Page 64 of Blue Hawaiian
“So, if we get it done—great. If not, Gabi will never know.”
His words filled her with a reassuring warmth. Even if she wasn’t perfect, she was doing her best to be a damn good maid of honor. “You’re very inspirational when you want to be.”
He stretched out his hands. “I have to agree with you. Now tell me—what should I look for?”
“We’ll want pictures of Marc and Gabi when they were kids, plus any recent photos. The rehearsal’s not until four, so we have seven hours.”
“A little less since we’ll need time to shower and change.”
“Shit. This isn’t going to be easy.” She put her head in her hands. She was tempted to say, “To hell with it,” and forget the whole thing. But she could imagine Gabi’s reaction when the video started playing. She’d be surprised, and then pleased, and then grateful to Jess for stepping up. And Jess would feel like she was more than just Gabi’s second choice.
“It’ll be fine,” Connor said. “We’ve got this.”
“But we also need music. Five or six songs, preferably ones Gabi and Marc like. And we’ll need to edit them down.”
“No problem. I know how to do that.”
Relief coursed through her, loosening the tightness in her shoulders. “You do?”
“I’m a man of many talents. And not just in the bedroom.”
She wagged her finger at him. “No bedroom talk, or we’ll never get any work done.” She gave him a cheeky grin. “But if wedofinish early, I’m all yours. Any way you want me.”
“With an offer like that, how can I resist?”
For the next few hours, she looked through pictures, setting aside her favorites in a folder on her laptop. Fortunately, her mom had done a fantastic job picking out photos from key moments in Gabi’s life—birthday parties, dance recitals, swim meets, and graduation ceremonies. Jess discovered other photos in the cloud from their cell phones.
One of her favorites was a photo taken at Christmas, back when she was nine. She stood next to Gabi, under a raggedy excuse for a tree. Her mom had gotten it for half-price because she’d bought it on Christmas Eve.
“This picture brings back so many memories,” she said.
Connor stood and stretched, then ambled over to her. He peered over her shoulder. “You look so cute. Is that an American Girl doll?”
She raised her eyebrows. “I didn’t realize you were familiar with the American Girl line.”
“Victoria had four of them. Plus, a ton of those overpriced accessories.”
“This one’s a knockoff from Walmart. We were broke, so a real American Girl doll was out of the question. But Gabi borrowed Mom’s sewing machine and made all these outfits for my doll. She gave them to me on Christmas morning.” She let out a sigh. “She was always looking out for me.”
He kissed the top of her head. “That’s not a bad thing. It probably made her feel important.”
“But I’m such a mess compared to her.” She didn’t know if she’d ever be as poised, as confident, or as successful as Gabi.
“That’s how I feel next to Darren. At least Gabi cares about you. Darren would be a lot happier if he was an only child.” He reviewed the photos Jess had assembled. “Do you have any pictures from Big Bear?”
“Not as many as I thought. Didn’t Victoria go through a big photography phase back when we were teens? I can’t find any of them.”
Connor rubbed his forehead. “I think Brody put them on a photo-sharing site. Why don’t you call him?” He went back to the couch and grabbed his laptop. “See if he’ll email us the link.”
She called Brody’s number. He answered right away, his voice upbeat. “Hey, Jess. How’s it going?”
“Do you have a sec? I’m putting together a video tribute for the rehearsal dinner. Connor said you might have an online album of the Big Bear photos?”
“Because you’rewithConnor right now, aren’t you?”
“That’s not important. I need those photos.”
“Have you told him the truth yet?”
