Shopping for a CEO's Fiancée
Leaving me dumbstruck.
I grab my phone. Text from Vince.
Outdoor session canceled. Meet me at your office. Will turn you into a puddle indoors.
I snort.
Or whimper.
It’s hard to tell the difference.
I am still texting just as she returns, steam spooling up from the two fresh coffees in her hand.
“Work?”
Need to talk. Want to know the rest of the story, I text Terry.
“Yes,” I say, smiling as she hands me the coffee, dipping down for a kiss.
By the time Terry replies, I’m buried.
In her.
Chapter Fourteen
“I can’t believe we have to suffer through this,” I grumble as we climb out of the SUV, Gerald dropping us off at Declan’s building. We’ve been home for two weeks, barely enough time to catch up, and now we have to spent a rare Saturday night being tortured by my brother’s mother-in-law.
I am not legally related to her.
But crazy has its own gravity, flowing from older brother to younger.
“You’re the best man. I’m the maid of honor. We have to go to the wedding-gift-opening party.”
“Terry was the best man, technically.”
Amanda gives me a look that says I’d better shut up or I’m on the fast track to a no-sex night.
I shut up.
“Dec and Shannon have nearly seven hundred wedding gifts to open, and we’re all going to help them.”
“Great. Just what I want to do with a Saturday night. Spend it at my brother’s house with his crazy mother-in-law, opening china and tablecloths, oohing and aahing over crap no one really uses. Let’s take wagers on how many fondue sets they get.”
As we enter the elevator, she gives me a funny look. “That’s what you really think about weddings and registering and gifts?”
“Yes.”
She laughs, giving a sigh of relief. “Me, too.”
My thumb worries the spot where my wedding ring used to rest.
I miss it.
We’re the last to arrive, the room filled with the same people who were at the rehearsal dinner. Has it really only been a month since that night? I count back.
About six weeks.
Not long enough between parties involving Marie.
Even my cousin Hamish is here, which is strange. Why would he be here?
Oh. Right.
A party involving Marie. That’s why.
“Andrew! Amanda!” Marie squeals. She’s wearing a purple get-up that sets her now-platinum hair apart, like corn silk on top of a lavender field. For the wedding, she dyed it auburn for some reason, but now she’s back to normal, whatever that means for Marie.
Her eyes are bright and cheeks pink. Her hug comes with alcohol-soaked breath. “I’m so glad you’re here. Now we have two best men!”
I look over her shoulder at Terry, who gives me a fake smile, a thumbs-up, and points to a beer in his hand.
Hell, yes, I mouth.
I’m going to need plenty of alcohol to get through tonight.
“Six hundred and fifty-seven presents Shannon and Declan got for their wedding!” Marie calls out as she lets me go and Terry mercifully appears with a beer for me.
“I’d rather listen to you tell me what happened with Dad after Mom died than sit through the next two hours,” I say before swigging half my beer like it’s an antidote to being wedding-poisoned.
“Come on. Marie’s not that bad,” Terry replies with a wink.
“Dad dropped you on his head, didn’t he? That’s the true explanation.”
He gives me an even, neutral look before whispering, “Some other time. Not now. You clearly have enough tragedy to work through.” The corner of his mouth twitches.
Amanda gravitates to Shannon, who is tanned and smiling, Dec’s arm around her as he pours red wine into a series of glasses.
He looks pretty damn relaxed, too. Honeymoons will do that, I guess.
Can’t wait to find out for myself.
“Look at all those gifts!” Marie says, pointing. Tables have been set up in the living room, and about twelve file boxes are stacked neatly, labeled McCormick Wedding Gifts. About a hundred wrapped presents of varying sizes are piled around them on the floor and tables.
Looks about right for a thousand-guest wedding.
That Dec and Shannon abandoned.
“It’s going to be a long night,” Dad says, appearing behind me, his voice tortured. “Six hundred gifts and Marie in her glory.”
“Can’t an admin at Anterdec handle this?” I mutter.
“That’s what Declan and I said, but this is all Shannon and Marie’s idea.”
“You mean this is Marie’s idea.”
He laughs. “Your brother’s the one who chose to marry into the crazy family.”
I look at Amanda, who is chatting with her mother, who has her teacup Chihuahua in her purse, feeding it nibbles of cheese from a platter. Terry walks over and gives Spritzy a kiss on the forehead, making baby talk to the little drowned rat.
Right.
Crazy family.
Dec peels himself off his new wife and approaches me with a smirk. “Figured out you’re not married to anyone, huh?”
“Confirmed bachelor.” A hollow gong rings in me as I say it.
“How’s business?”
I give him an evil grin. “Good. How about you?”
“Funny thing, little bro. I came home from my honeymoon and went to work. All my passwords were invalid. Gerald informed me I have a week left of limo services from Anterdec. Grace told me I have a week, too, of her services. Any secured systems I need to access have to be done through her accounts.”
I go cold. “Dad didn’t talk to you first?”