“It's not just the dress, Ella. It's the whole wedding.” Madelyn set her drink down hard enough that a little bit of liquid sloshed out, but she didn't notice. “The entire experience at your inn has been perfect. You've been perfect. I really can't thank you enough for everything you've done for us.”
“You are most welcome,” Ella said, a blush creeping into her face.
“I mean it. You're my hero. You're Jason's hero. You made tomorrow the day of my dreams.” Madelyn reached for Ella's hand and held it for a moment.
If Ella hadn't felt guilty about wanting Jace earlier, she really did now. Madelyn was so happy. It felt dirty to even think of Jace when she looked like that.
Ella held up her drink. “To you. And your love.”
Madelyn clinked her drink happily against hers and Ella quickly downed the rest. Tomorrow, it would be over. Jace would be married and happy with Madelyn. They would all go back to their old lives and she could stop having this twisting guilt and desire rolling through her belly. Tomorrow.
Chapter Ten
It was the day of the wedding and Ella had more to do than she had time. The morning was flying by and she was just glad she had stopped drinking the night before when she did. The caterers were going to be late, the seating wasn't set up like it was supposed to be, the flowers were arriving an hour early, and the gardener forgot to turn off the sprinklers to the outdoor reception area. Despite all of that, Ella was excited. Those things could be handled. The wedding would go on, and even if they weren't exactly perfect, she could fix just about anything.
She pushed the loose tendril of hair that had escaped her pony-tail as she knelt next to a chair for the bridal table. She was in the main reception hall, getting everything ready for the big party after the wedding. She pinned the bow to the back of the chair a little tighter, knowing there would be a breeze later on with the doors to the courtyard open.
Chair decorations. Who would have thought that chairs needed to be decorated? Ella asked herself as she straightened out one of the big, beautiful bows on the back of a different chair.
With a groan, she stood from the floor and admired her handiwork. It really was rather pretty, even if it was a little over-the-top. She took a step backward to get a better look at the bow, trying to decide if it was crooked or not, and promptly tripped over the cart holding the decoration supplies.
The metal cart crashed into the floor with her falling right behind it. The crash was loud and undignified, but at least she managed to avoid knocking over the other decorated chairs and tables in the process.
So that's how today's going to go. Awesome, she thought, pushing a hand to her bruised hip but not getting off the floor. At least the cart was mostly empty, but it was most definitely broken. The frame was bent and one wheel was now spinning down the aisle between to tables and toward the door. Delores was not going to be pleased.
The door opened, catching the spinning wheel and sending it hurtling off into another part of the room. Her eyes traveled up slowly, taking in the expensive black leather shoes, the tailored dress pants, the crisp white shirt, the strong jaw, the blue eyes, and tussled dark hair.
Jace.
Of course it was Jace. The last person in the entire world that she wanted to see, let alone find her tangled on the floor with a broken cart was of course the person who would be walking through that door.
And, of course, he looked good. Edible, wet-dream, kind of good. He wasn't wearing a tie, and he hadn't shaved or bushed his hair yet, but the tux looked spectacular on him. Ella was having difficulty breathing, and it had nothing to do with her fall.
“Are you okay?” Jace asked, dropping to his knees and his hands going to her shoulders.
Ella's mouth didn't function at first, especially with him touching her. His bride was so incredibly lucky. For a moment, she wished that Madelyn was a horrible person because it would be so much easier to hate her. Ella hated the jealous ache filling her core.
“I'm fine,” Ella finally said, pulling away from him. She stood up and brushed off her jeans, feeling completely under-dressed. She was just wearing jeans and a t-shirt while she ran around so she would get the dress Maria lent her dirty. “Just clumsy.”
“Good.” Jace quickly stood up, putting his hands in his pockets and eyes going hard. He glanced around and shrugged. “You must be getting excited. Getting any good ideas?”
Ella frowned, looking at the bows and the broken cart. “What do you mean?”
“For your wedding,” he explained. His voice sounded tight, despite the ease of his stance. “I'm assuming you'll be having it here.”
“Eventually, I guess,” Ella replied slowly, picking up an extra bow from the cart. “But I have to meet the right guy first. I'm not planning on getting married anytime soon.”
“You're not?” Jace's hands came out of his pockets. “You mean you're not engaged?”
Ella shook her head, wondering if she had fallen harder than she thought. “No. I'm not even dating anyone right now.”
Jace laughed, the sound filling the empty reception hall. His face relaxed and he grinned. The lines around his eyes were gone and a light shone from the depths of their blue green. It was a light she wished she could always see, especially since it made her heart speed up. “That's good to hear.”
Ella looked up at him, totally lost. Good to hear? Why would he be happy to know she wasn't getting married? He was the one getting married. Her martial status had nothing to do with it. He shouldn't be interested in the slightest.
“What made you think I was getting married?” Ella's voice was soft. She didn't mean to take the step toward him. She certainly didn't mean to take a deep breath and inhale the scent of his cologne.
“Delores. She said you were engaged.” He looked down at her, his eyes soft. “Is there another Ella that works here? Could she have just been confused?”