Insert Groom Here

by K. M. Jackson

  Lily pulled back. “My biggest? You mean I have more?”

  Mama Dee laughed and rolled her eyes. “Besides being conceited to a fault? No honey.”

  Lily laughed and gave her grandmother a hug. When she pulled back Mama Dee was eyeing her once again. “What now Mama Dee?”

  “Nothing dear, it’s just that I thought Thomas would be here with you and I’d at least get to see you have a dance today. You two have been going out how long now, nine months or is it a year? Isn’t there a pot he should be getting off right about now?”

  Lily once again let out a huff as she looked into her grandmother’s eyes, the ones so very like her own. “Oh, Mama Dee, not you too,” she croaked out. “I can take it from anyone else, but I thought for sure you would be on my side. You know I’m not worried about getting married or even settling down. All my sisters may be eagerly tying themselves to a man, but I’m perfectly happy with my life as it is. Can’t a women be fulfilled just being on her own? Why must marriage always come up at these things? I mean come on, there has to be a reason they call it settling down and not something like trading up.”

  When Mama Dee scrunched up her face and gave Lily a dark look she realized that they were at a wedding and Lily really didn’t want to get one of Mama Dee’s famous tell offs at this wedding in front of these people. “Okay, I get it. We’re at a wedding and I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to get mouthy. But just because we’re here and I’m the planner and once again maid of honor, emphasis on the maid, doesn’t mean I’m fair game in the get Lily married contest. I have my own apartment that is close enough to Manhattan to be considered the city, good friends, and a career that is just now really taking off. I’m making quite the name for myself. Isn’t that enough?”

  Mama Dee rolled her eyes as she let out a breath. “Calm it down, child. I swear, your blood pressure must be higher than half the seniors’ here. You need me to walk around to see if I can score you a nerve pill?”

  It was now Lily’s turn to roll her eyes. A person could never out talk Mama Dee and she didn’t know why she tried. Her grandmother continued. “I’m not talking about marriage. I was just getting on you to have a little fun. You organized this whole thing for your sister and the sister before her. Your life is all about taking care of others and I don’t see anyone taking care of you. Hell, I did not see you dance more than once at either of those weddings and that was for the mandatory bridal party dance and you practically frowned your way through that. You know, that’s not the Perry women’s way.” Mama Dee put her hand on top of Lily’s; the cool powdery feel giving Lily the comfort that it always had since she was a little girl. She looked Lily straight in the eyes before saying, “Now, I’m not going to lie, Nothing would make me happier than seeing you walk down the aisle one day to join up with a man who deserves someone as amazing as you are. But until that day, I’d just be content to see you kick up your heels a bit and sow a few oats.” At that Lily grew slightly warm once again and her eyes shifted. There he was again. Standing slightly off to the side over by the door to the kitchen with his dark eyes trained her way. Lily swallowed and forced her gaze back to Mama Dee quick enough for the sharp eyed woman not to have caught her staring.

  Mama Dee raised her brow. “Like I said, sow some oats, have a little fun, girl. Hell, just because your daddy was a shit, that shouldn’t turn you off the institution. You know your grandfather was the love of my life.”

  Lily couldn’t help her sigh. “Mama Dee, you were Granddaddy’s second wife and he was your third husband.”

  Mama Dee looked at her like she was speaking gibberish. “And so what? That just proves my point. We both didn’t give up and kept at it till we got it right. You take your lessons from your elders, child. I know what’s right. Live it up while you can. Life is always way shorter than we expect. Shoot, your sisters all have one marriage up on you already.”

  At that ridiculous declaration Lily couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re incorrigible, Mama Dee. Hush or some may think you’re already onto the next marriage for these newlyweds.” She knew her nutty grandmother thought it was awful the way her mother had not remarried after her father left. She was always urging her to sign up with an online dating service and get back out there.

  “I’m wishing no such thing. I just love love and want it for all my girls. If they can have a fraction of the joy Deacon and I had, that would be enough. I don’t want them settling for anything less.” Mama Dee’s eyes went slightly glassy as they always did when she talked about Lily’s late grandfather, and the love of her life. Lily didn’t understand that type of glassy eyed love. She’d seen it but didn’t quite get the feel and part of her hoped she never did. She had a feeling a loss of love like that was something she could never recover from. She knew her mother hadn’t.

  Mama Dee reached over and ran a hand over Lily’s cheek affectionately. She smiled and then looked back at the dance floor and jutted out her chin and pulled a face. Lily turned to see her Aunt Ruby now shimmying her sequined booty around the confused groomsmen and a finger-popping Uncle Gene joining in. “Now you need to find you someone and get on out there. You can’t let your old aunt have the fun. Go on and show her how the young girls do it.”

  Lily started to shake her head no when a low voice rolled in from over her shoulder. “That was just what I was about to say.”

  Startled by the unexpected sexy, gravelly voice Lily jumped back, but the sparkle of approval in her grandmother’s sharp eyes let her know there was nothing to fear. Quite the opposite, Lily turned and looked deep into Midnight Eyes that saw too much and she knew a little too well.

  Despite his size and slightly intimidating look, he was smiling down at her. Damn he was tall. Taller than she’d remembered or even guessed while spying him from across the room. So tall she had to crane her neck to get a good look at him, which was annoying and not something she was used to. Lily took a quick step back, causing her heel to get caught in the chiffon hem of her dress again. Oh hell. But he was quicker than her klutzy feet. His arm jutting out swiftly, his large warm hand went for her bare elbow and pulled her to rights against his rock hard side with a rather indelicate, “Oomph!” Lily quickly pushed against his chest and straightened herself, this time more careful as she stepped back and found a way to look down her nose at him while still looking up. “Excuse you.”

  He smiled wider and it was completely unnerving while at the same time being totally disarming. “Excuse me or is it you? I guess both of us are at fault with that one,” he said, his voice as rough as the look of the hair on his strong chin.

  Lily felt her brows draw together. “Do you now?”

  He chuckled, then put out a hand, which she looked at as if he was sticking out his foot for her to shake. Midnight shook his head slightly and then directed his attention to Mama Dee who, for a moment, Lily had forgotten was standing there. But one look at Mama Dee let Lily know she was having the time of her life taking in this exchange. “Hello, I’m Vincent.”

  “Vin,” Lily interrupted on a surprised breath as he turned to her with a smile that was altogether devastating before turning back to Mama Dee.

  “Yes, Vincent Caro,” he said. “But my friends and old acquaintances all me Vin. Just bumping in to ask Lily here for a dance. That is if you don’t mind me interrupting, ma’am.”

  Mama Dee grinned wide and took Vin’s hand where Lily wouldn’t. But then her eyes narrowed. “Have we met? I feel like we have.”

  Lily gave Vin an intense up and down inspection. He shook his head. “I don’t believe so, ma’am.”

  Mama Dee let go of his hand and shrugged. “Well, it’s something about your face.”

  His eyes widened. “I don’t know if that’s good or bad.”

  Mama Dee winked. “Trust me baby. In your case, it’s good. If it was bad you’d have already been sent on your way.”

  Vin pulled back with a laugh. “I don’t doubt it, ma’am.”

  As Lily took in the scene, she was
digesting his name, once again letting it fill her memory banks. Vincent Caro. Vin, yeah that was it. No call back, Vin. She should have remembered. She’d thought for sure when they’d exchanged numbers he’d call her. He was Simon’s friend after all and Simon didn’t seem a no call back kind of guy. And silly as it was she wasn’t a first call back kind of woman. Nor was she a texter. She wasn’t into guys that had her chasing them down for a response. He’d asked for her number first, he’d should have been the one to initiate the call. That was that. Rule number 23 in the Laws of Lily. No amendments necessary. Not that the no-call-back was the biggest deal. During that time she’d really thrown her focus into her work and it paid off. She’d gotten her business well established and though she wasn’t in any sort of committed relationship, much to the chagrin of her family, she was happy. Back then she may have considered herself hurt. Not now. And though Lily knew those types of things were not something she could truly avoid, she didn’t see herself encountering that type of hurt anywhere in the immediate future.

  And truly it wasn’t as if she was surprised by Vin’s brush off. Sadly, hurt a bit, but not all that surprised. After seeing how her father had moved on from her mother, from all of them, despite all his so called love of family, Lily wasn’t easily surprised when it came to affairs of the heart. She had been there before, seen the hurt and the pain up close and vowed never to get bent out of shape over a non-committal, non-communicative man ever again. Lily finally spoke up. “I’m sure she does mind you interrupting.”

  Her emotions were her power and it was something she’d never give up. Vin. She mentally snorted his name. She should give him a thank you. In a way he’d freed her by not ever calling her. It was with that thought that her grandmother’s voice brought her back to the scene at hand. “Lily, stop acting like you were raised in a barn and shake the man’s hand.”

  Lily let out a low breath and looked at her grandmother. But Mama Dee’s raised brow let Lily know she was out of hand. Completely. She looked back over to Vin. What was she doing? Here was a perfectly handsome—handsome and tall mind you—man showing interest, again, where Thomas was perfectly MIA, and she was acting like she was all of thirteen instead of pushing thirty. So what if they had a sketchy past? The past was called the past for a reason and he was in front of her looking hot right now. So what, he’d snubbed her after their first encounter. That was then. She was a grown woman and in the driver’s seat of her life. She could see him clearly for what he was and right now it was time for her to start having a good time. That sealed it. Mama Dee was right. The time had come for her to have a little fun and Vin may be just the answer.

  Lily uncrossed her arms and smiled as she stretched out her hand. “Nice to see you again, Vincent.”

  He raised a brow at the use of his full name, then took her hand in his. Lily couldn’t help but wonder if the immediate sensual pull was something that only she felt as he gave her hand a shake. Probably not. A man like him more than likely went around weakening knees everywhere he went without a care for the women he left crumbling in his wake.

  “So would you like to dance?”

  Lily’s hand went still and she blinked. She blinked again before pulling her hand from his and as casually as she could crossed her arms once more. She glanced over at her aunt and uncle getting busy to a nineties dance track. Yeah, dancing didn’t look so fun right now. “No, um, I wouldn’t say that I would. But maybe the next song?”

  Suddenly the music changed and a slow ballad came on. “And this song is perfect,” Mama Dee spoke up without missing a beat. “Why I was just saying the dance floor needs more young blood. You two get on out there and do my old heart some good.”

  Lily shot her grandmother a semi-sharp look but knew it would go no further than that. She could never deny Mama Dee anything just as her grandmother could never deny her. They were like that. Though she had four sisters, she and Mama Dee always had a special bond. Her recent health troubles only reminding Lily just how precious that bond was. She let out a sigh as she looked her grandmother’s way. “You don’t play fair, lady.”

  Mama Dee chuckled. The sound was light and musical, letting Lily know it amused her to no end winning the latest round with Lily and her man situation. “Now when have I ever? Go on out there and have fun. Put on a show they won’t soon forget.”