“Yes, but I’d say you’ve given plenty just by providing everyone with this wonderful vacation.”
“You’ll have to excuse, BJ,” Tyler told her. “He doesn’t know how to do anything in half measures.”
While they waited for their cocktails, a waiter filled each of the gleaming champagne flutes on the table with Cristal. The background music suddenly stopped and the most genuine looking Santa Claus she’d every seen stepped up to the microphone. “Ho-ho-ho, everyone. I hope you’re all having a Merry Christmas Eve.” The entire crowd applauded. “I’m happy to be your emcee tonight while we celebrate with Luke and Sabrina.”
“Great,” Tyler snorted. “Noah and Mandy are over at the kiddy table wondering how Santa is gonna deliver everyone’s presents tonight if he’s here.”
“They know it’s Thomas,” Ben said, buttering one of the hot dinner rolls the waiter had placed on the table. “I told them he’s pretending to be Santa because the real one is too busy to be here.”
Trisha leaned toward Ben and whispered, “Who’s Thomas?”
“He’s my man Friday. He grew the beard and bleached it white just for this occasion.” Ben took a bite of the roll and laid it on his bread and butter plate.
“And now, I’m pleased to introduce your host and the best man, BJ Elliott,” Santa said.
As everyone applauded, Ben folded his napkin and tossed it beside his place setting as he rose. “If you’ll excuse me. I have the last of my best man duties to perform.” He picked up his champagne and joined Santa on the dais. “Thank you, St. Nick.”
He took the microphone, stepped off the stage, and walked over to the bride and groom’s romantic table for two. “As most of you know, up until a month ago, I was supposed to be sitting in Luke’s seat tonight, and he was supposed to be standing here toasting my happiness with Sabrina.”
He smiled down at the bride and cupped her chin in his hand. “I know a lot of you are feeling sorry for me this evening, but you shouldn’t. Seeing two of my best friends so in love and happy together makes this one of the most wonderful nights of my life.” He lifted his champagne. “So I’d like you all to raise your glasses and join me in wishing Luke and Sabrina a long and joyful life together.”
Trisha raised her orange juice for Ben’s toast and took a sip.
“No champagne tonight?” Justin looked pointedly at her, raising his eyebrows. “You used to love it.
His smug smile said he recalled the night they’d gotten drunk and she’d drizzled champagne on his erection. She’d slowly licked and sucked every drop off him and repeated the process until he became so aroused he came only thirty seconds after plunging himself into her.
What the idiot didn’t remember, however, was that, in their inebriated state, they’d neglected to use protection.
CHAPTER 3
At over two hundred dollars a bottle, Trisha cursed her inability to drink the Cristal. “What can I say? She shrugged one shoulder. “I overindulged one night and apparently lost my taste for it.”
Justin’s smile fell. “Have you ever had Cristal?”
Back in college, he’d been hard-pressed to afford even a cheap brand of champagne, let alone one of the best. And being underage, it had been difficult to buy at any price. Her father certainly had never allowed her to share his.
“If you haven’t, you shouldn’t knock it until you’ve tried it,” he taunted. “I understand 2002 is an exceptional vintage.”
What the heck, a small taste couldn’t hurt the baby. Rather than raise suspicion, she took a sip. The sweet, crisp effervescence tingled on her tongue. Wow. It was like no bubbly she’d ever tasted.
Gathering her bravado, she pushed her flute across the table. “Sorry. It does nothing for me. You’re welcome to drink mine. I have no desire to repeat my last experience with champagne.”
“I hear you, sister.” Darlene took a swallow from her glass. “The last time Cal brought champagne home, I ended up with a hangover from hell.”
Ben returned to the table a moment later, and Justin raised his glass to him. “Great, champagne, BJ. Thank you.”
“It was a good year, but nothing compared to the 1990 on Luke and Sabrina’s table.” As Ben sank into the chair next to her, the band played a beautiful rendition of one of her favorite love songs for the bride and groom’s first dance together as man and wife.
“I love Matt Thomas’s songs.” She sighed.
“I would ask you to dance,” Ben said, replacing his napkin in his lap, “but this song is supposed to be just for the happy couple. Did you know his mom and dad are here tonight?”
“Whose mom and dad?”
“Matt Thomas’s—Doc Foster and his wife Abby are his parents. Or I should’ve said, Tom Foster, since that’s his actual name.”
“If he uses an alias for his music, are you supposed to tell everyone who he is?”
“Everyone in Redemption knows the Fosters,” Annie told her, “so nearly the entire town is already aware that their sons are both wealthy celebrities.”
“I’ve only lived there for about a year, so I haven’t learned a lot of the residents’ history.”
“As a memorial to his first wife, Tom funded a foundation to help infertile couples who can’t afford treatment. The charity is affiliated with the Reproductive and Cryopreservation Center in Doylestown.”
Trisha stiffened at the mention of the local sperm bank she’d used and immediately shook off her paranoia. No one could possibly know she’d gone there.
Annie leaned back in her seat while the waiter served the crab-stuffed mushroom caps as the first course. “I was really surprised when Sabrina told me Matt and Abby had accepted the wedding invitation, but their kids hadn’t. It turns out, Tom and Royce are co-producing a Broadway musical. It’s opening the middle of January.”
“Are you talking about Royce Harmon, the guy who created Just Between Us?” Trisha asked, referring to the Emmy award-winning television show.
“Yup. Doc told me Royce wrote the play’s script and Tom composed most of the songs as a gift for their parents’ second fortieth anniversary last April,” Tyler said.
Justin frowned. “Wait a minute. How can they have a second fortieth? They would’ve had to have gotten hitched eighty years ago,” he pointed out as the waiter refilled his champagne glass.
“They’ve actually been married forty-seven, but Matt was a POW in Vietnam,” Annie explained. “Last April, it was forty years since he came home and they were reunited. So they celebrate both anniversaries.”
“My Uncle Leonard is one of Doc’s POW friends,” Cal told them. “Is the play about the Vietnam War?”
Annie shook her head. “I don’t think so. I understand it’s primarily Matt and Abby’s love story, and the score includes a lot of nostalgic music from the 60s and 70s as part of the setting.”
Trisha’s scalp prickled as if someone was watching her. As she licked a bit of the delicious crab stuffing from her lips, she glanced up and found Justin staring at her mouth, desire burning in his gaze. Was he still thinking about the champagne? Heat crept into her cheeks as she cleared her throat. “The play sounds wonderful. What’s it called?”
“The Memory of You,” BJ told her. “The Fosters are heading to Manhattan late tomorrow morning so they can spend Christmas with their grandchildren.”
“But Doc and his wife came up on the bus.” Justin pointed out. “How are they—”
“Thomas is flying them in the chopper.” Ben waited for the server to remove his empty plate and replace it with chilled shrimp the size of small lobster tails. “I hope you all like fish and seafood.” He dipped one of the shrimp into cocktail sauce. “You’ll be seeing a lot of it tonight.”
Great. What else was she going to have to pretend she didn’t like or want. She was supposed to avoid a lot of different fish during her pregnancy. At least they’d only served shellfish so far, which she was allowed to eat occasionally.
“Calvin and I love seafood.”
Darlene chuckled. “Luke told us his very Italian mother insisted, since it’s Christmas Eve, they should celebrate Vigilia Di Natale by including the Feast of the Seven Fishes in the menu.”
“Traditionally, there’s no meat, but in consideration of those who don’t observe the custom, we’ll be offered turf with our surf,” Ben assured them. “Sabrina said there’ll be alternatives for anyone who dislikes it or is allergic. In any case, pace yourselves. I’m told there’ll be ten courses.”
Trisha could already feel her seams straining. When she’d bought the custom-made dress off the lightly used rack at Mrs. Foster’s dress shop, Abby’s Closet, it had fit perfectly. Now, only a week later, it barely zipped. Evidently her waistline had begun expanding sooner than the pregnancy books claimed it would.
Ben reached for her hand. “How about it. Would you like to dance now?”
“I’d love to.”
Justin turned to Frankie. “That sounds like a great idea. Shall we?”
As Ben put his arms around Trisha on the dance floor, he whispered. “Would you mind putting on a little show with me tonight?”
“What kind of show?”
“The kind in which I convince everyone—mainly Sabrina—that her marriage to my buddy hasn’t totally shattered my heart.”
“Has it?” Trisha asked as he spun her in a tight circle.
“To be honest? Yes—in a zillion pieces. But I love her and Luke, and I want them to be happy. I hate her worrying about me on the happiest day of her life.”
“Well, she is. Frankie told me Sabrina asked her to invite a pretty friend to console you.”
“Frankie hit the jackpot on finding pretty.”
“Thank you.” Heat flared in her cheeks. “While we’re being honest, I have to admit I’d like nothing better than to fake a romantic interlude on the dance floor. As you’ve probably guessed, Justin and I dated at one time. He’d like everyone to think I broke his heart, but it was actually the other way around.”
“So you wouldn’t mind making him a little jealous?”
As if that were possible. If nothing else, she’d simply like to prove to him that other men found her attractive. “If you’re sure you want to.”
“Absolutely.”
As BJ pulled her closer and stared longingly into her eyes, she waited, willing her girl parts to start tingling—as she’d joked with her friend. Unfortunately, she felt zilch.... zero.... nada. He had a great build, a charismatic personality, and, although his features were fierce and angular, he was fairly good-looking. So why couldn’t she think about anything other than whether Justin had noticed how close Ben held her?
He leaned in and buried his face in her hair as they swayed to the romantic music. She closed her eyes, and, as they turned, she opened them to find Justin staring at her over Frankie’s shoulder.
So he’d noticed. What Trisha didn’t understand was why he would watch her while he was dancing with one of the most beautiful women there.
Her friend looked gorgeous tonight. The bridesmaids’ formfitting, ruby velvet sheaths with trumpet-flared hems mirrored the style of the bride’s, which was one of the most alluring designs Trisha had ever seen. From behind, Frankie’s back appeared bare to well below her waist, due to the sheer, flesh-toned netting that held the sides of her gown together, creating a sexy illusion.
A good-looking man with dark auburn hair stepped behind Justin and tapped him on the shoulder.
“Oh, no.” She pushed away from Ben. “I think that’s Frankie’s husband. I’m supposed to be acting as a buffer between them.”
“Don’t worry. Frankie can take care of herself,” Ben assured her, pulling her close again. “She needs to talk to Andy, whether she wants to or not.”
~*~
Justin flinched at a tap on his shoulder. What the hell? He stopped moving and found a tall, copper-haired man staring down at his dance partner. The well-built tuxedoed guy was a groomsmen—probably one of Luke’s police buddies.
“Why won’t you leave me alone, Andy?” Frankie raised her voice in exasperation. “My lawyer is filing the papers on Monday.”
“Because I love you. I fucked up, okay? You put our lovemaking on such a strict schedule, you made me feel as if you only wanted me for stud services.”
She held her hands up. “Really? Here? You wanna discuss this now, in the middle of the dance floor at my brother’s wedding? Why don’t you go tell someone who gives a damn—like your girlfriend.”
“Laney isn’t my girlfriend. She’s just a fellow cop.”
Okay, so the guy was, evidently, Frankie’s estranged husband. Justin backed away, wanting no part of their marital squabble.
Frankie grabbed his forearm. “Where are you going? Don’t you want to finish our dance?”
“Well, uh—yeah, sure. But it seems like the two of you have things you need to talk about.”
“I have nothing to discuss with that cheating bastard.” She put one hand on Justin’s shoulder and raised the other for him to hold.
Andy shadowed their steps as they resumed dancing. “It was a lousy, stinking kiss. She initiated it.”
“But you kissed her back didn’t you?”
“At first, I guess so. Laney and I were nearly killed in that takedown. Surviving a life and death situation does things to a person—it makes him want to affirm he’s still alive. Nothing else happened between us. I swear.”
“Then why’d she start calling you night and day?”
“I don’t know. Maybe she thought I felt something for her. I told her the kiss was a huge mistake as soon as it happened, and I asked my captain to reassign me. What more do you want?”
“I want a baby,” she sniffled, tears rolling down her cheeks.
“I do, too.” Andy pulled her away from Justin and held her close. “I’ll do whatever it takes. Just don’t leave me.”
Justin slowly crept away. Okay, so much for his so-called date. He glanced over at Trisha snuggled up to Ben and was half tempted to cut in. Although, that would make him a rather ungracious guest, considering the guy was footing the bill for his and Haley’s vacation.
On the way back to the table, he made a detour to see how she was doing.
“Hey, Uncle Justin,” she gave him the first genuine smile he’d seen on her in weeks.
“Are you having fun?”
“I guess.”
“Hi, Mr. Riverá,” Jamal said next to her. “Is it all right if I take Haley to the mansion’s rec room after dinner? Mr. Elliot has a bowling alley, pool, and ping pong tables, and a bunch of computer games he said we could play.”
Hadn’t Nick told him the boys were bunking together in the mansion’s rec room—as in there would be beds, cots, sleeping bags, or other assorted soft places to get a girl horizontal?
The words absolutely not sprang immediately to Justin’s lips, but he bit them back. Hell, at least the kid had the manners to ask his permission.
“If you’re worried, there’ll be an adult there from Mr. Elliott’s staff the entire time.”
“In that case, I guess it would be okay. Just let me know when you’re leaving, all right?” That way he’d know if he had to go check on her.
Heading back to his table, he passed Luke who was chatting with Doc Foster.
The groom grabbed Justin’s arm as he walked by. “Is now a good time to talk?”
“Sure. What do you need?”
“I was just telling Doc here about a project I have in the works. I haven’t shared it with Sabrina yet, but I’m quitting the force and using a large bequest I received to open a school for at-risk teens. I’m wondering if your firm would be interested in the contract to design and build the campus.”
“How large a campus?”
“Between the administration’s offices, classrooms, dormitories, a gymnasium, library, cafeteria, etc. I think we’ll need at least six buildings to start. Plus we’ll need a pool, tennis courts, and athletic fields. If possible, I’d like to use local talent and st
imulate Redemption’s economy.”
Justin released a long whistle as he raked his fingers through his hair. “A year ago, I would’ve given my big toe for the job. But to be truthful, now that the company has lost Marc, I’m not sure I could handle such a large project.”
Before his buddy became ill, Justin had volunteered with Habitat for Humanity in Philly, drafting architectural changes and doing construction. Unfortunately, he’d had to quit his charitable work since he now had to oversee what Marc had been responsible for, as well as doing his own job.
“It sounds like you need a new partner,” Doc said.
“There’s not exactly a surplus of guys with a general contractor’s license, managerial experience, as well as the capital to invest in a partnership, Doc.”
“Call me Matt. I promise not to tell you to turn your head and cough tonight.”
Justin laughed. He sure as hell hoped not, or his doctor might feel more in Justin’s shorts than he bargained for. Seeing Trisha again had kept him semi-hard all evening.
“I might be able to hook you up with someone,” Matt told him. “Are you familiar with Danvers Quality Homes in the Flemington area?”
“Hell, yeah. They do beautiful work.” At least as good as Marc’s. They were only twenty minutes from Redemption.
“Abby and I are good friends with the couple who own the company. I was in ‘Nam with Ben Danvers. He and his wife have been eager to retire. Their son Mike has his contractor’s license and manages their site operations. They’re more or less in the same situation you are. If his parents retire, Mike will be short-handed in the sales and business office, which is where your company seems to be stronger.”
“So what are you suggesting?” Luke asked. “That Justin merges with Danvers?”
“Exactly.”
“Hey, I’m open to the idea, if we can agree on terms,” Justin told Matt. It would solve a lot of his problems.
He and Marc had carried life insurance policies on one another to buy the deceased’s half of the business should one of them pass away. Upon his business partner’s death, Justin had become the sole owner of R&S and had invested the insurance payout for Marc’s share of the company for Haley.
Don't Break My Heart (Return to Redemption, Book 6) Page 4