Handle With Care (Special Delivery Book 3)

by J. A. Armstrong

  “Probably a little,” Tess agreed. “But, call me traditional. I want to see her with fresh eyes tomorrow.”

  “I thought you liked me?” Rachel commented.

  “What?”

  “Do you have any idea what a wreck she is going to be?”

  “She’ll survive,” Tess replied.

  “Yeah, but will I?” Rachel asked.

  Tess laughed. She sucked in one last nervous breath when the saleswoman made her way back to the counter. “I hope she likes it. It costs more than my first car.”

  Rachel put her hand on Tess’s shoulder and squeezed gently. “I told you, she’s going to love it.”

  ***

  “You almost ready?” Brooke popped her head into the bedroom.

  “For dinner with my mother? I’m not sure anyone is ever ready for that,” Tess joked.

  “The kids are all set. Actually, they seem a little hyper.”

  “Can’t imagine why,” Tess laughed. She zipped up a small bag on the bed and turned to face Brooke.

  “You’re serious about staying at the hotel?” Brooke asked.

  Tess smiled at the look of bewilderment and pleading on Brooke’s face. “It’s only one night.”

  “Yeah, but it’s a big night. How am I going to sleep without you?”

  “Have a glass of wine. Look at it this way, the kids won’t be here and you just said yourself they are a little off the wall.” Tess offered. Brooke groaned. “What?” Tess asked.

  “Actually,” Brooke began. “Dani sort of asked if she could stay here tonight,” she told Tess sheepishly. Tess was genuinely surprised. The kids had seemed excited about a hotel adventure.

  “And, Davey?”

  “He wants to go with you. I think he’s afraid that I will put him to work,” Brooke chuckled. “Plus, the hotel has an indoor pool.”

  “Are you okay with that?” Tess asked.

  “I don’t care if he goes swimming if you don’t.”

  Tess laughed. “I meant, are you all right with Dani staying here with you tonight? Don’t you want time with your dad? That’s why Rachel decided to stay home.”

  “Yeah, of course, it’s okay. Why wouldn’t I be okay with Dani staying home?”

  Tess smiled, walked across the room, took Brooke’s face in her hands and kissed her leisurely.

  “Where did that come from?” Brooke asked breathlessly.

  “I must not be doing that enough if you are asking that question,” Tess countered.

  “I wouldn’t say that, but feel free to do it any time you like,” Brooke replied.

  “Help me bring my things down to the car?”

  Brooke nodded. “I wish you would stay.”

  “Brooke, I know you think it’s silly. I just sort of always imagined it like this. You know? I want to miss you tonight and see you tomorrow. That’s just the way I always thought it would be.”

  “I know,” Brooke confessed. “I’m just nervous.”

  “About getting married?”

  “No, about doing it in front of other people.”

  “Brooke, you have performed surgery in a theater.”

  “Different.”

  “I know it is,” Tess said. She kissed Brooke sweetly.

  “What if I screw up my vows? You really want to say our own vows? Really?”

  “Brooke, did you plan this surprise wedding so that you could get out of writing your vows?” Tess asked teasingly.

  “What? No!”

  “I’m kidding, love,” Tess calmed Brooke. Brooke’s nervous energy currently rivaled the excitement in the twins. “You need to stop worrying.”

  “Tess, I know how to do a lot of things. Words have never been my thing. You should have seen my verbal score on the SAT.”

  Tess laughed. “Just say what you feel, Brooke.” Brooke sighed heavily. “Brooke, if this is going to make you this nervous, we will just have Grace read the traditional vows. Okay?”

  Brooke shook her head. “No, it isn’t okay. That’s not what you want.”

  “This wedding isn’t all about me. It’s your wedding too—unless I am missing something.”

  “No. I mean, no you aren’t missing anything. I just don’t want to…”

  “Brooke,” Tess tapped lightly on Brooke’s temple with her finger. “Stop overthinking everything.” Brooke nodded. “It will be perfect,” Tess promised.

  “How can you be so sure?”

  Tess grabbed her bag. “Because you’ll be there,” she said with a wink.

  ***

  Tess sat quietly between her younger brother and Brooke. Brooke’s parents had planned a beautiful dinner at one of Tess and Brooke’s favorite restaurants. Tess smiled thinking that Rebecca Campbell might be canonized one day. Brooke’s mother was a bit of a miracle worker in Tess’s mind. So far, Tess’s mother had been on her best behavior. Tess prayed that she would remain on track for the remainder of the weekend. Their dinners had just been brought out. There was still all day tomorrow, and Brooke had apparently planned a late lunch for everyone on Monday after Brooke and Tess finished at Town Hall. That gave Mary Sinclair three days to manage her tongue. Tess let out a small sigh.

  “You okay?” Gary leaned into his sister. Tess’s strained smiled made Gary chuckle. “Second thoughts?”

  “About Brooke? Never,” Tess said. “That Mom can be on her best behavior all weekend? Yes.”

  “Don’t worry,” Gary tried to reassure his sister. “I think Dad might have either bribed or threatened her—maybe both.” Tess chuckled.

  As if on cue, Mary Sinclair stood and approached her children from the far end of the table. Tess readied herself. Be polite, Tess. Don’t let her get under your skin. Deep breaths. Mary smiled at Brooke and moved behind her son and daughter.

  “Hi, Mom,” Tess said.

  “Tess, you must be excited,” Mary said.

  “And maybe a little nervous,” Tess confessed.

  “That’s normal,” Mary said. “You know, your father would never tell you this.”

  “What’s that?” Tess asked.

  “He’s always dreamed of walking you down the aisle.”

  Tess sighed. Here we go. She had spoken to her father at length earlier in the day on the phone. He had assured Tess that he both understood why she and Brooke had opted to have the twins walk with them, and he thought it was a perfect idea. “Mom, Dad understands. The kids…They want to be a part of everything.”

  Brooke pretended to pay attention to the story Davey was telling, but her ears were acutely focused on Tess’s conversation with her mother. My father isn’t walking me either. What the hell?

  “Mom, please. This was not an easy decision. Okay? I always thought Dad would walk me too. The kids need this, okay? Please.”

  “He only has one daughter,” Mary quipped.

  Brooke could feel her anger beginning to simmer. She didn’t need to see Tess’s face to know that Tess was upset by the conversation. She tried to steady her breathing and calm her anger. Tess’s father glanced over at his wife and daughter, and then caught the expression on Brooke’s face. He turned to Brooke’s father and politely excused himself from their conversation. Before Brooke could get Tess’s attention, Chris Sinclair was standing behind her chair, taking hold of his wife’s arm.

  “Come sit down,” he said firmly but gently.

  “Chris, I was just talking to Tess…”

  Tess jumped in. “Dad? Are you upset about Davey walking with me?” she asked.

  Tess’s father smiled broadly. “No, sweetheart. I told you, I think it’s a terrific idea. And, the kids seem excited about it.” Tess saw her mother bristle, and she noted the slight glimmer of disappointment in her father’s eyes, that he attempted to disguise in his voice. Shit. Why can’t anything just be easy? “Dad…”

  “It’s okay, Tess. I’m just happy for you—all of you,” he said sincerely.

  Brooke smiled. Classy, Chris. That must be where she gets it from. Brooke liked Tess’s father
a great deal. Tess resembled him in many ways. He had a gentle way about him that Brooke admired. Brooke’s father had always been good to her, but he was far less demonstrative than Tess’s father. Brooke had to admit she envied Tess a bit for that. Brooke also understood that Tess’s father carried his share of guilt where Tess was concerned. He had confessed that to Brooke the first time they had met. He had been less than supportive of Tess’s decision to follow through with her unexpected pregnancy and drop out of school. That had hurt Tess deeply, and Brooke was certain that Chris Sinclair desperately wished he could take that time back and do it over. He would do anything he could to ensure Tess’s happiness. Brooke made a decision. She took a deep breath and made her way across the table to where Dani and Davey were seated by Brooke’s parents.

  “Can I talk to you two for a second?” she asked. Dani nodded. Davey shrugged. Brooke led the pair a few paces away into another, smaller room in the restaurant. “Davey, I want to ask you something. You can say no, okay? I need you to know that this is your decision,” Brooke said. Davey nodded his understanding. “How would you feel if both you and Grandpa walked with Mom tomorrow?” Brooke asked. She watched as Davey considered the question. “I think it would mean a lot to both of them, but only if you are okay with it.”

  “Okay.”

  “You sure?” Brooke asked.

  “Yeah, sure. I love Grandpa. Hey! Maybe Grammy can walk with you and Dani. That’d be so cool!” Davey said. Dani nodded her agreement.

  Brooke knew that the twins loved her mother. She sighed. “I don’t know if that is such a good idea. I mean, I wouldn’t want my dad to feel left out.”

  “Grandma doesn’t get to walk with anyone either,” Dani pointed out.

  Brooke sighed. That is very true, Dani. That would be nice. Would Mom even want to do that? “I’m not sure Grammy would want to do that.”

  “We can ask her,” Davey said.

  Brooke chuckled. “I guess we could,” she agreed. “What do you say that we go tell Mom and Grandpa your idea?”

  “It was your idea,” Dani pointed out.

  “Well, maybe we can sort of let you tell them, huh?” Brooke winked.

  “Ahhh….I get it. This is one of those little white lie things to make someone feel better,” Dani said.

  Brooke laughed. “Something like that.”

  “Okay,” Dani agreed. She and Davey both shrugged again and started back for the table.

  “You coming?” Davey asked Brooke.

  Brooke kept chuckling. “Right behind you.”

  The twins reached their mother just as their grandparents were about to head back to their seats at the table. “Mom?”

  Tess looked past her mother to find her daughter trying to get her attention. “What’s up, Dani?”

  “We were talking to Brooke,” Dani started to explain.

  “Uh-huh,” Tess said.

  Davey looked at his mother and then at his grandfather. He let out a sigh of exasperation. Why don’t parents ever get things? “Your dad usually walks you down the aisle, right?” he asked his mother.

  “Well, I guess so. Not always,” Tess said.

  “Yeah. Like who’s gonna walk me when I get married? You or Brooke?” Dani asked her mother as the question popped into her head.

  Tess bit her cheek to keep from laughing. The things that pop into their heads. “I don’t know, sweetie. I guess that will depend on what you decide.”

  “Yeah. Anyway….Why can’t Grandpa just walk with us too?” Davey suggested.

  Tess cocked her head in surprise. “I thought that you…”

  Davey shrugged. “Why can’t you have your kid and your dad?”

  “Well, no reason except that I thought you wanted the honor yourself,” Tess said. Davey shrugged again. I wonder if this is the shrugging age. “Are you sure?” Tess asked cautiously.

  “Yeah, sure,” Davey told her.

  “Dad?” Tess looked up at her father.

  Chris Sinclair’s eyes were misty. “I’d be honored.”

  Tess smiled at her father and then looked at her children. She pulled them to her and hugged them tightly. “Thank you. That was a very special thing you just did.”

  “No sweat, Mom,” Davey brushed off his mother’s affection.

  “Yeah, no big. Brooke’s gonna ask Grammy to walk with me and her,” Dani said with a smile.

  Tess laughed. Dani’s attitude was a far cry from what it had been earlier that morning. That morning, Dani had been a little girl who wanted her parents’ attention. Now, she teetered on the edge of an aloof teen. Nine going on four, going on fourteen. Tess watched Dani skip alongside her brother back toward their seats. She leaned over and whispered in Brooke’s ear. “You really are something,” she said as she placed a kiss on Brooke’s cheek.

  “I didn’t do anything,” Brooke feigned innocence.

  “Uh-huh.”

  Brooke smiled, but Tess could see the strain in her expression.

  “What is it?” Tess asked.

  “Dani thinks I should ask my mom to walk with Davey and me.”

  “I know,” Tess said. “Why don’t you?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “You want to. I can tell.”

  “What about my dad?” Brooke asked.

  Tess sighed. “Brooke? If you want your mom to walk with you, ask her. It’s your day too.”

  ***

  Tess noticed Brooke’s fidgeting as dinner drew to a close. She grabbed hold of Brooke’s hand under the table and squeezed it in reassurance. She could feel the trembling in Brooke’s hand and gently began to massage Brooke’s palm with her fingers. Brooke let out a small sigh, but Tess could feel Brooke’s leg still quivering nervously. She squeezed Brooke’s hand more tightly.

  “Would you excuse us for just a minute?” Tess asked the table politely. “Just need to clarify a couple of things for the morning,” she explained. Tess raised a brow at Brooke. “We’ll be back in a couple of minutes.”

  Brooke smiled at their friends and family, accepted Tess’s hands and dutifully followed her out of the large room they were in.

  “What’s that all about?” Mary Sinclair asked.

  Brooke’s mother laughed. “Oh, if I’m not mistaken that would be your daughter trying to calm my daughter down a bit.”

  “Why? Is something wrong?” Brooke’s father asked.

  Rebecca shook her head. “Nothing Tess can’t handle,” she chuckled.

  ***

  Tess led Brooke outside through the door toward the parking lot.

  “Where are we going?” Brooke wondered aloud.

  Tess didn’t answer, tugging slightly on Brooke’s hand until they reached Brooke’s SUV. Tess unlocked the car and directed Brooke to get inside.

  “What do you want—to make out in the car?” Brooke snickered.

  Tess climbed in the passenger seat, closed her door, and finally turned to Brooke. She leaned in and brought their lips together.

  “So, you do want to make out in the car.”

  Tess shook her head. “I wanted to get you away for a minute. You were shaking in there. What’s going on?”

  Brooke looked down. “I don’t want you to go with my mom.”

  Tess sighed. “Brooke…”

  “I’m serious, Tess. How am I going to sleep?”

  “If it makes you feel any better, I doubt I will sleep much either.”

  “Really?”

  “Really.”

  “Why not?” Brooke wondered.

  “Same reasons as you, I would expect.”

  “Then come home,” Brooke pleaded. Tess smiled. “Well, at least, you will be there at noon.”

  “Actually, Grace is coming to the hotel at ten. So, I will see you at one.”

  “One? Tess, that’s when the ceremony starts.”

  “Yes, I know,” Tess replied. Brooke huffed and unconsciously began tapping her foot. Tess reached over and put her hand on Brooke’s leg.

  “I know, yo
u think I am ridiculous,” Brooke said.

  “No. I know you,” Tess said. “How about if I promise to call you once I get Davey settled down?” Tess suggested. Brooke nodded. “You’re worried about your dad staying the night at the house, aren’t you?” Tess guessed.

  “I just, I haven’t spent much time with him. I just…Tess…He’s not like my mom. If there isn’t something to do…Well, I never know what to say.”

  Tess had suspected that what was driving Brooke’s uneasiness was the fact that her father would be spending the night at their house while Tess and Davey moved into Rebecca’s hotel suite for the evening. Brooke had only visited her father once since she and Tess had met. When Brooke had arrived back home, she had been quiet for days. Finally, Tess had asked what was bothering her.

  “You know, he thinks you are like a saint or something,” Brooke said.

  “Me? He hasn’t even met me.”

  “Yeah, but he’s talked to you and he knows it’s you who sent that birthday card and the Christmas box. I’ve never been great with that stuff,” Brooke confessed. “Neither has he. It’s just one of those things.”

  “Brooke, what happened?”

  Brooke groaned. “Nothing, really. Like always. Nothing. I mean, when he was practicing we had things to talk about—his work mostly, but it gave us something to talk about, you know?” Brooke explained. Tess listened. “Thing is, I’m not really sure he ever thought about my life all that much—if you know what I mean,” Brooke continued. Tess’s forehead wrinkled in confusion. Brooke sighed. “I mean the fact that I am gay, Tess.”

  “I’m not sure I follow. You’ve been out since college.”

  “Yeah, but I’ve never been involved,” Brooke said. It was Tess’s turn to sigh. Brooke shook her head. “And, I think it’s sort of hitting him, you know?”

  “You think he disapproves of us?”

  “Not of you, no.”

  “Brooke, if he disapproves of our relationship, then he disapproves of me.”

  “No,” Brooke shook her head again. “He can’t wait to meet you. I know he means that. I just think that the idea that we are together freaks him out a little.”

  Tess nodded. “Give him time.”

  “Yeah. Well, he has had years to accept me as I am, and he never has.”