“I know. I didn’t order the birds,” Ella said, forcing herself to stand up straight and meet Mike’s accusing stare.
Jenna peered up at her, tears having turned well-applied mascara into raccoon eyes. “Someone did, Ms. Montgomery, and there are only two people who would have. Liam, who knows I’m scared of birds, and you. I can’t imagine Liam doing something like this when he knows I’m petrified of the things.” She shuddered. “So who else would’ve done it if not you?”
“I don’t know,” Ella answered.
Looking around, she found Liam herding the last bird through the far exit and shutting the garden gate behind it. He turned and found them all staring. “They’re contained, Jenna. The gate is locked. They won’t get out again. Mike, if you’d kindly remove my sister from the garden.”
“I’m not leaving until I know who did this,” Jenna said. “Liam wouldn’t have.”
“I have the paperwork here,” Ella said. “Let me look at what your assistant filled out.”
Mike consoled Jenna as Ella dug through her messenger bag. She’d left the paperwork in her bag last night, both copies, in fact—the original and the one with Liam’s changes. But now the only one she could find was the one Jenna’s assistant had originally sent over.
The groom said something soft in his future wife’s ear, and she sagged against him, her sobs reduced to hiccuping little gasps. “Shh,” he said gently. “I’ve got you. Deep breaths.”
“I feel like such a fool,” she said, voice muffled by his shirt. “Did anyone see me?”
Ella wanted to crawl into a hole and die. She hadn’t ordered the peacocks, and certainly notpinkpeacocks, but shehadordered the flock of doves that were to be delivered tomorrow. Liam had made sure the order had been placed. She’d questioned him, referring to the “no birds” stipulation in the original paperwork, but he’d insisted his sister wanted the doves released. According to him, “no birds” meant she had wanted the area cleared of any indigenous animals—domesticated parrots, flocks of pelicans or whatever else might have been curated by the resort.
She’d done as he asked, but she’d kept the paperwork for reference.
Page after page, she flipped through the original paperwork. She finally came to the “Ceremonial Release Option,” and there, in bold Sharpie next to the checkbox labeled “Birds,” was the wordNOin capital letters, underlined twice.
She wanted to vomit.
Instead, she grabbed her bag and dug through, determined—desperate—to find the copy Liam had provided, to redeem herself. But the copy he’d provided her wasn’t there.
Mike must have been watching her, because he asked, “What’s on the paperwork?”
Ella couldn’t lie. God, she wanted to, but it went against everything she was.
“No birds,” she answered, throat so dry she could’ve been labeled a fire hazard. She glanced over to where Liam stood. “I know there was something about a request for birds on the subsequent paperwork.”
“Subsequent paperwork?” Mike asked.
Ella clarified. “The paperwork Liam, Mr. Baggett, provided.”
“Liam didn’t do it, Mike.” Jenna looked up at him with doe eyes. “He wouldn’t.”
“Ms. Montgomery,” Mike started, but Liam chose that moment to close the distance between them.
Liam reached out and gently touched Ella’s arm, trying to gain her attention.
“Not now, Liam,” she bit out.
“I’d like to see the paperwork.”
“You’ve seen it plenty of times.”
“Ella—”
“This is mine to fix, Liam. Somewhere, somehow, someone made a mistake. It appears that someone was me.” She shrugged off Liam’s hand and stepped toward Jenna. “I can only apologize profusely, Ms. Williams. I’ll make this right and ensure there are no birds anywhere near the ceremony. You have my word.”
“Why were they pink?” she asked, slipping into a hazy awareness. “I hate pink.”
“I have no idea,” Ella answered.
Jenna just looked at her, the accusation in her eyes unquestionable.