Don't Tell the Wedding Planner Read Free

keeping stride with Callie. “And having the Mad Hatter as the wedding officiant in the Alice in Wonderland theme was inspired.”
    Did he sound as stupid as he felt?
    “How did you learn about that?” she asked.
    “Colin gave me one of your brochures. He said you’re the best in the business.”
    Callie cast him an amused glance but kept on walking. “Are you trying to use flattery to change my mind?”
    “You bet,” he said. “Is it working?”
    “Not yet, but feel free to keep trying.”
    “The Elizabethan venue was spectacular—” he dodged two Southern belle dresses and a Confederate soldier “—and The Three Musketeers theme was cool, as well.”
    She shot him a wry look. “Pirates,” she said. “It was a pirates theme.”
    “Whatever,” he said. “Who else is better qualified for a Dungeons of Zhorg themed wedding?”
    Callie stared out across the crowd of guests milling about as they enjoyed appetizers. A furrow of concentration between her brows, she appeared to be running through the idea in her head. She chewed on her cheek before swiping her lower lip with her tongue. The sight of the now damp, full mouth was putting a whammy on his libido.
    Huh, if he was this easily distracted, it was well past time he sought out some female companionship. To take the edge off, so to speak. Or maybe he simply needed sleep.
    “Okay. It might be doable. Crazy, mind you. But doable,” she drawled, and then looked around the current scene. “After all, crazy is my specialty.”
    Matt smiled his first real smile since Tommy had shared his engagement news and Matt couldn’t decide if the marriage would make conditions better...or worse.
    The potential for an epic screwup was great.
    Callie sent him a wide smile back. The gesture wasn’t sexual, but the genuine nature lit her eyes in a way that left them sparkling, sending another bolt of heat and awareness up his spine.
    Too bad his flight out was Sunday. And there was no way he could delay the trip. He’d already gone two weeks without flying back home, to the childhood house Matt had moved back into, sharing the residence with Tommy since the very first round of rehab had failed, all those years ago.
    He cleared his throat. “Fantastic,” he said.
    Mission accomplished. Problem addressed, solution found and past time to move on. Or, as the motto went in the E.R., treat ’em and street ’em. Everything was turning out better than he’d planned. He’d even get a full night’s sleep tonight.
    “Let me know how much to put down as a deposit. I’ll get you my email so you can send me the invoices as we go.” He slipped his wallet from his pocket and pulled out his card, filling in the contacts. “And here are Tommy and my cell phone numbers too, just in case you have any questions—”
    “Wait.” Her brown eyes grew even wider as she took his card. “You’re not leaving, are you?”
    Concern edged up his back, making his shoulders feel stiff. “I have a hot date with the king-size bed in my hotel room—a rendezvous I’m really looking forward to. And Sunday I have to head back home.”
    Callie leaned closer, bringing that lovely view in a more direct line of vision. “Listen, Mr. Paulson.”
    How was he supposed to listen, much less concentrate, with a view like that? And clearly the stress of the upcoming event had knocked them back to a last-name basis instead of first.
    “You’re lucky I have a light enough schedule and an assistant to help me,” Callie said. “But I can’t do this alone. There are too many decisions that need to be made, and made quickly, too. I won’t take responsibility for making the wrong ones. Someone needs to be around to help.”
    “Both me and my brother will be available by phone and internet.”
    “Not good enough. We can’t afford to play phone tag. Not with so little time and so many big choices to be made.”
    “What choices?”
    “Venue, for one. This won’t be your average setting. We’ll need