“I love him with everything I have, Maggie,” Maxine squeezed her tighter for assurance. “And I’m ready to spend every moment with him—the good and the bad.”
“We already know that you don’t walk away when times get tough, Maxine. In fact, we trust you to fight him when he’s fighting himself. Declan and I just love you so very much…”
Tom was the first to blink away his tears, and Maggie immediately turned her focus to him. “You’ve raised the most wonderful daughter, Tom, and we’re just thankful that you’re sharing her with our family.”
“Thank you, Maggie,” he said simply. “And the same with Drew. He’s a welcome to the Kirks, too.”
“And the Worthingtons!” Ben jumped in.
“Oh, of course, the Worthingtons!” Maggie threw her arms around Ben. He truly was every woman’s dream gay son. “You’re a part of our family, too, Ben. Just know that.”
“Aunt Frannie’s my girl!”
“Well, I suppose we need to start getting ready here,” Maggie said, placing her hands on her hips as she often did when she was planning out an event. “Where’s Jillian?”
“Summoned by your sons, but she should be returning soon,” Maxine filled her in.
“Good. I have the hairdresser and make-up artist coming in a half-hour, so we don’t have much time.”
“I think this is my cue to get lost for a little while, Princess.”
“Not for long,” Maxine protested. “I need you back here to walk me down the aisle.”
Tom stood up, tossed his newspaper on the chair and then mussed Maxine's messy hair again. “I wouldn’t miss that chance for all the money in the world.”
“Ohhh...Daddy!”
“Stop those tears, Princess,” he whispered, wiping them away. “I’ll see you in a little while.”
“Will you ask Vicki to come down?”
“You bet I will.”
Once the door closed, though, Maggie was all business. “All is under control. I just checked in on all the crews before I came up here, and things are moving along beautifully,” Maggie said, relief finally peering through her confident smile. “And, Maxine, your flowers are just exquisite!”
In Maggie's competent hands, Maxine had the strongest faith that their day would unfold just as she and Drew envisioned. Part of her wanted to be surprised when she stepped out to the lawn that afternoon, seeing all of their plans realized, and she decided to resist temptation at another sneak-peek. Maggie would certainly alert her if some grand disaster arose.
“I guess we should get this show on the road here...” Apparently, Ben was the only one who seemed to be nervous. “Someone's getting married in four hours!”
“All will be fine, Uncle Benjy,” Maxine insisted. “We’re all going to be just fine...”
# # #
“Oh, for fuck's sake!” Drew cursed as he scurried around the living room, picking up Adam's breakfast dishes and collecting the beer bottles he'd left out from the previous evening. “Your girlfriend is on her way down here, and you've got shit everyfuckingwhere!”
From his position on the couch, Adam lit up a fine, fat cigar as he twiddled around on his laptop playing his little video games...and ignoring Drew's latest tirade. “Uh-huh...ooooh, go, go, GO! Fuck, fuck, fuck! Shit!” Adam pouted his lips in defeat. “Lost one of my guys…”
“Jesus, being your roommate all week has just damn nearly killed me,” Drew charged on, tearing through Adam's messes with a garbage bag in his hand. “Oh, it smells in here. How can Jillian stand you—you reek! Of beer, of smoke, of...”
“Of Adam McKenzie,” the younger brother said proudly.
“This is why I've hired a cleaning crew to come in after we've vacated. Last thing I want is to bring Maxine here on our wedding night with it looking like this!”
“Felix, do me a favor,” Adam began, taking yet another toke on his fat stogie, “call me Oscar from herein.”
Drew began to wonder suddenly how those tender moments from the other morning seemed to disappear. Sometimes, he just lost his entire vocabulary when that brother of his was around. And that week, they'd simply had too much alone time.
“Listen, Mack, just because you're nervous about marrying Penelope Lynn Merryweather today...”
“No, Adam, I harbor no anxiety in marrying Maxine,” he said. “What I'm nervous about is the fact that she could catch some communicable disease in this house tonight with this mess...”
“Do you do this at home?” Adam challenged. “Clean up before Nanny Fi has at it?”
Drew’s silence afforded Adam his answer.
“You probably only fuck Penelope in the bathtub so that you don't mess up your pristine sheets on the bed...”
“Where I make love with my almost wife, Adam, is just none of your fucking business...” Drew hissed. “I just hope you think to change your sheets before you do the same with Jillian.”
“Maybe, big brother...” Adam said, pausing then looking up from his game, “I do clean up before she visits...”
That smirk that pursed upon Drew's lips was impossible for him to contain. “That’s a site to see—Adam McKenzie with a toothbrush in hand, scouring the grout lines in his bathroom,” he said. “Oh, I would pay to see you cleaning. I have to tell Maxine about this one.”
“You talk about us?” Adam's eyes widened with mock surprise. Of course, they discussed his relationship with Jillian, and he knew it. Adam just enjoyed playing the victim once in a while. “Oh, dear brother...never in my life have my sexual paramours been mentioned outside of my own bedroom...”
“Adam, your nickname in college wasn't 'Man-fucking-hattan' for no good reason...”
“Now, Drew that’s...” Even Adam had to stop himself on that one. “Alright. I’ll give you that one.”
“That's good, though,” Drew admitted. “I'm glad that you're behaving like a gentleman for once in your life. Jillian deserves much better than that pig you used to be.”
“And ohhhh, shit...speaking of...” With one swoop, Adam closed his laptop the instant that he saw Jeffrey pull up outside the cottage with Jillian. That deal with Maxine’s suitcase was, actually, a little ruse created by the Brothers McKenzie simply because Adam wanted to see her that morning—and Maggie had banished her sons from the main house.
The detonating thuds of Adam's bare feet against the hardwood floor echoed throughout the small guest house as he hurried outside, and Drew had to sneak in for a peek.
Through the curtain, he watched as Adam jumped from the porch and over the three steps leading down to the walkway. Drew just hoped that he didn't cut his foot on any stray stones. He wasn't about to be late for his own wedding because he had to sit with Adam in the emergency room.
Adam grabbed that suitcase from Jeffrey’s hands quickly, then placed it on the ground so that he could run his fingers through Jillian’s hair. As he pulled her close for one quick but sweet kiss, Drew couldn't help but to get just a bit emotional. That beast was actually capable of tenderness after all.
All along, Drew had suspicions that one day Adam might chisel away at Jillian’s often stone-clad exterior. However, it was so endearing to watch them now, kissing and giggling. While it was nice to see Adam finally making an effort to settle down, it was also rather delightful for Drew to see his faithful publicist throw caution to the wind and allow herself to fall in love.
With that thought, he closed the curtain, feeling a bit like a peeping Tom. Love was truly in the air on that spring morning, and he couldn’t wait to see where it carried Adam and Jillian.
# # #
“Good thing I got this thing to go with this monkey suit!”
Tom pulled the periwinkle silk handkerchief from his pocket, then took a step back just to gaze at his little girl for a few final moments before he handed her over to Drew. His breath caught at the sight of her—and with the realization that little Maxine was finally all grown up.
“Oh, my little Princess,” he whispered and dabbed at he
r eyes.
“And look at you, handsome,” Maxine whispered back, reaching up to dust his cheek with her fingertips. For all of the groomsmen, Drew had chosen a tuxedo of black silk. Just seeing Tom out of his uniform of a Penguins t-shirts and jeans left her rather speechless.
“Aw, Captain, stop—your makeup will run,” Ben said as he attended to the thirty buttons at the back of Maxine’s gown.
“That's what waterproof mascara is for,” Vicki added. Dressed in Herve Leger’s famous “bandage dress,” known for its delicately stitched strips of fabric, Vicki’s understated elegance left Tom grinning through his melancholy tears. “Let her have her moments—she's about to get married here.”
Meanwhile, across the room, Zoe and Jillian struggled with the flower girl and the ring bearer to shove them into their wedding attire—a navy blue pair of cuffed wool shorts for Lyle and a navy polka-dotted dress for Lara. Bets weren't finalized if Lyle would wear the matching cap yet. He had ripped it from his head and thrown it across the room three times already.
“Maxine!” Lara called out. “When I grow up, I wanna weayorr your dwess to my wedding!”
“You wook so pwetty, Maxine,” Lyle agreed.
Maxine had become Lyle's very first official crush in his little three-year-old world. And Lara wanted to be just like her when she grew up!
“Oh, now I'm just gonna flood!” Maxine squealed, as she batted her eyelashes in rapid succession then slipped from Ben’s clutches to pay a quick visit with the junior members of her bridal party. “I love you two! Does the bride get a hug?”
“We wuv you, too, Maxine...”
“See what a good job you did, Tom,” Maggie complimented. “She's going to be an amazing mom to our grandbabies someday...”
“And what lovely grandbabies they will be…” Tom just agreed with a smile.
All the while, Maxine heard not a word as she snuggled up with Lyle and Lara on the floor. She was probably wrinkling her gown just a bit, but she didn't care. She wanted a comfortable dress for that very reason—so that she could enjoy her day and just be herself.
“Max, you do need to finish getting ready...” Jillian reminded her gently.
“Oopsie....someone help me up!” she giggled as Tom took one arm and Ben took the other. How she just hoped that she wouldn't have any trouble getting down the aisle in her heels!
Somehow, she managed to maneuver over to the vanity. Tom had provided the something old with her mother’s pearls, Drew contributed to the something new in her earrings...and Jillian and Ben bought her a baby blue garter covered with silk hydrangeas. There was simply one last detail to finish off her ensemble—the veil Maggie wore to her own wedding and allowed her to “borrow” for the day.
Maggie stood behind Maxine to help her pin the veil to her hair. She wore a simple jersey knit gown from Melinda Eng in navy with capped sleeves, a cinched waist and a slight flare at the thigh. And as always, she was the pillar of timeless sophistication.
They hired a team of several photographers and videographers to capture every second of the wedding. As the young woman assigned to follow Maxine for the day—a protégé of Annie Lebowitz—snapped away, the smiles were bright and so very genuine. They were all just overflowing with joy for both Maxine and Drew as they embarked on their new lives as husband and wife.
Although Maxine wasn't really one who enjoyed having her picture taken, she readily posed with everyone. Already, she’d begun to make mental notes on which photographs would make it into the official wedding album.
While Maxine continued to worry about Jillian’s wellness, she appeared to have recovered from that morning, albeit while hiding beneath layers of makeup. Drew assured her that Adam would have a talk with Jillian after the wedding, but Maxine’s worry had escalated. Knowing Jillian as well as she did, Maxine knew that she’d been to the doctor, but downplayed whatever diagnosis she received because she didn’t want to impede the excitement over the wedding.
So many questions ran through her mind, but rather than ask, Maxine simply pulled Jillian close for a hug. She truly looked breathtaking. The square-necked, Jason Wu gown draped Jillian’s tall frame in navy blue organza and whisked about as she walked with the full, swooshing skirt.
“Prettiest Maid of Honor ever, Jill,” Maxine said and took her hands. “Thank you so much for being here—and for being in my wedding. It means the world to me.”
“And Max….you’re like a little sister to me,” Jillian said. “I wouldn’t have missed this for the world.”
“Okay, everyone,” Maggie called out. “Places!”
“Are we ready here?” Tom asked, readying to take Maxine’s hand.
“Um...uhhhhh...” Maxine stopped suddenly, her face flushing while the rest of her party filed into the hallway. “Wait one second...”
Tom watched as she rushed over to the closet and made some sort of mini-ruckus within. He could hear zippers pulling, various items being tossed about...and when Maxine returned to him at last, she was four and a quarter inches shorter than before she'd taken off.
“Maxie...what...” Then, as realization washed over him, he began to laugh uproariously at his beloved little girl.
After replacing one pair of Manolos for another, Maxine winked at Tom. Those last-minute fears of falling claimed her in their ugly grip, and she changed into the navy blue satin ballerina flats encrusted with a small broach of fine jewels over the pointed toe. She wasn't about to trip over Drew a second time at a party.
“Oh, Maxie...” Tom shook his head. “At least you know your own limitations.”
Tugging at his hand, Maxine dragged Tom into the hallway. “Come on, Daddy. There's a handsome fellow outside who's awaiting our arrival.”
Chapter Thirteen
Bouquets of pale blue hydrangeas seemed to bloom forth from the tall, crystal cylinders that flanked the gazebo, with smaller tufts of Maxine's favorite flower lining the aisle down which the bridal party would soon stroll.
The rows of whitewashed chairs, swathed with lace covers and adorned with a single white silk mum that fluttered in the warm spring breeze, were filled to capacity. With the beauty of Maggie's own garden and the lush natural landscape of Southampton surrounding them, minimal decor was needed.
As he made his way to the gazebo alongside Father McCarron, Drew looked out, surveying, and recognized every face in the small crowd. Each person sitting on that lawn that afternoon had some personal connection to him or to Maxine, and the air of serenity left him so sated.
Little, however, did Drew himself know what was unfolding at the back of the lawn as the bridal party assembled.
“Okay, so...you're going to walk down that aisle, just like you did last night, right behind Adam and me,” Jillian instructed Lyle and Lara for the gazillionth time in the last fifteen minutes. “And then you get a prize when it's all over!”
“Adam?” Lyle looked up and pulled on that little gray cap that Zoe had bobby pinned to his head of thick blond hair.
“What, little buddy?”
“I hafta pee-pee...”
Jillian’s eyes nearly bulged out of her skull. “Now?” she demanded. “We asked you three times—but you have to go now?”
“Sometimes he pee-pees his pants,” Lara warned. “Momma doesn't like that.”
“Aw...crap!” Scooping the child up with his large hands, but holding him away from his tuxedo just in case, Adam made way for the closest tree. “Okay, buddy, unzip...and aim at the tulips...” With a sigh, he turned away, looking back toward Jillian with exasperation. Drew owed him big time for this one.
Upon his return with a rambunctious little boy in his arms, Adam asked, “Anyone else?”
“Okay, everyone...our cue is coming...” Maggie turned around rather anxiously and gave Tom the thumbs up, as he waited with Maxine behind the French doors off the patio.
The pronounced, alluring sounds of “Canon in D” resounded from the string quartet, as Adam turned to Jillian just before she stepp
ed into line and gave her shawl-covered shoulders a gentle squeeze. “I know Maxine's the bride, but you look mighty damn lovely today, too, Jill.”
Tugging the lapel of his tuxedo, she whispered back, “So do you...” Then she looked down toward his feet and added, “For the most part...”
That boyish grin bore deeply into Adam's face, accentuating his dimples, and he brushed his lips across Jillian's cheek. “You’ll protect me from all evil...”
“Behave your ass, Adam...” she warned, then took his arm.
“Mack is gonna shit bullets from his ass when he sees those shoes...” Jeffrey whispered to Ben as they stepped up behind Adam and Jillian and linked arms.
If Jillian’s sideways glance could have thrown daggers, Jeffrey would have been dead.
Behind them, Declan and Maggie fell into place, with Vicki following. The sniffles from their little group played against the quartet as they made their way down the aisle.
While all eyes were waiting to see the bride, it was indeed Adam who stole the whole show once again. However, Jillian slapped on that trademarked publicist’s smile and mustered her will to survive the tedious walk with her beloved toward the gazebo.
“I don't want to be there when Drew beats the hell out of you,” she said, gathering every last bit of intestinal fortitude to ignore the snickers of everyone who caught sight of Adam's sandals and socks. “Can't believe your parents didn't do it first.”
“That's because I'm the favorite child here in this family.”
“No, Adam, it's because you're delusional,” she snapped at last, her face frozen in happiness to the crowd around them.
“I love you, Jillian McGee,” he whispered.
“I'm gonna duck for cover now...” Jillian returned through gritted teeth as they stepped up inside the gazebo.
Pumping Father McCarron's hand, Adam said, “Padre...” then he turned to his brother. “Drew...”
KNOTTED: The Manhattan Bound Series, Book Three Page 20