Page 84 of Faking I Do
He waited for me at the bottom of the ornate staircase, holding out a hand to help me down the last few steps. I took it, not letting go as I joined him and Samantha in the front room.
“It’s so good to see you again,” Samantha said. “How are the plans coming? I can’t wait to hear all about them.”
“Should we sit down?” I gestured to the formal sitting room I’d finished with period furniture. An antique sofa sat in front of the ornate fireplace. Two sets of chairs had been placed on either side, creating the perfect place for conversation. Everything had been donated by folks in town. If this idea didn’t take off, I’d have a lot of items to return to their rightful owners.
Bodie waited for me to sit then nestled close to me on the love seat, his arm possessively resting over my shoulders. I took in a breath, letting his closeness calm my nerves. We could do this. Confident in our ability to reflect the picture-perfectness of a couple madly in love, I smiled at Samantha.
“Tea?” I leaned forward, grabbing the handle of the pitcher.
“Sure.” Samantha settled her notebook on her lap. “So how are the plans coming?”
“Great.” I handed her a glass of sweet tea before leaning back against the cushion, settling into Bodie’s side. “Did you want some tea, babe?”
“I’m good.” He smiled before brushing my temple with his lips.
So far, so good. I glanced to Samantha, whose smile proved we were pulling this off.
“What’s left to do?” Samantha asked.
“Oh, not much. I just got alterations done on my dress. Flowers have been selected, cake and reception menu were finalized a couple of weeks ago.” I held up a finger for each item as I went down the list. “Photographer’s been paid. We’re in good shape.”
“What are you serving at the reception?” Samantha’s pen poised over the paper, ready to capture all the details.
“Barbecue, of course.” I grinned. “Ido has the best smoked brisket in the state of Texas.”
“But can you eat that?” Samantha asked, worry lines creasing her forehead.
“Well, sure, why not?” I asked.
“She’s got pills,”—Bodie squeezed my hand—“for the IBS.”
“Right. Won’t be a problem.” How stupid could I be to forget Bodie had plagued me with lifelong bowel issues? I grinned up at him. “I wouldn’t want to deprive my hubby-to-be of his favorite.”
“She’s so selfless.” Bodie ran a finger along my cheek, sending a wave of chills down my spine.
I shifted my butt on the loveseat, ignoring the goose bumps popping up on my skin.
“And the cake?” Samantha looked up from her notebook. “What did you decide on there?”
I leaned forward. “White cake with raspberry filling. It’s absolutely decadent.”
Samantha cocked her head. What now? “I thought you were allergic to raspberries?” she asked Bodie.
I looked back at him. Allergic to raspberries? Since when?
“Just slightly.” Bodie turned his most charming smile on Samantha. “We’ll have one layer that’s plain vanilla. Lacey made sure.”
My heart thumped so loud I was sure Samantha could hear it from across the room.
“You two really are meant for each other,” Samantha said. “It’s nice to see two people who love each other so much they’re willing to sacrifice for the other. Not like . . .”
“Like what?” I asked. Maybe Adeline and Roman weren’t as accommodating as they intended.
“Oh, nothing.” Samantha waved the comment away. “Do you have the items we talked about? I’d love for Jay to be able to get some pictures of everything before the big day. I’m sure it’ll be so busy, we’d rather get it taken care of ahead of time.”
“Yes.” I stood, pulling Bodie to his feet next to me. “Our florist should be here any minute with the mockup of the bridal bouquet and the boutonniere. Do you want to sneak a peek at my dress before she gets here?”
“I’d love to.” Samantha got to her feet. “Lead the way.”
