Temptation on Ocean Drive - Jennifer Probst Page 0,32
the flowers—anything seemed possible. And it was wrapped up in this thing called love. What could be better? So I began researching careers in the wedding industry and decided I’d try to be an event planner.”
“And your father didn’t approve?”
He laughed with no humor. “Hell no. I shamed him. That was a woman’s job—not a man’s. Dad did manual labor. He respected work that paid by using your hands. But I was lucky—I scored a job in the food industry, made a ton of money, and moved out. I worked nonstop, went to community college for my degree, and finally scored a job as an event planner. Eventually, I found my way to Cape May.”
“I have an idea it wasn’t as easy as you describe.” Her voice was soft and melodic, the car snug and warm, giving them a protective armor from the bitter cold outside.
“I’m satisfied with where I am now. It was all worth it.”
“Satisfied, but not happy?”
He had never been truly happy—the type of happy that comes from love and sharing a life with somebody. The endless women from before he’d met Bella were flickering images that had not been able to touch his heart, no matter how hard he tried. But when he met Bella’s gaze for the very first time, his soul had seemed to recognize hers. It was as if he’d found his missing half.
But she wouldn’t want to hear that type of truth from him.
Not yet.
“Let’s just say it’s good to have goals.” He deftly parallel parked into the tight space just down the block from the bookshop and cut the engine. “We’re here.”
She nodded, seemingly lost in her thoughts for a while. Then she got out of the car.
She’d been wrong about him.
All through their lunch meeting, she’d been distracted by the revelations he wasn’t the man she thought. It was easy to assign a past to someone who was continually charming and easy-going, with classic good looks to match. She’d figured he’d been the golden child—prom king and endlessly popular. Many attractive white males with his type of personality had an easier path than others. But the one he painted came with heartache, and the career he’d pursued put him in a role that was easy to make fun of.
I found solace in beautiful things . . .
His words haunted her. She’d wanted to stay in the car, in their cocoon, and learn more about the boy who’d turned into a man who treated her daughter with such love and care. A man who took each wedding he planned seriously, digging deep to find what the couple needed from the ceremony. What else would she find beneath that playboy surface?
“Bella? What do you think if we crisscross the lights through here?” he asked, pointing to the expanse of ceiling in the main aisle at Housing Works. “We can wrap around that column. Maybe do birch decor above the shelves?”
She refocused. “Yes, that would look good. I’d like to use smaller, more intimate tables laid out in here,” she said, walking into the adjacent room. The space was a bit cramped for the number of guests, but she loved the energy of the place, and the air was scented with paper and dreams. It seemed to fit Adele’s vision. They just needed to make sure every detail was unique and personal, as she had requested.
Van, the coordinator for weddings at the bookstore, took them to the spiral staircase. “Many brides come down here for the official ceremony, which we can set up there. I’d advise no large floral arrangements or gadgets since that will take up too much of the room.”
“Yes, that’s perfect,” she said, tapping her lip as she studied the setup, imagining the final product on D-Day. “We’ll bring in our own bar and set up high tables for the cocktail hour. We’ll be using your caterer and finalizing the menu next week.”
He nodded. “That makes things easier—Shelley does excellent work and knows the space well. You know we don’t have Dr. Seuss books here, right?”
Gabe grinned. “No worries, we’ll be bringing them in for the setup.”
She turned to Gabe. “Each table can feature a theme from a different book. We can do quote cards—”
“Incorporate the actual book into each centerpiece—”
“And do seeds for the favors because—”
“They grow into trees!” he finished.
Van looked back and forth at them. “You work well together. I can’t tell you how many screaming matches I’ve had to deal with from wedding planners. They’re worse