The Wedding Pact Box Set

by Denise Grover Swank

  Megan was squished into the back seat next to the monstrous dress bag, which inevitably made her think of her mother. Her dad had called not long ago to tell them her mother hadn’t even been seen by a doctor yet, and now Megan was worried her parents wouldn’t make the wedding at all.

  They rode in silence all the way to the gardens, even Gram staying remarkably quiet. When they pulled into the back parking lot, Kevin helped Gram out as Megan gathered her things. As soon as she had everything, she started toward the bridal changing room.

  “Megs, wait up,” a gruff voice called out from behind her.

  Butterflies flapped in her stomach. “I don’t want to fight with you anymore, Kevin.”

  He shook his head. “No more fighting.”

  “Really?”

  “Well . . .” A teasing grin lit up his face. “Not all fighting.”

  She grinned back. “Good.”

  “I just wanted you to know that I’ve thought about what you said, and I’ve decided to respect your decision. If you want to marry that asshat, I’ll let you.”

  “There are so many things wrong with what you just said.” She laughed. “But I’ll take it.” She kissed him on the cheek. “Thanks.”

  She took off for the dressing room, one of the rooms in the walk-out basement under the chapel, grateful to discover she was the first to arrive. After her morning, she needed a few moments to herself.

  The room was furnished with a sofa and several wingback chairs that faced a wall of windows overlooking the flowering gardens. A full-length mirror stood in one corner, and Megan knew the door across the room led to a bathroom. She sat in one of the wingback chairs and stared out a window, trying to let the peaceful setting settle her unrest.

  “Megan?”

  She turned around to see Gram standing in the doorway. She looked older than usual in the Pepto-Bismol suit Knickers had chosen.

  “Can I come in?”

  Megan hopped out of her seat and crossed the room. “Gram. Of course. I’m glad you’re here.” She helped the older woman into the chair next to hers, and they sat together, taking in the view.

  “It’s a beautiful day for your wedding,” Gram finally said.

  “Isn’t it?” Megan sighed. The sun shone bright in the sky, and the temperature was comfortable in the shade, which would be perfect for the outdoor reception later. She almost wished it were for real.

  Gram released a sigh. “I’m sorry I ruined everything for you. Your mother . . .”

  Megan hugged her grandmother’s arm and leaned her head on her shoulder. “Good heavens, Gram, you didn’t ruin anything. Think of the stories we’ll tell.”

  Gram chuckled. “Your mother will never let me live it down.”

  “True,” Megan laughed. “And it will be awesome.”

  “I know you two have your differences, but a girl should have her mother with her on her wedding day.”

  “She’ll get here in time. I know it.”

  The older woman fingered her pearls, then smoothed an imaginary wrinkle from her skirt. “There’s a reason your mother acts this way, you know.”

  Megan sat up and turned to face the older woman, who patted her hand.

  “I kept hoping she’d tell you herself one day, but she never did. She can hardly admit it to herself.” She swung her gaze to the gardens. “You wonder why you never saw your Aunt Heather again . . . I know your mother told you some ridiculous story about a fight over toilet paper.” Her mouth lifted into a weak smile.

  Megan took her grandmother’s hand in her own, sensing what she had to tell her would be bigger than she ever anticipated.

  “It wasn’t true, of course. Heather was always interested in your father, but he only had eyes for your mother. I hoped Heather would get over her infatuation, and I honestly thought it had died down. But one day when you were eleven, your mother came home and found your father and Heather together.”

  “Together?” Megan asked in confusion. Then horrified understanding set in. “Oh, no.”

  Gram nodded. “They were in your mother’s bed.” She took a deep breath and released it. “Your mother was devastated. She saw it as the ultimate betrayal. Her sister and her husband in her own bed. You and Kevin came and stayed with your grandpa and me for a week, remember?”

  “Yeah . . .”

  “That’s when it happened. Your mother didn’t take it well, as you can imagine. She and your father vowed to stay together, and your father was truly sorry. He did his best to make it up to her, giving her anything and everything she wanted. He still does. But Nicole was certain he’d cheated on her because she wasn’t enough. She’d always thought Heather was the prettier of the two of them. Since that day, she’s tried her best to be perfect, and she’s made herself and everyone around her miserable in the process.”

  Megan closed her eyes, fighting back tears. “I can’t believe Daddy cheated on her.”

  “He’s always sworn it was a one-time thing, and I believe him. Heather was a lot like your Libby.”

  Megan started to protest, but Gram squeezed her hand. “No, Libby would never try to steal another woman’s husband, especially from someone she cares about. But Libby catches men’s attention without even trying.” She sighed. “Heather was like that, too. Only, she had no scruples. Bart wasn’t the first married man she went after, and I’m sure he wasn’t the last. As her mother, I tried to ignore it for many years. Until Nicole.” She was silent for a moment. “Heather had tried to snag your father since your mother first brought him home. I’m sure she just happened to catch him at a weak moment.” Her voice turned stern. “I’m in no way condoning what your father did, but I do believe he regretted it.”

  “Yeah, because he was caught,” Megan said in disgust.

  “Maybe. Maybe not. But he truly loves your mother.”

  “Poor Mom.” She could sympathize with her mother after Jay’s betrayal. Now she wished she’d come clean weeks ago. Her mother would have probably understood. “And she really hasn’t spoken to Aunt Heather since?”

  “No, and Heather died in an accident several years ago, so they never had a chance to reconcile.” She released a heavy sigh. “She loves you, Megan. She just has a hard time letting anyone close now. She’s always waiting for them to betray her.”

  Had her mother viewed many of Megan’s decisions as betrayals?

  “And please don’t hold this against your father. Even though this is news to you, it happened nearly twenty years ago. Water under the bridge for both of them. Trust me, he’s more than paid for his crime.” Gram climbed to her feet, releasing a groan. “I didn’t get a chance to do my au naturel yoga yesterday, and today I’m all stiff.”

  Megan’s mouth lifted in a small grin despite her emotional stew.

  “Megan.” Gram turned and paused. “The boy you’re marrying today is better than the one you were supposed to marry.”

  Megan stood, sure she’d heard her grandmother wrong. “What?”

  She gave Megan an ornery grin. “I know that man isn’t Jay Connors. I talked to that idiot several months ago on the phone. The man you’re marrying today isn’t him.”

  Megan started to protest, but what was the point? “How long have you known?” she asked in shock.

  “Since I met him at the airport.”

  “And you didn’t say anything?”

  Gram shrugged, then hobbled to the door. “I wanted to see how it played out.” She paused at the doorway. “I could tell he was a good man, and I figured you’d come clean eventually.”

  “We’re not really getting married, Gram. It’s all a misunderstanding. I was afraid to tell Mom I broke up with Jay. She’d spent so much money—”

  “You don’t have to explain. But I hope you don’t give that boy up after this wedding.” She winked. “He does have a very nice patootie.”

  Megan started to assure her that she had no plans to let Josh go, then stopped herself. She needed to save the assurances for after Blair dropped her bombshel
l.

  She only hoped her heart wasn’t blown to pieces when Blair was done.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  “Oh, Megan,” Libby gushed. “You’re beautiful.”

  Megan stared at her reflection. Libby had helped with her makeup, and the hairdresser had just finished her hair. It wasn’t the up-do her mother had wanted. The front was pulled into a loose knot at the base of her neck, and the rest of her hair tumbled in soft curls down her back. “I’m not even wearing my dress yet.”

  “What if your mom doesn’t get here in time?”

  Megan chuckled, but her stomach twisted with nerves. “She’ll be here. Dad says she’s raising holy hell, insisting it shouldn’t take so long to fix a dislocated shoulder and a scratched cornea.”

  It had been hard to talk to her dad on the phone without confronting him, but she’d forced herself to set her anger aside. She knew without a doubt he loved her mother—his voice practically broadcast it as he relayed Nicole’s current status—and was mature enough to realize things weren’t always black and white. She only had to look at her own mess to see that. Still, a new heaviness had settled over her heart. Her father wasn’t the perfect man she’d always believed him to be.

  “Do you think she’ll really wear an eyepatch?” Libby asked.

  “Maybe she’s wishing she’d picked a pirate wedding theme instead.”

  Libby laughed. “If anyone can pull off pirate chic, your mother can.”

  “I know.” Megan cast a glance at the door, feeling heavy-hearted. “I don’t think Blair’s coming.”

  Libby put her hands on Megan’s upper arms. “Blair will show up. We all made a promise to each other.”

  “The pact.”

  “Yes, the wedding pact. We promised we would be married by the time we were thirty. We’d be in each other’s weddings, and we’d be the first ones to see each other in our dresses on our wedding days.”

  “We were nine years old, Libby.”

  “But it still means something to us all, whether she admits it or not. She’ll be here.”

  “It’s almost time to get dressed.” Megan’s nerves were getting the best of her. “She hates me. I haven’t answered any of her calls today, and I wouldn’t listen to her last night. She’s not coming.”

  Libby gave her a side hug. “She doesn’t hate you. Give her a few minutes. She’ll be here.”

  They were silent for a few moments, and Megan started to pace. Finally, she stopped and turned to Libby. “Aren’t you wondering why Josh and I are going through with this wedding?”

  “No.”

  “Really?”

  Libby smiled. “No, this feels right. You feel it too, or you wouldn’t be here right now. You and Josh are perfect for each other.”

  “But Blair would say—” Megan lowered her voice to a growl, “—‘then go on a date, Megan. Don’t do something rash, like marrying someone you barely know.’”

  The door swung open. “I don’t sound anything like that,” Blair said, marching through the doorway with a brisk stride, an enormous dress bag slung over her shoulder. “My voice isn’t anywhere near that deep. Although the rest is reasonably accurate.”

  “Blair.” Megan clutched her hands in front of her, feeling like she was about to puke.

  “You’ve been ignoring my calls, texts, emails, voice mails, and carrier pigeons, Megs.”

  Blair not only showed up, but also used her nickname. Megan grinned. “I never got the carrier pigeons.”

  “Ah-ha!” Blair pointed at her. “You just admitted that you received and ignored the other three.”

  “You’re playing the role of an attorney, Blair. I need you here as my friend.”

  “Well, you’re going to have to tolerate the attorney for a little while longer, because there’s something I need to talk to you about. If you feel like going through with this preposterous endeavor once I’ve said my piece, I will be here for you one hundred percent.”

  Tears stung Megan’s eyes. “Thank you.”

  “Don’t thank me yet.” She hung the garment bag on the rack that held Megan’s wedding dress, spread out in all its bedazzled organza glory. Blair stopped in her tracks as she took in the sight of it, her mouth gaping. She pointed to the dress, then Megan, then back at the dress. “Really?”

  Megan shrugged, over it all ready. “Knickers.”

  Blair looked around. “Where is she anyway? I expected to find her here with a riding crop and a whistle to keep us malcontents in line.”

  Libby snickered. “I haven’t heard her call us malcontents for years.”

  “She’s not here. And after Gram asked me earlier today if Josh and I were into BDSM, I don’t want to hear another mention of whips or crops for a very long time.” Megan shuddered. “She’s at the hospital with a dislocated shoulder and a scratched cornea. She’ll be here soon.”

  “You’re kidding?”

  “I’m more interested in finding out how Gram knows about BDSM,” Libby said.

  Megan rolled her eyes. “She says she read Fifty Shades of Grey.”

  Libby burst out laughing. “That explains so much.”

  “Tell me about it,” Megan grumbled, her nerves pinging with anxiety. She was ready to seal her fate.

  Blair lifted her eyebrows. “What happened to your mother?”

  Megan sighed. “It’s a long story, but I’m more interested in the story you have to tell me. I’m ready to hear it now.” When Blair blinked in surprise, Megan added, “I know you have something important to say. Josh told me that much, but not the details. You investigated him, didn’t you? After I expressly ordered you not to.”

  All the fight left Blair, who looked more vulnerable than Megan had seen her in years. “What would you have me do, Megan? I wasn’t willing to stand by and watch you get hurt by one more jerk, especially when the last one still can’t seem to take no for an answer. I swear, if Jay makes one more annoying call . . .”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “That man’s been calling me nonstop since Friday morning. Finally, after your fiasco of a rehearsal dinner last night, I told him you were in Kansas City, which meant you couldn’t go out to dinner with him so he should stop calling me. To his credit, he seemed genuinely surprised to hear you were here. I said the only way you would even fathom going out with him was if he hopped on a plane, found you here in KC, and groveled at your feet. Thank God, that seemed to do the trick, and my phone has been mercifully silent ever since.”

  “Why would you tell him that? I wouldn’t go out with him if he were the last man on earth. Especially after meeting Josh.”

  “Yeah . . . well, you shouldn’t put Josh on a pedestal just yet.” She put a hand on her hip and cocked her head. “What did he tell you?”

  “I told you. He didn’t tell me anything. I figured out you had something to do with it after he punched his brother—oh, God!” she said, realization hitting her. “I have no idea where Noah is or where he stayed last night.”

  Libby’s mouth contorted. “I know the answer to both of those questions.”

  Megan froze, narrowing her eyes. “How do you know?”

  “You didn’t!” Blair gasped.

  Libby’s back stiffened in defense. “What? He didn’t have anywhere to go, and he was really upset.”

  “Libby!” Blair said. “What about Mitch?”

  “What about him?” she asked in genuine confusion. “Oh! You think—no! I didn’t cheat on Mitch.” Disgust washed over her face. “Is that really what you think of me?”

  “There was that one time . . .” Blair’s voice trailed off.

  “I was a kid—barely nineteen—and he told me that he and his girlfriend had broken up. He was cheating on his girlfriend, but I would never purposely cheat. Especially after Megan found that prick . . .” Her voice trailed off.

  Megan grabbed Libby’s hand. “It’s okay, Libby. I’m over it. I’m thankful for it. Otherwise, I might be marrying said prick now.” She gave a shud
der.

  “There’s nothing between me and Noah. He just needed a friend last night.”

  “A friend?” Blair asked, turning her attention to Libby. “That kind of guy doesn’t do friends.”

  “Yeah, I know,” Libby said. “That’s what was so confusing. We stayed up almost all night talking.” She widened her eyes, as if sensing they were about to pounce on her. “What? It’s true. And he never once made a move on me. Honestly, I think he’s lonely.”

  Blair stared at her, speechless for several seconds before shaking her head. “Lonely? Whatever. One McMillan man at a time.” She turned her gaze to Megan. “There are a few things you need to know. I can’t believe he didn’t tell you everything before I could get to you.”

  “No, Blair,” Megan said, her tone brisk. “He told me to listen to what you had to say, then make up my own mind.”

  Blair sighed. “He’s playing you, Megs.”

  “No, Blair. He trusts my judgment. He said if I decide I don’t want to see him again, he’ll respect my choice.” She took a deep breath. “So tell me.”

  Blair cast a glance toward the still-silent Libby.

  “Libby can stay,” Megan said. “She’s part of this, too.”

  “I think you should sit.” Megan obeyed and fought her rising nausea as Blair told her about the patent, Josh’s business, and how she wasn’t sure it was a coincidence that he’d sat next to her on the plane. And when she was finished, all three women sat in silence.

  Megan stood and wandered over to the window, looking out at the flowering gardens. Parts of it made sense. She knew Josh’s company was in trouble. He’d told her that he had two choices—either his employees would lose their jobs, or he’d hurt someone he cared about.

  She had thought that someone was Noah. Turns out it was her.

  So why had he continued with this charade?

  Because he hadn’t stolen the information he needed yet.

  If he left, he couldn’t look for it. She felt like an idiot when she realized she’d given her father’s password to him, providing him with carte blanche to all of her father’s electronic files. What had she done?