A Happy Endings Wedding (Happy Endings Book Club, Book 11) Read online

  She gasped. The guards had just opened the palace doors, and right there in the beautiful two-story white marble great hall with gilded mirrors and beautiful silk damask wallpaper the color of the sea shot through with gold leaf pattern—a kangaroo hopped by.

  Wearing a bridal veil.

  A koala in a top hat chased her.

  Her face flushed hot, her hands in fists. She wanted to hurl obscenities at the kangaroo-koala couple usurping her wedding, kick them in their fluffy asses, and right out the door. But no. She would not stoop to that level because—She. Was. A. Classy. Lady. Also, the reporter from Luxury Weddings was due any moment.

  A butler in a black suit and two footmen in the servants’ uniform of white shirts with black pants approached, but all Hailey could focus on was a tall purple bunny chatting on his cell phone. She knew it was a man because his hand was exposed and it was large and hairy. He was leaning against the wall, his arm draped casually over a short wombat. She was pretty sure it was a wombat, all furry, cute, and cuddly. She ground her teeth. This could not be happening.

  Josh moved swiftly ahead, speaking in a low tone to Phillip. Their luggage had already been taken care of by the footmen. She moved to catch up to Josh when someone bumped into her from behind. She yelped, nearly tripping on the smooth marble, but caught herself.

  It was a tall tan dog walking on its hind legs. Maybe a dingo? “Sorry!” the feminine voice exclaimed from inside the furry costume.

  Josh was there in a flash, glowering at the dingo, who scurried away. Hailey stared at the furry costume, the wedding planner in her quickly switching to logistics. It was only a temperate seventy degrees today, but by Saturday it was supposed to hit eighty, and those costumes would surely roast the furries. Ha! Roasted furries. Maybe she’d put that on the reception menu.

  Josh slid an arm around her shoulders, guiding her toward Phillip. “I’ll fix this,” he bit out through a clenched jaw.

  She looked up at Josh and whispered, “This is my area of expertise. Let me do the talking.”

  He grunted, which was not an agreement.

  “Kicking ass doesn’t work with brides,” she informed him, keeping her voice low.

  Another grunt. Great. Now she was going to have to get him to stand down so she could do her job. She was the wedding planner, and hadn’t she powered through numerous hiccups with emotional brides and pulled off the perfect wedding every time?

  Phillip gestured for them to follow down a long hallway to the right. Hailey might’ve appreciated the hallway with its wood paneling, frosted windows, and intricate ceiling of plaster designs framing gorgeous paintings if it weren’t for a pack of dingoes chatting on one side, drinking beer and laughing like hyenas. Unbelievable!

  She marched down the hallway. This was more than a hiccup. And this bride was past emotional to white-hot rage. Who the hell was this wedding planner who stupidly double-booked a wedding? It was the most basic thing getting the dates right. Hailey’s wedding had been planned for a year. Well, the venue had been planned for almost a year, but still. This wasn’t even a venue until she’d booked it. And what was with these furries? Why couldn’t they get married at home in their natural habitat? She hadn’t missed they were all native Australian species. The purple bunny being the oddball exception.

  Phillip turned into a room at the far end of the hallway, and they followed him in.

  A petite woman with shoulder-length brown hair was leaning over a large mahogany desk, giving the woman on the other side of the desk hell. It was her bestie, Mad Shaw. She’d recognize her badass stance and barking voice anywhere. “You’re not fit to call yourself a wedding planner! You can’t even kiss the toe of the best wedding planner in the world, who happens to be my best friend and the bride! You will fix this or you will never work on a wedding again!”

  The young woman across the desk with long red hair and wide blue eyes leaned as far back in her seat as possible. Strangely, the woman could’ve passed for Hailey’s sister, though with more freckles. Hailey was an only child.

  Hailey flung her arms wide to the woman raging on her behalf. “Mad! My matron of honor to the rescue!” Mad was the youngest and only girl raised with a slew of big brothers. Josh being one of them. Soon they’d be sisters by marriage.

  Mad whirled; her cheeks flushed red with exertion. She shook her head. “I showed up this morning to this disaster of an event. You know I got your back.”

  Josh chuckled. “Kicking ass and taking names as usual.”

  Hailey moved forward, arms still wide. “Get over here and hug me, lady!”

  Mad closed the distance and hugged her. She pulled back. “I am beyond pissed. Your wedding takes priority and that is it.”

  Hailey inclined her head and crossed to the woman at the desk, offering her hand. “Hi, I’m Hailey Adams, also a wedding planner. I’m here for my wedding.”

  The woman shook her hand with a clammy limp grip. “I’m Bonnie.” She had a slight lilting French accent. “Can you call off your matron of honor? She threatened to rip my eyeballs out.”

  Hailey waved a hand airily. “Don’t worry about that.” She took a seat at the desk, feeling Josh’s gaze on her. The door to the room clicked shut. She glanced over her shoulder. No one had left the room. The silence was thick with tension from her barely restrained champion supporters. She turned back to Bonnie. “So it seems we have a scheduling problem. I’m supposed to be married at four p.m. in the chapel followed by a reception in the grand ballroom. When did you schedule the fur—” She stopped herself, correcting course to be civil. “The other wedding?”

  Bonnie folded her hands tightly on the desk. “I’m afraid it’s for the same time, reception to follow in the grand ballroom. Their costumes can be hot and they specifically asked for the early evening time. I’m so sorry for the mix-up, but they flew here all the way from Australia, paid double the fee up front, and I didn’t realize the mistake until they’d arrived last night. You see, they wouldn’t be accepted at home for their furry selves, and it was important they be recognized in marriage by the creatures they identify with.” She lowered her voice conspiratorially. “The bride is pregnant. Very pregnant. I think that might be why she chose to be a kangaroo with a big pouch.”

  Hailey straightened her spine as Josh’s hand landed on her shoulder and squeezed. She looked up at him, silently communicating that they would not be playing the pregnancy card. She turned back to Bonnie. “Be that as it may, my wedding must remain at the agreed-upon time. I’ve arranged for both Luxury Weddings and Bride Special to be in attendance. They’ll be reporting on Villroy as a destination wedding and my wedding as the inaugural wedding. They didn’t come here to report on a kangaroo bride. They came here to report on the wedding planner responsible for Princess Silvia Rourke’s wedding in America. You see how it would be advantageous to Villroy’s new venture and to your future employment to reschedule the other wedding?”

  “Yeah!” Mad chimed in. “Your ass will be fired! Tell her, Phillip!”

  Phillip approached, standing awkwardly next to the desk. “I’m sure we can work something out. It was an honest mistake, and Bonnie was the best applicant for the job.”

  “How many people applied?” Josh asked drily.

  Phillip bristled. “Trust me, she was the only one close to qualified. She used to manage the fishing vessel scheduling at the port.”

  “She sucks at scheduling!” Mad barked.

  Phillip turned to Hailey. “She’s already got three weddings scheduled after this weekend, and we anticipate many more with the bridal magazines reporting.”

  Hailey spoke through her teeth. “If the magazines discover this huge mistake, it would scare away business. Big time.”

  Bonnie piped up. “I’m so very sorry. Let’s please work this out. Maybe we could shift your wedding to later in the day?”

  Hailey closed her eyes, reaching for calm, trying to think it through. She couldn’t even request her wedding be shifted to tomorrow b
ecause her mom and Josh’s dad were set to arrive tomorrow afternoon. She couldn’t chance them missing it if there were travel delays. So the question was: did she want to go on Saturday before a furry wedding and have to possibly cut the reception short to accommodate the other party, or go later and enjoy the ballroom as long as she could? She and Josh were leaving on Sunday for their honeymoon. “I’ll take the later time.”

  “No,” Mad protested. “Don’t give in to her. It’s her stupid fault. She has to make it right. You get what you want, end of story.”

  Josh leaned down to her ear. “Are you okay with this or being polite? Say the word.”

  He meant say the word and I will raise hell. But she had to think ahead to what was best for both the wedding and the venue. She was here to help Villroy and her royal friends. Plus the magazine coverage would be fantastic for the good of her future wedding planning business.

  She smiled up at Josh. “I’m good.” She turned to Bonnie. “My wedding will be at seven p.m. in the chapel, reception to follow as planned in the ballroom for as long as we want. Please add extra candelabras to the chapel and extra lighting to the ballroom to maximize photo opportunities. Let the other wedding party know they will need to end their reception promptly at seven to leave time for cleaning and setup for mine. I will personally supervise all the changes.” She pasted on a smile. “I’m sure there’s a lot I could teach you as a wedding planner, since you’re new at it, which will ensure all future weddings on Villroy will go through without a hitch.”

  “Of course,” Bonnie murmured, lowering her gaze to her desk.

  Phillip clapped his hands together. “Excellent. I knew we could work something out. Thank you, Hailey, for your understanding.” He smiled. “Now let’s get you settled in your room. I understand the Luxury Weddings reporter is waiting in the audience chamber in the west wing. No rush. They’ve been offered tea, and I believe she and the photographer are quite happy chatting with your sister-in-law Claire. I’ll join them straight after this. Meet us when you’re ready.”

  Hailey mustered a smile. “Sounds good, Phillip, thank you. I would like to freshen up.” She stood to go, a small sense of relief washing through her. Her wedding was back on track and Claire and Jake were here. That meant they had her gown, her fur babies, and her darling nephew, who never failed to make her smile. Things were looking up.

  She was walking to the door with Josh when Bonnie spoke up. “One more thing. Your flowers didn’t come in. The tulips? I’ve been waiting all day and I was almost afraid to mention it.”

  Hailey whirled. “Afraid to mention it? You don’t hide things from the bride. How could the flowers not come in? They were ordered months ago! You should’ve followed up.” Her voice choked. It was one thing too many.

  Josh took her hand and gave it a squeeze, looking into her eyes with a silent message: I got this.

  She nodded, her lips pressed tightly together. Her man would handle it. A pregnant bride could only take so much. The baby would feel stress hormones, and she had to do all she could to let her know that she was being born into a loving stable family. She secretly thought it was a girl.

  Josh jerked his chin at Mad to take his place at Hailey’s side. As soon as Mad reached her, Josh turned and ambled over to the desk to let Bonnie know how things were going to be.

  The last thing she heard was Josh saying ominously, “I’ll wait.”

  ~ ~ ~

  Hailey settled into her third-floor room, a beautiful suite of two bedrooms with a sitting area filled with gorgeous walnut antiques trimmed in gold. Gleaming hardwood floors, enormous stone hearths, and large windows framed by deep blue velvet drapes overlooking the sea added to the elegance. The bed in the bedroom she decided they’d be sleeping in was a full four-poster canopy bed with drapes in a beige and brown link pattern that could fully enclose the bed. So cozy and private. She could see spending her wedding night there.

  Her luggage was already here. She was digging in the large wheeled suitcase for her toiletry bag when a knock sounded at the wooden door. “Come in,” she called.

  A young woman with her dark hair pulled back in a bun, holding a pitcher of ice water, stepped into the room. “Hello, ma’am.” She curtsied. “I’m Anna and I’ll be helping you during your visit. I’ve brought you some water.” She moved quickly to a round antique table by the window and poured Hailey a glass, setting the pitcher on a trivet.

  “Hi. Thanks so much.”

  Anna turned and bobbed her head. “Would you like some fruit salad or perhaps something more substantial?”

  “Fruit salad would be great, and could I also have a slice of dry toast?”

  “Of course.” She turned and left just as quickly as she’d arrived.

  Hailey smiled to herself and went to the en suite bathroom. Wow! There was a huge soaking tub for two, along with a glass-enclosed shower with multiple jets. So tempting, but she didn’t want to keep the Luxury Weddings reporter waiting too long. She was supposed to have dinner with the Bride Special reporter tonight.

  She set her bag on the long marble counter with double sinks and brushed her teeth. She gagged a little, sensitive now to toothpaste and just about everything, really, and quickly rinsed her mouth. She put a hand to her belly. “Baby, I sure hope this morning sickness passes soon. I need to make sure you’re getting all that yummy nutrition.” The doctor had said the pregnancy was progressing nicely, and the baby was due January 22. Josh and Jake also had a January birthday. This little one and Jake’s son, Owen, would be a little over a year apart, which would be great for cousin playdates.

  She freshened up her makeup and then, feeling tired, settled in the bed, pillows propped up behind her while she waited for Anna to return. She must’ve dozed off because she was surprised when she heard the door shutting and no Anna was in sight. The fruit salad and toast were on the table.

  “Thank you!” she called.

  Anna pushed the door back open and stepped inside. “I didn’t want to wake you. Do you need anything else, ma’am?”

  “No, thank you. Please call me Hailey.”

  Anna bobbed her head and left.

  So weird to be waited on. Hailey had been doing things for herself from a very young age. She settled at the table and slowly ate the toast, staring out the window at a spectacular view of the sea, which she appreciated so much more on land. By the time she finished the toast and a second glass of water, she was feeling much better.

  The door swung open and Josh strode in. He shut the door and took a quick look around before heading straight for her, a grim look on his face.

  “How’d it go with the flowers?” she asked.

  He took the seat across from her. “I don’t think the wedding planner is going to last long.”

  She straightened, alarmed. “What happened?”

  He lifted a palm. “I made her cry. I never make women cry, except for breakups, but that shouldn’t count. I never made you cry, did I?”

  During their long rocky frenemy history, she’d been mostly mad at him, sometimes exasperated, always entertained. She’d only cried once, but it hadn’t been directly because of him. “Nope, but I’m a helluva warrior, so there’s that.” She smiled cheekily.

  He leaned forward, snagged her by the back of the neck, and kissed her. “That you are.” He leaned back in his seat. “She must be a wimp. I’ve managed a wait staff of mostly women for years. Not one tear. I’ve definitely yelled at Mad—”

  “Josh.” He clearly felt guilty, but she needed to know the deal. “What did you say to Bonnie?”

  “I told her I’d wait while she got on the phone to the florist and either got our order here tomorrow morning on the first ferry out, which is completely reasonable, or she got our money back and then hired another florist.”

  “And?”

  He snagged a strawberry from the fruit salad on the table. “So the original florist couldn’t come through on time, and they said maybe they could do it on Saturday if they got ano
ther delivery from their supplier. I said, ‘Unacceptable,’ and Bonnie burst into tears.” He chewed on the strawberry and looked at her like can you believe it?

  She gave him a sympathetic look. He didn’t like to stand by on tears. He liked to fix the problem as soon as possible because deep down he was too sensitive to sit idly by watching someone fall apart. “What’d you do then?”

  He reached for another strawberry. “I handed her a tissue and said I’d wait.”

  Hailey bit back a smile. She could just picture that, sympathy but no backing down. “Did she stop crying?”

  “No. She sobbed harder, blubbering in French and English, so I just waited her out.” He chewed and swallowed. “Finally, she called another florist. Flowers will be here on the first ferry tomorrow morning.”

  Hailey brightened. “And did she get our money back from the first florist?”

  He lifted one shoulder. “I dunno. I left. That’s her problem. It’ll come out of her funds, not ours.”

  She stood and crossed to him, wrapping her arms around him. He pushed his chair back and hauled her into his lap. “You rock!” she told him, beaming.

  He grinned. “I know.” He kissed her and slid a hand to her stomach. “How’re you feeling?”

  “Much better. I kept down some toast and I’m fully rehydrated.”

  “Good. You’re going to need a strong stomach when you see what’s downstairs. The place is crawling with furries. I swear they’re multiplying. You know, even the minister is dressed in a wallaby costume?”

  She laughed. It was either that or have a breakdown, and she had too much warrior in her to go that route.

  He kissed her cheek. “We’d better get to the audience chamber.” He said the last part in a deep ominous voice, making her smile. “Jake texted that he needs out of that room. They’ve been entertaining the reporter for a while now.”

  “Then we’ll go.” She stood. “Did Bonnie get us tulips?”