White Wedding: A Christmas Romantic Comedy (Blackwood Cellars Series Book 3)

by Carla Luna

  As he watched her go, he was struck with a pang of gut-wrenching agony. What had he done?

  Araceli walked over to him and punched him in the arm. “Idiot!”

  “Ow!” He rubbed his arm. “What was that for?”

  “You dumbass! That was a grade A grand gesture, and you totally dropped the ball. How could you let her leave?”

  He surveyed his family, all of whom seemed equally pissed at him. “Am I missing something? Victoria’s the one who messed up. She admitted it.”

  “She also apologized,” Martin said. “And she got us our job back.”

  “Yesenia.” He sought out his cousin’s eye. “Back me up here.”

  She shrugged. “I think you fucked up.”

  “I don’t understand why you won’t give her another chance,” Martin said. “You almost lost us a huge job, and we didn’t fire your ass.”

  Trust Martin to rub his nose in it. “But we’re family.”

  “So?” Araceli said. “Maybe she could be, too. She’s in love with you. She admitted it in front of everyone. That’s gutsy as hell.”

  Rafael let out his breath, trying to come up with a rationale for his decision. “But we don’t belong together. We’re from two different worlds.”

  “Two worlds?” Yesenia said, still salty as ever. “What is this—1950? No one cares about that crap anymore. If they do, they’re not worth your time.”

  “Yeah,” Araceli chimed in. “If you feel the same way about her, then what are you standing around here for, pendejo?”

  If he felt the same way about her.

  Was there any doubt? He’d never felt this way about anyone. No matter what she’d put him through, he didn’t want to lose her. He was totally and completely in love with her.

  And after everything she’d told him, how could he let her go?

  He leapt up and ran toward the door. Wrenching it open, he sprinted to the parking lot, only to catch a glimpse of Victoria’s Audi pulling onto the street.

  Shit. He yelled and waved his arms, hoping to get her attention, but she sped away. His stomach twisted as he watched her car drive off into the distance.

  He was such an idiot. The woman he loved had opened her heart to him, in full view of his family, and he’d let his pride get in the way.

  The door opened and Araceli joined him. “Did you catch her?”

  “No. I messed up everything.” He pulled out his phone to text her, but Araceli snatched it away.

  “Don’t even think about it. She’s probably a sobbing mess right now. If you text her and she looks at her phone, she could get into a wreck. Is that what you want?”

  He scowled. “No. But I need to tell her—”

  “That you love her? Absolutely. But not when she’s driving.”

  Rafael ground his teeth in irritation, even though he knew Araceli was right. He flinched when the door opened again. It would be just like his whole family to join him out here and dispense advice. But only Martin and Tony emerged.

  “What happened?” Martin asked.

  “He just missed her,” Araceli said.

  Martin pointed to the door. “Then you can come back inside. We have a shit-ton of work to do if we’re going to be ready by Saturday.”

  “I can’t leave things with Victoria this way,” Rafael said. “I really hurt her.”

  Tony let out a long breath. “I know. But you have to focus on the wedding.”

  “Do you have any idea how lucky we are things worked out?” Martin said. “If you want to prove you can handle it, then you need to get back to work.”

  His brothers were right. He’d already caused enough problems when he got fired the first time. As much as he wanted to win Victoria back, he needed to do his job.

  “If it’s any consolation, she doesn’t need any distractions either,” Araceli added. “She still has to deal with the rehearsal and the dinner tonight.”

  True, but he didn’t want her feeling miserable. He stood rooted in place until Araceli placed her hand on his shoulder. “Don’t stress, primo. I might have a solution.”

  “What is it?”

  She gave him a smug smile. “Trust me on this. I’ve got to grab some food and head back to the office. But I’ll text you later. I promise.”

  “Okay. Thanks.” He hated leaving things so unsettled, but Araceli was good at this stuff. No one in the family had watched as many rom-coms as she had. If she put her mind to it, she could help him figure out a way to make it up to Victoria.

  He just hoped he wasn’t too late.

  Chapter 30

  Whoever claimed grand gestures worked was a fool. Or someone who had watched too many romantic comedies.

  For the record, grand gestures were terrifying, humiliating, and stressful as hell.

  Tears welled up in Victoria’s eyes, and she swiped them away with her free hand. Driving while sobbing wasn’t the safest course of action. She sniffed and took a deep breath.

  You brought this on yourself.

  What had she expected? Right from the start, she’d never treated Rafael with the respect he deserved. She lied to him in Baja, ghosted him after she left, and made him feel like he hadn’t mattered. She hadn’t come to his defense when Ben fired him. Instead, she acted like Rafael was nothing more than an employee.

  No wonder he couldn’t trust her.

  If the tables were turned, she wouldn’t trust herself either.

  She set her satellite radio to a station playing holiday carols, hoping the music would put her in a cheerier frame of mind. But the first song that came on was “Blue Christmas.” Not exactly the upbeat tune she was hoping for. When her phone pinged with a text, she gave it a cursory glance, hoping Rafael was reaching out to her. But June’s name showed up on the screen.

  Damn. With all she’d been through, she’d forgotten to update June.

  When a lane closure slowed traffic to a crawl, she connected her phone to the car’s Bluetooth and called June.

  The older woman answered right away. “Victoria. Thank God. I hate to ask, but did you have any luck?”

  “Sorry. I should have called sooner, but I had to talk to Missy and Rafael.”

  “And?” June’s voice took on a breathless quality. “Did you succeed? Please tell me you pulled it off. I tried a few more places but came up with a big, fat goose egg.”

  “It’s all good.” Except the part where her heart had shattered into a thousand pieces. But June didn’t need to know about that. “Missy’s back on board with Tres Hermanos. The wedding’s saved.”

  “Hallelujah! Does that mean you’re not quitting?”

  Victoria didn’t hesitate. “I’m still leaving. But I’ll see the wedding through to the end.” She still had to tell her father she was coming back, which was bound to be an unpleasant conversation. But no matter how much he made her grovel, she only had to endure two more days as his employee. Once the wedding was over, she was free.

  “Sorry to hear it,” June said. “Let me know if you need help with the rehearsal or the dinner or anything else.”

  “Thanks.” No matter how badly she was hurting inside, she took pride in the way she’d pulled the wedding from the brink of disaster. She ended the call and cued up her Mozart playlist. She was five minutes from Temecula when her phone rang.

  Connor came on the line. “Hey, sis. Where are you at?”

  The sound of his voice opened the floodgates. “I…I’m on my way back from Tres Hermanos. I convinced Missy to rehire Rafael. Then I drove to the restaurant to apologize. And then I confessed my love to him in front of his entire family. But…he left me hanging and I—”

  “Slow down. You made a grand gesture? You hate that shit.”

  “For good reason. They don’t work. I made a complete fool of myself, and Rafael didn’t want me.” Her voice broke. “It was mortifying.”

  “What a prick,” Connor growled. “He doesn’t deserve you.”

  “No. I don’t deserve him. Not after the way I treated him
. But I thought he’d forgive me, and…” A sob broke out of her, and she wiped her eyes again. Stupid tears.

  “At least you tried. Give him time to come around. Remember how mad I was at Jess after Marc’s rehearsal dinner? The next morning, I felt like shit for blowing up at her.”

  “I don’t know. I think I ruined things for good. I’m the worst person, ever.”

  “Don’t say that. You’ve been through a hell of a lot this month. So, if you’re not up for it, you don’t have to come with me to the airport.”

  “What?” Caught off guard, she swerved to pass a slow-moving car in her lane.

  “Mom’s flying in from New York today. Remember? I’m picking her up because I wanted to talk to her without Dad around.”

  “Oh. Right.” Her life had been such an emotional roller coaster that she’d forgotten she’d offered to join him. Even if she was a complete mess, she didn’t want to let him down. “I’m still coming. I’ll be there in five minutes.”

  Keeping an eye out for cops, she booked it back to his condo. She parked outside his building and sprinted up two flights of stairs. He had the door open before she could punch in the code.

  Leaning forward and clutching her chest, she took a deep breath. “Sorry. I spaced about Mom because of the wedding chaos. But I’m totally here for you.”

  Connor placed his hand on her shoulder. “You sure? You look kind of frazzled. And if you’re still in charge of the wedding, shouldn’t you get back to the office? When’s the rehearsal?”

  “At five. But it’s fine.” Still panting, she pulled out her phone. “It’s only one. Mom’s plane is coming in at two, right? If we go get her and then come right back to Temecula, I’ll be at the office by three. Three thirty at the latest. June can be the point person until I arrive. She knows what to do.”

  “Okay. Thanks. I could use the support.”

  She dashed into his condo and took stock in the bathroom mirror. Not good. If she was going to greet her mother at the airport, she needed to pull herself together. She splashed cold water on her face, then undid her braid, brushed out her hair, and twisted it into a topknot. As she shucked off her shirt and leggings, she thanked her past self for having the good sense to hang up a few of her dresses in the guest room’s closet. She selected one of her favorites, the navy sheath dress she’d worn when she first gave Rafael a tour of Blackwood Manor. Maybe it would give her luck.

  She slipped on a pair of heels and grabbed her makeup bag, then rushed out to meet Connor, who stood by the door. “Can you drive? I need to do my makeup. Mom won’t approve if I show up with a naked face.” She fished her keys out of her purse. “Here. We’ll take my Audi.”

  “What’s wrong with my truck?”

  “For starters, it smells like fermented grapes. You haven’t cleaned it out in months. My car’s pristine. I took it in to be detailed last week.”

  “Fine,” he grumbled. “But no backseat driving.”

  During the drive to the airport, Victoria applied her makeup with careful precision while updating Connor on the latest developments in the wedding saga. When a traffic snarl slowed them down, she used the time to review her messages, check her email, and text June, asking her to make sure everything was in place for the rehearsal at five.

  June replied immediately. Will do. I’m trying to steer clear of your father. He’s in a MOOD right now.

  Ouch. Victoria set down her phone. “Connor?”

  “Huh?” He startled, as if his mind had been elsewhere. “What is it? More bad news?”

  “No. June said Dad’s in a foul mood, which doesn’t surprise me. But it got me thinking. Why is he such a controlling asshole? And why does he always rail on us for being entitled? I admit we’ve grown up with a lot of privilege, but so did he. As far as I know, his own father didn’t treat him this way. Maybe I’m missing something, but Grandpa never came across like an evil dictator.”

  Though her grandfather had died when she was twelve, she couldn’t remember a time when he’d ever acted as demanding as her father.

  As traffic picked up, Connor accelerated and made his way into the left lane. “You’re not missing anything. Grandpa was a decent guy. He’s the one that taught me to fish at Big Bear. Unlike Dad, he didn’t have a pathological desire to control everyone.”

  “So, what pushed Dad to act this way?”

  “No idea. Maybe because he’s the oldest, and he knew he’d have to take over Blackwood Cellars once Grandpa died? That’s a lot of pressure. Darren’s the same way. He’s going to be CEO after Dad retires, and he’s a total control freak.”

  “I suppose.” She flinched as Connor slowed down in time to avoid hitting a slow-moving truck. “But that’s no excuse for treating us like crap.”

  “Agreed. That’s why I’m better off running my own business, even if I’m broke. You’ll be amazed at how free you feel once this wedding’s over and you don’t have to report to him.”

  True enough. Finding a new job might not be easy, but at least she wouldn’t be working under someone who demeaned and belittled her.

  By the time Connor pulled into short-term parking at the San Diego Airport, their mother had texted to let them know she was waiting at baggage claim. Connor raced to meet her, with Victoria trailing behind, hampered by her heels. Ginny Blackwood was reaching down to retrieve her bag from the carousel when Connor swooped in and grabbed it for her. He set it down and swept her into a hug.

  Victoria followed suit, hugging her mother as though it had been years, not weeks, since she’d last seen her. “Welcome home, Mom.”

  Her mother wiped her eyes. “It’s so nice to see the two of you together. I’ve missed you both so much.”

  “I’ve missed you, too, Mom,” Connor said.

  Victoria offered to let her mother sit in the front so she and Connor could talk. Though he spoke calmly, the hurt was evident in his voice. Victoria’s heart ached for him as he pleaded his case.

  “It’s not fair,” he said. “I’m much happier running Maverick Winery than I ever was working for Darren. But Dad won’t let me come home to visit. And I’m barred from the Blackwood Cellars Estate. I hate being cut off from the family.”

  The pause that followed made Victoria seethe with anger. Come on, Mom. You’re better than this.

  Her mother let out a long sigh. “I can’t go against your father’s wishes. It wouldn’t be right.”

  Like always, she was too weak to take a stand. Victoria could relate because she’d been equally weak. But it didn’t mean she had to accept her mother’s behavior. She leaned over the front passenger seat. “Dad’s done a lot of terrible things, and you’ve never taken our side. Why do you let him treat us like that?”

  Her mother’s voice wavered. “He…he only wants what’s best for you.”

  “Are you sure?” Victoria asked. “Because it seems like he wants to control us.”

  “I’ve tried calling him to talk things out, but he won’t answer,” Connor said. “And the one time I dropped by his office, he threatened to call security.”

  Victoria nodded. “Even though Maverick Winery is too small to be a threat to Blackwood Cellars, Dad treats Connor like he’s the enemy. That’s ridiculous.”

  Her mother took a peppermint out of her purse, unwrapped it, and popped it in her mouth. “He feels betrayed, that’s all. You hurt him.”

  Impossible. The man had no soul. Victoria didn’t want to make the conversation about her, but she needed her mother to understand how vindictive he could be. “Dad hasn’t treated me fairly either. He’s never let me forget that I still owe him a hundred thousand dollars.”

  A protracted silence followed, filling Victoria with dread. She caught Connor’s eyes in the rearview mirror. Was it possible her mother had no idea?

  “You know about this, right?” Victoria asked. Her stomach clenched into a knot. “When I was blackmailed, after coming home from Paris, Dad paid the guy not to send out the pictures. Remember?”

  “
I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Her mother sniffed. “And I’m not sure I want to know.”

  “How can you say that?” Connor asked. “Victoria went through hell, and Dad made it worse.”

  Victoria swallowed as a mixture of anger and frustration coursed through her. Her father had said he’d told her mother everything. But he’d asked Victoria never to bring it up so as not to offend her mother’s delicate sensibilities. As always, she’d obeyed his wishes.

  Not anymore.

  “Mom, I’m sorry if this story is offensive, but you need to know what happened.” After everything Victoria had endured over the past two days, recounting the Paris incident didn’t pack the same emotional punch as when she’d told Rafael. Though she left out any mention of her sexual experiences with Henri, she made sure her mother understood what she’d gone through. The agony and humiliation. Her father’s rage. The way he’d held the debt over her head for years and used it to manipulate her.

  Her mother listened without a word of comment, although she soothed herself with a second peppermint. Which implied things were getting serious, because she usually limited herself to one piece of candy a day.

  When Victoria was done, her chest tightened out of fear she’d said too much. She couldn’t stand it if her mother regarded her with the same contempt her father had shown her. “Mom? I…I hope you don’t think any less of me.”

  Her mother’s voice was weary. “Oh honey, as if I would ever think less of you? I’m so sorry.”

  Victoria blinked back tears. Now that the story was out in the open, the memories weren’t as painful. She had Rafael to thank for that.

  “Does this mean you never wanted to marry Ben?” her mother asked. “You only accepted his proposal because Brian asked it of you?”

  “Not at first. I thought Ben was a good match, and I tried to convince myself I was in love with him. But I wouldn’t have gone back to him after he cheated if Dad hadn’t pressured me into it. And then, when Ben dumped me for Missy, Dad said I still owed him. That’s why I agreed to coordinate Ben’s wedding. Dad said if I pulled it off, he’d erase my debt. Somehow, I don’t think that’s going to happen. Especially since I quit yesterday.”