Happy Ever After
Page 82
No, not a moment spoiled, Parker thought, and grinned back.
MALCOLM PACED OUTSIDE THE BRIDE’S SUITE.
How the hell had this happened? Well, he didn’t know, but it had happened. So ...That was that. Or he’d make sure that was that. If she’d ever come out of that damn room.
If he’d worn a watch, he’d be tapping its face to see if the battery was dead.
What could possibly take so long in there? What exactly went on behind that damn locked door?
Finally, it opened, and women came out, all color and scent and sparkle. He stayed out of the way, ready to pounce the minute he saw Parker.
When he did, she—naturally—had her head together with the woman who was running things today.
“Hey.”
She glanced back, tilting her head in surprise, then took another minute to recheck whatever she’d probably already checked five times with her stand-in, before walking toward him in that filmy, floaty dress the color of candlelight.
“Why aren’t you downstairs? You should be seated. We’re about to—”
“I need to talk to you for a minute. For a couple minutes.”
“Malcolm, wedding. Now. I can’t—Oh God, is there a problem? I knew I should’ve gone down to check on—”
“There’s no problem. Everything’s fine. It looks like the freaking wedding of the century. It can wait. Sure, no problem.”
“Get down there.” She leaned forward, kissed him lightly on the cheek. And turned when Mac stepped out.
“Okay, I’m so ready. Malcolm? Why aren’t you downstairs?”
“I’m going. But let me say wow. A really big wow. Nice job. Carter’s going to swallow his own tongue.”
Her smile shone brighter than her diamonds. “I’m getting married.”
“I got the memo. I’ll see you later, Mrs. Maguire.”
“Mrs. Maguire. Oh boy, hot damn.” In her sparkly-heeled wedding shoes, she did a quick jumping dance. “Let’s go, Parker.”
Parker shot Malcolm one last smile, then led Mac down the hall. “Remember, head up, smile. Take your time, it’s your moment. We’ll go down in alpha order as we decided, after Carter’s niece and nephew.”
“Don’t they look cute?”
“They do. And when the music hits your cue, remember to hold it there, count to five so everybody stands and gets a load of you.Then—”
“Parker, don’t worry. My father’s down at the bottom of the stairs, and he’ll walk me down the aisle.”
Mac’s green eyes were calm now, and dry, but shining with joy.
“You’re probably never going to tell me what you had to do to get him here, and that’s fine. He’s here, and it matters to me more than I knew—or would admit. But just like you said yesterday, more important than anything, Carter’s down there. My knees are wobbly, but it’s not nerves. It’s excitement—it’s, gosh, it’s frigging bliss. I won’t miss my cue.”
At the top of the staircase, she and Emma and Laurel adjusted the train, gave Mac the bouquet, and stood for a moment as they had as children, smiling down at a blue butterfly.
“MOG being escorted,” Parker murmured.
“Have you got an earbud in there?” Laurel demanded.
“No. I just know. Carter and Bob are in front of the fireplace, and the MOG, FOG are taking their seats. Linda’s being escorted. I know you’re good, Mac, but do a little yoga breathing now. MOB escorted,” she said of Mrs. Grady, and Mac squeezed her hand.
“And music change. RB, then FG, both looking adorable.” She peered around to watch them start down the steps at Monica’s signal. “Seriously adorable.”
“Karen’s getting the shots, right?”
“Shh.You stop that. Okay. Emma.”
“Here we go.”
“Five, four, three, two. And Laurel.”
“Rolling.”
Parker gave Mac’s hand a final squeeze.“It’s your wedding day,” she said, and started down the stairs.
She stopped worrying when she saw the room full of guests, of flowers, of candle- and firelight. When she saw Carter looking like the happiest man ever born. She glanced at Malcolm, puzzled for a moment at the intense look in his eye, then took her place by her friends.
Music change, she thought, and everyone got to their feet.
There was Mac, radiant, on her father’s arm, all but floating as she came forward. And Parker’s mother’s diamonds caught the light and flashed.
Mac kissed her father’s cheek. Carter already held out both hands for her. She stepped up, took them. “Hi, cutie.” She pulled him in, kissed him lavishly.
“I couldn’t wait,” she said, loud enough for everyone to hear.
And they got married in the echo of laughter.
HE COULDN’T GET HER ALONE, AT LEAST NOT ALONE ENOUGH. There were pictures, and dinner, and crowds of people. Everybody wanted to talk to everybody.
“What’s wrong with you?” His mother kicked him under the table. “You’re fidgety.”
“Nothing’s wrong. I just want to get out of this stupid suit.”
“Eat your dinner,” she ordered, then turned to talk to Emma’s father—thank God—and got off his back.
He tried to get to her when the meal was over, but the entire wedding party was herded in one direction, and the guests went in another.
In the Ballroom, Mac and Carter took the floor for their first dance.Watching them, he realized his timing was off.Way off.This day was about them, the rest could wait.
He got himself a beer, told himself to relax.
“Hell of a party, huh?” Jack dropped down beside him.
“They do it right, and apparently they do it righter than right when it’s one of their own.” He tapped his glass to Jack’s. “You’re next, partner.”
“Can’t wait.”
Malcolm angled his head, studied Jack’s face.“You mean that.”
“More every day.Who knew? The big party? That’ll be a kick, but it’s the rest, the rest of my life I’m waiting for. Emma’s... She’s Emma. That’s all she needs to be. Now I’m going to go find her and dance.You ought to grab Parker.”
“Yeah, I ought to.”
He sat another moment, then rose to start to wind his way through the tables and people. Music pumped out hot, drawing a crowd onto the dance floor.
MALCOLM PACED OUTSIDE THE BRIDE’S SUITE.
How the hell had this happened? Well, he didn’t know, but it had happened. So ...That was that. Or he’d make sure that was that. If she’d ever come out of that damn room.
If he’d worn a watch, he’d be tapping its face to see if the battery was dead.
What could possibly take so long in there? What exactly went on behind that damn locked door?
Finally, it opened, and women came out, all color and scent and sparkle. He stayed out of the way, ready to pounce the minute he saw Parker.
When he did, she—naturally—had her head together with the woman who was running things today.
“Hey.”
She glanced back, tilting her head in surprise, then took another minute to recheck whatever she’d probably already checked five times with her stand-in, before walking toward him in that filmy, floaty dress the color of candlelight.
“Why aren’t you downstairs? You should be seated. We’re about to—”
“I need to talk to you for a minute. For a couple minutes.”
“Malcolm, wedding. Now. I can’t—Oh God, is there a problem? I knew I should’ve gone down to check on—”
“There’s no problem. Everything’s fine. It looks like the freaking wedding of the century. It can wait. Sure, no problem.”
“Get down there.” She leaned forward, kissed him lightly on the cheek. And turned when Mac stepped out.
“Okay, I’m so ready. Malcolm? Why aren’t you downstairs?”
“I’m going. But let me say wow. A really big wow. Nice job. Carter’s going to swallow his own tongue.”
Her smile shone brighter than her diamonds. “I’m getting married.”
“I got the memo. I’ll see you later, Mrs. Maguire.”
“Mrs. Maguire. Oh boy, hot damn.” In her sparkly-heeled wedding shoes, she did a quick jumping dance. “Let’s go, Parker.”
Parker shot Malcolm one last smile, then led Mac down the hall. “Remember, head up, smile. Take your time, it’s your moment. We’ll go down in alpha order as we decided, after Carter’s niece and nephew.”
“Don’t they look cute?”
“They do. And when the music hits your cue, remember to hold it there, count to five so everybody stands and gets a load of you.Then—”
“Parker, don’t worry. My father’s down at the bottom of the stairs, and he’ll walk me down the aisle.”
Mac’s green eyes were calm now, and dry, but shining with joy.
“You’re probably never going to tell me what you had to do to get him here, and that’s fine. He’s here, and it matters to me more than I knew—or would admit. But just like you said yesterday, more important than anything, Carter’s down there. My knees are wobbly, but it’s not nerves. It’s excitement—it’s, gosh, it’s frigging bliss. I won’t miss my cue.”
At the top of the staircase, she and Emma and Laurel adjusted the train, gave Mac the bouquet, and stood for a moment as they had as children, smiling down at a blue butterfly.
“MOG being escorted,” Parker murmured.
“Have you got an earbud in there?” Laurel demanded.
“No. I just know. Carter and Bob are in front of the fireplace, and the MOG, FOG are taking their seats. Linda’s being escorted. I know you’re good, Mac, but do a little yoga breathing now. MOB escorted,” she said of Mrs. Grady, and Mac squeezed her hand.
“And music change. RB, then FG, both looking adorable.” She peered around to watch them start down the steps at Monica’s signal. “Seriously adorable.”
“Karen’s getting the shots, right?”
“Shh.You stop that. Okay. Emma.”
“Here we go.”
“Five, four, three, two. And Laurel.”
“Rolling.”
Parker gave Mac’s hand a final squeeze.“It’s your wedding day,” she said, and started down the stairs.
She stopped worrying when she saw the room full of guests, of flowers, of candle- and firelight. When she saw Carter looking like the happiest man ever born. She glanced at Malcolm, puzzled for a moment at the intense look in his eye, then took her place by her friends.
Music change, she thought, and everyone got to their feet.
There was Mac, radiant, on her father’s arm, all but floating as she came forward. And Parker’s mother’s diamonds caught the light and flashed.
Mac kissed her father’s cheek. Carter already held out both hands for her. She stepped up, took them. “Hi, cutie.” She pulled him in, kissed him lavishly.
“I couldn’t wait,” she said, loud enough for everyone to hear.
And they got married in the echo of laughter.
HE COULDN’T GET HER ALONE, AT LEAST NOT ALONE ENOUGH. There were pictures, and dinner, and crowds of people. Everybody wanted to talk to everybody.
“What’s wrong with you?” His mother kicked him under the table. “You’re fidgety.”
“Nothing’s wrong. I just want to get out of this stupid suit.”
“Eat your dinner,” she ordered, then turned to talk to Emma’s father—thank God—and got off his back.
He tried to get to her when the meal was over, but the entire wedding party was herded in one direction, and the guests went in another.
In the Ballroom, Mac and Carter took the floor for their first dance.Watching them, he realized his timing was off.Way off.This day was about them, the rest could wait.
He got himself a beer, told himself to relax.
“Hell of a party, huh?” Jack dropped down beside him.
“They do it right, and apparently they do it righter than right when it’s one of their own.” He tapped his glass to Jack’s. “You’re next, partner.”
“Can’t wait.”
Malcolm angled his head, studied Jack’s face.“You mean that.”
“More every day.Who knew? The big party? That’ll be a kick, but it’s the rest, the rest of my life I’m waiting for. Emma’s... She’s Emma. That’s all she needs to be. Now I’m going to go find her and dance.You ought to grab Parker.”
“Yeah, I ought to.”
He sat another moment, then rose to start to wind his way through the tables and people. Music pumped out hot, drawing a crowd onto the dance floor.
