by Melissa Hill
And no matter how many years distanced her from them or how she had changed, the mere fact was that like it or not, Danielle was attached to her family through the invisible rope that tied them to her, now and always. She couldn’t forget about that.
A little while later she heard the patio door open, and temporarily her sun was blocked. She opened her eyes to be met with Zack’s tanned and handsome face. He stood above her, the sun at his back highlighting his blond hair and all-American good looks. He smiled at her, his teeth glowing white and perfect against his dark skin, his blue eyes sparkling.
Even in her current mood, Danielle couldn’t help but smile back.
‘What are you doing out here? I could have sworn I heard you talking to yourself,’ he said in a flat South Florida accent, the kind that Danielle herself had taken so much care to develop.
She shielded her eyes against the sun and patted the chair next to her. ‘Oh nothing, just enjoying the sunshine.’ She wondered if she should tell him about the conversation with Cara, but decided against it. He didn’t have to know about any of it. She rarely talked about her family to him anyway, and if this blasted wedding did happen, there was no way it would involve him. He was not going to meet her family, no way, no how.
‘No way,’ she muttered out loud, unbeknownst to herself.
Zack arched an eyebrow. ‘Sorry?’
She swallowed hard. ‘Just thinking out loud. That’s all.’
Please don’t press, she thought. She knew she was a terrible liar.
‘Anything I can help you with?’ he asked, but thankfully at that moment his BlackBerry chirped.
Saved by the bell, she thought, relieved.
‘Oh, I have to take this, sorry – what do you think about going out to dinner later? Maybe head down towards Miami?’
She nodded and smiled. ‘Sure. Go get that. I’ll be right in.’
He touched her cheek, and then turned his attention to his phone. ‘Cool.’
The moment Zack left she returned to her thoughts. She felt slightly guilty for not telling him about Cara’s call, but really, he was so cultured and worldly and completely removed from the kind of background she had that there was no way he would ever understand her family, or ever fully comprehend her history with them. It was just so complicated.
What’s more, over the years Danielle had worked very hard to make herself the person she was today, and she simply wasn’t prepared to let all that be stripped away. No way was she going to show Zack where she really came from.
If this wedding did take place close to home, she would bear the burden alone. She would fabricate a work trip; maybe create a client who was interested in property on St Lucia. That was it! Danielle sat forward as her mind raced. A quick weekend jaunt and then a deal that just happened to fall through at the last minute . . .
Easily done and Zack would be none the wiser about her nutty family or the skeletons from her past. Exactly how it needed to be.
Danielle hated to think of herself as unworthy of a good relationship, of something positive in her life . . . but she also knew who to blame for those feelings. Betty. All the therapy in the world couldn’t beat out of her head the insecurities her mother had instilled, not to mention the still-painful highlighting of her shortcomings.
‘What’s up?’ Zack asked, coming back out on to the balcony. ‘You look stressed.’
‘No, I’m fine, it’s nothing. I’m just thinking about work and a client – a somewhat frustrating client. But how’s your day been?’ she smiled, hoping that Zack would take the bait.
‘It’s been good. Is there anything I can help you out with?’ Zack was so incisive when it came to business. He was a self-made man, with an empire that he had created from scratch encompassing some of the most lucrative business ventures in the US. He was involved in a variety of real estate and land dealings, hotels and entertainment, as well as finance. He was often compared to a young Donald Trump, although with better hair and without all the kids and ex-wives – an up-and-comer who was intent on taking the business world by storm.
Danielle cheered inwardly. She could start planting the seeds now about this client – the one with the interest in property in St Lucia. The one that she just might have to assist on the island on September 12 of this year.
‘Oh, no I don’t think so,’ she said, straightening her shoulders, trying to project her usual confidence. ‘Really I just think this client is a pain in the ass, or at least has the potential to be. Interested in Caribbean property, St Lucia specifically.’
‘Well, that would probably be a nice commission,’ Zack commented mildly. ‘Who’s the client? Anyone I know?’
‘No, I wouldn’t think so. Name is, um . . . Ben Richardson,’ she said, thinking quickly, and combining the names of her brother and future brother-in-law.
Zack considered the name. ‘No, I don’t think I have heard of him. Who is he?’
Danielle fidgeted with her hands. She hated lying and now she was faced with a situation where she had to fabricate a person in order to spin a complicated story, all just to keep Zack from meeting her family. Was it worth it? she asked herself. She wondered for a moment what would happen if she just bit the bullet and let him meet them. She felt a shiver run down her spine. No, in this situation, the lie would definitely be better.
‘Oh, I think new money, definitely. Seems like a young guy who has lots of ideas and lots of cash that he likes to throw around. Kind of tacky, you know the type.’ She felt surprised by her answer and how easily the lie had tripped off her tongue; it had been effortless actually. Zack didn’t hold tacky people in high esteem; therefore he wouldn’t be interested.
Zack rolled his eyes. ‘Shame to ruin St Lucia with more idiots. What is he interested in?’
‘Oh, you know; ocean-front, marble floors, hot tub, stripper pole in the entertainment room, the works. Sounds like a cast member of Jersey Shore, doesn’t it?’ she added lightly, trying to drive home the idea.
‘Does he have money to spend though?’ Zack pressed.
She shrugged. ‘Seems like he is willing to spend for this, but he’s also alluded to the fact that price might be a sticking point,’ she said vaguely, thinking of Cara’s budget worries.
‘Ugh. Send him to the Dominican or some other place. Keep him off our island,’ Zack joked with a smile.
Danielle grimaced, thinking her boyfriend had no idea how true his words were or how she had echoed the same sentiment with Cara’s initial phone call. Truthfully, there was only one island that she felt comfortable recommending to her family. Ireland. Where they were now and where they should stay.
‘Well, I’ll see what I can do. But there is a chance that I might have to go out there,’ she said, trying to keep the nerves out of her voice. The last thing she wanted was for Zack to suggest that he should go with her.
There was a smile in his voice. ‘Well, I would think so, if this guy wants to look at property . . .’
Danielle wondered if she should pre-empt by suggesting that he should come with her, only to stress how horrible it would be if she was working the entire time. Counter-intuitive, she knew, so she decided it might work, especially because she knew he hated trying to combine a business opportunity with a vacation.
‘Yes, well, if I have to go, maybe you and I could make a weekend away out of it? Try to have some fun?’ She smiled and crossed her fingers behind her back, hoping that her ploy would work.
Zack laughed as he sat down on the couch and stretched out his long legs. ‘Right. Weekend away. Come on Danielle, you know better than that. Any time business is involved, it is impossible to separate it from any type of pleasure. While you are fantastic company, if you’re running around showing some young, rich idiot property all over the island, how on earth could we possibly relax together? No, I’ll hang back this time, thank you. Instead, if you have to go there, do it, close the deal, make some money and then you and I can have a real vacation. No work.’
Inwar
dly Danielle breathed a sigh of relief. Jackpot. It had worked exactly as she’d planned.
She sat down next to Zack on the couch and curled herself up next to him. Thank goodness he wasn’t clingy. She had always hated having men around her who depended on her for their entertainment. Who felt like they had to be constantly on her heels. Zack was definitely his own man.
‘However, if you have to go, you might as well show up in style, make sure this guy knows he’s not working with some minor leaguer. You should take one of the planes. Maybe the Cessna,’ he suggested.
Danielle’s smile deepened. Wow, imagine arriving in a private plane to her sister’s wedding on St Lucia. She tried to picture her mother’s face as she stepped down the stairs of the Cessna onto the tarmac, outfitted in a beautiful and expensive designer suit, walking with purpose in twelve-hundred dollar shoes. Betty’s expression alone would justify the trauma of attending and maybe make the weekend more bearable.
She felt bitterness surge through her veins. She would show her mother that she wasn’t useless after all, she had made something of herself, and that someone worthy did want her in their life.
She looked at Zack, trying to dismiss the further notion of how satisfying it would be to introduce this handsome and wildly successful man to her parents.
No, she thought, squashing the idea, no matter what kind of payback it might give her, it just couldn’t happen. Zack was too important to her, and there was too much at stake. He had to stay put in Fort Lauderdale while her family were anywhere in the vicinity of North America.
Zack plus the Clancy family equalled a recipe for disaster.
‘Danielle?’ Zack urged. ‘So, what do you think, the Cessna?’
She realised he had been waiting on her reply and she had instead been staring at him blankly, as if in a trance.
‘Oh, yes, that would be great!’ she enthused quickly. ‘I love that plane.’
Zack smiled and leaned down to kiss her. ‘So spoiled . . .’ he teased.
She grinned at him, suddenly feeling a lot better about everything. This might all just work out. She supposed she could survive her family on her own – just for a weekend – and if Zack thought she was meeting with a client, it could be a quick trip in and out of St Lucia. No big deal. Fly in on Friday night, leave on Sunday morning. She could deal with her family as long as it was for less than forty-eight hours, and there was nothing that they could do or say to her on her own that she couldn’t take. Not even Betty.
Danielle was stronger than that.
She felt a surge of confidence rush through her and experienced a release of some of the anxiety in her stomach. This was manageable. Anything was manageable as long as you had a plan.
And she had a plan.
Chapter 19
Cara couldn’t sleep. Every time she tried to close her eyes and relax her brain, another errant thought would pop into her mind, causing her a fresh round of anxiety.
She couldn’t get her parents’ negative reaction to the wedding out of her mind, to say nothing of Heidi’s complaints.
And it also hurt a little that Danielle hadn’t yet replied to her bridesmaid request of two days ago. Shouldn’t her big sister be excited – as Kim was – about standing beside her on her big day?
With the exception of Kim’s reaction, this whole thing hadn’t been going well at all, and this was before they’d even broached the subject with Shane’s parents.
They had decided that calling them again and again would be of no use, so instead the following day – actually later today, Cara deduced after looking at the clock on her bedside table that read 3 a.m. – they would simply drop in on Lauren and Gene and tell them the news face to face.
In truth, this had been Shane’s idea. Cara was dreading the visit and thought the previous suggestion of smoke signals seemed much more appealing.
She turned to her side, unable to get comfortable. Moments later she flipped on to her back, punching the pillow behind her head. She breathed heavily and considered getting up out of bed altogether. She hated insomnia; it was the worst.
Looking at the dark ceiling, Cara whispered, ‘Shane . . . are you asleep? Shane?’
Shane let out a grunt and mumbled, ‘Who could possibly sleep with all of that tossing and turning and noise?’ He didn’t sound happy. She heard a rustle from the other side of the bed and felt him move closer to her. ‘What’s wrong?’
She reached out, trying to scoot closer to him. She really needed some love and cuddling. All had definitely not been right in the world since this engagement, when it really should be a happy time. Shane pulled her close and kissed her on the head.
‘What is it baby?’
‘I’m really worried about going to see your parents. I’m scared of what’s going to happen.’
‘OK—’ She felt his arms tense around her.
‘And I am really stressed about how everyone is reacting to our idea for the wedding. I don’t see how this can work out. It seems like no one is happy to just go along with our plans.’
‘Seriously Cara, why are you worrying about this now? If people have their issues, they have their issues. Just ignore them.’
‘That’s easier said than done.’ She pushed away and sat up in bed, turning on the bedside light. She was so frustrated by his nonchalance. This was important.
Shane sighed heavily, and squinted at the sudden onset of brightness in the room. He looked at his fiancée, who was looking thoroughly annoyed.
As if seeming to consign himself to the fact that sleep would not be an option until he listened to the grievances coming from the other side of the bed, he sat up.
‘OK what?’ He rubbed his eyes and yawned, while Cara shot daggers in his direction.
‘How are you not upset about all of this?’ she complained. ‘This affects you too. Why am I the one that’s stressed? Why am I the only one doing all the worrying?’
Shane raised an eyebrow. ‘Upset about what? Worried . . . why exactly? Because some people are acting selfish and crazy?’ He gave a short laugh. ‘Sorry to say, that’s not a new development.’
‘I don’t see how this doesn’t bother you,’ stated Cara. She was angry and what upset her more was that Shane seemed unaffected by the entire situation, and oddly resigned to the idea that what was going on was normal behaviour, just how families acted when a wedding was being planned.
‘Cara, I’m not saying that, but don’t you see, they want you to be riled up. They want you to be upset and drive you into a tizzy.’ He ran a hand through his hair. ‘The more concerned and upset you are, the more likely you are going to play into their hands and do what they want. I’m sorry, but I’ve always lived by the rule that you don’t argue with children or idiots and quite frankly, at the moment your family is acting like both.’
She looked at him sharply. Her family? Did he just say it was her family that was to blame?
She turned her body to face him, pointing a finger. ‘Excuse me? My family? What about your family? They aren’t exactly acting like the epitome of class these days either; they haven’t even spoken to us in weeks. Not so well behaved, are they? Who do you think you are, saying that this is all my family?’
Shane sighed heavily.
‘OK, I’m sorry but you took me wrong. I think that all of them are acting silly—’
‘It’s your family who stormed out on us at dinner, and it’s your family who won’t even talk to us. My family might be nuts, but at least they aren’t controlling and domineering!’
A cloud passed over Shane’s face. When he spoke next, anger was evident in his voice.
‘Right, right. My family is so controlling and domineering. Such a pain in the arse. I think it’s fair to say that if we gave an inch to your mother, she would take a mile. I’m not sure of what your definition of controlling is, but in my book she pretty much lives up to it.’
‘Right, and if it was up to your mum, we would have to invite every stuck-up snob in Ireland to our we
dding. Just so your parents can get their share of ass-kissing and one-upmanship! What a bunch of crap, Shane. Honestly.’
‘Oh, so now my parents are stuck up?’ he repeated sarcastically. ‘You know, they offered to pay only because they knew that your parents couldn’t afford it. Don’t hold that against me. Maybe if your parents were smarter, they wouldn’t have had to remortgage the house for Heidi’s wedding and wouldn’t be up to their eyeballs in debt.’
‘So my parents are idiots,’ she shot back. ‘That’s pretty fair. You know Shane, I never realised you were such an asshole. Why don’t you say what you really feel?’
‘You want me to say what I really feel? Is that it?’ Shane threw back the bedclothes and stood up. ‘OK, then, you asked for it. Your mother worries more about what people will think than about the feelings of her own family. Your father should be focused on retiring, yet he is more concerned with spending money on stupid weddings that don’t mean anything. Your sister Heidi is a spoiled, crazy child who seriously needs to be taken down a few pegs and her husband is so completely whipped that he is unable to form an opinion for himself. And from what I hear about Danielle,’ he added nastily, ‘she sounds like the only smart one of the lot of you for moving far, far away!’
Cara was shocked. Shane had really gone for it. She felt as if he had just attacked her. Worst of all was that every one of those insults was peppered with the truth, and she knew it.
‘You forgot Ben and Kim,’ Cara said, hurt tears springing to her eyes. ‘You wouldn’t want to leave them out. Please, continue – you might as well ridicule us all while you’re at it.’
Shane blanched, as if only then realising what he’d said. ‘Oh babe—’
‘I’m glad that you had the chance to get this all out now though,’ Cara continued as if he hadn’t spoken. ‘I mean, why on earth would you want to marry into a family that you so clearly don’t like?’
She turned away from him and swung her legs over the side of the bed. He reached out for her, but she pulled away. ‘Don’t,’ she said simply, turning her shoulder to him.