The Billionaire's Second-Chance Bride(15)

Lucy exchanged a glance with Maxine. It translated to I-really-hope-this-works-out-for-them-because-they-are-such-a-nice-couple. Maxine appeared to have swallowed hard. Lucy could also feel a lump in her throat.

“Come. Let’s go out into the garden where part of the ceremony will take place.” Toni escorted them outside to the patio then led them down a pathway to the fertile garden.

Lucy noted the two trees near the pond where Shelly wanted to be tossed from the slingshot to the aisle and they had already worked out with the videographer and DJ how they would film it to the Fun Birds soundtrack and quirky bird sound noise complete with slingshot. Lucy felt a migraine coming on and she really didn’t know why. Perhaps it was the whole litigious angle not to mention the safety-risk involved.

“I’ve already gotten fitted for the harness that will go with the gown,” Shelly beamed. “I’m so thrilled to be doing this. My friends are going to have a blast. We’re going to post this on YouTube. It will be great, won't it?”

Oh. No.

“Um. Oh. Yes.” Lucy hesitated. It’s about the client. It’s about their happiness. It’s about them, not me—or Antonio! God, there was that Antonio again. Lucy’s thoughts were distracted by the sound of rotors in the distance. What the—?

She’d thought it might be some news chopper overhead but then realized that the helipad off in the distance was empty. It must be someone family related. Who could be flying at this time?

“Oh, great!” Toni seemed excited. “My grandson Antonio is here. You’ve met him, haven’t you?”

Lucy felt her stomach plunge to her feet.





CHAPTER SIX





And what an entrance that was. Toni, along with Shelly on his arm, walked over towards the helipad and his grandson. Lucy and Maxine followed closely behind. Lucy was chewing her lower lip so much so that she thought she tasted blood. Her heart thrashed about in her chest. As the blades slowed down and stopped, Antonio, looking hot as ever in his Ray-Ban aviator shades and expensive business suit, stepped off the chopper, along with another gentleman. Antonio wasn’t looking particularly pleased when his gaze met Lucy beside his grandfather while Shelly was waving maniacally at his grandfather’s side.

“Welcome home, my boy!. I see you wanted to avoid the evening rush-hour traffic again.”

“Grandfather,” Antonio formally greeted Toni. He then nodded to Shelly and glanced at Lucy and Maxine. He arched his eyebrow when his gaze met Lucy. Though the corner of his lips turned up slightly, the smile definitely did not reflect in his eyes. He pulled off his shades to reveal his dark and dangerously sexy gaze before re-focusing on the property.

“What is all of this?” Antonio asked as he scanned the area around him. Some of the decorating team had already begun the work on the garden for the upcoming wedding, getting the new gazebo reconstructed among other things.

“Have you met Lucy from the wedding agency?” Toni asked.

“Yes. We met last week.” Antonio’s voice was void of any emotion; his dark gaze was fixed on Lucy.

Lucy realized from staff at the estate that Antonio no longer resided there full-time but he had his home in the city, a penthouse in a luxury high-rise building that he owned, by the lake and would visit his elder periodically whenever business allowed.

And today had to be one of those days.

“Well, grandson, Lucy…along with her assistant, is just getting the setting for the wedding in place. She has her entire crew here and it looks as if we are going to pull this thing off, eh, pumpkin?” Toni then turned to Shelly and they smooched.

Lucy could see the queasiness on Antonio’s face. Then the look on his face turned to a scathing one directed towards Lucy. He narrowed his eyes and walked closely towards her. Lucy felt the penetrating heat of Antonio’s gaze and it was making her feel weak in the knees. But somehow she just didn’t feel threatened. It wasn’t a look of hate, it was something else. Perhaps annoyance that she dared disobey his command or the raw hurt that a lover gives to his love when she was about to do something cruel. But the difference was that Lucy and Antonio were nothing more than acquaintances.

“Why don’t we all walk back to the house?” Toni suggested as he and Shelly proceeded towards the main house from the helipad. The ground crew appeared on the scene and tended to the chopper. It must have been for maintenance, Lucy noted.

What a way to live.

As they traversed back on the well-kept grass, Antonio strolled with sophistication, his hands shoved in the pants pocket of his suit. His friend flanked him and Maxine walked closely beside Toni and Shelly as she held her iPad up chatting to them about locations on the estate for the ceremony.