Daughters Of The Bride (9 page)

* * *

Quinn couldn’t remember the last party he’d been to as just one of the guests. He was always feted or, at the very least,
that music guy
. He found he liked being able to circulate and indulge in small talk without having to wonder what the other person wanted from him.

He grabbed a glass of champagne from a passing tray and took a sip. Joyce was chatting with a group of friends. The engaged couple held court by the dance floor, and the three Watson sisters were talking together.

Quinn watched as they interacted. The body language was clear. Rachel and Courtney were comfortable with each other, but Courtney didn’t do well with Sienna. Every time the platinum-blonde spoke, Courtney’s shoulders tightened.

Quinn figured there was a lot of history in that tension. A lifetime of experiences. He’d read an article a year or so ago about how in a group, someone was always the goat. The one who was less valued than the others. He would guess that Courtney had been her family’s goat for most of her life.

He studied the sisters. There were similarities and interesting differences. Rachel was the oldest. She was heavier and trying to hide the fact with too-baggy clothes. She looked tired. Or maybe resigned. Sienna was the obvious beauty of the three, but he’d never been into what was obvious. Instead, his gaze lingered on Courtney.

She looked different tonight. Sexier. Still not comfortable in her own skin, but appealing as always. She kept smoothing the front of her dress as if not sure of how it looked. Rachel slapped her hands away, making him think Courtney’s sister had something to do with the transformation.

He walked over to the bar and ordered a shot of tequila and a wedge of lime, then crossed to the sisters.

Courtney smiled when she saw him. “You remember Quinn, don’t you? Joyce’s grandson.”

“Nice to meet you,” Rachel said, shaking hands with him. “Watch out for Sienna. She’ll hit you up for money.”

“For an excellent cause,” Sienna protested with a smile. “And if you write me a check, I swear I’ll leave you alone.”

“Not today,” he said firmly as he handed Courtney the shot.

“We haven’t had dinner yet,” she protested. “It’s early to try to get me drunk.”

He chuckled. “This is medicinal. It’s going to be a long night.”

She looked from the shot to him, then shrugged. “Okay.” After swallowing, she sucked on the lime wedge. “No salt?”

“Hard to transport.”

Although he could have put it on his hand and she could have licked it off. He gave himself a full three seconds to think about how great that would have been, then firmly dismissed the visual and the imagined feel of her mouth against his skin. Courtney was not for him. She was young and impressionable and not anyone he should get involved with. He
liked
her, therefore he would protect her from himself.

“Nice party,” he said. “I like the votive candles.”

The small glass containers at every place setting had been painted with the phrase “She said yes!”

“A bit of whimsy,” Courtney told him.

“Courtney’s also responsible for the champagne tower,” Rachel pointed out.

“As long as she doesn’t touch it,” Sienna murmured. “Because that would go badly.”

“Sienna,” Rachel hissed.

Courtney flinched and took a step back. “Have you tried the appetizers? The chefs really outdid themselves today. We’re experimenting with some new finger foods, using locally sourced ingredients.”

Rachel lightly touched Courtney’s back before turning to Sienna. “Oh, look. There’s David. You should go talk to him.”

“You’re both too sensitive,” Sienna snapped before stalking off.

Quinn watched her go. Family dynamics, he thought grimly. They often sucked—although he was lucky when it came to Joyce. He turned back to Courtney.

“Did you do the table runner with the pictures? It’s a clever idea.”

She flashed him a grateful smile. “Um, yes. It’s easy to do online. You could use it at one of your company parties. All your album covers.”

“That’s a great idea,” Rachel told her. “I’m going to steal it for the end of baseball season. We always have a big party with the whole team. I’ll email the parents and ask them to send me their favorite pictures of their kids from the season. Excuse me. I’m going to send myself a note so I don’t forget.”

She walked away. Quinn looked at Courtney.

“You okay?”

She smiled brightly. “Of course. I had tequila. Where’s the bad?”

In her sister, for starters, he thought grimly. Worse, the encounter had made him feel protective, which, when combined with the fact that he already liked her, spelled nothing but trouble.

“You’re the superstar,” he told Courtney.

“I’m a maid. Sienna’s raising money to help battered women start a new life. I think she would win on anyone’s scale.”

“Plus, she’s always been the pretty one.”

Courtney bit her lower lip. “There is that.”

“What you have is better than pretty.”

She raised her eyebrows. “Oh, please. We all know that’s not true.”

“Tell me about the tattoo on the small of your back and I’ll tell you why you’re wrong.”

Courtney laughed. The sweet sound came from her belly, assuring him that her equilibrium had been restored.

“Not even for money,” she told him. “That is going to be my secret and I will taunt you with it every chance I get.”

“That’s my girl,” he said, taking her hand. “Now I want to look at the table runner again. You can point out all the pictures of you when you were little.”

“Sienna really is the pretty one. You should look at her.”

“I’m not interested in her.”

Courtney stared at him. “Are you interested in me?”

The lie would be easy, and was probably the right thing to say, but as always, Quinn headed directly for the dark side.

“I am.”

Her gaze locked with his. “Are you going to do anything about it?”

“I haven’t decided.”

“Why do you get to decide?”

“Because you won’t.”

“Oh. That’s actually true. Will you let me know when the decision is made?”

“You’ll be the first.”

9

SIENNA GLARED AT
her sisters down the length of the table. Sadly, neither of them seemed to notice. She and David were seated on one side of the engaged couple, while Rachel and Courtney sat on the other.

“Are you all right?” David asked.

“I’m fine. Just dealing with my family.” She smiled at him. “Sorry. Have I been distracted? I won’t be anymore.”

He lightly kissed her. “Thank you. This is a really nice party.”

“It is. Joyce did a good job.”

The dinner had been excellent, and the decorations were just right. A small version of a wedding cake with a topper that spelled out “Maggie & Neil” had been dessert. The table runner was a beautiful touch. Apparently, Courtney had come up with that, which was hard to believe, but sure.

Thinking about her sister made her mood sink again. Rachel was always taking Courtney’s side, which had made sense when they were kids. If anyone was going to be picked on, it was their baby sister. Not only had Courtney been a total fail at school, she’d been incredibly tall. Something that wouldn’t have mattered as much if she hadn’t also been two years older than all her classmates.

“What are you thinking?” David asked as he pushed up his glasses. “You look intense.”

“Just Courtney. I worry about her. She’s twenty-seven and still working as a maid in this hotel. I know she’ll never be a rocket scientist, but she could at least make an effort. Mom is forever trying to get her into trade school, but she won’t do it. I wonder if she’s afraid.”

David smiled at her. “You have such a sweet, giving spirit.”

Ugh. That wasn’t true—especially when it came to Courtney. Sienna mostly felt frustration and maybe some embarrassment.

“You’ll be a great mom,” he continued.

“I hope so.” Sienna smiled at him. “I look at the women we help and most of them have children. Those kids are so scared. I know some of it is because they don’t know what’s going to happen. I want to hold them close and promise everything is going to be okay. Only, they wouldn’t believe me and I’d just terrify them more.”

“You like your work.”

“I love it. Asking people for money isn’t that hard and it’s for a good cause. You talk about being excited to get to the office every day. I feel the same way. I want to get things done. I want to know that I’ve made a difference.”

She wondered if any of her passion for her work came from the fact that she’d always—in her heart—felt ashamed of Courtney. She didn’t like that part of herself, but there it was. In a town as small as Los Lobos, being Courtney’s sister had been inescapable. Other students had teased her, accusing her of being stupid, too. Rachel had been old enough to escape it all, but Sienna had been in the thick of it.

She looked out at the large crowd in the tent. Nearly three hundred people had come to the party. She’d known most of them all her life. Rachel’s ex-husband was there, as was Jimmy. Clients of Maggie’s, old neighbors, longtime friends.

“I didn’t want to move here,” David told her. “I almost didn’t take the job. I mean who’s heard of Los Lobos?”

She smiled. “And now?”

“The best thing that ever happened to me.” He stared into her eyes. “I love you, Sienna.”

David had used the L-word a couple of times before. She’d always kind of dodged the issue, because she didn’t know what to say. But now, feeling bruised about her family and knowing David saw only the best in her, she found herself leaning forward to kiss him.

“I love you, too.”

He smiled. “Later, I’m going to make you say that about a hundred times.”

She laughed.

The servers began to clear the dinner plates. Maggie stood and picked up a microphone on the head table.

“I know it’s not technically our wedding,” she began. “But Neil and I are still going to cut that beautiful cake over there. After, there will be dancing.” She looked at Neil, then glanced down the table toward Sienna and David. “But before that, I’ve been asked to request a special song. I think something wonderful is going to happen—I’m just not sure what.”

“Do you have—”

Sienna stopped talking when David stood. The music shifted to Lionel Richie’s “Hello,” an odd choice for an engagement party. What on earth? Was he going to give a toast? Was that appropriate? They’d been dating for nearly six months, but he didn’t know her mother and Neil that well.

David took the microphone from Maggie and then faced Sienna. Overhead lights came on, illuminating both of them. Sienna felt herself get cold as she wondered if escape was possible. Whatever was going to happen, it was going to be bad. She could feel it.

“Sienna, you’re amazing.”

Her heart stopped. She felt it stop right there in her chest. No.
No!
He couldn’t be going where she thought he was going.

She forced herself to smile. “Thank you. You are, too. I’m so happy you could be here, at my mom’s engagement party.”

A desperate attempt to remind him of where they were and why. It was her mom’s moment. Oh, please, oh, please, let her be wrong. Just this once, wrong would be great. Perfect. Her wildest dream.

“I’ve talked to both your mom and Neil. They’re wonderful people. I wish them every happiness. But I’ll admit to a little envy. Because they know they’re going to be together for the rest of their lives.” He smiled at her. “I want that, too. The promise of forever, with the most amazing woman in the world.”

Her sense of horror grew as he dropped to one knee. All around them, everyone gasped. Someone whispered, “How romantic.” She wanted to find the woman and slap her. This wasn’t romantic. This was a living, breathing nightmare. Why was he doing this? Oh, God, oh, God, oh, God.

David drew a ring out of his jacket pocket and held it out to her. “This belonged to my grandmother. She and my grandfather were together for sixty years. When I called and told her about you, about how I felt, she sent it to me. Sienna, I love you. I want to spend my life with you. Marry me.”

No! No! She couldn’t. She didn’t want to marry David. At least she didn’t think she did. They barely knew each other. It was too soon—too fast.

She was aware of the ticking of the seconds. Of everyone staring. This was the wrong time and wrong place and possibly the wrong man. It was also her mother’s engagement party. How would it be remembered? As a stunningly romantic event, or that time when Maggie’s daughter dumped her boyfriend?

Sienna forced herself to smile and stand. “Oh, David. Of course I’ll marry you.”

* * *

“That was lovely,” Maggie said as she poured more champagne.

Rachel held out her glass. Lena and her husband were giving her a ride home, and she was going to get as drunk as she wanted. Right now a little drunk was called for.

“Did you see the terror in her eyes?” Rachel asked. “What was David thinking?”

“He was very sweet when he came to ask me for my permission.” Maggie leaned back in her chair and sighed. “If I was a better mother, I would have told him no. Unless you think Sienna’s really in love with him?”

“Do you?” Rachel asked.

“Not really, but I’ve been wrong before. I always thought she and Jimmy were the perfect couple. Too young at the time, but right for each other.” Maggie looked out on the dance floor, where Neil danced with Sienna. “I’m a lucky woman.”

“You are.”

Maggie turned to her. “Are you sure? You remember your father the most. I don’t want you thinking—”

Rachel cut her off with a shake of her head. “Mom, it’s been twenty-four years. It’s long past time for you to find someone else. Neil adores you and you adore him. That’s what matters.”

“Thank you.” Maggie picked up her glass, then put it down again. “Did you know that David actually mentioned a double wedding? I told him I’d been planning my wedding since I was fourteen years old. My mother wouldn’t let me make any of the decisions when I married your father, so this time I’m doing everything I want.”

A somewhat scary thought. “Mom, you know your tastes have changed since you were fourteen. You might want to rethink the plan.”

“No,” her mother said firmly. “I know my colors are going to be every shade of pink and that there will be swans.”

“Do the swans have to be pink, too?”

Her mother brightened. “Do you think you could dye them to match the decorations?”

“No. I only do human hair. Not feathers. Plus, the other swans would mock them.”

“Or be jealous.” Maggie picked up her champagne. “I know. We’ll have flamingos instead.”

“Very creative.” Rachel stood. “I’m going to use the restroom, then have another piece of cake.” She bent down and kissed her mother’s cheek. “You are going to be a beautiful bride.”

“Thank you, darling.”

Rachel scanned the crowd as she headed inside. So far she’d managed to avoid Greg, which meant her plan was working. She still hadn’t figured out what she was going to say when they were next together. “Hey, thanks for the emotional dump on my head the other day. It was great.”

She made it to the women’s restroom without spotting him and ducked inside. The bathroom was empty and she went into the last stall. She’d barely sat down when she heard two other women come in.

“Talk about a party,” one of them said. “Sienna’s in shock. I can’t figure out if it’s good shock or bad shock. This is what, her fourth engagement?”

“Her third, I think. I’m not sure.”

Rachel froze, not sure how to say she was in the last stall. She realized there was nothing to be done but wait for them to finish.

“Courtney looks good,” the second woman said. “Rachel must have taken her in hand. Talk about the sister I don’t understand. Rachel has all that ability. Why doesn’t she make over herself? Did you see what she’s wearing?”

“I know. Awful. It’s the extra weight she’s carrying. She looks so tired.”

They went into their stalls but kept talking.

“It’s not tired, it’s depressed. Wouldn’t you be sad if you lost Greg?”

“Tell me about it. He’s so hunky. So what if he cheated? I heard it was only one time, so get over it. I mean, come on. She’s totally let herself go. If you were married to her, wouldn’t you cheat, too?”

They both laughed.

Humiliation burned through Rachel. She couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe. Was this really what people said about her? What everyone thought? That she was a fat loser who should take back her cheating husband?

“Maggie looks happy,” the first one said. “Neil’s an odd little duck, but totally in love with her. He looks at her as if she’s his princess. I envy that.”

“Me, too.”

They flushed their toilets and exited the stalls.

“The food is delicious,” one of the women said. “Joyce hires the best people.”

“I know. That soup!”

“Maybe we can sneak some home.”

They both laughed and left. Rachel finally flushed and stepped out into the empty bathroom. She told herself to keep moving. That what they said didn’t matter. That she was fine.

She crossed to the sink and washed her hands, then reached for a towel. As she did, she caught sight of herself in the mirror. The dark circles under her eyes seemed more pronounced today. Her shapeless shirt hung on her body. Her hair needed a trim and maybe a few highlights. Those other women were right—she had let herself go.

But it wasn’t her fault, she thought. She was running all the time. She was the single mother of an active eleven-year-old. She worked full-time. She was doing her best to hold it together when there was no one to help. Greg had cheated on her. That wasn’t her fault. No matter what, it wasn’t her fault.

She blinked away tears before leaving the bathroom. She took two steps, only to find herself standing in front of her ex. He smiled at her.

“Rachel. Hi. I’ve been looking for you. Want to dance?”

His dark hair was too long. He wore a dark green shirt tucked into black jeans. He was tall and lean and handsome enough to make Angelina Jolie swoon. And once, he’d been her husband.

Rachel had believed down to her bones that as long as she could love Greg and be loved by him in return, nothing bad would ever happen. She’d spent the night before her wedding equally excited at the thought of the upcoming day and afraid that Greg would wake up and realize he could do so much better. She’d loved him with everything she had, and he’d betrayed her.

“I can’t,” she whispered.

“Aren’t you feeling well? Do you want me to take you home?”

“It’s my back,” she lied, thinking she had to get out of there. She had to get away from what everyone was thinking and saying.

“Sure. Did you bring your tote with your supplies to do your mom’s hair? Where is it?”

“I’ll get it. I can do that. If you could tell my mom why I had to leave, please.”

“Of course. We’ll meet back right here.”

“Thank you,” she murmured, stepping past him. She had to hold on for only a little while longer. Josh was staying at a friend’s for the night, so once she got home, she would be alone. She could give in to the pain then. Where no one could see.

* * *

Maggie held up her champagne glass. It was close to midnight and everyone was feeling the effects of food and liquor. She swayed slightly. Neil kept his arm around her.

“Thank you all for coming,” she said with a laugh. “I love you all.”

“We love you, too,” someone called.

Quinn sat at a table in the back, watching everyone else. He’d had a surprisingly good time. Maggie and Neil weren’t an obvious choice to be a couple. At least not physically. Maggie was leggy and lean, while Neil edged more toward short and round. But they were happy together. Even he could see that, and he prided himself on seeing all things through a cynical lens.

Like the proposal. Sienna had been caught completely off guard. That had been easy to read. So had her reluctance to say yes. But what choice had she had? Refusing David would have been all anyone remembered. And now she was engaged. Quinn wondered how long until she broke things off.

“I never thought I’d fall in love again,” Maggie continued. “But I did. With the most wonderful man in the world. I’m so lucky to have found you, Neil.”

They smiled at each other, then shared a brief kiss. Maggie straightened and turned her attention to the crowd. “I also want to thank my daughters. I love you girls. I’m so proud of my daughters...and Courtney.” She waved her glass. “Now everyone has to dance!”