She shook her head. She couldn’t think about that right now. She needed to concentrate on other things. Gathering up her lists and cell phone, she began the phone calls to make sure that everything was on schedule for today, checking off items as she went.
* * *
Chris peered at his cell phone screen in surprise before he answered. “Hey, Cassie. I figured you’d be crazy busy in the midst of wedding preparation.”
“Well, normally I would be, but my wedding planner has abandoned me for the day and refuses to answer her phone. She’ll only text me. Can you look over at Julie’s and see if it looks like she’s there?”
Chris frowned in concern, as he headed toward his front door. “She’s been really sick. Have you talked to her at all today?”
“No, and that’s why I’m worried. I’ve received a ton of texts, but she says she’s too busy to talk on the phone.”
“Her car’s here,” Chris said as he crossed the sidewalks leading to her front door. “Let me go see if she’ll answer the door for me.” Chris knocked on Julie’s door and as he waited, he asked Cassie, “Are you feeling okay about everything else? Are you doing okay? Are you ready for tonight?”
Cassie laughed. “Yes, yes, and God, yes! I am so ready to be Mrs. Jake Madsen. I love him so much, Chris.”
“I know you do. Everything’s going to be perfect.”
“It will be as soon as I know that everything’s okay with Julie.” The strain in her voice showed her worry.
He frowned at the door. She had to be here, but she wasn’t answering his knock. He tried again. Finally he heard the chain lock disengage. “Cass, she’s opening the door right now.”
As she opened the door, her eyes widened in shock, but she quickly recovered as she took in his appearance and the fact he was on his cell phone. Chris didn’t think that it was possible for Julie to look worse than she had earlier in the week. He was wrong.
“Is that Cassie?” Julie whispered, her voice little more than a hoarse croak.
He nodded. “She’s worried about you.”
“Tell her I’m fine. My voice is just shot and I don’t want to expose her and Penelope to my germs any more than I have to.” She closed her eyes for a moment and he cupped a hand under her elbow to steady her as she swayed on her feet.
“Cass, I’m looking at Julie right now.” He knew that Julie didn’t want anyone to know how sick she was, so he started to cover for her as he propelled her back toward her sofa. “Her voice sounds pretty ragged from her cold and I’m sure that’s why she hasn’t talked to you all day. She doesn’t want to worry you and I’m sure she’s trying to save her voice for tonight.”
“Are you sure that’s all it is?” There was no mistaking the worry in Cassie’s voice.
“Yep, she looks beautiful as always.”
Julie had sunk into the cushions and pulled a blanket over her shoulders. She worked what looked to be another text on her cell phone while checking off something on her list in the binder resting in her lap. He pressed a hand to her forehead. Still warm, although she shook her head at him and watched him with pleading eyes so that he wouldn’t tell Cassie how sick she really was.
“I’m sure you’ll see her at your place in just a couple of hours. In the meantime, you and Penelope have fun. I’ll see you tonight, Cass.”
“Thanks, Chris. See you tonight.”
He hung up his cell phone and sat down on the coffee table in front of Julie. She looked at him with exhausted, wary eyes.
“How bad do you really feel?”
“I’m fi—”
“No, don’t lie to me or else I’ll call Cassie back right now.”
“Okay, okay, I feel awful, but this is her day and I want to be part of it. I don’t want her to worry about anything but her and Jake. If she knows how awful I feel, that won’t be the way this day happens.” Her bloodshot eyes pleaded with him. “I just have to get through today and then I promise you, I plan to sleep for a week.”
He couldn’t argue with that reasoning. As Cassie’s brother, he wanted her special day to be perfect, too, but he had to make sure Julie was okay. “Okay, I won’t tell her, but I want