Fire and Glass

by Linda Seed

  “No!” Whitney said, recovering herself. “It’s gorgeous. You look gorgeous.”

  “You do.” Jess’s face looked stern, as it so often did, but she was nodding firmly. “Whit’s right. Give us a little spin.” She twirled a finger to demonstrate.

  Lacy did a full, slow turn.

  “God, your ass looks fabulous,” Cassie said, shaking her head in mock disgust. “It’s so not fair that you were the one to inherit Mom’s ass.”

  Jess closed her eyes and waved her hands in front of her face in a warding-off gesture. “Do not make me think about our mother’s ass.” She dropped her hands and sighed in defeat. “Too late.”

  “Mom really does have a nice one,” Whitney acknowledged. “Even still, at her age. And Lacy got it, all right.”

  “It’s like that dress was made for maximum ass advantage,” Cassie observed.

  Lacy took a couple of steps back into the fitting room and turned her rear toward the three-sided mirror, peering over her shoulder to see what all the fuss was about. The satiny fabric was clinging to her butt, following its contours and highlighting the curves with its sheen.

  “Wow,” Lacy said.

  “Right?” Cassie agreed. “That’s it. That’s your dress.”

  Lacy hadn’t looked at the price tag until now, but since this was the dress, she figured she’d better take a peek. She fingered the tag that hung from the left sleeve and focused on the number printed across the bottom. When she saw it, her knees nearly buckled.

  “Oh, God,” she said.

  “Honey, it’s your engagement party,” Jess said. “You only get one of those.”

  “Hopefully,” Whitney added.

  “I think we should try Kohl’s,” Lacy said, feeling a little light-headed.

  “Bullshit,” Cassie said. “This is the dress.”

  Since it was rare for all three of her sisters to agree on anything—let alone something related to fashion—Lacy figured they must be right: This must be the dress. She mentally calculated her bank balance and winced. But if she looked as good as her sisters said she did, she thought it might actually be worth it.

  Chapter Four

  From Daniel’s perspective, the money Lacy had paid for the dress was worth every penny, and then some. When he walked into the Cambria veterans’ hall that Saturday and saw her, he nearly lost the power of coherent thought. Lacy in jeans, a T-shirt, and an apron behind the counter at Jitters was a lovely and alluring sight. But Lacy all done up in a dress that fit her like it was painted on was enough to strike a man speechless. He just stood there for a minute, because he couldn’t feel his feet.

  “Daniel!” Lacy saw him from across the room and smiled, and her smile was like the sun coming out after the biblical flood. He half expected to see pairs of animals exiting an ark. “I’m so glad you could come,” she said, approaching him and taking his arm to draw him into the room and into the crowd.

  “I … uh …” He tried to answer her, but he was still stupid from the sheer impact of her beauty. “Congratulations,” he said finally. That was always a safe bet.

  “Thank you. Come and say hello to Brandon.”

  She drew him deeper into the room, which was decorated with votive candles, fairy lights, and blue and white banners proclaiming, WE’RE ENGAGED. The center of the room was dotted with round tables covered in white linen, and at the edges of the room, food tables were groaning with casseroles, salads, and dessert trays brought by the assembled guests.

  Brandon, a guy Daniel knew only a little, was all done up in a suit and tie, his hair combed with too much product, looking smug as hell. Why wouldn’t he look smug? He was engaged to Lacy Jordan. If Daniel had been in that position, he’d have been pretty damned pleased with himself. He’d have been so smug he’d have wanted to kick his own ass.

  “Brandon,” Daniel said in greeting, extending his hand.

  “Daniel.” The smug smile stayed in place as Brandon shook Daniel’s hand with exaggerated firmness. “What do you think of our girl here?” Brandon released Daniel’s hand and put an arm possessively around Lacy’s shoulder.

  Daniel wasn’t sure he liked the our girl thing—as though Lacy were the possession of the collective men in the room. Now wasn’t the time to deconstruct it, though. “I think you’re a very lucky man,” he said instead.

  Brandon laughed a little too exuberantly, especially considering that Daniel hadn’t been joking.

  “Isn’t that the truth!” Brandon declared.

  Brandon had missed a spot while shaving, and a tiny patch of whiskers on his jawline, just below his chin, bobbed as he talked.

  “I hear you’re planning to fix up your place,” Brandon said.

  “Well, I—”

  “That’s great, that’s great,” Brandon responded, without waiting for Daniel’s answer. “You know, I’ve been in the market for a house in Cambria for the two of us. In my price range, we were thinking …”

  Brandon continued, citing the exact price range he was considering, the housing options available, the current interest rates on home mortgages, his average income over the previous five years, and his performance investing in stocks and mutual funds. Daniel was astonished both by the amount of financial information Brandon was furnishing, and by the sheer number of words that were coming out of his mouth. Daniel looked around the room frantically for some hope of rescue, and then he felt Lacy’s hand on his arm.

  “Daniel,” she said, interrupting Brandon’s economics lesson, “I think I saw Jackson and Ryan over by the bar. Why don’t you go get yourself something to drink and say hello?”

  Daniel tried to express his gratitude with his eyes as he said brightly, “I think I’ll do that! Brandon, I’ll let you mingle with your other guests. Nice to see you. Congrats again! We’ll talk later.” And with that, he hauled ass to the bar before he could hear about Brandon’s tax bracket.

  Jackson and Ryan were indeed at the bar, as was Will Bachman, a biology professor who was one of Daniel’s close friends.

  “Did he tell you about his gross adjusted income?” asked Jackson, a tall, auburn-haired man in jeans and a leather jacket. He had his elbows propped on the bar and was drinking a craft beer from the bottle.

  “What’s with that guy?” Daniel wanted to know. “I thought he was going to show me his pay stubs.”

  “He’s marking his territory,” Will said, adjusting his glasses. “It’s a common behavior in courting and mating rituals.” Will was an evolutionary biologist, which inevitably colored his take on any situation.

  “I guess you’re lucky he didn’t pee on you,” Ryan added, his dark eyes warm with amusement.

  Daniel ordered a beer from the rent-a-bartender, a guy he knew a little bit from the gym where he and Will sometimes worked out. When it came, he took a deep drink and leaned against the bar.

  “Lacy looks good,” he said, in what could only be described as understatement.

  “You think?” Ryan said.

  “I’ve never seen her all … done up like this,” Jackson added. “It works.”

  “It does,” Daniel agreed, following Lacy with his gaze as she greeted guests, talked with friends, and checked on the food tables.

  “I can’t help but wonder …” Will began.

  “What?” Jackson prompted him.

  “Well … it’s just … Brandon.”

  “I think what Will is contemplating,” Ryan broke in with an easy grin, “is what Lacy’s doing with an assclown like that.”

  “Well … yeah,” Will admitted. “I wouldn’t have used that word, but, basically.”

  “She could do better,” Daniel grumbled. He took another swig from his beer.

  “Gen thinks it’s the biological clock thing,” Ryan said, referring to Gen Porter, his wife. “She wants kids, she’s past thirty …”

  “Aw, jeez,” Jackson said. “That kind of talk makes me think of them … together. And I really don’t want to think about that.”

  Daniel didn�
�t either. He squirmed a little in discomfort.

  Further discussion of what Lacy and Brandon might or might not do with their reproductive systems was cut short as Vince Jordan stepped to the head of the room and started talking into a wireless microphone.

  Vince was a big, gruff-looking guy with a ruddy face and hair that had been buzz-cut to minimize the effect of his receding hairline. His pink scalp showed through the quarter-inch-long bristles of hair that had once been blond, but were now gray. He looked intensely uncomfortable in a suit that had probably hung in the back of his closet, untouched, for years. The soft folds of his neck spilled over the collar of his dress shirt.

  “Could I just have everybody’s attention for a minute?” Vince said into the microphone, squirming a little under the growing attention of the crowd.

  Vince started off by thanking everyone for coming, and he called out a few family friends in particular who had traveled to attend the event. Then he began talking about Lacy, about what kind of child she’d been, happy and loving, with a sweet demeanor and a goofy sense of humor. He started to tear up a little as he moved on to Lacy as an adult, her kindness, her devotion to her family, her compassion and empathy for those around her.

  He finished the speech, wet-eyed, by looking at Lacy and saying, “Your mom and I wish you nothing but happiness, baby. Always.” He swiped at his eyes, shoved the microphone into the hands of one of Lacy’s sisters, and hurried off to gather himself.

  Daniel looked at his friends in surprise. “Is it just me, or … ?”

  “He didn’t mention Brandon,” Jackson said, picking up on Daniel’s train of thought. “Not once.”

  “Jeez,” Will said.

  “From that speech, she could be marrying herself,” Ryan agreed.

  “That would probably be better,” Daniel said. It gave him comfort that Lacy’s father apparently had some of the same reservations that he did. On the other hand, young women weren’t known for embracing their father’s choices in men.

  “Huh,” Daniel said.

  He looked across the room to where Lacy was surrounded by a group of well-wishers, including Kate and Rose, who both looked pretty, all dolled up in their fall dresses. A young blond man Daniel recognized as Lacy’s brother, Nick, was just releasing Lacy from a bear hug.

  Daniel was thinking about Vince’s speech, and about Lacy, when Gen came up to the bar and slipped her arm around Ryan’s waist. Gen was wearing some kind of tight-fitting black dress, and her curly red hair spilled down over her shoulders.

  “I thought I’d better check on you guys,” Gen said, looking up at Ryan with undisguised love.

  Newlyweds, Daniel thought.

  “We’re fine,” Ryan said. He planted a kiss gingerly on the tip of Gen’s nose. “We’ve got beer, and we’ve got guys to talk to. It’s all good.”

  Just then, Daniel spotted Brandon standing at one side of the room talking to a pinched, elderly woman who, from the resemblance, could only be his mother. Brandon looked up and caught Daniel’s eye, said something to the woman, and then headed toward the bar.

  “Oh, shit,” Jackson said. “He’s coming over.”

  “Ryan? Could you help me check on the … the thing?” Gen said, pulling at Ryan’s arm.

  “Absolutely,” Ryan said, following her away from the bar and toward safety. “Can’t neglect the thing.”

  “Will,” Jackson said, an urgent tone in his voice. “Let’s get some food.”

  Will looked a little bit confused. “But I’m really not—”

  “Food,” Jackson said, glaring at him. “Now.”

  The two of them fled, leaving Daniel alone at the bar in Brandon’s laserlike sights.

  “Daniel!” Brandon said, all bluster and hearty greetings. “How are you enjoying the party?”

  “Well, I—”

  “I was thinking about that lot of yours,” Brandon went on. “How much has that baby appreciated since you bought it?”

  “Oh, God.” Kate was looking across the room with sympathy to where Brandon had cornered Daniel at the bar. “Do you see the look on Daniel’s face? He looks like he wants to find a high window to jump out of.”

  “Unfortunately, we’re on the ground floor,” Rose observed.

  “Come on, you guys,” Lacy said, irritated. “Brandon isn’t that bad.”

  “Compared to what?” Kate said. “A televangelist?”

  “You act like someone having to talk to him is … is torture,” Lacy said. “He’s going to be my husband.”

  “About that …” Rose began.

  “Do not start.” Lacy pointed one finger at Rose.

  “Sorry,” Rose said glumly.

  “Oh, honey.” Lacy’s mother rushed up to them, her face glowing with maternal pride. “Isn’t the party wonderful? Didn’t your sisters do a beautiful job with the decorations?”

  “They really did,” Lacy agreed, looking around in admiration.

  “I can’t wait to start planning the wedding,” Nancy went on. “Oh, it’s going to be so gorgeous. I was thinking Ragged Point, but there’s still time to talk about that. Do you think we have enough salads?”

  The abrupt change in topic was jarring. “Well, I’m sure we—”

  “I’m going to go check,” Nancy said. “Oh, honey, you look just stunning. I’m so proud of you.” Nancy squeezed Lacy in an embrace that almost took the wind out of her before rushing off toward the food tables.

  “Wow. That’s one happy mother,” Kate said, watching her go.

  Somehow, her mother’s ebullience had the opposite of its intended effect. Instead of making Lacy feel warm with joy, it made her insides hum with an anxiety she couldn’t quite place.

  Music began playing over the speaker system, and people started calling for Lacy and Brandon to dance. She put a smile on her face and went to the center of the room to meet her fiancé.

  Chapter Five

  Vince had suggested that Daniel should make his move if he was going to. But the thing was, he wasn’t going to. Why would he? He and Lacy had never been more than friends, and that sure as hell wasn’t going to change now, with that rock on her finger.

  Okay, yeah, maybe he should have asked her out at some point. Maybe he should have given that a chance, to see if it would go anywhere. But it was too late for that now. The woman was spoken for. And if the guy who’d spoken for her was kind of an asshole, well, that wasn’t his problem.

  Daniel thought about all of that on the Monday after the party as he waited for Vince Jordan to show up at his house to start planning the renovations. The day was clear and warm, with the faintest bite of fall in the air. In a setting as beautiful as this, outside was usually better than inside, so he sat on his tiny deck in a patio chair and drank from a steaming mug of coffee while he waited. Maybe expand the deck, too, he thought as he sipped. Hell, might as well, while he was doing it. He could have barbecues out here, invite his friends.

  Maybe invite Lacy. Except that Lacy now came as a package deal with that Brandon guy, and that was a prospect too exhausting to think about.

  Vince Jordan came rolling up the dirt road that led to Daniel’s place a few minutes before ten a.m.—right on time. Vince’s truck, a Ford F-150 that looked like it had seen better days, came to a stop in what passed for the driveway, and Daniel waved at him.

  “Nice piece of land out here,” Vince said as he climbed out of the truck. He looked around at the tall golden grass on the rolling hills that surrounded the little house.

  “I like it,” Daniel replied amiably.

  “I’ll bet you do.” Vince squinted at the property. “Probably a fire hazard out here in the dry season, though, considering your line of work.”

  Daniel stood and carried his coffee mug out to where Vince stood by his truck. “What are you thinking?”

  “Once we do the expansion, we gotta get some fire-safe landscaping in a zone around the house.” Vince gestured with his arms to indicate the area surrounding the cottage and the studio.
“Gotta be drought-tolerant, obviously. Maybe some hardscape combined with some fire-resistant native plants.”

  “I can see that.” Daniel nodded. “Come on up to the house. I’ll get you some coffee and we’ll talk about it.”

  Vince chuckled. “I wouldn’t say no to coffee.”

  Daniel had thought they would get right down to business, but once Vince had his coffee—cream, no sugar—in front of him at the kitchen table, the discussion drifted toward Lacy and the engagement party.

  “Well, I suppose it went all right,” Vince said, rubbing at the back of his neck with one paddle-sized hand. “Sure made my wife happy. That woman lives for this kind of stuff. Five kids and she’s only managed to marry off one of them.” He shook his head mournfully. “I worry that she’s rushing Lacy into something she’s not ready for.”

  Daniel considered how to proceed. Part of him didn’t think that things like women’s engagement parties were a proper topic for discussion for manly men such as themselves. But another part of him wanted to know what was going on in Vince’s head. That part won.

  “What makes you think that?” he asked.

  Vince winced at him. “You met the guy.”

  “Well, yeah.” No elaboration was needed—they both knew what that meant. “He seems decent enough, though. I mean, it seems like he treats Lacy okay, he’s got a good job, he’s got plans …”

  “Now you sound like my wife,” Vince remarked. “Seems to me, a young woman like Lacy should be able to do better than a guy who has a solid job and treats her okay.”

  Daniel opened his mouth to make some kind of argument—for some reason, he felt like he should be defending Lacy’s decisions—but in the end, he couldn’t think of a valid position to take.

  “Yeah,” he said, finally.

  “But I don’t suppose Prince Charming’s going to come riding in on some damned white horse,” Vince concluded, looking glumly into his coffee.

  “You never know,” Daniel said.

  “Hmm. I guess you don’t.” Vince was looking at Daniel pointedly. Why the hell was he looking at him like that?