She held up the itinerary. “This. It’s so...so... We’re being put on display, Myles.”
“It’s an unfortunate side effect of marrying a Stewart, I’m afraid.”
“I was hoping for something small and intimate. Close friends and family. This is... I don’t even know what this is.”
Myles pulled her out of the chair and into his arms. “It’s Gram being Gram. I’ll talk to her, do my best to rein her in some. Or I can get her to put on the brakes entirely and we can go back to our original plan and elope.”
“I don’t think there’s any putting this genie back in the bottle. She’s already spent who knows how much in deposits getting stuff lined up at the last minute. The last
thing I want is for us to piss her off and you risk losing access to the trust. I’m not going to let you lose the paper because I’m being pissy and picky over details that won’t matter after the fact.”
Myles ran his hands down her arms. “Do you still want this wedding?”
“You need—”
“I don’t care what I need. Do you still want to do this? It’s more than you signed on for.”
Piper reached up to frame his face. “I signed on for you. To help you, yes, but at the end of the day, Myles, I want you. Period. If that means I have to be a show pony for the next nine days, I’ll do it.”
Myles sighed, lowering his brow to hers. “What did I do to deserve you?”
“You made me a blanket fort.”
“If that’s all it takes to make you happy, I’ll have one permanently installed at the house.”
Someone knocked on the door frame, and Myles realized the door was wide open. Simone stood in the doorway. “Didn’t y’all have somewhere to be?”
“Oh, crap. Let me go run a brush through my hair. Two minutes!” Piper snatched her purse and raced down the hall to the bathroom.
Myles eyed Simone, struggling to keep his face impassive. Had she heard about the threat to the paper?
“Patty managed to get the interview moved to accommodate your tux fitting,” she said.
“Thank God. Pretty sure Piper wouldn’t care if I was waiting at the end of the aisle in my favorite jeans and Chucks, but Gram would have a coronary.”
Simone hesitated.
“There something else?”
She shook her head. “Nothing that can’t wait. You’re going to be late.”
Piper rushed back in, her hair neatened up and her makeup freshened.
“Okay, I’m ready. Let’s rock and roll, Mr. Stewart. My blood sugar has tanked and there is cake calling my name.”
“As you wish, milady.” With a worried glance at Simone, he grabbed his coat and his keys, and followed his bride-to-be out the door.
~*~
“Was that the last of them?” Miranda asked.
Shelby peeked into the waiting room. “Looks like.”
“Quick. Lock the door before anybody else sneaks in.”
Piper crossed to the front door and flipped the lock. “We are officially closed. Thank God.”
“I’m out. There is a pot roast in my future. Night.” Shelby nabbed her purse from a drawer and scurried out the back door.