Wishing in Wisconsin (At the Altar Book 3) (8 page)

She shook her head with a laugh.  "I'd love it if you moved back into our room.  Not just for Penny's visit.  Forever."

"Does that mean we can—"

Cindy sighed.  "Let's play that by ear.  I don't feel like we should, but it's really hard to say no to you."

"It is?" His eyes lit up at the idea.  "You like it?"

She laughed.  "I've told you I do.  I just don't quite feel right about it yet.  Give me a week?"

Trey groaned, pulling her against him good naturedly.  "I don't want to, but I will."

"I guess I need to take your sister's luggage up to her." 

"I'll do it.  You go do whatever you were planning to do."

"I was just going to make potato salad to go with our sloppy joes."

He stood, walking over to his desk and picking his clothes up from the floor, pulling them on with quick, efficient moves.  "You go cook.  I'll deal with Penny."

"And Jean."  Cindy waited until he was dressed before she hurried back to the kitchen.  She hated the idea of him spending time with the girl who'd come there thinking she was going to be his girl.  What kind of messed up person was his sister to try to find a girlfriend for her newly married brother?

She started some baked beans in the oven while she boiled the potatoes and eggs for potato salad.   While she worked, she could hear arguments coming from the front room, and she wanted to run out and tell them they were disturbing other guests, but she knew they were the only people in the house that day.  Most of the guests had gone off to the lake for some fishing.

"You need to at least meet Jean before you say you won't date her.  You're being rude, Trey!"

"Rude?  You don't think it's rude for you to show up here with a girl for me to date when I got married just a few days ago?  You need to stop pointing fingers at me and look at yourself."  Trey's voice didn't sound angry, but it was getting louder by the moment.

"We all know your wife can't possibly be interested in you.  She's a successful businesswoman!  What do you have to offer her?"

Trey was silent for a moment, and when he didn't defend himself, Cindy threw down the towel she had just used to dry her hands and marched into the lobby to give his sister a piece of her mind. 

"Do you really want to know what he has to offer me?  I'll tell you!"  Cindy kept her voice calm, but it took everything inside her.  "He offers me companionship and friendship.  He offers me affection and help when I need it.  And he offers me fabulous sex.  He's a good man, and he doesn't deserve to be treated as if he's your backward cousin who will never get a woman on his own.  He has a woman, and she's right here!" 

Penny glared at her.  "Why are you defending him?  I'm his sister.  I've known him his entire life.  I'm sure you don't know him half as well as I do."

"You know nothing!  Can you not see what a kind, loving man he is?  Why are you so blind?"  Cindy walked to Trey's side, slipping her hand in his.  "You need to go right back to Texas where you belong."

Trey stood looking at Cindy for a moment, a small smile crossing his face.  He'd never imagined she could be so fierce in his defense.  He turned to her, and used his free hand to lift her chin up, and he kissed her, not caring that his sister was watching.  "I have a wonderful wife, Penny," he finally said.  "Go home."

Penny stood staring at them, her chest heaving with her anger.  "I will not go home until you've met my friend and spent some time with her.  You'll see that she's better than this tramp!"

"You won't be staying here then," Trey said softly.  "Cindy was kind enough to give you both a place to stay, even though you came here with the intention of breaking up our marriage.  This home has been in her family for generations, and what's more, it's her place of business, and you're simply a distracting influence.  Go away."

"Fine, we won't stay here, but we'll come back every single day until you meet Jean and get to know her."  Penny crossed her arms over her chest.  "This is a place of business, like you said, and your wife happens to be open to the public for breakfast.  We'll come back every morning to eat until you give us some time."

Cindy sighed.  "Can we have a moment to speak privately?"

Penny nodded.  "Make it quick."

Cindy took Trey's hand and led him to their bedroom, folding her arms around him for just a moment, so they could take strength from their closeness.  "Here's what I think we should do.  Let's take Penny and Jean to karaoke tonight, making Penny crazy.  I need to do something to get back at her, and that seems to be the only logical thing.  Then tomorrow, you can have the two of them help you with the snowmobiles.  I'll even pack a picnic lunch for three.  You'll fulfill the promise to spend time with them, and they won't want to stay."

Trey thought about her words for a moment, and finally nodded, recognizing the logic in them.  "That sounds smart.  I'll tell Penny that's what we're doing."  He pressed his lips to hers, his tongue slowly tracing her top lip.  "You're awfully special, Cindy Zayne."

"Keep talking like that, and I won't be able to make it through the week," she whispered, her lips clinging to his.

He chuckled.  "You act like it was my idea for us to wait a week to make love again.  I assure you, it was not.  At all.  In fact, I could leave my sister standing out there while I make slow, sweet love to you right now.  What do you say?"

"I say you're pretty darn special yourself."  She finally pulled away.  "Let's see what we can do at karaoke tonight."

"Yes, ma'am."  Trey walked back to his sister while Cindy returned to the kitchen to finish cooking.  "Cindy and I are going to the bowling alley for karaoke tonight.  We'll talk there about a plan to see you and Jean tomorrow."

Penny visibly winced.  "You know it gives me a headache when people sing off-key."

He shrugged.  "Those are my conditions.  I'll file a restraining order on your friend if you don't show.  It's that simple."

"Mom is not going to be happy you're treating me this way."

He laughed softly.  "You do realize that Mom now lives a thousand miles away from me, and her opinion on how I treat you just doesn't matter anymore, right?"

He walked to the desk and picked up a card he knew Cindy kept there.  "This is the nearest hotel.  Go check in there."  He pulled his phone from his pocket and looked up the address for the Blevins Bowl, scrawling the address on the back.  "Karaoke here tonight.  You can either eat before you go or eat there.  They have great food."

Penny wrinkled her nose.  "What kind of food do they serve?"

"Bowling alley food."  He turned and walked from the room and back to his office.  He had an hour or two before dinner, and he wanted to work on the website some more.

*****

On their way to the bowling alley that evening, Trey held her hand.  "I'm sorry I got so upset with you about waiting for a week.  I should have understood that it wasn't that you didn't care about me."

Cindy felt as if a huge weight was off her shoulders at his words.  "You really understand?"

"Not completely, no, but I understand it's important to you and it has nothing to do with how you feel about me physically.  You wouldn't have been on my lap making out with me earlier if it was a physical thing."

She blushed.  "Thanks for reminding me about that!  I just went in there to talk to you about your sister, but...do you know what?"

He shook his head.  "What?"

"I'm attracted to you," she said in a loud whisper.

He laughed.  "Believe it or not, I'm attracted to you as well."

"I kind of figured that out while I was sitting on your lap earlier.  You weren't hiding much."

They'd reached the bowling alley and he opened the door for her.  "Are you singing tonight?"

She shook her head.  "No.  I'm a terrible singer.  Cissie's really good, though.  She'll sing."

His eyes scanned the bowling alley, which was already beginning to get crowded.  "Are we sitting with Cissie?"

"Of course.  Will your sister and Jean sit with us as well?"

He sighed.  "Probably.  I can't wait to see her cringe."

Cindy laughed.  "I know I'm a terrible person, but I can't either." 

Chapter Eight

Cindy slipped into the chair beside Cissie who was already looking through the book of songs.  "What are you singing tonight?"

Cissie shrugged.  "I'm trying to decide."  She looked back and forth between Trey and Cindy.  "You two look happy."

Trey brought Cindy's fingers to his lips.  "I'm married to an amazing, beautiful woman.  Of course, I'm happy."  He slid into the chair on the other side of Cindy. 

Cindy looked at Cissie.  "Something weird is going to happen here tonight, and I just want you to be ready for it."

Cissie raised an eyebrow, looking up from the book.  "What's up?"

"Trey's sister, Penny, just got here from Texas.  And she brought someone she thinks would be perfect for Trey."

"What the heck?  I'll kick both their butts!  Are they skinny little things? 'Cuz if they are, I'll take them both!"

Cindy grinned, knowing her friend had her best interests at heart.  "They are, but that's not the thing.  They're coming to karaoke tonight, and tomorrow they'll spend the day with Trey."

"Why are you putting up with this?  What's wrong with you?  I'll hit them both over the head with a brick, and we'll throw them in the lake!"

Cindy laughed.  "There's a cop three tables over, and he's looking this way.  I think you need to calm your butt down.  They promised they'd leave if he spent the day with them, so he's going to.  I just want them both gone."

"I guess I can see that.  Do I get to meet them?  Can I poison their food?"

"Yes, and no.  We're not poisoning anyone tonight, and anyway, you're off duty.  We're going to sit here, eat cheese curds, and enjoy ourselves." 

"Fine."  Cissie looked back down at her book.  "They'd better be glad there's a cop here.  Is it one I know?  Can I convince him they need to die?"

Cindy looked at the police officer a bit more closely.  "I don't know him, and he's got a girl with him who's looking at him like he hung the moon."

Cissie wrinkled her nose.  "Lovely.  I told Lachele to get started finding me someone, just so you know.  I'm done being single."

Glancing over at Trey, Cindy grinned.  "I hope she does as well for you as she did for me."  Out of the corner of her eye she saw Penny approaching with Jean.  "And here they are."

Penny pushed Jean to sit right beside Trey.  She took the open chair beside Cissie.  "You're pretty stupid if you think sitting beside me is safe," Cissie said with a hiss, leaning close to Penny.

Penny looked at Cindy with wide eyes, as if she were asking what it was she'd done wrong.  "Penny, this is my best friend, Cissie Rivers.  She's the manager here."

Penny didn't offer her hand to shake, looking down her long nose at Cissie.  "Oh, you manage a bowling alley.  Quaint."

Cissie immediately took a napkin and started scrubbing away at Penny's nose.  "I'll get it for you!" she yelled.

"Ouch!  Get off me!"  Penny pushed Cissie back.

"Oh, I think I got it!"

"What did you get?" Penny frowned at the woman she obviously had decided was insane.

"The dirt on your nose that had you looking at it so funny, of course.  What did you think I was getting?"  Cissie asked the question with a look of confusion in her eyes.

Penny looked away from Cissie.  "Has a server been over to get our orders yet?"

Cindy grinned.  "This is a bowling alley.  You go to the counter over there and ask for food if you want it."

Penny huffed, getting to her feet.  "I'm going to get us some drinks and food," she said to Jean.  "Why don't you see if you can get my brother talking so we can take him home with us?  No one should have to live here."  She shuddered delicately as she walked off.

Cissie looked at Cindy.  "Did she just insult Wisconsin?  I'd take more offense if we didn't spend our teenage years doing the same thing.  I kind of like it now, though.  If I'd known
she
was coming I'd have worn my cheese head."

Cindy realized then that she had yet to hear Jean saying anything.  She was pretty enough, but she was so quiet.  Was she really that shy?  "Jean, it's nice to meet you.  I'm Cindy."

Jean's eyes widened as if she was shocked to have someone actually speak to her.  "Hello.  Penny says you're the enemy, and I shouldn't talk to you."  Jean's voice was soft and her words so matter-of-fact that Cindy almost didn't believe she'd actually spoken them.

Cindy tilted her head to one side.  "And what do you think?  Am I the enemy?"

Jean frowned, as if she hadn't expected to be asked for an opinion of her own.  "Well, you're married to the man I'm supposed to marry, so I guess so."

Cindy looked at Cissie, wondering if her friend was hearing what she was.  "Why are you supposed to marry Trey?"

"Because Penny said so.  Penny's really smart, and she knows a lot.  I listen to her whenever she talks."  Jean's eyes were so innocent it hurt.  Cindy wanted to run across the alley and stab a fork in Penny's eye.  How dare she set this girl up to be hurt?

Cindy's heart suddenly went out to the girl.  She wasn't the smartest girl at the table.  "How long have you known Penny?"

Trey had closed his eyes as if he were trying to avoid the situation entirely. 

Jean shrugged.  "I met her after Christmas."

"I see.  Well, Trey and I are really married, and we're going to stay married.  Penny's wrong about that.  You can't just believe someone who says you're going to marry a man you've never met."

"Why not?  That's what you did," Penny said from behind Cindy.  "Don't listen to her, Jean.  You know you're the one who's supposed to marry Trey."

Jean looked at Trey, seeming to think about what Penny had just said.  "Do you want to be married to me or Cindy?" she asked simply.  Her words were slow, but perfectly understandable.

"I'm already married to Cindy," he said simply.  "Why would I get a divorce so I could marry a stranger?"

Jean nodded.  "I promised to spend tomorrow with you and kiss you a lot.  Is that okay?"

"It's okay to spend time with me, but it's not okay to kiss me.  Cindy would get mad about that."  Trey brought Cindy's fingers to his lips, and he kissed them softly.  He needed Jean to understand he was already taken.

Cissie leaned over and whispered to Cindy, "I want to kill Penny more than ever.  Jean is just plain sad."  She stood up, and walked over to the girl who was the karaoke hostess.  Every week Cissie would sing a song to kick off the night.

The hostess stood, her eyes on the paper in front of her.  "Cissie Rivers, manager of this fine establishment, is going to sing 'I've Got a Crush on You.'"  She walked over and started the music while Cissie picked up the microphone.

Penny looked almost scared as Cissie held the microphone and waited for the music.  Cindy grinned, knowing her friend was about to shock everyone in the place who had never heard her sing, including Trey.  It was his face she watched as her friend sang the opening notes.  "How glad the many millions of Toms and Dicks and Williams would be to capture me."

Trey's jaw dropped and he, along with all the other new people in the room and many of the regulars, watched Cissie belt out the song as if she'd been born on a stage.  She hit every note, her sweet, sultry voice filling up the room.  She automatically swayed to the music as she sang, her hips moving back and forth. 

Cindy wished she'd dress up for karaoke nights, because she was so good at what she did.  She glanced around watching people's reactions to her friend as she always did, and noticed the cop a couple of tables over seemed to be unable to take his eyes off Cissie.  She wished Cissie could just see herself through someone else's eyes for one moment, because she was an incredible woman who didn't seem to realize just how special she was.

*****

Once they were in bed that night, Cindy snuggled close to Trey, her head on his shoulder.  "Cissie floored me," he said.  "Who would have thought she could sing that way?"

"She's been like that since we were little.  She had the singing part in every school pageant from kindergarten on.  She's a terrible actress, but she was the lead in every school musical, because no one could compare to her voice.  It's like she becomes a different person once you put a microphone in her hand."

"I was very impressed."  He stroked her hair, happy to be holding her again, even if nothing was going to happen between them.  "I can't believe my sister dragged Jean a thousand miles when she knew I was already married.  She's a sweet girl, but she doesn't seem much older than ten."

"I have a feeling that's all the older she is intellectually.  I don't know if your sister has done anything like this before, but I think bringing Jean here is almost criminal.  It's just wrong."

Trey sighed.  "It's her way of insulting me and calling me a nerd.  She always finds a girl who has something wrong with them to do this with.  In high school, she started by choosing the most popular girls who would laugh at me.  Then she would pick the girls who were just a bit odd-looking.  I never minded.  I wouldn't hurt anyone.  And then she moved on to people who weren't obviously different until you talked to them.  There was the girl who couldn't seem to talk about anything except the show
Friends.
She had every episode memorized, and she would only quote the show in response.  Then the next one was severely depressed.  Everything I said, she'd start crying hysterically.  Jean is not the first who was really very naive and slow.  I feel bad for her, but I can't seem to stop Penny from doing it.  I've talked to my mother, who told me that all the girls were perfectly lovely, and I need to appreciate my sister more."

"Is Penny younger?"

"She's a year younger, and for some reason, she's always hated me.  It's weird, but it's just what she does.  My mom is a pain, because she refuses to believe Penny would ever do anything maliciously.  I can't find anything Penny does that's not malicious."  He sighed.  "She's a lot of the reason I decided to have Lachele match me up.  Yes, I wanted a good marriage and love and companionship, but I also just needed to get away from Penny's matchmaking.  I was sure that once I was married, she'd stay away.  I would have warned you if I'd had any idea she'd do this."

"Well, I guess the next time you marry some random girl that you meet at the altar, you'll need to tell her."

"Not happening."  He pressed a kiss to her shoulder, through her nightgown.  "I think I'm done marrying random strangers.  I'm pretty happy with the one I got the first time."  He smiled.  "Speaking of which, one of the men at the bowling alley asked me for Cissie's phone number."

"It was her singing.  Every karaoke night people ask for her phone number, but none of them ever find the guts to call her.  They think she's too good for them for whatever reason."

"Okay, well, I didn't feel like I should give out her phone number anyway, so I didn't.  Cissie has started the ball rolling with Lachele, hasn't she?"  He hid his chuckle at his own accidental joke.  Ball rolling for a bowling alley manager. 

Cindy nodded.  "Yeah.  She interviewed at the same time I did, but she was going to wait for six months to make sure I was happy.  She called Lachele today and told her to make it happen, though.  I'm not sure why, but she's suddenly done waiting.  I really didn't expect her to go through with it."

"You didn't?  But wasn't it part of the deal you made?"

"Yeah, it was, but I didn't expect her to do it."  She shrugged.  "I've been waiting for her to come to me with the reason she couldn't possibly let Lachele set her up since our wedding day.  I'm surprised."

"She'll be a good wife.  Do you think Lachele will be able to find two men who will agree to move to the middle of nowhere?"

"That was Cissie's agreement with Lachele, just like mine.  Both of us have our businesses here, so we needed men who could come to us.  You never know.  She might find someone."

He turned to her in the dark, pulling her closer.  "Enough talk about Cissie.  It's time for you to give me one fact I don't already know about you."

Cindy thought about it for a moment.  "I love to sing karaoke, but I'm terrible at it.  I will sometimes get up on the stage with Cissie and sway in the background and lip sync."

He laughed.  "I wanted to be an astronaut when I was a little boy, because I was willing to do anything in the world to get away from my crazy sister."

Cindy kissed him softly.  "I'll protect you from her.  She's skinny.  I can take her."

"Thank you.  You made today so much easier than it would have been with someone else."

"I did what I had to do.  The real victim here is Jean."

"I'm glad you can see that."

*****

Cindy tried not to worry as she went about her daily routine that day.  Trey kissed her sweetly before going outside to work on the snowmobiles.  Both Penny and Jean had shown up for breakfast.  Penny was as demanding as she'd expected her to be.  There was something seriously wrong with Trey's sister.

"I need more coffee!" Penny said from across the room while she was talking to an older couple who were checking out that morning.