Tall Tales and Wedding Veils (24 page)

“Two days before their wedding?”

Regina’s jaw tightened resolutely. “We both just have a lot on our minds.”

“What’s on his mind?”

“Work. He’s so busy, you know. This is a bad time for him to be taking off, so he’s a little uptight.”

“He needs to forget work,” Heather said. “This is his
wedding.
”

Regina tried to hold it together, but a moment later, her face crumpled, and she couldn’t stop the tears.

“This isn’t the way it’s supposed to be,” Heather said gently.

“Right,” Regina said through her tears. “I suppose you think you’re an expert on marriage now that you’re married.”

“No, I don’t. Believe me, I don’t. I just think if you marry Jason . . .”

Regina sniffed, then turned to Heather. “What?”

“It’s just not the right thing to do.”

“It
is
the right thing to do! He’s perfect for me! Everybody says so. All the other girls are telling me how dreamy he is and what a catch he is and . . .”

“You need to stop hanging out with those girls.”

“They’re my friends.”

“They’re morons.”

Regina didn’t respond, which meant she probably didn’t completely disagree with that assessment.

“It’s not too late to call off the wedding,” Heather said.

Regina whipped around. “Call it off? I can’t do that!”

“Why not?”

“Are you kidding me? My mother would freak out!”

“But it’s not your mother’s life. It’s your life.”

“No,” she said, sitting up straight. “It’s going to be okay. We just had a little argument. That’s all. Once we’re married and things settle down, everything will be okay.”

She got up, went to the mirror, and repaired her makeup. Then she started for the door.

“Regina?”

She turned back.

“Will you just think about it? Please?”

“There’s no thinking to be done,” Regina said, sniffing a little, then taking a deep, shaky breath. “I’m marrying Jason, and that’s that.”

She turned and left the bathroom. A few minutes later, Heather headed back to the banquet room. The bridesmaids were chattering away, which really grated on her nerves. Regina was smiling, but it was fake. Not the fake smile she usually wore while trying to put people down, but the kind of fake smile that hid a wounded heart.

Aunt Bev was oblivious to all of it. Her face was filled with excitement and triumph. This was what she’d always wanted. Her beautiful daughter marrying a beautiful man so they could produce beautiful children and she’d have a purse full of photos to show the other ladies at the club.
I did it,
those photos would say.
I raised the perfect daughter. And here’s pictorial proof.

Regina had moved over to take Jason’s hand, smiling sweetly at the people he was talking to. Jason looked as if he’d rather be holding his BlackBerry.

Tony came up beside her. “You were in there a while. Everything okay?”

“I overheard Regina arguing with Jason, and then she went into the ladies’ room. When I went in there, I found her crying.”

“Oh, boy.”

“If she marries Jason, her life is going to be hell.”

“Did you tell her that?”

“More or less. She was horrified. She said she couldn’t back out of the wedding because her mother would be upset.”

“She’s afraid of her mother? That’s the only reason she’s not calling things off?”

“Yeah. She didn’t tell me she loved Jason and wanted to marry him. She said her mother would be upset if she cancelled the wedding. But she still insisted it was just a little tiff and things were going to be fine.”

“Maybe they will be.”

“Yeah. Maybe.”

“You’re sure worrying a lot about a cousin you don’t even like.”

“To tell you the truth, if I had Aunt Bev for a mother, I’d probably be just like Regina.” She sighed. “I know she’s been rotten to me, but in the end, she’s family, you know? I just don’t want to see her get hurt.”

Heather could only hope that sometime between now and this Sunday, Regina would finally see the light and call off the wedding. If she didn’t, she was going to be miserable for the rest of her life.

The next evening, Heather arrived at McMillan’s just as Tony was pouring a very inebriated customer into a cab. He gave the cabdriver an address along with twenty bucks, and the guy nodded and took off.

“What was all that about?” Heather asked as they walked back inside.

“The guy’s girlfriend dumped him this afternoon. Lisa didn’t know he’d already been drinking when he showed up, so she didn’t cut him off quite fast enough.”

“The challenges of running a bar.”

“Yeah. I’m just lucky the guy didn’t barf all over the place. The cabdriver might not be so lucky.”

“Yeah, I guess that would put a real damper on Friday happy hour, wouldn’t it?” They went inside and Heather’s eyes widened. “Wow. Good crowd.”

“I know,” Tony said with a smile. “Isn’t it great?”

“Twenty-four hours and counting. Are we going to be ready for the grand opening?”

“Everything’s under control. Chuck wants to talk to you about the buffet. And Lisa came up with a few specialty drinks I want you to try. But besides setting up the room tomorrow afternoon, I think we’re good to go.”

As Heather went to talk to Chuck, Tony thought about how much work she’d done to get them to this point. Not only had she designed and mailed the invitations, but she’d also run ads in the newspaper, arranged for the new sign, and had flyers distributed to the surrounding neighborhoods. She’d also spoken to two food and entertainment reporters she’d sent invitations to who said they were definitely going to be there. People Tony hadn’t heard from in ages had received their invitations and called to say they were coming. And tomorrow night, McMillan’s would officially become McCaffrey’s.

He couldn’t wait.

But the best thing Heather had done for him was to repeatedly tell him what a big success he was going to be. As big a dream as this was for him, a small part of him had always doubted that he’d be able to pull it off, but Heather had made him believe he could actually do it.

Kayla had taken a call earlier in the day saying that a party of twelve was coming in at seven, so he and Heather pulled tables together. At five till seven, they’d just gotten the silverware and menus on the table when Erika hurried up to them.

“Chuck has a problem in the kitchen,” she said. “I think you and Heather better get in there.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Just go look.”

They hurried into the kitchen. As soon as they walked through the door, Tony barely stopped in time to keep from traipsing through a sea of water on the floor, and more was creeping toward them.

So much for everything running smoothly.

“I hit the water shutoff valve,” Chuck said. “It was pouring out pretty good.”

“Okay. We need to get this mess cleaned up so we can get the food out. Chuck, grab a mop. Heather, can you get on the phone and call a plumber?”

“I’m on it,” she said, reaching for the wall phone.

Tony could see the mop wasn’t going to do the job fast enough, so he grabbed paper towels to help sop up the mess.

Erika came through the door. “Anything I can do?”

“The water’s going to be shut off for a while,” Tony told her. “That means the toilets will flush only once. If we don’t get this problem fixed quickly, I want you to stick out-of-order signs on the doors.”

“Okay. I’ll take care of it.”

“And be sure to tell Lisa why her water isn’t working at the bar. It won’t be long before she runs out of clean glasses. I’ll send somebody to the grocery store down the street to get some plastic ones if we need more.”

As Erika left the kitchen, Tony looked at the stack of plates beside the grill. “Chuck? Are there enough clean plates for this shift?”

“Should be.”

“I think we have plenty of silverware wrapped. Heather?”

She turned around, the phone pressed to her ear. “I’ve got a plumber on the line. He says he can be out in twenty minutes.”

“Okay.” Tony took a deep breath. “I think we’re under control.”

Kayla stuck her head back in the door. “That big party just showed up,” she said. “Can you and Heather come out here for a minute?”

“What?”

“They asked to speak to both of you.”

“What do they want?”

“They didn’t say.”

“You go,” Chuck said. “I’ll clean up the rest.”

Tony looked at Heather. She shrugged. Kayla pushed the door open, and they followed her out of the kitchen. The big table they’d set up was full of people. Bunches of balloons were tied to two of the chairs, and there was a pile of presents on a nearby table. And the moment they caught sight of Tony and Heather, they shouted in unison.

“Surprise!”

Cameras started flashing. People clapping. What the hell was going on?

Then Tony realized he recognized a couple of the people. Fred and Barbara. And there was Regina. And wasn’t that Bev? And about a gazillion other relatives of Heather’s?

“Oh, my God,” Heather said under her breath. “A surprise wedding shower?”

Chapter 22

H
eather couldn’t believe this. Tony had been freaked out over the idea of her parents bringing one gift to McMillan’s for them to open, and now they had a dozen?

Her mother fluttered over with a big smile and hugs for both of them.

“Mom?” Heather said. “What is all this?”

“All newlyweds need a wedding shower, right? And the rest of the family hadn’t seen McMillan’s, so I thought this was the perfect place to hold it. I called here a few days ago, and Kayla was so nice to help us surprise you!”

Tony looked at Kayla. “So I take it there’s no plumbing crisis?”

“Why, Tony,” she said with a smile. “You sound disappointed.”

Kayla didn’t know just how right she was. If it was between suffering through a wedding shower with her family and taking care of a plumbing crisis, Tony would pick the plumbing crisis every time.

“I’ll cancel the plumber,” Kayla said to Heather. “Which one did you call?”

“I wrote his name on a pad by the phone.”

Kayla waved her hands toward the table. “You and Tony sit down. We’ll finish cleaning up the kitchen.”

“This is Friday,” Tony said. “Things are going to be busy. If something comes up—”

“You made me your assistant manager,” Kayla said with a smile. “Let me do my job. I’ll make sure everything’s under control. You guys just sit here and have a good time.”

As Kayla walked away, Heather whispered to Tony, “I’m so,
so
sorry about this.”

“It’s okay,” he said, but Heather knew he was saying that only because they were trapped. It was all he
could
say.

They sat down in the balloon-decorated chairs, and Heather reintroduced him to her family members around the table. He’d met all of them that first afternoon at her parents’ house, but everything had been so chaotic that she knew their names had gone in one ear and out the other. Tony did a good job of smiling and being congenial, and she decided that tonight when they got home, she’d have to go out of her way to thank him for that.

Erika came up to take their order, and Barbara asked for four appetizers for everyone to share, telling Erika they’d order dinner in a little while. Erika nodded, then went from person to person, asking for their drink orders.

Drinks? Appetizers?
Then
dinner? Heather cringed. They intended to stay all night, which meant she and Tony had to stay with them. He wasn’t going to be happy about that.

“Regina’s here,” Tony whispered. “Where’s Jason?”

“Probably off somewhere being important,” Heather whispered back. “He tries his best not to show up to any family stuff.”

“Maybe she’ll get lucky and he’ll miss his own wedding.”

The rest of the family, though, was in a party mood, smiling, laughing, and tapping their fingers along with the music. Heather was used to her family, but seeing them through Tony’s eyes made her realize just how rowdy they could be.

“I really am sorry about this,” Heather whispered to him. “I had no idea.”

“I told you it’s okay. Really. I’m happy to get the business.”

After they had drinks and dinner, they opened their gifts, and Heather winced when she thought about how all of it would have to be returned in a few weeks. They got a blender from Aunt Sylvia and Uncle Burt, bath towels from Grandma Roberta, and a set of flatware from Heather’s cousin Cynthia. Uncle Bev and Aunt Gene gave them some sort of overly elegant candlesticks that would look just stunning on Tony’s mantel, beside the portrait of Grandma Frances. And Regina . . . good Lord. Did anybody really need a silver-plated candle snuffer?

Once all the gifts had been stacked aside, Erika brought out a big sheet cake that Kayla had picked up from Heather’s mother earlier in the day. As everyone was finishing off a piece, her father turned to Tony.

“Pool table’s open. How about a game?”

Tony paused, looking a little surprised. “Uh . . . yeah. Sure.”

As they got up from the table, Heather shot Tony yet one more subtle look of apology. He gave her a quick wink to let her know it was okay, but he wasn’t smiling. Putting up with her family was something he’d never expected to have to do. Then again, Tony liked to play pool, so what could one little game hurt?

Fred was one of those men who always seemed to be thinking far more than he was saying, so Tony felt a little wary as they walked to the pool table. He racked the balls, and each of them reached for a cue.

“Eight ball?” Tony said.

Fred nodded

“Your break.

Fred set the cue ball on the table and lined up his shot. “So. Tony. How’s it going?”

“Good. You?”

“Can’t complain.” Fred broke, smacking the seven ball into a side pocket, then surveyed the table for the next striped ball he could drop.
“
How’s business?”

“Coming along.”

“Gonna be a moneymaker?”

“Hope so.”

“Good. That’s good.”

Fred knocked the ten ball into the corner pocket, then the thirteen and the nine in quick succession. Tony wondered if he was going to play the rest of the game in silence.

Then all at once, he spoke again. “Heather surprised me that night, you know. Calling home at eleven at night, telling us she got married.”

Tony’s brain went on red alert. “Yeah. I imagine that was kind of a shock.”

“I asked myself, Now, why did my smart, levelheaded daughter go and do something like that? Then I thought about how Heather’s never made a decision in her life without thinking it through, so I had to trust that she knew what she was doing.”

“Yes. Heather does know her own mind, doesn’t she?”

Fred circled the table, looking for his next shot. “Yeah. She does. That’s why I didn’t spend too much time wondering about her motives.” He paused. “But I sure as hell wondered about yours.”

Tony felt a spark of anger. “What exactly did you wonder about, Fred?”

“Lots of things. Did you need a temporary wife for some reason? Did you need some help running this place? Did you con her out of money?”

“You think I’m
conning
Heather?”

“Didn’t say that. I only said the thought crossed my mind.” He pulled back his cue, then sank the eleven ball in a side pocket. “You’re a guy who’s clearly been around the block a time or two. Heather, not so much. Leaves me wondering what the story is.”

“I would never—”

Fred raised his palm. “I’m just telling you that in the beginning, I thought something was up. You would have, too, if you’d been me.”

Tony had to admit that was true. Who wouldn’t think something was weird when two people got married after knowing each other only a few hours?

“Barbara and I have been going around and around about this for the past couple of weeks. She tells me I’m being paranoid, that you’re a perfectly nice guy. But she hasn’t seen what I’ve seen. I was a cop for thirty years, so I know what people are capable of. That’s why I ran a background check on you.”

Tony couldn’t believe this. “A background check?”

“Yep. Your employment history is a little spotty, but your credit’s good. No outstanding warrants. Two speeding tickets, but they were over five years ago. You’re pretty clean.”

Hell, yes, I am, you son of a bitch.

“One thing I didn’t understand, though.”

He lined up his next shot. “You told us your father lives in Fort Lauderdale. He’s never lived in Fort Lauderdale. He does, however, live in Plano.”

Tony paused. “That’s right.”

“You got any reason to lie about that, Tony?”

“My family is no concern of yours.”

“Your father appears to be respectable enough, so you’re not lying to cover up a shady past. I’m guessing it’s something between the two of you.”

“That’s none of your business.”

Fred nodded. “Fair enough. As long as it doesn’t affect Heather, I don’t give a damn.” He smacked the cue ball, sending it hard into the twelve ball, which dropped into the corner pocket. “In the end, I couldn’t come up with a solid reason to be suspicious, and since Heather seems to be happy, I decided to give you the benefit of the doubt.” Fred leaned over for his final shot—one a five-year-old kid could make. He knocked in the eight ball, then rose and leaned on his cue, fixing his gaze on Tony’s. “But I’m giving you fair warning. If I ever find out that you’ve done anything to hurt my daughter, you’re going to be answering to me. Do you understand?”

Tony couldn’t believe this. “I’d never do
anything
to hurt Heather,” he said hotly.

“Then there’s no problem, is there? You and I are going to get along just fine.”

But judging from the skepticism on Fred’s face, he clearly didn’t hold out a whole lot of hope for that. He eased away from the pool table, returned his cue to the rack, and sat back down at the table with the rest of the family.

Benefit of the doubt, my ass.

Barely keeping his anger in check, Tony walked back to the table, reaching it about the time everybody started checking their watches and standing up to leave. He kept his expression as pleasant as he could, enduring all of Heather’s huggy relatives, all the while feeling Fred’s gaze boring into him.

He and Heather waved good-bye to everyone, and the moment the door closed behind them, he turned and walked into his office. A few moments later, Heather appeared at the door.

“Okay,” she said. “What did my father say to you?”

Damn.
Did she have to be so
observant?
“Nothing. We played pool.”

“I hope you don’t ever try your hand at cards. You have a lousy poker face.”

He bowed his head with a sigh of irritation. He didn’t want to deal with this. He just didn’t.

“Look, Tony. I know my father can sound very gruff, and it might seem as if he doesn’t like you, but—”

Tony snapped his head around. “
Seem
as if he doesn’t like me?”

“I don’t know what he said, but whatever it is, I think you’re reading too much into it.”

“Okay, Heather,” Tony said. “He told me that if I do anything to hurt you, I’m going to be answering to him. How many different ways are there to read that?”

Heather’s mouth dropped open. “He threatened you?”

“I spent my whole life being browbeaten by my father. I don’t need to be browbeaten by yours.”

“My father was a cop. He’s just suspicious, you know? He’ll get over it.”

“I won’t be around long enough for him to get over it.”

Heather nodded with resignation. “You’re ready for those annulment papers, aren’t you?”

“What?”

“Marriage isn’t your thing, and this is getting to be a little too much like a real one.”

She was right.

All at once, Tony felt smothered. As if he couldn’t breathe. All he wanted was to go back to the way his life was before—mindless and feel-good, with nobody making demands of him and nobody threatening him if he didn’t behave the way they thought he should.

He just wanted his old life back.

He put his elbows on his desk and rubbed his temples, then let out a heavy sigh. “Just go home, okay? I can handle things here.”

“I know you can. You proved that tonight.”

“What?”

“I meant to tell you earlier. You did a good job managing that crisis.”

“The water leak? Come on, Heather. That wasn’t really a crisis.”

“Yeah, but you didn’t know that. You did all the right things.” She gave him a small, bittersweet smile. “After the grand opening tomorrow night, you’ll be ready to handle everything by yourself. And that means you’re not going to need me anymore.”

With that, she turned around and left his office, closing the door behind her.

Tony sat there in silence, telling himself it was a good thing. He was more self-sufficient now. Things weren’t going to fall apart. But he just couldn’t imagine what it was going to be like when she was gone.

He muddled through the rest of the evening, trying to forget about the mess he’d created when he’d hatched this crazy plan with Heather. But later, in the quiet of his car on the way home, Fred’s words were still bouncing around inside his head. And when Tony came through his apartment door, the first thing he saw was the stack of gifts beside the fireplace.

Damn.
What a mess.

He glanced over the fireplace at Granny Franny, who would be leaving when Heather did. Oddly enough, he was actually going to miss that ugly portrait. Then he thought about Heather in the other room, and he realized that McMillan’s wasn’t the only place he needed to stop depending on her.

Things had just gotten too complicated, particularly after what had happened tonight. It was time to begin the process of mentally pulling back. That way, by the time those annulment papers came, he could shake her hand, kiss her good-bye, and get on with the life he’d been living before without so much as a twinge of regret.

Heather lay awake in Tony’s bedroom, wishing her father hadn’t said what he had, because everything changed after that. She knew why he’d done it, but she also knew that Tony didn’t deserve a word of it. He’d never been anything but good to her, and it upset her to have her father think badly of him. But Tony was right. He wouldn’t be around long enough for her father to see just how wrong he was.