Page 2 of June Bride
Fleur was one of many who enjoyed the isolative aspect while appreciating the easy access. As a celebrity, she needed a certain layer of security, hence her careful planning of when to come. If Sunny said nobody else was due to be a guest – although she couldn’t assure there would be no last-minute additions… without a fee, anyway – then that was fine with Fleur, who helped herself to the biggest guest room. Sunny often cooked breakfast for her guests, but admitted she liked it when there was only one, and that one really loved her jams and jellies.
“Oh, it’sdivine!” Fleur’s eyes fluttered shut as she groaned onto the piece of toast in her mouth. Sunny held back a laugh.She’s gotta be kidding me.Fleur was sweet, but she definitely played up the Hollywood angle a little too well. “I’ve had more than a few marionberry-flavored things over the years, but this is absolutely heavenly. What brand is it again?” She swallowed and picked up the jar from the table. “I love it. I wish I could be around for the farmer’s market. I’ll have to send Jalen to pick some up for me.”
“I can call the farm and ask them to hold some. What flavors do you want?”
“You know them?”
“Oh, hon,” Sunny said with a chuckle. “It’s a small town and I run a hospitality business. I know everyone around here, whether they know it or not.”
Their laughter was only interrupted by Sunny’s phone ringing on the kitchen table. She excused herself to answer, which worked in Fleur’s favor. She was more than happy to chow down on jam-covered toast.
The smile on Sunny’s face fell when she saw the name of a certain wedding planner. “Hello?” she said, attempting to keep the serenity on her face. “What’s going on now?”
Debbie blew a heavy breath laced in awkward chuckles. “So I’m guessing you haven’t heard what your fiancée is planning now?”
“Do I want to know?” Sunny leaned against the counter.
“It involves firing the current ring bearer and replacing him withBrutus.”
“Oh my Goooood.” Sunny’s eyes rolled far back into her head. Brutus was an adorable dog that made the animal lover inside of her leap for joy, but Brandy’s cousin would be heartbroken if her son was booted from the wedding party at the last moment. For a dog, no less. “Let me guess. She saw something on Facebook and decided we’re not really married unless we do that too?”
“She says it will make Brutus feel like a part of the family.”
“He’s a dog.” Sunny had great respect for man’s furry friends, but she had a feeling that Brutus didn’t give his stubby tail whether or not he was “really family.” The boy got walked, fed, and belly-rubbed. He might as well have been a kid trapped in Disneyland.
“I give it a day or two before she loses interest,” Debbie said. “You know her better than I do. Maybe remind her that her this is her favorite cousin she might be offending.”
Sunny couldn’t help but laugh again. “You’re right, Idoknow her better than you do.” Once Brandy married a certain idea, she never divorced it. She was happily polyamorous with her ideas, such as telling Sunny she should continue to live at Waterlily House while simultaneously taking up permanent residence in Brandy’s on Florida Street. Which made it all the more frustrating when she changed plans at the last minute.
“Well, consider this your warning. She might conveniently forget to tell you.”
“Of course. Not like I’m supposed to help plan this shindig or anything.”
“Trust me, if you were my primary contact for your wedding, I’d be on Cloud Nine.”
“Just don’t tell me how much she’s paying you to put up with her bull.” Brandy had money to burn, but notthatmuch. Sunny always knew thousands of dollars would fall into the pit that was this wedding. She simply hoped it wouldn’t betensof thousands. Brandy’s dress alone reportedly cost five.
Debbie happily continued at the reminder she was getting paid for her troubles. “While I have you on the phone, here’s a friendly reminder that you have your tux fitting in Beaverton on the tenth. If you’re the type to binge eat before big events, I suggest you do so before the fitting. Things will be much more comfortable on the wedding day.”
“Only four more weeks, right?” They were getting married on the thirtieth. Practically Fourth of July weekend, which might actually work in their favor if they wanted most of their invited guests to attend.Three hundred people. I can’t imagine it. We know three hundred people?“Then this shit is over and we can go back to normal.”
“Nothing’s the way it used to be after you get married, dear.”
That was Sunny’s cue to hang up.
“I think I like the strawberry and marionberry ones the most. Maybe blueberry for Jalen.” Fleur caught Sunny’s attention by stacking three jam jars on top of each other. They looked the delightful, colorful sight on their perch. “Everything okay with the phone?”
Were they so close now that she had no qualms asking such personal questions? Then again, Sunny was used to it. The city-folk – never mind out of touch celebrities – who came to her humble house loved to pry, like Sunny was some bumpkin of a specimen.
“That was my wedding planner informing me that my fiancée is getting crazy ideas again.”
“Ooh, you’re getting married? Congratulations!”
“Thank you. Happening at the end of the month.” Couldn’t come too soon. As excited as Sunny was to marry her fiancée, she couldn’t say this whole wedding debacle gave her the same joy.This is all Brandy’s thing…She had known it would be from the moment Brandelyn popped the question. This was the woman who owned stacks of old bridal magazines and watched every wedding show on TV. She would peruse bridal shops on her days off,longbefore any engagement was on the table. Sunny knew this. She accepted it. Brandelyn was a traditional romantic who got off on the event as much as the person she shared it with – she must have known that Sunny wasthe onebecause she never once said anything about it.
Everyone had their thing, after all. If the worst Brandelyn got was when she planned her first wedding, then that wouldn’t be so bad.She’ll be planning every anniversary party until we die.This would still be the worst, and it would soon be out of the way.
“I had heard there was a big wedding happening in town this month,” Fleur said. “I had no idea it was yours.”
