Picture Perfect (Weddings by Design Book #1): A Novel (9 page)

Just about the time the conversation wound down, I glanced at my watch—4:05. Yikes. Mama and I would have to head home soon.

Or not.

Rosa pushed back her chair, flashed a winning smile, and invited my mama to join her in the garden. “Come, Marie.” She extended her hand. “You must see my Romas.”

“Ooh, I want to come too.” Earline rose and brushed her hands against her slacks. “I’ve been dying to figure out how you keep them growing year-round.”

“That’s my little secret.” Rosa gave her a wink and chuckled.

The three ladies made quick work of clearing the table. Minutes later the room emptied out. Well, mostly. D.J. took the kids to the other room for a nap, but Bella lingered behind. I could tell she had something on her mind. I’d just started to get out of my chair when she looked at me.

“Hey, can you hang around a minute? There’s something I need to tell you.” She glanced at Drew, who remained seated next to me. “Both of you, really.”

“Sure.” I settled back into my chair, curiosity setting in.

Bella looked Drew’s way again and sighed. “Drew, I’m sorry you got stuck here all day. Pretty good of you, since you didn’t even know why I’d asked you to stop by in the first place.” She eased her way down into an empty seat. I could read the exhaustion in her eyes.

“It’s been a great day.” His smile seemed genuine enough. “Had a blast with your family, Bella. They’re great.”

“Thanks. But it’s time to tell you why I wanted to meet with you. I’ve got some news to share. I hadn’t really planned to let anyone else know, but since you’re both together . . .” She gave me a strange look, as if analyzing the word
together
.

“News to share?” Drew asked. “What do you mean?”

She hesitated. “Well, what I’m about to tell you may come as a shock. And you have to keep it to yourself, okay? Brock will kill me if this gets leaked to the media.”

“B-Brock? Brock Benson?” I couldn’t help the words. They just slipped out.

“Yes.” She grinned and put a finger to her lips. “But we really have to keep this quiet, okay? My family doesn’t know. Yet. They’ll flip when they find out. They love Brock, so this is going to mean the world to them.”

“You asked me to come over because of something to do with Brock?” Drew looked confused. “Something to do with his wedding photos?”

“No. Nothing like that.” Her smile now lit her face. “He’s been asked to serve as the grand marshal for the Christmas parade at Dickens on the Strand the weekend of Sierra’s wedding.”

“No way.” My breath caught in my throat. “Are you serious?” I felt the room spinning. Brock Benson, my favorite actor in the history of movies, was coming back to Galveston Island?

“Yes.” She nodded. “His wife is from Texas, you know.”

“No, I didn’t.”

“Yeah, Erin’s from Austin,” Drew said.

“Her grandfather lives here on the island, though, and he’s a bigwig with the Dickens project,” Bella added. “So of course he thought Brock would be the perfect choice.”

“Wow.”

Bella turned to Drew. “And that’s where you come in. Because you’ve worked with Brock before, he felt you would be the perfect candidate to capture some shots of him leading the parade.”

“Wow. That’s great.” Drew grinned, and I could read the look of satisfaction in his eyes.

Ouch. Once again Drew Kincaid swept in behind me to steal my thunder.

Bella now looked at me, her eyes twinkling mischievously. “But wait—there’s more.”

“O-oh?” I managed.

“Yes.” She quirked a brow. “See, there’s a little teensy-tiny thing I haven’t told you, Hannah. One very important thing.”

I felt my nerves kick in. “More than this, you mean?”

Bella nodded and gave a sly grin. “Yep. See, Brock is also in Sierra Caswell’s wedding on the day after the parade.”

“He—he—what?” I could hardly believe my ears. Suddenly I had that weird out-of-body sensation. Surely I was dreaming this. Bella did not just say that Brock Benson—hunky, gorgeous Brock Benson—was going to be in the wedding I’d been hired to shoot.

Oh. Help.

“Sure. Think about it, Hannah. Sierra wrote the theme song for
Stars Collide
.”

“Right.” I knew that. But what did one thing have to do with the other?

Bella rose and paced the room, then turned to give me a pensive look. “Brock set all of that up. He met Sierra through his wife. Erin and Sierra went to high school together in Austin.”

“Oh. Wow.” I could hardly manage those two words, let alone anything else.

I’m going to take pictures of Brock Benson. Just like Drew.

“Now you see one reason why Sierra’s been so keen on keeping things perfect for her wedding,” Bella said. “She’s carrying the stress of making things right not just for herself but for Brock and Erin too.”

Suddenly it all made sense. The high-pressure emails from
George. The tension in Sierra’s voice. The insistence that I only capture certain shots, certain angles.

“But if he’s been asked to be in the parade, everyone will figure out he’s here.” Drew’s words gave away his confusion about the matter.

“Right. They’ll know he’s here for the parade, but they won’t have a clue about his participation in the wedding the next day. The timing works out perfectly. Parade on Saturday. Wedding on Sunday afternoon.” She looked my way again. “So you see, Hannah? You see why I needed you to know? I didn’t want you to show up at the wedding and find out in the moment. Might’ve been too much of a shock.”

Too much of a shock? Well, yeah! Brock Benson was coming here? Not just coming to Galveston for Dickens on the Strand, but coming to be in the very wedding I happened to be photographing? My mind reeled as the reality set in. Every nerve in my body felt exposed. A mixture of excitement and sheer terror overtook me. How could I manage photographing not only Sierra Caswell but Brock Benson as well? I couldn’t even pick out matching shoes.

A quick glance down at my matching tennis shoes should’ve convinced me otherwise, but then I realized that I happened to be wearing one pink sock and one white one. Go figure.

Every ounce of confidence slithered right out of me as I stared at my feet. What sort of fool was I, anyway? I couldn’t do this. I couldn’t shoot Sierra Caswell’s wedding if Brock Benson was involved. I would find some way—likely some very public, excruciating way—to prove that I didn’t have the goods. And no matter how many Irish proverbs I quoted, no matter how many swords I wielded, I would come out looking like a fool in the end.

May you get all your wishes but one,

So you always have something to strive for.

Irish blessing

I
t took me all of five minutes to shake off my fears regarding the whole Brock Benson thing and then readjust my thinking. I would photograph Sierra Caswell’s wedding and would do so with confidence and grace. I would not show up in mismatched shoes, nor would I humiliate the McDermott clan in any form or fashion. Instead, my business would grow into a thing of beauty as a result of this opportunity.

I hoped.

Bella forged ahead, giving us particulars about the upcoming events, her words now soaring. I got a little confused
somewhere in the middle of the whole “grand marshal for the parade” part. Not that Drew appeared to be terribly focused on her story either. At one point—probably in a sugar-induced state from the tiramisu—he let out what sounded like a little snore.

“Looks like we’ve lost him.” Bella chuckled as she gestured his way. “I guess we can wrap this up another time when he’s not comatose.”

He stirred a few seconds later, then gave us a sheepish look. “Sorry.” A yawn and stretch followed. “Guess the food got to me.”

“Yeah, Rosa’s pasta is pretty intoxicating.”

“No kidding. Not to mention all of that sugar in the dessert.” He rose and yawned again. “Maybe I should hit the road. Might make more sense to nap at my own house.”

Bella gave him a sympathetic look. “Thanks for coming by. Hope the news about Brock Benson didn’t throw you for a loop.”

“Nah, I can handle it. He’s a pretty normal guy. Puts his socks on one foot at a time, just like the rest of us.”

I couldn’t help but glance down at my feet.

Drew gave Bella a confident smile, then said his goodbyes and staggered out of the room, still looking a little loopy. I couldn’t help but notice when he turned back to give me one last glance. Sizing up the competition, maybe? I couldn’t be sure. As long as he didn’t notice my socks, I would be okay.

After he left, Bella rose and sighed. “It’s been quite a day.”

“Perfect, really.” I rose as well and stretched as a wave of exhaustion settled over me. “You have an awesome family. I’m a little jealous.”

“Aw, thanks. They’re a little crazy, but I love ’em.” She
flashed a winning smile and stepped toward me. “Speaking of people I love, have I mentioned how much I’m enjoying getting to know you?”

My heart warmed as she gave me a sisterly smile. “Thanks. I feel the same way.”

“I feel like . . .” Here she paused. “I feel like we’re kindred spirits. You know?”

Offering up a lame nod, I managed, “I do.”

It felt really good, in fact. To think I’d been worried about impressing her. Turned out she was as normal as the rest of us.

Her gaze narrowed as she looked my way. “Since we’re so close and all . . . one of these days you’re going to have to tell me what’s going on with you and Drew. It kind of surprised me to see the two of you as a couple.”

“We’re not.” I sighed. “Trust me. He’s a great guy . . .”

“He is, isn’t he?” She laughed, then gave my hand a squeeze. “He’s no Armando, but he’ll do.”

I couldn’t help but laugh aloud at that proclamation.

“I don’t blame you where Armando’s concerned. He’s a piece of work. We all know it.” She rolled her eyes in dramatic fashion. “Anyway, we can talk about that later. Guess I’d better get to work in the kitchen. I usually do the dishes when Rosa and Mama do most of the cooking. The longer I stay here, the less I feel like working.”

“I’ll help.” In fact, I didn’t mind a bit. And I wasn’t just offering to win her favor either. I really enjoyed hanging out with her.

I trudged along behind Bella into the kitchen, stunned to find it empty. Well, empty except for the dozens and dozens of dirty plates, bowls, cups, and silverware. She rolled up her sleeves and went to work, rinsing dishes and placing them
in the dishwasher. I did my best to help, but my thoughts were elsewhere.

She gave me an inquisitive look. “Can we go back to the conversation about Drew? I promise to leave it alone if you don’t want to talk about it.”

“No, it’s okay.” I grabbed a dirty plate and passed it her way.

“He made it look like you two were a couple, but you’re not.”

“Right.”

“But you look really natural together, and it’s obvious you’ve got good chemistry.”

“Seriously?” I shrugged. “Well, he’s a nice guy. But he
is
my competition, you know.”

I could have slapped myself silly for saying that out loud.

Bella glanced my way, clearly confused. “What do you mean?”

“Well, we’re in the same business. I’m trying to grow my studio and he’s trying to grow his.” I hesitated. “Maybe it was wrong to say we’re in competition, but it feels like it. You know?”

“But you’re both so good at what you do,” she said with a smile. “I think you’ll be equally successful. If you don’t spend too much time worrying about it.” She gave me a pensive look. “Are you worried about it?”

Please don’t sigh out loud.

I sighed aloud. “Yeah.” A lengthy silence followed as I thought through my next words. Might as well come clean. She would figure this out sooner or later. Besides, the sooner I got this off my chest, the better. “I have this . . . this . . . flaw.”

“Flaw?” Bella paused from her work, clearly troubled by this statement. “What do you mean?”

“I always come up short.”

“Come up short? How?” She gazed at me with such intensity that vulnerability slipped over me like an ill-fitting garment, one I would like to discard as soon as possible.

I shrugged. “I sometimes think the headstone on my grave will read, ‘Good but not great.’”

Bella looked aghast at this idea and responded with, “Are you kidding?”

“No. I really mean it.”

“Whose standard are you measuring yourself by?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, are you comparing yourself to other people, or to yourself? Has someone put you in a position where you feel like you have to measure up or something? Maybe one of your parents?”

“No, it’s not my parents.” I gave a deep sigh. “Neither of my parents has a competitive bone in their body. My dad makes out like he does by talking about the McDermott clan’s glory days, but he just loves a good story.”

“So, where did this come from?”

“From my grandpa Aengus, I guess. He always wanted the best for me. He said that being an Irish American was a privilege, and not one to be taken lightly. So he really thought I would go places. Make a name for myself.”

“You have made a name for yourself. You own your own business, for Pete’s sake. And you’re only twenty-seven.”

“Twenty-six.” I offered a weak smile.

“See there? That makes you even more accomplished. You don’t have to be good enough or prove yourself to anyone.”

Shame washed over me afresh. “See, that’s the real problem right there.”

“What?”

“I have been trying to prove myself to everyone.”

“Well, stop. Seriously. You’re awesome, and so are your photos. Just rest easy in that, Hannah. You’re going to go a long way. I know a pro when I see one.”

“Thank you so much.” I really meant those words. She’d extended a hand of kindness in spite of my stupidity. “To be honest, it’s just kind of weird to see my sisters all married and living in other cities while I’m still in the same bedroom I grew up in. Ya know?”

“You’re describing my life before I married D.J.” Bella grinned. “Only, add about twenty relatives to the mix, plus several extended family members and a host of friends and business associates.”

“How did you handle it?” I asked.

She sighed. “Honestly, I just focused on my work. A lot. Tried to stay busy. Didn’t really want to push any buttons with my parents because I knew they were worried about that whole empty-nest thing.”

“I get it. Everything stays so busy, and yet . . .” I couldn’t finish the sentence because unexpected tears sprang to my eyes.

Bella stopped working and gave me a sympathetic look. “See now? I’ll bet I know just what you’re thinking. Something you probably didn’t even realize until now.” Her eyes filled with compassion and her next words were whispered. “You’re lonely, aren’t you?”

Before I could stop it, the word “Yeah” slipped out. I hadn’t realized it, but she was right. Loneliness had enveloped me, and I’d given myself over to it.

“Is it really possible to be lonely when you live in a house with your father who hardly gives you a minute to yourself and your mother folding your clothes?”

“It’s possible. In fact, it’s possible to be surrounded on every side by noisy, crazy people and still feel like you’re all alone in the world. Ask me how I know.” She grinned and gestured to the mounds of dirty dishes.

Suddenly I felt like a real heel for using Bella to advance my career. What a jerk I’d been, looking after my own interests. Ugh. It was likely—
brace yourself, Hannah
—the real reason for meeting her had nothing to do with business at all. Maybe the Lord had something else in mind.

Watching her today—with the kids, with her family members—put my behavior over the past few weeks in perspective. Had I really been taking advantage of her without truly getting to know her? What sort of person was I?

After a couple of minutes of pondering, feeling ashamed, I couldn’t stand it any longer. I had to say something . . . or bust.

“Bella, I . . . well, I owe you an apology.”

“An apology?” She looked up from the dishes, her brow wrinkled. “Why?”

A deep sigh escaped before I could stop it. “Because it turns out you’re a really nice person.”

“Well, thank you.” She leaned down to put a plate in the dishwasher. “But why are you apologizing? Don’t you want me to be nice?” The edges of her lips turned up.

That got a much-needed smile out of me and lifted the tension a bit. I handed her a dirty bowl. “It’s just that I think I’ve had the wrong opinion of you all along. I saw you as this powerful force to be reckoned with, someone who could make or break my career, and there’s so much more to you than that.”

“Wait . . . make or break your career?” She shook her head, then placed the dirty dish on the counter. “How so?”

Was she kidding?

“C’mon, you have to know how important your word is in the wedding biz. People take what you have to say very seriously. And I have this little fledgling business—”

“Little fledgling business?” She laughed and leaned against the counter. “Are you serious? You’re one of the best photographers I know. And Picture This is an entity. Everyone knows about it, and your work. You’re amazing, Hannah. Not to mention you have the coolest studio on the island. Love that old-world style. And to capture a place on the Strand? Primo!”

“Thank you.” I paused to think through my next response. “But don’t you see? I wanted to get close to you because I thought it would help my career. Initially, anyway.”

“Ah.” Her smile faded a bit, but she didn’t say anything else.

Time to admit my full shame. “But then I got to know you—your whole family, in fact—and fell in love with all of you. At that point I realized that maybe I’d been using you.” I let out another deep sigh and gazed into her eyes. “Can you forgive me for that? I wouldn’t blame you if you stopped recommending me to your brides.”

She chuckled, then went right back to work loading the dishwasher. “You’re so funny.”

“I am?”

“Yes. I’ve walked a mile in your shoes, trust me. And you can’t begin to know how nervous I was when my dad handed over the wedding facility to me. I was basically clueless. I’d never even done a themed wedding before and certainly wasn’t manager material. I leaned on anyone and everyone I could think of.”

“But you turned things around.”

“God turned them around. Once I got out of the way. But
we had a zillion calamities along the way. Surely you’ve heard some of the stories.”

I shook my head.

“You don’t know about the time Guido—Sal’s parrot—stole a toupee right off the head of one of our guests?”

“I . . . I think I would’ve remembered that.”

“And you don’t know about the time D.J.’s brother, Bubba, was barbecuing for a wedding and ended up with no eyebrows? Uncle Laz added fuel to the fire at just the wrong time, and it took off every bit of facial hair the boy had.”

“Um, pretty sure I would’ve remembered that one too.”

“Girl, I made a royal mess of things. I accidentally bought eighty cowboy boots off eBay for my first country-western-themed wedding when I only needed a dozen. I even got arrested once because of a misunderstanding.”

“Actually, I do remember that. You and Brock both ended up in jail, right?”

“Yes, but it was all a big mistake. Still, you can imagine how embarrassed my parents were. I didn’t set out to make a mockery of Club Wed, but I managed to do it anyway. Trust me, it’s only by the grace of God that I managed to survive.”

“Not just survive,” I added. “You’ve thrived. And look what God has done.”

“Yes.” She grinned, then placed another plate in the dishwasher. “Look what he’s done. He’s given me a husband, two children, a business I love, and more family members than a girl could shake a fist at.”

“You’re very . . . blessed.”

“I am. But I also know the value of hard work, just like you. It takes a lot of blood, sweat, and tears to grow a business. You’re in the sweat cycle.” She laughed and I joined her.

“That’s about right.”

“Just remember not to sweat the small stuff, okay? If you’ve got to perspire, save it for the stuff that really counts.”

Ugh. She would have to go there.

“See, that’s the problem. None of it is small stuff to me. It’s all huge. And it always seems like I have to work harder than anyone I know to accomplish anything at all.” Visions of Jacquie Goldfarb danced in my head. “Because I work for myself, I carry so much responsibility. How do I get past feeling like the ship could go down at any moment?”

“Girl, I get it. I totally and completely get it.” Bella gazed at me with pure compassion emanating from her eyes. “It’s going to sound so cliché, but you’ve got to stop trying to fix everything.” She put a hand up. “I know, I know—this coming from the fix-it queen. But you were never meant to hold all things together. Only God can do that.”