by Karen Booth
“Three years. Echo’s grad school graduation.” That had been a tense day—Genevieve was deeply annoyed with him, and he still didn’t know why. She’d refused to answer when he asked. “Not exactly looking forward to it, to be honest. I always manage to make her at least a little unhappy.”
“Maybe she’ll be too focused on the wedding to notice you.”
“Something tells me she’ll find a way to get in at least one dig.”
Donovan and Austin spent another half hour or so catching up, then headed back inside to get dressed for cocktails and dinner. Donovan ran into Austin in the hall a few minutes before five and they walked down to the fussy formal living room, which was where their mother liked to hold, oddly enough, informal gatherings. The decor could best be described as luxury taxidermy, with uncomfortable furniture upholstered in gold and white stripes while the walls were lined with mounted eight-point buck heads and the fireplace mantle home to two stuffed skunks.
Echo and Lucius were already there, as well as a handful of their closest friends, who’d just arrived. Lucius’s parents were on hand, who Donovan had met once, as well as Lucius’s aunt. Austin brought Donovan a gin and tonic from the bar and they retreated to the bay window seat, where it was easy to catch a buzz and stay out of the way.
Their mother made her entrance soon after, holding on to Stuart and wearing a white floor-length gown. Donovan found her choice of dress particularly odd given that Echo was the bride, but he wasn’t about to say a thing, especially now that she and Stuart were preoccupied with talking to the other guests. Seconds later, in walked a pair Donovan had not expected to arrive together—Lela and Genevieve.
He popped up from his seat. “Shit.”
Austin did the same. “Oh. I can see how this would be awkward.”
Genevieve was wearing a royal blue cocktail dress, her long brown hair tumbling over her shoulders, still just as model-perfect as the last time he saw her. Despite Genevieve’s natural ability to draw attention, Donovan could only look at Lela. Her hair was up in a high ponytail again, flaunting her cheekbones and graceful neck. Her flowing black dress had silver threads that brought out the sparkle in her gray.
“In theory, this shouldn’t be too terrible,” Donovan said to Austin as he studied the two women. They seemed to be having a perfectly normal conversation. “They knew each other in school. They hung out a few times back then.”
“Oh, okay,” Austin said, sounding entirely unconvinced. “Although, I don’t know if I’d want my ex-wife and the woman I have a thing for hanging out together.”
Donovan turned to his brother. “I don’t have a thing for her. We’re friends. And colleagues.”
Austin raised both hands in surrender, telling Donovan that he doth protest too much. “Got it.”
Lela and Genevieve were now approaching, tying Donovan’s stomach into knots.
“Gentlemen,” Genevieve started, her British accent as thick as ever. She air-kissed Donovan on both cheeks, then did the same when greeting Austin.
Lela, for her part, offered a single wave. Donovan would’ve gladly had it the other way around. “Hi, guys.”
“Gin and tonic, ladies?” Austin shook the ice in his now-empty glass.
“Yes. Please,” Lela said.
“Tell me your mother has some proper gin,” Genevieve added.
“There’s Hendricks and Tanqueray No. 10. Our mother takes gin very seriously,” Austin said.
“Right, then. Either of those’ll do.”
From the other side of the room, Donovan’s mother clinked the side of a champagne glass several times with a silver spoon. “Everyone. I’d like to go over the schedule for Echo and Lucius’s big day tomorrow.” All eyes were quickly on Eileen. “At eleven, Genevieve and I will be hosting a brunch in this room for the ladies. Stuart will be leading the men on a nature hike, followed by lunch.”
Donovan stifled a groan. He didn’t need to spend several hours with Stuart. By the next time he came to visit, Stuart would undoubtedly be gone and a new guy would be in his place.
“Then,” she continued, “the ceremony will be at four o’clock, down by the pond, followed by dinner and dancing.”
“I’m gobsmacked. Your mum is organized,” Genevieve quipped. “I wasn’t sure she knew how to tell time.”
His mother’s poor sense of schedule and ability to ignore anyone else’s needs was well documented. It had driven Genevieve bonkers when Echo was a baby.
“Maybe because her granddaughter is getting married?” Donovan asked.
Genevieve shot him a searing look. “Maybe because I had to be on her about all of this for the last few months.”
Just then, a chorus of barks rang out, growing louder by the second. Everyone turned to the door. A sleek black cat tore into the room, leaping up onto the back of a wingback chair, back arched and tail fluffed, much like one of the skunks. A split second later the dogs stampeded into the room, surrounding the chair, hopping on hind legs and barking.
“And, here we go…” Genevieve said. “Gives a whole new meaning to ‘dog’s dinner’, doesn’t it?”
Donovan wasn’t about to argue with his ex-wife about whether or not this was a complete disaster. The answer seemed fairly obvious. He and Austin sprang into action, tugging on collars and attempting to corral the dogs out of the room, but there were too many for two people. Stuart jumped in, then Lucius. Then Echo. Donovan’s mom nearly deafened them all with one of her two-finger whistles, but this time, the dogs were not listening. The poor cat hissed and swiped, one time nearly hitting Donovan. Genevieve backed away, staying out of the fray.
“Eileen, do you have any dog biscuits?” Lela blurted, chasing a Papillon in circles. Apparently Lela was the only person with a functioning brain.
“Yes,” Stuart answered. “Be right back.” He sprinted out of the room and returned in a flash—who knew Stuart was so spry?
As soon as one dog received a treat, they quickly peeled off and bombarded Stuart.
Lela scooped up the poor cat and pulled it into the safety of her arms. “Well, that was exciting.”
“Also known as a shambles,” Genevieve said.
As Donovan found himself wanting to defend his mom a second time, a realization hit him hard—the dogs might have been his mother’s pets, but an episode like that could’ve happened to anyone. Maybe he needed to stop thinking of his mom as an agent of turmoil. Plus, she was actually trying. It was a lot of work for her to plan and schedule. It simply wasn’t in her DNA. “And it all turned out fine, didn’t it?”
Genevieve rolled her eyes and walked away. Lela forced a smile, petting the cat, which was now clearly in love with her. Donovan approached the animal, ducking his head to make eye contact, then offering a sniff of his hand before he gave it a scratch behind the ears. All was okay. And he needed to relax.
“With that behind us, I think we’re going to go ahead and move into the dining room,” Stuart announced.
“Good idea,” Donovan said. “I’m starving.”
Of course, when they arrived, Donovan learned the downside of his mother’s newfound organizational efforts. She’d assigned seats, and she hadn’t been particularly kind to him when she’d done it. She’d put him right next to Genevieve.
Genevieve plunked her glass of wine on the table and pulled out her chair. “Well, this is a real cock-up, isn’t it?”
One thing Donovan had always enjoyed about being with Genevieve was her prodigious use of British slang. Even when it was unflatteringly directed at him. “We are responsible for the bride being on the planet, so I don’t think it’s the worst thing in the world for us to sit next to each other.”
Genevieve dropped into her chair and pinched her nose. She was so stressed it was radiating off of her in waves. “I suppose.”
He sighed and reached for her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. He felt bad. As much as things had gone completely wrong between them, he still cared for her. “It’s okay. No matter what happ
ens this weekend, our daughter will get married to a guy she loves like crazy. That’s all that matters.”
Genevieve did not enjoy being put on notice, and he was well aware that he’d done exactly that, but it was the only thing that made sense. Life was short. Echo’s happiness was the most important thing to them both.
She turned, regarding him with an unfamiliar look, one that felt like a white flag of surrender. “I really hate saying that you’re right, but you are.”
“I promise to be wrong several times over the course of the weekend. Just to make up for it.”
A soft smile spread over her face. “I’m bloody sure of that.” She nodded across the table, where Austin and Lela were seated. “Not surprised she found her way into your life again.”
“It was a total fluke. We hadn’t talked in more than twenty years.”
She took a sip of her wine. “Something always told me you two would end up together.”
“But we’re not.”
“You’re working together.”
“And our daughter is, too.”
“As I said, she’s back in your life. You don’t have to get defensive about it, Donovan. It’s simply an observation.”
He cleared his throat, watching Lela and Austin as they were chatting and laughing. Lela put her hand on his brother’s shoulder, and however innocent it might have been, it made Donovan deeply uncomfortable, especially since he already knew how Austin felt about Lela. He couldn’t watch them, but he also couldn’t look away. It was like a sexually charged car wreck. The only cure seemed to be to change the subject with Genevieve. “Tell me what’s going on at home.”
Dinner was served by the cook his mother brought in for special occasions, as well as a server. They started with Waldorf salad, which Donovan had never liked because he hated celery, followed by miso-glazed salmon with veggies, Echo’s favorite. As they ate, he caught up with Genevieve. She’d been dating a guy off and on, a university professor, but it was nothing serious. The literacy non-profit she’d started two years ago was doing well. Her parents, however, were not doing great, although Donovan already knew that because they’d been unable to make the trip for Echo’s wedding.
When it was Donovan’s turn to share, the conversation revolved entirely around Echo as he told Genevieve about the massive success of the company and how rewarding it was to work with their daughter. “It’s been incredible. We’re so much closer now than we were before.”
Genevieve nodded, but her demeanor grew cold. “Glad you had the chance.”
Dessert arrived, a salted caramel and chocolate tart, but Donovan picked at his. He’d had his time with Genevieve, they’d both survived, neither of them worse off for the conversation. He was ready to get out of there. His mom had other plans though, asking to go around the table so everyone could offer Echo and Lucius their best bit of relationship advice.
His mom started. “Love is not blind. It sees everything.” A low rumble among the guests suggested that several people agreed.
When it came to be Lela’s turn, she said, “Someone once said that you shouldn’t go to bed mad, but I think it’s fine. By morning, things almost always seem better.” It made Donovan smile. It was such a Lela thing to say.
Austin offered, “Whatever I’ve done, do the opposite.” That prompted a few laughs.
As did Genevieve’s offering, “Never share a sink.”
Then it was Donovan’s turn. He wasn’t good with sentimentality, and he feared his would only fall flat, but he couldn’t think of anything else to say. “Just find a way to love each other.” To his great surprise, a chorus of “Aww…” broke out in the room. The irony did not escape him. He was wholly unqualified to make the proclamation. Other than his love for his daughter, it had always felt far too complicated.
The crowd finished up dessert and coffee, then began to disperse. Genevieve stopped to speak to Lucius’s aunt, and Donovan needed some air, so he strolled out into the hall.
“Hey, Donovan,” Austin caught up with him. “I have to tell you, Lela is amazing,” he muttered.
Donovan knew where this was going and he didn’t like it. “She is.”
“I know we talked about it earlier, but are you serious about me stepping off? Because I’m interested.”
“It’s a free country, Austin. You can do whatever you want. All I was trying to say is that she’s a very sweet person and you don’t have the best track record. I’d encourage you to tread lightly.” With every word, Donovan began to feel more and more uncomfortable with this idea. “And if you do anything to hurt her, I will actually kill you.”
Lela was walking toward them, an absolute vision in that damn dress, making him yet again question so many things in his life. Decisions. Choices. “Hey guys. What’s up?”
“Just chatting.” Donovan did his best to be casual with his answer.
“That was such a lovely dinner, but I’m beat. I think I’m going to head upstairs and crash,” Lela said.
“I’ll walk you,” Austin blurted.
Donovan felt his hands roll up into fists.
“Sounds great,” Lela said. “Good night, Donovan. See you tomorrow.” She surprised him with a hug. It was warm and comforting to have her body pressed against his, but it was a fleeting moment of bliss. In a flash, she was gone.
He watched as she and his brother strolled down the hall. He didn’t like anything about the idea of his brother and Lela, but he’d said his piece. Lela was not his, and his brother was under no obligation to listen to him.
He jumped when Echo put her hand on his shoulder. “Everything okay, Dad?”
“Yeah. Of course. Just tired.” He turned to her and gently rubbed her arm. “How are you doing? Everything okay with your mom?”
She shrugged. “Mom is Mom. I just want to get through the ceremony tomorrow. I have a feeling she’ll loosen up quite a bit after we’re over that hurdle.”
“We had a good conversation at dinner. She’s glad you and I are working together. I told her how much I love it. How much it means to me.” With every word, his voice cracked with emotion a little more, but he figured he would only have so many opportunities to tell her these things. “I feel so lucky that you gave me the chance to be a part of your life in this way. Most dads don’t get this time with their adult daughters.” Tears stung the corners of his eyes, but he held it all in. He didn’t want to upset her. This weekend was about her, not him.
“I love it, too, Dad. I really do. We work well together. And I think Lela has been an amazing addition to our team.”
“I’m so happy to hear that.”
She spread her arms wide. “Coming in for a hug.”
He wrapped up his baby girl and held on to her tight. She was the most important thing in his entire life. He’d found his way onto the right path with her and he wasn’t going to step off it for anything. In twenty-four hours, she’d be married. And everything would change once again.
Chapter Seventeen
“I know my grandmother is calling this a Hen Party, but I think we should refer to it as the Hen Pecking,” Echo muttered under her breath as she and Lela walked downstairs on Saturday morning for the ladies’ brunch.
Lela let out an unflattering snort. “What would make you call it that?”
“Well, let’s see…” She came to a stop on the staircase. “My mother is in a terrible mood. Grams is behaving strangely, which I’m guessing you’ve figured out is quite a statement. Plus, I’ve been feeling for months like I was bullied into this whole thing from the beginning.”
“Bullied? Into the wedding?” Lela jutted out her lower lip. As someone who loved Echo and weddings, that seemed incredibly sad. “But this is your big day.”
“Lucius and I didn’t want any of this.” She flailed her arms. “Getting married here at the estate was the compromise. We wanted something quiet at City Hall, just the two of us, but my mom had a hissy fit. She wanted a fancy wedding. First in England, then she conceded to the U.S. It w
as months of negotiating. Between you and me, I think she was trying to make up for what she and Dad didn’t have. They had a quickie ceremony because my mom was pregnant with me.”
Lela grasped Echo’s arm. “Hold up a second. I thought you were born a little less than a year after they got married.”
She shook her head. “Oh, no. It was a huge controversy. My mom’s parents are extremely religious and they were furious that she’d gotten pregnant. She was almost four months along when they tied the knot.”
Lela felt as though her head was swimming, suddenly presented with a whole new view of a defining event in her life. Not that she’d been entitled to know any of this, either at the time or now, but if she’d been aware of this one detail—that Genevieve was pregnant when she got engaged to Donovan—it might have softened the blow.
Lela had long theorized that the timing of the marriage was a reflection on her. Genevieve and Donovan were broken up when Lela had sex with him that first time, but he got back together with her days later. The sequence of events had nearly shattered Lela. Of course, it was quite likely that Donovan had been head over heels for Genevieve the whole time, and it was only after sleeping with Lela that he realized his mistake.
“You seriously didn’t know that?” Echo asked as they resumed their walk downstairs. “I think my dad thought everyone on that whole campus knew what was going on. But he’s super paranoid, so there’s that.”
“It’s hard to know what’s going through his head. Your dad can be pretty secretive.” He’d been exactly that when he and Genevieve got engaged. He didn’t tell Lela. She heard about it from a mutual friend. It was days before graduation and Lela was knee-deep in exams, so she’d shut herself off from everyone, just so she could finish the school year. The night of graduation, he had a small gathering at his apartment. Lela dragged herself to it because she felt like he deserved in-person congratulations. But there’d been no way to ask a single question about what had really happened—Genevieve was there, as well as two dozen other grads and mutual friends. Everyone was blowing off steam, drunk and having fun, and Lela felt as though her entire life had narrowed to a very dark point. The guy she loved was out of reach, but she was also losing her best friend. That was what prompted the pivot to cosmetology school. There was no way she could return to NYU.