Wedding Bell Blues

by Meg Benjamin

  Janie nodded, her eyes suddenly very wide.

  “Okay.” He swallowed hard. “I guess I’m ready then.”

  She blinked at him. “For what?”

  “My marriage proposal. Because the thing is, Janie, we’ve got no judgment at all when it comes to each other. We want each other so bad our brains go missing, and then we get all noble when it comes to admitting it. Well, screw that!”

  He picked up his glass and took a quick swallow, then raised it in her direction. “I’m making a pre-emptive strike here. I need you. We need each other. And we need to make it official, given the kind of people we are. I know we haven’t known each other long, and I know I was a real asshole at first, but…”

  “Yes,” Janie said.

  Pete raised an eyebrow. “Pardon me?”

  “Yes. I’ll marry you. The time doesn’t need to be long, just deep. And we’ve had deep. And you said I should tell you what I want—so this is it. You’re what I want. Yes.”

  A bubble of heat rose in his chest, filling his body with warmth. “We’ve had deep all right.”

  “But—” she raised her hand quickly, “—that doesn’t mean you don’t have to go back and settle things in Des Moines. You need to do that, Pete, for your own sake.”

  He nodded. “But I’m coming back here to live. Hell, if Cal can be a Texas vet and Lars can be a Texas accountant, I figure I can be a Texas attorney.”

  She gave him a luminous smile. “That’s wonderful. You’ll like it here.”

  “Why don’t you come with me now to Iowa while I get everything worked out? You can see Lander. Not that there’s much to see, but fall is one of the better times to see what there is.” He poured himself more champagne, then took her glass.

  Janie frowned. “I have to run the bookstore while Docia’s on her honeymoon. Three weeks, starting tomorrow.”

  “Okay.” Pete shrugged. “I’ll help.”

  “But they need you at your office, you need…”

  He touched his fingers to her lips, quickly. “I need you. Now. And I’ve got a lot of vacation time built up, believe me.” His mouth moved into a slow grin. “And I can get Olive back. Since she’s my dog and since I’ll be living here. You don’t mind if I keep her, do you?”

  Janie let her grin break through, shaking her head. “No. I already asked Cal if I could take care of her while he was gone, to tell you the truth.”

  “Good enough.” He sighed and lay back on the bed again, folding his arms behind his head.

  She took a deep breath and blew it out, then took another bite of bread and cheese. “So now what happens?”

  He shrugged. “We take our time. Get Olive back from the clinic—tomorrow, if I have anything to say about it. Go back to Iowa when we can. Get everything set up here. Get married whenever you feel like it. Quietly. With very few people in attendance.”

  “Right. I guess we’ll invite our friends.” She grimaced. “And families.”

  “No tuxes,” Pete mused. “No big deal wedding dresses.”

  “Well, maybe a little deal wedding dress.” Janie grinned. “And Daisy gets to be the flower girl.”

  “Agreed.” They clinked their glasses together and sipped.

  Pete sat very still, watching her. It hurt to look at her suddenly. But he had a feeling it would hurt a lot more not to.

  “I love you, Ms. Dupree.”

  Janie grinned up at him. “Good. I love you too, and I do prefer happy endings.”

  Epilogue

  Lars sat in a fairly comfortable lawn chair on the patio of the Woodrose Inn watching people dance. The wedding was finally beginning to wind down two hours after Cal and Docia had taken off to catch a plane. The orchestra had been playing most of the evening, but they gave no signs of stopping. Lars figured, like everyone else involved in Reba’s party, they must have been paid an exorbitant amount of money.

  He took a sip from his glass of iced tea. He’d stopped slugging back champagne when he realized it made him want to either burst into tears or take a swing at someone. Time to pull himself together and start working things out. He had Daisy and the rest of his life to think about.

  Wonder was sprawled at the next table, chewing on what looked like a roast beef sandwich he’d liberated from the kitchen. Allie was dancing with Lee Contreras.

  Wonder raised an eyebrow. “Where’s your daughter?”

  “Sleeping, I imagine. Mom and Dad took off with her a couple of hours ago.”

  “So are the rumors true?” Wonder raised both eyebrows this time. “Are you settling here?”

  “Thinking about it seriously.” Lars reached for a butter mint. Not bad at all, especially the little tang of chilies at the end.

  Wonder sighed dramatically. “Two Toleffsons in one town. I don’t know if Konigsburg can take it.”

  “Lander, Iowa, put up with six Toleffsons for around twenty years, counting my folks. The last time I looked, the town hadn’t suffered a whole lot.”

  Wonder pushed himself to his feet. “Yeah, well, we’re more sensitive down here. Time to go dance again.”

  “You going to open up an office here?” Horace sat in Wonder’s vacated seat, carrying a slice of wedding cake.

  “That’s what I’m thinking about doing.” Lars took another swallow of iced tea. “I’m working for a national firm right now, but I figure I could go on my own here.”

  “Yeah, people always need accountants. Even me. My guy’s thinking of retiring.” Horace glanced up at the patio door, squinting slightly. “There’s your brother.”

  “Pete? I haven’t seen him since dinner.” Lars started to turn and froze in mid-motion.

  Horace cleared his throat. “Not Pete. Your older brother.”

  Erik was carrying a glass of something that looked like more iced tea. He slid into the chair beside Lars. “Evening.”

  “Nando Avrogado said you were looking for part time work with the town police. That right?” Horace shoveled in a bite of cake.

  Erik shrugged. “Yeah. I’ve been working for the force in Davenport—I took some Criminal Justice courses at the college there. I was thinking about maybe moving down here. Heard they might be hiring.” He leaned back in his chair, keeping his gaze on Horace.

  “Usually are. Just part time, though. Put in an application.” Horace pushed himself to his feet. “Time to collect Bethany and head off.”

  Lars stared at his brother as Horace moved away. “You’re in the police department?”

  Erik shrugged. “Yeah. Before that I worked for a private security company. Got my Associate’s degree a few years ago at Eastern Iowa CC after the army. I like police work.” He gave Lars a slightly crooked smile. “Ironic, right?”

  Lars blinked at him. “Not necessarily. Go for it, bro.”

  Erik’s smile became less guarded. “You don’t mind my being here? I mean, Dad said you were moving down too.”

  Lars leaned back against his chair again. “I don’t think you being here would cause any problems. Not for me, anyway.”

  Erik turned slightly, watching Allie glide by with Wonder. “I figure I could start over in Konigsburg without all the baggage I’ve got back home. I’ll stay out of your way, though.”

  “Don’t worry about it. But Wonder’s going to have a heart attack. Three Toleffsons in Konigsburg.”

  Erik closed his eyes, resting his glass of tea against his chest. “First time we’ve all been in the same place in fifteen years.”

  Lars took another survey of the dance floor. Billy Kent and Reba were moving with professional ease near the bandstand. Various Kent relatives and business associates flowed around them, like something out of a forties society movie. He glanced toward the far end of the dance floor and stopped.

  Pete glided through the shadows of a live oak, dancing with Janie Dupree—or anyway, standing with her on the dance floor. They didn’t seem to be moving much. He wore his tuxedo pants and shirt. Janie was still in her lavender dress. Both were barefoot and neither
of them was even slightly aware of Lars or anyone else. They stood together, Janie’s head tucked beneath Pete’s chin, holding hands as they moved slowly back and forth.

  Lars considered pretending he hadn’t seen them, but curiosity got the better of him. He ambled over to their corner. “Evening.”

  Pete glanced up a little blankly. “Lars. You’re still here?”

  “Yeah, just thinking about going back to the motel.” Lars grinned at him. “I don’t suppose you’d be interested in giving me a ride.”

  “Oh.” Pete looked down at Janie, his lips inching up. “Are you ready to go, sweetheart?”

  “That’s okay. Don’t leave because of me.” Lars watched them gaze at each other. He’d never felt more superfluous in his life. “Um, Pete, are you still flying home with us tomorrow?”

  Pete kept his gaze on Janie. “Nope. I’ll come back and take care of some stuff later. Maybe in a couple of weeks.” He glanced back at Lars. “I’m going to move down here, bro. As soon as I get everything wrapped up back in Des Moines.”

  Lars blew out a breath. “As far as you know, are Mom and Dad staying in Lander?”

  Pete frowned. “Far as I know. Why?”

  “Just checking.” Lars turned back toward his table.

  “Lars?” Pete grinned at him. “We’re going to have another wedding in a few months. Will you be my best man?”

  Lars closed his eyes, remembering Sherice, touch football, tuxes and dart games. He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Have you considered Vegas?”

  Pete and Janie smiled at each other again. “Not a chance. Konigsburg, bro, get used to it.”

  “Right.” Lars wandered back toward his chair. As far as he could tell neither of them even noticed he was gone.

  About the Author

  Meg Benjamin writes about South Texas. Her comic romances, Venus in Blue Jeans and Wedding Bell Blues, both published by Samhain, are set in the Texas Hill Country. When she isn’t writing, Meg spends her time listening to Americana music, drinking Texas wine, and keeping track of her far-flung family. After living in Texas for over twenty years, Meg recently moved to Colorado. To learn more about Meg Benjamin, please visit www.MegBenjamin.com. Meg loves to hear from her readers. Send her an email at meg@megbenjamin.com.

  Look for these titles by Meg Benjamin

  Now Available:

  Venus in Blue Jeans

  A guy. A girl. A Chihuahua. Two of them will find the love of their lives.

  Venus in Blue Jeans

  © 2009 Meg Benjamin

  Coming off a broken engagement to a lying charmer, all bookstore owner Docia Kent wants is a fling, not a long-term romance. And for her fabulously wealthy and fabulously nosy parents to butt out of her life for a while. The Texas Hill Country town of Konigsburg looks like the perfect place to get both. Especially when she gets a look at long, tall country vet Cal Toleffson.

  Cal has other plans for Docia. One glance at the six-foot version of Botticelli’s Venus, and he knows he’s looking at the woman of his dreams. Now if he can just fend off the eccentric characters of Konigsburg long enough to convince her romance isn’t such a bad idea.

  One night of mind-blowing sex isn’t the only thing that leaves them both stunned. With Docia’s bookstore under attack, Konigsburg suddenly doesn’t seem so welcoming. Once again she finds her trust tested—and is left wondering if she was ever meant to have a happily ever, after all.

  Enjoy the following excerpt for Venus in Blue Jeans:

  Cal took a moment to look at her. Her copper curls floated around her face and shoulders. Her white silk blouse hung slightly open, so that he could see a sliver of peach-colored lace peeking out. Her deep green eyes met his, and her face was suddenly illuminated by their light.

  Venus.

  His gut tightened almost as much as his groin. Oh, yeah. Nothing like a little performance anxiety to pep things up. As he watched, Docia’s lips edged up slightly, and another jolt hit his solar plexus. Whatever doubts might be assailing his mind, his body was definitely ready to go for it.

  He reached for her, then slid his fingers into the silken softness of her hair, pulling her gently toward him, lowering his mouth to hers. Her lips had an echo of sweet wine. His tongue plunged deeper into her mouth, touching, exploring—teeth, tongue, warm, wet depths. She gave a small purr of pleasure as she turned her body against his, slipping her arms around his neck and pressing her soft breasts against his chest.

  Cal moved his hands downward, sliding them beneath the edge of her blouse, touching, stroking. Smooth, satiny flesh. Silk warmed by Docia’s body. His hand cupped her breast so that it filled his palm like a ripe peach. He flicked his thumb across her nipple, feeling it jut hard against his fingers.

  “God, Cal,” she murmured.

  Her hands moved down from his neck. Then she pulled his shirt free and slid her hands underneath, brushing across his chest. One palm rested for a moment on his heart while a warm fingertip pressed against one nipple. Threads of heat flowed from where her fingers touched him.

  He shifted his shoulders, pushing her back against the sofa cushions. The soft mounds of her breasts pressed against his chest again. His shaking hands fumbled at the top button of her blouse, trying to slip the small fabric-covered disk through its hole and failing. Then her cool fingers covered his, and the button slid free.

  And the next and the next.

  Cal looked down at peach-colored lace and silk outlined against the shimmering paleness of her skin underneath. His breath caught in his throat. “Docia, you’re so beautiful.”

  Even as he said it, he knew how miserably inadequate the words were. You’re exquisite. At this moment, you’re everything I’ve ever desired in a woman. I’ve never touched anyone like you before. Please God, don’t ask me to stop.

  When she spoke, her voice was a hoarse whisper against his ear. “Cal, we can’t do this here.”

  For a moment, he was lost, trying to find his feet again. Had she suddenly developed second thoughts? And if so, why right now, in the name of heaven!

  “What?” he murmured. “Why not?”

  Docia giggled, a quick throaty sound against his chest. “We can’t both fit on this couch. Not two people our size. Gravity alone is going to do us in before we get much further.”

  “I’m glad one of us thinks this is funny,” Cal muttered and then snickered. In another moment, they were both chuckling breathlessly, their foreheads pressed together.

  Docia pushed against his shoulders. “Come with me, Doc. I have the greatest oversized bed you’ve ever seen. I promise we’ll both fit into it with plenty of room left over.”

  The bed was big enough for the two of them, plus three or four other average-sized citizens of Konigsburg. Not that Cal was eager for a sextet at that particular moment. A stack of red and blue pillows covered one end of the bed. Tall posts supported some kind of white canopy overhead.

  Cal wasn’t really noticing the details right then—he had too much he needed to do, like breathe.

  And he couldn’t seem to stop touching her.

  Even as he reached for the remaining buttons on her blouse, he couldn’t help grazing his fingers along the smooth white skin of her collarbone, his thumb sinking into the small indentation at the base of her throat.

  Docia laughed softly, emerald eyes shimmering in the semi-dark, then pulled the blouse from her shoulders and dropped it behind her. “Your turn.”

  He took hold of the bottom of his shirt and pulled it over his head, wishing he’d worn something with buttons too, so that he could have taken it more slowly, let her see a little bit of him at a time. Clothes made him look more normal. Without them, she’d see him the way he really was.

  One of his girlfriends in Kansas City—Karen, was it? Maybe Janice—had referred to him as her “great, hairy beast”. She’d meant it affectionately. Cal hadn’t felt the love. But the image had always stuck in his mind after that.

  King Kong was about to enter the bedroom.
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  Docia caught her breath as he dropped his shirt to the floor beside her blouse.

  She’d never seen a chest that broad before. His pectorals curved down to his flat stomach muscles. A thick pelt of dark hair covered the surface, arrowing down to the waistband of his pants. He looked primal, like a warrior, like someone who’d lurched out of the forest seeking a mate.

  Not that he’d have to do much seeking from what she could see. He could probably just crook his finger and a dozen potential mates would come tripping through the woods without further ado.

  She forced herself to breathe in and out while she sorted through appropriate adjectives. Magnificent. Glorious. Spectacular.

  “Wow.”

  Oh, very good, Docia. Four years of college English and that’s the best you can do?

  Cal raised his eyebrows, questioning.

  Docia couldn’t stop herself. She reached toward his chest, burying her fingers in the dark, crinkling hair, touching the point of one brown nipple with her pinky. She heard his quick inhale.

  His eyes looked slightly glazed. “Now you,” he gasped.

  Docia’s fingers dropped to the button at the waistband of her pants, and suddenly her shoulders stiffened. Right then, she could remember every one of Allie’s scones she’d consumed over the last month, not to mention all those plates of tapas Lee had fed her, laden with cheese and olive oil. And then, of course, she also remembered Donnie’s cracks about her love handles.

  Oh well, maybe some men like doughy hips. And she couldn’t do much about spot reducing at the moment. She was who she was, after all. She’d learned that much over the last couple of years.

  Docia pushed her pants down to the floor and stepped out of them defiantly. At least she had on some of her better underwear.

  Cal watched her for a heartbeat or two, his eyes hooded. Then he stepped toward her, raising his hands to cup her breasts. Docia closed her eyes, feeling the warmth spread outward as the rough calluses of his palms rubbed across her skin. Heat stretched over her body and down to her thighs. His fingers moved and the catch at the front of her bra opened. Her breasts slipped loose as he pushed the straps from her shoulders.