Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 83368 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 417(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83368 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 417(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
“But it did work,” Erin added quickly, shooting Tessa a sympathetic look.
“That’s right,” Damien said quietly. “I had a perfect two weeks surfing in a hidden spot in Australia.” He looked puzzled. “Are you suggesting a decoy couple for the wedding?”
“You might end up marrying the wrong Arch,” Finn said. “Awkward.”
“No, you foolish boy,” Betsy said, though she looked fondly at her son. “I’m suggesting a decoy wedding. You pretend you’re going to do one date, but secretly have a quiet wedding first. Just the way you want it.”
Damien nodded. “It’s a great idea, Mom. Have a whole decoy wedding.” He turned to Arch. “You remember Crystal Lopez, my friend from high school? She’s a wedding planner now. Get her on board. She can plan something big and fancy and feed stories to the press while you quietly plan the real one somewhere more quiet.”
Tessa turned to Arch, her blue eyes sparkling. “I think it’s a great idea. Do you?”
Arch took her hand in his. “Let’s do it right here, in the backyard. Small and intimate.”
“I’d love that so much.” She turned to Betsy and Howie. “If that’s okay with you both.”
Mila grinned. As if that wasn’t her parents’ dream scenario—her mom especially.
“I couldn’t imagine anything more special,” Betsy said.
Arch tucked a strand of Tessa’s hair behind her ear and gazed at her lovingly. “If we go ahead with this decoy event, you do know we’ll actually have to go through with two weddings? The one we actually want and the one for public consumption? It’s the only way I can see this working.”
Tessa nodded. “So long as we can have our perfect, real wedding here with the people closest to us, then I won’t mind having a second, showy party for your fans that the press can attend.” She thought for a moment. “My sister’s been sending me these wedding venues—Scottish and Irish castles, Caribbean islands where people get married and spend absolute fortunes.” She faltered. “I think in order to keep our real wedding intimate, I’ll let my brother-in-law walk me down the aisle of the big, flashy do, and my niece can be a flower girl. That would make them a lot happier than a backyard wedding.”
“Brilliant,” Mila said, happy that being a bit rude had ended up with such a great result.
Betsy grinned, clearly in seventh heaven. “I love the idea of the decoy wedding not even being in this country. Really throw the paparazzi off the scent by planning something big abroad.”
Tessa looked at Arch. “What do you think?”
Before he could reply, Damien said, “I’ve got a musician friend with a castle in Scotland he rents out for weddings.” Damien was fast becoming the family wedding planner.
Mila was about to make a comment about this unlikely role when Erin said dreamily, “Oh, I’d love to go to Scotland. The lochs, the literature. So romantic.”
“And some fine Scotch whiskey,” Finn added.
“Well, that, and I’d like to see you in a kilt, brother.” Damien laughed. Buster barked his agreement.
Howie lifted his glass of orange juice. “My great-great-grandfather was from Scotland. We’d be honoring his memory.”
“Well, then, Scotland really is perfect,” Tessa said. “It’s still connected to your family, but since it’ll be so different from what we’ll do quietly at home, it could even be fun. A big party for all your fans to sigh over. But by then, we’ll already be happily married, at a ceremony that’s about us.”
“Agreed,” said Arch. He sighed with contentment and helped himself to some steaming black coffee. He was happier than Mila could ever have imagined him. She smiled. The love in the air was infectious.
“We should do the real wedding ASAP,” Arch said. “Before anything can be leaked to the press.”
“Good idea,” Tessa said. She gazed at Arch. “I don’t see any reason to wait.”
“Me either.”
“Well, then, that’s settled,” Betsy said. “While Damien’s not on tour and all the family’s in town.” She went to fetch the calendar from the kitchen wall. Betsy had an online diary, but she still liked to put important dates on the big calendar that hung in the kitchen.
“When are you thinking?” she asked them, looking at the squares, a lot of which were already filled. “Four weeks from now?”
“You’ll never keep the secret for four weeks.” Damien shook his head.
“I agree,” Arch said. “How’s two weeks?”
Even Tessa looked surprised at moving with such speed, but then she listed all the ways they could make it work. “The simpler, the better,” she said finally. “Yes, I think we can get married in two weeks.”
“Dresses off the rack,” Mila said, knowing there was no time for anything to be custom made.
“How do we keep your real wedding top secret?” Erin said, thoughtfully tucking into a waffle. “I mean, I know the journalist’s drive for a scoop. We’ll have to run this like an undercover military operation if we want to keep it out of the media.”