think on it too long, the crowd was oohing and aahing over the next person that appeared.

Josh turned and found it hard not to do the same.

Making her way down the aisle in a much shorter version of Rachel’s dress was Shelly Monroe.
Georgia
.

Her hair was pulled half up and back from her beautiful face, and the rest was left in a halo of soft curls around her shoulders. Josh assumed the clip holding it back was the same silver-and-diamond-looking one that Rachel was wearing.

However, that wasn’t what kept him entranced. It was her eyes as she was making her way up to the front. They were locked on his. She had glanced at Mason once, but then she had looked to him and had not faltered since.

Josh felt his heart thundering in his chest, almost feeling like this was his own damn wedding. As Shelly reached the front and went to stand beside Rachel, he turned to look at her and watched as she winked at him. Josh smiled and suddenly felt like he was back on even ground.
Ahh, there’s the Man-Eater.

He needed to let her know tonight how he really felt. He needed her to be aware that he wasn’t aiming to make her anything other than a permanent part of his life. The thought that she would not want to hear it terrified him.

All of a sudden, everyone stood, and the music continued to play as Magdalena O’Donnell and her father made their grand entrance.

Josh had to admit that as he watched her move closer down the aisle to Mason, who was now watching his bride with a look that was complete and utter adoration, he could one-hundred percent appreciate the reasons for getting married.

The woman who was walking toward her groom wasn’t the Lena they all knew and loved. This was a woman who was radiating so much happiness and love as she made her way toward her man that it was like they were all seeing her for the first time. Her gaze never left Mason’s as she moved closer, and the complete unfettered love in her eyes was absolutely mesmerizing.

When she finally reached Mason, Josh watched as his usually smooth-talking friend just stood and stared at the woman in front of him. Her father let go of her hand, and Lena finally smiled up at her fiancé, greeting him softly.

“Hi.”

Josh chuckled, and so did the rest of the crowd behind them.

Mason shook his head, and then blinked once. “Hi.”

Finally, the pastor made a little coughing sound and stated, “If everyone could please be seated, we’ll begin.”

Josh heard all the chairs shuffle and watched as everyone took their seats. He turned toward Rachel and Shelly and smiled at them both. Shelly gave him a radiant one in response, and Rachel smiled, but it felt strained.