1. Chapter 1

1

CHAPTER 1

A s the rain poured down over the Kinloch estate, Nicola took a deep breath and gazed at Declan. She pushed the heavy wet chestnut rope of her braided hair back over her shoulder and felt it slap against the back of her dressing gown. It was so cold, so wet, but she needed to hear him speak. “Declan, you can’t be here.”

“Lass, ye canna stop me,” came the answering rumble, and he stepped forward, chin high. His black curls were plastered down over his forehead, giving him a menacing look that belied the love and desire she could see in his dark eyes. Nicola stepped back and took another deep breath, and immediately realized her mistake. Her dressing gown and night dress were so thin and so wet, and it was so, so cold. As her nipples sprang to pointed life, Declan’s gaze moved right to them, and fire raced down through Nicola’s stomach and down to her most private areas…

“Ugh, I hate writing straight people romance.” Blowing back her blunt, fire-engine red bangs, Ruby Fierelli groaned and pushed herself back from her desk. Her back was killing her after a full day in her writing chair. Resting her palms on the white-painted top of the desk, she braced her feet on the floor and bent forward, keeping her butt firmly in the desk chair. Her whole spine popped like Rice Krispies as she stretched out, making her groan with pleasure.

Under her desk, Ruby’s ten year old Scottie, Winston, uncurled himself from his Burberry-plaid bed and stepped over to nudge at her arm. “Hey, buddy, my Win-Win, baby boy,” Ruby cooed, cupping his head in her hands. With a grunt, she leaned down further to give him a big smooch on his smooth, black-furred brow, and her back popped again.

A tap on her bedroom doorframe made Ruby peek out from under her arm, hands still busy scratching Winston’s cheeks. Her roommate, Natalie, grinned at her with a twinkle in her green eyes as she leaned on the door, arms crossed over her Indigo Lounge t-shirt. One of her hands was full of envelopes and circulars and the other with a green smoothie in a clear plastic cup. “If I didn’t know you better, I’d swear I was walking in on something inappropriate.” She walked in, set the smoothie on the desk and tossed the mail down on Ruby’s bed, then dropped down to sit on the secondhand quilt folded neatly at the end. Winston trotted up the steps by the bed and curled up next to Natalie. “I’d have questions.”

“Well, yeah. I would too. Starting with, ‘Hey, who are you?’” Ruby sat up and spun around in her desk chair. “How was work?”

“Busy as always. Things are really booming since the remodel. Esme finally agreed to hire a third barista, thank God .” Natalie kicked off her battered sneakers with a sigh and pulled her curly brown hair down from the tight bun she kept it in for work. She rubbed at her scalp for a moment before turning her attention to Winston, but she gave Ruby a sly sidelong glance. “You were missed today, again. Everyone’s starting to forget what you look like.”

“I can’t focus on 1730’s Scotland when I’m surrounded by the shiny modern world.” Ruby waved back at her laptop. “Plus I don’t want anyone coming up and finding me writing about straight people getting freaky.”

“And how are Nicky and Dec?” Nat stood up and leaned over to peer at the open Word doc. “Ooh, nipples. They’re making progress.”

“Yeah, but I needed a breather before I had to write about him scooping her heaving breasts out of her nightgown with his big man hands.” Ruby shuddered. Then she saw the green smoothie again. “Hey, is this for me?”

“Yah, Sasha sent me home with it. She thought you probably hadn’t eaten all day.” Nat cocked an eyebrow. “She’s right, isn’t she?”

Ruby paused halfway through sucking the smoothie down, feeling her cheeks start to burn pink. “Maaaaaybe.”

“Rubes, you need fuel for your big beautiful brain. I’m ordering us a pizza and then you can let me read what you wrote today.” Natalie straightened up and picked up the mail from the bed, giving Winston one last head scratch. “And here’s your mail. You must have really gotten into whatever you wrote because you didn’t eat or check the mail. I can’t wait to read it; it’s gonna be so good.”

“I still think it’s really weird that a lesbian who’s never even kissed a man is so into Highlander romances!” Ruby called after Natalie as she disappeared down the hallway of their shared apartment. She didn’t mean that, of course. She was grateful for all of her readers.

Sipping on the last of the green smoothie, she flipped through the stack of mail. Junk, junk, junk, credit card bill, address labels from a charity wanting money, junk, more junk… hello, what’s this?

Her fingers had stumbled over a thick, heavy envelope made of cream-colored paper that felt expensive. Her name was inked on the front in swirling black calligraphy that also struck her as expensive. Ruby flipped the envelope over to read the sending address engraved into the back flap, and let out a squeal as what she was seeing sank in.

“Finally!” She tore into the envelope and pulled out a heavy card embellished with ornate golden filigree curves and flowers. Dr. and Mrs. Anthony Pausini gladly request your presence at the wedding of their daughter Angela Maria Theresa to Daniel James Fierelli…

Ruby’s baby brother Daniel had been dating Angela Pausini since they were in college together and met at a frat mixer. In the seven years since, they’d resolutely resisted the urging of both their families to settle down and get married. They wanted to travel a little first, they’d said, and get jobs in their respective career fields. Then, and only when they both agreed the time was right, then they would start wedding planning.

Ruby had supported them firmly in this, one of the only family members they’d had at their backs. She believed with all her romantic heart that they were perfectly suited, and she wanted them to have a big, gorgeous wedding as much as anyone else did. But as a romance author, she also knew perfectly well that you couldn’t always get your main characters to do exactly what you wanted at all times. And she loved her baby brother and his beloved Angela, so she stood with them and waited—as far as they knew—patiently.

Here was her reward. The grand day come at last. Ruby beamed at the invitation in her hands. Then a small slip of notepaper slid off the back of it and fluttered to the floor.Curious, Ruby bent down and picked it up.

Hey Sis! Look what we’re doing! Hope you can find time to come and be my Best Gal. Miss you. -D.

The squeal Ruby let out brought Natalie racing back to the room. “What’s going on? What happened? Are you okay?”

“My little brother’s getting married and he wants me to be his Best Gaaaaaaaal!” Ruby jumped to her feet, throwing the invitation, envelope, RSVP card, and note into the air like confetti. She grabbed Natalie’s hands and dragged her into a dance around the room, Natalie laughing helplessly at Ruby’s unhinged delight. Even Winston joined in, scampering down from the bed to hop and bark at their feet. Happy beyond belief, Ruby sang a rousing chorus of Chapel of Love before she gleefully fell back into her chair.

Equally breathless, Natalie flopped back onto the end of Ruby’s bed. “The pizza’ll be here in thirty minutes. Mushroom onion, thin crust, mozzarella di bufala as usual?”

“Got you trained well, I have.” Ruby used the hem of her oversized, thrifted Bikini Kill t-shirt to dab sweat off of her face and forehead. “Thank you for that, I’ll Venmo you. And send you the manuscript. Got some good stuff written today, a whole duel and everything. Death, blood, heaving bosoms, the whole nine.”

Natalie’s eyes twinkled. “I love it. This one’s already my new favorite of yours from what I’ve read so far. But I want to hear more about this.” She bent down and plucked the pieces of the wedding invitation up from the threadbare rug on the floor. “Long time coming?”

“Not the longest, but definitely very anticipated by a whole lot of people. It’s going to be the social event of the year for Lindenwood Avenue.” Ruby grinned.

Peering over the top of the invitation, Natalie quirked up an eyebrow. “That so? You’re going to have to find a really great date, then.”

“Hm?” Ruby frowned. Date? I don’t need a date.

“Someone’s circled the “Plus One” field on the RSVP card in bright purple ink. And put little smiley face stickers around it.” Natalie waved the card in the air. “I think there are some expectations here.”

Ruby snatched the card out of her roommate’s hand and stared at it. Sure enough, there were quite a few purple loops scrawled around the Plus One, and yes, stickers too. Her frown deepened. “I don’t understand… oh.” As the realization hit her, dread spread out from the pit of her stomach like a wave of crude oil. “Oh, no .”

Natalie looked at her, both eyebrows up now and curiosity all over her face. “What? Oh no what?”

“I’m it. I’m the last.” Ruby thought back to all the weddings. Her oldest sister Rose. Then her older twin brothers, Domenic and Dante. Her Aunt Cecelia’s kids, all six, from Philip to Allegra to Isabella to Nico to Leo to Vincent. Uncle Leo’s brood, too—Anthony and Paul, only nine months apart in age, had actually come to blows over their weddings that had been in the same month just last year. And now Daniel, the baby of the whole lot, was getting married. All of the Fierelli kids in her generation—Ruby didn’t even want to factor her mother’s side of the family into the equation—were now married.

Except for her. She was it. The last single Fierelli. And someone clearly thought it was time for her to begin thinking about remedying that situation. Or at least to look like she was.

“Rubes?” Natalie waved a hand in front of her face. “Earth to Ruby. You still with me?”

“Whether I like it or not.” Ruby shook her head. “I’d kind of like the Earth to open up and swallow me whole so I can get out of this right about now, though.”

“That’s crazy, you were so excited literally two minutes ago!” Natalie stared at her. “What the hell? And what do you mean, you’re the last?”

“Nat, I’m the last one . The last single Fierelli. All of my siblings and cousins have married themselves off over the last ten years. I am it . At 35. Single, writer, dog mom. And I’m about to have to attend the biggest wedding we’ve had yet, to be in the loving bosom of my Italian American family, with the expectation that I bring a date. For an entire week.”

“Oooh.” Natalie’s eyes went Betty Boop-round. “Are they expecting a male date?”

“No, thank God. Clouds, lining, etc. They are very aware that any date I bring will be of the lady persuasion.” Ruby rubbed at her temples. A real bitch of a headache was starting to set in. “It’s just going to be so much pressure, you know? They’ll mean well, they want me to be happy the way they’re happy. We’re all a bunch of romantics at heart, we love love.”

“It sounds sweet,” Natalie said, a hint of wistfulness in her eyes. Ruby knew she’d grown up in a family that was supportive, but not overly affectionate. She chose her next words with more care.

“It is. It’s just… a lot. And whoever comes with me is in for it, too.” Ruby looked at the invitation again. “I have two months to find a date—and I definitely have to find a date—and prepare them for the experience that is a Fierelli Lovefest. With added Are You The One For Our Little Girl? spice. I don’t know who could be up for that.”

“It’s tempting to volunteer, from a like, social anthropology standpoint.” Natalie stood up and grinned. “Very tempting. Let me know if you don’t find anyone else. I’m great under pressure, as your roommate I’ve got loads of insider information, and last week I thrifted an amazing vintage Azzadine Ala?a that needs an occasion. I can fill in, in a pinch.” Just then, their doorbell chimed through the apartment. “Pizza’s here. Come set the coffee table, we’ll watch Law & Order . You deserve a break.”

“Roger that.” Ruby got up and reached up towards her ceiling for one more big stretch. The break was definitely deserved, she thought. She’d just experienced a whirlwind of emotions in a handful of minutes after a long and solid day of writing. And she had a long road ahead of her getting ready for Daniel and Angela’s wedding.

But that, Ruby reflected as she walked out of her room and beckoned for Winston to follow her, was a problem for Future Ruby. Tonight, pizza and crime drama called her name.