The Wedding Wager (26 page)

Instead she said, “Kevin’s mother Krystal gave me the gown as a gift. It was very sweet and thoughtful. Help me with my veil, mom.”

“Oh, look, more lace and pearls! And these tiny artificial roses! Are those silk?”

“I think so, yes.”

“My, my, my.” Glenda looked wistful. “Do you want to know a secret?” She leaned close. “When your father and I had our church wedding, I couldn’t afford a gown. I went to a costume shop and rented one! That’s why I couldn’t save it for your wedding day. Besides, it would have been two sizes two big. Because I was five months pregnant that day!”

“Mom! You never told me that!”

“Some things are better left unsaid, dear. I told you your father was a lot more persuasive in his youth? Well, he used quite a bit of that on me.” Her eyes were round and held a you-know-what-I-mean look. “And after the blood test, I used quite a bit on him. I told him it wouldn’t look good for a young pastor starting out to have an unwed mother haunting him every where he went.”

“You didn’t?!” Megan didn’t know whether to laugh or be horrified. “You are amazing, mama.”

“I did what I had to do, my dear. Just like always.” She smiled with satisfaction, then changed the subject. “Where did you meet Kevin, dear?”

“In Seattle,” said Megan, biting off her tendency to run on at the mouth with her mother and tell her everything. “He went to school there.”

“Oh, I can’t wait to meet him and learn all about his family!”

Megan smiled at herself in the mirror.
I’ll try to stay one step ahead
, she thought.

CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE

AT TEN TO ELEVEN
, Krystal knocked on the dressing room door.

“Come in,” called Megan.

Krystal’s eyes lit up when she saw Megan in her dress.

“Mom, this is Kevin’s mother, Krystal Fineman Wake. Krystal, this is my mom, Glenda.”

“So happy to meet you,” gushed Glenda. “Megan said her dress was a gift from you. What a wonderful thing to do for my little girl!”

Krystal maintained her reserve, but her gray eyes now held a glint of amusement. “She is the most deserving young woman I have ever met. She has made my Kevin a very happy man.” Before Glenda could rush on, Krystal held up a hand. “Megan, dear, the minister is here. Your father is trying to talk him into sharing the ceremony.”

Megan looked horrified. “Mom! Stop him, please!”

“I’m on my way,” said Glenda, and she rushed out of the room.

Krystal smiled softly at Megan. “Your mother is lovely.”

“Good, because my father is not.”

Krystal laughed.

Megan had never heard her laugh before.

Krystal stepped forward and gave Megan an impulsive hug. “We seem to have more in common than I ever guessed,” she said, returning to her reserved self. “Take a few moments to compose yourself, dear. We will not start without you.” She turned to leave, then paused. “By the way, thank you for helping Karla. She just told her father she was dressing exactly as the bride requested. I wouldn’t have missed that moment for anything.” She left, closing the door silently behind her.

Megan stood in the quiet and examined her reflection in the mirror. Not bad for a last minute bride. Not bad for a well prepared bride. Not bad, period. Her mother had swooped her hair into a French twist and left a few tendrils loose to soften the effect.

She pulled the veil down over her face. Her heart skipped a beat. She looked like a fairytale bride. Time to go downstairs.

She left the room and walked to the end of the hall. She could hear voices below, and she could hear someone playing the organ. The sound of the Wurlitzer took her back many years to Sundays before her father’s sermons when her mother would entertain the congregation with renditions of popular hymns. She listened more carefully, then smiled. It was her mother playing now, she would bet money on it! She heard her flub the same key change in “Blessed Assurance” that she had been flubbing since Megan was a child.

She headed down the stairs.

Zachary waited for her on the landing.

And so did her father.

Megan stopped cold.

Zach said softly, “We came to an agreement. One of us on each arm.”

Vernon Mully did not look pleased, but he never looked pleased, so Megan nodded. “That’s perfect.”

She continued down the stairs with her escort. At the foot of the stairs, they stopped.

The double doors to the parlor were open and the room was full of people. Some of them were familiar, but at least twenty were unknown to her. She guessed that the dozen or so children were the offspring of the ranch employees. But the six men in dark blue suits were a mystery. Three of them were huddled in a corner with Kevin. She was pleased to see Jeffrey Wong at Kevin’s elbow. The other three suits stood soldier-like behind Douglas Wake. None of them looked happy or comfortable.

Megan had no time to determine what was transpiring. Her mother glanced around when the first ooohs and aaaahs rose from the gathering. Everyone was admiring her dress, and she couldn’t blame them. As soon as Glenda Mully saw her daughter standing between her escorts, she began playing the Wedding March. A murmur of anticipation swept through the ladies in the room. Those who were standing quickly took their chairs. When they did so, a lovely tapestry was revealed. It wasn’t a red carpet, but the embroidered flowers, hearts and birds in flight depicted there provided an idyllic runway for the bride.

Kevin shoved papers at the blue suits in his corner, and strode to the front of the room where the minister awaited him. Once there, he turned and caught Megan’s eye, and they shared a private smile. Then he gave her a tiny nod of encouragement.

Megan Mully Wake began her walk down the aisle.

CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO

“HOLD IT! HOLD EVERYTHING!”
Douglas Wake, flanked by his lawyers, raised an open hand to halt the proceedings.

Krystal’s gray eyes flashed fire. “Sit down, Douglas! This day belongs to Kevin and Megan.”

Douglas turned and glared at her. “You and I both know this is about a lot more than a wedding party. I have information that will affect everything that happens here, and everything that happens afterward.”

Krystal raised herself carefully from her chair. “You are such a drama queen,” she snapped. “Let these young people have their wedding!”

Douglas held up three pages of legal-sized paper. “This wedding is a farce! I have evidence here that proves it!”

Megan’s insides ached with tension.

Kevin spread his hands. “Dad, for the love of God, you don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I’m talking about this prenuptial agreement my people uncovered.”

Kevin bristled. “You mean, your spies. I know all about them. Jeffrey told me everything.”

Douglas dismissed Kevin’s words. “Jeffrey? That wimp? He had nothing to do with this.”

“I know,” said Kevin. “But you’ve been paying his cousin Patrick for years to spy on me through Jeff.”

Krystal’s voice cut through the room. “Silence!”

Everyone turned to look at her.

Krystal straightened her spine. “Douglas, this is not the time or place for one of your theatrical tantrums. Kevin and Megan are not the first young couple to sign a prenup.”

Douglas’s complexion reddened with anger. “This prenup spells out that this whole thing is a marriage of convenience!” He pointed his empty hand at Megan. “That money-grubbing gold digger spelled out exactly how Kevin is to pay off her medical bills.”

Vernon Mully needed only three long strides to reach Douglas and one short, sharp jab to break his nose.

Blood spurted down the front of Douglas’s white shirt.

“What the hell?! You son of a bitch!” Douglas pulled his arm back, telegraphing his intentions to the whole room.

Kevin had plenty of time to step between them and grab his father’s arm before he could retaliate.

“Stop it!” warned Kevin quietly.

“I’ll sue that man!”

Glenda Mully gasped and moved to stand beside her husband.

Krystal’s tone cut like a knife. “No one is being sued. You’re making a fool of yourself, Douglas. Do you think you’re the only one with a team of lawyers?” She glanced about and caught the eye of one of the three suits who had been huddling with Kevin in the corner. “Mr. Ratigan? Will you please put an end to this display so these young people can get on with their wedding?”

The eldest of the group of lawyers stepped forward and cleared his throat.

“I am not quite sure which point of the situation you wish me to comment upon, Mrs. Wake.”

“Oh, cut the lawyer crap and tell them what you told me this morning,” said Krystal.

Ratigan’s brows shot up. “Very well, then. For the benefit of Mr. Wake the younger and his bride, let me say first that Mr. Douglas Wake is objecting to today’s nuptials based on the existence of a prenuptial agreement that spells out certain financial arrangements and obligations that both signees agreed to prior to their marriage. Such agreements are not uncommon, and in fact in most cases I wholeheartedly advocate—”

“Dennis! Spit it out,” said Krystal.

“Yes, yes, of course. To the crux of the matter. Mr. Wake the elder is objecting because he believes the existence of said prenup violates the requirement of the Fineman family trust.”

Douglas was pressing a blood-soaked handkerchief to his nose. His voice was muffled. “Of course it does! The trust demands a legitimate marriage prior to the heir’s twenty-fifth birthday. The prenup proves they didn’t love each other. They entered into this arrangement for the sole purpose of acquiring possession of the trust.”

Dennis Ratigan’s narrow mouth twitched in a small smile of triumph. “Considering the admirable team of legal advisors you have assembled, I find it hard to believe that they have not explained this situation to you in very clear terms.”

Megan moved forward to stand by Krystal.

“Mrs. Wake, please sit down,” she said softly. “I’ll stand for both of us.”

Krystal balanced herself on Megan’s arm and sat gratefully.

Megan continued, “Mr. Ratigan, for those of us who do not have a team of lawyers, please explain what you’re talking about.”

Ratigan cleared his throat again. “Very well. The requirements of this trust were established long ago. At that time, it was common for—”

Kevin and Krystal chorused, “Get to the point!”

Ratigan looked miffed, but he complied. “There is no requirement that the bride and groom be in love. Merely that they be married.”

Douglas dabbed at his nose. The bleeding had stopped. He sounded like a man with a bad cold. “Well, they aren’t going to make that deadline either. By marrying today, a Friday, that license won’t be filed until Monday. Am I right?” He looked to his legal trio for support.

“Wrong,” said Kevin. He pulled a folded paper out of his inside coat pocket and held it in the air. “You were betting against me, dad. You wanted me to fail. You were counting on my dislike of your business practices and our personal differences to keep me from taking action. Well, I’m not eighteen anymore. And I’m not single anymore either. Megan and I were married in Nevada four days ago.”

Glenda Mully cried out in surprise and clapped her hands.

Krystal allowed herself a satisfied twinge of a smile.

Zach stepped forward and shook Kevin’s hand. “Congratulations four days late.”

Kevin grinned.

Douglas’s color now matched his nose. He looked ready to pop. At last he blustered, “I need a doctor! You three, come with me!” He ushered his legal team toward the door, but one of them turned long enough to address Ratigan.

“Just so you know, we’ve been telling him all along that he didn’t have a leg to stand on.”

Douglas’s voice boomed, “You’re fired!”

The guests were buzzing.

Krystal tugged at Megan’s arm.

“Yes, Mrs. Wake?”

“My dear, I think it’s time for you to marry your true love.”

Megan beamed. “I agree.” She held her elbows akimbo. “Dad? Zach? Are you ready to walk me down the aisle?”

Glenda returned to the Wurlitzer with an, “Oh, goody!” She began playing the “Wedding March” again.

Kevin put the marriage certificate back in his pocket and took his place before the minister. Jeffrey stood nearby as his best man.

Kevin’s mouth dropped open and he slapped his forehead.

“Rings!” he cried. “I never had time to buy the rings!”

Keegan appeared with a black velvet box.

“They’re right here,” he said. “Zach gave’em to me.”

Kevin turned a questioning glance toward Zach, who raised his eyes to the ceiling and said nothing.

Krystal smiled softly. “I wondered for years if you’d taken them back for a refund.”

“No, ma’am,” said Zach. “I figured if I waited long enough, they would come in handy.”