Million Dollar Christmas Bride - Holly Rayner Page 0,36

that. And what if it’s raining? Or snowing?”

“Do they have heating lamps?” Jackson asked.

Bianca shook her head. “We could rent them, but that’s going to be a whole ordeal in itself. We only have ten days to go, minus two if we count the fact that your sister is getting into town on the twenty-third… Oh, have you heard back from her yet? Is her husband going to make it?”

Jackson plucked a slobbery tennis ball from between Rufus’s teeth and hurled it out into the meadow nearby. “She texted me last night, actually,” Jackson said. “Stan can’t make it. Apparently he’s in the middle of some big-budget film and can’t risk getting off schedule.”

“But it’s Christmas!” Bianca said.

Jackson shrugged. “That’s how Stan operates. He and Danielle are both super career-oriented. Actually, it’s a small miracle that Danielle’s flying in. She rarely takes time away from work.”

“Your mother will be happy to see her, won’t she?” Bianca asked.

Jackson thought this over. He’d seen his mom once since the Historical Society fundraiser, and they’d talked only briefly about Danielle. He could still recall the distant and detached look on Mary’s face when the conversation turned to her daughter.

“I don’t know,” Jackson said truthfully. “Things are strained between those two. Danielle is different than I am. When my mom left, Danielle wrote her off. She says she moved on and doesn’t consider my mom family anymore.”

“Wow. That’s a little extreme, isn’t it?” Bianca murmured.

Jackson nodded. “That’s Danielle for you. She doesn’t do anything partway. It’s all or nothing.”

“Well,” Bianca said, as she took out her phone and tapped the screen. “If her husband’s not coming, we’re down to seventy-nine confirmed guests. But I still think the Rosewood Gardens is too small. But this Sherwood Ranch could work—they have an indoor ‘gathering room’ that fits one hundred guests. Speaking of, we’d better hit the road. We’re due there in forty-five minutes, and they’re clear across town.”

“Sounds good,” Jackson said.

He was happy when Bianca began chatting about the owners of Sherwood Ranch, rather than dwelling on the topic of Danielle. Whenever he thought about his sister’s imminent trip to Memphis, he felt a pang of guilt.

If she ever finds out that this whole thing is fake, she’ll kill me, he thought.

I’ll just have to make sure she never finds out.

For the rest of the afternoon and into the evening, Jackson drove the two of them from one address to another, crisscrossing the city multiple times. Finally, at seven p.m., he and Bianca huddled together in the front lobby of the Madison Lux Hotel in downtown Memphis. It was the fifth and final venue on their list, and they had to make a decision about whether to book it or not.

“At least the ballroom is big enough to fit everyone,” Bianca whispered.

Nearby, the hotel manager who had shown them the room stood, waiting for their decision. Though the young man feigned busyness by examining the computer screen before him, Jackson knew that he was keeping an ear tuned to the conversation taking place between him and Bianca.

Jackson couldn’t blame the guy; he probably received a nice bonus each time he secured a booking for the ballroom.

Bianca went on, still keeping her tone quiet. “They don’t allow dogs,” she said with a frown. “And it’s kind of stuffy.”

“And sterile-feeling,” Jackson said, eyeing the black marble paneling on the walls and the pale platinum vanity lights scattered around the lobby. “But we’re running out of options.”

The last two venues they’d visited had been snapped up by couples earlier that day. Apparently, Christmas Day weddings were popular, and couples looking to tie the knot were getting desperate. Even the subpar yet extremely expensive venues were getting booked.

“I vote we just go for it,” Jackson said.

Bianca sighed. “I suppose,” she said, sounding less than thrilled.

Jackson saw the manager’s ears perk up. He looked away from his screen. “Have you come to a decision?” he said hopefully.

As if you weren’t listening to every word, Jackson thought. He approached the counter and paid the hefty deposit with his credit card.

Once outside in the fading winter light, Jackson contemplated bringing Bianca back to her car, which was still parked at the dog park. It didn’t feel right. He didn’t want his night with Bianca to end.

Unfortunately, they’d already stopped for dinner between the fourth and fifth venues, so he no longer had the excuse of a dinner out up his sleeve.

His mind turned over possible ways to extend his time with her as