by Mary Calmes
They went naturally together, blending seamlessly because they fit. When Aja danced with her father, no one did anything else but stare at the dashing man and his daughter.
Dane floated across the floor with Aja's mother, and the same was true. Obvious from the way they all hugged afterwards that this was a union that had both their approval and support. Not surprising, as it was hard to imagine any parent not wanting Dane for a son-in-law.
I knew that Mrs. Reid had wanted the mother-son dance with Dane that he had given to Aja's mom. In the end, Dane had invited his birth parents, along with his sister and two brothers, to come to his wedding, but it was me, without benefit of blood, who stood at his side. I was the one with the same name; I was the one he hugged tight after the ceremony. I was the one his wife called her new brother and her parents saw as the entirety of the family that he brought to the marriage.
I listened to the speeches. I was moved by Candace's words to the bride, laughed at Jude's to Dane, and when Dane and Aja stood and thanked the crowd for coming and celebrating with them, I was so happy for them that I stood and gave them the standing ovation with everyone else.
When all seats had been retaken, Dane took a breath as Aja leaned into his side. I waved to the photographer and he caught it before they moved apart. I had a feeling it wa going to be one of the best of the night. Before anything else happened, Alex stood and directed all attention to the screen at the side of the dance floor. When the curtain drew back, the images and the music began the montage of Dane and Aja, their families, their friends, and their times before meeting and after. The last shot was of Dane on his knees in front of Aja as he held a rose up to her. They both looked at me, in an instant remembering the trip to Carmel and the picture I had snapped. I was pleased with the tears in the bride's eyes and Dane's clenched jaw as Aja's favorite Stevie Wonder song filled the room. The applause came like a roar as the guests went wild. Aja's mother was up and out of her seat in one fluid movement, rushing from her table to mine to take me in her arms. She understood at last why I had needed to go through her photo albums with her. When she let me go, I turned to the bride and groom and gestured for them to take the floor. Dane led his wife past me, his hand lingering on my cheek for a moment before he walked by.
After midnight the orchestra retired and the DJ came in to keep the dancing going until the wee hours of the morning.
Jackets and bow ties were shed, high heels were discarded, and the serious dancing began. I would have joined in but there were small details that needed attention. I had to hand out the "swag," as Aja called it—going from table to table to personally make sure everyone got a keepsake from the wedding—coordinate with the catering manager, and arrange for all the disposable cameras on every table to be picked up.
When I felt the arms wrap around my waist, I turned in her embrace and found the bride.
"Come dance with me." She smiled.
I smiled back and we went together to the floor. Always, the two of us together could not remain serious for even a minute. In her dress and my tuxedo, it translated to an over-the-top waltz. There were spins and dips and we basically had everyone laughing and clapping and calling for an encore when we were done. She told me over and over how much she loved me, and when Dane came to part us, instead of taking her into his arms, he wrapped an arm around my neck and led me from the crowd back to the table.
We sat together, leaning forward, elbows on knees, talking quietly.
"So, it goes without saying, but still... I have the woman I love, the brother I love, friends I love... there is no one more blessed than me."
I looked into his dark gray eyes, saw the warmth there, and nodded. "I'm sorry Mr. and Mrs. Harcourt couldn't be here today to be with you."
He nodded. "They are."
"They would be so proud of you, Dane."
His eyes absorbed me. "My family, the people who mean the world to me... are Aja and you."
I smiled at him.
"I need you with me always."
I nodded. "Same here."
Hand on the back of my neck, he squeezed tight before he let go and stood. "Love you," he said as he walked away. He barely got it out.
I sat back and watched him go, and there came a sudden feeling of absolute peace. I let my head fall back, my eyes close, and just breathed.
"Take that."
I heard the click of a shutter and opened my eyes to find Aja hovering on the other side of the table with Candace and another bridesmaid. I glanced at the photographer before returning my gaze to the bride. "What're you doing?"
She let out a deep breath but said nothing.
"Jory," Candace said, drawing my attention. "Baby, I had no idea you were so pretty."
I chuckled and looked again to Aja.
"You are, you know."
"What?"
"Beautiful," she told me, motioning me over to her. "It's funny because you worried about standing up with the others, and the truth of the matter is that, Jory honey, you are the beauty of the bunch."
"You love me." I smiled wide, wrapping her up in my arms.
"You're a little biased."
"I do love you, but that doesn't make you any less gorgeous."
I chuckled and squeezed her tight and she buried her face in my shoulder.
* * * *
Candace bumped the bouquet into Jude's girlfriend's arms when Aja deliberately threw it at her an hour later, and the look on his face when he realized she had was priceless. The surge to the door to watch Dane and Aja leave in the Rolls Royce limousine pushed the wedding party from the front to the back. There was no way for any of us to even get close.
Dane held up his hand for me and Aja blew me a kiss. I had my orders. In the three weeks they would be gone on their honeymoon, I had to coordinate movers. All her things, all his things needed to be in the new house in Highland Park by the time they got back. It was all me. I had promised to get it done, even with my busy schedule. My brother was counting on me.
People started to trickle out and the music changed to oldies that everyone could dance to and sing along with. I went and said good-bye to the Reids, gave Caleb a hug, and was surprised when Dane's father made a point of saying how much he appreciated me putting a photo of their family in the montage.
"Of course." I smiled at him.
He patted my back as I was squatting between his and his wife's chairs.
"Jory, you're such a good boy," Mrs. Reid sighed, the tears welling in her eyes. "Dane certainly picked a wonderful brother."
I leaned up and kissed her cheek and her hand stayed pressed to the side of my neck until she could breathe without crying. I thanked them all for coming, and Caleb told me how lucky Dane was to have me. I told him that I was the lucky one.
I worked my way slowly through the crowd, doing the last check, moving from table to table before I found the catering manager to thank him. Finally done, I changed back into jeans, a long-sleeved T-shirt, and Converse sneakers and headed toward the door. I weaved through the crowd to say my last good nights to the wedding party and quickly kissed and hugged all the women. I found Rick, Lance, and Alex sitting together and stopped at their table.
"You wanna wait and catch a ride, J?" Rick asked me.
I smiled at him and shook my head.
"What're we gonna do without him?" Jude asked as he walked up to lean on the back of one of the empty chairs.
"He's the first to fall."
"We were always together," Rick said softly, looking around at all of us. "It's weird. It's like the end of an era or something."
"I feel like I should mourn my friend."
I smiled at them as I hooked myself up to my iPod.
"You think it's funny, J?" Rick asked me.
"No." I took a deep breath, stepping away from the table.
"But you gotta grow up sometime."
"I'm not ready to get married," Rick insisted. "And I definitely don't want to be anybody's father."
"Okay,
" I agreed, my eyes slipping over each of them in turn. "You guys take it easy. I'll see ya round."
"Gimme a call, J," Rick insisted. "I'll kick your ass at some racquetball or something."
"Sure," I lied before I pivoted around and headed for the door.
It was nice that, outside, it was crisp but not cold, a beautiful night—or early morning now—for the first week of October. It was funny, but unlike his friends, I felt nothing but contentment for Dane and a sort of peacefulness for me. I had seen my brother through a milestone in his life. I was very grateful.
by Mary Calmes
Chapter Two
There were a great many things I was good at. Picking out screws at the hardware store the following Sunday night was not one of them. On the phone with Chris, I told him for the millionth time why I should have stayed home with Dylan and he should have been the one looking in bins marked with fractions. They all looked the same to me.
"Don't be such a whiny bitch," he snapped at me.
I grunted.
"C'mon, boy, use that Y chromosome for something," he teased me.
"You're hilarious," I grunted at him. "What are you doing anyway?"
"I'm watching TV and making your dinner."
I chuckled. "Very domestic."
"Just hurry up. If I don't get the damn crib put together today, my life is gonna be hell."
"Fine, I'm coming."
"Don't forget the half-gallon of paint and the staple gun."
"I won't."
"And that blue tape that you use when you're painting."
"You mean the painter's tape?"
"Screw you, smart-ass," he grumbled as he hung up.
I was smiling as I turned and stepped into someone.
"Sorry."
"Jory."
My head snapped up and I was face to face with Sam Kage. He reached instantly to steady me, but I was faster and stepped back before he could.
His hands went deep into the pockets of his jeans. "Hey."
I stared up into his eyes.
He took a quick breath. "How are you?"
"Good. You?"
"Good," he nodded. The way he was looking at me, uncertain and curious at the same time.... Funny. "What's it been? Three years?"
"Somewhere around there," I agreed with him.
We were silent several minutes before he squinted at me.
"You know, this might sound weird, but you don't seem that surprised to see me."
I smiled at him. "No. I saw you like a year ago at a street fair downtown."
"You did?"
I nodded. "Yeah, and right after that I did some work for your brother's firm and he caught me up on the events in your life." I spoke fast. "Not that I asked—he was just making conversation."
"Was he?"
"Yeah."
"Huh. So then you know I've been back for a while?"
"Yeah."
"But you never...."
I shrugged. "No, but you didn't either."
His eyes narrowed. "No... I didn't."
"Okay, so, I'll see ya." I smiled again, stepping around him.
Hand on my arm, he stopped me, shifting back into my path. "What is it you do now?"
"Oh," I said. "Well, I don't know if you remember my partner, Dylan Greer, but—"
"I remember her," he assured me.
"Yeah, well, she and I have our own business now. It's called Harvest Design, and we do logos, branding, company concept, identity, that sort of stuff."
"Sounds good. You like it?"
"I do. I mean, it's not like a million-dollar business or anything, but we do okay."
"Dane set you up?"
I was irritated instantly. He thought maybe I had borrowed the money from my brother to start my business because I was such a charity case? "Actually, no," I said curtly, realizing he was still holding onto my arm. "Dy and I took out a business loan together and had it paid off within three months of being open."
"That's great."
Like he cared. I rolled my shoulder and his hand dropped away.
"Sorry," he said under his breath.
I held up the tape and the plastic bag full of screws. "Well I gotta jet. I'm in the middle of a project, but it was—"
"What're you doing?"
"I'm helping Chris build a crib."
"Chris?"
"Dylan's husband."
"Oh," he nodded. "Is this their first child?"
"Yeah." I smiled. "We're finishing up the nursery today so I gotta get there."
"Sure," he agreed.
"I'll see ya." I sighed before turning and jogging away.
I didn't care if it looked like I was running. I wanted to put the distance between us. I had closed and locked the door on Sam Kage and the mess my life had been a long time ago. I wanted it to stay that way. Obviously he did as well. If he had wanted it any other way, the first time I saw him—after the time I had seen him in the hospital—would not have been as he strolled, laughing, with friends and a woman I didn't know.
His life, I was sure, was as he wanted it.
"Jory."
I turned and there was a stranger.
"Hi." He smiled sheepishly. "Brandon Rossi. Do you remember me?"
I shook my head. "No, sorry."
He cleared his throat. "I was at Bigelow and Stein when you and your partner did the logo for their new community outreach program a few months ago."
"Oh, that's right." I smiled wide. "They ended up with the big scary clown on their logo. Bigelow and Stein, the home of the killer-clowns."
"You don't like clowns huh?"
"They're creepy as hell."
The smile made his eyes twinkle behind the wire-rimmed glasses. "Well, I for one didn't understand what you guys were saying about the tree until I saw it in print."
I nodded.
"C'mon," he chuckled, reaching out, giving me a pat on the shoulder. "I just didn't get it. I couldn't see it in my head like you could. I'm not an artist."
"Neither am I," I said adamantly, laughing at him. "But like I said, clowns creep me out."
He scowled at me, but the smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Don't make fun of me. I'm not at all creative.
That's why I became a lawyer."
"Oh, I think the interpretation of the law is plenty creative."
"Sarcasm." he nodded. "Super."
He had warm eyes and a great smile that I didn't remember seeing before. "So what brings you to the hardware store on a Sunday night?"
He cleared his throat. "This confession will hopefully not scare you."
"Uh-oh," I teased him. "What?"
"I was across the street and I thought I saw you run in here. You're driving a really ugly green Jeep and—"
"The Jeep is not ugly," I defended Chris's pride and joy.
"And it's not green. It's gunmetal. You just can't tell at night."
He snorted. "It's green. It's like greenish-brown and—"
"You know nothing about color."
"I do too."
"Oh yeah? What's your favorite color?"
"Black."
"Uh-huh."
"Yeah but not black as in the absence of all other color, but black as in lots of paint colors mixed up together to make black."
"I see," I said like he was nuts.
"You're not freaked out that I saw you and followed you in here?"
I shrugged. "You just wanted to say hi and give me a little crap about my ride. That's all very understandable and kinda nice."
He nodded and I watched his eyes slide over me. "You think maybe you'd like to grab some dinner with me?"
"I can't tonight," I said quickly. "I'm putting a crib together, but I will take a rain check if that'd be okay?"
"Yeah, that's okay." he smiled, pushing the glasses up on his nose. "Is dinner tomorrow all right, 'cause if it's not we can—"
"Tomorrow night's great," I cut him off. "Why don't you call me at work and we'll figure out where we wanna go."
>
His smile was huge. "That's perfect."
I nodded. "Okay, so I'll expect to hear from ya."
"You will. Thanks."
I squinted at him. "Thanks for what?"
He shrugged. "Saying yes."
I grinned at him and I heard his breath catch. It was very flattering, his reaction to me.
"I'll see ya soon."
"Yes, you will," he said from behind me as I walked away.
As I was pulling out of the parking lot, I saw Sam getting into an SUV with blacked-out windows that was even bigger than his old one, close to Hummer size. I stopped and called over to him. When he turned, I smiled wide. I just couldn't resist.
"Is it big enough, Detective?" I teased him.
The smile I got in return was the same crooked one I remembered. "No."
I nodded as I flipped on my radio and Fontella Bass came screaming out. "Did your mom tell you about her job?" I yelled over the music at him.
"Her what?"
I waved at him before I pulled out into the street and drove away.
Hours later I told Dylan all about seeing Sam and my date the following night with Brandon Rossi. She pretended to go into labor, which scared the hell out of both her husband and me. It was just plain evil. I was still harping on her about it as we walked into work together the next morning.
"I could do it again." She waggled her finger at me. "So don't push me, J."
"Do what again?" Sadie Kincaid asked me as she walked into our office with two coffee cups.
I loved our perky little receptionist form Kenosha, Wisconsin. She was funny and smart and had a scathing sense of humor that matched Dylan's perfectly.
"She pretended to go into labor again," I told her.
"Why?" She looked at Dylan. "Did the bakery only have one chocolate chip muffin?"
"Oh for crissakes," she snapped at us. "Fake your water breaking one time and you're branded for life."
We both laughed at her.
"Oh no," Sadie moaned suddenly, walking over to me.
"What did you do to your beautiful hair?" she asked me as her fingers slid through it.
"I got—" I stopped and looked at Dylan. "What color is it again? Baby's Breath Blue?"
"Yeah."
I looked back at Sadie. "I got Baby's Breath Blue in it. I had to do the ceiling of the baby's nursery. Chris screwed up the corners."
