Daughters of the Bride

by Susan Mallery

  “That’s the plan. It goes on the market next week.”

  “You’re not going to find anything like this in Los Lobos.”

  “I don’t want anything like this. I’m ready to move on.” He crossed to her and pulled her close. “About our few days here. I have a plan.”

  “I like it already.”

  He kissed her lightly. “We’ll unpack, make love, then go shopping. Tonight we’ll eat in and tomorrow I’ll show you the sights. Thursday night is the party, then we’ll drive home Friday.”

  She gazed at him, taking in the lines of his face. Passion flared in his eyes. He was tall and powerful, and when she was around him, she felt better about herself. As if she could do anything.

  She smiled. “So we’re just having sex the one time?”

  He laughed. “I think we can do it a second time, if it’s important to you.”

  She loved how he teased her. Well, two could play at that. “You’re old. I don’t want to strain your heart.”

  He kissed her again. “You’re young. I don’t want to shock you with my debauched ways.”

  “Are you debauched?”

  “I might have been, once or twice.” He straightened. “Courtney, you know there have been other women in my life.”

  Not a question, she thought, unclear on the message. “I was clear that you weren’t a virgin, yes.”

  “At the party,” he began, then hesitated.

  She couldn’t remember a time when Quinn hadn’t known what to say. She put her hands flat on his chest.

  “I get the mean girl thing. They’ll want me to know why I don’t belong or tell me you really don’t care. It won’t be about me.” She thought about what it had been like when she’d been the oldest and tallest girl in her class. “I’ve been through a lot worse. I’ll be fine.”

  “I never doubted that for a second.”

  26

  WEDNESDAY NIGHT SIENNA met David at his house. She’d asked him to see her after work, although she hadn’t said what she wanted to talk about. She felt as if she was going to throw up, but she knew she was doing the right thing.

  She sat across from him in his living room. The suitcase was mercifully gone, but memories of that day lingered. His family had indeed created a Facebook page for their wedding. She’d received friend requests from cousins twice removed. As she looked at her fiancé, she acknowledged that while she couldn’t put her finger on what exactly was wrong, he wasn’t the one for her.

  She swallowed hard, sucked in a breath for courage, then carefully removed her engagement ring from her finger.

  “David, I’m sorry, but I can’t marry you. I think you’re wonderful and you deserve every happiness. I wish it could be with me, but it can’t.” She hesitated. “I’m afraid I’m not in love with you.”

  She forced herself to stop talking. While her natural instinct was to keep going, she knew she had to give him a second to process what she’d told him. He was going to be angry. She had to be prepared for that. No one wanted to be rejected this way.

  Regardless, she knew she was making the right decision. Whatever she felt for David, it wasn’t love. It couldn’t be. Yes, she was afraid of what everyone would say, but so what? This was her life and she had to get it right.

  He looked at her for a long time, then stood and crossed to her before pulling her to her feet. His expression was understanding, even kind. He didn’t seem angry at all.

  “Oh, Sienna, I’ve been expecting this for a while.”

  “What?”

  He drew her against him and wrapped his arms around her. “You’ve been through a lot. I’m sorry for all the questions and worry. Poor you.”

  She didn’t understand. This was not the traditional I just broke up with you reaction.

  She drew back. “I’m breaking off our engagement. Did you get that?”

  He cupped her face in his hands. “No, you’re not.”

  “I am. I just did.”

  He smiled tenderly. “You’re scared that you don’t love me. You’re concerned that you’re making the wrong choice. You don’t know what you’re supposed to be feeling, but panic shouldn’t be part of it.”

  “I, ah, maybe.” How could he have figured all that out? She barely knew what was going on. How could he be more in tune with her than she was with herself?

  “It’s your dad,” he said quietly. “You were so young when he died, and you and your family went through a difficult time. That scarred you. Not just you—all your sisters. You’re each reacting differently, but you’re all dealing with the ramifications. I know that’s why you broke off the other engagements. You got scared and you’re scared now. I believe the traditional term is cold feet.” He smiled. “You have cold feet, nothing more.”

  “I do?”

  “Yes.” He stared into her eyes. “Sienna, you’re the best thing to ever happen to me. Every day I’m so grateful I didn’t settle. I waited, knowing the right person was out there, and then I met you. I knew from the start you were the one.” He dropped his hands to her shoulders. “It’s okay to be scared. It’s okay to have questions. But as you go through this, please know I love you and I’ll always be here for you.”

  She’d imagined the conversation going any number of ways, but she’d never pictured anything like this.

  “I am frightened,” she admitted. “About us getting married, about moving to St. Louis.”

  “I think those are just symptoms. I think what you’re really frightened of is losing again. Of losing everything like you did before.”

  She hadn’t thought about it that way, but it sounded kind of right. Of course her father’s death would have affected them all.

  David led her to the sofa and sat down next to her. He angled toward her and stroked her hand. “Sienna Watson, you are the woman I love. Give us a chance. Please. Just consider the possibility that your uncertainty has nothing to do with how you feel about me. That hanging on will be worth it. That when all this is behind us and we’re married, you’ll see that we belong together. Let me spend the rest of my life making you happy.”

  He was right, she thought, feeling dazed. She was letting her fears overtake her. David loved her. She should trust that. Trust him. Maybe in doing that, she would learn to trust herself.

  She flung her arms around his neck and hung on. Just like he’d asked her to.

  * * *

  Courtney had seen dozens of parties at the hotel, but none of them compared to the one Quinn threw in Malibu. The caterer started setting up at eight in the morning. Food was delivered in trucks, as were flowers. The plates, glasses and flatware were enough to supply half the city.

  Quinn had offered her the use of a stylist if she wanted. She’d accepted because, hey, when was that ever going to happen again? So she spent the afternoon at an exclusive Malibu spa. She was buffed, waxed and spray-tanned. Her hair was glossed, trimmed and curled into casual, beachy waves that took over an hour to achieve. Makeup, including false eyelashes, followed.

  She’d brought her dress with her—the one she and Quinn had bought the previous afternoon. It was an off-the-shoulder fitted scrap of blue lace that cost more than her car. Fortunately, it was the exact color of her Saint Laurent heels, so she could wear them.

  She put on the dress, then the shoes, packed up the shorts and T-shirt she’d worn in, then realized she wasn’t sure how to get back to the house. Quinn had dropped her off at the spa, but he would be busy with party stuff now.

  The spa receptionist approached. “Your car is here, Ms. Watson.”

  She had a car? “Thank you. Um, about the bill...”

  “Oh, that’s been taken care of. Along with a very generous tip for everyone who assisted you today.”

  Quinn, Courtney thought. She shouldn’t be surprised. He’d
treated her to the dress, as well. The man was just plain nice.

  She stepped outside and saw a long, black limo waiting for her. Seriously? For a two-mile drive? She was still laughing when they pulled up in front of the house.

  Inside she found controlled chaos. The caterer was in the final stages of prep. Courtney slipped off her shoes and walked barefoot to the bottom floor, where she saw Quinn buttoning up a solid black shirt.

  The dark color contrasted with his blue eyes and blond hair. He looked sexy and dangerous, not to mention powerful. When he saw her, he smiled slowly.

  “You look beautiful.”

  “Thank you.” She crossed to him. “For everything. The dress, the spa day. This has been an amazing trip.”

  “I like making you happy.”

  “You know that doesn’t require stuff, right?”

  “I do, but sometimes stuff is fun. How were the treatments?”

  She grinned. “Interesting. I have something to show you later.”

  “What does that mean?”

  She pointed to her crotch. “I’ve always kept things trimmed, but this time I went for it. Full-on waxing.” Her smile faded. “Wow, does that hurt.”

  “You okay?”

  “I’m fine and later we’ll have to take me for a test drive.”

  He pulled her against him. “I’d like that. But first I want to show you off.”

  She laughed. “That’s just what I was thinking about you.”

  * * *

  The party didn’t get started until after nine. Courtney would guess that none of these people had jobs that required them to be at a desk at seven in the morning.

  She spent most of her time on the deck, observing the beautiful people. Quinn kept finding her and bringing her back inside, where he introduced her to everyone. Then she would slip away again.

  This wasn’t her thing. Not really. While it was fun to watch celebrities and actors and singers mingle, she didn’t know what to say to them. No, she hadn’t seen their latest movie or TV show, nor had she listened to their latest song. Until this summer, she’d been working full-time and going to college. She didn’t have time for much more than that. She wasn’t interested in the industry gossip or who was sleeping with whom. Sure, it was fun to be here for the day, but any more than that would be tedious.

  But for now she was going to take it all in and enjoy every second. The champagne was delicious, as was the food, and watching Quinn, well, that was always the best show possible. The man was beautiful in the most masculine sense of the word. She liked how he listened patiently, even when he wasn’t interested in what the other person was saying. She was surprised no one else could read his body language, but it was sure clear to her.

  She leaned against the railing and let the cool night air wash over her. Music played from hidden speakers. A tall, slender brunette walked over to her. Courtney tried to place her and honestly couldn’t. Model, maybe? Actress? The dress was stunning, as was the body. Courtney had never had much on top, but this woman had fantastic breasts.

  “Who are you?” the woman asked.

  “Courtney.”

  The woman glared at her. “I don’t care about your name. Who are you to Quinn? Why are you here?”

  OMG! Was she really going to have a mean girl moment? Could someone video it so she could enjoy it later?

  “Shouldn’t you be asking Quinn that?” Courtney asked, hoping she sounded slightly bored instead of superexcited.

  “I’m asking you.”

  “I’m his lover,” she announced, then did her best not to spoil the haughtiness in her voice by giggling.

  The other woman sniffed. Actually sniffed! “You’re not his type.”

  “And you are?” Courtney sipped her champagne before giving her best dismissive smile. “I don’t think so.”

  The brunette took a step back. “You can’t speak to me like that. Do you know who I am?”

  This was fantastic. It was like live theater. Okay, bad theater, but still. “I have no idea who you are. Nor do I care.”

  “Bitch.”

  Courtney held up her free hand. “Seriously? Bitch? That’s the best you can do? At least put a little effort into this. Call me the C-word or something. Come on. I’m never going to attend a party like this again. You’re the best thing to happen to me all night. Let’s start over. Tell me how horrible I am. Oh, I know. Tell me I’m ugly and that I won’t last a week with him. That’s always good.”

  “He’ll come back to me,” the other woman told her. “He always does.”

  She turned and walked away. Courtney trailed after her. “You’ll never steal him from me. You’ll see. I’m going to have it all.”

  The other woman gave her the finger before retreating to the house. Quinn appeared at one of the other sliding doors. He raised one brow. “Want to talk about it?”

  “I had a mean girl moment. It was fantastic, although she was disappointing. She didn’t tell me I was ugly or that you were using me. Doesn’t she watch teen movies? There’s a way to do that sort of thing right.”

  He stared at her.

  “What?” she asked. “Are you mad? Was I supposed to take it seriously?”

  He laughed. “No, Courtney. You did everything exactly the way you were supposed to.”

  * * *

  “You all right?” Greg asked quietly as the rest of the people at the table talked.

  “Great.” Rachel smiled brightly.

  She was still playing catch-up. Her mother had called the previous day with a last-minute dinner invitation. Lena had taken Josh for the evening so he could hang out with his friend. Maggie had mentioned Sienna and David would be joining them at the hotel’s restaurant. Courtney was still in LA. The one person Rachel hadn’t expected to see was Greg.

  “She really did run into me at the grocery store yesterday,” he said in a low voice. “This wasn’t an ambush.”

  “I believe you.”

  She did. It was just so strange. She and Greg were divorced. Why would her mother invite him to what was meant to be a family dinner? Sure, David was there, but he and Sienna were engaged.

  “Do you want me to leave?” he asked.

  “What? No! Of course not.” She leaned toward him. “Greg, I’m fine with this. Despite the divorce, you’re still family. Don’t worry about it.”

  “You’re sure?”

  “Of course.”

  The problem wasn’t that she felt awkward around him, she thought ruefully. It was that she didn’t. They’d spent more time together this summer than they had in the past six months. They’d also gotten along better than they had in years. He was different, but maybe she was, as well. Overhearing that conversation at the engagement party had been a real wake-up call for her.

  Maggie waited until their server had poured them all wine, then she raised her glass. “Thank you for joining us tonight,” she said. “I’m sorry Courtney isn’t here, but we’ll toast her in her absence.”

  Everyone raised their glasses and drank.

  They were at a round table for six. Neil was on one side of Rachel, with Greg on the other. Sienna was between Greg and David.

  “Josh’s baseball game was very exciting last weekend,” Maggie said, putting down her wineglass. “He’s quite athletic.” She smiled at Rachel. “I’m sorry, my dear, but I suspect he gets that from his father.”

  Rachel held out both her hands, palms up. “I’m not going to argue, Mom. I was never interested in sports.”

  “Oh, he gets all the good stuff from me,” Greg said with a wink.

  “Not all,” Maggie pointed out. She turned back to Rachel. “You have a lot to do at the games. I saw you with the water and the snacks. There should be more than one team mom.”

  Rachel felt Greg watchi
ng her. They’d discussed Heather’s consistent no-show.

  “There is,” she said now. “I’ve been meaning to talk to her about blowing off her responsibilities.”

  “I should think so.” Maggie smiled approvingly.

  “Really?” Greg asked quietly.

  “Glaring at her isn’t much of a strategy if she isn’t there,” Rachel admitted. “I don’t like the idea of confronting her, but yes, it’s time.”

  Their server placed bread on the table. Rachel considered the warm rolls for a second, then shook her head. She was trying to keep her indulgences to things she really loved. While bread was nice, it wasn’t as thrilling as a glass of wine or a great dessert. She was saving her calories for the chocolate mousse torte they had here.

  She handed Neil the basket. As she turned, she felt a familiar twinge in her lower back. All the walking and other exercises had been helping, but lately she’d been feeling the telltale electric jabs on her right side. She would have to be more diligent about her stretches or else she would be facing a full-on back episode.

  “Does Josh play any other sports?” Neil asked.

  “He likes basketball,” Rachel answered. “He’s played soccer in the past, but he doesn’t love it. I think he’s a baseball guy.”

  “Better that than football,” Sienna added. “You won’t have to worry about so many injuries.” She smiled at Greg. “Not that you weren’t amazing when you were captain of the football team.”

  “I was pretty dreamy.”

  Everyone laughed.

  “I played football for a year,” David said. “Then I quit to focus on my studies.”

  There was a moment of awkward silence after that. Rachel told herself not to judge. Just because she couldn’t see what her sister found appealing didn’t mean David didn’t have great qualities.

  “I like that he’s the kind of kid who wants to be outside,” Rachel admitted, hoping to get conversation going again. “We limit his video game time and he’s mostly fine with it. I would worry if he wanted to play for hours at a time.”