Wedding Bell Blues (27 page)

So,
sitting there, worrying I'd done something wrong and unable to remember
what, I waited as she sat in the Queen Anne chair next to me. For a
long moment, she just sat there, her expression intent, her eyes never
leaving my face. I wanted to fidget but didn't. Fidgeting was bad. It
indicated I'd done something I felt guilty about. And I hadn't. Well,
not really.

"The truth, Jessie," she said simply. "You don't
look like death warmed over because you and Colton were making love all
night. So, what's happened now?"
Leave it to Mom to get right to the point.

"Mama, nothing's happened. Really." I bit my lip, thinking
hard. I
wanted to tell her the truth, but I didn't want to worry her either.
Still, this was my mother, the one person who always knew if I was
hiding the truth about something and who didn't need to worry about me,
not when she was already worrying about Maryanne's wedding. "I had a
nightmare early this morning and it woke both of us up. Neither of us
felt like trying to sleep afterward."

For a moment she didn't say anything. Then she nodded
thoughtfully.
"I'd been expecting something like that to happen. It's normal after
all you've been though. In fact, you might suffer from nightmares for
awhile as your subconscious tries to process everything."

"Well, it has done some processing." She looked at me in
question
and I made up my mind. Colton might not approve, but I needed to tell
her. "I remembered some more about what happened Saturday. It wasn't
much, but Colton thinks it might be enough to help them get a break on
the case."

"Thank God." She leaned over and gave me a quick hug. "What
did you remember?"

"Like I said, it wasn't much. But I remembered seeing a car in
the
parking lot that wasn't there by the time the cops arrived. Colton
thinks I might have given enough of a description to let them find out
who the car belongs to."

"Let's hope so." She looked at me, her head tilted to one
side.
"Jess, I know I don't say this often enough, but I'm proud of you. I
always have been. But the way you've handled everything that's happened
is amazing."

"I haven't done anything, Mom."

"You have, too. You've done everything you can to help the
police
solve the crimes. At the same time, you've done your best to keep us,
and most especially Maryanne, from worrying. More than that, you've
done all you could to help make this the perfect wedding for Brett and
Maryanne - no matter what I've said at certain times." She blushed
slightly, obviously recalling her accusation that I'd done just the
opposite. I'd known she didn't mean it then, just as I knew she did
mean everything she'd just said now. "And, I hate it, but I'm going to
ask you to continue reassuring your sister that everything's all right.
She's been so worried about you."

"Mom, as far as I'm concerned everything is all right," I
assured
her. Not that I believed it. No, I did it solely because I wanted her
to worry no more than I wanted Maryanne to. "The only thing that
matters now is getting Maryanne married to Brett."

She smiled and nodded before climbing to her feet. "You really
are a good girl, Jessica."

One
thing I can say about my sister and her wedding plans, she's organized.
When she came back downstairs, now clad in a pair of jeans, black tee
shirt with a checked shirt over it, and a pair of well-worn running
shoes, she was ready to get to work. Before I knew what hit me,
Hurricane Maryanne had handed out the lists of who was to do what. But
she was so happy, so excited, I didn't mind.

Well, to be honest,
I did mind one thing. For some reason known only to her, Maryanne had
left it to me to call the wedding planner. Me. I don't do wedding
planners, and I most especially don't do this one. He's the
stereotypical wedding planner from Hell. Oh well, I guess that made him
a good match for the maid of honor dress from Hell. For all I knew,
he's the one who chose the dress. I certainly wouldn't put it past him.

Still, I could comfort myself with the thought that some day,
I might be able to repay the
favor
and let Maryanne deal with someone equally as obnoxious and
self-important as Mr. Henri, who was probably good ole Henry - or
better yet, Hank - and only styled himself as Henri because it sounded
so much more "classy and important."

"Colton is going to be able to join us tonight, right?"
Maryanne
asked as she flew into the den where I'd just gotten off the phone with
the Marriott where she was putting up some of the out of town relatives
coming in for the wedding. Flew was an accurate term, given the way
she'd been moving non-stop since coming downstairs after dressing more
than two hours earlier.

"Unless something comes up at the station that he has to deal
with."
I patted the sofa next to me. "Why don't you sit for a minute?"

"I can't, Jess. There's so much to do."

I smiled and, since she wouldn't sit, climbed to my feet and
moved
to her side. In that moment, nothing mattered more than seeing her
happy, watching as she checked and double-checked details for dinner
later that night. If it was in my ability, I'd make sure that slightly
flushed look of joy and love didn't leave her - ever.

"Maryanne, everything is well in hand. Think about it. The
cleaning
crew, even as we speak, has to make sure they do everything absolutely
perfectly. You know our mother is following them, checking every little
thing. The dinner menu is planned, and Mama is a much better cook than
the two of us put together. So dinner will be wonderful.

"As for the rest of it, everything's going to be perfect. It
wouldn't dare be anything else." Now I grinned and gave her shoulders a
squeeze. "And, before you know it, you're finally going to be Mrs.
Brett Boudreaux."

"I really am, aren't I?" She moved a step and
twirled like a ballerina, arms out, head thrown back, and the most
magnificent smile you could imagine on her face. "Jessie, thank you."

"For what?"

"For being my sister. For standing with me when I marry Brett,
and for always being there for me."

"I'll always be there for you, Maryanne. I promise." Tears
stung my
eyes, and emotion tightened my chest. This was my little sister, the
girl I'd stood for and in front of as we grew up. I might be allowed to
pick on her but no one else was. She was also my best friend, as much a
part of who I was as anyone could be.

"Then explain to me," I began, doing my best to look stern.
"Why, if I mean so much to you, you made me talk to Mr. Henri."

She threw her head back and laughed. "Because I knew you
wouldn't
kill him, no matter how much you might want to. At least not until
after the reception. I, on the other hand, just might. Especially since
I was so ungrateful and made him cry the other day."

"You did what?" I stared at her for a moment, and then burst
out
laughing. "You brat! You brought the great Mr. Henri to tears and
didn't tell me? Worse, you didn't do it in front of me."

"Yep."

"Tell me now. Tell me or I call him back and inform him that
you've
just decided that all the colors have to be changed and the menu is now
going to be vegan."

She stared at me in horror and then, seeing how hard I fought
to
keep from laughing yet again, grinned and hooked her arm through mine.
"All right, but let's grab Mom first. She could probably use a laugh as
well."

She was right. Not that I wanted to wait. But what choice did
I
have? I simply told her to go find our mother and bring her to the den.
In the meantime, I'd make another call or two and try to whittle down
my to-do list a bit more.

"All right, you two, what's so important that I had to drop
everything to come downstairs?" Mom wanted to know as she and Maryanne
entered the den a few minutes later.

"Ask her. She's the one who's been holding out on us," I said,
nodding at Maryanne.

Mom turned to her, her head cocked to one side as one finely
sculpted brow arched in question. "Well?"

Maryanne grinned and blushed slightly. She seemed to be doing
that a
lot today. But, instead of answering, she hurried across the den and
dropped onto the sofa at my side, primly folding her hands in her lap
and waiting as our mother found a seat.

"Jessie thought I ought to tell you about something that
happened with Mr. Henri."

"Dear God, Jessie, you didn't do anything to upset him did
you?"
Mom's eyes grew wide with alarm even as she looked from me to Maryanne
and back again, waiting for an explanation.

"Not me." And I was glad for that since Mom looked ready to
strangle
one or the other of us. Mr. Henri had been her suggestion as a wedding
planner, and I know she had to jump through hoops to get him to agree.
"Tell her, little sister, before she decides to strangle us both."

"Maryanne?"

"Well, you know I went to see him yesterday to make the final
payment?"

She
waited until Mama nodded. Of course, it was a slow nod and Mom's eyes
had narrowed slightly. Oh, boy, was I glad she wasn't looking at me
like that. I knew that particular look all too well, and it boded no
good. Maryanne had better get to the point before Mom blew.

"Well, when I got there, he was all excited about some new
ideas he
had for the reception. He'd already talked to the florist and they had
everything arranged. They were going to change the colors for the
reception to green, yellow and white. There'd be a yellow brick road
sort of thing for Brett and I to walk in on. A whole
Wizard of Oz
theme,
if you will."

Mom sat there, mouth open but silent. Her eyes had gone wide
with
disbelief. Then, as if realizing she was just sitting there looking as
stunned, I'm sure, as I felt, she snapped her mouth closed and shook
her head.

"You - you're joking, right?"

"I wish." Maryanne blew out a breath and then grinned.
"However,
never fear, Mama. Once I realized he was serious - and, oh my God,
Mama, he was so proud of his plan. I kept waiting for him to tell me
I'd have to dress as Dorothy and Brett as the Tin Man or something - I
quickly put a stop to it."

"How?" That was all I could think of to ask.

"Well, the first thing I did was snatch the check out of the
greedy
little fingers of his assistant." Here she smiled mischievously. "While
the assistant was gasping like a fish out of water, I informed Mr.
Henri that I had not agreed to any such changes and they had best be
forgotten immediately. I would not have my wedding reception, a
reception where one former ambassador, two current mayors and a sitting
senator would be in attendance, centered around the
Wizard of Oz
or
any other book, movie, play or musical.

"That's when he started sputtering about his creative genius
and how
this would be the talk of the town. To which I replied, 'It most
certainly would.' Then I pointed out it would also be the end of his
business for doing something like that. After all, what was he going to
have the wedding party dressed up as? The Wicked Witch's henchmen? Or
worse, the flying monkeys? I hate the flying monkeys!

"Anyway, he spluttered some more and I threatened to cancel
the
contract. Of course, he told me to go ahead, but he would retain the
quite sizeable down-payment you'd given him, Mama. Then I said he'd
better check his own contract because he'd violated the terms by
changing designs without my approval. Oh, I also said I'd call all my
friends and the papers and tell them what happened. By the time I
finished, he wouldn't be able to find another job in all of Texas.

"That's when good ol' Henri teared up and accused me of not
appreciating his talent and genius. He only had my best interests at
heart. Didn't I want a memorable wedding and reception?"

"You're serious, Maryanne? He really wanted to do
Wizard of Oz
?" Oh,
it was a very good thing I hadn't known that when I talked with the man
less than an hour ago. I would have killed him.

"Very serious." She sighed now and shook her head. "I wouldn't
have
thought twice about firing him, either. Burgers from Dairy Queen and
candy from the grocery would have been better than that. And, believe
it or not, but I told him so. That's when he started crying."

"I can't believe I wasn't there to see it." I would have given
just
about anything to have seen it. "I'd have loved to see you turn him
into a sobbing little baby."
"You and me both." Mom's smile was as wide as Maryanne's. "I take it
you got him sorted out?" Now she looked at my sister in open question.
"Or do I need to start preparing hors d'oeuvres?

"I did. So, Jessie, you don't have to worry about being forced
to dress up as the Wicked Witch."

"I don't know, Maryanne, being dressed as Glinda the Good
Witch
might be worse. I mean, can you imagine me with that wand, waving it
around. I'd probably put my eye out." I grinned as she collapsed
against the back of the sofa in a fit of giggles. Of course, I didn't
tell her that I might just prefer being dressed as either Glinda or the
Wicked Witch if it meant I didn't have to wear the harlequin dress.

Fortunately the phone rang before anything else could be said.
Mom answered it and, a moment later, held the receiver out to me.

"Hello?"

"Jess, it's me. I'm on my way to pick you up. Be ready in ten
minutes."

"Colton?"

He didn't answer. He'd already hung up.

True to his word, Colton rang the doorbell ten minutes after
his
call. Not that it surprised me. He'd always been punctual. Nor did the
way Maryanne followed on my heels as I hurried to greet him surprise
me. Though she hadn't said anything when I told her what Colton had
said, I knew she was worried. I didn't have to be a rocket scientist to
know she worried about why Colton wanted me to be ready to leave. It
was also a simple thing to know she was afraid we might not be back in
time for dinner.