Caught Between an Oops and a Hard Body (Caught Between series Book 2) (3 page)

Tom ruffled his youngest daughter’s hair. “Welcome to my world, squirt.” Then he headed back to the kitchen sink, ready to take his next order.

While her sister squeezed tight, Stephanie gave her a hug back and met Dora’s gaze. “You need to remember that this is Mandy’s wedding, Mom. No forcing her to have your dream wedding.”

Dora’s back bristled and she handed the bowl back to her husband. “You’re overreacting. I’m busy preparing for my birthday party right now. I don’t have time to think about her wedding.”

“She lies,” Mandy whispered in her ear before she stepped back and faced her parents. “So tell Steph how many people you invited to your birthday party.”

Beneath his breath, Tom grumbled, “The entire island.”

Then to take the sting from his complaint, he gave his wife an affectionate pat on the butt.

Stephanie raised her eyebrows. “How can that be? Mandy and Dane just moved here? Isn’t this your first time on the island?”

Dora blushed. “I can’t help it if people adore me.”

Mandy nudged her in the arm. “And if they don’t, Mom harasses them till they cry uncle.”

Dora fixed a determined gaze on Stephanie, and Stephanie thought,
Uh oh, here we go. This must be a record. Barely five minutes after the helloes
.

“I’ve heard the bride’s brother is a hot shot lawyer from Spokane. Just think, honey, a lawyer. What a great catch.” With barely a breath, she rattled on. “I wonder what his specialty is? We wouldn’t want one of those smarmy lawyers in the family. A nice environmental lawyer would be perfect. He could help clean up the beaches.”

“Forget it,” she muttered.

The hope-filled look on her mom’s face fell. “But honey, you’re not getting any younger.”

“And I’m not getting married either. One day of joy followed by a lifetime of prison.” She repressed a shudder, then smiled at her dad and crossed her fingers behind her back. “If only I could find a guy like you, Dad, I’d be golden.”

Dora huffed out a sigh. “You think your father is perfect? He has his frog moments, too, I’ll let you know.”

Tom raised his eyebrows. “And your mother has her broomstick moments.”

And this is where it generally started, with the snide comments cloaked by an affectionate tone. Stephanie had seen it happen enough and it was always one step away from divorce court. How her mom and dad had managed to stay married was mind-boggling.

Before Dora could continue with her favorite subject, Mandy grabbed Stephanie’s hand and tugged her toward the living room. “Come on, I want to talk to you about the wedding plans and Mom’s birthday present.”

Stephanie followed her out. “We’ll have to talk while I get changed. I have to be at the Kincaid estate today and I don’t want to be late.”

As they disappeared around the corner, Dora raised her voice. “Really, you two don’t have to get me anything for my birthday.”

Tom’s grumble followed. “Then why do I?”

“But if you really want to get me a nice gift, I’d love a grand baby. Not till after you’re married, of course. A pregnant bride is so unseemly. What would the neighbors think? But just to know you girls are thinking about it would give me hope…”

With a patient sigh, Mandy led the way up the stairs and lowered her voice. “Dane and I want to wait a couple of years before we hear the pitter patter of tiny feet around the house. But once we’re married, I’m afraid Mom will up the pressure. I mean, look. We move to the Caribbean to get some freedom from family, and before we even get settled, they’re knocking at our door unannounced.”

“I’m glad it’s you, not me.” Stephanie trudged up the stairs after her, tired, nauseous, and wanting nothing more than a bed and a nap. But this might be her only chance to have a private conversation with her sister. She went for the direct approach. “You and Dane…you’re kind of rushing the wedding, aren’t you? Why not wait till next year or the year after? Or just live with him until—”

“Until what?”

Until the inevitable split
.

Stephanie took one look at her sister’s expression and pressed her lips together. “Never mind.”

“Okay, I won’t.” At the end of the hallway, Mandy opened a door and gestured Stephanie inside. “Mom is right. You have a sick view of marriage.”

Stephanie sighed and gave a tug on the sweater. “Lately, I’ve been working with a lot of unhappy couples. Everything seems to start out great. But then the groom sleeps with the bridesmaids—”

Amusement deepened the color of Mandy’s eyes. “You’re not planning to sleep with my guy, are you, sis?”

“No, of course not.” She yanked the sweater up and over her head, and when she could see again, Mandy was staring at her chest with awe.

“Wow, where did those come from?”

Stephanie followed her
 
gaze down and frowned. “Pre-period bloat.”

“Wowzer, I wish I bloated like that.”

“No you don’t. It’s really bad this time.”

Mandy glanced down at her own chest, then back at Stephanie’s, and with a shake of her head, refocused on her face. “Okay, well now, this changes things. I told the seamstress you were the same size as me, so that’s what she’s basing the alterations on the bridesmaids gown on.”

Stripping off her slacks, she yanked the skirt off the bed and bent to pull it on. “After the wedding, maybe I should stop in and see her before I head back to Spokane.”

“Good idea. I’ll give her a call and give her a heads up.” Mandy watched her struggle with the skirt zipper, then headed around back to help out. “Suck in your stomach so I can do up the button.”

With a frown down at her waistline, Stephanie did as instructed. The rasp of the zipper was loud in the silent room.

Mandy patted her waist. “There, you can let your breath out now.”

The moment she did so, the waistband cut into her stomach. “Ouch, that’s uncomfortable. Undo it, will you?”

“Huh, you really have put on a few pounds.” Mandy undid the button, held out the shirt for Stephanie to slip on, then went to rifle through the dresser drawers. Within seconds, she produced a safety pin. But once again, her gaze zeroed in on Stephanie’s chest. “I wish I had buttons that nearly popped once a month. It looks…sexy.”

“It doesn’t feel sexy,” Stephanie grumbled. “My breasts are sore and tender, and my bra is too tight.”

“Yeah, but Dane might really like the variety.”

Stephanie grabbed her by the shoulders and gave her a shake. “See, that’s what I’m talking about. You’re stuck with him for the rest of your life. He’s stuck with you. What happens when the pre-wedding glow wears off—and trust me, it always does—and you have the next sixty years to spend with the same man?”

“Comfort and companionship.” Mandy headed around behind Stephanie and lifted the edge of the shirt. “I’m looking forward to settling in with the same guy. So what if the fireworks fade? As long as we love each other, we’ll figure out the rest as we go along.”

“You’re not going to change your mind, are you?”

Mandy shook her head. “Nope.”

Stephanie glanced at her watch. “I better get going or I’ll be late.”

As they came downstairs, Tom stood in the kitchen doorway. “Do you need your car filled up? How about the oil checked?”

“You don’t have to worry about me, Dad. I’m not sixteen anymore.”

He gave her a sheepish grin and a peck on the cheek. “You and Mandy will always be my little girls.”

Dora elbowed him out of the way, her hands dripping soap and water on the floor, obviously on a mission. “A lawyer, honey. Think about it, will you? For me?”

Stephanie saw the earnest expression on her face and felt sorry for Mandy. There was no doubt about it, once Mandy and Dane were married, Dora would be after grandchildren.

“You’re getting the floor wet.” As she watched Dora dry her hands on her apron, she hooked a thumb toward the front door. “I need to get going or I’ll be late.”

Dora’s frowning gaze swept over her. “I hope you’ll tuck in that shirt before you meet your lawyer.”

Mandy laughed.

Stephanie rolled her eyes at her sister. “He’s not my lawyer.”

With a huff, Dora set her hands on her hips. “Don’t count him out before you meet him. A
single
lawyer.” She threw her hands up in the air. “For goodness sakes, child, you’re giving me grey hairs.”

“Forget it, Mom.”

“But a double wedding—my two girls—”

Tom held up his hands. “Whoa. I’m not made of money.”

Dora sent an apologetic glance toward her younger daughter. “Sorry, dear. You know I love Dane like a son but…” She held out her hands in supplication and turned back to Stephanie. “A lawyer, honey, for goodness sake, you’ll never do better than that unless you manage to snag a doctor…”

Mandy crossed her arms over her chest. “I hope you don’t talk like this in front of Dane, Mom.”

Stephanie tuned out her family, and with a backward wave, headed out of the beach house.

Behind her, Dora called out, “Do you want me to come help you with the wedding? I’d love to help. You know I’m a natural event planner.”

“No, you have enough to do to get ready for your birthday party.”

“You’ll tuck in your shirt before you meet your lawyer, won’t you, honey?” And her mom always had to get in one last—last-last-last—word. “I never should have let you go with
that woman
. She totally ruined any chance I might have had to get you married.”

That woman
may have saved her from a lifetime of heartbreak.

Without answering, Stephanie gave a final wave, and as she drove back onto Tranquility Drive, she swallowed back the nausea that seemed determined to make the next three days a challenge.

And it wasn’t just the wedding that she was worried about.

Stone Kincaid, the man who starred in her nighttime fantasies.

The biggest mistake of her life.

The biggest frog, too.

She’d met him at her grandma’s Valentine Day wedding, all five star fire alarm sexy, and slept with him, then snuck out before he woke. And even though she’d left a fake business card with a fake telephone number, she’d been annoyed because he hadn’t internet stalked her and called.

Then unable to shake him from her thoughts, she’d internet stalked him and discovered he was a hotshot lawyer all right, the worst kind of all.

The kind that would send her mom into a bonafide tizzy.

CHAPTER THREE

Stephanie drove north along Tranquility Drive, taking in the beautiful shoreline and the white sandy beaches, enjoying her last opportunity for some peace and quiet…

…because when she arrived at the Kincaid ocean front estate, chaos ruled everywhere. With only three days till the bride walked down the aisle, things were bound to get worse.

Outside, gardeners mowed and pruned and weeded and pinched. Inside, cleaning staff raced around the massive beach house, polishing windows and silverware and everything in-between.

And like frosting on a cake under the heat of the sun, the bride and her mother were in a state of meltdown, snipping and snapping and bickering over every little detail.

The bride, CNN up-and-coming newscaster, Liz Kincaid, was in the process of butting heads with her mother, Grace Kincaid, star of the popular TV talk show
Eternally Yours
. And the two women were arguing about everything.

From the type of cake—white or chocolate—to the color of the icing—cream with pale rose tints or a kaleidoscope of blue and green and yellow and blood red.

From the location of the nuptials—outdoors on the Serendipity Island estate gorgeous gardens or in the middle of the Vegas strip—to the time of day—mid-afternoon or midnight.

From the style of bridal attire—a princess gown for the bride and a black tuxedo for the groom, or Zombie outfits for them both.

Stephanie kind of thought they were yanking her chain with the last one, but she couldn’t quite be certain.

Somehow, someway, she had to pull this wedding together by Friday, all so it would coincide with the groom’s schedule.

The bride’s fiancee, Roger Gordon of the rock band Crazy Heart, wanted to release the band’s fifth album and dedicate it to his bride to officially begin their life together. Sure, it was romantic and cute—and a really great publicity stunt for the band—but it had turned the young bride into a time bomb of nerves who at any given moment might detonate into tears.

Her gaze settled on the bride’s sister.

Mariam sat on the corner of the couch, staring at the far wall, wearing the saddest expression Stephanie had ever seen on anybody. She appeared lost and lonely, which could only mean one thing…some schmuck had broken her heart.

Stephanie peered down at the little tyke hanging onto his mother’s knee.

The kid was adorable, like most kids that age, but Stephanie didn’t like children of any age anymore than they liked her.

He gurgled and blew spit bubbles, and entertained himself by pulling himself up to his feet, then plopping back down on the ground and landing softly on the padded diaper covering his tiny tush.

She didn’t normally pay attention to the little ones in the room, but this little guy was so cute, she almost wanted to reach out and grab him into her arms. Occasionally he let go of the safety net of his mother’s knee, happily content to wave his arms in the air like a drunken frat boy, until his mother put one hand against his back to steady him.

Even from this distance, Stephanie could smell the baby powder scent, and it made her insides squeeze tight with longing.

Mariam stroked a gentle hand down his back. “Would you like to hold him?”

“Oh God no,” she breathed out before she could catch the words back. Clapping a hand across her mouth, meeting the other woman’s curious gaze, she gave a self-conscious laugh. “Sorry, I didn’t mean that the way it sounded. Kids and I…we don’t get along. I much prefer them when they turn sixteen and you can reason with them.”

The other woman slashed a glance toward her mother and sister. “You mean like those two?”

With a small smile, she shifted her focus toward the bride and mother-of-the-bride who were still arguing about the guest list and the flower arrangements and everything in-between.