Love on Beach Avenue(21)

Chapter Six

Avery walked into the conference room, grabbed a chocolate croissant, and slammed into her chair. She flipped open her planner, muttering under her breath, and tried to get her head clear for the jam-packed day ahead. “Where’s Gabe?” she demanded.

“Covering the bridesmaid brunch at Mad Batter,” Taylor said. “Remember?”

No, she’d forgotten, which wasn’t like her. Trying to change her mood, she indulged in an extra-large bite of the flaky pastry and looked up. “What do we have going on?”

Bella and Taylor shared a look. “Um, what happened to your normal, happy ‘Good morning, ladies—let’s make it a great day!’? Is everything okay?” Bella asked.

She waved a hand in the air. “Whatever.”

Taylor rubbed her hands together and leaned in. “Oh, I have to know what’s going on. Did a PITA finally get to you? Did you lose a client? Did the two crazy catfighting brides come back with a new beef? Tell us every detail.”

Avery sighed. She’d told her sisters about the double-booked reception debacle, but instead of praising her for solving the problem, they kept chattering about how awesome Carter had responded to the crisis. Ridiculous. They had no idea he was truly a liability. “I had Ally’s dress appointment yesterday.”

“I love dress shopping,” Bella said dreamily. “I swear it’s magic when a bride finds her fit. Did Vera pick out something wonderful?”

Avery took another bite of her croissant, and fortified with the sweet, creamy filling, she managed to tell the rest of the story. How Ally had liked but not loved any of the dresses she and Vera had picked. How Carter had ended up finding the dress. “Now, why don’t we get started? We’re all set for the Johns’ wedding this weekend, but I need all hands on deck, especially with the threat of rain. How about—”

“Wait a minute. How did Carter find the dress?” Taylor interrupted.

She glared. “Because he’s pushy. He made some silly declaration he knew exactly what Ally wanted, hit the racks, and got lucky. It’s not worth discussing. At least Ally’s happy and found her dress. That’s what truly matters.”

Her sisters stared at her. Then burst into laughter.

“What’s so damn funny?” she demanded.

Taylor shook her pink hair and let out a half snort. “You must’ve been so pissed! You hate when people intrude. Remember that MOH who kept dragging in dresses she liked for the bride to try on, and you got her deliberately drunk so you could get rid of her?”

Avery tilted her chin and narrowed her gaze. “What’s our motto? ‘Protect the bride at all costs.’ I simply had no choice. And I was not pissed.”

“Liar,” Taylor sang.

“Leave her alone, T,” Bella said, but her blue eyes danced with humor. “Is Carter cute? Maybe he can be your summer assistant.”

That awful prickle of heat skated down her spine. It was probably her body’s way of reminding her it had been almost a year since she’d hooked up with a man. She’d been too busy and hadn’t needed any distractions. Work fulfilled her. Why go looking for trouble?

But maybe she’d passed the limit of when her body rebelled. Maybe after this summer, she’d go on a date.

“God, no, he’s not cute,” she said. “He’s a nerd and a bit subhuman in his ability to hide and control all of his emotions. I wish he’d go back to DC and leave me with Ally. Plus, he’s old.”

“Oh, too bad,” Bella said.

Taylor cocked her head. “Gray-hair old?”

Avery shifted in her seat and concentrated on her croissant. “Just old. Now, if you’re done teasing me, can we move on? I need this wedding tight in all aspects. Let’s go over your tasks one more time.”

Her sisters rolled their eyes but followed orders. They knew it was the only way to end the meeting, while Avery knew it was her exact scheduling, distribution of tasks, and ruthless double-checking that made Sunshine Bridal the best.

She intended to keep it that way.



The next day, Avery drove down Beach Avenue and scored a parking space right across from Bagel Time Cafe. She was meeting Ally and Carter to take them to see two vendors for the reception venue. After working her contacts hard, she’d been able to score the appointments and get the date held temporarily. Every weekend in August had long been snatched up, but there’d been a cancellation at one, and a rare open spot at the other, giving her an opportunity to get Ally the perfect place in town. If they didn’t like either of them, she’d have to look farther out of Cape May.

She got out of the car, crossed the street, and popped into the café. The line twisted out the door, but she squeezed her way to the counter and flagged down Christina.

“Hey, Avery, what can I get you?” The girl had a casual ponytail, bright smile, and fresh, dewy skin that screamed YOUNG.

“Tuna salad on a sesame bagel, please. Lettuce and tomato, no sides.”

Christina scratched the order on her pad and stuck the pen behind her ear. “Give me five?”

“Thank you. And just add it to my tab. I’m already receiving death stares.”

Christina laughed. “Beach-rush time. No worries. Locals need to have some perks, right?”