“Hello.”
“Hey, Lacy. Rita told me you’re coming to the shower. That’s great.”
Riley was using the tone, the overly cheerful one that told Lacy she wanted something, so she decided to cut to the chase. “What do you want?”
“Can I borrow your sapphire necklace?”
“The one Robert gave me for my twenty-fifth birthday?” Lacy clarified.
“Yeah, I guess. The teardrop one.”
“Sure. You know what? You can actually just keep it.”
Take all my leftovers; I’m done.
“Seriously? That sounds great. So the weekend is shaping up to be huge. It’s a family event, so none of my friends are going to be there. They’re planning a shower for later.” She paused and cleared her throat. “Are you going to have a shower for me for our side of the family? Because Mom can’t do it; that’s tacky. It should be you, don’t you think?”
“Absolutely,” Lacy said. “I would love to. Are you still into Mariachi music? Because I know of a great band, and I should book them now.”
“Oh, ha, ha. Funny. Yeah, if you do live music, it’s going to have to be a string quartet, only I’m planning to get one of those for the wedding, so that might be a little redundant. We’ll talk.”
“Super. I am really exited for that conversation.” The good thing about Riley was that sarcasm was lost on her, freeing Lacy to use it as often as she wished.
“Good. We’ll talk about it next weekend. And, hey, we’ll find someone for your plus one. Robert has lots of single friends.”
“What? I said I was bringing someone,” Lacy said.
“We thought you were kidding. You joke a lot.”
“Why would I kid about that?” Lacy said.
“Well, you know. Mom said you’re still really hung up and bitter about the Robert thing. I didn’t think you were seeing anyone.”
“That doesn’t mean I don’t have friends. I’m bringing a friend.”
“Who is she?”
“He, it’s a he. His name is Tosh. He’s the pastor of Grandma’s church.”
Riley snickered and tried to turn it into a cough. “How old is he?”
“Twenty eight.” For the second time that morning, Lacy had to grit her teeth to keep from lashing out. Her jaw was really starting to ache.
“Okay,” Riley said. “I’m sure he’s as cute as any of your other friends ever were, and I’m sure he’s very nice. I look forward to meeting him.”
“I should go,” Lacy said, hanging up without waiting for Riley’s goodbye. Years of knowing her sister had taught Lacy to read between the lines. She knew what Riley really meant was that she was expecting Tosh to be some sort of super geek, as geeky as all the other guys Lacy had liked before Robert. But Tosh wasn’t a geek. He was sweet and kind and handsome. And loaded. Maybe it was shallow, but she had a sudden and desperate longing for the Underwood family jet.
As far as her own inheritance went, being an heiress was no longer a slack job. She rose early and worked on paperwork or met with contractors or renters until late into the evening. Renovating the Stakely building was even vaster than she had originally thought it would be, but it also gave her a purpose, and she liked that.
Just as she was beginning to get in a groove and make some headway in her never-ending pile of tax documents and legal contracts, her phone rang again. This time she didn’t have to look at the caller ID because Darth Vader’s theme from
Star Wars
alerted her to the fact that it was her mother. And there was no sense in trying to dodge her call. Lacy had tried and failed before. Her mother would keep calling. And calling. And then she would call Lacy’s grandmother. And Lacy’s friends. One night she had called both Tosh and Jason after Lacy didn’t return her call a second time in a row. Yes, Lacy had definitely learned better than to dodge her mother.
“Hi, Mom.”
“I wanted to know what you have on tap for Riley’s shower.”
“Well, seeing as how I just learned thirty seconds ago that I’m supposed to give her one, I would say it’s pretty much all wrapped up. Just have to decide between these color swatches for the ice sculpture.”
“Don’t be sarcastic, Lacy. I hope you didn’t take that tone with Riley. She’s been very stressed lately.”
“Mom, she’s an event planner. She throws parties in the
Hamptons
and
Manhattan
for a living. How stressful can it be?”
“Robert’s family is challenging, and she’s trying to make a good impression.”
Lacy could empathize with that. Robert’s family
was
challenging, and trying to make a good impression on them was like trying to figure out what juggling acts might impress a blind man. Lacy was beginning to feel a glimmer of sympathy for her sister until her mother continued.
“And I do hope you’ll take care of her next weekend when you’re there.”
“Riley’s a big girl, Mom. She doesn’t need my help.”
“She’s your little sister, Lacy. It’s your responsibility to take care of her, especially near those people.”
Those people
being Robert’s crazy relatives.
And who will take care of me?
Lacy wanted to say, but she didn’t because it would fall on deaf ears. Riley had always been her mother’s favorite, just as Lacy had always been a Daddy’s girl. “Is Dad there?”
“No, he’s out.” Her mother’s terse tone told her that her parents were still having problems, and she sighed.
“Mom, what’s up with you and Dad?”
“Nothing. Everything is fine. Just take care of your sister. I have to go. We’ll talk about the shower later.”
“Super,” Lacy said, not masking her sarcastic tone. It didn’t matter, though; her mother had already hung up. And now she had a new item to add to her agenda for the dreaded weekend. Not only did she have to make amends with Riley, but she also had to protect her from Robert’s loony bin of a family. Things were so bad; could they possibly get any worse? Lacy was beginning to learn that anytime she asked herself that question, the answer was always a resounding yes.
The next few days went well for Lacy. The third floor renovations of the Stakely building were on schedule, she was due to meet with her new prospective tenant after she returned, and Tosh was excited about the weekend.
That was why it was all the more disappointing when he called on Tuesday, sounding glum.
“Mrs. Rae’s appendix ruptured,” he said with no preamble.
“Isn’t she like ninety?” Lacy asked.
“Ninety four,” he said.
“Shouldn’t her appendix be desiccated by now?”
“I’ll make sure and ask her when I get to the hospital. The point is that it ruptured and there are complications. They’re talking a lengthy hospital stay.”
Now Lacy felt bad for making fun of her, but she felt even worse when she realized what he was saying. “You’re not going, are you?”
“I can’t leave her right now. Her family lives far away, and they’ve basically told me that they expect me to visit her every day in the hospital.”
“But this is Tuesday and we’re not leaving until Thursday. She could make a miraculous turnaround between now and then.”
Tosh sighed. “I’m sorry, Lacy. It’s not going to happen. You’re going to have to take him.”
“I doubt he can get off work at this late date.”
“‘No, Tosh, you’re irreplaceable. I don’t have someone standing in the queue, waiting to take your place.’ That was the correct line there, not ‘I doubt he can get off work at this late date.’”
“Any other time I would be glad to nurture your fragile, fragile ego with meaningless platitudes, but this is an emergency, Tosh. What am I going to do? I cannot show up at this weekend alone.”
“He’ll go,” Tosh said. “Trust me; he’ll go.”
“How do you know?”
“I know because he’s not an idiot and he realizes this is the chance he’s been waiting for. He’ll go because it’s what I would do for anything less than a church-related emergency. Why must I be such a caring pastor? Curses on my giant, soft heart.”
If his intent was to make Lacy laugh, then it worked. Even if there were a few self-pitying tears mixed in with the laughter.
“I’m sorry,” he said, and he sounded miserable now.
“It’s really okay. I’ve been looking for a loophole out of this whole best friend thing; this may be it. Goodbye forever, loser.”
“Ah, that delightful yet cuttingly painful sense of humor of yours. Oh, how I’ll miss it while you bask in another man’s adoration. But don’t feel sorry for me because this weekend is shaping up to be a good one, what with the copious amounts of time I’ll be spending at the hospital hearing Mrs. Rae tell me about her urine output--which she does even when she’s not in the hospital, FYI.”
Lacy was laughing again. “I’m going to miss you,” she said.
“You can call me. Day or night. I’ll put you on speaker with Mrs. Rae; we’ll hash out any problems together, just the three of us.”
“That sounds perfectly normal. I’ll see you when I get back.”
“I’ll be here. And, on a serious note, I know you’re going to get through this weekend just fine. You’ve got this.”
“Say that again when I get back and start planning Riley’s shower.”
“What?”
“Another time, perhaps. My therapy session is at an end for today. Tell Mrs. Rae I hope she—“
“Be nice,” Tosh warned.
“Feels better. That’s what I was going to say all along.”
“Sure it was. See you.”
“See you,” she said. She disconnected and stared at her phone, biting her lip. Should she call Jason or see him in person? Since she was going to ask something monumental, in person was a safer bet. Checking the time on her phone, she saw that it was suppertime. Unless he was working overtime, he should be just waking up for the midnight shift.
She walked to his house, using the time to try and plan her attack, but when he opened the door, the words flew out of her head. If his appearance was any indication, then he had just woken up because his hair was tousled and his cheeks stubbled. He wore a gray t-shirt, a worn pair of jeans, and no socks. Have mercy, even his feet were sexy.
“I’ll take three boxes of Thin Mints,” he said, probably because she was staring stupidly at his feet.
“You’ve kissed me, and now you’re calling me a Girl Scout; I’m not sure how to feel about that.”
“I’ve kissed you? It’s been so long, I can’t remember.”
Lacy had declared a moratorium on kissing since Cindy came to town. Jason was annoyingly vague about their relationship, and Lacy wouldn’t give in until she had a clear answer. She’d suffered a brief relapse at Christmas, but that’s what the holidays were all about—making stupid, regrettable decisions.
“In case I was being too subtle, that was an invitation for a refresher course,” Jason said.
“Can I come in?” Lacy asked.
He raised his arm and she ducked under. He closed the door and followed her to the living room. “So what is it?” he asked. “You’re uncharacteristically quiet. Is it your grandfather? Is he okay?” He took a step closer, searching her face.
“He’s fine, maybe a little grumpy. The doctor put him on a special diet. Grandma is learning to cook low fat. Also, unicorns exist now and time is moving backwards. I never thought I would see my grandmother substitute applesauce for vegetable oil in a recipe. Blech.”
“Healthy food will grow on you,” Jason said.
“You know what else grows on you? Fungus. And no one is suggesting I eat that. Besides, there’s a new bakery in town. I’ve found a new supplier. No worries.”
“I would find that statement amusing if you hadn’t almost broken my fingers trying to pry brownies out of them. How does your grandma feel about you buying outside baked goods?”
“I haven’t told her yet. I’ve been putting the healthy stuff in my napkin and sneaking the good stuff to my room.”
“I’m going over that statement in my head and reconciling it with the fact that I’ve repeatedly kissed you,” Jason said.
“On that note,” she began.
He stepped closer and rested his hands on her biceps. “Yes?”
She took a deep breath and blurted it at all at once. “Riley’s shower in the
Hamptons
is this weekend and I need a date will you go to
New York
with me please I’ll pay for you ticket and rental car by the way you look incredibly good right now.”
“Let’s break that down into pieces. Your sister is having a bridal shower this weekend?”
She nodded.
“In the
Hamptons
?”
She nodded again.
“You’re asking me to go with you?”
Another nod.
“And you think I look good even though I just rolled out of bed?”
Vigorous nodding.
He stared at a spot over her head, scraping his bottom teeth over his upper lip. “I’ll go with you on one condition.”
Lacy scanned the room. “I’m sorry, did I walk into a live taping of
Let’s Make a Deal
?”
He ignored her. “Have dinner with me tomorrow night, and I’ll do it.”
“You want me to have dinner with you? That’s it?”
“Not just dinner. A nice, sit down, go to a restaurant dinner. Like—dare I say it—a real live date.”
Now it was her turn to think it over. “I’ll have dinner with you on one condition.”
“Here it comes,” he said.
“You have to go to the Stakely building with me and help me pick out some clothes.”
He blinked at her a few times. “See, now I’m beginning to understand why we can’t ever get it together; it’s because you’ve been under the delusion that I’m a woman.” He shook his head. “I don’t do fashion shows.”
She clutched at his shirt and stood on her toes to try and shake him a little. “If that is your attempt at teasing me out of my nervousness, then it is a horrible failure. I need advice.”
He scanned her up and down, his gaze resting on her hair. “Lose the bun. It’s hideous.” She frowned and he touched his index finger to her lip. “Keep the pout—it’s cute.” He leaned in to kiss her, but she dodged him.
“I’m serious. I really need you to help me pick out what to wear.”
“In what universe would I know that information?” he asked. “I own exactly five shirts and they’re all gray.”