Picture Perfect (Weddings by Design Book #1): A Novel Read Free Page B

Bella would be calling on me more to take photographs at Club Wed. I hoped so, anyway. It probably wouldn’t hurtto mention her name a couple more times in this interview, just to be safe.
    Dani shifted in her seat as the already crowded coffee shop took in extra patrons. As the table next to us filled with teenagers, the noise level rose, and so did the pitch of Dani’s voice. “So, you were telling me about things not to capture on film at a wedding.”
    “Right. Well, I shot this one wedding where the mother of the groom refused to be escorted down the aisle because she hated her future daughter-in-law.”
    “What did you do?”
    “Bella gave me the idea, actually.” Score! Another shameless plug for the woman who holds my career in her hands! “We spent a couple of minutes before the wedding showing the mother photographs I’d just taken of her son in his tuxedo, looking content and happy. That won her over.”
    “Perfect. You’re a master.”
    “Aw, thanks. I try.” Another story came to mind. “This is the worst one of all. I worked an over-the-top wedding for a well-to-do Houston family where the best man and matron of honor were having a romantic tryst.” I took a sip of my coffee to wash away the bitter taste that filled my mouth at the memory of the event.
    “They met at the wedding and fell in love?” Dani giggled. “How sweet.”
    “Actually . . .” I leaned in to whisper the details so that the family at the next table wouldn’t overhear. “They were married to other people. I happened in on them in the chapel after everyone else had gone to the reception hall.”
    “Oh, ouch.”
    “Right. I’d gone back in there to snag a few photos of the unity candle and candelabras. Found something else entirely.”A shiver ran down my spine as I relived that horrible moment. “I’m just saying some things are best not committed to film.” I picked up my coffee and took a sip, now deep in thought. Placing the cup back on the table, I continued. “After years in the business, I’ve become skilled at knowing which shots to catch and which ones to avoid.”
    “It’s truly an art form, then.”
    “I’d like to think so.”
    The deep bellow of a ship’s horn sounded, and I glanced out the window of the Starbucks. Across the street, well within eyesight, a massive Carnival cruise ship pulled out of port. Twisted memories snaked through my mind as I watched the cruisers wave their goodbyes from the top deck. How many times had I stood in that spot, camera in hand? Another blast of the ship’s horn startled me back to attention. I rubbed my eyes, feeling a headache coming on.
    “Hannah?” Dani gave me a curious look.
    “Yes?” I turned to her with what I hoped would look like a confident nod. “Sorry. Just thinking about those cruisers.”
    “Oh, that’s right.” She gave me a pensive look. “I think I read somewhere that you once worked on a cruise ship, taking photos of the passengers. Is that right?”
    “Yes.” Not that I wanted to talk about it. I wouldn’t garner much respect from Bella or from future clients if Texas Bride printed the details of my very messy breakup with the cruise director of the Clarity . I cringed just thinking about it.
    “Now tell me about . . .” Dani glanced at her notepad, then back up again. “Drew Kincaid.”
    “Drew Kincaid?” I tried to maintain a calm expression, all the while sword fighting the demons of envy that danced in front of my eyes. “What about him?”
    Dani referred to her notes. “Well, I see that the two of you have quite a competitive thing going on. Kincaid Photography took the number-one spot on Bella’s list, after all. You took the number two. Want to tell our readers about that?”
    I’d rather not, thanks.
    Who cared if my blue-eyed distraction made it to the top of Bella’s list? He wasn’t the one shooting Sierra Caswell’s wedding, now was he?
    Swallowing hard, I chose my next words carefully. “I’ve known