“Which one?”
“Ronan. We had a fight.” He dropped his arm to his side. “No, I had a fight. He wouldn’t engage. He won’t call our mother, which is pretty mean-spirited of him since she’s always been on his side.” One shoulder rose and lowered. “The downside of sharing workspace.”
“Want to talk about it?” she asked again.
“Not really.”
“Want to go for a walk? I can distract you with useless knowledge about the town.”
He smiled at her. “That would be great.”
They walked outside. She pointed toward the river. “Let’s go that way.”
The afternoon was warm and sunny, the temperatures flirting with eighty. She loved this time of year, when the heat wasn’t insane and days were getting longer.
“You know our basic history,” she began. “Lies told to an unsuspecting public.”
“That’s a little harsh.”
“And yet completely accurate. Happily Inc also benefits from a weird spiritual convergence of energy, or so I’ve been told.”
“Like Sedona?”
“That’s the rumor. Mystical things are said to happen here. Oh, and people sleep really, really well. That’s why we have a sleep center.”
“I saw the signs when I drove into town.”
“It’s a big deal. We have world-famous doctors doing whatever it is sleep experts do.”
“Nap?”
She grinned. “Maybe. Anyway, both of those quirks bring in tourists, although nothing compared with the wedding trade. We are the big employers.”
“Do you get a special seat at the local business association?”
“Better. We get donuts.”
They crossed the street. Nick took her hand and she laced her fingers with his.
“My dad’s a nightmare,” he said.
She carefully pressed her lips together, wanting him to talk as much as he needed, without her interrupting.
“Genius comes at a price,” he added.
“But you’re normal,” she blurted before she could stop herself.
He smiled at her. “Thanks, but I’m more screwed up than you realize.”
“You hide it well.”
“Ronan’s only our half brother. Dad had an affair and Ronan’s the result. Mom raised him from the time he was a week old.”
Pallas came to a stop. “I thought they were fraternal twins.”
“So did we.”
“But how...” She didn’t even know what to ask. She and Cade were fraternal twins. She couldn’t imagine what it would be like to find out they weren’t. That all her memories of their childhood, her feelings of connection weren’t real. Except if they’d happened, then they would be real, but different.
“That isn’t something you get over easily,” she murmured.
“Apparently not.”
They crossed the street.
“Ronan won’t talk about it. Come to think about it, Mathias doesn’t have much to say, either, although he puts on a better front.”
They passed by The Boardroom Pub and reached the river boardwalk. Once there, they sat on a bench, Nick angled toward her.
“The thing is, we all thought Ronan was our mom’s favorite.”
He told her how Elaine had taken in Ceallach’s bastard child and raised him as her own. Pallas listened, grateful he didn’t seem to want any advice, because she didn’t have any. She couldn’t imagine finding out her husband had a mistress and that his mistress had had a baby within weeks of her youngest being born. Or offering to raise the other baby as her own. And for Ronan and his brothers not to know was inconceivable.
“So when Mathias and Ronan found out the truth, they moved here?” she asked.
“Yeah. The rest of us didn’t figure out why until last summer. My mom had breast cancer. She kept it to herself. Not even my dad knew. When everyone found out, it all hit the fan and everything came out. Pretty screwed up, huh?”
She leaned against him. “I’m not sure there is a normal family anywhere. We all have our quirks.” She looked up at him. “Although I will admit your family has more secrets than most. Is your mom okay?”
“As far as I know. She swears they got the cancer in time and she’s being monitored, so I’m guessing it’s true. I know Dad worries. She’s all he has.”
Not his sons? Silly question, she told herself. She remembered what Nick had told her about growing up with the famous Ceallach Mitchell as his father.
“My mom is one of seven girls.”
Nick laughed. “No boys?”
“Not until my generation. I can’t imagine what it was like when they were all approaching puberty. There’s fourteen years between the oldest and the youngest, so hormones would have been flying high for nearly two decades. It’s amazing that Grandpa Frank survived.”
“I’ll bet.” He shifted and put his arm around her.
She liked the feel of him touching her. The strength and heat of him. In front of them, the river flowed. Come the weekend, there would be kayakers out navigating its length. Small powerboats were allowed but only in the summer. Tourists clogged the parks along the river and filled the hotels.
“You’re one of two in your family?” Nick asked.
“Yes, it’s just Cade and me. My maternal grandmother died when I was a baby, so my mom moved our family in with Grandpa Frank.”
Maybe that was why her father had always seemed so absent to her. He’d been living in another man’s home.
“I was about two at the time, so I don’t remember living anywhere else. The house is huge and old, with lots of staircases. There’s a secret passage that goes from the library on the main floor up to the attic. Cade and I would play there when we were kids. We would disappear and it made my mom crazy.”
“Good for you.”
“I don’t get the credit. It was always Cade’s idea. He’s the brave one.”
Nick shook his head. “I don’t buy that. You’re standing up to her right now. Keeping the business instead of selling it.”
“I still haven’t decided what I’m going to do on a permanent basis. I wish I was more like him. Cade never cared about what anyone thought. He’s so independent. Here I am, living in the same town where I was born. I’ve barely been out of the state.”
“Do you want to travel?”
She thought about the question. “There are places I’d like to see. Australia and Europe. I guess I’m not the adventurous type. I like living here. I like being here and hanging out with my friends.”
“Tell you what. If I take the commission in Dubai, you can come visit me there.”
“I’m not even sure where that is. I’ll have to look it up on a map.”
“You do that.”
She couldn’t imagine packing up her life and moving to a foreign country. Apparently she didn’t have the thrill seeker gene.
“When do you have to decide if you’re going?” she asked.
“After they finalize the commission. It’s for two years. That’s a long time. I like the project, but I can’t make up my mind.” He looked at her. “I meant what I said, Pallas. I’d like you to come visit.”
His words caused her chest to tighten. Desire flickered to life and began to burn. Because visiting Nick would be about more than seeing his work. It would be about being with him. Something she very much wanted.
For a second she wished she were the type of woman who could simply tell him that. Silver would. She would grab Nick by the front of his shirt, pull him close and kiss him. Then she would take him to bed and do whatever wild things Silver liked to do. Pallas sighed—she would never be like her friend.
While she liked men, they hadn’t ever been a big part of her life. Happily Inc wasn’t exactly a sing
le-guy magnet. Plus Nick was the first man in forever to really get her attention. The thing was, she wasn’t entirely sure what she was supposed to do now.
Did she throw herself at him? Ask him to have sex with her? Play hard to get? Was he even interested in her? They’d kissed and it had been nice, but he hadn’t exactly thrown her over his shoulder and taken her back to his room. Not that she wanted a guy who would throw her over his shoulder. She had a feeling it would be very uncomfortable. But in theory...
Nick leaned in and kissed her. The action totally caught her off guard, so she wasn’t able to react before he drew back.
“Thank you,” he told her. “For listening. It helps to have a friend to talk to.”
Friend? Friend! Was that how he saw her? As a friend? They’d kissed. Didn’t the kissing mean anything? She’d been having throw-over-the-shoulder images and he thought they were friends? Kill. Me. Now.
“Sure,” she said brightly. “Anytime. I, um, should get back to work.”
Before he could say anything friendly, she jumped to her feet, waved and took off at a brisk walk.
Friends! Seriously. What was up with that? Pallas couldn’t decide if she should never speak to Nick again, corner him and flash her breasts, or simply accept the fact that she wasn’t the kind of woman men wanted to sleep with.
The latter thought was so depressing she had to go swing by the local Starbucks to get a Mocha Frappuccino with extra whipped cream. Just to take the edge off.
She would bury herself in her work that afternoon, then reward herself with some girlfriend time. At least there she knew what was expected. She understood the rules. Stupid man. She was never speaking to him again. Or kissing him. Or flashing her breasts.
That was it, she thought as she walked into the Starbucks. No more hope of breast flashing for Nick. Starting right now.
CHAPTER EIGHT
TWO DAYS LATER Pallas was still wrestling with her nonrelationship with Nick, and because that wasn’t enough trauma in her life, her mother had invited her to lunch. Being a bad liar meant she hadn’t been able to think of a reason to say no. The only bright spot was she’d insisted they go to a restaurant instead of having a depressing box lunch at the bank.
Which was how Pallas found herself with an avocado cheeseburger and the world’s largest order of french fries—when in doubt, bury your troubles in food.
“You disappoint me, Pallas,” Libby said firmly as she picked at her green salad, dressing on the side.
“I know, Mom.”
“You do?”
“Sure. I always disappoint you. Usually I want to make you happy, but even then I fail. I’m not sure how. I’d say it’s a gift, but we both end up unhappy, so it’s not like it’s a good thing.”
She picked up a fry and ate it. Her mother studied her.
“If you keep eating like that, you’re going to get fat.”
“Yet another way I’ll disappoint you.”
“What is going on with you?”
“I honestly don’t know.”
Libby pressed her lips together. “What have you decided about the business?”
Until that exact second, Pallas would have sworn she didn’t know. Selling versus not selling—it wasn’t as if she’d had a sit-down with herself to weigh the pros and cons. Yet as soon as her mother asked the question, she knew.
“I’m keeping it.”
“I see.”
Two very icy words. Pallas shivered, then took a bite of her burger.
“May I know why?”
There were so many ways to answer that question, but only one that made sense to her. “Because it makes me happy.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
Pallas put down her burger. “Why is that ridiculous? You don’t believe me? You don’t think it’s possible for me to be happy anywhere else but the bank?”
“You own a small, failing business that has little chance for growth or success. How on earth can that make you happy?”
“Thanks for the support,” Pallas said with a sigh. “To answer your question, everything about it makes me happy. A week or so ago a couple came to see me. They developed a video game and they want their wedding theme to be that game. It’s all the more special because Nova’s father is—”
“You’re making a fool out of yourself,” her mother interrupted. “Everyone can see it but you.”
Pallas pushed away her burger. Suddenly she wasn’t hungry at all. “You’re wrong, Mom,” she said firmly. “I’m not making a fool out of myself. I’m helping couples with the most significant day of their lives. I’m helping them make their wedding dreams come true. Even if they end up divorced, they’ll remember their wedding and I get to be a part of that. It’s good work. It’s fulfilling and I like it. The only reason you can’t accept it is because you didn’t have a hand in picking it for me. You’re upset because I won’t do what you want me to. You think I should have to earn my place in the family.”
Pallas stood and tossed her napkin on the table. “You know what? Today I’m not willing to do that anymore.”
She picked up her bag and walked out. When she reached the sidewalk, she pointed out to herself that this was the second time she’d walked away from a difficult situation. She was going to have to make sure it didn’t become a pattern. Although with Nick she’d bolted out of fear, whereas with her mother, it felt a lot more like standing up for herself—from a safe distance.
Why were relationships so complicated? She knew they didn’t have to be, yet so many of them were.
Back in her office, Pallas checked her email. She had a note from Nova about more wedding details. The words were so happy and upbeat that Pallas smiled as she read. Maybe she had been dragged kicking and screaming into the alien wedding, but now that she’d committed, she knew she’d made the right decision.
Leaning back in her chair, she considered her bank statement and the business cash flow. Nova’s wedding had gone a long way to making it much happier than it had been before. Yes, there was more work, but also more reward. Maybe she’d been shortsighted to want to do everything the way it had always been done. Maybe the real way to grow her business was to think outside of the box.
The idea was still unformed, but she sensed the potential. As she and Nick had talked about, the basic format for a wedding wasn’t going to change, but what about all the details? They could be enhanced.
She looked at the files on her desk—each one represented a pending wedding. She looked through them until she found the black-and-white wedding—where the bride had requested zebras. Maybe it wasn’t such a crazy idea after all.
She pulled out her cell phone and dialed a number.
“Hi,” Carol said cheerfully when she answered. “What’s up?”
“I’m working. How about you?”
“I think Millie’s depressed rather than sick.”
Pallas struggled to remember who Millie was. “The giraffe?”
“Uh-huh. She’s listless. I know the move was hard on her, but I think she’s lonely. She needs friends. Anyway, that’s not why you called. What’s up?”
“I have a very strange request. One of my brides is having a black-and-white wedding. She saw the zebras and would like to rent them for ambience.”
Carol laughed. “Seriously?”
“You know I can’t make that up.”
“True. Wow. So they’d be like tea lights or balloons?”
“Sort of. We’d set up a penned area for them. I’d make sure the guests didn’t touch them, although I imagine they would want to take pictures. What do you think?”
“I don’t know. They’re relatively tame, although still zebras, so not exactly as calm as, say, a goat.”
Were goats calm? All Pallas could picture were those little baby go
ats jumping all over the place.
“Okay,” she said slowly. “What does that mean?”
“That I’d have to think about the transportation issues and how to make sure they didn’t escape. I would want a significant profit margin for the trouble and because one of the barns needs a new roof.”
Pallas laughed. “Fair enough. Send me a quote. I’ll pass it along to my bride and let you know. If this comes to pass, I get to have a very interesting conversation with my insurance agent.”
“Zebra insurance?”
“Yup. For you, the zebras and all the guests, not to mention my facility. Should be fun.”
“I also have a couple of black llamas if she’d like to use them. Maybe we could find a local white llama.”
“What I would give to write that Craigslist ad. Wanted: white llama to rent for wedding.”
“You know someone would answer.”
“Scary but true. Thanks, Carol. Send the bid over when you get it ready.”
“I’ll work on it right now.”
“Bye.”
Pallas set her cell phone back on her desk. Zebras and llamas. She wasn’t sure what would be next, but that was part of the fun.
“You look happy about something.”
She looked up and saw Cade standing in the doorway to her office. Pallas jumped up and ran at him. He dropped his worn leather duffel on the floor and held out both arms. She slammed into him and hugged him tight.
“You’re here! When did you get back? How long are you staying? I’ve missed you.”
“I’ve missed you, too, sis.”
They held on to each other for nearly a minute before letting go. Pallas stared at her brother’s face, taking in the new scar by his eyebrow and his tan. He looked strong and fit—a man who worked outdoors.
He had her same hazel eyes and brown hair. Somehow on him, it was more interesting. Maybe it was the cowboy thing, she thought with a smile.
She held on to his upper arms and smiled. “Don’t take this wrong, but why are you here?”
“I wanted to see you.”
She rolled her eyes. “Why are you in Happily Inc?”
You Say It First--A Small-Town Wedding Romance Page 11