Planning Forever After (Book 3, Lonstino & Greenwood Series)

Chapter 2 - Abigail

ABIGAIL

Unbelievable! Ten minutes to ten in the morning and Thomas isn't here yet. He knows that punctuality is so important to me, to the reputation of our business. It's irritating that he doesn't take it seriously. I also would have wanted to stay longer in bed after last night's wedding.

Most events go without a hitch, but the one last night was a challenge. Our guests didn't notice a thing, but we were growing gray hairs with every minute that passed. It all started with the horses to drag the carriage. Our contract specified that we wanted two white horses and when the guy took them out of the trailer, one of them was brown. He didn't think it was an issue because in his eyes, a horse is a horse. But tell that to an already stressed bride. Dare to tell her that her all-white wedding has a brown horse! Thomas made the guy go back to his stables and come back with a horse in the right color.

Then the heel of our Cinderella bride broke just as she was coming out of the carriage in front of the church. With no other option, since she didn't pack the second pair of shoes we advised her to, I had to give her my heels. I then had to spend all evening on my slip-on sneakers and felt mortified about the looks people were giving me. I only hope the bride told people that the woman with the designer dress and worn-out sneakers is a professional wedding planner and saved her day.

Once the party started, the power failed in the band area and besides the sound, some of the string of lights went off. The singer was a blessing, because he just picked an acoustic guitar and serenaded the wedding couple. Jimmy was helping last night and sorted the problem quickly with the maintenance guy from the hotel.

We thought we were quite fine after that, but the kids started playing tag on the dance floor. A boy bumped against the cake table and the cake topper shaped as a glass heel tumbled down. Thomas made the dive of his life to catch it. That's the most exercise I have seen him doing in his life.

The front door opens and I pray our clients are not early, but when I hear a groan and a yawn, I feel relieved. Thomas Morgan, Mr. Wedding Planner, finally decided to show his face.

"Morning," he mumbles.

"I was about to call you. I thought you slept through your alarm."

"No, I didn't. It was a hectic night. Rosita threw up a hairball on my bed at four in the morning. I had to change my bed sheets and considered leaving the dirty ones in the laundry, but then I wouldn't have a backup, so I started the wash and then had to wait to throw them in the dryer. After all that, I banned her from the bedroom and tried to sleep some more, but she kept meowing and scratching the door, begging me to let her in. I'm not rested at all, feel like a wreck."

"Luckily, you don't look like a wreck. When I went by O'Brien's to have breakfast, I told Marissa about last night. She sent some extra goodies for you and I made fresh coffee, the real pressed thing."

"You are a saint, Abi. I will love you forever, not because you are my sister, but because of the coffee," he smirks. "I should pay a visit to Marissa one day and plant a big one on her lips for being so nice to me."

"I'm sure that Marissa wouldn't mind getting that kiss," I say as he enters the room where I have set the pastries and coffee.

We've known the O'Brien's since I can remember. Our parents were friends, and Marissa went to school with me. Their bakery is two blocks away from this office, and when we started our business, they were the first we thought of when it comes to baked goods. Not only they supply us with small wedding cakes, they also make pastries and other sweets for bridal showers and rehearsal dinners. Thomas is fond of their pecan caramel pastries and Marissa is even fonder of him.