Before I knew it, Kenadie’s mom, Nan, was on her feet and hugging me. “How lovely to see you again.” I had met her in the office several times.
I hugged her back. “It’s nice to see you as well, Mrs. Marshall.”
“I love this girl’s manners.” She pointed to her friends. “These are my dearest friends in the world, Cissy and Adelaide.”
Both women looked between Zander and me with interest. Then they nodded to one another with conspiratorial smiles.
“Well, you two, sit down,” Mrs. Marshall directed.
Cissy stood up and let Zander slide between her and Adelaide in the booth. Zander settled there and put his arms around the two women, which seemed to delight them.
A chair was brought over from another table and I sat on the end. I felt out of place. Like a kid sitting at the adult table during the holidays.
“What have you guys been up to?” Kenadie asked me. I could hear the uneasiness in her voice.
I met Kenadie’s worried eyes. “Just dinner and watching a game.”
Kenadie whipped her head to focus on Zander. “Where did you take her?”
“And since when did you become my mother?” Zander smirked.
“It was a barbecue place on Orchard Street,” I intervened. There was this underlying tension at the table that made me uncomfortable.
“Love that place,” Jason jumped in. “It’s where I met Kenadie.” He kissed the top of his fiancée’s head. Kenadie seemed to relax under his touch. She gave me a smile. “Did you like it?”
“It was good.”
“She’s lying,” Zander said playfully. “And now she has to prove to me that she can make a better beef brisket.”
“Oh, so you’re going out again.” Mrs. Marshall smiled, pleased at the thought.
Cissy and Adelaide nodded their approval with big grins.
Mrs. Marshall stroked my arm. “You are a pretty girl.”
Zander tugged at his collar. “You know I’m never settling down. Meg’s just helping me keep my reputation up as a ruthless player.”
Mrs. Marshall wagged her finger at Zander, but she spoke to me. “Is that true, dear?”
“No, ma’am.”
Jason laughed. “Sounds like you better get your story straight, man.”
Zander gave me a smile. “She’ll come around, don’t worry.”
I rolled my eyes at him.
“Why do I think that’s going to be the other way around?” Mrs. Marshall smiled at me.
“Did we come here to eat ice cream or not?” Zander ignored Mrs. Marshall’s surprising comment.
“We already ordered.” Kenadie handed me a menu from the other side of the table.
“Thank you. What’s good here?”
“Jason and I always get butter brickle, and butthead always orders sorbet.”
“Not tonight,” Zander announced. “I skipped the beer at dinner, so I have some calories to spend.”
I was touched that he didn’t take a sip of his beer after I told him about my mom.
Both Jason and Kenadie seemed surprised by his admission, but Kenadie voiced hers. “Really? What’s gotten into you?”
“Again, you aren’t my mother or my boss, oh wait.” He gave her an evil grin. “I guess you are, but we’re off the clock.”
I decided I’d better look at the menu. I couldn’t tell if Zander and Kenadie were playing or if there was an issue between them, mainly the fact that I was there. Everything on the menu looked great, but I decided on a scoop of the mint chocolate chip. Zander ordered a chocolate shake.
Once our orders were taken, I felt like all the attention fell on me.
Cissy, who was next to me, was first to speak. “Tell us, sweetheart, where you’re from and about your family.”
“Wyoming, ma’am. My dad, and my older and younger brother still live there.”
“And what about your momma?” Adelaide asked.
“She passed away when I was fourteen.”
Everyone at the table gave me a sorrowful look. “We are sorry to hear that, dear.” Mrs. Marshall squeezed my hand. “Now tell us, where do you go to church?”
That was one thing about living in the South. It seemed like almost everyone asked if you had a church to go to.
“I honestly haven’t been in a while. I used to go with my aunt, but she’s recently married and traveling.”
“You’re just going to have to come with us.” Mrs. Marshall stared hard at Zander. “And you should come too, young man.”
“Now, you know if I go more than twice a year, God will send hellfire and burn the place down. That’s why Kenz can’t have her wedding there.”
Kenadie’s eyes screamed at Zander. It was obviously something she didn’t want mentioned.
“I still can’t believe we’re having it at the country club.” Mrs. Marshall sounded like she might cry.
“Momma, God is everywhere. And you know why I can’t get married at the church.”
Jason put his arm around Kenadie in a protective fashion. Kenadie had been left at the altar there. Or at least that’s what Cara told me.
“Fine, Kenadie Anne, but at least tell me you found some more bridesmaids besides Lana.” Lana was Kenadie’s niece. I had met her before at the office and Kenadie spoke of her often.
Kenadie rolled her eyes. It really did look a lot like me. “I told you, all I need is Lana.”
“Now Kennie,” Cissy spoke. “The wedding won’t look right with Jason having five groomsmen and you only having one bridesmaid.”
Kenadie ran her fingers through her damp hair. “I knew we should have eloped.”
Mrs. Marshall smacked her arm. “Don’t even think about it.”
“I love you, Momma.” Kenadie smirked.
Jason whispered something into Kenadie’s ear and she blushed. I was jealous. I wanted a man to whisper in my ear.
Zander gave me a grin. He seemed to be enjoying the show.
“Why don’t you ask some of the girls you work with?” Mrs. Marshall turned her sights toward me. And before Kenadie or I could say a word, the Nanettes went crazy.
“Oh, yes.” Cissy smoothed my hair with her hand and then touched my face. “The champagne colored dress will go perfect with her dark hair and olive skin.”
“And she’s the perfect height to stand next to Lana.”
I shook my head and braved a look at Kenadie who was surprisingly not frowning. She shrugged her shoulders. “Why not? Do you mind, Meg?”
“Um . . .”
“Of course she doesn’t,” Mrs. Marshall answered for me. “We’ll take her measurements after she comes to church with us on Sunday.”
I looked at Zander, who was beyond amused at the events that had just taken place. He threw his arms around Cissy and Adelaide and they giggled. “I knew you ladies wouldn’t disappoint me tonight.”
Chapter Four
“Well, that was fun, darlin’.” Zander was barely controlling his laughter on the drive home.
“Do you think Kenadie’s upset that I’m going to be one of her bridesmaids? I don’t know her that well and she’s my boss.”
“Kenadie and Jason just want to get married. They don’t care about what happens at the ceremony. The ceremony is for Nan, so as long as she’s happy, that’s all that counts.”
“I still don’t think Kenadie is thrilled with the idea, or the fact I came tonight.”
“She likes you. It’s me. She’s worried I’ll tick you off and you’ll quit.”
“I could see that being a possibility, at least the ticking off part.”
“I’d be disappointed if I didn’t.”
“I used to think my brothers were the most arrogant men alive, but I do believe you deserve the crown.”
He gave a slight bow while driving. “I accept. King of arrogance has a nice ring to it.”
“Only you would think so.”
He pulled into my apartment complex’s parking lot and stopped in front of the lamppost outside
of my building. He didn’t even put his car in park, but he turned toward me. “Do you need me to walk you to your door?”
“Need? No. But if this was really a date, I would expect you to.”
“And what else would you expect?” His smile was smoldering.
“Hold my hand on the way up, a kiss goodnight, and a promise to call.”
“I’ve rarely held a woman’s hand and I never kiss a woman—”
“What?”
“You didn’t let me finish, darlin’. You see, holding a woman’s hand is more intimate than kissing. It says you’re in a relationship, or you want to be. And I’ve kissed more than my fair share of women, but they always kiss me first.”
“Are you telling the truth?”
“I swear on my crown of arrogance.”
“You really are arrogant. I think I should be helping women stay away from you, not protecting you from them.”
He laughed. “It’s not my fault I’m irresistible. I make no promises. When I go out with a woman, she knows what she’s getting.”
“And you don’t ever want anything more than that?”
“If there is a woman out there who has it in her to make me kiss her first, then I might think about it.”
“What if she doesn’t want you?”
He leaned in closer. “I’m not worried.”
“Goodnight, Zander.”
I opened the car door to get out.
“Hey.” He tugged on my sweater. “If you ever want to kiss me, I wouldn’t say no.”
I turned back toward him. “If ever we did kiss, it would be you who kissed me.”
“Is that a challenge?”
“No. Just the way it is.”
“We’ll see.”
I got out of his car and shut the door. I swore I heard him laugh as he sped off. I walked upstairs to my apartment, not sure what to think of Zander. He was a lot of fun and easy to talk to. But so full of himself, which I already knew from work, but on a personal level it was different. And how did I get roped into being in Kenadie’s wedding? I wasn’t even sure if I would get an invitation. Mrs. Marshall reminded Kenadie tonight they needed to get those out as soon as possible. Kenadie really did seem nonchalant about the whole thing, except for her desire to be married to Jason. They were really into each other and basically ignored everyone else when they could.
I wanted to have that all-consuming kind of love. I thought maybe Lucas and I would have that until he started showing his true colors. Maybe he was the king of arrogance. At least Zander was upfront about what kind of a guy he really was. Lucas put on a good show, thinking he could get what he wanted out of me by playing his cards right. Until he learned I was a much better card player. There were certain things I never intended a man to win. But he almost had me fooled. I still shuddered thinking about how one little action saved me from making the biggest mistake of my life. What if I hadn’t noticed? I shook the thought out of my mind.
I curled up on the couch with Jasper and flipped on the TV. Netflix binge it was. I scratched Jasper’s head. “What did you think about Zander, besides his obvious dislike for you?” Jasper purred and nudged me with his head. “I bet he does have women purring. You know, Jasper, I could give him a run for his money. I know he thinks I’ll be begging for his kisses. I have no doubt he would be a skillful kisser, but there is no way I’ll be kissing him. But what if I get him to kiss me? Even if it means nothing to him or me?”
Did that make me shallow like him?
I thought about it while digesting a heavy diet of romance movies. After all, we were statistically improbable, so it wouldn’t be like anyone would get hurt. He would be getting a taste of his own medicine and I would get him out of my system. It sounded like a good plan.
Saturday saw me adulting. I felt like I had been doing it a lot longer than I should have been. Maybe that’s why everyone thought I was older than I really was. When mom died, I took over most of the cooking and cleaning. I knew dad felt guilty about it. I was sure it was one of the reasons he sent me here. But I didn’t mind helping out. Even when the boys complained about the food. Dad worked too hard and I wanted to do my part.
I had some extra spending money, so I decided to buy a new dress for Sunday since most of my dresses were for warmer weather. Zander mentioned that the Marshalls always dressed up for church. I appreciated the tip. October in Atlanta was relatively warm, a lot warmer than Wyoming. Dad said they already had one storm dump a foot of snow last week. I was still running in shorts most mornings.
I found a beautiful burgundy sheath dress that was form-fitting, but sophisticated. That’s what the lady at the store said. All I knew was I felt pretty in it.
The rest of the day had me doing homework. I had to write a paper for my last English class as a college student. Less than a year, I kept reminding myself as I wrote and revised for hours on end.
I was nervous on Sunday as I drove back out to Flowery Branch by myself. I felt like an interloper, but Mrs. Marshall had personally called me to make sure I was coming and to invite me to lunch afterward so that her friend Cissy could take my measurements. Cissy was a seamstress and she was making all the gowns, including Kenadie’s wedding dress.
Their church was exactly what I pictured a southern church to look like, white with grand columns, and a belfry to match. The parking lot was about full when I arrived, so I parked in the back. I walked in to the crunch of the leaves that littered the parking lot, though there were still plenty of multi-colored trees surrounding the church’s property. I loved this time of year. But with the holidays approaching, it made me long for home. I had visited in the summer, so vacation time and money were short. I would be spending the season here. It wasn’t all bad. I had friends and Aunt Beth.
I was greeted by the pastor’s wife when I walked in the door. She was lovely, as was the inside of the old church. The chapel area was to die for in rich cherry wood. It was a shame that Kenadie had such bad memories of the beautiful place. But I didn’t blame her for not wanting to be married where she was once dumped at the altar. What kind of person does that anyway? Couldn’t you do that beforehand?
Mrs. Marshall caught my eye and waved me over to the pew where she, Kenadie, and Jason sat. Kenadie gave me a small smile and Jason was all grins. He was probably the happiest person I had ever met.
I sat at the end near Mrs. Marshall, between her and Kenadie. She introduced me to her son, Rick, and his girlfriend, Renee, who had two boys, Heath and Cole. Lana, his seventeen-year-old daughter was also there, but I had met her before. She was Kenadie’s mini-me, except her hair was darker and she had stunning blue eyes instead of brown like her aunt’s. They were a beautiful family.
Mrs. Marshall patted my leg. “You look gorgeous this morning, dear.”
“Thank you.” I missed the affection of a mother. “You do too.”
She waved her hand. “Just trying to defy gravity for a few more years.”
“You’re doing a good job.”
“I’m keeping you if you keep talking like that.”
Kenadie leaned over and whispered in my ear. “Did Zander behave himself on Friday night?”
“Define ‘behave’.”
Her eyes widened.
I smiled. “He didn’t do or say anything that shocked me.”
Relief washed over her pretty face. “Like I said, be careful. Despite his buttheaded nature, he’s alluring, and I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“Don’t worry about me. I have his number.”
She nodded, impressed.
The sermon was about unity and loving your neighbor. I appreciated the thoughtful words. Even more, I liked the warmth of Mrs. Marshall. And her red lipstick was on point. She strung her arm through mine at the end of the service. “I hope you like pot roast and noise.”
“I love both.”
“Perfect. You can follow us over to the house. Jason is such a dear and insists on driving me to church.” She placed her hand across her heart.
“I love that man.”
“Should I be worried, Momma?” Kenadie teased.
“Maybe if I were thirty years younger.” She winked at Jason.
Jason took Kenadie’s hand and kissed it. Kenadie blushed. They were too cute.
“Are you sure you don’t mind me coming over for lunch?”
Mrs. Marshall waved her hand. “The more the merrier. Besides, we need to get your measurements, and,” I detected a glint of mischief in her eyes, “Zander is coming.”
“Are you trying to persuade me not to come?”
Kenadie and Jason both laughed.
Mrs. Marshall smiled, but in a secretive sort of way. “Yes, yes. I think my instincts are right about you.”
I tilted my head. “Right about what?”
“That you’re perfect.”
No one had ever called me perfect, well maybe my dad, but he was biased.
I followed the whole Marshall crew to a lovely ranch-style home out in the country. The property was gorgeous, filled with trees with fall leaves that looked like they were glowing. Not to mention the pond and well-kept brick home. I pulled around to the back like everyone else. The first thing I noticed was Zander, waiting outside his car looking at his phone. He smiled when he saw everyone pull up.
I was surprised to see that Renee’s boys, Heath and Cole, ran to him first and gave him fist bumps. His profile indicated he wasn’t too sure about children. But I knew his ex-girlfriend had a daughter. Maybe he just didn’t want any of his own. And I would say that was a good idea given his admission that he wanted to have as much fun with as many women as possible. I watched from my car, though, as the boys were animatedly telling Zander a story. Zander gave them his full attention and laughed along with them. I’m not going to lie, it was kind of adorable.
Zander caught me staring at the scene and gave me a smirk before walking over to my truck. I supposed it was a good time to get out. I probably looked foolish for not getting out right away, but I was caught off guard by Zander. And I was drawn to him.
He looked nice in well-fitting jeans and a blue sweater. I had to hand it to him, he knew how to dress well. Even Friday night when he was more than casual, he still looked put together.
[Dating by Design 02.0] Statistically Improbable Page 3