Magnolia Bride

by Tara Randel

  He leaned forward, his breath, so close to her ear, sending more shivers cascading over her skin.

  If she moved ever so slightly, they’d be close enough to kiss. She swallowed hard. The youthful longing she’d quelled now threatened to surface with a vengeance.

  As she racked her rebellious brain to come up with something witty and carefree to say, Juliet called out her name.

  Dane sent her one final knowing glance before he stood and walked away, his long-limbed stride moving him out of her line of vision. Despite the pain of the past, and her resolve to not let Dane have any kind of hold over her, she’d liked his close proximity.

  Disgusted with her own weakness, she groaned and lay back against the chaise lounge, trying to block his image from her mind. She so hadn’t signed up for this when she agreed to help her sister.

  “Was that Dane?” Juliet asked as she stopped beside the chaise.

  “Yes.”

  “What did he want?”

  “To bother me.”

  “Looks like it worked.” She heard the smile in Juliet’s voice.

  Nealy playfully gave her sister the evil eye. “It won’t happen again.”

  “What won’t happen again?” Lanie asked, leading the group as the family moved her way.

  “Dane. Bothering her,” Juliet answered.

  “Think he’s trying to win you back?” David asked as he brought up the rear.

  “Of course he is,” Lanie answered in a sharp tone. Her husband sent her a puzzled look and Nealy wondered what was up with her usually peaceful sister.

  “Who is doing what?” Nealy’s mother asked.

  “Dane. Talking to Nealy.”

  “I knew this would happen,” her mother said, sounding resigned. “Didn’t I tell you this would happen, Marshall?”

  Nealy silently counted to ten.

  “Yes, you did,” her father said. “And I spoke to Dane about it.”

  Nealy jerked upward and swung her bare feet onto the patio. “You discussed me with Dane?”

  “Yes. Told him you were off-limits. It’s no secret you’re seeing Sam.”

  She jumped up. “You did what?”

  “You’re my daughter. I’m looking out for your best interests.”

  “Again,” Anita chimed in. “You always were weak-kneed around him. We had to ensure your protection.”

  Trying to control her exasperation Nealy said, “I appreciate the concern, but I can handle Dane.”

  “Please,” her mother scoffed, brushing off Nealy’s concern. “You never were reasonable when it came to Dane. We couldn’t take the chance he might try to lure you into his lair again.”

  “Lair?” Nealy spat. She would have laughed at her mother’s overactive imagination except this wasn’t funny. “Trust me, he hasn’t tried anything nefarious.”

  Her mother drew up to her full height, although she was still shorter than Nealy. “You’ve got a good thing going with Sam. Please don’t blow it.”

  “Don’t worry about my life.”

  “Someone has to,” her mother countered.

  “Are you kidding me? I can assure—”

  Her grandmother interrupted as she broke through the crowd. “Time to say goodnight, everyone. Nealy, will you please drive me home?”

  Nealy clamped her mouth shut, retrieved her shoes and went with her grandmother to collect her purse. She couldn’t decide if she should scream or cry. Her father had spoken to Dane? How embarrassing. And way over the line.

  “They mean well,” Dorinda said and laid a calming hand on Nealy’s arm.

  “There’s a reason why I stay clear of this family of buttinskies.”

  “I know, dear.”

  Nealy swallowed her bitterness. “I know I disappointed them. Do they have to throw it back in my face?”

  “Despite their bluster, they love you, Nealy.”

  “I just wish they’d back off.” She shook her head. “Let’s go, Grandmother.”

  Needing to walk off her temper, Nealy headed to the lobby. The chilly marble floor under her bare feet did little to cool her down. Hopefully Dane had left for the night because she didn’t want to see him. Not after learning what her father had said to him. Her family might mean well, but it wasn’t their call to make. Her past mistake involved Dane. Her mistake and hers alone. She’d work with him for the sake of Juliet, then she was gone. As she’d told him, she had a life. A great job. A future.

  None of which included Dane Peterson.

  * * *

  AS SOON AS she was back at her grandmother’s house, Nealy settled into the guest room. Her parents had downsized when all the kids moved out, leaving no room for her to bunk there, which suited her just fine. To be honest, she felt more at home here. Juliet had asked her to stay at her apartment, but Nealy declined. Being at Grandmother’s always kept her grounded and centered. She needed some peace with everything going on right now.

  After changing into sleeping shorts and a tank top, Nealy sat cross-legged on one of the two twin beds, ready to flip through a scrapbook she’d set on her lap when her grandmother, having changed into her gown and robe, joined her.

  “How are you holding up?” she asked.

  “Just peachy.”

  “Are you really?”

  Nealy laughed. “Yes. I am.”

  “Despite talking to Dane?”

  Leave it to her grandmother to get to the root of the problem. With Dorinda, no subject was too touchy or off-limits.

  “Why is everyone so worried about me and Dane? There’s nothing between us.”

  Dorinda held up her hands. “As long as you’re okay with the eight-hundred-pound gorilla in the room, who am I to argue?”

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Nealy twirled a lock of hair between her fingers.

  “Of course you don’t,” Dorinda said in her I-don’t-believe-you-but-will-let-you-live-in-denial tone. “The next few days won’t be easy so I’ll let the topic of you and Dane slide for now.”

  “Thank you.” She patted the bed, beckoning her grandmother to perch on the edge. “Now, tell me about what’s going on with you. How are things at Cuppa Joe?”

  “Busy, as always. The place keeps me out of trouble.”

  “Did you read the information I sent on the new coffee system?”

  “I appreciate it, but I’m happy with my way of making coffee.”

  “It’s the newest top-of-the-line system available. Upgrading will make your life so much easier.”

  “Maybe, but I’m old-fashioned. I see no need to learn some newfangled thing. I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again, my pots work just fine.”

  “You are stubborn.”

  “No, just old.”

  Nealy hugged her, comforted by her grandmother’s ever-present lilac scent. “Never.”

  “Old enough to want some fun before I die,” she said with mischief laced in her voice.

  Nealy pulled away. “So that explains your interest in a seniors’ cruise.”

  “Some of my friends talked about going and it sounded like fun.”

  “It will be. To be honest though, I’m worried about one thing.”

  Dorinda laughed. “Only one?”

  “Tell me about these businesspeople bugging you at the shop.”

  “Ah. The evil Cypress Pointe Merchant’s Association.”

  “What’s up with them?”

  “They have all these rules and regulations about how the storefronts must look and are always after me to fix one thing or another. I have to admit, I’m thinking about selling.”

  Nealy’s heart twisted “You would do that?”

  “Dear, as much as I love the place, I’m ready to retire and you know no one in th
e family wants to run the shop. I can’t go on forever.”

  She couldn’t imagine her grandmother ever slowing down. Or giving up the coffee shop she and her husband had opened before Nealy was born.

  Dorinda patted Nealy’s hand. “The time is coming.”

  “I don’t want to talk about it.”

  Her grandmother frowned. “You always were bullheaded. I wonder where you get it from?”

  Nealy eyed her grandmother suspiciously when Juliet breezed into the room carrying an overnight bag.

  Dorinda rose and kissed Juliet’s cheek. “What are you doing here?”

  “I asked Brandon to drop me off. I want to spend time with Nealy before she escapes again.”

  “I thought you two had plans?”

  Juliet tossed her purse on the other twin bed and reached behind to undo the zipper of her dress. “We rescheduled. Besides, I’ll have a lifetime to spend with him.” She threw Nealy a pointed look. “You, not so much.”

  Dorinda chuckled. “You girls get a good night’s sleep. I’m making pancakes in the morning.”

  Juliet closed the door behind their grandmother then went back to rummaging through her bag. “I’m sorry about tonight. I didn’t know Daddy had said anything to Dane.” Juliet changed into the pj’s she produced from the bag. “Just like old times, right? Parents interfering and Nealy taking off.”

  The remnants of anger from her parents’ actions overshadowed the fatigue seeping into Nealy’s bones. “You’d think I would have been prepared. Would have thought ahead. Made a contingency plan.” She shot her sister a lopsided grin. “I’m losing my touch.”

  “You’ve been gone a long time. Your shields have grown weak.”

  Then again, they always were when it came to Dane.

  Juliet climbed onto the bed beside her. “Anyway, I’m glad we’re together. Now we can catch up without interruption.”

  Toying with the cloth cover of the scrapbook, Nealy cleared her throat. “I do wish you would have told me about Dane owning the place.”

  “Like I said, I figured you’d make an excuse not to come home.”

  “I would never do that to you.”

  “I should have realized. It’s just, you’ve been gone for so long and I didn’t want anything to ruin your visit.” Juliet twisted the beautiful solitaire diamond engagement ring around her finger.

  A nervous habit? Nealy didn’t know. What she did know was Dane had never given her an engagement ring. She glanced at her own ringless finger. Neither had Sam. Truth was they barely had time to date, let alone make a formal commitment. Nealy was certain of one thing though, when she finally got a ring, she wanted it to be sparkly, dazzling and over-the-top.

  “Besides,” Juliet continued, “how do you prepare to see an ex? Maybe it’s better this way.”

  “The lesser of two evils?”

  “C’mon. Dane isn’t evil.”

  “Why are you defending him?”

  Juliet laid back and stared at the ceiling. “I’m not. I’m simply saying he’s not evil.”

  Nealy grimaced. Tell that to her heart.

  The adrenaline from the earlier anger subsided and she leaned back against the headboard. “What were you thinking by booking the Grand Cypress? Did you know Dane owned the hotel?”

  “Not at first. I remember visiting when you worked there during summer break and always imagined it would be a beautiful place for a wedding. I know it was run-down back then, but something about it just grabbed me and I fell in love with it. It’s everything I dreamed of.”

  Nealy knew the feeling well. Even at its run-down worst, Nealy always had a connection with the hotel.

  “I dropped in to check it out after the renovation. The elegant Southern style is exactly what I wanted for a wedding venue. I met with the event coordinator and booked the place. It wasn’t until later I learned Dane owned the hotel.”

  “Mom must have had a hissy when you told her.”

  Juliet smiled, with a bit of added mischief thrown in. The first real sign of her old self. “To put it mildly.”

  “I’m proud of you for sticking with what you want. Not easy in our family.”

  “The entire process has been a tug-of-war.”

  Nealy flipped a page in the album, then another, grinning over pictures from their youth. The three sisters playing dress up. Graduations. Birthdays. Weddings. Their parents’ anniversary. “So you’re handling interference from Mom?”

  “I thought she’d be the biggest problem, but...” Juliet’s voice wavered.

  “But what?”

  Juliet stayed silent.

  “Whatever it is, sis, you can tell me.”

  Juliet burst into tears. Waving her hand in the air she sat up, managing a few words between shuddering breaths.

  “Don’t mind me. It’s nothing.”

  This was a whole lot of nothing.

  Nealy placed the open book on the coverlet and turned so she and Juliet faced one another. She reached out to stroke her sister’s hair. If she waited long enough, Juliet would open up.

  Being the middle and youngest sisters, Juliet the youngest, there had always been a special bond between them. Even through the years Nealy lived on the west coast, they talked at least once a week, if not more. Juliet had seemed fine in the days leading up to the parties, but since Nealy arrived, she’d noticed a change, subtle at first, then increasingly uptight. “You know you can talk to me about anything.”

  Juliet swiped at her tear-streaked cheeks. “It’s only jitters, right?” She grabbed a tissue from the nightstand. “I mean, c’mon. I’m marrying a senator’s son. I should be excited and here I am crying.” She sniffled. “I’m only dealing with the engagement right now. What will the wedding plans be like?”

  “Has something changed?”

  “We’ve had a few disagreements.”

  “Like the honeymoon location?”

  Juliet pursed her lips. A good sign. “Hawaii is more romantic than rock climbing in Colorado. That was Brandon’s first choice. I hate rock climbing. I told him so, but sometimes he doesn’t listen.” Juliet blew her nose. “It’s more than the trip. I didn’t tell you up front, but I wanted to have a small engagement party, but Brandon insisted his parents expected a big bash and Mom agreed, so we compromised on two parties. What a headache.”

  Oh, boy. “Two parties are unusual, but you’ve got it under control.”

  “With your help. You’ve made this fun and I don’t know what I would have done without you.”

  “Anytime, sis.”

  Nealy fell silent while Juliet rose to pick up her toiletry bag and carry it down the hall to the bathroom.

  When she returned, Nealy asked, “You love him, right?”

  “Yes, but is it enough?”

  Nealy didn’t have an answer. Her own track record left little to be desired. “Tell me more about you two.”

  “Other than how we met at the law firm?”

  Nealy groaned. “Another lawyer in the family.”

  Juliet hiccuped a giggle. “We worked on a trial case together then went out after hours with coworkers from the office. Eventually, it became us going out alone. He’s smart, fun to be with, and Mom and Daddy adore him.”

  “Of course they do. He’s a lawyer,” she said through a small sigh. Her parents were happy Sam, her boyfriend, also happened to be an attorney. They’d met at a charity function she was overseeing, had clicked and started dating. As for Juliet, she sounded as if she was trying to convince herself Brandon was Mr. Right.

  “Then let’s get to the bottom of your concerns. Are you marrying Brandon for them or yourself?”

  “I don’t know now. I mean, I think he’s the one, but could I be wrong? How do I know for sure?”

  “I’m not
the person to ask. Look, if he makes you happy and you enjoy being with him, I’d say those are strong building blocks. You just never know when you’ll fall in love or who you’ll fall in love with.”

  “True.” Juliet half sniffed, half laughed. “Look at you.”

  Nealy straightened her shoulders. “What about me?”

  “You did everything you could to stay away from love and lawyers and now you’re seeing one.”

  Nealy laughed. “What can I say?”

  “I don’t know. You’re always cagey on the subject.”

  “He’s a good man.”

  “Loyal to the end, our Nealy.”

  “I don’t know about that.” She’d never told Sam about Dane, deciding early on in the relationship she didn’t want to talk about her past. Was withholding information a form of a lie?

  “You must like Sam, otherwise you wouldn’t still be with him.”

  “It’s not a fireworks kind of relationship, not like with Dane.” Her heart gave a heavy jerk because she spoke the truth. She slapped the scrapbook closed, as if closure alone could diminish the time she’d shared with Dane.

  “Look, I’m sorry about dumping all this on you. Brandon is great. I guess I’ve been overwhelmed by having two parties.” She tried to brush off her concerns with a shaky laugh. “I’m being pulled in so many directions. Mom’s got delusions of grandeur and I don’t feel like Brandon’s family is overjoyed about us.”

  “I didn’t get that impression.”

  Juliet took a deep breath. “See. I’m overreacting. Everything will be fine. The parties will run like clockwork and after I’ll ask myself why I was a nervous wreck.”

  Nealy patted her sister’s leg. “Try to enjoy the weekend.”

  Juliet nodded. “Oh, before I forget, I wanted to show you this.” She slid off the bed to retrieve something from the top of the dresser. She handed Nealy a shiny brochure from the Grand Cypress Hotel. “You didn’t get a chance to see the incredible grounds yet. The landscaper is a genius.” She pointed to a picture of the beautifully manicured yard sweeping from the hotel down to the beach. Magnolia trees in bloom. “I know this is a little soon since the wedding isn’t for a while yet, but I want to give you a heads-up now so you can start brainstorming ideas for how it will look.