Teddy nodded. “And he’s good at it. His words, not mine. So, if we’re ever ready to ditch our investments firm, I’m sure Sullivan Brothers Investments, Inc. would give us a personal presentation.”
“You didn’t like him even a little bit?” Diana asked.
“You know how I hate blind dates.”
“I met Scott on a blind date.”
Scott was Diana’s husband of six months. “How you met Scott is not the same. You and he had talked to each other online for months before you decided to meet. You knew a lot about each other. Even more after you discovered you’d known each other in college. Being set up with a total stranger in a bar is not the same thing.”
“Well, at least you satisfied your mother’s requirement,” Diana told her. “The two of you met and had dinner.”
Teddy took another sip of her coffee. And they talked. Teddy thought about the night and how they had been unaware of other people around them.
“He was good-looking, though,” she mumbled, almost to herself.
“Oh.” Again, Diana’s eyebrows rose.
Teddy blinked, bringing herself back to the office and out of the restaurant where they’d talked. “He was very direct—”
“Just like you,” Diana interrupted.
“I am not direct,” Teddy protested.
“Sure you’re not.” Sarcasm was present in her tone. “But don’t get off the subject. You were saying he was good-looking...”
Teddy gave her a hard stare.
“Was he tall enough? I noticed the shoes you changed into before you left yesterday had very high heels.”
Diana knew Teddy’s height requirement. “He was tall enough.”
“So he was tall and good-looking. And he owns an investments company.”
“And he’s not The One,” Teddy said, intent on ending the conversation. “Not even close.”
“All right, I get it.” Diana raised her hands in defeat. “Conversation over. But I have hope for you. You’ll stop playing the field and find the right man one day.” Diana gathered her cup and smiled. “Just like I did.”
Diana headed for her office, and when Diana could no longer see her, Teddy repeated, “Not even close.”
Soft music played in the massive cathedral in New York. Saint Patrick’s had sat on Fifth Avenue since 1858. Teddy wondered how many weddings had taken place there as she looked over the assembly of friends and relatives invited to the fourth marriage of Jessica Halston. Teddy didn’t want to think about the number of favors she’d called in to make this ceremony happen. A three-time divorced non-Catholic being married at Saint Pat’s. Even Cardinal Richelieu was probably turning over in his seventeenth-century grave. It was truly a miracle.
Teddy glanced around. People seated in pews spoke in low tones, but the sound rising to the high arches made even a whisper loud. Along the sides Teddy saw someone she thought she knew. She blinked. She had to be mistaken. What would Adam Sullivan be doing here? The man moved behind one of the huge columns that supported the massive structure. She waited, watching for him to reappear. Before that happened, she heard a voice through her earbud.
“The bride needs you.” Renee, one of her consultants and Teddy’s right hand, spoke in her ear. She pressed the earpiece closer and lowered her head to hear over the noise made by the many tourists admiring the massive building. “Where is she?”
“Dressing room.”
Teddy was already moving, forgetting the man she was following. “Is she all right?” Many brides got cold feet even this close to saying “I do.” It didn’t matter if the bride had already been to the altar three times, she could still be plagued by reservations.
“She needs a little encouragement.”
That could mean anything from a full-blown refusal to leave the dressing room, to a broken nail. Teddy moved down the stairs to the dressing room, going as fast as she could. She knocked quietly and entered. Jessica stood in the middle of the room—alone. For a fourth wedding, she looked as fresh and bright as she had at her first. Teddy had been present for all three of them.
“You look great,” Teddy said. It was always good to let the bride know that her appearance was perfect. “When Donald sees you, he’ll be bowled over.” Teddy moved closer to her. “Would you like me to get the veil?”
“Is everything ready?” Jessica asked.
Teddy recognized the unspoken question. Most brides had the same fear. They were afraid of being left standing at the altar. Even making the trip down the aisle for the fourth time, the fear was still there. Teddy understood how to answer her, so Jessica could conceal her fear and save face.
“Everything is ready. The bridesmaids are all here, dressed and looking like a picture. The best man and groom are in the vestibule. He’s got cold hands by the way.”
Jessica laughed. “Cold hands, warm feet.”
Teddy felt her relax. Some of the tension left her body. Teddy lifted her veil and brought it to her. “The church is packed. Everyone is in place. All we need is you.” She gave Jessica a reassuring smile. “Ready?”
“Ready.”
* * *
Saint Patrick’s Cathedral did not stop the tourists from walking around while services were in progress. When the strangers realized there was a wedding, they lowered their voices but did not leave the building as good manners dictated. Teddy, sitting on the last pew next to Renee, had long since relegated them to an inconsequential nuisance.
She surveyed the party in the front of the church, smiling at the perfect photo they made. Teddy’s mind, however, was on the minister. Not a priest, but the result of calling in another favor. No matter how many times she heard the wedding vows, they still commanded her attention. From the corner of her eye, she saw several people moving along the outside aisle that led to the exit. A man stepped into the pew she and the three junior consultants sat on, but she wasn’t looking at him. Her attention was on the bride and groom, and she thought he was being courteous to other visitors coming in the building. But when he stopped directly next to her, she turned to glance at him.
“Adam?” she whispered. “What are you doing here?”
Stunned, Teddy was so focused on Adam’s unexpected appearance that she missed the last words of the ceremony and the kiss. The sudden sound of organ music snapped her out of her trance. She had to move. Adam didn’t have a chance to answer her question before she was needed to take care of more details. The three consultants were all on their feet and moving outside. The bride and groom were on their way up the long aisle preceded by a photographer and a videographer. Teddy lost sight of Adam as she followed them, all the while speaking into the headset she
