Page 25 of Fall Surprises
"Bossy." But she smiled, already walking away, the plate balanced in one hand.
I studied her until she disappeared around the corner of the inn, then returned to my kitchen.
The morning bled into afternoon. Lunch service for the wedding party—a light spread of artisanal sandwiches, autumn salads, and fresh bread—went off without incident, though I noticed Raven barely touched her food. Stormi picked at hers, eyes red-rimmed. Blaze had bloody marys with his sandwich. Jett kept checking his phone and grinning.
By three-thirty, I had the rehearsal dinner mostly prepped. Just needed to sear the duck and plate when the time came. Jake and Molly had everything else under control.
I stepped out back for air, found Sam directing the final touches on the ceremony setup. White pumpkins lined the aisle leading to the gazebo. Corn stalks wrapped in orange ribbon framed the space. The autumn leaves we'd collected at the orchard had been woven into the arrangements, adding that pop of vivid color Raven had demanded.
It was magazine-spread perfect. Sam had made magic happen.
She glanced up, caught me staring. Crossed to where I stood.
"Looks good," I said.
"It does, doesn't it?" Pride flickered in her expression before anxiety chased it away. "Now we just need the rehearsal to go smoothly."
I checked my watch. Three forty-five. "Starts at four, right?"
"If I can get everyone assembled on time." She sighed. "Raven's been in her room for the past hour doing her makeup. Blaze is—I don't even know where Blaze is. Probably drinking. And Stormi..." She trailed off, worry creasing her forehead.
"What about Stormi?"
"She's been crying all day. Won't tell me why, just keeps saying she's fine."
"Pre-wedding emotions?"
"Maybe." But she didn't sound convinced. "I should go round everyone up."
I caught her hand as she turned to leave. Her fingers were cold, trembling slightly. "Hey. Breathe. You've survived Raven's demands, Blaze's drinking, and a corn maze disaster. A rehearsal is nothing."
"Easy for you to say. You get to hide in the kitchen." But she squeezed my hand, held on.
"My door's always open if you need to escape." I meant it as a joke, but it came out too serious, too intimate.
Her eyes searched mine. "I might take you up on that."
I hoped she would.
FROM THE KITCHEN WINDOW, I had a front-row seat to the shitshow unfolding in the garden. Supposedly I was finishingdinner prep. Actually, I was witnessing a masterclass in how not to rehearse a wedding.
Raven arrived fifteen minutes late, phone in hand, narrating her walk down the aisle to three million followers who probably wished they were anywhere else too. "This is it, guys! Rehearsal for the biggest day of my life! Can you even believe it's finally happening?"
Blaze swayed at the gazebo, his eyes glassy, words slurring when he tried to greet her. "Baby! There's my beautiful bride!"
Diana Sharp stood off to the side with Tony, camera rolling, a satisfied smile on her face. She gestured for Tony to zoom in on Stormi's tears, then pan to Blaze's stumbling.
Sam stood near the back, watching the circus unfold. Tension coiled in her shoulders, her jaw clenched every time something went wrong.
Which was constantly.
The officiant—a local pastor Sam had hired—tried to walk everyone through the ceremony. Raven kept stopping to film different angles. Jett, supposedly standing as Blaze's best man, disappeared twice to take phone calls. And Stormi...
Stormi stood beside her sister in a rust-colored dress, mascara streaking down her face despite obvious attempts to fix it. Sam had her arm around the younger woman's shoulders, murmuring something I couldn't hear.
When Blaze stumbled over his vows, nearly face-planting into the gazebo's railing, Sam closed her eyes briefly. Stormi let out a sound that might have been a sob.
Then Raven and Jett both went missing.
