Page 59 of Moonshine and Magnolias
“Weren’t you the one who told me not to shirk my responsibilities so I can learn?” Brandi pointed at her. “You don’t have to run everything. I can handle a few flowers.”
“I know how it’s supposed to go. I know what to do. I’ve done it before at Steward’s.” She rubbed harder at her chest, aware of the sheen of sweat on her forehead. The knot wasn’t going away.
“Are you all right?” Brandi half-rose from her seat. “Your face is going all white.”
“I’m fine. I’m always fine. I was fine last night, too. There’s nothing wrong.” Except she couldn’t breathe. “I don’t have to lose myself to have fun.”
“Last night,” Brandi echoed. Wendy didn’t like the tug of a smile on her lips.
“What happened last night?” Sebastien asked.
“Nothing, okay? Nothing. Let’s just get on with this.” She waved her free hand to the flip chart. “I don’t act with abandon but that doesn’t mean something has to be wrong. It was fine.”
There was a moment of silence in the room until Brandi spoke. “Are you still talking about the wedding?”
“What else would I be talking about?” Great. Now her hands were tingling. She shook them out to get the blood flowing. Maybe Sebastien’s men knew CPR or had a defibrillator on hand. “I can give up control. I can. Jordan, organize this wedding. I’m doing just fine.”
Why wasn’t anyone saying anything? They all looked at her with furrowed brows and concern in their eyes.
“What?” she asked. “Why are you all staring at me?
“Okay.” Brandi stood up and pointed to the door. “Everybody out.”
Wendy rose to file out with her friends.
“Not you, Marsh. Sit your ass down.”
She leaned back in Grandma’s chair and closed her eyes. Jordan’s clipped walk and Sebastien’s heavier tread crossed the office floor, followed by a click as Brandi closed the door behind them. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
Wendy opened her eyes. “Me? You heard what Jordan was doing.”
“Yeah. Helping us out.” She retook her seat across from the desk. “What happened last night?”
“Why do you keep asking me irrelevant questions?” Her jumbled mind wouldn’t let her explain, anyway. The elation, the joy. The panic.
Brandi examined the cracked nail polish on her finger. “I ran into Rob in the dining room really early this morning. He was drinking water and studying the photographs. And wearing the clothes he wore yesterday.”
“You should have gone to bed earlier, with all the stuff we have to do.”
Brandi huffed out a laugh. “Don’t deflect. He had that certain satisfied look about him. You know the kind I’m talking about.”
Wendy ran her hands down the arms of the chair, avoiding looking at her cousin. She wanted to gush about Rob. But then she’d have to admit her lack of ability to relax.
The tightness in her chest lessened and she took a full breath.
“Since I know I wasn’t with him and I’m fairly certain Jordan wasn’t either, that leaves either you or Aunt Eulalee.” Her voice softened. “So?”
“Brandi, we don’t have time for this.” Wendy reached for the papers on the desk.
Her cousin slammed her hand down on top of them. “For once, you’re the reason work isn’t getting done. Lashing out at Jordan? So not you. She’s been busting her ass for us and you pitch a fit.”
“I did not pitch a fit! I asked valid and probing questions.”
“Jordan can handle the internal workings of multi-million dollar corporations. Planning a wedding when everything is mostly already in place is like catching a pop fly for her. Besides, she’s almost as anal as you are with organization and note taking.”
Wendy tapped her nails on the desk in the same rhythm as her heartbeat. “It’s our reputation that will suffer if things go wrong. Not hers.”
Brandi sat back in her chair. “What happened?”
