Desire and a Bottle of Merlot: (Like Sisters Series Book 5) Chick Lit: A Romantic Comedy (18 page)

“I’ll find out tomorrow.”

Mia and Sasha sat together on the new deck Friday morning, giggling like schoolgirls. “Can you believe in two weeks we’ll both be old married hags? I’m so friggin’ excited,” Sasha said.

Martha Destiny had done a fine job decorating the three-tiered deck, and now it was complete. At the bottom, closer to the beautiful oak trees, was the gazebo. Next year there would be a brick meandering sidewalk leading to a koi pond and more flower beds. For now, the deck and gazebo alone were marvelous.

“I love this patio furniture, Sasha. It’s so colorful and cheerful, like you. How did your doctor’s appointment go yesterday?”

“Doctor Adams said we’re doing fine, but I’m gaining too much weight. I need to lay off the donuts, but it’s hard with company and all. Donuts make an easy, no-brainer breakfast.”

“How does your dress fit? Is it still okay?” Mia pulled the plate of brownies away from Sasha and pushed her cup of decaf closer.

“Luckily, in two weeks I won’t have to worry about it anymore. I tried it on yesterday, and it was fine. Do you think I’ll look all right with flat shoes for the wedding? My feet are starting to swell.”

“Honey, you’re going to be the most beautiful bride in the world. Nobody will be looking at your feet anyway. All they’ll see is the radiance on your face. With your hair black again now, the contrast with the ivory dress and peach roses will be stunning.”

Sasha sipped her cup of decaf as they went over last-minute details on the legal pad. Almost everything was checked off. Tomorrow, Mia’s parents would arrive for an extended stay. She was sure they would get along wonderfully with Sasha’s parents. If they left early enough, they could make a day of it in Beacon on Sunday. Mia’s parents loved Tarrytown and hadn’t been back since Mia married Jack. Strolling the streets of Beacon would be a perfect way for them to get acquainted with Sasha’s mom and dad and to get reacquainted with Aaron. They hadn’t seen him since they lived in Tarrytown. Tom James, Mia’s dad, had made a full recovery from the stroke he’d had the year before with no permanent damage of any kind. Mia felt blessed her parents were coming home and that her dad would be able to walk her down the aisle to the wedding garden.

A nine o’clock appointment in White Plains was scheduled that morning for the guys to have their tuxes fitted for the last time. The tuxes would be pressed, the shoes would be polished, and the guys would pick them up the day before the wedding.

Tom and Ann’s flight was scheduled to arrive at LaGuardia at three in the afternoon. Excitement and guilt flowed through Mia’s veins. She hadn’t seen her parents since Tom’s surgery last summer. Mia had told her mom back then, during a phone call, that she was divorcing Jack. At the time, it was Mia’s only option. A lot had changed in less than a year, and she hoped there wouldn’t be any judgment on her parents’ part for her marrying again this soon. Mia planned to have a private conversation with her family at some point and explain everything in better detail, face-to-face. She would wait for Matt’s arrival and have the talk then. She didn’t feel the phone conversations she’d had over the last ten months with her family explained enough, and they deserved more from her.

“Have you seen Tina yet?” Vic asked when she called Mia’s phone at ten thirty. She had a small window of opportunity between the appointment she’d just finished and Josie Lane’s highlights in fifteen minutes.

“No, why? What’s going on? Sasha and I are sitting on her beautiful, to-die-for deck, going over last-minute details.”

“Have lunch with us. You’ve got to check out her new look.”

“Shit… what did she do now, and is it going to embarrass everyone at the wedding?”

“Nah… I don’t think so, but it is different. Meet us at Bottoms Up at noon.”

“Hang on… Sasha, Vic wants us to meet her and Tina at noon for lunch. What about your mom?”

“Can someone do something with her hair today? She still needs a trim before the wedding.”

“Does anyone have time to trim Alina’s hair?” Mia asked.

“Sure, I’ll fit her in after lunch. See you at noon.”

Tina wore an ace bandage around her ankle when she and Vic arrived at Bottoms Up. Mia, Sasha, and Alina were sitting outside, enjoying the sunshine, when Tina limped over with Vic.

“What in the name of shit did you do to yourself? Holy crap, Tina—did someone drug you at the expo? Your hair, your wrists, and now you’re limping, too? What the hell?”

“Awesome… and hi to you, too.”

“Well, seriously, what brought this on, and why
are
you limping?”

Sasha sat to the side, giggling, while she and her mom watched Tina and Mia duke it out verbally. Sasha didn’t care how Tina looked. She was too busy enjoying her own personal high-on-life mood.

“I felt like reinventing myself and actually doing something kind of hip and out-there. You know, Tarrytown isn’t New York City, but somebody has to represent.”

“So, that’s the story you’re going with?” Mia laughed and rolled her eyes. “Okay, I like it—you just shocked me. If anyone is going to uproot twenty years of being straight-laced and predictable, I’m glad it was you. You go, girl. So, what’s with the foot?”

“I fell off my shoe Wednesday afternoon. I twisted my ankle in the friggin’ rain, but it’s better now. It’s just black-and-blue and a little sore—nothing I can’t live with.”

“So, what do you call that hair color?” Alina asked.

“This is a reverse golden sombré, but there are all kinds of sombrés. They aren’t quite as extreme as an ombré—the color is a little softer. I learned a lot about them at the expo.”

“I think I want one, too,” Alina said. “It’s so unusual and pretty.”

“Well, screw it… I’ll do it, too, if Alina does,” Mia said, “except I don’t want the reverse, just the regular sombré.”

“Seriously?” Tina said. “You guys are killing me right now. Cool, let’s do it after lunch. I have the afternoon open. This wedding fiasco is getting better all the time. Oh yeah—as long as I have both of you here together, I have a request.”

Sasha and Mia gaped at each other, wondering what Tina could possibly be about to say. “Okay, we’ll bite. What’s up?”

“Can Dan be my date at the wedding? I’d like to invite him, but I thought I should ask permission first.”

“He’s already invited,” Sasha said, “but I think you should re-invite him so it seems personal from you. So, the answer is, of course you can. Let’s order lunch now. My kids and I are starving.”

With five continuous days of bright, glorious sunshine, the wedding garden dried out, and the work was back on track. Dan, Bill, and Jeff installed the pergola and set up the arbors leading to it. Other than the red, reclaimed bricks, everything in the garden had been painted a beautiful antique white. Sasha and her mom had strung the fast-growing grape ivy through the arbors and around the lower part of the pergola. Before summer’s end, the grape ivy would creep over the top and shade the entire ceremony platform, giving it a cooling effect and privacy. Sasha pictured the setting in her mind, knowing it would turn out exactly as she envisioned it: absolutely beautiful.

The group of friends took three cars and went to Beacon on Sunday to spend the entire day together. Mia’s parents had arrived Saturday afternoon, and Vic and Tina were both anxious to see them again. There were a lot of new faces to introduce them to and familiar faces to get reacquainted with. Window-shopping and browsing through the antique stores reminded Sasha of the time she’d invited Josh to go with her to pick out furniture for the Victorian. Life had changed drastically since then, and now, in less than two weeks, she would marry that very man. Josh put his arm around her as they walked.

Vic thought back to the day they all went to Beacon after visiting Max in the hospital. A frown crossed her face at those memories. Back then, she hadn’t been sure if Max would be okay or if their relationship would endure, but it had. She squeezed his hand a little tighter as they strolled. They all agreed on Berlotto’s Trattoria for a late lunch and good conversation, returning to Tarrytown at sunset.

Tina jammed her cell deep into her sweatshirt pocket and zipped it closed. Early June occasionally had days that dipped into the low sixties even with plenty of sun.
How did I get this bag of potting soil into the garage in the first place?
She stood with her hands on her hips, sizing up the gigantic fifty-pound bag of dirt she needed to haul outside by the planter boxes.
Oh yeah—those old skateboards!
Tina smiled, realizing her own inventive nature. The grunting sound coming from deep within her gut reminded her of Dan’s comment about how men grunt.
I guess girls grunt, too, if the situation calls for it
. She tugged on the bag, finally getting it to lie across the skateboards. Leaning over, she guided the skateboards from the garage and along the sidewalk to the area she was working at. “There!” Pleased with herself, she began filling the planters with new potting soil and bright-pink petunias. The ringing of her phone took her away from the daydream she was just beginning. She answered, already wearing a smile.

“Hi, Tina, it’s Dan. You know, I just realized today is Tuesday, and if you don’t have any plans, I’d love to take you somewhere downtown for lunch. I need to get acquainted with Tarrytown and all of the business owners, and who better to make the introductions than you? You never know when some of these folks might need my expertise.”

“So, let me get this straight: you want to meet potential customers, or have the honor of buying me lunch?”

“Would it be rude to say both?”

“Nope, honesty is the best policy as far as I’m concerned. Yes, you may buy me lunch, and I’ll also introduce you to some business owners downtown. How about Morey’s?”

“That sounds great. I’ll pick you up at noon.”

Tina was pretty happy ever since returning from the expo. She loved her newfound freedom of expression, and she couldn’t be more pleased to have Dan in her life. They were new together and had only gone out once, but everything seemed to be heading in the right direction, slowly, and that was fine with her. Tina liked the idea of getting to know Dan gradually, and he didn’t seem to mind. She was pretty certain that after the wedding, and once he moved to Tarrytown, he would fit nicely into their tight-knit group of best friends. She didn’t mind being the fifth wheel anymore—she was confident that situation wouldn’t last much longer. Tina felt different these days—content, less sarcastic, and letting go of the anger she’d held toward men for ten years. A weight had been lifted, and her happiness soared. She laughed at the thought of Friday when Mia and Alina had both had their hair dyed in the sombré style. That was their way of showing they accepted Tina’s changes and proving their solidarity with her.
What a bunch of knuckleheads I have for best friends. I’m so blessed. I love all of them more than I ever realized.

On the last available weekend before the big day, Sasha asked for everyone’s help in sprucing up the Victorian and grounds. Dan even came by to lend a hand and walk around the property, making sure all his work looked good. Slowly and methodically, he checked every post, rail, and board again. Pulling on one and pushing on the other, he carefully assessed the deck to see if everything was secure and in place. Carrying a notepad in hand and a pencil above his left ear, he jotted down anything that could use a little twist with a screwdriver or one more hit with a hammer. Rakes and shovels were scattered about as the guys cleaned up the yard, turning it into a pristine paradise with their hard work. Gerard, Tom, and Josh inspected the vineyard, walking slowly through each row, looking for storm damage and checking the growth progress. The grape stock was taking hold, and the leaves looked strong and healthy. Josh wanted to learn everything he could from Gerard before he and Alina returned to France.

The door knocker banged three times. Mia answered, being much faster at running down the stairs these days than Sasha was. The rest of the women were still gathered upstairs, their arms flitting ferociously as they cleaned, changed sheets, opened stuck, winter windows and aired out the house while clucking like a brood of hens. A delivery guy, wearing a matching brown shirt and shorts, stood there, clipboard in hand. He told Mia there was an insured delivery for Martha Destiny, and he needed a signature.

“Sasha, you have to come downstairs and sign for this delivery,” Mia yelled, “and bring your license to prove you’re Martha Destiny.” Mia picked at her cuticles, feeling conspicuous, while the driver waited. “She’s pregnant with twins so she’s slow… sorry.”

“That’s quite all right, ma’am. I’ll unload the crate while I wait.” The driver turned and headed down the sidewalk to the van. He flipped the lever that opened the large double back doors, and he raised the ramp. He loaded a large wooden crate onto the hand truck and lowered it down the ramp. Sasha stood on the porch with Mia, waiting with her license in her hand. He returned for her signature and left the crate standing in the middle of the sidewalk.

“What’s with the crate?” the ladies asked after they made their way down the staircase and gathered side by side on the porch. They planted their hands on their hips as each of them stared at the crate, waiting for something to happen.

“Well, it doesn’t look like anyone is going to jump out of it,” Karen said. “I guess we should find a man to open it.”

“Yeah, there’s got to be at least one man in that group milling around the yard, right?” Tina joked. She pulled out her phone and called Dan. “Hi, Dan, can you round up the manflesh and come to the front of the house? There’s a huge crate here that needs opening.”

Within minutes, five hunky guys, Mia’s dad, Tom, and Gerard, Sasha’s father and French movie star, rounded the corner of the Victorian, carrying claw hammers and a crowbar.

“Damn… hot guys carrying tools. What more could any woman ask for?” Vic chuckled and licked her lips.

“What the heck?” Josh stared at the enormous crate. It was at least five feet by six feet in size. “You didn’t order this?” He looked at Sasha. She shrugged and wore a bewildered expression.