Page 33 of Grayson

“One crisis at a time. First, do we have a date?”

“Do we have flowers?” Harlow countered. Chelsea pulled a napkin toward her.

“Do we have food?” Jennifer stared at them in delighted alarm.

“Do I get a vote?”

“A small one,” Violet said solemnly, and the table erupted in laughter. Within minutes, napkins became planning paper.

“September,” Violet declared. “Gold leaves, candlelight, no mosquitoes.” Erica shook her head.

“The old glass chapel,” Brooke suggested.

“Too many windows,” Casey said. “Harlow will turn it into a greenhouse.”

“You say that like it’s a flaw,” Harlow replied. Chelsea began a food list. “Soup is comforting, but no one serves soup at a wedding.”

“I would,” Jennifer said.

“Then you’re banned from catering decisions,” Chelsea answered. Finley tapped the napkin.

“Before we choose anything, Jennifer gets to tell us what she wants.” Jennifer laughed until tears blurred the handwritten notes.

“Small,” she insisted. “Well. Small by Belle Fleur standards. Just our friends and family. Warm, simple, and soon.”

“How soon?” Erica asked.

“Before any of you turn this into a royal coronation.” Violet looked offended. “I love you all but I want Grayson to help make these decisions. We wait until he’s back. When we can put all of this behind us? After I’ve had a few sessions with Ashley or Bree.”

Beyond their circle, the men remained gathered in the corner. A map glowed on the laptop screen, marked with rail lines, border crossings, and locations Jennifer had named.

“Everything okay over here?” asked Rush. Jennifer nodded with a smile.

“Thank you for coming to get me, Rush. I hadn’t realized how much I needed this.”

He nodded, returning to the group of men. He did not tell Jennifer that a possible sighting had come in from two counties away, nor that a vehicle linked to Kyle had been found abandoned. He simply stood where she could see him and the others, a sense of security she hadn’t known she needed.

Jennifer understood there was still danger. She could see it in the coded looks exchanged across the room and hear it in the clipped voices near the radios. But for the first time in years, danger was not hers to face alone.

As evening settled beyond the cafeteria windows, Erica refilled Jennifer’s bowl.

“One more spoonful.”

“You said three,” Jennifer reminded her.

“That was six years ago,” Erica said. Violet folded another napkin into a list.

“Ivory or white?”

“Blue,” Jennifer answered. “Can a wedding dress be blue?”

“It can now,” Finley said. “We’ll get Gwen to show you some designs. She’ll be thrilled to do this for you.”

Chelsea argued for lemon cake while Casey defended chocolate, and Harlow insisted flowers should smell like the first day of summer. Claudette stepped forward, pulling Jennifer into a hug.

“You’re home now, child. You’re safe and you’re with those who love you. All this wedding talk can happen later.” Claudette gave a look to the women that said, ‘leave this alone for now’. They didn’t dare argue.

In the corner, the search for Kyle tightened mile by mile. At the center of it all, Jennifer closed her eyes, thinking of Grayson’s big hands on her body, the way he’d made love to her. She would hold onto that thought for the rest of her life, as it was the only thought that brought peace.