"Oh, no, lover boy. I need you. You ain't goin' nowhere." Leah grabbed his arm.
"So tell me, Leah, when is your wedding?" Grey said.
Carrie heard a box hit the floor and the deep laugh of her fiancé as she mounted the stairs.
****
The doorbell rang as Carrie was coming down the stairs. A quick glance in the kitchen told her everything was done. She answered the door, admitting her mother and her editor, Chelsea. Before she could close the door, other guests arrived, including Delia. Leah took Delia by the arm and sat her on the other side of the room from Janice.
Carrie blew out a breath when she saw her mother and Delia were mingling, talking with other guests and not bothering with each other. Grey hovered on the sidelines, opening champagne, mixing mimosas and staying out of the way. Carrie noticed he kept an eagle eye on the party. Thank God he's here.
Everyone praised the food and Grey's talent for getting just the right combination of champagne to orange juice. The ten women chattered and laughed, making sly references to the wedding night. Carrie spied Grey blushing once or twice when the women's voices got loud. Peals of laughter piqued her interest as well.
"Come on, Carrie, open your presents," Sophie urged.
"Please, please…can't wait until you see what I bought!" Marnie giggled.
"Maybe I'd better leave for this part," Grey said, sneaking into the den and closing the door.
The women sat in a circle munching on mini canoli, from Little Italy. Leah sat near the pile of gifts and began handing them to Carrie. Champagne had raised spirits, shyness melted away and a few raunchy comments got the women laughing. The alcohol had relaxed Carrie as well. She opened box after box of sexy lingerie and nightwear. With each box, the women cheered. Comments about each garment and bets on how long it would stay on brought gales of laughter. Carrie spied Grey peeking out of the den with combination of surprise and fear on his face. Carrie giggled when she caught his eye.
"Your friends have some…unusual ideas about you," Janice said.
"Not unusual, Janice…spot on!" Sophie said before dissolving into laughter.
Janice fidgeted in her seat.
"Your age is showing, Janice. Can't get a little raunchy with the girls? It's just sex…" Delia said.
"Not according to Carrie," Chelsea snickered.
"Carrie? What do you tell these women? What are you doing?" Janice sat upright.
"Nothing, Mom. They're just being…silly," Carrie said, unable to stifle a giggle of her own.
"You're so…so, uptight," Delia said.
"Now who's showing her age," Janice sniffed.
"Come, come, ladies," Leah said, taking Delia's hand. "Help me with the coffee, Delia."
Once Carrie had opened all the presents, her friends began to leave. She breathed a sigh of relief that Delia and her mom had not started a big fight. Grey cracked open the den door.
"Safe to come out?"
"All the sex talk is over, Grey." Delia motioned him to join them.
Soon it was only Janice, Delia, Leah, Grey and Carrie. They sat around drinking champagne.
"Is everything ready for the wedding?" Janice asked.
"Only a few little details to deal with…"
"I really don't like the raspberry color for the wedding party, Carrie," Janice said.
"Mom, it's too late…"
"No, wait!" Delia held up her hand. "I want to hear what she has to say. She's been itching to attack me for weeks. Go ahead, Janice."
"I don't think it's masculine…I mean the cummerbunds are raspberry to match the dresses and I think it looks a little…feminine. Raspberry is pink, after all."
"Raspberry is NOT pink! We have a man here, let's ask him. Grey!"
He emerged from behind the bar and held up his hand. "Don't get me involved in this discussion."
"Janice you have criticized every decision I've made. I've discussed everything with Carrie. She doesn't have a problem with my ideas…so let's get to the root of the problem here. You don't want me to be involved at all, do you?"
Janice shifted in her seat for a moment before answering. "No, I don't. She's my daughter. This is my moment with her. You've butted in, insinuating yourself in a place where you don't belong. You decided not to have children. Your choice…but Carrie is mine…"
"No, I didn't, Janice."
"What?" Janice stopped and looked at Delia. "That's what I always thought."
"Well, you thought wrong. Jack and I wanted children. Very much," Delia's voice shook. "After three miscarriages, I had to have a hysterectomy. That's why we had no children."
"Oh…I didn't know," Janice said, her voice quiet. "I'm sorry."
"When Carrie came into our lives, we considered ourselves blessed. She was a joy for us every single day," Delia whispered.
Silence hung heavy in the air, like smoke. A queasy feeling settled in Carrie's stomach. Here it comes…the storm.
"I've always been grateful for Carrie's closeness. The fact that you were too wrapped up in your work to give her the proper amount of time and attention was fine with me. I've built a relationship with her while you were busy elsewhere, Janice."
"Why, Delia Tucker, you lying, scheming…" Janice got up to approach Delia.
Tears stung her eyes as she chewed her fingernail.
Grey stepped in. Gently he eased Janice back to her seat. "Ladies!"
The women stopped talking and looked up at him.
"I've tried to be patient, kind, forgiving. But enough is enough. I can't believe how selfish both of you are. You are upsetting my soon-to-be wife. You have stepped over the line. I've seen Carrie grappling with your prideful, insensitive behavior for weeks. It's eating her up and I won't have it anymore."
Carrie smiled at him, her eyes shining.
When both women tried to speak, he raised his hand and they fell silent.
"This is her wedding…and frankly I wouldn't give a damn if she called the whole thing off and flew to Las Vegas with me. Hell, I'd take City Hall. I want to marry this woman like nobody's business and I don't care if I have to wear a loincloth to do it. I also don't care what the food is like, who's invited and who's not or anything else. Marrying Carrie is the only thing on my mind. So she has my complete blessing to do anything she wants with this wedding and I will go along happily. The same is not true of you two. One more episode of bickering and I will spirit my fiancée off for a private wedding and leave you to kill each other."
Delia and Janice sat back abruptly as if they had been slapped.
"I mean every word. Ask Carrie. She knows how I am. You've pushed her and me too far. Now back off or be ready for the biggest disappointment of your life."
In the silence that followed his outburst, Leah and Carrie gathered up the gifts and stowed them in shopping bags.
"You should talk! You're cheating on my daughter!" Janice stood up and hollered.
"What?" Grey turned to face her.
"All those trips to Boston. I don't believe you were in Boston and I don't believe they were business trips, either. And those private phone conversations with someone named Giselle. What were those about?" She sank down on the sofa.
The doorbell rang. Leah answered it, admitting Harvey and Colin.
"I don't have to account for my whereabouts or who I talk to on the phone to you or anyone else but Carrie. She hasn't questioned me one bit. You have some nerve, Janice."
"Nerve, do I? Carrie, don't do it. I know what it's like to be married to a cheater."
Everyone gasped. Harv turned red.
"Mom…come on. You don't mean…" Carrie began.
"I certainly do. It's about time you took your father off that stupid pedestal you keep him on. He cheated on me. Maybe only once, but once was enough. I know what I'm talking about and I don't want it to happen to you."
"Janice, did you have to do that?" Harvey whined, his hand on his forehead.
"I'm tired of pretending."
"Okay…I admi
t it. I strayed…once. I was young and foolish, stupid. But we've dealt with it and come through it together."
"Maybe you have. But that's a pain that never goes away. I don't want my daughter to go through that."
"Dad, did you really?" Carrie's eyes widened.
"I'm sorry, Bunny. I made a mistake."
"How could you?"
"I hope you can forgive me." He took a step toward his daughter.
Carrie's eyes filled with tears. She looked first at her mother, then her father, then Grey before running up the stairs. Grey shot an angry look at Janice and Harv then quickly followed his wife up the stairs.
****
"Maybe we should all go home, let them have some alone time," Delia said.
Janice threw open the door and stalked out, not waiting for Harvey who kissed Delia on the cheek and scurried after his wife. Delia hugged Leah and Colin then followed Harvey out the door.
Leah sank down onto the sofa and let out a sigh.
"Wow! Talk about TMI. Things I never ever want to know about anyone."
"Janice wasn't wrong about my brother," Colin muttered.
"What do you mean?"
Before he could answer her, his cell phone rang.
"Hi, Dean."
Leah sat up.
"What? No…I mean yes, sure. I can."
More silence as Colin stood, nodding his head.
"Wow, really? That's great. Terrific. Uh huh. Uh huh. Sure."
More silence.
"When? July?"
Colin swallowed. "Right. Yes, I'll get back to you…uh, tomorrow? Is that soon enough? Good. Thanks so much. Yes. I won't let you down."
Colin closed his phone and stood still. Leah held her breath.
"That was Mac Caldwell. That asswipe harassed the lady dean and was fired. So I've got the job."
Leah broke into a big grin. "Wonderful! Colin! I'm so proud of you!" She hugged him.
Closing her eyes she drank in his masculine scent mixed with her favorite soap. He turned away from her, his face frozen, his gaze avoiding hers.
"But I have to start July first."
"July first? Why? The semester doesn't start until the end of August, right?"
"They want me to start the wrestling program this summer. They're recruiting students for the team now."
Leah glanced down to see if someone had thrust a knife into her gut. There was none there but the pain slicing through her didn't stop. Tears stung the backs of her eyes as she choked down a sob and took several deep breaths. You have your dream. This is his dream. Step away.
Leah tried to focus, to force her lips to smile but they were frozen. She reached out to touch his arm. His gaze followed her hand all the way up to her eyes.
"What should I do?"
"You should take the job! Are you even thinking of turning it down? Why?" Even to her, her positive attitude sounded forced. She fisted her hand, pushing it into her stomach trying to stop the agony.
"Because if I take the job, I can't go to Paris."
"This is your dream, Colin. You must go for it. I have my dream and now you have yours, too." She touched his cheek.
"But my dream is about us, too, our dream together? Paris…living together."
"We'll see each other at Christmas." She fought to keep the tremor out of her voice.
"That's six months away. A lot can happen in six months." He placed his hands on her upper arms.
Leah turned away from him taking another deep breath as she walked across the room. She bit her lip for control.
"We've had a good run. Nothing lasts forever." She bowed her head. Liar.
He strode over to her and whirled her around, holding her still.
"Face me and say that." His voice angry, his eyes flashed. Her pulse pounded in her ears.
She turned her face away from him.
"Come on, say it again…speak up…I can't hear you." His hands on her arms held her captive while he gave her a shake. Lie to his face? I can't. She cringed.
"I thought so. Can't, can you?" He nodded.
"You have to take that job." Her head snapped up, her gaze connected with his.
"I will. But I don't have to be happy about it. What about us?"
"We have two weeks left. Let's make the most of those two weeks." Leah pushed away from him. If I don't get out of here, I'll be begging him to turn down the job and come to Paris. I need to leave. "I'm not feeling too well. All that drama on a full stomach. I think I need to be alone."
"What?" He grabbed her, squeezing hard.
"You're hurting me."
Colin loosened his grip. "Sorry. I need you tonight."
"Maybe tomorrow?"
"I'm going back tomorrow."
"Logistics…Nina and Clint are in town. I didn't think it would matter because we'd soon be in our own place for the summer, but now…"
"You could stay here with me."
She shook her head.
"Why not?"
"Stomach." She wrapped her arms around her middle.
Colin let go of her and stepped back. "You don't seem too upset about this."
"I'm in shock…I'm surprised. I wouldn't do anything to stand in your way…ever." Emotion gripped her sending a tremor through her fingers. Her mouth dried out as she swallowed another sob.
"I know you wouldn't. One of the many things I love about you. But you don't seem to care…"
"Of course I care, if you believe that, you don't know me very well," She said, clasping her hands together to keep them from shaking.
"Then show some emotion." His eyes flamed.
"I can't do this," she said, flinging open the front door and running out.
She ran into the street as tears broke through her defenses. A taxi stopped with a screech, almost hitting her. It was empty so she jumped in, croaking out the address before her voice gave out. All control gone, Leah sobbed for ten blocks in the backseat of the cab.
"He ain't worth it, lady."
"Yes, he is," she replied. Colin is part of my dream now. When did that happen?
Light traffic allowed her to make it back to Nina's apartment house quickly. She paid the driver and blew her nose. Lance arrived to open the cab door. He smiled warmly at her. Leah shuddered, waited a few seconds then swung her legs out of the cab. He helped her up. Once the door closed and the cab sped away, Leah lost her control. Tears streaked down her face as her body slumped. Lance cocked his head.
"Missy?"
"Oh, Lance!" Leah threw herself into his arms, sobbing.
Holding her up, he escorted her inside the building and into the back room, where the doormen kept their uniforms. He sat her down on a bench. Leah clung to him, crying.
"Did Colin do something to you?"
She shook her head, unable to speak.
"Then, what?"
She took a calming breath then explained what had happened.
He closed his arms around her and held her against his soft belly. Her small arms didn't reach all the way around him but it didn't matter. His presence soothed her.
"What am I going to do, Lance? I love him so much. I can't let him go but I can't stop him either."
"Maybe he'll stick, Missy."
"Six months?"
"He's a good man. Give him some credit."
Leah stepped away from him to search in her purse for a tissue. Lance offered his man-sized handkerchief. She accepted with a feeble smile.
"Can you make it upstairs?"
"I think so." She gulped air as she nodded.
Lance cupped her elbow and accompanied her to the elevator. When she reached her floor, Nina was waiting for her. Leah fell into her embrace as tears cascaded down her face.
"What happened?" Nina eased her friend through the door.
"I've lost Colin…" Her face contorted in pain, she laid her head on Nina's shoulder.
Chapter Sixteen
Saturday, June 25, Shelton, Connecticut
Brilliant sunshine burst through the window,
waking Carrie. It's my wedding day! Shoving the sheet down from the bed she swung her legs over the side, stood up and stretched. A huge grin spread across her face. Tomorrow morning I'll wake up Mrs. Grey Andrews.
A small doubt about Grey's fidelity nagged at her mind. Nope. Go away. I trust Grey. She threw on a cotton robe and padded downstairs. Delia's quiet house was filled completely, people in every room but Carrie was the first one awake. She checked the clock…six-thirty! Time for coffee. She filled the coffee maker and pushed the start button.
Taking a mug, she plopped down on the sofa by the picture window facing the back. Tents were already set up and soon people would be coming to set up for the four o'clock wedding. She rubbed the goose bumps on her arms, her pulse kicked up. A noise diverted her attention to the stairs where Leah was standing, tying the sash on her robe. They exchanged greetings.
"Your wedding day! Can't believe it, Carrie. How do you feel?"
"Nervous, excited, happy. Coffee's ready, Leah." Another grin broke out on her face.
Leah descended the stairs and entered the kitchen. Colin, clad only in sweatpants, came down right after her. His weight made the old wooden steps groan. He joined Carrie on the sofa.
"So how do you feel?"
"Nervous…excited, too." She took a sip of her coffee.
"Grey is probably shitting…nervous, too."
She laughed. Leah returned carrying two mugs of coffee. She handed one to Colin. He stood up and kissed her.
"Hmm, you guys are next," Carrie murmured.
"I heard that!" Leah said.
"So? What's the big deal? A little geography getting in your way?"
"You call the Atlantic Ocean a little geography?"
"Love finds a way, Leah."
"That's what I keep telling her," Colin said.
He stroked her hair before pulling her into his embrace. She snuggled into his shoulder and closed her eyes.
"Why didn't you wake me? There are a million things to do," Delia said, clapping her hands together as she descended the stairs with purpose in her step.
"Carrie, did you lay out your dress? Leah, where's the checklist we made? Who has the shower schedule? Hop, hop, people we have a wedding today."
The Dating List Page 18
