The words died in his throat as his lecherous cousin entered the room beside his mother. He’d gotten cocky when he told off Dirk and informed him about the wedding. He’d kept his mother completely out of the loop. She’d always expected him to marry a debutante bride of her choosing. She’d confronted him about his relationship with Mira last month, and he’d been too exhausted to lie. She’d had plenty of energy to voice her disproval.
“Mother,” he said, refusing to acknowledge the insipid ass who’d driven him to this. “I wasn’t expecting you.”
“As is usually the case with uninvited guests, Callum. Yet I see no reason why I should let social niceties keep me from the wedding of my only child.”
Bert rose and offered up his seat before moving to stand behind his wife.
“Shall I sit, darling? Or would you object?” She emphasized the word far too much for his liking. Mira was only tenuously in this; an objection from his mother might throw everything off. No telling what story his sycophant cousin had told her. If she knew he was doing this to save the department stores she loved more than anything, hell, she would have planned the event herself.
“By all means, Mother. This is a moment none of us will ever forget.” He cast a glance at the idiot he planned to disinherit first thing Monday morning, wishing he could plant a fist in Dirk’s smirking face and a boot up his ass. The thrill of that would be fleeting, while erasing the bastard from the family tree would be infinitely more rewarding. Straightforward, cutthroat, and long overdue.
The wedding planner proved her worth as two tuxedoed waiters each carried in a chair and added them to the semicircle. Tonya clasped her hands in front of her as everyone shuffled into their seats. The waiters pulled the curtains, revealing floor-to-ceiling windows looking out at the famed fountains of the Las Vegas Strip. On cue, the fountains shot up, water dancing and swirling to Mendelssohn’s “Wedding March.”
All according to plan, except the officiant hadn’t appeared. As full service as Tonya was, perhaps she’d handle the legalities herself. He didn’t particularly care, so long as it happened as soon as possible. After Miranda said “I do” they could explain their marriage plan to their friends and he could send his intruding family back to New York.
The door to the room where Mira had been getting ready opened. Cal held his breath, anticipation tightening his body like a fist. And then Elvis appeared.
Gold lamé Elvis with a pompadour adding three inches to his lack of height. He swung his hips with every step as he entered the room. Laughter broke out and Cal couldn’t help but join in. He cast a glance at Tonya, who actually cracked a smile.
“Welcome to Las Vegas, everybody.” Elvis had a pretty good impersonation going. He struck a pose that turned the laughter into a roar. “Thank you, thank you very much.”
His mother stood, and if looks could kill, he’d have a toe tag. “Is this some kind of joke?”
The laughter died faster than a wink. Though the wedding march played on, the mood sank, anchored down by Bridie Kerr’s ever-present disapproval. If he hadn’t spent the last thirty-five years treading water with her, he might have let it get to him.
“Ladies and gentlemen,” Elvis continued, unfazed. “Get on your feet. I present to you, the bride!”
Miranda stepped into the room and his heart stuttered. She wasn’t a surprise to him, and yet he found himself joining in the collective gasp. He’d never expected to be taken aback by how she looked. After all, he’d seen her in that dress six months ago. Maybe adding the skirt to the dress made the difference, or the way the tartan flashed with every step as she made her way toward him. Or maybe this was how it felt to see your best friend on her wedding day, all dolled up and more beautiful than you’d ever realized.
“Boo-yah!” Dave pumped a fist in the air, before getting nudged in the ribs by his wife. “Sorry.”
Mira took her place beside him and shot him an annoyed look before turning to face the group, mirth dancing in her hazel eyes. “We’re all pretending to be adults here, so I’m sure there wasn’t a bet. But if there was, all of you owe me the same amount you do Dave. Double down, people.”
The laughter returned, to everyone but his relatives. He leaned close to Mira. “That was pure dead brilliant. Someone ought to marry you.”
She turned that megawatt smile on him, dimples pressing into her rosy cheeks. “You should probably fast forward to that bit before I change my mind or your mother realizes what is happening and fakes a case of the vapors or something.”
“Right.” He linked her arm in his and faced the music. “Elvis, we’re ready when you are.”
Dread knotted Miranda’s stomach as Bridie Kerr approached, flanked by Dirk the Dimwit. She should have known better than to shove a whipped cream–topped waffle in Cal’s face. He’d tucked away to wash up and now she was face-to-face with the woman who’d always pointedly refused to acknowledge her. Not that Bridie was cordial to any of Cal’s friends, but Mira had always felt especially dismissed.
She brushed her hands down the silk of her skirt and refused to be held hostage to her feelings of inadequacy. This was her one and only wedding, damn it, and she knew better than to think she could get rid of Bridie Kerr before the crone had said her piece.
Her newly minted mother-in-law clasped her frigid hands around Mira’s upper arms, pulling her close to air kiss both her cheeks. She leaned even closer and whispered, “You’re welcome, my dear.”
Confusion must have been written all over her face. Before she could think of a response to such a bizarre statement, Bridie spoke again.
“Of course, nothing actually changes until you’ve given us a son. But this is a good start.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” A son? Cal had repeatedly told her he had no desire to ever have children. And with her history, she’d turned her biological clock off years ago.
“Never think my son will tell you everything. He always holds something back.” She straightened to the regal posture that always reminded Mira of a queen from a bygone era. As did her notion of children being a required chapter two in the book of marriage.
“Cal and I won’t be having children.” It might be too direct, but she didn’t care to debate the issue.
“You will.” She nodded. “Soon.”
Endometriosis had blocked that path years ago. She’d accepted it, and she didn’t care for it to be an ongoing conversation. “I’m not sure what you have planned, but I can’t get pregnant. And this isn’t really any of your business.”
Two lines appeared between the older woman’s drawn-on eyebrows. “You can’t have a child?”
“Not without a level of medical intervention I’m uncomfortable with.” She’d suffered through procedures to ease her symptoms, but the only thing that brought relief were the birth control pills that allowed freedom from the pain for a few months at a time.
“All the better. That way, we can ensure you have a boy.” She clasped her hands together as if a decision had been made.
Cal embraced her as if from nowhere, and she welcomed the rescue. “Why have you cornered my wife?” He squeezed her tighter as he gazed down at her, smiling as if all his dreams had just come true. “Wife. What do you think, doll? Should I start calling you that?”
She raised a brow at him, not sure she liked him using a term that meant nothing to him. He wasn’t a husband, she wasn’t a wife. They were just married. And now she wondered if he’d chosen her for the very reason that she couldn’t have children. Damn, she needed a drink.
“Congratulations, Callum.” Dirk the Dunce offered a hand. Cal let it hang there, limp in the air.
“Now, son, there is no need for rudeness.” Bridie patted Dirk on his shoulder. “I was welcoming Miranda to the family. Isn’t that what you’d want me to do?”
“This scene didn’t look welcoming from my angle. Let her be, Mother. It’s our wedding.”
“I was just caught off guard by how little you have share
d with your wife. Does she even know why you had to rush into this marriage?”
Cal released her, lowering his head and his voice to a quiet growl. “Mira knows more about my inheritance than you do, or you wouldn’t be standing beside this trash.”
“Never assume what I know, Callum. As a woman, I think you should have told her that you don’t have the ability to change the estate until you’ve produced an heir. Women are not brood mares, son, no matter what your father may have thought.”
“Not to worry. I’ll never do what was done to me. I do hope you have a safe flight home.” Cal gripped Dirk’s arm and led him to the door, his mother trailing behind. The revelry of their friends hushed as the Kerrs made their exit.
Molly came toward Mira, offering up a glass of champagne. “Are you okay? This whole thing is so . . .”
“Perfect?” She laid the sarcasm on thick, then drained the flute, wondering if she could get the waiters to pour it into a pint glass. She rarely drank, but talking about infertility with your monster-in-law certainly called for it.
“Not the word I would have chosen. Unexpected, maybe?”
“To you and me both, sister.” She turned to look at her friend. “Who did you put your money on in the bet?”
“We already got married, let’s run away.” Cal stood behind Mira and whispered in her ear. He ran his hands up and down her bare arms, trying ease the tension still gnawing at him. He’d thought it was the wedding, or his mother’s surprise visit, but the wedding went better than he’d hoped and his mother had left.
Whenever their group of friends gathered together they fell into a fun vibe. Easy, happy, comfortable. Except this time everyone seemed to be looking at him sideways, conversations shifted whenever he neared, and every time he touched Mira he was acutely aware he’d never done it in public before.
She turned and looked up at him, hazel eyes narrowed in suspicion. “You don’t want to be alone with me right now. All I want to do is shake you until your brain rattles.”
Dave saved him from certain death by standing on a chair and clapping his hands. “Okay, now that the queen mother has left, I think Cal and Mira need to fill us in on this surprise party.”
Everyone that mattered in his life turned their gaze on him, including his bride. His skin prickled and his mind spun with what to say. He should have prepared some kind of explanation. But he’d been focused on getting Mira to say “I do.”
“Who wouldn’t want to marry Miranda? She’s fantastic.” Thank goodness she was facing him, or everyone would have been witness to her exaggerated eye roll.
Tina tugged her husband down from his perch. “We all agree Miranda is amazing. But you throw a surprise birthday party, not a surprise wedding.”
“I’m not much for tradition.” He smiled and hoped the third degree would stop.
“Says the man in the kilt.” Mira shook her head and turned back to their friends. “The truth is, we’ve been keeping things from all of you for a long while. Since first year, actually.”
“How long?” Helen placed her hands on her hips.
“Remember when I taught him to drive?” The group exchanged incredulous glances. “For goodness’ sake, I’m not some kind of hag.”
“It’s not that, Mira.” Helen tilted her head, staring at her as if she’d just announced she’d been to Mars and back. “It’s like you’re revising our history. I’ve set you up on dates, and Cal has, you know, been Cal. And your wedding kiss was perfunctory, not passionate.”
If he’d tried to actually kiss her, Mira would have bit him. She’d gone through with it, but she wasn’t happy about it. He cleared his throat. “This has gone off the rails. Let’s just say Mira and I have been working on our relationship for a long time. We kept it to ourselves because, well, we didn’t want judgments or opinions. And this conversation illustrates why. So, yes, we’re married. Be happy about it.”
Molly held her belly as she moved closer. “Guys, we’re all just a bit shocked. We love you both, and love you together. It’s just that we thought you two were so far in the friend zone, there was no spark.”
A laugh rumbled through him until Mira elbowed him in the ribs. Hard. He took a step back. She’d probably stomp her heel into his foot next.
“How the hell are you supposed to have a passionate kiss when you’re between Elvis and an audience? I’m sorry we didn’t tell you.” She sighed and shook her head. “Molly, I’m sorry we broke the shelf in your pantry. Helen, we do know how the flower girl baskets got dumped. And—”
“You’re the ones my dad heard having sex before my wedding!” Tina’s expression battled between humor and indignation. “He still thinks it was us. You were in a church, for goodness’ sake.”
Mira gave an exaggerated shrug. “He has a thing for this dress.”
“Does this mean you’re moving?” Molly rubbed her baby bump.
“No,” they answered in unison.
“We’re both keeping our own places,” Mira explained. “I know it’s not typical, but it works for us. We’re not changing anything, just making things official.”
Dave and Bert gave him the evil eye as the women hugged and whispered congratulations. He couldn’t blame them, if he’d had to watch Mira marry someone under dubious circumstances, he’d be suspicious too. Suspicious, and damn near homicidal.
“Blackjack or roulette?” Mira waved her cash in the air, the second glass of champagne silencing her anxieties. She’d deal with Cal, and his mother’s baby issues, later.
“You hate to gamble.” Molly looked at her sideways, but then, she was the only one still sober.
“This is payback for y’all not thinking Cal should marry me. I am going to take everything I won in your stupid bet, and gamble it all at once!”
Rob wrapped his arm around his wife’s shoulders. “Why would we think you’d marry this lunk? I bet he’d hired a bride like in some movie.”
“Yes, I know.” Molly had filled her in on the speculation from a hired bride to a stripper. At least Dave had thought to mention her, even if it was only in jest.
Cal stepped behind her, his big hand covering the small of her back. “Let’s not wave money around, doll.”
“You’re my husband, not my keeper.” She reached for the train of her dress and undid the brooch. She let the fabric go, which he caught in his hand. “So if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to get drunk and hit the casino. Don’t wait up.”
It wasn’t until she made it to the elevator that she wished she’d grabbed her purse; she might need her room key or credit cards. She’d planned on betting all the money, but now she’d have to budget some for more champagne. Tina and Dave caught up to her as the elevator doors parted.
“Oh good, you can buy my drinks. Because it’s my wedding day.” She leaned against the back of the elevator and realized two glasses of champagne wasn’t adequate to get her drunk enough to deal with anything. She looked down at the diamond bigger than a marble Cal had put on her hand. She would have never chosen something so ostentatious or heavy or stunning.
“Sure thing, princess.” Tina stood next to her while Dave did his best to avoid eye contact in the mirrored walls. “Since we didn’t get to have a bachelorette party, it’s time for a bridal party.”
“How did you know?” she asked the back of Dave’s head. Molly said he’d been joking, but his posture told a different story.
He met her gaze in the mirrors. “I saw him kiss you goodbye at the airport.”
“When?” Public displays of affection were not their MO.
“Third year, when he went to Scotland. I was coming back from Toronto. I thought you’d both come to pick me up, until the kiss. Which was better than the one he gave you at your wedding.”
Her body jolted in recognition. Cal had gone over to convince his father Kentigern Castle was worth saving.
“Holy crap, Dave. You never told me that.” Tina had a hand on one hip, the other clutching her handbag.
“I didn
’t know you then, and I didn’t think they were still at it.” The doors opened and he stepped out into the din of the casino floor. They followed him as he wove his way through slot machines to the bar. Dance music pulsed through them, a go-go dancer strutting around a pole in the middle of the bar. “Double Jim, neat.” He yelled toward the bartender, then turned back to them with a raised eyebrow.
“Champagne,” Tina said, taking her husband’s hand and squeezing.
“Pour mine into a pint glass.” Because it was her wedding, damn it, and she couldn’t bear to think about what that meant. She’d need more than the few sips in a flute if the alcohol had any chance of shutting her mind down. The only other thing that worked was sex, and she was so not going there with Cal right now.
The bartender balked at her request, so Dave leaned in to plead her case. No wonder he was such an amazing prosecutor. Her pint of bubbly was poured before anything else.
She took the glass and turned to survey the floor. The roulette table seemed crowded, but there were two bored blackjack dealers. She turned to tell Tina where she was headed and spied the rest of their party headed their way. Her groom looked especially annoyed. Perfect.
She raised her glass and shouted, “Blackjack!”
By the time she reached the empty table, the horde had gathered behind her. She set her bills on the table and took a long draw from her glass. Which gave her the hiccups.
Dave took the seat next to her and set down his winnings. “Just us,” he said to the dealer. “They already lost their money.”
Cards appeared and she held her breath, forcing the hiccups to go away. The dealer showed a ten. She’d planned on losing their money, but she’d hoped there would at least be some buildup. Poor Dave showed a four while she had a jack. She checked her other card, another jack.
“When in Vegas,” she said as she flipped over her card and pushed them apart. “Husband, you should pay for this one.” She grinned at the double meaning. To his credit, Cal ponied up the cash without protest. As he should. Everyone else had lost two hundred, he ought to be in the game.
Just Married (More than Friends) Page 5