Playing for Keeps

by Rhonda Laurel

  “I knew you just needed the right someone to love,” Seth replied. “I know the feeling.”

  “I’d like you to stand up there with me. Alex is going to be my best man, but I think I need two.”

  “I’d be honored.”

  “Great.” Derek smiled. “I’ll let you get back to your run. I want to make my future missus breakfast in bed.”

  “Congrats again.”

  “Thanks.”

  Derek opened the fridge and accessed the food situation. Charisma would be up soon and he knew the mommy-to-be would be famished. They’d stayed up pretty late last night making wedding plans and making love. The latter was more satisfying to him. But he knew she wanted the perfect wedding. He would do all he could to make that happen, but right now he just wanted to crawl back in bed with her and spend the rest of the day enjoying everything that was good in their lives.

  He knew she liked fresh fruit and yogurt, so he threw together a fruit salad from the berries and grapes. Cooked a few pieces of bacon, popped some bread into the toaster, and poured the orange juice into a decanter. Twenty minutes later, he had a delectable buffet of food that was perfect for a lazy morning in bed. He crept as carefully as he could down the hall toward the bedroom only to find she was already up. She was typing away on her laptop.

  “Good morning.” He kissed her as he sat down on the bed and placed the tray next to him. “What are you going up so early?”

  “You know this is my normal pee time since this one took over my bladder.” She rubbed her belly and giggled. “And I smelled the bacon, which meant you’d be coming in here soon.”

  “We had a pretty late night. I thought you’d like to sleep in.”

  “I’d love to any other time, but we have too much to do today.”

  “Like what?”

  “We have to make calls, visit people, and tell them the news. Map out a time frame and narrow down a venue and color scheme.”

  “I have to confess I’ve already talked to Alex and Seth, but I have an easy way to remedy notifying everyone else we know.” He picked up his cell phone and began typing. When he was done, he held it up for her to see. She began scanning.

  “You can’t send that!” She grabbed the phone and deleted the message. “We have to—”

  “Let’s just enjoy the moment.” He kissed her left hand, then continued up her arm. “I don’t care what happens next. I just want to be married to you.”

  “That’s a lovely sentiment. But I want to do this right.” She reached for her own cell phone on the nightstand next to her side of the bed and began typing. She cooed when he kissed her neck as she constructed the group e-mail. “Here’s what I sent to my family. Big announcement at Grandma’s house at two.”

  “That sounds ominous but in a good way.” He chuckled. “We can order some food from your Grandma’s favorite restaurant and have it delivered to the house.”

  “Of course. The Reeds can’t celebrate without food.” She giggled. “I’d like a beautiful wedding at my Grandma’s church with our family and friends to share in our special moment.”

  “Sounds like we just planned a wedding.”

  She nudged him. “Not quite.”

  “OK.” He walked over to the desk and retrieved a pad and pen. “How many people can the church hold?”

  “I don’t know. Grandma always says God makes room for the church to hold as many as needed on any given Sunday.” She smiled. “I’ll ball park it at three hundred, but we’ll confirm.”

  “Sounds good.”

  “After we make the official announcement to the family, we’ll make an appointment to see Rev. Johnson. You know we’ll have to go to pre-marriage counseling? It’s mandatory for all couples who get married there.”

  “Not a problem.”

  She munched on a blueberry. “We need to put together the bridal party.”

  “I already asked Alex and Seth if they will be my best men.”

  “Great! I’m going to ask Morgan to be my matron of honor. And of course Isabelle, Michelle, and Trina have to be the bridesmaids. Chloe and Mackenzie can be the flower girls. And one of the boys could be the ring bearer. I was thinking Tucker maybe? And my dad can give me away.”

  “It sounds like you two had a good chat yesterday. I’m glad you had a chance to open the lines of communication with him.” Derek moved a lock of her hair away from her eyes.

  “It’s a start.” She bit her lip. “There’s a possibility that my mom won’t be on board.”

  “I’d like to believe she’d be happy for us, but it’s not the end of the world if she isn’t. Whatever happens, we’ll get through it. We’re a team.”

  “Yes we are.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. “I think we have some time before we tell the world that we’re headed down the aisle. Want to fool around?”

  “Hell, yeah.” He grinned.

  Derek moved the tray and the laptop and got under the covers with Charisma. Her cell phone started pinging, probably in response to the text they’d sent, but he didn’t care. They’d see everyone at Grandma Reed’s house this afternoon. Until then, everyone else in the world except for Charisma could wait.

  * * *

  “I don’t know where they could be,” Charisma said as Derek helped her out of the car. They’d just come from Marcus and Debra’s place, but they weren’t home.

  “We can go back after we celebrate with the family.”

  Derek squeezed Charisma’s hand as they headed up the walkway to the porch. He’d been hoping to speak to Marcus and Debra alone but now that looked like it wouldn’t happen anytime soon. He’d hoped, no he prayed they’d be at Grandma’s Reed’s house.

  Applause erupted when they entered the house. There were congratulations, hugs and handshakes and pats on the back. He was pleased to see the catering company had delivered the food; he knew his future in-laws loved to eat. He searched the room for Charisma’s parents. At first he didn’t see them until Sydney pointed them out. They were in the corner talking. He took a deep breath, squeezed Charisma’s hand, and they both went over to them.

  “Mr. and Mrs. Reed,” Derek said. “I just want you to know that I love your daughter and our child very much, and I intend to take good care of our family.”

  Marcus extended his hand for a shake. “That’s all we can ever ask for.”

  “As long as she’s happy.” Debra flashed a tight smile as she looked from Derek to Charisma.

  Charisma nodded. “I am.”

  Then it was time to get in the hugs with Grandma Reed. When she called out for them, Derek and Charisma made their way back to her chair. She gave him hugs and kisses while the cousins shoved plates of food in their hands.

  He leaned over and stole a kiss from Charisma, the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen and the mother to his child. He couldn’t stop smiling.

  Charisma was ecstatic that the family was so excited about their nuptials. She ate and talked about the wedding plans. She put Trina on the spot by declaring she wanted her to sing at the wedding. Trina tried to refuse, saying she’d be too nervous and she’d mess up, but Charisma told her gifted cousin it was time the world knew what a great talent she had. Everything seemed to be going great, but she still stole looks at her mother from across the room. Her mother was going through the motions, but Charisma could tell she wasn’t happy. A few minutes later she looked for her again and she wasn’t there. She tried not dwell on it. It could have been worse. Debra could have drummed up some mega drama, but instead she’d been uncharacteristically quiet. For once she missed her mother’s in-your-face attitude.

  She’d hadn’t objected, though. Today that was enough.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  When Charisma and Derek decided to have the wedding in three months, she’d known it was going to difficult to pull off, but this was downright maddening. She flipped through the racks of wedding dresses and groaned. Of all the places for Trina to tell her to meet her for a wedding dress, she had to s
elect a small, exclusive boutique that specialized in designer gowns. She loved the selections, but there weren’t many for women who were pretty far along. The salesperson was trying to be helpful, but it was clear she wasn’t listening to her as if sexy-pregnant wasn’t a style of gown. She wanted something sexy and daring, but right now she’d settle for anything that didn’t make her feel like a beached whale waddling down the aisle.

  The world now knew they were getting married. They were featured in a few gossip magazines, but the salacious angle was non-existent since the full video of the incident with Derek and the hockey groupie chasing him down in the hotel bar had gone viral.

  Although she’d sent several emails, she still hadn’t received a response from Trevor about the wedding. She hoped he’d able to make it. He hadn’t been home in a while and she missed him. It would be downright depressing if her brother wouldn’t be able to make it to the ceremony. He wasn’t the only one in danger of not making it either. Derek had been trying to get in touch with his parents, who’d been on another vacation. He and Alex had left messages for them, but they hadn’t responded yet.

  She looked at her watch. Trina was forty-five minutes late. She’d give her another ten minutes, then she’d give up on finding a wedding dress here and head down the street to get something to eat. The salesperson appeared in front of her with three possible dresses and told her she’d set up a room for her. Charisma sighed. The salesperson had been trying. It would be rude not to try on something. She shimmied out of her dress and put on the first gown, then she went to stand in front of the mirrors. It had thick satin straps, small puffy sleeves, and was way too long. The lace over on the dress looked a bit dowdy to her.

  She heard her cousin’s giggle as she came into the boutique.

  “Trina, where have you been?” She turned around to see Morgan and Isabelle standing there along with Trina. “Oh my gosh.”

  Trina grinned. “I had to pick up your surprise from that snooty private airport.”

  “Looks like we got here just in time.” Isabelle took a glass of champagne from the saleswoman. “Take that off. It’s all wrong for you.”

  “My fashionista cousin would never select a frock like that to walk down the aisle,” Morgan agreed.

  Charisma frowned at herself in the reflection. “You try looking fabulous when you’re a gazillion months pregnant.” She played with the sleeve. The dress really wasn’t right for her. At all.

  Isabelle searched the racks. “I pulled it off.”

  “You were like three days pregnant.” Charisma rolled her eyes.

  Morgan chuckled. “Sam pulled it off and she was much further along. We had an ambulance parked on the ranch in case she went into labor during the ceremony.”

  “Sam could make a burlap sack look good. The Reed women were cursed with average height.”

  “Yeah, but we make up for it by being gorgeous and intelligent.” Trina grinned as she tried on a tiara.

  “We’ve come to help. You have us for three days.” Morgan set her bag down and gave Charisma a hug. “We’re going to find the dress of your dreams if it kills us.”

  After trying on dresses for another hour, she finally found the one she loved. It had a backless empire waist, capped sleeves with detailed lace and pearl beading, and a long, flowing train. It was perfect. Once they’d picked out the accessories and made the first fitting appointment with the seamstress, it was time for a luxurious lunch. They decided on Imani’s Soul Food Café. Charisma knew the owner and was a frequent customer, so they were seated immediately despite the crowded waiting area. The waitress gave them a round of waters and took their drink orders.

  “I know what I’m having,” Trina squealed. “Catfish and collards.”

  Isabelle groaned. “Oh, that sounds good. Damn you, Trina, I’m trying not to pig out.”

  “How’s the shrimp and grits casserole?” Morgan asked.

  “It’s not Grandma’s, but it’s good.” Charisma perused the menu. “But you should try the sweet potato soufflé.”

  “How about we order a little bit of everything and share?” Isabelle put her menu down.

  “You don’t have to twist my arm.” Charisma laughed. “I say we go for it.”

  “So Trina, are you excited about singing at the wedding?” Morgan asked.

  “Terrified.” Trina sipped her water. “But still not as scared about singing as I am about finding myself a date for the wedding.”

  “I thought you were seeing that teacher?” Morgan said.

  Trina shrugged. “We broke up.”

  “No worries if you can’t find a date. There’s going to be plenty of single men at the wedding,” Isabelle said.

  “Nice. Half of Derek’s team is unattached. Maybe I can hook an Icelandic Viking of my own.” Trina waggled her eyebrows.

  “Derek has a ‘no fraternization policy’ with his teammates and friends when it comes to family. He went nuts when Jeff from the Pirates’ coaching team smiled at you after one of the games,” Charisma chimed in.

  “Back to your budding music career. I could pinch you.” Isabelle wagged a finger at Trina. “All this time we could have been collaborating and you were hiding your talent. You sound great, by the way.”

  Trina gave her a quizzical look. “How do you know how I sound?”

  “I’ve heard you sing in church, and Charisma sent me a video of your performance last week at that jazz club,” Isabelle said.

  “Charisma.” Trina narrowed her eyes.

  Charisma stuck her tongue out at her. “You can’t get mad at me. I’m the bride-to-be and I’m pregnant. It would be a wicked karma sandwich.”

  “I think you should pursue your music,” Morgan said, beaming. “You have family with connections in the music business.”

  “Where’s the waitress?” Isabelle rubbed her stomach and looked around the dining room. “I’m tempted to nibble on my napkin.”

  “Oh. My. God,” Trina said loudly.

  “What is wrong with you?” Morgan squinted at her cousin. “See an old boyfriend?”

  “Oh. My. God.” Trina repeated like a parrot and pointed to the other side of the room.

  Charisma squinted to see what had captured her cousin’s attention. A huge lump formed in her throat. It was her ex-boyfriend Jason. Unfortunately, he was Morgan’s ex too. He was sitting at a table by the window with another guy who looked like his best friend, if memory served correctly. He was part of a time in her life when she was just ramping up her outrageous behavior. Fooling around with him behind Morgan’s back had been so exciting at the time. She’d regretted that now and thought she was done thinking about it. Now the past was sitting right across the room from her.

  “Oh my God,” Isabelle repeated, echoing Trina.

  “Jason.” Charisma took a deep breath.

  “It is him, isn’t it? He put on a few pounds.” Morgan’s jaw ticked. “Trina, give us the dirt.”

  “Why do you think I know all of the gossip?”

  “Because you do.” Isabelle took a sip of her water.

  “OK.” Trina rolled her eyes. “Last time I heard anything about him, he was still living in Michigan, but he did get married and had a kid.”

  “He has two,” Charisma said.

  “How do you know that?”

  “The glorious world of social media. His profile came up in one of those you may know your friend’s friend features on one of those sites.”

  “I hate those things and it’s creepy. I’m a military brat. How can they link me to people I went to school with in other countries fifteen years ago?” Isabelle demanded.

  “The nerve of him—” Trina stumbled for words.

  “Existing?” Morgan replied.

  “Yeah.” Trina nodded. “I’d like to send him a flaming bag of—”

  “Easy.” Isabelle held up a hand. “I don’t want to lose my appetite.”

  “Cool your jets, Trina. If Charisma and I don’t get upset about it, neither should you. We�
��ve moved on.” She put her hand on Charisma’s.

  The waitress came over and took their orders all the while the ladies were watching Jason.

  Trina shook her head. “Doesn’t it bug you that this egomaniac tried to pull a fast one on both of you?”

  “Trina, Jason hardly has any Machiavellian-level skills. He saw an opportunity to exploit our strained relationship at the time.”

  “Isn’t it awkward that you two—” Trina waggled her eyebrows.

  “I slept with him, Morgan didn’t.” Charisma grimaced. “And trust me, she didn’t miss anything.”

  “You know, if it weren’t for Jason, we would never have taken the paths that led us back together. I say we should send him a drink.” Morgan raised her hand to get the waitress to come back to the table. “Conchita, we would like to send drinks over to the men in the corner by the window. One of them is wearing a blue shirt.”

  “Do want to get them another round of what they ordered?” Conchita strained to see their glasses. “I think they had pina coladas.”

  “Then we came just in time. Real men drink scotch. Give them each a glass of your finest single malt scotch.”

  The ladies watched as Conchita went to the bar, filled the order, then took the drinks over to the table. When she set down the drinks, Jason immediately smiled. When she pointed to their table, his grin disappeared then appeared again, but this time it looked tight and involuntary. The ladies waved and held up their glasses. He waved back.

  “That’s his holy shit I’m busted, face,” Charisma murmured.

  “Right now he’s trying to decide whether or not to dive out the window or come over and face the music,” Morgan added.

  Jason rose from the table and slowly headed their way.

  “Face the music, it is,” Isabelle said as she pretended to sip on her water.

  Trina started tapping on her cell phone screen. “Would it be wrong to record this?”

  A few seconds later, he approached. “Hello, Reed ladies, it’s great to see you.”