“That’s right.” He put his arm around Haley. “Actually, one of the owners. Haley’s late father, Marc Simmons, was my partner and the craftsman who took my ideas from blueprint to reality.”
“Sometime tonight or tomorrow I’d like to discuss a potential project with you.” Luke lowered his voice to barely more than a whisper. “It’s something big that I haven’t told Sabrina about yet.”
Overhearing, the bride turned to Luke. “What haven’t you told me?”
“I’ll tell you later.” He wiggled his eyebrows. “When we’re alone.”
“Great.” Justin nodded. “Just corner me anytime you’re free to talk.”
“Do you believe this house?” Sam whispered as Justin followed her and Nick out of the Tudor mansion’s ballroom to the huge foyer. “I wonder how many bedrooms it has. And bathrooms.”
Nick snorted. “Certainly more than you want to clean.”
“Well, I could hire a maid. Now that my Worry Pals have taken off, we can certainly afford more than just a weekly cleaning service.”
A year ago, Nick had negotiated a lucrative deal with a toy company to buy Sam’s design for the newest craze in stuffed animals. With a kids’ cartoon already in production and subsidiary merchandizing contracts rolling in daily, they would soon be rolling in money.
“Are you saying you’d like to move someplace bigger?” Nick asked, taking her silk shawl from her and wrapping it around her shoulders.
She smiled back at her husband. “Of course not, sweetheart. I love our house. I’m just saying we don’t have to worry about how many toilets I have to scrub.”
Their family followed the butler’s directions and headed down a wide hallway to the back of the mansion. They exited through French doors into an enormous heated greenhouse that enclosed a large freeform pool. Complete with a waterfall and surrounded by exotic shrubs and flowering plants, the sparkling pool offered BJ Elliot a four-season tropical oasis.
“Wow!” both Haley and Dani simultaneously exclaimed.
“Wow is right,” Justin said. There were so many flowers he couldn’t even smell chlorine.
They followed the line of guests through the glass enclosure’s rear door. A wide red carpet crossed about fifteen yards of packed snow to an enormous heated tent that could have held a three-ring circus—complete with trapeze artists. A line of patio heaters on both sides of the runner kept the nearly two hundred guests warm while they waited under the stars to throw rose petals at the bride and groom.
As Luke and Sabrina finally emerged, the trees and shrubbery around the property burst into a rainbow of colors. A barrage of fireworks exploded overhead, lighting the sky. Haley’s eyes sparkled with the same excitement of a little girl waiting to see Santa Claus.
Justin swallowed hard. Ahh, Marc, I wish you and Lindsey were here to see how beautiful she looks tonight. You’d be so proud of her.
He sure as hell was, and she wasn’t even his daughter.
Sam had taken both girls out to buy cocktail dresses. Haley had chosen a frothy turquoise dress with a full swishy skirt. She looked so grown up. He had no idea where she’d gotten the fancy matching wrap and shoes. Sam had probably bought those for her, too. Matching accessories weren’t something he ever would’ve considered if he’d taken Haley shopping.
He owed his sister-in-law big time for assuming the job of part-time mom to Haley. Although he had no desire to get married, he really should think about finding a steady girlfriend so Haley would have a woman’s influence on a regular basis.
Luke and Sabrina hurried through the double doors of the tent, and the crowd followed en masse like a tidal wave coming to shore.
“Cool,” Ryan said when they stepped inside.
Cool was an understatement. The elaborate decorations, complete with giant gingerbread men and wooden soldiers guarding the tent’s walls, rivaled any large shopping mall’s Christmas display.
Dani turned in a tight circle surveying their surroundings. “It looks like some fancy ballroom.”
Yards upon yards of netting and white twinkle lights draped over the tent’s ceiling, and carpet covered most of the portable flooring. Over a dozen glittering crystal chandeliers hung overhead for illumination, aided by the lights on the four humongous Christmas trees, one in each corner.
“I had my doubts about a tent in December,” Sam said, “but it’s actually as warm in here as it was in the house.”
An authentic looking Santa greeted everyone and asked one of the eight ushers to show each party to their table. When the same tuxedoed boy who’d seated them for the ceremony saw Haley, he rushed forward, nearly knocking over one of the other teens. “I’ll help this group, Santa.”
He turned and bowed to the six of them. “Good evening, I’m Jamal Franklin,” he announced with a formality suggesting he’d been given a script and coached on etiquette. When Justin gave Jamal their names, the boy consulted his list and escorted the girls and Ryan to table twelve, which had been assigned to eight of the teen-aged guests. “I’ll be joining your table as soon as everyone is seated,” he told them, smiling at Haley and pulling out her chair. “If you’d like, you can save me the spot next to you.”
“Sure.” Haley grinned back at him.
Great. Justin gritted his teeth. He’d have to watch this kid like a hawk all night.
Jamal led Nick and Sam to a nearby table where he introduced them to the three other Redemption couples—the Lamberts, the Manions, and the Fosters—all of whom his brother and wife already knew. When it became clear there was no seat for Justin, his brother shrugged.
Was it possible his name had missed going onto the seating chart since he’d been a last minute addition to the guest list?
Jamal consulted his cheat sheet. “Oh, right. There’s a note from the bride asking if you would mind being a dinner companion to one of Lieutenant Marino’s sisters,” he read from the paper, no doubt, to get the wording correct. “She’s one of the bridesmaids so you’ll be seated at table one with the best man and Ms. Sabrina’s brother.”
“That’s fine.” At least he had a place to sit.
Jamal led him to the round table near the front and introduced him to the billionaire, BJ Elliott—also known as Ben—his attorney, Tyler Fitzpatrick, and Tyler’s wife, Annie, who were already seated.
When Jamal bowed and left, Justin shook everyone’s hand before sinking into the chair Annie invited him to take next to her.
“Apparently, Sabrina set me up with a date,” Justin told her.
“That would be Frankie. Actually, Francesca, but if you value your teeth, you won’t call her that. Don’t worry, you’ll like her. She’s gorgeous and lots of fun.”
So maybe he would get lucky, as Haley predicted.
“That’s the price you pay for coming without a date.” Ben chuckled.
“What’re you laughing at, Elliott?” Tyler smirked at his friend. “Sabrina forced Frankie to invite a friend for you. My sister doesn’t want you sobbing into your soup tonight.”
“Seriously?” Ben shook his head and glanced at Justin. “Until a month ago, I was engaged to marry Sabrina,” he explained. “She and everyone else think I’m wounded and need consoling.” The big blond billionaire swept his arm around the tent. “Does all of this look like I’m hurting?”
Certainly not financially.
A sudden distant sound behind Justin made every muscle in him stiffen. If he lived to be a hundred with a severe case of Alzheimer’s, he would still recognize Trisha Mason’s throaty laugh. His stomach clenched, and his pulse kicked into high gear as he took a deep breath, pushed himself to his feet, and turned to watch her approach.
Of all the gin joints in all the world as Bogey had said in Casa Blanca, who would’ve guessed Trisha might walk into this reception—just as he was beginning to actually get over her. Or so he liked to tell himself.
Damn, she looked good. Thinner than when they’d dated but still curvy enough to send his blood rushing south. She’d
lightened her hair a few shades and developed a confident wiggle that had every man’s gaze at the back of the tent straying to her spectacular ass as she sashayed toward his table.
Her cocktail dress clung like a second skin, while its royal purple color accentuated her flawless, ivory complexion. The off-the-shoulder neckline left way more of her incredible creamy skin exposed than was good for any man’s concentration—let alone his.
How could he feel so bitter toward the woman and yet stand here lusting after her?
Not only was he pathetic, his dick didn’t have a speck of pride.
~*~
“Well, well, if it isn’t Trisha Mason. Long time no see.”
Trisha stalled in her tracks and gazed up into the black coffee eyes that had haunted her dreams for over a decade and a half.
Her pregnancy must have seriously compromised her mental faculties. Otherwise, she would’ve considered the possibility that Justin might be at the wedding—especially after seeing Dani in the beauty salon and learning the Riverá family was invited. Last year, when she’d discovered Justin was Dani’s uncle, she’d known this day would eventually arrive. She just hadn’t expected to meet him again in such a public situation.
There was nothing she could do about it now other than grit her teeth and muddle through. She lifted her chin and forced a smile. “It’s good to see you again, Justin.”
“Hi, I’m Frankie.” Her friend offered him her hand.
Justin blinked several times before shaking Frankie’s hand. “Right. It’s nice to meet you.” He pulled out the chair next to him. “Please, have a seat.”
“But if you two know each other, maybe Trisha would like to sit—”
“No!” they both objected at once.
An imposing blond Viking stood on the other side of the table, pulled out the chair beside him, and smiled at Trisha. “I’m Ben. I believe Sabrina intended for you to be my dinner companion tonight.”
“I’d love to.” She sank into the seat he’d offered. “Thank you so much for including me in the festivities.”
“I was happy to. How do you and Justin know each other?”
She opened her mouth to say they’d dated years ago, but Justin beat her to the punch. “She was a friend of my college roommate’s fiancée. They also roomed together for the first few months of our freshman year. Then Trisha vanished into thin air the day after Christmas.”
“Really?” Frankie’s gaze jerked to her. “What happened?”
“Yes, Trisha,”—Justin leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest—“do tell us why you disappeared so suddenly.”
There was no way she could tell him. Not with a table full of strangers listening. A half-truth would have to suffice.
“You know what a control freak my father was. I’d had enough of him trying to manage my life. When he announced my engagement to one of his most promising law clerks at his annual holiday party, I knew I had to get away from him. So, the day after Christmas I withdrew the allowance he’d deposited in my bank account for the spring semester, and I hopped on the first bus out of Philly.”
“Where’d you end up?” Annie asked.
“Not very far away. That bus went to Manhattan. I landed a job waitressing and registered at City College.”
“Apparently it was far enough that you couldn’t keep in touch with your best friend. The two of you were like sisters.”
“Believe me, severing my relationship with Lindsey wasn’t something I wanted to do. But our fathers were lifelong friends, and I couldn’t take a chance her dad would learn my whereabouts and share the information with mine.”
Granted, it was a lame excuse, but she couldn’t divulge the full story.
“Your father’s a federal judge. If he wanted you located, he would’ve hired the best PI in the country to find you.”
True. But after reading the note she’d left, informing him she’d canceled the appointment he’d made for her to have an abortion and was having the wetback’s baby on her own, bigoted dear old dad hadn’t wasted his time or resources searching for her.
Fortunately, the band began playing soft dinner music and the arrival of the last couple at their table saved her from having to respond.
Ben stood and introduced Luke’s partner on the police force, Cal Washington, and his wife, Darlene, to Trisha and Justin.
After a round of handshakes the couple took the two seats between her and Frankie.
“Cal and Darlene were late because they graciously volunteered to act as chaperones to Luke’s Explorers for the week,” Tyler informed the rest of the table.
“That’s a polite way of saying your new brother-in-law drafted us.” Darlene chuckled.
“That’s right.” Tyler smiled at Ben. “Luke and I are related now, aren’t we?”
Justin gestured toward the kid’s table. “One of your charges, Jamal, has been flirting with my ward, Haley, so do me a favor and keep an eye on him.”
“You don’t have to worry about Jamal. He’s a good kid—a little bossy, but he’s a leader.”
Trisha frowned. “You’re Haley’s guardian?” When she’d told the kid to consult Samantha about the pink hair, she’d assumed Dani’s parents had taken custody of Haley after her father’s death.
“Yes.” His head snapped in a curt nod. “It wasn’t as if you were still around to become her godmother the way you were supposed to.”
“I know. I was sorry to hear about Lindsey and Marc. How’s Haley doing? She seems as if she’s still in a lot of pain. Doesn’t she, Frankie?”
“How do you two know Haley?” he asked.
“I’m one of the counselors at the high school,” Trisha explained. “Haley was one of my assigned students last year. However, this term I have the M through P students.”
“Ahh. I’ve had a lot of contact with Sue Carlson, Haley’s counselor this year. I’m surprised we haven’t run into each other.” The subtle accusation in his tone suggested he believed she’d been avoiding him. She couldn’t deny it.
“And I teach English and drama there,” Frankie added.
“Right. Haley’s spoken of you. She loves your drama class. I’m confused. Why didn’t I meet you on back to school night?”
“I apologize for that. I had an attack of appendicitis and was rushed into surgery.”
“I’m sorry. I’m glad to see you’re all right now.”
“Thank you. I’ve been trying to get Haley and Dani to try out for the spring musical,” she told him. “We’re doing West Side Story.”
“So who would you cast them as—girlfriends of the Sharks or the Jets?”
Trisha cringed at his question. Evidently, he was still overly sensitive and constantly on the lookout for racial prejudice. She didn’t understand it. He and his brother Nick had clearly inherited more genes from their Spanish explorer ancestors than from the indigenous Aztec people of Mexico.
If one discounted the Riverá brothers’ nearly black eyes, one could easily assume they were Italian. In fact, her father had thought exactly that until he’d overheard Justin speaking fluent Spanish to his mother on the phone.
“I think Dani would be wonderful as Bernardo’s girl, Anita,” Frankie said. “And Haley has the voice and acting talent to play the lead, Maria. Naturally, we’ll have to use some darker make-up so they can play the two Puerto Rican girls.”
His gaze shifted to Cal and Darlene’s dark faces for a moment before returning to Frankie. “Would you ever dream of putting light make-up on Cal’s daughter to make her a Jet?”
Darlene slapped a hand over her mouth to smother her loud guffaw. “Lord have mercy, you’d need gallons of cover-up to turn that child of ours white.”
Frankie frowned. “I’m sorry if I offended you, Justin. I didn’t mean to suggest—”
“I’m not offended.” He waved his hand, dismissing her concern. “I just think it’s a shame there’s such a double standard in our society. We’ll easily accept changing a Caucasian’s skin tone to p
lay another ethnic role, but we would never dream of casting a minority in a Caucasian part.”
“Your right, of course,” Tyler agreed. “It smacks of a 1950s minstrel show, when White singers denied Blacks the opportunity to perform. The difference being there isn’t an abundance of Hispanic students attending our high school.”
“Especially not with Haley’s talent,” Frankie pointed out. “I normally try to give the leads to seniors or, at the very least, juniors, but I don’t have any upper class girls this year who are capable of performing the part half as well as Haley could.”
“That’s nice to hear. I’ll encourage her to try out for Maria’s role. Who’s playing Tony?”
“I’m hoping Ryan Flynn will take the part. Have you heard that boy sing?”
“I have. He’s spectacular. His band is booked nearly every weekend. I’m just wondering how Dani will react when her boyfriend gazes into her best friend’s eyes and kisses her in the play.”
Ben winced. “Oooh, that could get ugly. Been there.”
Everyone at the table glanced uneasily around the room. The waiter broke the awkward silence, asking for their drink orders.
Trisha quietly requested a glass of orange juice with club soda and sat back and admired the tables. Bright red napkins set against crisp white tablecloths surrounded the centerpieces of red and white roses, accented by sprigs of evergreens and holly. Each held a dozen flickering tapers and sat on tall, slender pedestals, allowing the guests to see each other while they chatted.
She ran her finger along the gold rim on her holly-patterned plate and smiled over at her dinner partner. “The wedding is beautiful, Ben. You’re extremely generous to do all of this.”
“You haven’t seen anything, yet,” Frankie told her. “See the mountain of gifts under the four Christmas trees? They’re not just decorative.”
Trisha did a double take. “There are actual presents in those boxes?”
“Yup. For all of the guests.”
She turned and stared at Ben. “Really?”
He shrugged. “I’m grateful for my good fortune, so I like sharing what I have. Isn’t giving to others what the holiday spirit is about?”
Don't Break My Heart (Return to Redemption, Book 6) Page 3