12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Freya

I 'm deadpan. "So, now you want me to go, and you also want to come with me?" I almost screech. "This, from the woman that called the Harris family a nut farm?"

Trudy waves. "Yeah. We'll go. It's at the Ford ranch." Her nonchalance is unnerving.

"And, why, pray tell, the sudden change of heart?" I ask, as I pour us a tea. It's late, and I'm tired, but Trudy insisted on coming over.

Another wave. "Details."

I lift a brow, unconvinced. "Okay, out with it. What happened."

She swallows a sip of tea and rolls her eyes. "Why can't you just enlighten me? God, how many geek parades and shows have I been to for you? All those events where you sell all your shit to dorks? Yeah, that's me in the back, with the shovel."

"I'd happily take you for your recreational stimulation, but first, I need to know what made you change your mind."

Trudy draws in a deep breath and lets it out slowly, with this dreamy look on her face. Then she says one word that puzzles me. "Maverick."

"Who?"

"Maverick. Maverick Harris."

I crane my neck. "What about him?"

She leans forward and almost barks, smiling. "Well, have you seen him? God, he's the only one of those kids that doesn't look like he should be a pinup. No, he's…refined, distinguished, even."

"So? Why the sudden interest? You've never mentioned him before." I observe, squirting some honey into my tea.

"I met him today."

I lift my head, interested. "How?"

"Ethan paid me a visit, and his brother, Maverick, just happened to be at the same restaurant."

I lift a hand, palm up. "Hold on a second. When were you going to tell me about Ethan paying you a visit?"

She shrugs and frowns. "Well, I wasn't. Frankly, we got into an argument, and I figured what good would it do to tell you about it. But then when I met Maverick, I figured that we should go to the wedding. Since, well, he'll be there, and it gives me the perfect opportunity to show him my best side. I'm great at weddings, didn't you know."

"You don't say."

"Yep. Me, with my hot, sexy dress, and entertaining personality."

"Really." My voice is flat. "Yet, yesterday, you were telling me not to go. Now, suddenly, because you met Mr. Studmuffin, you want to go. So much for worrying about my mental health, as you put it."

"Oh, please. What about my mental health?" She barks. "God, I've been listening to you wallow in self-pity, pining, reflecting, obsessing, over Ethan Harris for the past two years!"

"We were together for one year."

"Yeah, but then he broke up with you, and that was a year ago. Frankly, it's time for me to bust loose, get some action, and enjoy myself."

"And what happens if Maverick is also a member of the nut barn?"

"Oh, he's not. I can tell."

"Surely."

"Grow up, Freya. My God, it's not all about you. Besides, you might actually have some fun, or you might meet someone."

"At a nut barn family's wedding. Greeaattt."

"Well, Ethan was pretty adamant that you come to the wedding, too, you know."

"I'm sure." I say, unconvinced. "Since he hasn't bothered to call me and convince me himself. Which, I guess that doesn't make sense, considering that the man hates me."

"He doesn't hate you. In fact, when I told him that you never stopped loving him, he got this weird look on his face."

My eyes widen. My mouth opens wide. I shriek. "You what ?"

"What?" She asks, innocently, as if she didn't just hear what she said to me.

"You told him I never stopped loving him?" I bark.

"Well, you didn't." She's matter-of-fact.

"I don't still love him, Trudy."

She tips her chin up, voice firm. "Bullshit."

"Just because I haven't dated since him doesn't mean I still love him."

"Once again. Bullshit."

"Where do you get off?"

She counts off on her fingers. "You mention his name every day, you're always comparing others to him, you keep all the pictures that you took of him and you when you were together, and don't even get me started on your diary."

I gasp. "You read my diary?"

This is where she gets defensive, and shouts, matching my tone. "You read mine!"

That hit a nerve. I did read her diary. I bought that one. "Fine." I raise my nose, like one of those stuck-up kids in high school that thought they were too good for anyone else. "But I'm not still in love with him."

"Keep telling yourself that."

"Trudy, I was like his wart! He was too embarrassed to be around me, other than in bed!"

"Well, that was then, Freya. And if you still love him, and if this shit is meant to be, then the only way to find out is to see him again." Trudy informs. "And evidently his father is some sort of matchmaker, since he got Caleb and Laney together, and look at them. They're so fucking happy the whole family is turning the other cheek." She pauses. "Ethan told me that the only reason why he never let you in is because he was afraid that his father wouldn't approve of you, but clearly he does now."

"Oh, so now it's okay? Please! I'm not for convenience."

"I don't really think it was like that, Freya, but the only way that you're ever going to find out is to…find out. You're in is this fucking wedding."

I tilt my head, unconvinced. "And you're sure this isn't just so that you can bag Maverick."

"Well, that'll be a side benefit, of course. But I'll be right there with you, being your fall guy if necessary. Like I said, I'm great at weddings. The life of the party. And I don't even have to drink or put on a lampshade or anything. It's a talent."

"Greeaatt."

"Oh, come on. If it sucks, we leave. Plus, we'll be at a ranch. The Ford ranch. How cool is that? I've never been there, but I've heard it's beautiful. If it sucks, we hang out at the ranch and cut our losses. What do you say?"

My hand rakes through my hair, as I fill my lungs with air and slowly let it out. "And Ethan doesn't loathe the idea of me showing up, right?"

"No. That's why he was looking for me. His da sent him to talk to you, but he figured it was better to talk to me, instead."

"Great. A heartbreaker and a coward."

She shoves me playfully. "Oh, stop. Tell me it wasn't genius. I mean, look at me, convincing you to go."

"And don't think him bringing his sexy, single brother along to sweeten the pot wasn't planned, either."

Trudy lifts a brow. "Only one way to find out."

"God, it's like being in a room with fucking GQ models." Trudy comments as we board the jet to go to the Ford ranch. "And they're all rich and taken, so that's the painful part."

"Don't worry, the Harris boys are all single, except for Caleb, of course." I add.

"I'm only interested in one of those, Freya. The others are all too pretty for me."

"But I thought you liked being in the same room as models." I tease. "You're the one that just said it."

She changes the subject. "Speaking of which, what, is this going to be like a freaking family orgy? Where the hell are we all supposed to sleep?"

"Gross. Colton has a huge guest house, and I think every hotel in South Carolina is blocked off for this event."

"How many people do you figure they've invited?" She asks, as we take a seat and get ready for takeoff.

"I don't know. But I'd say at least a couple hundred. I looked into the back story of some of these fundraisers that Colton's held, and they were pretty substantial. His brother Wade, from the band Take Risks, he played at most of them, so I'd say this could be a huge wedding."

"I wonder if Caleb is pissed at his dad's lack of discretion."

I scoff. "Please. Did you not see last week's articles on Caleb and Laney? The one entitled ‘Hitched' was particularly enlightening. They bared all there."

"Even the fact that he knocked her up?"

I give her a look. "We're not in the dark ages, Trudy. Plus, she's past her first trimester, so it's okay."

Trudy frowns. "I figured Dougall Harris wouldn't like letting the cat out of the bag before they got married. I mean, for all intents and purposes, he all but arranged this marriage between the two of them. And it looks like he's working on a second one from what I see."

I bark out loud. "Please! I am not marrying Ethan Harris!" Suddenly all eyes are on me, and I shrink into my seat. There is nobody here that I recognize, except for Jack Ford, who smiles at me, but thankfully he says nothing. He's standing with his wife, Kristina, who I recognize from an article I once read about them. Then they take a seat up front and forget about me.

"Would you keep your voice down?" Trudy hisses, but she chuckles at the end of her sentence. "God, talk about lack of discretion!"

I whisper. "I'm sorry. It's just…I can't believe you alluded to that."

"Well, Dougall Harris is a man that gets what he wants, Freya. And it looks like he's got his heart set on the two of you getting together."

I shudder. "I think it's a little creepy, don't you?"

"Which part? Him wanting you and Ethan to get back together, or the fact that you slept with two of his boys, and yet he still wants you to be the mother of his grandchildren?"

I shudder again. "All of that. Isn't it twisted, Trudy? God, maybe you are right. Maybe this family is a nut farm."

"Duh. Newsflash. Every family has crazies. And every family, at one point in time or another, is a nut farm. Including mine. Including yours."

I give her a look. "Just what part of my family belongs in a nut farm?"

"Don't even get me started." She says, and after I think about it for a moment, I say nothing more. My parents separated after a squabble with inheritance and my brother making a career change at their expense, only to reconcile a year later, and now they're so close it's nauseating. They do weird things together, too, like every month they both need to check something off their bucket list. And I have a crazy aunt that has no fixed address because she's a groupie for some band, and she tours all over the world with them.

"Fine. Your family is no picture of perfection, either."

She raises a hand as we take off. "Which proves my point. Every family has crazies. Maybe Dougall Harris is this family's crazy."

"Oh, goody." I say facetiously, as I grasp the armrest in terror, while we feel the nose of the jet point upward. "Can you please just let me die in peace?"

Trudy sighs and takes my hand in hers. "I don't know how you manage to travel so much with this insane fear of flying you have."

"It's simple. My love for travel outweighs my fear of flying."

"I'd say you're your family's crazy."

I frown. "Could be. Seeing as I'm going to this wedding."

"We'll have fun."

"Yeah, so far it's a blast."

Here's how much faith I have in tonight: I didn't bring an overnight bag. All I did was stuff mini toiletries, shorts and a t-shirt and a pair of flip flops into my larger purse and called it a day. My dress can be balled up and shoved into my purse when all is said and done. As we land at the Ford ranch, I suddenly start to rethink my whole speculative stance. "God, this is like a fairytale." I comment, observing the white picket fences, the horses grazing in the pasture, the huge, elegant ranch house, the equally beautiful guest house behind it, and the fields and fields of lush, green grass and landscaping.

"Nice, huh." Trudy says, sucking her teeth, seemingly unimpressed.

"What, it's like a postcard, isn't it."

"Sure."

I look at her. "Well, what's your problem?"

She shrugs. "Nothing. You know me. I have shiny object syndrome."

"God, you and I are such opposite creates. Sometimes I wonder how we're even friends." I say in awe, not being judgemental.

"Opposites attract, Freya. You appreciate all the nature and greenery and shit because you come from, like, the greenest place in the world, but I'm an American through and through, so shit like this doesn't rattle me. Come on, let's go find where we're sitting and set our bags down. At least that's one thing we don't have to worry about here."

"What's that?"

"Our stuff getting stolen."

I scoff. "Ethan once told me that rich people are even more stingy than poor people, Trudy. Don't be fooled."

"Well, if some rich, classy guy wants my Walmart special pants, he's welcome to them."

I snort a laugh. "You're unreal."

"And that's why you love me. Come on."

We're standing at the bar, people watching, when Trudy finally spots who I assume is Maverick. "Shit, there he is." She squeals under her breath. I've never seen her come so unglued before.

"Well, go talk to him, then." I encourage.

"I'm not leaving you here alone, Freya."

"Why not? I'm a big girl, I can handle it."

"I'm afraid you'll go hide in a corner or leave."

I look around. There are people milling about everywhere. "There's nowhere to hide, and unless I want to hop on a plane or hitch a ride, I have no choice but to stay put."

And just as she's about to say something else, Maverick approaches. He's got a smile on his face that is almost contagious. "Hi, there." He says to Trudy. "Glad you could make it." He shakes her hand and then looks at me. "And you must be the infamous Freya."

"Aye. The one and only." I say, not trying to hide the snark in my voice.

"Ethan's around here somewhere."

"Good. Then you can tell me where and I'll stay wherever the opposite of that is."

He just smiles. "My da is dying to meet you. He'd kill me if he knew I didn't bring you around to meet him."

"Well, then, let's all go see him." Trudy suggests.

I give her a disapproving look. "Thanks."

She winks, pleased with herself.

Dougall Harris is talking to who I assume is the officiant of this thing, since he's wearing a blue gown with one of those white collars wedged around it. "Ah, Maverick. There you are." Dougall states. "Mister Renaud is here. He wants to have a word with you. He's over by the bar."

"A client." Maverick explains. "I'll be right back."

"Reverend!" I hear someone shout.

"Yes, Laney?" He calls. Laney is standing there, in her wedding dress, which is a simple white frock with lace sleeves, an empire waist, and a small, fishtail train. Caleb is nowhere to be found, and thank God for that, not just for my benefit, but also for his bride-to-be's benefit.

"Could you come here for a moment?"

"Err…yes. I'll be right there."

Once the reverend leaves, it's just myself and Trudy standing there with Dougall. He's wearing a sharp black suit, likely no different than what he wears on a regular basis at the office, but his boutonniere is a soft pink color, I'm assuming to match his wife's dress, and the smile on his face is a mile wide. "And you must be Freya Stewart and Trudy Denhomme, I presume?"

I nod. "Yes, sir. I'm Freya. Pleased to finally meet you."

He takes my proffered hand and kisses the top of it. "It's so lovely to meet you."

"Thank you, sir." I smile.

He kisses Trudy's hand, too. "You have my Maverick's eye, lass. I can see why."

Trudy blushes and waves. "Oh, it's nothing. We met once."

"Aye, and Maverick has done nothing but speak of you since."

"Really?" She simps. I roll my eyes.

Dougall simply smiles and then he turns his attention back to me. "Just where did you get that extraordinary bear that you gave to our Peg? It has made all the difference for her. I swear my wife keeps telling me that it's magic. I thought maybe you were a witch." He teases, good-naturedly.

"It was a gift from my aunt when I was a child, sir. I was happy to give it to the bairn, given that I wasn't able to help in any other way. I do apologize for that, Mr. Harris, but I would have lost my job."

"There is no need to explain, Freya. And we have top investigators searching for the men responsible, while one of the men is being extradited as we speak."

"Really? I'm so glad to hear that."

Dougall nods. "And while you cannot see them, we have top notch security here, thanks to Colton Ford and the Ford family. So, there is no need to worry about anything, dear. I'm just so glad that this has been such a wonderful turnout."

"I am, too. Caleb and Laney deserve it." I add, although I have no idea why. I've never even met Laney and, well, no further explanation about Caleb is needed.

"You'll have to excuse me, lasses. I have many people to thank. But I hope to catch a dance or two with both of you later." Dougall adds, as eyes are on him.

"Certainly, sir. It was lovely to meet you." We both nod.

Once he leaves, I turn to Trudy. "God, I thought I was going to throw up there." I say on exhale.

"Why?" She asks, almost in a whine, dumbfounded.

"Because the man is one of the richest in the world? And one of the most powerful. Jesus, just think about what he's accomplished in his lifetime."

"Freya, he's a person. No different than you or me."

I scoff, laughing. "Okay, keep telling yourself that."

Then, as I turn around, I see him. He sees me, too, and it all goes downhill from there…