Fixer-Upper (Spinning Hills Romance 3)

by Ines Saint

  “I’ll have to check my calendar and get back to you. I’m a career woman now, you know,” Melinda teased. It was the surest sign Marissa had seen that her old sister was on her way back. “And would you mind French-braiding my hair for the wedding this Sunday? It brings out my eyes, but I don’t have money to go to a hairdresser and I don’t want to ask Mom for it. And what heroine or princess will you dress up as for Holly’s bachelorette tea party? It’s so cute she’s doing that for her daughter.”

  Marissa agreed and continued to listen to her sister chatter on, but the unpleasantness never fully left her, especially when she realized she’d have to wear the same thing she’d worn to the masquerade ball to the tea party tomorrow. She’d forgotten it was a dress-up event, and she didn’t have time to go shopping.

  At least Johnny wouldn’t be there. She’d had enough of him. They’d probably had enough of each other.

  Chapter 15

  Johnny looked into the cracked bathroom mirror. War paint? Check. Sack and handcuffs? Check. Black satin boxers and ties? Check. Twenty-eight cans of whipped cream? Check.

  A car honked outside. Johnny peered through the window. Marty was in the driver’s seat of a windowless, navy blue van, and he was grinning from ear to ear. Sam was beside him. Leo, Johnny knew, was in the back. It was time for Part 2 of Dan’s bachelor party.

  They’d rounded up fourteen of Dan’s closest friends from high school, college, and law school for Part 1. They’d spent the day together at a VIP box at the Great American Ball Park watching the Reds play against the Phillies. Dan had been surprised and elated.

  But that was nothing.

  The first part of Holly’s bachelorette party, the part she and her guests knew about, was a formal princess tea party at the Victorian Tea Room, an exclusive women’s club in the area’s wealthiest suburb. Ella, Holly’s daughter and maid of honor, was obsessed with fairy tales and it had been her idea. Their guests were to dress up like their favorite princess or heroine. The younger guests would get picked up early so Holly could unwrap the naughty presents and have some adult time with her girlfriends.

  Little did they know that Part 2 of both Dan’s and Holly’s parties were about to begin. Only Sherry was in on their surprise.

  Leo and Sam got out of the van and helped Johnny load the props into the back. The four of them drove to the basement apartment where Dan was living until tomorrow. Holly’s ex-husband, Ben, and Dan’s soon-to-be father-in-law, Doug, were waiting inside. Johnny still couldn’t believe that Doug had not only agreed to the prank, but had been eager to participate. The rest of the gang was waiting for them at the rendezvous point.

  They knocked on the door, Ben opened it, and all six men erupted into a war cry as they tackled a stunned Dan, handcuffed him, and placed the sack over his head.

  Dan swore as the sack went over his head and he began to make it difficult for them, refusing to get to his feet. The struggle had them all doubled over in laughter and gasping for air. Dan was laughing hardest of all, but he put up a better fight than they’d anticipated. They had to carry him, kicking and shouting, out to the van. “Somebody gag him with Johnny’s socks,” Sam yelled, “before one of the neighbors calls the police.”

  Dan stopped shouting. “You put one of Johnny’s socks into my mouth, and I swear I’ll stuff his underwear into yours at your bachelor party.”

  “No gagging!” Sam laughed. “We’re good.”

  “Where’s Doug?” Dan asked, once he was in the back of the van with Johnny, Leo, Ben, and Sam. “You guys can’t have anything too bad in mind if he’s in on it.”

  “I’m up here, son,” Doug called from the front seat.

  Dan sat up straight. “That’s the first time you’ve called me son,” he said, sounding more alarmed than gratified.

  “That’s because after tonight, I guarantee you won’t want to call me dad.”

  The six kidnappers guffawed as the van accelerated down the road toward their destination. “What happens next?” Dan asked.

  “You strip down to your black boxers or we do it for you,” Johnny answered.

  “How the hell do you know I’m wearing black boxers?” Dan asked, struggling again.

  “You’ve always worn black boxers.” Sam rolled his eyes, even though Dan couldn’t see him.

  “But we have an extra pair of black satin boxers for you, if you prefer,” Leo said.

  “An extra pair?” Dan blew out a long breath, leaned back, and stopped moving. “You know what? I don’t want to know. I’m just going to relax, take this one step at a time, and plot my revenge.”

  “You do that . . . son.” Doug laughed again. Sam and Johnny exchanged a look. The ex-military man was enjoying himself a little too much.

  They arrived at the Victorian Tea Room, where one of Dan’s friends was waiting by the back door. He ushered them in, led them to the men’s bathroom, and they all changed into the black ties and boxers. Dan agreed to change into the black satin boxers and tie if they stopped trying to undress him. “Where are we?” he asked.

  “The Victorian Tea Room.” Johnny grinned.

  Dan’s eyes widened. “What are you going to do?”

  “You’ll see.” Sam snickered as they handcuffed and covered Dan’s head once again. But the snicker was cut short. One moment the brothers were standing together in front of Dan; the next they were being tackled, too.

  This had not been part of the plan. A new war cry went out.

  “It’s time you guys all get as good as you give!” Marty’s voice sounded above the rest. Everyone except the brothers whooped.

  “What’s going on? Johnny, was this you?” Sam was yelling.

  “No!” Johnny yelled back as he was dragged to his feet.

  “What now?” Dan asked.

  “We don’t know,” Sam shouted.

  “You ready for us?” Doug’s raspy voice asked someone.

  “I’m ready.” Sherry’s voice came over the walkie-talkie Johnny had provided for her. He laughed nervously.

  “March them out!” Doug ordered.

  Johnny was marched out the door and up the steps he knew led to the stage that had been meant for Dan. The Village People’s “Y.M.C.A.” came on over the loudspeakers. That had not been part of the plan.

  The plan had been for “Kiss on My List” by Hall & Oates, one of Holly’s favorite songs, to play as the curtains were swept aside, and they all doused a half-naked Dan with whipped cream. Afterward, he would be released while the men all danced, also half-naked, to Ozzy Ozbourne’s “Crazy Train,” one of Dan’s favorite songs. Sherry had even choreographed and recorded a few standard moves and sent it out to the men so they could be somewhat coordinated.

  He could hear the women wondering what was going on and laughing nervously, presumably behind the curtains. Soon, though, they began to whoop and shout and laugh in earnest. He could only assume the curtains had just parted.

  Marissa put her hand to her mouth and gasped. They’d all been having a good time, laughing over a leather whip Sherry had gotten for Holly, when the lights were cut and the song “Y.M.C.A.” came on over the loudspeakers. Next, the curtains parted, and three very buff, half-naked male bodies were standing, handcuffed and with sacks over their heads, in the middle of the stage. The man in the middle looked familiar.

  “Strippers!” Ruby yelled. A few women whooped.

  But then the sacks were pulled off, and Dan, Johnny, and Sam were revealed. Marissa’s eyes widened when she saw her own half-naked brother had done the revealing. He and two other half-naked men were now shoving a policeman’s hat onto Dan’s head, a construction hat onto Sam’s, and a sailor’s hat onto Johnny’s.

  “Oh my,” someone said.

  Oh my, indeed.

  “Dad!” Holly cried before turning to her stepmom. “Make him put some clothes on, please!”

  “Doug?” her stepmom squealed.

  The music was turned up, and the three men were doused with whipped cream by a bunch o
f other half-naked men. “Dance, dance, dance,” they began to chant. And Dan, Sam, and Johnny looked at each other, shrugged, grinned, then began to mime the age-old moves to the well-known song.

  The women started clapping, cheering them on, and laughing as the three brothers hammed it up. Dan got off the stage, hugged Holly, who was dressed as Florence Nightingale, then spun her ’round and ’round. “Were you in on this?” he asked.

  “No!” She laughed. He took his policeman’s hat off and stuck it on her head.

  “Kiss, kiss, kiss!” everyone began to shout, and the two kissed.

  Sam leaped off the stage next and went to Cassie, who was dressed as Joan of Arc, and hugged her to him. And from the stage, Johnny’s eyes locked on hers.

  She was wearing her Dulcinea costume again. It was all she’d been able to scare up, even though Dulcinea wasn’t technically a heroine or a princess. Memories of the night of the masquerade party had flooded her the moment she’d put it on, and she’d been fighting them back, mostly successfully, all night. But the last thing she’d expected was to run into Johnny.

  He disconnected his gaze and left the stage.

  Melinda, who was standing next to Marissa, shook her head. “That’s our half-naked brother.” She was pretending to cry. “We can never unsee that.”

  “Imagine seeing your father like that!” Holly said. “I’m scarred for life.”

  Both Melinda and Marissa shuddered.

  The music then screeched to a stop, and Marty went up to the microphone. “It’s ‘Crazy Train’ time!” Ozzy Ozbourne’s rock anthem came on, the men went back up onto the stage, and then they began to dance. Their movements were clunky and uncoordinated, and the disparity in body mass between the men made the spectacle all the more fascinating. Marissa could not have torn her eyes away if she’d wanted to.

  Suddenly, someone grabbed her hand and she was pulled behind the nearest curtain. A half-naked, whipped-creamed Johnny stood before her. Her heart stopped. She’d seen him naked, but not up close. Up close, she could smell his musky male cologne, combined with his own, unique scent, and see his sweat-glistened, whipped-creamed muscles. Up close, his presence consumed the air around her. He took a crown of flowers from behind his back and placed them on top of her head. “This was meant for Dan, but it suits you better. Dulcinea is neither heroine nor princess—she’s the object of someone else’s dreams. I crown thee Marissa Medina, heroine to those who are trying to find their voice in a new language.” He grinned that doofus grin that had broken so many hearts. “I’m sorry we argued, Marissa. All I want for you is a happy life.”

  Marissa touched the crown of flowers on her head. Those were the sweetest words anyone had ever said to her. Before she could think of anything to say in return, or even know how to feel, she and Johnny were yanked into a human party train.

  The men came down from the stage to join them, but before they could get their full choo-choo on, the music screeched to a stop, and a shocked and angry voice demanded, “What is this? What’s going on in here?”

  Everyone turned to see two matronly looking, expensively dressed women standing at the door. They looked at the men. “Strippers!” the second woman’s shrill voice rang out as she pointed to the men.

  “The contract you signed specifically forbids this—this—” The first woman looked like she was about to have a conniption. She rounded on Holly, who still holding the whip. The women flanking her had conspicuous bits of whipped cream clinging to their bodies from head to toe.

  Abuela Rosa, who was dressed as a queen, stepped forward. “We knew nothing about this. These men interrupted our decorous tea party.”

  “Call the police!” the first woman said.

  Johnny met Dan’s eyes. The policemen in this small suburb were always close at hand. Dan was getting married tomorrow. Johnny was a school psychologist. They could not get arrested. “To the van!” Doug cried. The men all made a mad dash up to the stage, out the back, and to the van.

  “Wait!” Johnny yelled. “A bunch of you left your clothes with your wallets in the restroom.”

  Johnny made a move to run to the restroom to get the clothes, but Sam grabbed his arm and stopped him. “No. I doubt a prank will come to an arrest, but you work for a school, and you can’t afford to get arrested if it does. I’ll go.”

  Johnny hesitated. It wasn’t like him to let someone else take a fall, least of all his own brother. But part of growing up was knowing when to use his head, and Sam was right. Johnny had to think of the kids, and Sam had less to lose.

  Minutes later, everyone but Sam had made it to the van. Johnny looked out the back doors, nervous, until he saw Sam running like he hadn’t run since his college baseball days. He dove into the back of the van, which was already peeling away from the parking lot. Relieved, Johnny blew a kiss to one of the older ladies, who was pumping a fist at them from a window, and swung the doors shut. “I thought you’d left me,” Sam called to Doug.

  “I never leave a good soldier behind,” Doug replied.

  If she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes, Marissa would be hard-pressed to believe the two formal-looking, tuxedoed groomsmen who were escorting Holly’s six-year-old daughter down the aisle had been wearing nothing more than boxers, a tie, and whipped cream, while dancing on a stage, less than twenty-four hours before. Sam and Johnny were smiling down at Ella as they led her up the steps of a white gazebo.

  Doug walked Holly down the aisle next, and Marissa trained her eyes on the bride. She couldn’t look at Doug because Melinda was right. Some things could never be unseen.

  It was Holly’s second marriage, and she looked gorgeous in a breezy, mint green strapless gown, her ebony curls held back with combs, her green eyes shining.

  She and Dan didn’t take their eyes off of each other during the entire ceremony. Dan promised to love, cherish, be loyal, and listen to all of Holly’s ideas—and to give her a good reason every time he rejected one of them—for all of eternity. Sam and Johnny laughed and Marissa smiled, too, because it was cute, even though she had no clue what it was all about.

  Holly smiled into Dan’s eyes and promised to love, cherish, be loyal, and only listen to “eighties pop crap” two days a week. Holly shed a few tears as she spoke, Dan wiped them away, Holly laughed at herself, and Dan then blinked away a few tears of his own. They looked as happy as Marissa had ever seen two people.

  And the look on Sam and Johnny’s faces when they saw Dan tearing up was the icing on the cake. They both looked well and truly shocked.

  Brian squeezed her hand, and Marissa squeezed back. Soon it would be their turn. Except their wedding was gearing up to be much larger than this intimate backyard ceremony.

  Marissa glanced around. It was cramped and the chairs went all the way down both sides of the yard, but everyone had soft, blissful smiles on their faces. It looked like everyone there cared deeply for Dan, Holly, and Ella.

  “You may kiss the bride,” Reverend Miller’s voice rang out, and Marissa turned just in time to catch the sweet, chaste, clinging kiss. They’d both closed their eyes, and when they opened them, they were sharing a secret smile.

  Marissa felt Johnny’s eyes on her, even though she was sitting close to the back, but she refused to look at him. Instead, she squeezed Brian’s hand even harder and held on tight.

  Soon, the guests were heading to the Old Dance Pavilion, where the reception would be held. But by the time they got there, Marissa was feeling off. Whenever she looked at her mother or Marty, she felt irked, for no reason she could discern.

  The wedding party soon filed in, and everyone stood to applaud.

  Johnny toasted the couple, and for the first time, Marissa heard the full story of how they had met. It was impossible not to lighten up and laugh at the story. Especially when Johnny described his and Sam’s reactions when they’d realized Dan was slowly, and unwittingly, turning the Craftsman into the house of Holly’s dreams.

  As soon as the toasts were over, dinn
er was served, and Dan, Sam, and Johnny played “Kiss on My List” by Hall & Oates, and “Africa” by Toto, while the hired band and a disc jockey set up. Everyone was either in a happy or sweet, nostalgic mood.

  Except Marissa.

  Brian was being solicitous and loving. They hadn’t been alone in ages, both understanding how crazy-busy the other was, and both knowing they’d be together for good soon. But Marissa wasn’t up for his caresses. It was almost as if they were chafing her skin. He was being attentive and sweet, more so than usual, but she was keeping part of herself locked up and she couldn’t understand why.

  She drank more than she was accustomed to, letting the buzz slide over her to help her be more loving. When the music started up, she grabbed Brian’s hand and led him to the dance floor. Abuela Rosa had taught her at an early age that dancing helped release tension, and Marissa had loved dancing ever since. But right now the tension wouldn’t leave. Images of other kisses, other words, and another face kept intruding into her thoughts. She took a small break and drank more wine. She wouldn’t be driving. Today was a day to be fun Marissa, not tense Marissa.

  She went back for a slow dance and held on to Brian tighter than before. They danced perfectly together. They fit. Not like a certain goofball on the dance floor not too far away from her, who couldn’t dance, or sing, or keep out of trouble. He could’ve been arrested yesterday. Marty came home, talking and laughing about how he and Johnny had barely made it onto the van because Johnny had wanted to go back and get everyone’s clothes and wallets so no one could be identified.

  Feeling slightly woozy, Marissa leaned back to study Brian’s head. It was a smart head, a handsome head, she thought, as he spun her around and wrapped his arms tightly around her.

  Johnny led Cassie away from the dance floor. He couldn’t take seeing Marissa cuddled up to Brian and looking up into his face anymore. It was the happiest day of Dan’s life, and Johnny was hurting.