Page 38 of Save the Date
He hesitated for a moment. “I could help you put it back together. You know, if you want.”
Did she? Did she want his help?
“I’m Cullen Kane,” he said. “The new kid in town.”
“I know,” she said.
“And you’re Cara Kryzik,” he said. “Bloom. I’m a big fan of your work.”
“Thanks,” she said, feeling her face redden. Was he being facetious? How would he know what her work looked like? Unlike him, she’d never had a wedding published.
“I was a guest at that wedding you did last weekend. Lillian Fanning’s sister-in-law used to be married to my cousin.”
“Really?” She hadn’t noticed him at the Fanning wedding, but then, she’d been so distracted, what with Poppy and the creep who’d dognapped her, that that shouldn’t have been a big surprise. Cara arched an eyebrow. “I’m surprised Lillian didn’t askyouto do Torie’s flowers.”
“Gawd forbid,” he drawled. “I’ve known Torie since she was in diapers, and she was hell on wheels even back then.”
Cara wasn’t sure whether to agree or take the high road. “Torie was a… challenge,” she allowed.
He smiled. “Tactful and talented. Anyway, I really did love what you did at their wedding. I’m sure Torie and Lillian were insisting on some blown-out Versailles-style designs. You did a nice job of reining them in, but still giving them what they thought they wanted.”
“Well… thanks. Thanks very much. I appreciate the compliment, coming from somebody in the field.”
“Not at all.” He gestured at the pile of branches. “I really would be happy to help you resurrect your arch. I’m pretty handy with a cordless drill and a glue gun.”
“Oh, I couldn’t,” she tried to demur. But the minutes were ticking away. It had taken both her and Bert an entire day to build the damn thing back at the shop.
“Professional courtesy,” he said, bowing from the waist. “I insist.”
***
True to his word, Cullen Kane was a whiz with power tools. With the extra set of hands, they were able to get the branch structure rebuilt in only thirty minutes. This time, though, at his suggestion, they added bracing with some extra branches she’d brought along. He tugged hard on both sides, and then at the top of the arch, and this time around, there wasn’t the slightest wobble.
He was so tall he didn’t even really need the stepladder to wire the antlers to the top of the arch. So Cara worked on the side supports, attaching the antlers and feathers and flowers, while he positioned the ten-point antlers precisely at the top of the arch, adding sprays of dried flowers and feathers in a carefully contrived medallion shape, even fashioning a rough bow with a long strand of ivy, before applying more festoons of Spanish moss.
“Dammit,” Cara muttered under her breath, looking up at his composition.
“Too much?” He stood back.
“No. Much better. Dammit.”
“It was your vision,” he said. “All I did was follow directions.”
He was really insufferable. She should hate him. And she kind of did hate him, making her grateful for his help.
She glanced at her watch. “Oh! I’ve gotta get out of here. Gotta get home and shower and change before the wedding party starts arriving.” She held out her hand. “Thanks for helping out. You were a lifesaver.”
He shrugged. “It was the least I could do, after you caught me spying .”
She took a half step backward. “I suppose Patricia Trapnell told you they’d interviewed me for Brooke’s wedding.”
“She did. That’s Patricia. She loves intrigue. Loves to pit one person against the other.”
“I’m really not your competition,” Cara told him. “I think they only interviewed me as a courtesy to Brooke’s mother. Our styles seem… very different.”
“Not so different,” Cullen said, flashing those beautiful teeth again. “We’re both perfectionists.”
“There is that,” Cara admitted. She grabbed a broom and started sweeping up the stray bits of moss and flower petals.
