No Groom Like Him. Jeanie London

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СКАЧАТЬ soon as I track down Max.” Which meant she wouldn’t be doing much work on Riley’s wedding today. Wonderful. And she had a grand total of three and a half weeks to plan that one.

      Lily sipped her coffee and stared as the sunrise slowly lit the swing and the trees. How did she wind up back here again?

      “How in the world am I going to pull this off?” A rhetorical question that echoed dully in the predawn quiet. “I’m going to need a miracle.”

      “You’re the angel. I don’t think a miracle will be a problem.”

      Lily found herself smiling. “I’ll be by later so I can start delegating. Will you be around? What do you have on your plate with the Eversham/Raichle event today?”

      “I’m in the office, so come at your convenience.”

      “Great. See you then.” Lily disconnected then set the cup on the windowsill. With the smile still on her face, she tweeted:

      I don’t believe in luck. I believe in blessings, common sense, a strong work ethic and surrounding myself with wonderful, competent people—my life is filled with them.

      That was as much of a rebuttal as her followers would get today, and Mara would know how much she was appreciated.

      CHAPTER SEVEN

      MAX SQUINTED at the computer monitor. Leaning in closer to the display, he scanned the dummy Riley had sent detailing the proposed layout of copy and photos for tomorrow’s edition. Of course it was still early in the day yet, so the layout was bound to change as reporters returned from the field and news broke over the wire services. But Riley was never one to save things until the last minute, and that lent a level of calm to the newsroom that Max enjoyed a great deal.

      Promoting her to managing editor had been a smart move, as he’d known it would be. They’d been friends since Riley had interned at the Herald as an undergrad at Vassar. He knew her work. Knew the friend she was. Life had dealt both of them hard blows with death and grief, and that had made their friendship even stronger.

      He’d met resistance from his family over Riley’s lack of actual experience, of course, but she knew her way around the newsroom and Max knew Riley. She learned on her feet and was the best person for the job.

      He’d won that skirmish. Largely because his grandfather had supported the decision. He may have retired from the Herald, but he hadn’t stepped down from his role of family patriarch yet.

      An electronic screech cut through the quiet, and Max reached for the intercom. He didn’t get a chance to say a word before his assistant’s voice said, “Code 125.”

      His mother swept into his office the way she always did—as if she owned the place. She did, so her refusal to knock wasn’t personal. And she wasn’t the only one with that sense of entitlement, either. Various Downey family members could be counted on to show up unannounced at any time of the day or night, which was a job hazard of working in any of the family businesses. His clever assistant had come up with a series of codes to give Max a heads-up on who was about to barge into his office.

      “What a nice surprise, Mom. What brings you by today?” he asked, although he suspected he already knew the answer.

      She was carrying a copy of today’s edition.

      “Hello, Maxim.” She didn’t say another word. Dropping her purse into a chair, she cocked a hip against his desk and peered down at him.

      His mother had always been an attractive woman. Quite beautiful even with the black hair and green eyes she’d passed along to him. She was tall and willowy with the benefit of a fleet of capable cosmetic surgeons who kept age at bay. Not that she was elderly by any stretch. She hadn’t yet reached her mid-sixties and wore that stylish, timeless aura privilege and breeding could buy.

      He waited while she shook open the paper to display the headline above the fold.

      Extreme Romance Hits Hudson Valley

      “Catchy headline. Bet there isn’t a paper left in a box anywhere in this town.” She smiled, clearly pleased. “Here’s hoping.”

      “You did a fine job with the article, Maxim. Informative and tasteful.”

      “I’m glad you approve.”

      Mission accomplished, then. He’d known when he’d written the piece a lot of folks would be paying close attention. His mother included, as it concerned her favorite pet project.

      Worldwide Weddings Unlimited.

      “I do.” She set down the paper. “And that’s why I’m here. Now that Lily’s in town, we need to make some decisions regarding Raymond’s wedding. I’m on my way into the office to meet with her. I thought you might want to weigh in.”

      Very nice of her to consider him since he was, of course, hosting the event. But here was something else Max knew wasn’t personal. Any event involving Overlook and Worldwide Weddings Unlimited would create a pot his mother simply wouldn’t be able to resist stirring. Overlook was her home, too, and as the reigning matriarch, all things social were her exclusive domain. That unspoken rule had been set in stone for more generations than Max had been around.

      But he sometimes thought they’d all be better off if they put his mother to work at any one of their business interests since his mother’s charitable endeavors and social calendar obviously weren’t fulfilling her. She was a smart woman. Unfortunately, he couldn’t see her catering to VIP clients at the bank. Dictating more described her personal style.

      “Raymond and Jamilyn have given me a general idea of what they’re looking for,” he said. “Shouldn’t be too hard to figure things out. They’ll be calling whenever they’re able, and they’re both accessible by email when they can’t make a phone call.”

      “Maxim, that’s all well and good, but this is going to be a grand affair. Raymond’s future career is on the line here, and you’ve already given the media a heads-up. Add Lily’s involvement and this wedding simply must live up to its press. I’m afraid the planning won’t be quite as simple as you’re making it out to be.”

      “So I’ve heard.” From a very beautiful wedding planner in no uncertain terms.

      She leaned forward and patted his cheek, her fond smile making him brace himself before she uttered her next words. “Leave everything to me. Lily’s here and we’ve got Mara and the office at our disposal. We’ll run everything by you if you’re worried. We all know how busy you are.”

      “I’m not worried, Mother.” A lie if ever there was one, but here was a place where all of Lily Susan’s arguments came in handy. “I don’t want us to get ahead of ourselves, though. Lily Susan only heard about the wedding the day before yesterday. She has another wedding to plan first.”

      His mother waved him off with an impeccably manicured hand. “She can plan more than one wedding at a time. That’s her job.”

      Given Lily Susan’s history, the assumption was a reasonable one. But his mother didn’t know how exhausted Lily Susan was, although saying so might violate what she’d told him in confidence. “I’m only pointing out that we’ve sprung this on her, and it won’t serve anyone’s purpose if СКАЧАТЬ