Read Online Best Laid Wedding Plans by Lynnette Austin - Free Book Online Page B

everything as he went.
    â€œExpensive?” she asked.
    â€œI think we can find some salvage pieces. Should help. We’ll check the house first. Might be able to borrow from some of the rooms that won’t be on public display, and then replace it later when some money rolls in.”
    â€œI hadn’t thought of that. Good idea.”
    â€œI’ve got lots of them.” He grinned wickedly, and she rolled her eyes. Better, he thought. Anything that took her mind off the bad. Although he still considered this a fool’s dream, the renovation might be good for her, for her parents.
    Maybe the family would come back to life along with the house.
    At the second-floor landing, the trio—man, woman, and dog—wandered into the first of the bedrooms. “This is the one I’ll use for the bridal suite. If we take down the wall between here and the next room, we should have plenty of space to deck it out the way it needs to be.”
    â€œYou’ll need a powder room for your brides.” He studied the layout.
    â€œThe closet ought to work for that. We can run the plumbing from the bath that’s already on this floor.”
    He nodded. “What all will you want in here?”
    â€œMirrors. Lots and lots of mirrors. A makeup station. A hair station. Somewhere other than the closet-turned-powder-room to hang clothing and gowns.”
    â€œYeah. You’ll need both rooms, then.” He opened the closet door and studied the small space. “Should work.”
    â€œThe study downstairs will be the groom’s room.”
    â€œKeeping them separated till the last minute, are you?”
    â€œAbsolutely. It’s bad luck for the groom to see the bride beforehand.”
    â€œMy guess is that custom started back when marriages were arranged,” Cole said. “The bride’s parents didn’t want the groom to catch a glimpse of what he was getting till it was too late to back out of the deal.”
    She rolled her eyes again. “Maybe it was so the bride wouldn’t run away in fear when she saw her future husband.”
    â€œYeah, there’s that side, too.” He pointed upward. “You should be able to reproduce that cornice without much sweat—or cost.” Casting a sideways glance at her, he stepped back into the hallway. “What’ll you do with the rest of this floor?”
    â€œFamily area. A private spot for Mama and Daddy. We’ll keep the kitchen and dining room downstairs, of course. The parlor and common areas will be shared by clients and their guests and my parents when it’s not in use. But I thought I’d give them an apartment on this floor.”
    â€œBoy, this will be a big change for them, won’t it? Going from the whole house to basically one floor?”
    â€œYes, it will.”
    She clasped and unclasped her hands. He fought the urge to take them in his own, calm her.
    â€œThey understand the need for it, though.”
    â€œI sure hope so.” He placed a finger beneath her chin, tipped her head so their eyes met. “What about you?”
    She batted away his hand but held his gaze. “I’m a realist, Cole. I understand life doesn’t always hand us what we want. I know, too, that if you want something, you’d better be willing to work for it.”
    For someone who had started life with so much, fate had sure dealt her a tough hand. Yet here she was, determined to ride it out and turn it around. He admired her for that, found it impossible to turn his back on the mess. On her.
    â€œYou have paper? A pencil? Think I’d better start writin’ some of this down. Heck of a lot more to do than I originally thought. I didn’t realize the place had gotten so out-of-hand.”
    He read the tug-of-war on her face. The pull between truth and family pride. Understood what this cost her.
    Truth finally won out.
    â€œThings have been going downhill for quite a while. But