A Baby...Maybe? & How to Hunt a Husband (26 page)

Maybe she'd agree to go out with Shelby. After all, he might not be complicated-phobic.

“I don't think things can continue the way they've been going,” she started. “After all, part of our reason for being together is gone. Our moms know.”

“Still, what we have works, Shannon-me-love…”

“Don't you Shannon-me-love me,” she said. “Here I am, ready to tell you that I love you and you're still harping on about our stupid deal, our
uncomplicated
plans.”

This time she was the one shaking a finger, she shook it right in his face as she continued, “Well,
I want complicated. I want it all. I want someone who calls me every day, not just when he feels like it. No, I take that back, I want a man who
feels
like calling me every day. But you don't want that. That would be messy. Well, that's fine. Just fine. I'll go find a man who doesn't mind a bit of complication.”

“You think you can replace me that easily?” he asked, softly, moving closer.

“Sure.” Which was a big lie. She doubted she'd ever replace Nathan.

“You think you'll find another guy who doesn't mind wearing a pink bathrobe and watching chick-flicks, who knows how to pry you out of pleather…who loves you like I do?”

“I'm sure there are men out there who are more than capable of wearing pink and watching chick-flicks. As for pleather—” she stopped, unsure she'd heard what she thought she heard.

“Say it again.”

“I know how to pry you out of pleather,” he said, a big grin on his face.

“Not that part.” She grabbed the fluffy pink material and pulled him close.

“I don't mind watching chick-flicks if they have at least a bit of blood-and-guts. I may wear pink, but I like blood-and-guts.”

“Nope. Not that part either.” She felt as if she was going to explode with joy.

“Oh. I love you?” he asked with a smile.

“Yep, that's the part.”

“I do.” He kissed her then and she could feel it.

He did—he loved her.

She broke the kiss and said, “But you were just going on about how you wanted uncomplicated…”

“You didn't want love, you wanted to be boink-buddies.”

“No, I didn't. I thought that's what you wanted. I realized the other day that what I feel for you went further than I ever expected it to. I came by the pharmacy to tell you.”

“But you ran out on me,” he said with a frown.

“You were tired and rattling on about needing things uncomplicated, and I knew saying those words would complicate everything, so I didn't.”

“Shannon, nothing in my life has been uncomplicated since I met you. As a matter of fact, this is the most complicated, convoluted relationship I've ever been in…and I couldn't be happier. Or rather, I could be if you did one little thing.”

“What's that?” she asked. She'd do anything for him—for the man she loved.

“Say the words. You still haven't said them, you know.”

“Really? How negligent of me. Nathan Bull Calder, I love you. I think I loved you from that first time we talked at Mick's.”

Suddenly she was wrapped in Nate, her face
pressed to a fuzzy pink bathrobe. She felt as if she could burst, she was so happy.

“So, you know what this means?” he asked.

“What?”

“Your mom's won her bet.”

“No, no she hasn't. The bet was that I'd get married…” She looked up and saw his intent in his eyes. “Oh.”

“One more word, that's all I need from you.”

“Yes.”

“Should we go call our moms? They're probably still in the driveway trying to decide what to do next.”

“Later,” Shannon said. Her mom would be absolutely beside herself with excitement—and totally unbearable to live with as she tried to plan the wedding.

Shannon remembered how bad it had been when her mom had tried to plan Mary Kathryn's.

“My mom will just have to wait a while longer. There's something we have to do first.”

“What would that be?” He ran a finger along her cheek.

It was the slightest touch, but it left Shannon decidedly weak in the knees and more than a bit breathless.

“Have I ever mentioned I find men who wear pink very sexy?” she asked, her voice a soft whisper.

“Is that so?”

“Almost as sexy as bikers named Bull…”

Laughing, they forgot their moms.

They forgot all about complications.

All they remembered was love.

After all, that was all that really mattered.

“M
AY I PRESENT
,
the brides and grooms,” Father Murphy boomed as two couples walked into Sabella's for the reception.

“Kiss. Kiss. Kiss. Kiss,” the crowd chanted.

Brigit O'Malley watched as her daughter—her beautiful, talented daughter—kissed her brand-new husband.

She sniffed. It was a dainty sniff…quiet and refined.

Not at all like the big honking sniffs Cecilia was making as Cara and her Texan kissed as well.

Cecilia had called weeks ago and told her Cara was getting married. She'd rattled on and on about her wedding plans…plans that never came to fruition.

A part of Brigit had felt bad when she'd heard that Cara and her Texan had eloped. She'd almost resigned herself to losing the bet. Then Brigit realized that just a civil ceremony didn't count. She'd technically won.

But for some reason, Shannon felt a bond to Cara, although to the best of Brigit's knowledge the two had never met. Kate and Cara had become
friends, and through her, Shannon and Cara had formed a bond. They ended up talking and coming up with this diabolical plan.

Cara and her Rex had shared today's ceremony, having their civil marriage blessed at the same time Shannon and Nate married.

The girls had suggested they felt drawn to each other because both their mothers were meddlers.

A meddler?

No way.

Brigit knew she was just a loving, concerned mother.

As was her good friend, Cecilia.

Brigit sighed as the couples moved onto the dance floor. She spotted Kate and Tony. And there was Desi, that delightful wedding planner, and Seth. Everyone was here.

She sighed again.

“We did good, didn't we?” Cecilia asked.

Brigit looped her arm around the shorter woman's shoulders. “Yes, we did. They all look so happy.”

“Speaking of happy, about the bet…”

Brigit nodded. “Yes, I know having two ceremonies today makes it a draw. The girls planned it that way. Our children are trickier than I ever gave them credit for.”

“They take after their mamas.”

Brigit smiled. “Yes, I guess they do.”

“But I was thinking, maybe we should go.”

“Go?”

“To the Catskills together. I talked to Rachel and Jessica-Marie. Rachel's going to be away on business, but Jessica-Marie would love to come. And I thought maybe we'd ask your son-in-law's mama, that Judy Calder, to fill in for our fourth.”

“Fourth?”

“Well, we need someone for pinochle. A long weekend. Think of the games we could have.”

“The four of us in the Catskills?” Brigit hugged her friend.

Her best friend.

The kind of friend that only came along once in a lifetime. “Oh, Cecilia, that would be lovely. We'll have so much fun. And we deserve a vacation, after all the work the girls put us through.”

“And do we get any thanks?” Cecilia asked.

“No. Why, all I asked for was a dignified service and just look at these cakes. They're not what I would have chosen.”

Brigit personally thought that despite the fact they were not quite dignified, Shannon's was ever so much nicer than Cara's.

Why, Cara had a bull on hers.

Brigit wasn't sure she'd want a bull on top of a cake, but Cara said that it was a bull that had brought her and Rex together and then laughed. Brigit didn't get the joke.

But she did get Shannon's cake toppers. A Harley Davidson with two Barbies that Desi and Seth
had loaned them. The Ken doll was dressed in black and had a small tattoo on his forearm, and Barbie had on tight red leather pants.

Every time she looked at those pants, Shannon laughed, though she wouldn't explain it to her mother. But Brigit did understand the rest of it.

Instead of saying Shannon and Nate it said Roxy and Bull.

The stripper and the biker.

Brigit hugged Cecilia. “Yes, after all the work we've gone to, making sure the kids are happily married, I think we need a break. The Catskills it is.”

“Great, because soon I won't be able to get away.”

“Why?” Brigit asked.

“Because I'm sure my Cara and her Rex will be giving me a grandbaby soon.”

“Nate's mother was just telling me that she plans to be a grandmother early next year, something about Nate owing her a baby since he almost killed her. She seemed positive, so I'm sure I'll be a grandmother before you.”

“You want to bet?” Cecilia asked.

Brigit looked at the reception room full of people she loved. Now that both her girls were happily married, it was time to add to the family again.

She smiled. “You're on…”