Page 26 of The One Before

I lead Mrs. Phillips to my front door and bid her goodbye.

“Josephine has my contact information, if you need me,” she says, holding her handbag in front of her.

“I appreciate you making the trip here,” I say, propping the door open.

She leaves. I return to the living room and collapse onto the sofa. It’s been a bizarre day. I went from confronting Coop to parading wedding planners around the house.

I’ve met three potential candidates so far: Mrs. Roberts, Mrs. Teague and Mrs. Phillips. All women differed in both appearance and personality, and yet they managed to present the same ideas. They’d suggested we have the ceremony at First Presbyterian, as planned, but instead of a reception by the lake, they thought we should renovate an old barn on the property. Slap walls with white paint and string fairy lights.Barn weddings were all the rage, they claimed. Even their color suggestions had been the same: burgundy, navy or orange. I’d spent the entire morning listening to the same event described by three different people. I’m undecided if this is a lack of originality, or Josephine’s indirect way of inserting her opinion.

The doorbell rings, announcing the arrival of my last consult. The woman standing on our porch looks much like the others, wearing black slacks and a coral sweater.

“Are you Madison Sharpe?” asks the woman when I open the door.

“I am.”

“Then I must be at the right place.” She gives the front porch another look, then holds out her hand to shake mine. She smiles weakly. “Anne Richards.”

“Come inside,” I say.

Anne, like the others, absorbs her surroundings like a sponge. She’s inspecting the place for potential and wealth. Even if her preliminary assessments disappoint, she knows I’m marrying a Douglas, and that alone is enough to impress.

“Let’s go into the dining room,” I say.

I can see Anne has a thick binder tucked inside her handbag. She takes a seat and pulls out the notebook, placing it on the table. There’s a slight tremble in her hands. She’s nervous, unlike the previous candidates who oozed confidence and flair. “It’s been years since I’ve been in Whisper Falls.”

“You’re from Knoxville?”

“That’s right.” Her mouth twitches as she begins to speak, then pauses. “To be honest, I’ve not done a lot of events lately. Some of my examples might seem outdated.”

“That’s fine,” I say. “My expectations aren’t very high.”

Anne laughs, as though she understands the hidden meaning that Josephine’s are. She clears her throat. “Can you remind me what you’ve established so far?”

“I have my dress. The ceremony is at First Presbyterian, and we’d like to host an outdoor reception somewhere on the Douglas property. That’s what I mainly need help organizing.”

“Beautiful.” Anne nods along and takes notes as I speak.

“Have you been there?”

“Ages ago. The Douglas family is very philanthropic. No telling how many parties they’ve hosted over the years.”

“I started planning this back when we lived in Atlanta, so most decisions are set. But we don’t have a caterer. Or entertainment. Or flowers. I’m hoping that’s where you come in.”

“I can certainly help.” She stops writing, puts down her pen and stares at me. “Tell me, Madison. What do you want for your big day?”

I cross my legs and think. I’m certain the other planners didn’t ask this question. Instead, they rambled about what was on trend or what they’d done before. “I’ve always been a fan of white weddings,” I say. “You know, when the attendants wear white, too.”

“It’s nontraditional, but that can be very beautiful.”

“And I’d like some flowers sprinkled around the reception, but I think a mix of different candles could be very romantic.”

“I love that idea. Anything else?” Her nerves are diminishing. I think she prefers hearing my ideas over suggesting her own.

I look toward the ceiling, trying to think. “I guess that’s another reason I’m looking for a planner last-minute. I don’t really know what I want. I was never the girl who sat around and thought about her wedding day. I only wanted to find the right man.”

“And have you?” she asks, holding eye contact. “Have you found the right man?”

“Coop is wonderful.” I smile, feeling my own nervousness subsiding. “When I get overwhelmed about all this other stuff, I try to focus on that.”

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