Four Weddings and a Fiasco: The Wedding Snafu (Kindle Worlds Novella)

by Aliyah Burke

  “Kurt calls you a pipsqueak.” He held the door for her, and while she missed his touch, the gesture was appreciated. His hand rested on the small of her back, however briefly.

  “Next to him, you’re a pipsqueak,” she retorted.

  The waiting reporters focused on them. “Who is this woman? What happened to Tiffany? How long have you known her?”

  “This is my friend, Mindy. Her brother is one of the other groomsmen. She’s here filling in for his snafu of being unable to be here with us until the actual wedding. Tiffany is here with the others at the park where we’re supposed to be. This isn’t my wedding; you should be talking to the groom and bride.” He steered her away from the group.

  It wasn’t to be. One man started toward her. “Are you into the gaming world, as well?”

  She gave a small smile. “I’m here, as he stated, as a stand-in groomsman. Nothing more. This is to celebrate their union. Not learn about my likes or dislikes. If you’ll excuse us, we’re already late to our outing.”

  Donal was behind her and slid in the back of Roland’s SUV. “We know you like Disney,” he whispered low along the back of her neck, sending goosebumps along her skin.

  “All the cool kids do,” she snarked, buckling her belt.

  Tim’s questioning gaze met hers as he peered over his shoulder. She ignored him. As she focused out the window, she caught Roland’s gaze slide to Donal, as well.

  Chapter Three

  Donal watched Tiffany on the shore beneath the pavilion then switched his gaze to the women who were with her. She’d come in late last night, so he’d not had much of a chance to speak with her. And, right now, as was apparent, being with her friends was much more important. They were with a few reporters, and he was sure they were discussing Paris.

  He gazed out to the water and allowed himself another smile. At least her brother, Todd, was having a good time. He and his fiancée were out in one of the paddleboats. Roland and Tim were also out on the water with their plus ones.

  “Get in here,” Roland yelled. “We can’t race if you’re on dry land.”

  Donal didn’t want to do this. But, obligations were obligations. “Tiffany?” he called out.

  She giggled and waved at him. “I’m not getting out there. I don’t want to risk getting wet. Porscha, you go.”

  As they squabbled, he fought the urge to groan in frustration. He glanced to the left of the structure and experienced that flutter in his chest, once more. Mindy approached.

  “Mindy,” he hollered to her.

  She stopped, tipped her head forward, and stared at him over the rims of her rectangular shades. He pointed to the ones on the water and expected a fervent refusal. Instead, she lengthened her stride and hurried to his side.

  “Oh, the races. I’m in.” She rubbed her hands together. “Let’s go.”

  He liked her enthusiasm. “After you.” A tingle of excitement trailed across his skin. He settled beside her, and they moved toward the waiting group. Tiffany’s brother, Todd, smiled when they arrived.

  “I’m so glad you came out. This is the only place we’ve figured it’s safe to actually be ourselves. My mother isn’t glaring or frowning because of something I said wrong.” He turned his attention to Mindy. “Thank you for coming. Kurt has spoken so highly of you. I’m sorry we’ve not met before now.”

  “I appreciate you allowing me to fill in.”

  “It’s me who’s thanking you. Not too many would be such good sports about it as you are doing. Especially given it was sprung on you to fill in his big shoes.”

  “Kurt’s good at that,” she responded good-naturedly.

  Donal found his gaze drifting to her more and more. He couldn’t help it. The way the sun made her skin glow, the sparkle in her eyes. Hell, even the way the breeze moved through her curls. He wanted to sink his fingers into them and discover if they were as soft as he believed them to be.

  “Regardless,” Todd continued. “Thank you for putting up with my mother and the situation. I know she’s not the easiest person to put up with. She’s unsure how to handle you being here. A woman who’s hanging with the groomsmen. Doesn’t work well for her image of how it should be, much less how it should play to the society pages. Not to mention, she’s trying really hard to get Donal here locked into marriage before the festivities end.”

  Donal’s heart sank, and he looked at his friend. “This isn’t my intention, you know that. This time should be about you, not the possible merger of our company and your father’s.”

  “I know.” Todd smiled at his fiancée Bianca as she laced her fingers with his in a silent show of support. “We’ve always known that my—our; I’m sorry, Bianca—wedding was more about putting you and Tiffany together and in the public eye. She’s got this entire thing planned.” He caressed Bianca’s face. “I’m really surprised she didn’t force Tiff to be out here with you.”

  Donal was extremely uncomfortable. “I don’t—”

  “We all know—Mindy is learning—how my mother is. It’s a fact, and I’m pretty sure she’ll be yelling for you to come get Tiff. So, we should get this race started.”

  Donal hated how Todd’s mother treated him. Todd had one of the biggest hearts in a person he’d ever met. Problem was, many people took advantage of that. It wasn’t that Todd was slow; he was just slower than most. And, he was trusting. They’d taken to protecting him in college from those who’d wanted to use him for his money.

  “Let’s race, then, because I already have my partner for the race.” Donal no longer wished to focus on Todd’s mother or her need to marry him into her family.

  Tim rubbed his hands together. “All right, then. Shall we say down to that slight bend and back?”

  Donal slanted his gaze to his companion. “Ready?”

  Her responding grin said it all. Not to mention how it affected him. She was absolutely breathtaking when she smiled like that. Beautiful anytime, breathtaking with that completely free smile.

  “They’re going down.”

  He nearly laughed but controlled his expression. The way the others watched him, it was almost unnerving. Tim cocked an eyebrow at him before flicking his gaze between the two of them. Donal ignored him.

  As Todd predicted, sure enough, his mother’s call came over the water, but they turned from her and got all the paddleboats lined up. Donal looked down the line, taking in the men and their women.

  Mindy isn’t my woman. Why would I think of her as such? He couldn’t deny the physical attraction to her. There was a spark there between them, but she, unlike many other women he knew, didn’t pursue it further. She was treating him like her brother’s friend. Nothing more. Nothing less.

  The real question was why was he thinking of her in a different way than he should be. Kurt would kill him. He remembered the day he’d come to Donal, talking about how his parents had been killed and how he was leaving school to return home to care for Mindy. He’d put his dream of becoming a surgeon on hold for her. Something, he’d repeatedly said, Mindy never forgot and was always there for her brother. She’d not come visit him when he’d made it back to college, and so, Donal had very little recollection of her until Kurt had talked to him the other day.

  She spoke with Roland’s date, Susan, her rich laugh filling the air.

  “Enough gossip,” Todd said. “Loser buys lunch.”

  “I’m just saying, if I lose, lunch is going to be corndogs in the park,” Mindy announced. “So, don’t act surprised. Not that we’re losing; just a heads-up.”

  “Channeling your brother, are we?” Roland teased.

  “Cripes, if I channeled him, this paddleboat would sink. I’m not sure one would hold him. He belongs on the gridiron with his size. Never fails to shock me how gentle of a man he is.” She cleared her throat and leaned forward, again, to look at Roland. “Although, if the thought of him upset that you beat his baby sister helps me win, I’ve got no objections to that.”

  Roland snorted. “It does, b
ut I’m not throwing this race.”

  Donal dropped his gaze and bit the inside of his cheek. Peeking out from beneath the hem of her shirt was the dark ink of a tattoo. Oh, the temptation. It rode him hard. Slip his hand along the small of her back, once more, and slide her shirt up, exposing the smooth skin and whatever the tattoo happened to be.

  She glanced over to him, eyes bright and full of life. “Ready? I mean, you can operate one of these, right?”

  “It’s a paddleboat.”

  “Just saying, I don’t want to be out a few bucks for corndogs because you’re scared of getting wet or having fun.”

  “Just try to keep up so we’re not going in circles.”

  She sat up with a snort. “That’s with canoes.”

  He wanted to tease her, but they were yelling out to go, so he did. Donal had to admit, he enjoyed every second of it. They didn’t come in first—Todd and Bianca did—but they were second.

  Roland scowled at Mindy when he pulled up beside her. “You cheated,” he accused playfully.

  She jumped up, fists in the air. “Ain’t having corndogs for lunch,” she teased. “We won, because the groom and bride can’t lose.”

  “Annoying just like your brother,” Roland said, a second before he leaned in close and pushed her in the water.

  “Roland!” Donal shouted.

  Seconds later, she surfaced, sputtering water. Droplets hung off her thick, curved lashes, gleaming like diamonds in the sunlight. Her full lips were parted as she began to laugh.

  “Okay, I may have deserved that,” she admitted.

  “You were chanting the Rocky theme,” Tim said, shaking his head.

  “Because we won.” She swam over to Donal’s side and looked at him. “Gonna offer to help me out of the water here? Or just sit there looking at me?”

  Donal reached out his hand and did his best to ignore the skip in his pulse when her palm landed in his. He began to pull when she jerked and brought him in with her. He surfaced to find her treading water right next to him.

  He opened his mouth to yell but all that came out…laughter. She looked like a water imp, and he couldn’t even begin to drudge up any bit of anger at her. More laughter around him filtered down to where he remained in the water.

  Donal slicked his wet hair back from his face and reached for the woman who’d done this to him. She agilely swam back out of reach with a shake of her head. “Am I going to pay for that?”

  He blocked out the laughing from his friends and the calls from the side of the water.

  “Yes,” he promised. “Yes, you will.” He crooked his finger at her. “Come here; let me help you back in the boat.”

  He saw the wheels turning before she glided back to him. “Don’t forget there are reporters on the shore there. If you murder me, there will be witnesses.”

  Behind her, he dropped his hands to her waist. “Probably should have thought of that before you dragged me in the water.”

  She shrugged. “Probably, but I’m a bit impetuous.”

  “I’m noticing.” Like he noticed how nicely she fit against him and felt there. He couldn’t span her waist with his hands, but there was no doubt it was a real woman he held, not a stick. Her curves enticed a ton more discovery—or was that exploring—and he lowered his head to her neck when a throat clearing beside them had him looking up to see Tim there, an eyebrow arched and a pointed look in his expression. Shit, I was about to kiss her.

  If she knew, she didn’t show it. “Tim, you grab an arm and help,” he ordered, ignoring how much deeper his voice sounded.

  Okay, so this was hell. Lifting her out of the water and back into the paddleboat. Her ass was right there, and as he helped her back in, he touched it. The perfect definition of a bubble butt. Once she was situated, he climbed in beside her and, once more, wiped the water off his face.

  “Let’s get you two dried off and feed everyone. We have another two hours before the next activity on the literary.”

  Todd’s comment brought to his mind a shared shower, drying her off and going from there. Donal took off his shirt, wrung it out and put it back on. He noticed her eyes on him, and a thrill ran over him. He cut his gaze to her and saw how she worked the edges of her shirt, wringing it out.

  “A sound plan.”

  αβ

  “I thought, for sure, he was going to lose his shit when you pulled him in the water,” Bianca said as they walked along Fisherman’s Wharf back to the waiting car.

  She’d pulled a bride card and had claimed Mindy for a while. Todd’s mother couldn’t make too much of a fuss over it, so here they were, the driver not to far from them.

  “Honestly, I wasn’t sure he would have come up laughing, but I took what Kurt said to heart that he’s a good fun man.”

  Bianca whistled low. “I don’t know him all that well, which says so much given we all live near one another and I see him all the time. He’s just always been so closed off. Private. Quiet. Serious.”

  Mindy put her hands in the pockets of her cargo pants. “I guess running a company like they do makes you serious.”

  “Tim’s not. Roland’s not. Only Donal.” A loving smile lifted her lips. “Todd’s not.”

  “I don’t know him much. Haven’t seen him in years, not since before my parents died, so I’m not sure what he’s like, anymore. But, given my brother knows how I am and knows what behavior issues I tend to exhibit, he must not have been worried having me fill in.”

  “You’re fearless.”

  The driver hurried to open the door. “Not fearless, but I’ve learned you have to live life for now because there may not be a later.” The women slid in the back.

  “Have you been to DKO Gaming?”

  “No, never been.”

  Bianca gave the driver instructions and leaned back. “You have to at least see where they work. It is going to be even bigger when the merger happens.”

  “Right, between Todd’s family and DKO.”

  “It’s supposed to happen next year, and I know she wants the wedding to happen before then.”

  “This would be Tiffany and Donal’s wedding, I’m guessing.”

  “Yes. My mother-in-law has some grand plans when it comes to them.”

  Mindy kept her opinion contained. She leaned forward as the car slowed before a large building. The driver opened the door, and she climbed out then looked back in at Bianca, who remained sitting.

  “Aren’t you coming?”

  “No, I have to meet with Rose for a few more things. Since I didn’t think you wanted to hang with the bridesmaids, I figured I’d put you back to where at least one of the groomsmen is hanging out. Not sure if they are all here, but I’m confident Donal is. This place is his sanctuary.”

  “Thanks for the trip to Fisherman’s Wharf.”

  “See you at dinner.”

  With a wave and another farewell, Mindy took the steps leading to the doors two at a time and entered the pristine lobby. The man behind the security desk looked up at her when she entered.

  “Can I help you, ma’am?”

  “I’m looking for Donal O’Keefe, please.” She walked up to the dark gray countertop and propped herself against it.

  “Do you have an appointment?”

  “Nope. Could you call him and tell him Mindy is down here?”

  “One moment.” He picked up a black phone and pressed two buttons. “Mr. O’Keefe? Yes sir. You have a woman here to see you. A Mindy.” His eyes sliced back over to her. “Yes, sir, that is the woman. Right away.” He hung up and rose. Lifting a radio from the desk, he said, “Scottie, come back to the desk, I’m escorting someone up to Mr. O’Keefe’s office.” Once the radio was on his belt, he turned a clipboard toward her. “Could you sign in, please?”

  He handed her a visitor’s pass and walked her to the far elevator bay and swiped his badge. As the doors slid silently shut, she leaned against the wall. He didn’t speak on the way up, and she didn’t force conversation. In all honesty, she
was thinking about the man who she was on her way to see. He made her nervous in that high-school-crush kind of way. The sweaty palms, butterflies in the stomach, dry throat.

  They stopped, and the door opened. The guard held the door and waved her out. He followed her, and seconds later, Donal stood there, looking at them both.

  “I got her from here, Jake; thanks for bringing her up.”

  Mindy ran her gaze over the man before her. Damnation. It wasn’t fair, at least not to her libido. His suit fit him to perfection. Sure, he didn’t have the coat on, but the white shirt didn’t do anything to hide the broad shoulders or lean waist.

  “Come on back,” he said easily.

  She walked by him and did her best not to whimper as his masculine scent flowed past her nose. A deep woodsy scent.

  “What brings you by?” He placed his large hand at the small of her back.

  “Bianca dropped me off, said she had to get over to meet Rose for a few last minute details of things.”

  “Not sure why; that woman has this wedding completely under control.” He held the door for her and trailed her into his office. “But, she just brought you here?”

  She took in the dark hues that made up his office. Not much in the way of personal items, but there were lots of images from the games they’d produced. Had a few figurines on the desk, as well.

  “Yes, we had been at Fisherman’s Wharf, and she brought me here after.”

  “What were you doing down there?”

  “Haven’t been.”

  “Really? You’ve never been?”

  She watched him fix her a drink, and her belly did more of that flipping when their fingers grazed along each other as he handed it to her. “Nope. So, she took me.”

  “I would have taken you.”

  Is it my imagination or did his eyes get darker and his voice drop when he said that? She gulped and gave him a little smile.

  Chapter Four

  This woman was driving him crazy. It didn’t make sense. Tiffany was the epitome of a perfect woman by society’s standards. Tiny waist—one he could easily span—the perfect smile, hair, everything.