The Secret Wedding Dress (16 page)

“Like Buddy, you mean? And the other guy your dad brought up. Mr. Mercedes.”

“Chet.” She sucked in a deep breath.

“Your dad didn’t seem to get what you were saying, about Chet being gay.”

Her
eyes swung in Joel’s direction. “I tried to get Dad to understand that Chet’s not available without spelling it out. Chet’s company services accounts in and around Briarwood. This is a conservative town. So are Chet’s parents from the sound of it. I really don’t want the poor man losing business on my account.”

“Your secret, or rather his, is safe with me.” Joel pressed a hand to his heart. “Obviously your family needs a lesson in screening prospects better.”

She swung at his arm. “You love razzing me. Well, laugh now, neighbor. They have you in their sights. Prepare yourself to be inundated with invitations to their various homes—where I’ll just happen to be invited separately but on the same nights. Oh, it won’t stop there. Joel, you have no idea. I’ve seen Mom and her wedding vigilantes launch numerous campaigns to marry people off. And guess what? Those very people are all ensconced in wedded bliss. Most are either pushing baby carriages or preparing to buy them.”

“Hey, are you familiar with insulation R factors?”

“Yes. Grant owns a construction firm. He’s almost as enthusiastic over his field as Buddy is about the stock market.”

“I possess an insulation factor stretching to infinity when it comes to people setting me up, Sylvie.”

“Wow! Do R factors go to infinity? I think the most I’ve heard of is thirty.”

“New methods let builders blow loose insulation to any depth these days.” He flashed a grin, giving her time to digest that fact as he swung into her driveway. She came to life when his headlights reflected off her front window.

“So I can quit worrying about you?”

“Yep. I’m immune. Divorced dads are even more targeted by well-meaning friends than single women are, Sylvie.”

She opened her car door and watched Joel leap out and hurry to assist her. It reiterated what she’d told Dory. Joel was nice. And with the exception of her dad and her sister’s husbands,
Sylvie hadn’t met a lot of men who still opened car doors for women.

Joel also collected her dress and the boxes. Sylvie tried to take the lot, but he shook his head. “I’ll carry them to the house for you. You didn’t leave a porch light on. You’d better use my car lights to find your house key.”

“The light by the front door is burned out. I keep forgetting to buy one. It’s an odd size and I have to get it at a hardware store. I still have Oscar—hear him? I’m counting on burglars not wanting to go up against a dog with a bark as deep as his. If they knew what a soft touch he is, I wouldn’t be so confident.”

“I’m afraid after the brute knocked me in the lake, I can’t agree he’s soft.”

“Well, he’s rambunctious. Let me just grab hold of his collar, Joel, and we’ll avoid the risk of having him knock either of us flat.”

“Why don’t you own a dog? I’d think a woman living alone this far out of town would want the protection.” He waited on a lower step, keeping one eye on Rianne sleeping in the back seat as Sylvie unlocked her door and made a successful grab for Oscar’s collar in spite of his leaping up to lick her face.

“I had a springer spaniel named Corky that I got as a pup. The few years I spent in New York City, my folks kept him. Otherwise we were inseparable. I know he died a happy old man, but it’s hard for me to think of replacing him. I have a friend who has a springer due to whelp soon. I groom her dogs, and she’s offered me pick of the litter. I may get one. I haven’t decided.” She indicated that Joel should set the boxes inside her door and hang the dress bag over a nearby chair.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to make you sad, Sylvie.”

Sylvie nodded as she flicked on the hall light. “I know. Corky’s been gone a while. I should get past it.” She ran a hand through her hair. “It’s more the fact that he died right before I moved home. I had a lot to deal with then, anyway, and his death was…the crowning blow.”

Her
eyes remained troubled. Remote. Joel wished he’d left well enough alone. Why had he ever mentioned her lack of a pet? “Will you be okay? I, uh, can’t continue to let my car run with Rianne inside.”

“Of course! I’ll be fine. Really!” Sylvie patted Oscar’s bobbing head. “Weddings…take a lot out of me. This one was doubly hard. Kay’s my best friend. Her former mother-in-law turned Kay’s first wedding into a circus. The man she married was a bigger jerk than…well, he humiliated her in so many ways. I wanted this day to make up for everything she’d endured. I think it came off okay. Didn’t it?”

“I’m not a wedding expert,” Joel mumbled. “But it was as nice or nicer than any wedding I’ve been to in Atlanta, some of them larger and probably more costly. There I go.” He shook his head. “I’ve got no idea how much a wedding like this one costs.”

Her mouth curved in a rosebud smile. “You’re kind, anyway, for giving me that vote of confidence. I won’t keep you any longer, Joel. Good night. I…do appreciate your staying to the bitter end.”

She’d made it plain that she wanted him to leave, so Joel did. Before he did something really stupid—like kiss her. He had absolutely no reason in the world to kiss Sylvie Shea good-night. He’d been her taxi service, nothing more. So why did he have an overwhelming urge to take her in his arms?

Joel recognized that he wanted to wipe away some undefinable sorrow lingering in her big hazel eyes. He clenched his fists, then forced them to relax. As he turned, she stood, still framed in the doorway. They didn’t exchange so much as a wave.

He refused to glance her way again, and instead concentrated on backing straight out of her drive until he could pull into his. Nor did he rush to unbuckle Rianne from her child seat. He lamented how the other day she’d asked him to get rid of the seat. Some states had a mandatory six-year or sixty-pound requirement regarding child safety seats; he hadn’t
checked North Carolina’s. But in a week Rianne would meet the age requirement. His baby, a baby no more.

Joel pondered her imminent birthday. Even that didn’t completely take his mind off the woman he’d just taken home. Sylvie was his likeliest source of addresses for the girls Rianne had met tonight. Tomorrow he’d order her cake and buy party invitations.

Mounting the steps to his porch, Joel called himself all kinds of a fool, but at the last minute he looked over at Sylvie’s house. From this vantage point, a portion of her place was visible, including her front door. By now, of course, he was sure she’d gone inside. But, no. She’d waited, apparently until he’d given in to a masculine need to look back. Slowly, she lifted a hand. He’d hardly call it a wave. More of a see-you-later gesture. After that, she hastily yanked Oscar inside and closed them both off from Joel’s view.

He was pleased but also disgruntled to think he’d acted so predictably. Flipping on the living room lights, he carried his daughter up to her room.

Rianne roused when he placed her on the bed and rummaged for her nightgown. Behind him she said in a sleepy voice, “I love weddings, Daddy. Tonight I had the most fun ever. Did you know Kendra says Sylvie is her
auntie?
Auntie Sylvie, she calls her.” The girl pronounced the
au
as
ah.
“Kendra has lots of aunties. Do I?”

“No. I have no sisters. Neither does your mom, snooks. You don’t have uncles, either.” He just didn’t consider his father’s other son a relative. “Mom and I are only children.” He helped Rianne remove her nice dress. As he hung it up in the closet, she dove into the nightie. Her hair ribbons had already fallen out somewhere along the way. Maybe Freda Poulson wasn’t an authority on bows, after all.

“Kendra’s Auntie Carline is gonna have a baby. Sylvie’s taking Kendra to buy the baby a present tomorrow. Kendra
asked me to go, too. Will that be okay? And will you give me money to buy the baby something?”

Joel tucked her in and smoothed back her flyaway hair. “Did Sylvie invite you to go along, or was this Kendra’s idea?”

Rianne pouted a bit. “Kendra’s. But I
want
to get the baby something. They know it’s a boy and his name is gonna be Keenan Jeffery Manchester. Kendra gets to hold him after he’s born. She said maybe sometime I can hold him.” Rianne started to cry. “But prob’ly not if I don’t buy him a present.”

Joel didn’t know how their conversation had disintegrated so fast. “I never said you couldn’t buy the baby a gift. Sweetheart, Kendra shouldn’t make an offer like that without first asking her mother or her Aunt Sylvie.”

“
Auntie,
Daddy. You didn’t say it right.”

“Excuse me. It’s late, baby. Go to sleep now. I’ll ask Sylvie tomorrow if it’s a real shopping trip. Otherwise, you and I will go and shop for party invitations. Who has a birthday coming up soon?”

“Me! Oh, Daddy, can I have a party? I want to invite Kendra, Nikki, Nola, Holly and maybe Ashleigh. But she’s in third grade, so maybe she won’t wanna come.”

“Tomorrow. We’ll talk tomorrow.” Joel blew raspberries against her neck and kissed her forehead. “G’night. Sleep tight.” He left the room, taking care to keep the door ajar so she could see a bathroom light. It was a pact they’d made at the time of the move.

Joel went straight from there to his office. The first e-mail he opened was from his editor. Les liked the idea of the new character, and the sample strips Joel had e-mailed. He said he’d start running the strip immediately, and further promised a contract by overnight express. He wanted enough strips to run for twenty-six weeks.

Now Joel worried whether he had enough material. He pulled up the previous attachment to take another look at the
frames he’d already sent in. Two weeks’ worth, and he liked to stay four weeks ahead of production.

His phone rang. Late as it was, Joel walked over to check the readout. He was surprised to see his neighbor’s name.
Was something wrong at Sylvie’s?

Heart tripping faster, he snatched up the receiver on the fourth ring. “Sylvie? What’s wrong? Do you need anything?”

Following a lengthy pause, she said, “For a minute I thought you were psychic. Then I realized you must have caller I.D.”

“Yes. So, you’re okay?”

“I am. I found a message on my answering machine from Dory. On the way home, Kendra told her mom she’d invited Rianne to go baby-gift shopping with us. Did Rianne happen to bring it up, or is this Kendra’s pipe dream?”

“Rianne did tell me. She’s unbelievably excited. I kinda figured the girls concocted this idea on their own.”

“Well, I’d love for Rianne to join us. Dory’s leaving Roy with our folks. She and I planned to take Kendra to hit the bigger stores in Asheville. But we’ll be gone past lunch, into the afternoon. As well, I don’t want you to think we’d expect her to buy Carline’s baby a gift.”

Joel thought how disappointed Rianne would be if he said no. “You’re sure it’s all right with you and Dory? I mean, kids have to learn they need to consult with adults before making grandiose plans. As far as a baby gift goes, Rianne’s dying to buy a gift for this baby-to-be that already has a name.”

“Carline and Jeff aren’t anxious to greet their new son, or anything.” There was a smile in Sylvie’s voice. “Joel, Kendra will be thrilled to have someone nearer her age on the trip. She plays with the Martin twins a lot, but it’s often two against one. She spends a lot of time hanging out with adults, too. I remember you said that about Rianne.”

“What you said about the Martin twins jogged my mind. Rianne’s birthday is coming up soon. I hadn’t planned on a
party or anything, but…based on her meeting so many kids at the wedding, would I be presumptuous in sending them invitations to a small gathering? It’ll be Rianne’s first party. In Atlanta, kids at her private preschool and kindergarten were scattered all over the city. Most of them were gone on a last family trip before the start of school, so we skipped doing a party. Her birthday’s the week before Labor Day.”

“Here in Briarwood she’s in luck. Since most families are involved in the weekend festival, just about everyone’s in town. And no, it’s not out of line. Kids love parties. Plus, it’ll be a great chance for you to meet the parents of her new friends.”

“I’ll make myself a note to get invitations mailed out tomorrow, if I could get the addresses from you.”

“Sure. About tomorrow. Dory and I would like to be on the road by nine. She’s driving and they’ll pick me up. That’s not too early for Rianne, is it? Oh, and let her wear shorts or pants. Comfortable stuff. Especially shoes.”

“Nine is good. I’ll have Rianne ready and see that she has money for a present and lunch. Her teachers always told me she’s a good kid on school outings, so I assume she’ll be fine. I’ll give you my cell number in case you need to reach me. Not that I expect any problems.” He paused. “With a day to myself, I may see if I can buy, wrap and hide her birthday gifts. In the morning, could I trouble you for those addresses—the Martin twins and Holly…somebody. I don’t recall anyone else.”

“There were two boys.” Sylvie named them. “Nice families. But maybe you’re against co-ed parties.”

“No. Include them. I’m not the world’s best party-planner. Your dad said the bakery in town makes superb cakes. I thought I’d order one, and lay in a store of ice cream. I suppose I need a game or two.”

Sylvie heard his apprehension. “Joel, if you’d like, I’d be happy to help with the party.” The minute the words left Sylvie’s
mouth, she wished she could take them back. Where was her head? Helping him throw his daughter’s party was precisely the type of thing that would feed gossip. In fact, she could vividly imagine her family’s reaction.

“If you have any ideas for games, Sylvie, I’ll owe you almost as much as I do for pulling me out of the lake. No…I shouldn’t joke about that. Every time I recall how close I came to drowning…”

“Don’t think about it. The accident happened because of Oscar. By the way, you’ll be happy to hear I had a second message on my machine. His owners are back in town. They’re picking him up early tomorrow morning.”

Joel planned to draw Oscar into his script. He had several scenes in mind. “He’s not so bad, I guess” Joel admitted. “Oscar kinda grows on you. I know you’ll miss him.”