Always The Wedding Planner, Never The Bride Part 15

"A dag is a bit of a fool, if you want to know the truth," Russell told him. "But I mean it in only the purest way."

"I'll bet. Anything you need?"

"Besides a visit from Sherilyn?"

"Yes. Besides that."

"Some smokes?"

"Talk to Alan or Sean about that, my Australian friend. I won't be contributing to any of your addictions. And don't let anyone catch you. This is a non-smoking hotel." Russell laughed full-on at that, and Andy pointed at the pill bottle on the night stand. "One of those in about an hour. Don't take it until they bring up a snack. And an ice pack for about twenty minutes before you go to sleep."

Russell saluted him. "Yessir."

"Please don't burn the place down, by the way. I have friends here. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Not too early, right, Doc? A fella needs his beauty sleep."

"I'll say. You might think about a shower in the morning too. You smell worse than my dog."

Again, Russell burst into laughter.

The minute the door opened, Russell sang, "G'night, fair Miss Sherilyn."

She poked her head through the door and grinned, waving. "Goodnight, Russell."

Five Tips for Choosing the Perfect Wedding Dress Keep a file handy with your favorite dresses from bridal magazines when you go shopping. Share them with your consultant so that she can use them to help you.

Consider the theme and tone of the wedding when narrowing down your choices.

For an evening ceremony, you may choose a floorlength, more formal gown.

Something shorter and less elaborate can be appropriate for daytime.

Keep your specific figure in mind when choosing a dress. To make this decision, it is often helpful to start with trying on a variety of styles so that you and your maid of honor and/or mother can choose the one that compliments your body.

Set a budget, and don't try on anything that exceeds that limitation. It can be heartbreaking to find the perfect dress, only to discover you can't afford it. Every dress that follows will likely be a disappointment.

Be sure to include in your budget alterations, storage, and pressing of the final dress choice.

When choosing the dress style, keep in mind that certain variations of traditional white can often work better for some brides. An ivory, antique, or cream-colored gown often complements a fair-skinned bride.

10.

You have to taste this!" Emma cried, and she headed straight at Sherilyn, spoon extended.

"Wait! What is it?"

"It's called Pavlova. It's an Australian dessert that Russell told me about."

"Russell Walker?"

Emma shrugged. "Yeah, I delivered his breakfast this morning, and we got to talking about baking, and he told me about this. His mother used to make it. Try."

Sherilyn let Emma spoon-feed her. The moment the splendor hit her tongue, her eyes popped open wide and she began to purr.

"What's in that?"

"Egg whites and cornstarch and various fruits. Isn't it spectacular? I snuck a bite or two," she admitted with a shrug. "I can't wait for Fee to get a load of this."

"Has Russell tasted it yet?"

"I'm on my way up to take him some now. Do you want to come?"

Sherilyn thought about it for a moment. The way Andy had hustled her out of that room the night before, she almost felt a little wicked for considering it. But she couldn't seem to deny her curiosity. And wasn't it safer in numbers, after all?

"Okay."

"Lunch is on the tray," Emma told her. "I'll carry that if you'll take the dessert."

"Sure."

"Oh, and grab the basket over there?"

"What's in here?" Sherilyn inquired as she picked it up.

"A little something for Sean. He's a doll baby."

"Shall we take bets?" Sherilyn asked as they waited for the elevator.

"On?"

"On whether this dessert makes it to the third floor."

They both chuckled at that, and Sherilyn eyed the covered plate with animated interest as the elevator hummed upward.

"Hi, Sean."

"Hey, Miss Emma. Miss Caine."

"Sherilyn."

He nodded as she slipped the basket from her arm and handed it to him as Emma knocked at the hotel room door.

"Lunch is served."

"Thank you both," Sean said, and his smile pinched Sherilyn's cheek as she pa.s.sed him.

"Two for the price of one, hey?" Russell teased as Emma set out his lunch on the table by the window. "Sherilyn is it?"

She nodded. "Nice to see you when you're not landing in a heap at my feet."

Russell ran a hand through his messy blond hair. "Nice not to fly by you at top speed."

"What were you doing out there anyway?"

"That seems to be the question of the week."

"And?" Emma asked him as she dropped a linen napkin to his lap and handed him a fork.

"No clue, love."

Emma produced a second fork from the tray. "Oh, this is Sean's. Hang tight while I deliver it."

The way he looked at Sherilyn just then made her feel uneasy, as if he might drink her right up. "Squat a sec?" he asked her, nodding to the empty chair across from him.

She sat down and folded her hands in her lap, wishing he didn't make her feel quite so uneasy.

"So Emma is a baker," he said, stuffing a chunk of ham and cheese omelette into his mouth. "What do you do to keep this hotel on its feet?"

"I'm the wedding planner."

He narrowed his eyes and surveyed her for a moment. "Weddings. Really."

Sherilyn chuckled at his reaction. "This is a wedding destination hotel."

"Is it?" he asked curiously, and she nodded. "Buckley's chance I'll be back again then."

She didn't speak Australian slang, but she guessed that meant something like a s...o...b..ll's chance of survival in a very warm climate.

"You'll be married here?" he asked, nodding toward her engagement ring.

"Probably."

"Your fella's a good enough bloke."

"I think so," she said, and a slow grin spread wide across her face.

"I suppose you two will be cranking out babies soon enough, hey?"

"We thought we'd get married first and see how that goes," she teased. "You're a very nosy person, aren't you, Mr. Walker?"

"Nosy," he repeated. "Not so stickybeak as I am just curious. It's not my scene, marriage and babies and the like."

"No?"

He laughed. "No."

"That doesn't mean it couldn't be someday. When you're through . . ." She couldn't think of a way to finish politely.

"Horsing around?"

She shrugged and resisted a smile. "Well, yes."

"Does a fella ever finish that?"

"I hope so," she replied as Emma slipped the door open.

"Sher, you ready?"

"Yes, I have a consultation in a few minutes," she told them both.

"Pleasure earbashing," he told Sherilyn. "Feel free to come again. We never close."

Sherilyn reached out her hand, and he stared at it for a moment before shaking it.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Walker. I hope you do well tomorrow."

"See you again before I check out?"

"I'm not sure."

All of a sudden he looked very tired, a little uncomfortable, out of sorts. Then he nodded toward her throat and tapped his finger on his Adam's apple. "Say one for me?" he asked, and she realized he'd referenced the small gold cross on the chain around her neck. "You pray, I take it? Will you say one for me?"

"I can't think of anyone who needs it more," she said with a straight face before it melted down into a smile.

"Fair go," he replied as Alan Burkus made an entrance.

"What, are you eating again?"

"S'all there is to do here, mate," Russell snapped back before sneaking Sherilyn a wink and a smile.

"You'll be fat as a cow by the time we get you out of this place."

"Well, it seems to work for you. Why not let me give it a go then?"

"Oh," Emma called back to him from the door, "by the way. There's a little surprise for you on the dresser. Eat your lunch like a good boy, and then you have your dessert."

"What is it?"

"Wait and see!"

Sherilyn wiggled her fingers at him as she backed out of the room behind Emma and closed the door.