He was sitting on a chair next to Brianna. The little girl had her feet tucked under her dress, which was now wrinkly and stained. Their heads were bent together, talking softly, and she was staring up at him with complete hero worship. The sweet image seared Avery’s vision and made all her girlie parts tingle. God, he was so good with children.
Avery walked toward them. “Hey, guys. How are you doing?” She’d spent some time over the weekend with Brianna, who was a complete doll.
The girl brightened when she spotted her. “Hi, Avery! Guess what? My toot fell out!” She pulled open her mouth and flashed the gaping hole right in the center.
Avery laughed. “Congratulations! That means the tooth fairy will visit.”
Carter’s lips twitched, his eyes full of affection. “That’s what I told her, but she was a bit upset since she lost the tooth. So we’re writing a letter to the tooth fairy to explain.”
Brianna nodded. “Carter said he did it when he was little, too, and it worked. Want to hear it?”
“I’d love to,” she said.
“Okay. It says, ‘Dear Toot Fairy, my toot fell out at Aunt Selena’s wedding and got lost, so it is not under my pillow. Please understand and leave my money. Thank you. Love, Brianna.’” Her head popped up. “Does that sound good? Carter helped me write it.”
His gaze swiveled to hers. Their eyes locked, and warmth flooded her body, her heart, her mind. He had the power to charm kids, dogs, and anyone else he chose. The man had helped her all night without complaint and respected her work ethic and her business. He’d gotten underneath her skin, revealed her vulnerabilities, and made her body sing. He didn’t believe in romantic love, yet at that moment, Avery knew she was falling in love with the man.
She was so screwed.
Swallowing hard, she tore her gaze away and forced a smile. “It sounds perfect,” she told the little girl. “Now, why don’t we go find your mom and show her the note?”
“Yes!” She jumped up, paper clutched in hand. “Thank you, Carter!”
“You’re welcome, sweetheart. Are you going to share the money you get with me?”
She burst into giggles. “I can’t! You have to lose a toot first!”
He ruffled her hair. “Ah, that’s right.”
Avery took the girl’s hand. “You’ve done an amazing job, Carter,” she said quietly. “I have to wrap a few things up, but you can go home.”
“I’ll wait.”
Her nerves tingled at the husky words that sounded like a sexy warning, but she just nodded and got Brianna back to her mother.
The last half hour flew by as the reception hall emptied and she closed out with the vendors. Pierce took off, the band packed up, and the room was finally, blissfully quiet. As usual, the high of the night leaked away and left complete exhaustion.
She’d done it again. The wedding had been successful.
Selena had hugged her and thanked her for a perfect day. Pride rushed through her. Once again, she was reminded of how much she loved her job. Many thought wedding planners were silly—impractical and expensive. She knew different. She knew to the brides and grooms she served, it made all the difference.
She knew she was important.
Groaning, she kicked off her shoes and uncrimped her toes. She grabbed her Tieks from her bag and slipped them on, breathing a sigh of relief. Guzzled half a bottle of water. Then limped toward the exit.
Carter was waiting for her.
God, he was hot. Those blistering pewter eyes staring at her from behind the black-framed glasses, giving him the sexy-nerd look. The sharpness and tight cut of his suit, emphasizing all those lean and yummy muscles. The clean line of his angled jaw and those pillowy lips she dreamed about kissing again.
Silently, he walked toward her, taking her giant bag and transferring it to his shoulder. “You did a hell of a job tonight.”
“So did you.”
They stared at one another. The steamy night air filled with longing and unspoken need. “Will you take a walk with me?”
There were a million reasons to say no: Her defenses were down. She was tired. The high of a successful event brought the usual crash of loneliness and craving for something beautiful for herself. He’d already been honest about his limitations, and a midnight moonlit stroll was not a good idea.
But she said yes anyway.
He put the bag in her car, took her hand, and headed toward the beach. The crash of the ocean became louder and drowned out the last of the wedding revelry at Congress Hall. His fingers were warm in hers, and the full moon cast a shimmery glow, catching the edge of the waves and spinning them to diamond-bright explosions of light. They walked down the pathway adjacent to the beach, past the line of Victorian bed-and-breakfast inns painted in Crayola-type colors, past the late-night crowds having last call at Harry’s Bar, and into the hushed quiet of private residences.
“I cannot believe the dog peed in the church.”
His words broke the silence, and a laugh broke from her lips. “Believe it or not, I’ve seen worse. At least it wasn’t poop.”
“And when the bride couldn’t get the train to button? I watched the whole bridal party try to use safety pins, but nothing would hold it up. What happened?”
“The bustle tore and popped a few buttons, so I had to sew it back together. My mother made sure all of us knew how to sew—and sew well—for any type of emergencies.”
“Impressive. Was that Uncle Bill who fell on the dance floor? Or Uncle Al?”
“Bill. I pegged him for the sloppy drinker at the rehearsal dinner. Thank God he didn’t throw out his back.”
“You know, they say weddings aren’t like the comedies pictured in the movies, but I disagree. They’re worse.”
“At least you’ll be ready for Ally’s wedding and primed to avoid all disasters. ManOH is a serious role.”
“I’m not worried at all.”
She snorted. “Confident much?”
“Yep. Because I have you by my side.”
Her mouth almost fell open, but she kept it locked closed. The simple truth of his statement caused pure pleasure to flood her. “No more fights or bets?”
“I call a truce. You still on board with my plan for AC, or do you really think the women would be better off keeping it quiet?”
It stung, but she told him the truth. In their last phone conversation, Ally had expressed that she was excited about the upcoming bachelorette party and was glad they’d switched it from a spa. “You were right,” she muttered. “Ally deserves a bit of wildness before settling in. I think AC will be great.”
“What was the first part again?”
“I said you were—” She stopped, tamping down a grin as he cocked his head, pretending to listen intently. “I said you were right. Enjoy it now, robot man. It won’t happen again.” The nickname rolled off her tongue with affection now, and no trace of mocking. She’d been wrong about him. He was nothing close to robotic or cold. The memory of his fingers thrusting inside her, slamming her into orgasm, shuddered through her.
“Are you cold?” he asked.
She shook her head. “No.”
He stopped. Tipped her chin up and studied her face.