“I’m sure I’ll get tired of it eventually. It’s just that I want to be together with you, and not separated for a large part of the year.”
“I could quit football.” Cade intertwined his fingers with hers.
“No, don’t. I want you to be happy, too.” Andie cupped her hand over his fingers.
“I’ll have to eventually. Every athlete has to think about his exit strategy. Whatever it is, you’re definitely going to be a part of it.” He gave her hand a squeeze.
Of course. That was the kind of guy he was, always including her in all his calculations. But, had she considered him with the grandiose wedding? After all, Cade had wanted a quickie at the city hall.
“Do you like our wedding plans?” Andie asked.
“It’s not the wedding that’s important,” Cade said. “It’s our family. That’s much more important than a wedding.”
That was a non-answer. Okay, so he wasn’t pleased, and she had been too pushy. Wasn’t it the bride’s prerogative to dictate the wedding? Except she’d gone too far with insisting they wait for his mother to contact him.
“I agree,” she said, hoping he’d forgive her. “I’ve been a brat, insisting on your mother to be here. Now that I worry she’d be in danger, I agree with you that she shouldn’t be invited.”
He feathered a kiss on her forehead. “It’s not that I don’t want her. Okay, well, actually I don’t want her if she’s still a junkie. I tried to help her. I sent her to rehab, and she either ran off or got herself kidnapped. If she’s using, or extorting and blackmailing people, she could be a danger to our family. It’s not just me and you. It’s Bret and Bonnie, too.”
Gulp. Andie’s muscles tightened and she swallowed. “I just want her to come clean and get the help she needs.”
“So do I, but using our wedding to lure her home is not the answer.” Cade gave her a squeeze. “I’ll never forgive myself if she causes harm to you, Bret, or Bonnie. Ever.”
“Oh my. I was so stupid. You must think I’m an idiot to be insisting she show up just so your side of the church wouldn’t be empty.”
“You meant well.” He pulled her closer and rubbed her back. “In fact, you were considering my future relationship with her, but this isn’t a fairy tale and happy endings aren’t guaranteed in life.”
“I want us to have a happy ending.” Andie rubbed her hand over Cade’s protective chest and snuggled in the crook of his neck, inhaling his manly scent.
“I don’t want us to ever have an ending.” Cade’s lips descended over hers, gently exploring every corner of her mouth. She opened herself to him, bared herself and allowed him to possess her with heartfelt love and exquisite tenderness.
No, never ending. Her thoughts fled as she wrapped her arms around his strong shoulders and laid her claim to the man who’d been nothing but good to her.
Chapter 8
“Michal wasn’t pregnant when she wed David,” Andie sat on the couch in between Sylvia and Leroy, holding onto a swatch book of fabrics.
“A small detail, but it doesn’t matter,” Leroy said. “Who’s to say the historical Michal wasn’t chubby.”
“Excuse me?” Andie shot daggers at the clueless man.
“Ahem.” Sylvia cleared her throat loudly. “Let’s just say David got Michal pregnant and King Saul was holding a shotgun.”
“A javelin,” Andie said. She wasn’t really pissed at Leroy. After all, he was a young, single guy, entirely into his scriptwriting. ”Although if I were David, I wouldn’t trust anyone with a javelin.”
“Ha, that gives me an idea,” Leroy said. He pulled out a notebook and scribbled into it. “I remember now, I saw a draft of Michal’s Window. Not sure this scene made it into the final version, but King Saul was having a javelin throwing contest with David and his sons in the dining hall. Oh, and David missed badly. Everyone was laughing and then Ishby, Michal’s baby brother, let the bunnies David had gifted them loose. It was hilarious.”
“Really? Where was that scene?” Andie rose from the sofa and looked at her bookcase. “I don’t remember it.”
“I think it got edited out, but I followed the author on social media and found her Critique Circle posts,” Leroy said. “Those baby bunnies were so cute, hopping around the royal palace. The servants chased them, and the entire dining hall turned into a big mess.”
“Oh, that would be funny.” Andie laughed, slapping her thigh. “Can you contact the author and ask her to let me read her deleted scenes?”
“Definitely,” Leroy said. “She’s really nice and even invited me to join her street team. Oh, and there was another one where Michal and Merab were skipping over rocks at a river and, oh, oh, the bat cave where Ishby had a fright, ha, ha, never mind.” He stifled a chuckle. “Shall we put in something funny for your wedding?”
“Sure. The bat cave sounds like something my dad would like. Let’s work with him on the script. He’s an expert on that time period.” Andie rubbed her hands together. This would be the perfect project to get her father involved.
“Well, we don’t have that much time,” Sylvia said. “I’ve got to get you measured and get started with the Israeli wedding gown. It won’t be as intricate as Michal’s in the book, because obviously we don’t have time for all the beadwork.”
“Not to mention the silk and jade were not historically accurate,” Leroy said. “The author used a lot of creative license.”
“We could, too,” Andie said. “What’s to stop us from having a little fun?”
“Oh, this is going to be a cool reenactment.” Sylvia clapped her hands. “I want to be your maid, Naomi.”
“Don’t be my maid, be my best friend,” Andie said. “Leroy, you don’t have to follow Michal’s Window exactly, do you? This is your story, after all.”
“Yes, you’re right. This is David Betrayed.” A smile gleamed on his face. “Sylvia, how about if you’re the betrayer? You pretend you’re Michal’s best friend, but in reality, you’re in cahoots with one of her evil brothers.”
“Oooh, love it. Are any of the evil brothers hot?” Sylvia bounced on her seat. She reached over and tugged Andie’s shoulder. “Sorry about that, bestie.”
“No worries,” Andie said. “I know it’s only a play. What other characters will we have?”
“I’ll make sure the evil brothers are not hot,” Leroy said, sticking his tongue out at Sylvia. “As for your question, Andie, there’s David’s father, Jesse, and his mother, some of his brothers too. David was the baby of the family.” Leroy consulted his tablet. “There’s also the priest who officiates the wedding, Elihu, Michal’s tutor. We’ll match up your guest list with the list of extras.”
“There’s Michal’s elder sister, Merab, and her husband Adriel,” Andie reminded him.
“Cut, cut.” Sylvia chopped one hand over her palm, standing. “I don’t have time to make everyone’s costume.”
“Not a problem,” Leroy said. “We’ll raid the Christmas Nativity closet. I’m sure some of them could be dressed like shepherds.”
“This is going to be the most memorable wedding,” Andie said. “Okay, measure me, but leave some room, since I’ll be growing bigger every day.”
She patted her belly which was nice, firm, and very round. “I can’t wait, can you, Bonnie?”
# # #
“Word with you?” Cade collared Ronaldo in the locker room of the university where he had obtained workout privileges.
“Only if you run through the property my aunt’s looking at buying.” Ronaldo hooked his thumb toward the door. “I want to check out the views on foot.”
“Did you offer Andie a job working on set designs?”
“What if I did?” Ronaldo rubbed sunscreen on his arms and shoulders. “She’s very talented and knowledgeable.”
“Exactly, but she’ll also have two babies to take care of. Have you considered how everything’s going to change once Bonnie’s born?” Cade tied his shoelaces and stretched his hamstrings.
>
“Am I an idiot?” Ronaldo leveled a pointed stare at him. “Of course, she’ll be busy, but this is something she wants to do. In fact, she’s coming up with a business plan for me to use the facilities year round.”
Cade wiped his hair over his forehead and fastened his baseball cap. Everything was happening too fast. Andie had just gotten off bedrest, and now she was overloading herself with commitments. He’d promised himself he’d let Andie have free reign to work on interesting projects, but he’d be dammed if he’d let Ronaldo rope her into one of his schemes and take advantage of her.
“You need to run this by me. She plans on traveling with me after football season starts. She won’t be available to run your little business. What is it, a concession stand?”
“Save your insults.” Ronaldo wedged his wraparound sunglasses on top of his head. “This is going to be an opportunity of a lifetime with Andie getting in on the ground floor of a new resort.”
“New resort?” Cade grabbed the tube of sunscreen and slathered it over his shoulders. “What exactly does your aunt plan on doing to this peaceful, little town?”
“Revitalize it. Bring in big businesses, tourist dollars, take this sleepy community into the twenty-first century. I mean, look at these lakes, surrounded by waterfalls, gorges, and lush forests. That dilapidated ski resort, Watkin’s Peak, is only fit to be bought out. Eventually, we’d have to lobby the state to put in a super highway. I can’t believe they only have two lane roads here.”
“Sure, nothing like those twelve lane highways in California.” Cade was being sarcastic, but it was probably lost on his buddy.
“Absolutely, they should start with at least four lanes,” Ronaldo said in all seriousness. “This place has megabucks potential. The wine trail, the history, including the railroads, fishing, hot air balloons, gliding, seaplane rides, even jet skis in selected marinas.”
“You’re forgetting one thing,” Cade said. “Snow and ice half the year. This isn’t Aspen, you know. The hills aren’t tall enough to get that vertical drop you need for winter sports.”
“Mere details. I’m a big picture type of guy.” Ronaldo sniffed. “First, we need to check out the property.”
The two friends took a shortcut through the back of the bird sanctuary, then crossed over a hill full of rare firs, or miniature Christmas trees. The air was heavy with the perfume of crocuses, daffodils, and hyacinth. After a mile of natural beauty, they descended into a valley skirting the vineyard waking from its winter slumber.
The fragrant flowers blooming infused the air with the scent of paradise. Who would have guessed that such a place would exist in upstate New York? But Cade had read that grape growing was possible here only because the tempering effects of the long deep lakes protected the growing grapes from extreme temperatures, while the steep slopes provided great drainage, crucial for grape vines.
“Look, whatever you do with the wedding,” Cade huffed as they entered the property. “Make sure to keep it secure. I don’t want any interference by the media. You think you can do that?”
“Definitely. Nothing to worry about. My lips are sealed, and now that Andie isn’t going to announce it on social media, everything should go off without a hitch. After all, if your mother were somewhere in the South Pacific, she couldn’t very well catch a flight so quickly and sneak back into the country.”
Cade’s shoulders slumped, and he expelled a sharp breath. “I really don’t care about her, other than she stay away from my family. I’ll never forget Andie lying there, almost dead.”
“Except as long as your mother is out there somewhere, she’s a loose cannon. How do you know she won’t ‘show’ up unexpectedly?”
They chugged past a lone hiker using a pair of hiking sticks or trekking poles. The way she moved, it would take her all day to make it up the hill. Was she also here to check out the property? It was too bad this pristine wilderness would soon become commercialized.
“Maybe we should put out feelers and let her know she’s not welcome.” Cade pumped his arms as they approached an uphill segment. “I hate to ask, but is this something the FBI might be able to help with? Get the word out that she’s not to come?”
The shorter man’s quick strides allowed him to keep abreast with Cade. “I can ask my brother to arrange that. We still have some agents infiltrated into the gang. If anyone is in touch with her, they could pass it on, if they were properly motivated.”
“What does that mean?” Cade stumbled on a tree root, but he caught himself and slowed his pace.
“We got to throw them a bone. Give to get. You know how it is.”
“What would be the bone?”
“Don’t you worry about it, leave it to the agency.” Ronaldo stopped on top of a hill. He shaded his eyes from the sun and gasped. “Look at this view. I can picture putting a hotel on this spot, including a couple of five-star Michelin restaurants. This vista beats the French Laundry in Napa Valley.”
“Uh, except who around here is wealthy enough to dine at a Michelin five-star?”
“Football players and their wives.”
“Football players? Where? We’re miles from the city.”
“Not after we build a new stadium and move the team.”
“Move the team? Is Dinah Silver going to move the Flash?”
“Oh, no, not the Flash. She’s dating Herbert Van Roekens, the owner of your team, the New York Warthogs.”
Cade slapped the top of his forehead and turned away from the view. Even though this development would be the answer to his and Andie’s dilemma, it would change the entire character of the Finger Lakes region, and not for the better.
Chapter 9
“James, you need to get in the wheelchair,” Andie’s mother said as she pulled the wheelchair from the rack in their van. It was another beautiful day, and Andie was spending time with her parents on a tour of the Tall Duck Winery.
“I can use the walker, or even better, I’ll push Bret’s stroller,” her dad insisted.
“Dad, you might fall on the cobblestones.” Andie didn’t want to discourage her father, but his gait, although getting better, was still wobbly, and his arm movements were jerky on one side and stiff on the other.
“Don’t be telling your old man what he can or can’t do.” James put on the huffy Dad-knows-best voice.
“If you drive your wheelchair, we can let you hold Bret in your lap. I bet he’d love it.” Andie took Bret out of the car seat. “Then I won’t have to push the stroller.”
“Sounds like fun,” Andie’s mother said. “Although, Bret can get awfully wiggly.”
“I can hold onto a baby. Sheesh, what do you take me for, an invalid?” Andie’s father swiveled the motorized captain’s chair in the van so that both his legs pointed to the door. “Give me a hand, Pam?”
Andie’s mother positioned the wheelchair, braking it, then helped her father from the van. “I know you’re walking better. You don’t have to prove anything.”
“But I do,” James said. “Andie’s wedding’s in a week, and if I’m to play King Saul, I absolutely cannot be in a wheelchair or use a walker.”
“I’m sure they had canes back then.” Andie’s mother sighed, propping up her father and easing him into the chair.
“Dad, you’ll be great. Besides, you can lean on me,” Andie said.
“Oh, no, you’re leaning on me. I’m the one who taught you how to walk,” her father said, holding out his arms. “Let me have my little Bret.”
As soon as Andie placed Bret into his arms, Andie’s father jiggled the joystick and took off in his wheelchair toward the ramp leading to the tasting room.
“Your father’s stubborn,” Andie’s mother said. “It was so hard for him those first months when he couldn’t speak or move. He’s come a long way.”
The two women glanced after James’s wheelchair making tracks over the gravel parking lot. No man wanted to be weak. Before his stroke, Andie’s father was a dynamo, full of energy, hikin
g through the desert and climbing into caves in search of ancient civilizations and their hidden stories.
“He sure has,” Andie said. “I should have been here more to take care of him, instead of on bedrest. You ended up taking care of both of us.”
“It’s my pleasure.” Her mother squeezed her shoulder as she locked up the van. “People are more important than things, and well, maybe I didn’t amount to much as a writer or had a decent career, but my joy is in the people I cared for.”
Andie hefted her purse over her shoulder. “I know, but I want more. There’s a reason I’m checking out the winery today.”
“Oh? I know you can’t drink and neither can James with his medication. I thought you wanted to spend some time with us.”
“Of course I do. But it’s also to check out the condition of the buildings and speak to the owners. Mr. Silver has a business proposal. It’s all confidential, but I want to be in on it and since I’m from around here, no one will be suspicious if I ask a lot of questions.”
Her mother’s eyes narrowed and she cupped her hand to whisper, “I don’t like that Mr. Silver. At your party, I walked by when he and your friends were talking and they all clammed up.”
“I’m thinking of a business proposal that Dad can be a part of, too.”
“No wonder you wanted to take the tour,” her mother said, looking at her pregnant condition. “You sure you’re not having contractions?”
“None whatsoever.” Andie opened the door to the tasting room for her father who was waiting on the ramp. “Let me buy the tour tickets so we can get a look around.”
A silent message passed between her parents.
“What?” Andie looked between them. “I want to learn more about winemaking, that’s all.”
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