by S. J. McCoy
“G’day, peeps. Are we all ready to go?”
Everyone murmured their agreement.
Smoke appeared at the doors to the ramp. “Is everybody ready?”
“Yep,” said Michael, “let’s get this show on the road.”
They all followed Smoke out onto the ramp to board the plane.
~ ~ ~
Dan smiled at Missy. “Do you remember the first time we stayed here?”
She smiled back. “Of course, I do. I’ll never forget it.”
“Me neither.”
There was a knock on the door. “I’ll get it,” called Scot.
Missy smiled to herself. It amused her how much like Dan he was becoming. The first time Dan had brought her here she’d been amazed at how the shy geek she thought she knew transformed into the confident man about town. Now it seemed Scot was doing the same. He’d chatted happily with George at the Concierge Desk, greeted him like an old friend. Now he was happy to go open the door to their suite, while at home a knock on the door sent him scurrying for cover.
“Hey, come on in.”
It was Jack and Emma.
Jack grinned. “We’re going to go pick up Mom from the airport. I wondered if you wanted to come?”
Dan looked at Missy. She thought about it. She’d like to, but she had so much to do. They were supposed to meet up with everyone at four o’clock to go through the details of the next few days. They were going to be quite a large group and she’d hate for anyone to miss out on anything by not knowing what was going on. She really wanted to catch up with Megan before then, too. “I’d like to,” she said, “but I think I need to stay here. Do you want to go, hon?”
Dan nodded. “I’d like to, if you don’t mind?”
“Of course I don’t! You go.”
Emma grinned. “What can I help you with, Miss?” She looked at Jack. “Bring your mom to our suite when you get back? I can’t wait to see her, but I think you two boys should go meet her.”
Jack smiled. “Okay, she’ll like that.”
Scot surprised Missy again. “Do you think she’d like to see me? I’d like to come.”
Dan grasped his shoulder. “You know she would! She’s been dying to see you.”
Scot looked at Missy? “Is that okay, Mom? I want to see Nanna Chris.”
“Of course it is!” She loved that he’d formed a bond with his new nanna. She smiled remembering how they’d decided between them what he should call her—asserting that he was too old, and she was too young for him to call her grandma.
“You guys get going. We can meet you with everyone else at four, if you like?”
“Okay, great.” Dan came to kiss her. “We’ll see you then.”
Jack leaned in to kiss Emma, “See you later, baby.”
Scot went to stand by the door. “I’m not kissing anyone! I’m just waiting to get out of here!”
Missy laughed as Emma gave him a sad look. “Not even your Auntie Em?”
He came and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. She was his favorite, and Missy figured he’d never say no to anything she wanted from him. He surprised her by coming to her, and pecking her cheek. “Love you, Mom.” There went that damned lump in her throat again! She blinked away the happy tears. “Don’t get carried away,” he said. “I just couldn’t leave you out. Can we go now, Dad?”
Emma smiled at her as the door closed behind them. “He really is growing up, isn’t he?”
She nodded. “He’ll always love his Auntie Em, though.”
Emma smiled. “I hope so. So, what do we need to do?”
Missy sighed and sat down. “I don’t even know where to start! We need to check on Megan.”
Emma gave her a puzzled look. “Michael seems to think there’s something up with her. I don’t know if there is, or if she’s just nervous, and he’s overreacting. Either way she must be stressed about something.”
Emma nodded. “Michael’s had a bee in his bonnet for a while now. I thought it was just him. I hope she really is okay.”
“Me, too, hon. Have you seen anything of Holly? I’m worried about her and Pete. They seem to be getting worse instead of better.”
Emma’s face made Missy worry even more. She shook her head sadly. “I don’t know what to do with them. They’re both so stubborn! Pete’s carried away and Holly has had enough. It’s crazy though. They love each other so much. She even talked about calling it all off.”
“Oh my God! She said that to you?”
Emma shook her head. “She said it to Pete. And he told me and Jack like it was just her being unreasonable—not like he was taking it seriously, or seeing how much she must be hurting to say that!”
Missy shook her head. “Are they here yet?”
“I think they should be. They waited to fly with Pete’s mom and dad.”
Missy smiled. “I’m so happy they’re coming. And Gramps and Joe—that means the world to me.”
Emma laughed. “Last time I saw Gramps and Joe, they were wandering through the casino like kids in a candy store.”
Missy laughed. “I can imagine.” She took a deep breath; she didn’t need to go upsetting herself. “My dad would be with them if he was here.”
Emma patted her arm. “I’m so sorry he can’t make it, Miss. At least you’ve got Chance though.”
Missy was determined to keep it light. She laughed. “Of course you see it like that, as long as Chance is here, you’re quite happy.”
Emma laughed with her. “Sorry, I can’t help it! He’s just dreamy!”
“I won’t tell Jack you said that.”
“Too late. He already knows. I can’t help it; even the mention of Chance’s name and I go all starry-eyed.”
Missy laughed. “You’re lucky Jack’s not as insecure as you are. Can you imagine how you’d feel if he was like that over someone’s big sister?”
Emma frowned. “Oh. I never thought of it like that. I wouldn’t like that at all!”
“I know! So just think about that next time you go mooning over my big brother!”
Emma hung her head, even though she was smiling. “Yeah, I will. So where do you want to start? Is your dress ready? Is there anything you want to do here? Or do you want to go out on the prowl? See if we can find Megan, maybe Holly?”
Missy shook her head. “The first thing I want to do is call Charlotte.”
“Oh crap! I completely forgot about that. When does she arrive?”
“She’s supposed to get here tomorrow night. I said I’d check in with her, and it will be almost bedtime over there now. Her flight leaves early in the morning.”
“Let’s call her then! I’m dying to talk to her, and I can’t wait to see her.” She sighed. “Even though it makes me feel like a traitor to Ben!”
Missy nodded. “I know exactly what you mean. I feel the same way.”
She dialed the number and waited. The line buzzed for a moment and then began to ring with that odd English tone.
“Hello?”
“Charlotte! It’s Missy.”
“Hiya!”
“I’m going to put you on speaker with Em, too!”
“Brilliant! Hi, Emma! I’m so excited to see you both!”
“And we can’t wait to see you! What time do you get in?”
“I’m supposed to land at McCarran at twenty past four tomorrow afternoon. I’m a bit worried though, it’s an odd routing. I have to change planes in Dallas, and I only have an hour.”
“That should be plenty of time,” said Missy.
“It’s plenty of time to change planes, but since it’s my first port of entry into the US, I have to collect my bag, clear customs and immigration, and put my bag back through. It’s a pain in the arse.”
Emma laughed. “Sorry. It’s not funny. I just love the way you say that!”
Charlotte laughed, too. “I say it properly, you bloody American! You may as well call it a donkey the way you pronounce it.”
Missy laughed as a thought occurred to
her. “Well, I hope it’s not too much of a pain in the donkey. I want you here as soon as you can.”
“I want to be there, Miss. I wish I were there right now with you. But…”
The silence lengthened. They all knew what the but was, but none of them wanted to name him. Charlotte had thought it best to keep her visit short; she was flying in on Friday night and leaving on Sunday morning.
“How is he about me coming?”
Missy exchanged a look with Emma. “He’s okay.”
“Oh. Good. I…he…we… Shit, girls! I don’t know what to say! I can’t wait to see him. I’m dreading seeing him. I want to talk to him. I want to hide from him. I don’t know if he’ll want to talk to me.” She sighed. “I’m being pathetic, aren’t I? He’ll be there with his date, he’ll say a quick hello and that will be it. I’ll be there crying into my champagne, wishing it was all so different.”
Emma looked at Missy. “Won’t you be wishing that Alastair was there with you?”
The sound of Charlotte’s laughter crackling its way across the Atlantic had Missy looking back at Emma, wondering what the hell it meant.
“Oh, God, girls! You have no idea! I’ll catch you up when I see you, but let’s just say it will be a huge relief to be away from him for a couple of... Hang on.”
Her voice was muffled for a few moments as though she’d put her hand over the mouthpiece. Missy had no idea what she’d meant about Alastair. Emma obviously didn’t either from the look on her face.
Charlotte came back on the line. “I’ve got to go, girls. I’ll call you from Dallas tomorrow. Bye.”
The line buzzed when she hung up.
“Just like that, there she was gone!” said Missy.
“Well, that’s what she’s like. But what do you think she meant about getting away from Alastair? He’s always given me the creeps!”
“I have no idea what she meant. I do know what you mean about Alastair, though. I mean, it’s obvious he loves her, and he’s good to her. Maybe we’re just biased because he’s not Ben?”
Emma giggled. “Or maybe it’s just that he’s a donkey-hole?”
Missy laughed with her. “Yeah, that could be it!”
Chapter Twelve
Dan smiled as he watched his mom chatting with Scot. She was so good with the kid. She’d welcomed him straight away as her own when she first met him. Dan had wondered how it must be for her to become a step-grandmother to a boy who was already fourteen years old. She’d laughed when he asked her about it.
“I’d have thought you would understand, Danny. How is it for you to become a stepdad to a boy who’s already fourteen years old?”
He’d shrugged. “It doesn’t feel that way, I’m not a step-anything. I love him. I’m his dad. That’s how it feels.”
“Exactly, I’m not a step-anything either, I’m his nanna, and I love him already.”
Watching them now, as Scot explained one of the slot machines to her, Dan knew she really did love him. He was happy that she was talking about coming to live at the lake. Happy for himself, and for Jack, that they’d have her around, and even happier for Scot. He’d never known a grandmother before.
Missy came to join him. “I can’t wait for her to move to the lake,” she said, echoing his own thoughts. “I’m so happy she’s here.”
Dan met her gaze. “I wish your dad could be here, too.”
She nodded. “It can’t be helped.” She smiled brightly. “At least Scot rigged him up so he can watch.”
Dan loved that she always made the most of what was. She refused to let anything take her down. He’d always admired that about her. She’d lived a tough life but always battled through with a smile. He just wished that, for once, she could have everything she wanted and not have to put on a brave face.
She looked around. “I think everyone’s here now. I guess we’d better round them up and make sure they all know what’s going on. It’s going to be like herding cats, trying to get everyone in the right place at the right time. But all we can really do is let them know what the plan is and hope they get to where they need to be when they need to be there.”
Dan nodded. He found the logistics daunting. All he really cared about was that he, Missy, and Scot should be there at five o’clock on Saturday. He knew it wasn’t that simple though. And it wasn’t really all he wanted; he wanted their friends there, and he wanted Jack and his mom there. And that just brought it home even more that Missy wanted Chance and her dad there. His head filled with white noise. It just wasn’t right.
She touched his arm. “Did I lose you?” she asked with a laugh.
He shook his head. “No, I just get a bit overwhelmed when I think about it all.” He smiled. “I almost wish we’d put Pete in charge of logistics.”
Missy laughed. “I’m not so sure about that. Granted, everything would run like clockwork, but would anyone have any fun?”
Dan followed her gaze to where Holly was standing with a drink in her hand staring off into space. Pete was a few yards away talking to Ryan. “I wish they would work it out,” he said.
“We all do. But short of locking them in a room together and not letting them out until they sort themselves out, I don’t know what we can do.”
Dan sighed. “I know; I just wish there was something.”
He jerked his chin to where Michael and Megan were sitting at one of the tables in the lobby area. They each looked lost in their own thoughts. “I wish they looked happier, too.”
Missy heaved a big sigh. “They should. They’ve got everything going for them. Unfortunately, Megan has got herself worked up. They’ll figure it out.”
Dan turned to her. “Worked up about what?”
Missy shook her head. “Don’t say anything, but she’s expecting. And she has this hang-up about not wanting to have to get married because she’s pregnant.”
Dan rubbed a hand over his cheek. “I don’t understand. That’s not why they’re getting married—is it?”
She laughed. “No. And don’t worry, you won’t understand. It’s completely illogical.” She smiled up at him. “You won’t get it no matter how hard you try. I’m an illogical female and I’m struggling with it.”
He laughed. “In that case, I’ll just go with accepting it. I have to do that a lot. I don’t understand, but I accept.”
Missy laughed. “So now you know how I feel with your computer-speak. It makes no sense whatsoever to me, but I accept that it’s just beyond what my little brain can handle.”
He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “We’re just different kinds of smart, that’s all.”
She smiled up at him. “We are.”
Ben came to join them. “How we doing guys?”
Dan nodded. “We’re just about ready to go through the schedule. How are you doing?”
“I’m okay. I’m a little worried about Megan. She’s not right, but she’s not talking about it.”
Missy shook her head. “You just get her down the aisle tomorrow, they can figure it out from there.”
Ben raised an eyebrow at her.
She shrugged. “Try talking to them. It’s not my secret to share.”
Dan was surprised how good it made him feel that she’d told him that Megan was pregnant, but she hadn’t told Ben. She had such a special friendship with Ben, but Dan was her partner in life.
Ben shrugged. “I don’t think I need to know.” He looked around. “Shall we get them all into the room then?”
Dan nodded. “Yeah, it’s about time.”
~ ~ ~
Once everyone was congregated in the meeting room that Dan had rented for the weekend, Jack looked around. He loved seeing so many familiar faces brought together like this. He caught sight of Nate chatting with a pretty girl with short brown hair. For a moment he couldn’t place her. Ah. She was the girl from the stables. Lily? Was that her name? He shook his head with a rueful smile. He’d have to have a word with Nate. He’d be better off staying away from the wedding guest
s if he wanted a woman to play with for the weekend—and knowing Nate, he did.
Smoke and Laura were standing at the edge of the room. Laura was smiling as she chatted with Leanne. Smoke stood a few feet back scowling to himself. That made Jack smile. It was quite something to see Smoke enduring the company of someone he disliked, just to keep his lady happy. The guy had come a long way since he’d met Laura. Jack was hoping they’d have a wedding announcement of their own soon.
He scanned the crowd until his eyes found their target. Pete. He shook his head. He’d been trying for weeks now to talk some sense into his partner. He wasn’t getting anywhere though. Pete was being as bullheaded about their wedding as Jack had ever seen him—and that was saying something! Holly wasn’t helping matters. She knew what Pete was like. Yet she wasn’t making any allowances. He felt bad even thinking that. She was a woman; it was her wedding, too. He made his way over to them. Hoping yet again that maybe this time he’d find the words that would wake Pete up.
“S’up, partner?” Pete raised his glass to him.
Jack smiled. “Yo, bro. Just wanted to see how you’re doing. Is this getting you excited for your turn?”
Pete scowled at him. “I’m not even sure I’m going to get a turn. Holly’s talking about calling it off. After all the work I’ve done getting things set up…”
“Jesus, Pete!”
“What?”
“Listen to yourself! Holly, the woman you love, the woman you want to spend the rest of your life with, is considering calling off your wedding and all you’re concerned about is how that will mess with your plans? I told you before and I’ll keep telling you until you finally get it—Fuck the plan!”
Pete rolled his eyes. “That’s easy to say, but not so easy to do when you need to get a couple hundred people out to the lake and have everything laid on for them. Not when you need to…”
“Stop it!” said Jack.
Pete stared at him in surprised.
“You don’t need any of that! All you need is you and Holly! The rest is just detail.”
Pete laughed. “But you’re the detail guy! Surely you get it.”
Jack shook his head, he wasn’t laughing. “I’m the one who cares about crucial details. Not about peripheral bullshit. You need to get your head out of your ass and figure out what’s really important. I don’t want to be left picking up the pieces when Holly’s gone. You do realize that’s a very real possibility at this point, right?”