“Ah, she’s your mother.” I hoped my words wouldn’t sting too much. From the sounds of it, the poor bastard had been through enough already. But his mother was all of those things and more when she wanted to be. I had always liked her well enough, but she made no bones about being a tough woman. And even her children weren’t exempt from her attitude or wrath.
“She’s just as shallow and twice as nasty. At least my mother’s an attractive woman who tries to be pleasing when things are going her way. I can’t even say the same for Mercedes. Not to mention, she’s about as sexy as a sack of dead fish heads. And here you are, marrying a beauty like Jessica. I may have been born to wealth, but I’ve also got family obligations that you don’t. You’re free from your parents. I’ll be obligated to mine and my family name until my dying day. You’re really blessed, Cole.” He took a deep breath, and his shoulders slumped in defeat. “And I already know what you’re going to do. Come Saturday, hell or high water, you’re going to marry the girl and hope for the best where the company is concerned.”
He read me like a book. “Yeah, that’s exactly what I’m going to do.”
“I know I might talk like I want you to make a different decision, but that’s only out of the loyalty that I’ve devoted to the company, and deep down, I don’t fucking blame you man. If I had what you’ve got, I’d do the same damned thing.” He walked over and put his glass down near the bar. Then he walked to the door.
It seemed strange how the tide had turned and put me on top. But I prayed that Tanner’s fate wouldn’t be so easily sealed. I wanted him to have all the best of life, too. I eased back in my chair, wondering if I should break the news to Jessica as soon as possible, or wait until I knew all possibilities for an extension were done. It didn’t seem fair to make her worry when I wasn’t going to skip out on the wedding anyway. Knowing she was liable to be unselfish and tell me not to do the wedding, to postpone it for the better of the company, I decided to wait. I wouldn’t have her giving up her dream to give me mine. Besides, she was my dream now.
Jessica
With my wedding just a day away, it was time to get the finishing touches ready. I sat with Leslie in the nail salon and went over the list of to-dos as Brenda did my nails.
“I still can’t believe the dress needed to be taken in two sizes. I didn’t think I’d lost that much weight.”
Leslie giggled in the station next to me. “I told you so. You’re going to make a beautiful bride, and I can’t wait to see you all put together with the hair, the nails, and the makeup.” She let out a long sigh. “I can’t believe this day is finally coming.”
I couldn’t either. “It’s been the longest wait ever. You’d think that with everything going on, it would have gone by faster, but instead, no.” I had been in and out of the hospital and busy with a new baby, but time had crept by.
She leaned back in her chair and looked at her own nails, which were coming along nicely. “I still can’t believe you won’t let me take you out for drinks and a little fun tonight.” She’d been bothering me about giving me a bachelorette party for some time, but it wasn’t my style.
“I don’t want all of that. I want a nice evening in with my family, knowing that tomorrow we’ll all have the same last name.”
“Except for Cam, right?”
I didn’t realize I hadn’t told her. “No, he’s changing his too. Cole went and filed the paperwork for legal adoption, and so once it’s signed, we’ll all be Saunders.”
“Oh my gosh! Why didn’t you tell me?” She reached over to slap my arm but didn’t connect because of our nails. “That’s big news. How does Cam feel about it?”
“He wanted it. He asked Cole if he could call him dad, and he was feeling a bit left out because after the wedding, I’ll be a Saunders like Sky. I felt a little bad about the whole namesake thing, and so we’ve decided to let him keep Hyde as well. He’s excited about having two last names to our one.”
“He’s such a little stinker. I wonder if Cole is having a good time at home with them. Has he even ever watched the two of them alone before?”
“Not both at once,” I said with an ache in my gut. “And don’t make me nervous. It’s hard enough to leave the baby as it is. I had a hard time the other night when we went on our date.”
“You did well, though, and I made sure the little ones were okay.” She switched hands and let her tech, whose name was Joy, start on it. Mine wasn’t going as fast, as I was getting a special lace design on each nail. It was subtle but beautiful.
“I was a mess. Cole had to talk me down before we could leave the house. It was hormones, I’m sure. I’ve been a bundle of emotions lately.”
She angled in her seat to face me as the tech held her hand. “So, how was it? We all want to know, don’t we, ladies?” She turned and gave Brenda and Joy a wink.
“It was amazing. He took me to the Waterfront.”
“The view was amazing I bet,” Leslie said.
“Yes, I couldn’t believe you could see everything. I wished I had my camera.”
“You and that camera,” she said. “That would have been a good look. Tourist chic? How was the food?”
“Perfection. I had the lobster ravioli.”
“That sounds good, actually. I’ve heard they had the best food, hands down. I’ll have to marry me a rich man to afford it.” She rolled her eyes, and the other two ladies laughed with us.
I let out a long, content sigh. “You’ll meet a nice, rich man. Someone who is handsome and charming. I’m sure that Cole has a few single friends I could introduce you to.” She had never met Tanner, but he wasn’t single anymore, and I couldn’t imagine the two being interested in one another.
“I’ll hold you to that,” she said with a wink. “Great job, Brenda. Those nails look amazing.” She leaned in and got a better look as Brenda showed her appreciation for her compliment. Then she turned her attention back to me. “So, how was the sex?”
My mouth went slack as I gasped, and she belted out a laugh. “Come on, you can tell us girls. I’m sure it was amazing too.”
“It was. And I’m a very lucky woman to have that with him for the rest of my life. But if you think I’m giving details, you must have fallen recently and hit your head.” I gave her a look that told her she should know better.
She snickered. “Hey, you can’t blame a girl for trying, and besides, you used to ask me all the time.”
“You weren’t marrying those men,” I defended.
“Fair enough.”
About that time, the noise from the front door buzzer sounded, and Brenda and Joy looked up to welcome the new patron with a smile. I turned my head to see Becky and Holly from the office walk up to the counter. It had taken Becky a long time to get used to me, and Holly never had. I had never once gotten a warm response from her, and if the day ever came when I did, I would know to be suspicious.
They finally turned to take a seat across the room to wait and noticed me. Becky gave a wave. “Hello, Jessica. Getting ready for the big day?”
I couldn’t help but notice Holly’s displeasure in seeing me, but I wouldn’t dignify her attitude by being unfriendly. “Yes, I’m excited and nervous, but I guess that’s to be expected.”
“Not as nervous as some of us,” said Holly under her breath. Becky’s eyes darted to her friend, and she seemed a bit shocked.
It only made me curious. “I beg your pardon?”
“Oh, nothing. It’s just that you’re getting ready to marry the man of your dreams while the rest of us are wondering if we’re going to have jobs in a month.”
The words made no sense. “Why on earth wouldn’t you?”
“That’s enough,” said Becky. The two women exchanged a look, and Becky held Holly’s gaze with an almost pleading look.
“Becky? What is she talking about?”
“I’m sorry, Jessica. Holly thought you knew. I think you should talk to Cole about this.”
“Knew what? And don’t t
ell me to ask him. You seem quite pleased with running your mouth, Holly, so let’s hear it.”
The woman took a deep breath. “It’s about the test run. Mr. Saunders is gambling with the investors and our jobs to make sure that your ceremony isn’t interrupted. I know he thinks he’s doing the right thing by you, but what happens when he has to cut jobs because half of his investors bail on him? I’ll be one of the first ones on the list.”
I knew right away that the permits Tanner was supposed to check on were the problem, but what hurt even more was the fact that Cole hadn’t bothered to discuss any of it with me. I glanced around at the other ladies and felt an ache in my gut that hadn’t been there since I’d gone through morning sickness. The two nail techs kept their eyes trained on their work, but I knew what they were thinking. That I was not marrying an honest man, and if he couldn’t trust to tell me important things, then what would the rest of our marriage be like?
I glanced down at my nails and thought of all the other things we’d gotten ready for the wedding and felt unworthy. There I was, concerned for one day, while others were concerned for their future. I had to make sure that the test would happen, but first, I needed to talk to my soon-to-be husband.
For what felt like the longest time, I sat there with the other women staring at me as Brenda hurried to finish my nails. Finally, she was done, and I wasted no time getting on the phone once we left the salon. Leslie gave me a bit of privacy, knowing I had a lot to say to my groom.
The phone rang, and I held my breath while I waited for him to answer. And when he did with a casual hello, the anger poured forth, bringing all of the stress from the past several weeks with it. “Have you lost your mind? You can’t just not do this test run to marry me and jeopardize your entire company! It’s bad enough these people despise me already, but putting me before them and their futures is ridiculous.”
“Fuck,” he said, releasing a breath. “Who told you?”
“Who told me? Are you fucking kidding me? You should have told me, Cole. No one else should have been the first to mention it.”
He let out a growl of frustration. “Calm down. I didn’t tell you for your own good. I didn’t want you to worry all fucking week.”
“Wait, what? A week? You’ve known for a week, and you didn’t tell me. I guess telling everyone else, you didn’t think it would get back to me.”
“I didn’t tell anyone, but I’m sure it made its way around just like everything else.”
I felt my heart ache when I realized it was the first fight we’d had since getting engaged, and I didn’t want anything to change between us.
“Look, Jess, I’ve been waiting for a last-minute extension for my permit, but I still haven’t heard anything. I knew I’d never let it interfere with the wedding, and come one o’clock, in front of our closest friends and family, I’m going to marry you.”
“Cole, you don’t have to do that. We can postpone the wedding. I understand how much the project means to you, and I don’t want you to gamble with the company’s future just to make me happy for a day.”
He chuckled. “You’re too good for me, Jessica Hyde. I don’t think any of my employees understand what a good woman you truly are.”
“Then let me show them. Let me give up the day for the good of the company.” They could hardly find it my fault if I did.
“Not on your life. And I don’t know who told you about this, but you can bet that I’ll have something to say to them.”
I wasn’t telling on Holly unless he asked me directly, and then I’d have no choice. “Don’t make it worse.”
“I won’t ask you who, but these things have a way of getting back to me, you know?”
“Well, perhaps you should keep in mind that things have a way of getting back to me as well. I don’t like having people see me on the street and telling me things that you should have. So, make sure you’re honest and open with me. I can take things a lot better than you think. We’ll forget the wedding and elope in a few days. None of our friends will care. They’ll understand.”
When he let out another sigh, I thought for a moment that he felt defeated enough to give in. But I was wrong.
“No. I’m marrying you tomorrow, and that’s final.”
I knew that he was never going to give in.
Cole
I hung up the phone with Jessica and looked down into the cradle where Sky napped and checked to make sure that Cam was still watching cartoons on the couch in my seating area. When Tanner walked into the room, he seemed to see the look on my face. “How’s it going? No one’s crying for their mama yet?”
“Still no word about the permits?” I asked.
“No, I’m sorry. I doubt there will be some miracle at the last minute either, so if you want to try and think of another plan, then I suggest you start. Have you changed your mind on the wedding?”
I tried not to feel insulted. “No, the wedding is going on as planned. I’m not going to be a dick and make my wife go without her special day. The company will lose a bit of money, but this is the biggest day in my life, too.”
“I remember when you first started the project and how it was all you thought was important. I was so sick of hearing about algae.” He crinkled his nose. “I really wasn’t convinced you’d pull it off. But you worked hard to get the company to this level. Hell, I’ve worked hard too. So, it really bothers me that you won’t at least talk to Jessica and explain how important this is.”
“She knows.”
He seemed surprised. “She does?”
I wondered if he was thinking of all the people he’d told. “Yes, apparently you thought it was wise to tell someone, and they saw her on the street and told her all about it. The day before our wedding, no less.”
“Fuck,” he said, reminding me of my own reaction. “I’m sorry man. I didn’t think it was a big deal, and I mentioned it to Becky.”
“Well, Big Mouth Becky is going to be at my wedding tomorrow, so you should make sure and let her know that I want to speak with her in my office first thing when I return. She might pride herself on being my assistant of sorts, but she’s walking a thin line speaking about private business on the street.”
“I can’t see Becky meaning any harm,” said Tanner. “What are you going to do, fire her?”
“No, but I’m going to make her think I am, at least for as long as my wife had to worry about the fucking test run. Maybe next time she hears something, she’ll keep her fucking mouth shut.”
“You can’t blame her for being concerned. They all know what a test failure could mean, and this is not going to be any different. You still have your time. You could plan to do it around the wedding. You could still do both.”
“And how would I do that? In two hours, our hangar is going to be set up for a wedding reception, and we have rehearsal at six.”
Tanner glanced over at Cam and lowered his voice some more. “Guess she was pretty mad, huh? She put her foot down?” He hadn’t wanted the kid to hear him talking about his mother.
“No, actually, she volunteered to postpone the wedding. She wanted to do it for me and because it is my dream.”
“Damn. She’s a good woman.”
“Yeah, better than I could ever deserve if I lived a million years. And that’s why she deserves better. She’s already lost her husband before me and had to raise a pretty amazing kid all by herself. Between somehow loving my ugly ass and giving me a child, she still surprises me.”
About that time, little Sky stirred in her cradle, and I got up to go pick her up and bounce her on my chest.
“You’re a natural with her, and I don’t know how she looks so much like you and is still the prettiest baby I’ve ever seen.”
“That’s because she’s got her mother in her, too,” I said, but the truth was, Sky looked so much like me that it was hard to see her mother in her at all. She had my blue eyes, which her mother had been happy about, and though both mine and Jess’s hair was brown, Sky’s w
as a little more like mine than her mother’s.
I had hoped that she’d sleep until Jess returned, but that was wishful thinking. I turned to tell Cam to get me the diaper bag, but he was asleep now, and I was thankful that at least I’d only have to deal with one of them at a time. The two together could be a lot of work. I walked over and grabbed the diaper bag, and when I went to lay her on my desk, Tanner got up and walked over to the window.
“How could I not be ready for her mother and me to be married? I know it makes me the most selfish bastard in the world, but I love her. I love my family. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for them.” I quickly changed her diaper and tossed the wet one into the trash. Then I buttoned up her onesie and picked her up.
Finally, after a moment, Tanner turned from the window. “I get it. I only hope that I know what that feels like one day.”
That was when Jessica walked in with Leslie behind her.
“I wasn’t expecting you until later,” I said.
“I thought I’d come see if you wanted to go to lunch with us. Maybe I could talk some sense into you.” She looked over at Tanner, and I couldn’t help see the way Leslie was eyeing my friend.
“Excuse my rudeness, Tanner. This is Leslie. Leslie, Tanner.” I thought I should get the introduction out of the way and break the ice. Both of them looked as if they wanted the other’s attention.
“It’s very nice to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about the amazing Leslie, but I had no idea just how amazing you’d look.” Tanner offered his hand, and when Leslie took it, he smiled like a snake.
“Likewise.” She had a starry look in her eyes, and Jessica and I exchanged a look.
“Would you like to join us, Tanner?” I was quite certain that he wasn’t going to pass up the chance to spend some time with Leslie, and at the same time, that worried me because of his relationship with Mercedes.
Jess gave me a narrowed glare but didn’t disagree. “Of course, that would be wonderful. We can talk about the rehearsal dinner, maybe discuss your plus ones?”
Made for Me Page 24
