Vicki would have come with me, but with the wedding and work, she was already feeling overwhelmed. And while I probably should have stayed with her to make sure she didn’t pull her hair out, it was nice to get away from the madness for a little while.
Well, the wedding madness, anyway.
A kid shrieked by, arms flailing, as he ran toward an older couple who were waiting on him with dopey grins on their faces. A heavily burdened woman carrying both her luggage, as well as her son’s, trailed after. She flashed me an apologetic smile before joining the happy reunion.
I watched them a moment longer before glancing at the clock yet again. I doubted my reunion would be full of shrieking and crying, but who knew?
A voice came over the loudspeaker then, announcing that the flight I’d been waiting on had arrived.
A rush of nervousness nearly had me sinking down into the nearest chair. My mouth was dry and my hands were shaking bad enough, I ended up clutching them behind my back so no one would see. I suddenly wished I would have taken more time to get ready. I’d settled on shorts and a nice blouse, going with my usual limited makeup. I was beginning to wonder if I should have gone with a skirt instead. Or maybe a dress. What if I gave everyone the wrong impression, that I didn’t think them worthy of my time and effort?
A mental slap forced the thoughts from my head. I had a good reason to be nervous, but that was no excuse to start freaking out.
Tapping my foot, I waited, watching the gate. It seemed to take forever before the first passenger exited. And then it was another lifetime before the main reason for my coming appeared.
The man was bald, bearded, and looked much fitter than when I’d last seen him. His gut was gone, replaced by a flat stomach I hadn’t seen in years. He was wearing glasses now, something I wasn’t used to, and when he glanced my way, the eyes behind the lenses lit up.
“Krissy!” he called in his raspy voice, waving.
I waved back, unable to stop the grin from spreading across my face. “Dad!”
He took the hand of the woman next to him and I did a quick appraisal of her as he led her my way. She had a full head of ultra-curly brown hair that looked entirely natural. She was dressed casually, which I appreciated. She was younger than I’d expected, but not so much that I thought it strange she was dating my dad.
“Hi, Buttercup.” Dad gave me a quick hug. “I want you to meet Laura Dresden. Laura, this is my daughter, Kristina.”
“You can call me Krissy.”
“Krissy,” Laura beamed. “I’ve heard so much about you.” She hesitated a moment before stepping forward for a quick, semi-uncomfortable hug.
We parted and I glanced at my dad, who had a goofy grin on his face. James Hancock had never been one to act the part of a lovesick teenager, at least not since I’d known him. By the time I came along, he and Mom were well into the comfortable years where that sort of thing was uncommon. It was odd to see him look so dopey. Honestly, it was kind of cute.
“Was Vicki able to make it?” Dad asked, glancing around as if looking for her. More people piled off the plane, filling up the too small space. The Levington airport wasn’t all that big, so it didn’t take much.
“She had some things to take care of.” I looked past him. “Have you seen Gina and Frederick?” Vicki’s parents were due on the same flight as Dad, but I’d been so wrapped up in meeting him and Laura, I hadn’t been watching for them.
A look passed over Dad’s face, causing me to grow nervous.
“They’re coming, right?” I asked. It would be just like them to cancel at the last minute.
“They are,” Dad assured me. “They’re around here somewhere, but . . .” He trailed off and frowned.
It took me a moment of scanning the crowd before I saw Gina’s blond curls. Frederick stood next to her, his hair dyed a dark brown. They were talking to a rather large group of people in a way that seemed awfully familiar considering they were supposed to have come alone.
Dad sighed when he followed my gaze and noticed them. “I told them they should call first.”
“Who are they talking to?” I asked. I was expecting to greet four people, not a dozen.
“Friends of theirs, apparently. I think one of them might be family, but they weren’t keen on introducing me.” Dad put an arm around Laura’s shoulder, seemed to remember I was standing there, and dropped it. He was acting as nervous as I’d been the first time I’d brought a boy home to meet my parents.
“Why are they here?” I wondered out loud. Vicki had been pretty adamant about having a small wedding. When I’d suggested she contact her entire family, as well as everyone she’d known when she’d lived in California, she’d balked.
“I hardly know anyone there anymore,” she’d said. “And I don’t want to. I don’t think I could handle all the drama.”
And yet, here we were.
Gina happened to glance my way and her smile faltered. She nudged Frederick, who followed her gaze before closing his eyes, as if counting to ten, before he nodded. They said something to the group, and then headed over my way.
“Here we go,” I muttered. Laura snorted a laugh, and I instantly liked her for it. If you knew anything about Gina and Frederick Patterson, you knew how difficult they could be.
I plastered on a smile, one I’d mastered while working in retail nearly all my life. I hoped it didn’t look too fake, but I could already feel it start to falter.
“Kristina,” Gina said, coming to a stop. She was dressed to kill, of course, head held high as if she expected everyone in the airport to worship her. She was still stunning, even at her age, and she knew it.
Unfortunately, her looks could only carry her so far. She was an actress who thought she deserved better roles than what she ever landed. If you’d seen her act, you’d understand why she never got anything more than a bit part.
Frederick was likewise handsome, though years of the good life had apparently started to play havoc with his figure. Like his wife, his acting skills weren’t quite up to par, meaning he often played fourth of fifth fiddle to people who might not look as good as he did.
“Where’s Vicki?” he asked. “I thought she’d be here.”
“She was busy,” I said, not wanting to tell them the real reason why she hadn’t come. She didn’t get along with her parents all that much, mostly because of how they treated her. She still loved them, of course, but she could only take so much. They thought she’d made the biggest mistake in the world by not following in their footsteps. I used to wonder if they might be right, but no longer. “She’ll be waiting for us in Pine Hills.”
“I see.” The disapproval was heavy in Gina’s voice. “Why are you here?”
My smile grew strained. “I thought I’d make sure everyone got here okay.”
“Did you now?” Gina sniffed, sighed.
“I’ll get our things,” Laura said, clearly uncomfortable around the haughty actors.
“I’ll come with you,” Dad put in.
I gave him a betrayed look, to which he only smiled and winked. I couldn’t believe he was going to leave me alone with these people. I often wondered if Gina and Frederick lived for insulting me. They rarely outright called me names, so that was a plus, I supposed. It was obvious they thought I was the reason their daughter had turned away from acting.
“Who are all those people?” I asked, nodding toward the men and women the Pattersons had been talking to.
“They’re here for the wedding,” Frederick said as if it was obvious. “Why else would they come to a place like this?” His nose crinkled as if the mere thought of flying all this way offended him. Neither he nor his wife had bothered to come to Pine Hills before, not even in support of their daughter, let alone Levington.
“Vicki wanted to keep the wedding small,” I said, knowing it was no use to point it out, but feeling the need to say it anyway.
Gina sniffed. She did that a lot when talking to people she felt beneath her, which was to say
, to nearly everyone. “She clearly forgot a few invitations. She would never have left such important people out.”
I wondered. I’d lived in California with Vicki and I didn’t know any of these people. If they were so important, especially to the family, then I was pretty sure I would have met one of them during one of the many parties the couple would throw celebrating themselves and their movies. I didn’t recognize a single face, not even a little.
A woman approached the group as I watched. Two of the group, a man and woman, turned away and acted as if they didn’t see her. She didn’t seem to mind, choosing instead to approach one of the men, who pointed toward Gina. The woman nodded and then hurried over to where we stood with a decided bounce in her step.
“There you are,” Gina said, giving the woman a brief hug. “I can’t believe they put you in coach. We missed you in first class.”
The woman reached into a bag she was holding and popped a chocolate ball into her mouth. She chewed a moment before answering. “It was uncomfortable, but I managed.” She spoke in a hurried tone, as if she was afraid someone would cut her off before she finished. She was a tall woman, makeup dark and severe, as was her short haircut.
“Still, you should complain,” Gina said. “Just because they lost your information, doesn’t mean you should be punished.”
“I’d sue,” Frederick added.
“It’s no bother.” The woman waved her hand dismissively. “I’ll be sure to file a complaint and make sure they understand I’ll accept no further screwups lest I stop flying with them.” She glanced around the airport. “Awfully small, isn’t it?”
“It’s no wonder,” Gina said. “Can you imagine trying to live out here? I looked out the window on the way in and thought we’d somehow been transported to a Third World country!”
“Or somewhere in Idaho,” Frederick said with a superior smile.
“And this town, Pine Hilltop, it’s supposed to be smaller?”
“Pine Hills,” I said, drawing all their eyes. I think they’d forgotten about me.
“And you are?” the woman asked, clearly miffed at being interrupted.
“Krissy Hancock,” I said. “Vicki’s best friend.”
“Oh.” She glanced at Gina as if for confirmation.
I could almost see the “unfortunately” in her nod.
I waited for someone to introduce the woman, but it didn’t appear as if either of the Pattersons were willing, so I asked her myself. “You are . . . ?”
The woman popped a few more chocolates into her mouth. She shifted the bag and I noted she was eating chocolate covered espresso beans. My mouth watered.
“Cathy Carr.” She said it like she couldn’t believe I didn’t know her by sight alone.
Having never heard her name before, I looked to Gina.
She heaved a put-upon sigh. “You don’t know Cathy Carr, do you?”
I shrugged, feeling stupid. The Pattersons had a way of doing that to me.
“She’s only the most important wedding planner in all of the United States,” Gina said.
“The world, actually,” Cathy said.
“Some call her the planner to the stars,” Frederick added.
“Okay,” I said, drawing out the word as I looked from one to the other. “So, why is she here?”
The Pattersons shared a look. It was Cathy who answered.
“I’m a wedding planner.” She spoke like she was talking to someone who was hard of hearing. “I’m here to plan the wedding.”
I looked to Gina. “But Vicki’s wedding is already planned.”
Gina flashed me a smile. “She doesn’t have a Cathy Carr planned wedding, now does she?”
“Well, no.” And as far as I knew, she didn’t want one.
“Of course she doesn’t,” Gina said, throwing her hands in the air. “That’s why we brought her along.”
“Vicki deserves the best,” Frederick said. “Cathy will look over what Vicki has planned already and improve upon it. It’s our gift to her.”
Another couple of chocolate covered beans entered Cathy’s mouth as she looked around the airport. “Is there a coffee shop around here somewhere?” she asked. “I desperately need a triple shot after that flight.”
“I don’t readily know,” Gina said, before turning to me. “Kristina?”
“Over there.” I pointed. “Take a left. You can’t miss it.”
Cathy nodded and hurried away, long legs flashing as she just about ran for the coffee. I was someone who loved her coffee, yet it appeared Cathy Carr had my addiction beat.
“Okay, Buttercup,” Dad said, rejoining us. “We have our bags and nothing is lost.” He held up a pair of suitcases as if in victory. Laura had a bag of her own.
“Perfect,” I said, turning to the Pattersons. “Does everyone have everything?”
Gina smiled. “Of course we do.”
“Then we should probably get going. The drive isn’t too long, but it’s quiet. It’s mostly trees and farms.”
Frederick looked appalled, while Gina visibly cringed.
“Does everyone know the way?” I asked, not wanting to lose someone along the way, though I doubted Vicki would mind if a few of the uninvited guests were to find somewhere else to be.
“We have GPS,” Gina said. She looked to her husband and I quite clearly saw her roll her eyes.
Keeping my smile firmly in place, I went on. “Vicki will be waiting for us at Death by Coffee. Once we’re in Pine Hills, we’ll meet there.” I was about to ask if they needed an address, but realized I’d only get a snooty response. I did feel the need to ask, “Does everyone have a ride?”
Gina only sighed and walked back to her group. Frederick hesitated and said, “We all have rentals.” He didn’t smile, but at least it came out somewhat civil. Of the two, I’d always liked him the best.
“Good. I’ll see you in Pine Hills.”
He nodded, and then went to join his wife. Cathy Carr appeared a moment later, carrying a large coffee, likely her triple shot espresso. She was still chewing away on the chocolate covered espresso beans.
It’ll be a wonder if she doesn’t explode before we get there. I loved caffeine, but this was ridiculous.
“Are you going to be okay driving alone?” Dad asked as we started for the rental car park.
“I’ll be fine,” I said. “I could use the time to figure out how I’m going to tell Vicki about all of them.” I nodded back toward the group who were just now starting to head for their cars.
He laughed. “I’m sure you’ll figure it out.” He paused, glancing back at Laura, who was walking a few feet behind us as if not wanting to interrupt father and daughter time. “I hope you like her,” he said, keeping his voice down.
“I’m sure I will,” I said, and I meant it. We hadn’t had chance to talk all that much as of yet, but from what I’d seen of her so far, I had a feeling we were going to get along just fine.
Dad put an arm around me and squeezed. “This is going to be a great week.” He breathed in deep, let it out in a happy sigh, and then released me. He held out a hand and Laura stepped forward to take it.
As I watched them walk together, I realized that despite the strain the Pattersons were putting on their daughter by bringing so many extras, it would all work out in the end. Happiness was contagious, and Dad and Laura were the epitome of happiness. Nothing could ruin Vicki’s wedding, not even a gaggle of annoying actors and actresses.
I would stop anyone who tried.
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Death by Eggnog Page 24