by Inez Kelley
With a nod that dripped cold sweat off his hair, he accepted Mike’s outstretched hand. Mike pulled him to his feet but did not release his hand. “Is she worth it?”
Still silenced by his exertion, Jinx simply nodded. He bent to rest his hands on his knees, sucking in more cold oxygen.
“Then stop sulking and fight for her.”
“Sulking?” The insult forced air into his lungs and he snapped up to glare at his brother. “I’m not sulking, damn it.”
“You were a pain in the ass as a kid and you haven’t changed. Go bug her. You’ve licked your wounds, now grow a set and go after her. Becca died, you couldn’t get her back. But Frannie’s just across town. Since when do you give up?”
Before a protest could form, Jinx saw the truth in his words. Hope sparked. Frannie loved him, no matter what she’d said. He knew that as well as he knew he loved her. She pushed him away the hardest when she was most vulnerable. Her push last night was the hardest ever. Damn, I screwed up!
He had to get her back. She hadn’t wanted to start dating and he had worn her down. He could do the same now. Giving up was not an option. Lip tilted rakishly, he grabbed Mike’s shoulder and squeezed it in gratitude. A thankful nod dripped more icy sweat off his face.
Get ready, Frannie. I’m going to rock your world.
{
“Dayum. I forgot about his family.”
Icy dread slithered down Frannie’s spine as she noted the numerous parked cars. The pale fabric of her gown caught the late afternoon sunlight and glistened like diamonds but could not mask her quaking nerves.
She did not want to do this. This was so not her. Theatrics were Tracey’s venue. And Jinx’s. Any man who carried her fanny up into a restaurant, announced a fictitious pregnancy in a grocery store, and bought out an entire aisle of feminine hygiene products could be described as dramatic. This wasn’t her. But it was for him. He deserved every humiliating second of this. It would serve her right if he told her to piss off.
The car pingpingpinged as she cracked the door. Drawing a deep breath, she tried to still the acrobatic bats in her stomach.
“I need mice.”
“What?” From the driver’s seat, Steve questioned her with a blank look.
Frannie clutched the ragged sneaker to her chest and pleaded. “I need mice, you know, Cinderella’s mice, for moral support. Come on, both of you.”
The couple exchanged quick glances and shrugged. The unlikely trio exited the car and crossed the street. Frannie knew she had lost the right to use her key, so she stepped up on the porch and rang the bell. Her stomach made a loud gurgle and she pressed a shaking hand to it. Dear Gawd, give me the strength to do this and not puke on the floor. I do love him.
“Just one thing,” Tracey whispered as they waited. “No way in hell am I wearing some butt-ugly bridesmaid gown so pick something nice, Cinderella.”
“Shut up, Drizella, before I make you wear this piece of crap.”
Filled with hopeful plans and crazy ideas, Jinx showered and dressed. He stuck a finger in the steaming gravy pan. Popping the digit in his mouth before he got caught and swatted, he glanced around for his mother. He was starving. Jack Daniels had not made a very filling breakfast.
The turkey rested on the platter, potatoes were piled in a creamy heap with melted butter, and fresh yeast rolls sent heavenly scents into the air. Just as he thought of snagging a roll, he heard the doorbell peal. The Boys were in the great room and would answer it so he decided to risk stealing one roll. Most likely it was just his elderly neighbor at the door. She’d given him a rock-hard fruitcake last year.
Fruitcake. The word made him think of Frannie. Straightening his shoulders, he vowed he would make things right with them. Somehow. Wonder what the penalty is for kidnapping the woman you love? And how smart a lawyer is Dave? He had barely touched the golden crusts when Matthew barreled into the room, causing him to snatch his hand back guiltily. The teen had a dazed expression on his face.
“Uncle Jay, you better go in there.”
“Why? Who was at the door?”
“Uhm, Cinderella, a chick with weird hair and some tall blond dude.”
Bread forgotten, Jinx braced his hands on the counter, heart thundering. Frannie and company are here? What does that mean?
I bet this is how zoo animals feel. A small smile pasted on her lips, Frannie glanced around at Jinx’s family. Of course her outfit was unusual, but the stares she was getting weren’t exactly what she’d hoped for. The Boys grinned broadly at her ensemble, finding her costume hilarious. Beverly and the other women sent sour looks her way but hope lurked in their eyes. Frank and Mike glared at her like she was Jezebel incarnate. Rachel’s husband Carl cracked his knuckles nervously.
Mmkay, this is a total flop so far. Maybe I’ll just send him an email. Before she could bolt, Steve grabbed her arm and steadied her. The quivering smile she sent him was met with a solemn nod. Swallowing her nerves, she straightened her spine.
Jinx walked casually from the kitchen and her breath whooshed out. Had it only been last night since she was in his arms? It felt like an eternity. Gone from his body language was the easy grace of lighthearted laughter. Now he moved stiffly, warily, almost angrily. She had stolen his joy and her heart broke anew.
He stopped a few paces from her and looked her up and down, a grim set to his mouth. “Who are you supposed to be?”
“Uh, Cinderella.” Damn, did her voice have to pick now to crack and sound like chipmunks on steroids?
“Cinderella, huh?” Refusing to look in her eyes, he spied Tracey behind her.
Tracey jumped and squeaked under his scrutiny. “Don’t look at me. I’m just a mouse.”
“A mouse?” His gaze slid to Steve. “What’s that make you, the Fairy Godmother?”
“Hey, I object to the title of ‘fairy’…and the title of ‘mother’.” Smirking, Steve waved his hand magnanimously. “You may call me God.”
The Boys burst out laughing while the men hid chuckles behind cupped hands. Beverly blushed and tried to herd everyone into the kitchen.
“Oh no, stay—you won’t wanna miss this,” Tracey volunteered.
Frannie sent her a death stare before turning back to Jinx. He hadn’t smiled once. Her disgustingly froufrou dress shimmied with the trembling of her knees and her heart pummeled her chest wall. She sought his eyes and for the first time couldn’t read them. He had sheltered his thoughts from her behind the smooth cold mask he used in business.
Just peachy, I’m a guppy in a prom gown facing a pissed-off shark.
“What are you doing here, Frannie? You said your piece last night.”
Galvanized into action, she grabbed her couch pillow from Steve and held it out to Jinx, complete with dilapidated sneaker on top. His eyes flicked to it before returning to her face. The rehearsed lines tumbled from her lips.
“If you please, kind sir. I am Cinderella, the stupid and sorrowful. I’m looking for my Prince Charming. It seems I’ve lost him along the way due to my foolish pride and fear. This shoe belongs to him. I’ve sworn to marry the man who wears this sneaker, if he’ll still have me.”
Heart on a platter, she offered it to him along with his running shoe. When he didn’t immediately answer, her stomach quivered violently. He rolled his tongue around the inside of his cheek and she sent him her best I’m-sorry-please-forgive-me-don’t-crush-me smile. Mike’s wife sniffled and she glimpsed a nod of approval from Frank out of the corner of her vision but dared not take her eyes off Jinx.
He stood with arms crossed, solid and unmoving. “What changed? Why is today different than last night?”
“Nothing changed. Except now I’m not afraid to tell you I love you.”
His left eyebrow twitched and his eye flinched as if she struck him. Desperation consumed her and she dropped to her knees in front of him. “Please, won’t you try on the sneaker, see if you’re the man I lost. I have to find him. You see, without him, I’m nothing. I love
him so much.”
Tears blinded her and she let them fall. She had bared her soul, before him and everyone else. There wasn’t anything more she could do—without telling him the dark hidden secrets of her heart—except hope and pray.
“Get up, Frannie.”
The coldness in his voice stung her but she complied. Pulling bravery from depths she didn’t know she had, she raised her eyes to his.
Jaw tight, he glared at her. “Two things. First, you never, and I mean never, call yourself nothing again. And second, you burn that revolting dress.” Millimeter by millimeter, his lip curved to a smile. “I want you walking to me in white.”
She laughed and she cried but she was never sure which happened first. Maybe they happened at the same time. All she cared about was that he took her into his arms and kissed her. Spontaneous cheering broke out but Frannie ignored it. Tears continued to stream as he kissed her over and over. The emotional outburst left her quaking fiercely and he wrapped his arms around her, giving her his strength.
“I love you,” she whispered again, privately, her cheek pressed against his. “I’m so sorry, Jinx. Please forgive me.”
“I love you. I was coming after you, you know? There was no way in hell I was going to let you slip through my fingers, dollface.”
Raising his head, he framed her face in his hands and kissed her sweetly. And then he laughed. Warmth exploded in her body as the rich timbre echoed around her. She could never live without that sound again.
“I can’t believe you did this. And you call me crazy.”
“What can I say? It rubbed off on me.” Impishly, she shrugged and touched his hand. Jagged edges pricked her fingers and she pulled his hands away from her face. The rough uneven scrapes along the sides made her gasp. “What happened?”
“Nothing. I just had a fight with a brick wall. It won.” He brought her hand to his mouth and placed a light kiss on her knuckles. One thumb ran over her bare ring finger. Blowing out a soft sigh, he admitted, “I’m not sure where your ring is.”
“It’s here.” Digging into the loose bodice of the gown, Frannie fished the diamond out of her bra. His eyes shone with humor as he took it from her.
“I’m going to go back on a promise I made you. I told you I’d propose and then leave you alone if you couldn’t say yes. I did that. It sucked. So I’m going to ask you again…for the last time.”
One knee went down and he held the ring to her finger. She felt rather than saw his family turn to watch them. Lightheaded, she took several noisy breaths, inhaling and exhaling slowly to avoid passing out. This was her dream. She would not faint in the middle of it.
“Miss Frannie Sullivan, will you be my wife?”
Lips in a wide curve, she made sure her voice was loud, sure and steady. “Yes.”
He slid the ring on her hand and rose to capture her lips. Joyous sounds filled the cavernous room as she grew drunk with his kisses. When they finally broke apart, she circled his neck. Eyes closed against a sudden gush of fear, she whispered into his ear,
“I love you. I’ll be yours as long as you want me.”
Always organized, Tracey produced a change of clothes from the car so Frannie didn’t spend dinner looking like a bad understudy for Glenda the Good Witch of the North. Jinx couldn’t stop touching her and she had to physically push him out of the bathroom so she could pee. And then, knowing he was standing outside the door listening, she couldn’t go. She finally opened the door, smacked a quick kiss on his mouth and told him to go to the dining room so she could pee in peace.
Tracey and Steve were officially adopted and stayed for dinner. Conversations flew from every direction but Frannie could not recall a single word. Her chair scooted close to his, she and Jinx spent most of the meal gazing at each other in sheer happiness. Pie and cake were being passed around when Mike spoke of needing to catch an early flight and asked if Alex could take them to the airport.
“You and Anne can’t leave now,” Jinx interrupted. “I’m getting married tomorrow and I need a best man.”
“Tomorrow? Tomorrow! Are you crazy?” Coffee burned her lip as Frannie sputtered and spat. Once more they became the center of attention. She’d thought she would have months to get used to the idea of a wedding. He might even back out beforehand. She should have known he would have to do things differently. When had ordinary ever been good enough for him? Don’t go there, Frannie. Not today.
“We can’t get married tomorrow,” she argued.
“Yes, we can.” His stubborn streak emerged and she bucked it.
“Jinx, think about it. We have no plans, no license, nothing.”
“Fine. Then the day after tomorrow.”
“You’re not being reasonable. We don’t have rush into this.”
“Frannie, I’m not waiting. You said yes, finally, and we’re getting married, the sooner the better.”
“Jinx, listen to me.” Lovingly, she smoothed her fingers along his jaw line. “I know I messed up last night but I’m not going anywhere now. I want to marry you. There’s no reason to go into hyperdrive with this thing. Slow down.”
“No. I’ve got you now and I have no intentions of giving you enough time to freak out on me.”
Frannie growled in frustration and buried her hands in her hair. “Listen, fruit loop, you can’t just announce something like that. Unless you want to elope, weddings take time.”
“No eloping.” Beverly was firm in this and sent them both behave-or-you-are-sitting-in-a-corner looks.
“The Blue Jay can handle the reception.” Jinx nodded as if these plans were real. Frannie peeked from beneath the hands she ran over her face.
“You can’t assume a restaurant will be available just because you want them to be, nutball.”
“The hell I can’t. I own the damn place. They better be available.” At his forceful announcement, Frannie’s jaw dropped.
I own some real estate, he’d said. It was like saying Chicago had had a little fire trouble.
“Okay, so what, we need a week? Fine, we’re getting married in a week.” Perfectly at ease with his pronouncement, Jinx forked a bite of strawberry pie off her plate and popped it into his mouth before smiling at her.
“Jinx, you’re beyond crazy this time. A week from today is New Year’s Day, a day for football, tailgate parties and hangovers. Nobody wants to come to a wedding on New Year’s.”
“Fine. January second then. A week and a day. Works for me.”
“You’re a lunatic!” Jumping to her feet, she gaped at him. “Nobody can plan a wedding in a week and a day!”
“Ahem.” Rachel’s quietly cleared throat brought all attention to her. The dark-haired woman idly toyed with her fork and smiled at her brother. “You never told Frannie what I do for a living, did you?”
Chuckling, Jinx grinned up at Frannie. “Rachel owns Forever Yours Bridal Services.”
Gulping, Frannie wildly searched for Steve in the crowded room. He smirked at her. Some mouse. He’d turned into a rat. Desperately, she looked for some other way to delay this quickie wedding. Her eyes landed on the winter floral centerpiece she’d picked up for Jinx just yesterday.
“Flowers! We can’t be sure a florist could have flowers in just a week.”
Rachel waved the concern away. “I got you covered with flowers. And the cake. I can even get some lit archways for the reception area. The Blue Jay has enough nice table linens and centerpieces. Oh, and I have some beautiful floral swags for the church pews.”
“A church!” Frannie latched onto the word like a calf to a teat. “We don’t have a church. Or a minister!”
“St. John’s Lutheran Church on Bradley Street, Pastor Charles Brightwell.” Jinx stood and bowed slightly. “I talked to him last week. He’s just waiting for a call from us.”
“Last week?” The tremor in her lips made her words vibrate. He had spoken to a minister? He was making plans before last night? The implication of his commitment shook her very core.
&
nbsp; “So what else do we need?” Tenderly putting his arm around her shoulder, Jinx looked around the room. Frannie watched in pre-bridal horror as suggestions and offers leapt from every direction like popcorn in a kettle.
“I can play the piano,” Derek excitedly proclaimed.
“I know where you can find the perfect dress,” Tracey piped in with a sly grin.
“If you guys give me a list, I can email invitations tonight,” Matthew said, intently stuffing his mouth with chocolate cake.
“Oh no, email invitations are so tacky. At least let me call everyone.” Beverly cast hopeful eyes at her youngest who shrugged.
“I have some brand new video equipment I use for the boys’ basketball team,” Carl grinned.
“Oh, yeah, and I got a great Nikon camera with a whole set of lenses for my birthday. I’ll even make you up an album as a wedding present,” Alex jumped in.
“I think I can handle a bachelor party on New Year’s Eve,” Mike said with a laugh.
“And we can throw you a bridal shower slash luncheon!” Anne squealed, nodding to Beverly, who agreed.
Pandemonium ran rampant and Frannie stood in stunned silence as her wedding got planned around her. Madness tippy-toed up her back and she cast her gaze around, looking for an anchor. Steve caught her panic, rose from his place and looked deep into her eyes, grounding her somewhat.
“I know your father has passed away. I’d be honored if you let me take that role.”
Teary-eyed, Frannie ran the few paces and hugged him hard. He patted her back. “I’d love it if you’d give me away.”
Always the surrogate big brother, he tweaked her nose. “I’ll never do that, but I’ll walk you down the aisle.”
Rachel had scrounged up a notebook and frantically scribbled away. She checked off each listing as she spoke. “Flowers, decorations, church, minister, music, reception, dress, bachelor and bachelorette parties, video and photography, gown and escort. Did we miss anything?”
“Rings.” Tracey scooped up a stray bit of cake frosting with her finger and stuck it in her mouth. “Loverboy has time to get those, though. And don’t forget about a license. You need to get that first. Just think, Frannie, you don’t even have to change your name.”
