explained, “I’ve been using this wonderful thread I found at a little market for the beading around the edge, but then it turned out that there wasn’t quite enough, and the little stall I bought it from isn’t there anymore. So now I’m going to have to unpick all the thread and redo that section, because otherwise it won’t look quite perfect, and it has to look perfect, right?”
“Right,” Rose agreed, though she found herself wondering if there was anything else that could go wrong. Well, there was only one way to find out. She braced herself even as she said, “Anne, can you go gather up everybody for a quick meeting?”
While she waited for her friends and employees to come see what she wanted from them, Rose looked out of the window to where RJ was working in the garden. It was still early, but even though she hadn’t seen him when she came in, it looked as if he’d been working out on the chalet grounds for hours.
Had he even slept after she’d gone to his house to talk to him and had ending up breaking down and crying in his arms just because he’d told her that he loved her...and she’d been so terribly, horribly confused by her own feelings for him.
It was so difficult every day, seeing him and wanting to be close to him. And even harder knowing that after she’d married Donovan she’d not only see RJ here every day, but that she’d likely still feel that attraction between them, too.
Because if it hadn’t disappeared by now, how could it magically disappear with her wedding?
And there was the fact that RJ had told her that he loved her, that he’d always been in love with her.
She’d thought that he would never actually say it. That he’d understand she was going to be with Donovan. That he’d find a way to make their working relationship, and their friendship, continue to work, just as he always had before.
Yet he’d done it, he’d said the three little words that could never be unsaid.
I love you.
Oh God, how could they possibly work together now when even staring out at him now in the chalet’s garden made her heart ache?
She couldn’t do this anymore. She just couldn’t. Once the wedding was over and she was safely married to Donovan, she wouldn’t be able to work with RJ any longer.
And, honestly, wasn’t it the best thing for both of them in the long run? She could really focus her full attention on her new husband, and maybe RJ would finally feel free enough from her to make the most of his landscaping skills...and find a woman who would love him back.
Her gut twisted at the thought of RJ with another woman. Still, she stepped out in the garden and called out, “RJ, could you come inside a minute for a quick meeting with everyone?”
A few moments later, Julie, Phoebe and Tyce followed Anne into the main room.
“I know all of you have been working really hard this week, but I — ” Rose paused. “What I wanted to ask is, are all of you still having problems getting everything together for the wedding?”
Perhaps she should have said my wedding, but saying the wedding helped her feel as if she was simply organizing her crew for one of the hundreds of events they’d successfully pulled off over the years.
She’d been hoping for a chorus along the lines of ‘Don’t worry, everything’s fine,’ at least from Anne. Yet for once even her extremely optimistic best friend was quiet.
Tyce spoke up first. “I’ve got a string quartet together, though the harpist has pulled out now. The trouble is finding enough time to rehearse.”
“And I’m still having problems finding all the roses we need on such short notice,” Phoebe said.
“I’m also hitting a few speed bumps with an alternative menu,” Julie said.
That reminded Rose, “Vanessa just told me that everything needs to be gluten-free.”
“What?” Julie looked nothing short of horrified. “But I’ve already started the cake!”
“And you know I still need to find the right thread for
“Right,” Rose agreed, though she found herself wondering if there was anything else that could go wrong. Well, there was only one way to find out. She braced herself even as she said, “Anne, can you go gather up everybody for a quick meeting?”
While she waited for her friends and employees to come see what she wanted from them, Rose looked out of the window to where RJ was working in the garden. It was still early, but even though she hadn’t seen him when she came in, it looked as if he’d been working out on the chalet grounds for hours.
Had he even slept after she’d gone to his house to talk to him and had ending up breaking down and crying in his arms just because he’d told her that he loved her...and she’d been so terribly, horribly confused by her own feelings for him.
It was so difficult every day, seeing him and wanting to be close to him. And even harder knowing that after she’d married Donovan she’d not only see RJ here every day, but that she’d likely still feel that attraction between them, too.
Because if it hadn’t disappeared by now, how could it magically disappear with her wedding?
And there was the fact that RJ had told her that he loved her, that he’d always been in love with her.
She’d thought that he would never actually say it. That he’d understand she was going to be with Donovan. That he’d find a way to make their working relationship, and their friendship, continue to work, just as he always had before.
Yet he’d done it, he’d said the three little words that could never be unsaid.
I love you.
Oh God, how could they possibly work together now when even staring out at him now in the chalet’s garden made her heart ache?
She couldn’t do this anymore. She just couldn’t. Once the wedding was over and she was safely married to Donovan, she wouldn’t be able to work with RJ any longer.
And, honestly, wasn’t it the best thing for both of them in the long run? She could really focus her full attention on her new husband, and maybe RJ would finally feel free enough from her to make the most of his landscaping skills...and find a woman who would love him back.
Her gut twisted at the thought of RJ with another woman. Still, she stepped out in the garden and called out, “RJ, could you come inside a minute for a quick meeting with everyone?”
A few moments later, Julie, Phoebe and Tyce followed Anne into the main room.
“I know all of you have been working really hard this week, but I — ” Rose paused. “What I wanted to ask is, are all of you still having problems getting everything together for the wedding?”
Perhaps she should have said my wedding, but saying the wedding helped her feel as if she was simply organizing her crew for one of the hundreds of events they’d successfully pulled off over the years.
She’d been hoping for a chorus along the lines of ‘Don’t worry, everything’s fine,’ at least from Anne. Yet for once even her extremely optimistic best friend was quiet.
Tyce spoke up first. “I’ve got a string quartet together, though the harpist has pulled out now. The trouble is finding enough time to rehearse.”
“And I’m still having problems finding all the roses we need on such short notice,” Phoebe said.
“I’m also hitting a few speed bumps with an alternative menu,” Julie said.
That reminded Rose, “Vanessa just told me that everything needs to be gluten-free.”
“What?” Julie looked nothing short of horrified. “But I’ve already started the cake!”
“And you know I still need to find the right thread for
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