LITMIR.BIZ

      Chapter Three

      “Georgianna Camden is getting married? Now, that’s a wedding I’ll have to show up for!”

      The excitement in Chrystal Burke’s voice was unmistakable when Vonni told her Thursday afternoon that Georgianna Camden’s wedding was the latest job to come their way.

      Although Burke’s Weddings had been Chrystal’s college graduation gift from her father, Chrystal only came into the shop sporadically. For an hour here or an hour there, she dropped in to have Vonni update her on what weddings Vonni was doing and—if the bride or groom were of interest to Chrystal—to hear all the details and dig for dirt. But she never offered to help. The actual work was done by Vonni.

      Then, if it was a wedding Chrystal wanted to attend but hadn’t already been invited to, Chrystal came to the wedding itself—under the guise of the wedding planner—to basically become one of the guests anyway while Vonni oversaw and coordinated the event and ensured that it went smoothly.

      It was the way things had been for the eight years Burke’s Weddings had been in business—at least after the first few months when Chrystal had come in every day, from opening to closing, and learned that a job was not her cup of tea.

      “And am I understanding right—did you say that you’re doing all the planning with Dane Camden?” Chrystal asked.

      “His grandmother is spending time in Montana with a sick friend and can’t do it herself. So yes, you heard right—Dane Camden is acting as go-between, with Mrs. Camden having final say long-distance.”

      “You know, I never got a turn with him....” Chrystal confided as if the idea titillated her.

      Vonni’s mother, Elizabeth Hunter, had been the personal assistant to Chrystal’s mother, Helene. Since both women had had two-year-old daughters when Elizabeth started the job, Vonni had joined Chrystal in the nursery every day, under the supervision of the nanny.

      As a result, Chrystal and Vonni had grown up together, friends on opposite ends of the silver spoon, but friends nonetheless. They’d even gone to the same schools until college. Their relationship was sisterly but they had very, very different personalities.

      “But you’re married again,” Vonni reminded Chrystal with a touch of reprimand in her voice. “Marriage number two—that you swore you were going to make work. So you can’t have a turn with him now, either.”

      “Maybe I should do this wedding....” Chrystal suggested.

      “What do you mean?” Vonni asked, feeling unusually territorial suddenly.

      “You know, I could be there for your meetings with Dane Camden. Go along to check out the church or the reception venue or whatever....”

      In other words, Chrystal would be there to flirt while Vonni was trying to do a rush job on the Camden wedding.

      Chrystal wasn’t malicious or spiteful. She just tended to be flighty and self-centered. And since Vonni knew that about her, she didn’t ordinarily take offense to what Chrystal said or did. But for some reason Chrystal taking an interest in spending time with Dane Camden rubbed Vonni wrong.

      “You’d still be there, too,” Chrystal said, “so it isn’t as if I’d be alone with him or doing anything I shouldn’t. I’d just be...you know, working.”

      Vonni took a breath and held it to fight the increasing annoyance she felt.

      She didn’t understand why she felt it, but it was eating her alive.

      It wasn’t as if she was interested in Dane Camden, she thought as she attempted to sort through her feelings and get them under control. He hadn’t been arrogant or conceited or conniving or upper-class smarmy the way she’d expected him to be, the way she’d found too many of the other entitled rich boys she’d learned in adolescence to stay away from. But she still wasn’t interested. Even despite the fact that he had a good sense of humor, that he seemed humble and down-to-earth, that he was agreeable and cooperative and accessible. And not at all conceited—because if he was aware of how incredibly handsome he was it didn’t show.

      But no matter how many positive attributes he had, Vonni was off the find-a-husband carousel, and even if she wasn’t, Dane Camden was absolutely not someone she would even think of going after.

      So what she was feeling about Chrystal tagging along couldn’t have anything to do with the man himself.

      It was just the inconvenience, Vonni decided.

      Because she did have a job to do. And she was in a huge hurry. Too much of a hurry to be able to afford the distraction Chrystal would cause—that was why she so, so, so hated the thought of Chrystal butting in on this.

      Banking on the fact that she knew Chrystal well, Vonni decided to call her bluff.

      “Maybe you should just do this one yourself,” Vonni challenged with an edge she couldn’t quite keep from her voice, even though she’d convinced herself there was nothing personal in her feelings. “It’s June and I have more weddings on my plate than I can handle already. I only took this one on because—” not because Dane Camden was involved or had great hair or the bluest eyes she’d ever seen or the best shoulders “—because it’s a Camden wedding and I didn’t dare turn down something that could be a gold mine for the future. But if you want to start working again—”

      Oooh, that had come out a little bitchy.... But Chrystal didn’t seem to hear it.

      “Oh, I don’t want to do the work!” Chrystal said guilelessly.

      “And because of time constraints he’s scheduled all nights and this weekend,” Vonni continued in a more conciliatory tone, still with the goal of making things sound unappealing, but trying to make it seem as if she was only thinking of her friend. “What would you tell Richard about not seeing him from now until after this wedding in order to spend that time with Dane Camden—who I believe Richard hates because two of his old girlfriends left him to date Dane Camden instead, didn’t they?”

      Chrystal made a horrified face. “Oh, Richard would have a fit! He does hate Dane Camden—I forgot about that.”

      “Plus this has to be done in such a hurry that it’s going to be business, business, business—there won’t be a minute to spare,” Vonni went on bleakly. “And meeting with Dane Camden isn’t even a drop in the bucket—he’ll be in and out and then there will be orders and paperwork and calls and scheduling and confirmations and all the details that will have to be done without him...”

      Chrystal made a face. “I forgot about all of that. And no, I couldn’t do nights or this weekend—Richard and I are going to Napa this weekend to see his mother.” Chrystal sighed regretfully. “But Dane Camden...I’ve barely gotten to see him across a room at parties. I can’t ever get anyone to introduce us—men are afraid if they do, you’ll go off with him and leave them behind, and other women just want him to themselves.”

      Vonni was quick to assure herself that that wasn’t what she was doing—even unconsciously—that she was not feeling the urge to keep him to herself.

      “How is he—up close and personal?” Chrystal asked confidentially, as if to find some appeasement.

      “I’m just working with him. We haven’t been—and won’t be—up close or personal.”

      “Still, you’ve talked to him—I haven’t even done that.”

      “He’s very nice,” Vonni conceded. “He has good manners—old-fashioned good manners—holding the door and ordering for me—”

      “You’ve

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