Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

Having been told that I’d find Sabrina in the break room, I walked into said room the next morning. The smells of coffee, toast, and citrus-scented cleaner greeted me.

It was a typical break room. Lockers lined the cream walls near the vending machine. Four plastic lemon chairs gathered around each of the three circular white tables. The contemporary kitchenette featured all the necessary appliances.

Seeing that no others were inside, I asked, “What’s the fastest we’ve ever put together a wedding?”

Pressing buttons on the coffee machine, she slid me a quick glance. “Hmm, I don’t know, birthday girl. Probably a week, maybe less. We have a potential client who’s in a rush to get married, I take it.”

I propped my hip against the black, granite countertop. “He wants the ceremony done asap.”

As the machine in front of her whirred to life, she asked, “Anyone I know?”

“Yes. It’s Dax Mercier.”

She whirled to face me so fast it was a wonder she didn’t stagger and fall. Her expression turning all soft, she rested a hand on my shoulder. “Aw, sweetie. I’m guessing that can’t be the easiest thing to hear. I mean, I know you’re not holding a candle for him, but your hormones must be devastated. Who’s the bride? Anyone we know?”

I scratched at my neck. “It’s me.”

“What’s that now?”

“It’s me. I’m the bride.”

She gawked at me, her hand sliding off my shoulder as her arm flopped to her side. “He proposed to you?”

“Don’t think it was a romantic proposal,” I cautioned. “We made a dumb pact when we were mid-fling that we’d marry if both unattached when I hit thirty.”

Her brows met. “How come you never said anything about it to me?”

“I wasn’t being serious. I didn’t think he was either.”

Her eyes narrowing in suspicion, she folded her arms. “He asked this of you when you went to his office last week, didn’t he? That’s why you were acting weird.”

I braced one hand on the counter, careful not to knock over the box of teabags. “Yes.”

“And you said nothing to me why?”

“I hadn’t decided whether I’d go through with it at that point. I told him I needed time to think. He said he’d give me a week. I would have run it by you if I’d thought you’d contribute objective pros and cons. But all you would have done is urge me to go through with it because that’s what you’d have done in my shoes.”

“Well, we only live this life once. We might as well pounce on every opportunity given.”

I shot her a meaningful look. “See?”

She huffed. “Did you tell anyone else?”

“Only Alicia and Brooks. I knew they’d keep it to themselves.”

“I’m your BFF, but I’m the third to know?” Looking like she’d trapped a wasp in her mouth, she shook her head hard.

“I needed to talk to someone who’d help me work out what was the best thing for me to do, not urge me to push aside my hesitations. But I’m telling you now.” I straightened. “Not even Dax knows I’m going to marry him yet. You’re learning of it before him.”

That seemed to placate her ever so slightly. “You’re really going to do this?”

“I might not have if he hadn’t made such a compelling argument as to why I should. But I’ve done a lot of thinking and, well, it boils down to this: Like him, I don’t think I’ll find what I once lost. If that is the case, it means I’ll be ‘settling’ when I choose who to build a life with anyway, so is it worth waiting for this person to appear in my life? Especially when there’s a possibility I might not find them until it’s too late for me to have children?”

“When you put it that way, I guess not.”

“In Dax, I won’t have a husband who loves me. But I’ll be able to count on him in other ways. We have a connection of sorts—it’s only sexual, sure, but maybe we can build on that. Also, we both want the same things, and I know he won’t be a deadbeat dad. And, well, what’s the worst that could happen if we went through with it and it didn’t work out? We’d later get divorced.” That was it. People “in love” did that, too, so …

A reluctant smile pulled at one corner of her mouth. “I can see that you’ve really thought this through. If it’s truly what you want, I’m behind you. But let’s be honest … Ollie and your parents won’t be happy about it.”

“No, they won’t,” I agreed. “I’m planning to announce it at my birthday barbecue later.” My parents were holding it at their home. “I have no doubt I’ll receive negative reactions from several corners. But I have Alicia’s support, and now yours. I think Harri will back me, though she might be hesitant at first.”

“Tamara will be behind you, too. Purely because I am. As for Marleigh and my parents? I can’t be sure how they’ll react.”

“I’m not expecting everyone to be all joyful about it. I get why they won’t be. But I’m not going to change my mind—I just need them to respect that and let the situation be.” I’d do the same for them, so it was only fair.

“When are you going to tell Dax that you’ve reached a decision?”

“Tomorrow. He said he’d come see me then.” I was a little nervous about it, despite being sure of my decision. Or maybe it was the mere thought of being in his general proximity that made my system feel unsettled.

“If you tell your family first, you run the risk of them contacting him before you have a chance to give him your answer,” she warned.

“I’m going to make them first promise not to share my news with anyone else.”

“You think that will really stop your dad from contacting Dax to scare him off if it’s what he wants to do?” asked Sabrina, flicking up a doubtful brow.

“Don’t worry, I’ll handle my dad. He’ll be all disapproving, but he won’t interfere once I put things in a certain light.” He’d otherwise be a hypocritical bastard.

She squinted. “You know something I don’t.”

“I do.” And he had no idea I was aware of it.

“Are you going to blackmail him?”

I frowned. “What? No. Do you really think I’d do that?”

She gave an innocent shrug. “You Davenports can be ruthless.”

The door behind me swung open as a member of our team breezed inside, speaking into his phone. He briefly raised his eyebrows at us and then made a beeline for the corkboard across the room.

Sabrina leaned into me. “By the way,” she began in a whisper, “I’m telling you now, you’d better make me maid of honor.”

She’d said the same to Marleigh. “Are you going to insist that everybody around you does this?” I asked, my voice just as low.

“Yes. Tamara isn’t keen on marriage, so this is the closest I’ll get to walking down an aisle in a pretty dress. You will not take that from me.”

I flapped my arms a little. “Why is everyone trying to benefit from my wedding?”

“It’s your own fault for surrounding yourself with selfish people, so don’t expect any sympathy from me.”

I rolled my eyes. “Whatever. Now let’s get to work.”

∞∞∞

Not lacking in either space or style, my parents’ mansion was situated on a sprawling piece of land. It had rooms upon rooms, which had made our childhood games of hide-and-seek interesting. My favorite room was, without a doubt, the grand library. But the outdoor setup sure was sweet, and not merely because of the pool, hot tub, and cabanas.

All of us were gathered around the patio as we waited for the burgers and hot dogs to be ready. Dane and Ollie stood at the barbecue with Sabrina’s parents, Hanna and Kyle. I had no idea what they were talking about, since I sat on one of the long, rattan sofas with Alicia, Sabrina, Harri, and my mom Vienna.

Both Tamara and Marleigh had each claimed a nearby chair. My maternal grandfather, Simon, sat on another sofa with my mom’s foster parents, Melinda and Wyatt—all three had essentially banded together to raise Vienna.

The sounds of chatter, meat sizzling, and the crackling of the firepit laced the evening air, along with the scents of charred food, woodsmoke, and chlorine.

I hadn’t yet mentioned my upcoming marriage. I didn’t want to speak of it until my grandfather was gone. Though Simon had Dissociative Identity Disorder, he wasn’t fragile by any means. Still, he wouldn’t deal well with all kinds of shouting—and there’d for sure be shouting once Ollie and my dad heard my news.

So I’d kept quiet about it, gratefully accepted my gifts and cards, and was now raring to eat. I was also looking forward to getting a slice of my birthday cake—my mom had bought it for me and damn it looked freaking delicious, all white frosting and edible roses and swirly thick borders.

Beside me, Alicia growled, snapping me out of my reverie. “God, Sabrina, why do you insist on playing cupid?”

“If I can’t match Aleksei up with Addie, it’s going to have to be you,” Sabrina told her from further along the sofa.

“Why does it have to be any of us?” questioned Alicia.

Sabrina pursed her lips. “I suppose I could try matching him with Harri.”

“He’s too old for her.”

Sat in between the two women, Harri snorted. “Do you even know how old he is?”

Alicia flicked a hand. “Let’s talk about something other than him.”

Sabrina looked as though she might protest, but then her eyes sharpened on Alicia. “We could finally talk about why you walked away from your life in New York.”

“Or we could chat about how your girlfriend looks so very much like a retired Russian porn star.”

Sabrina fired her an exasperated look. “I wish you’d stop saying that.”

“It’s true,” insisted Alicia. “Are you sure Tamara doesn’t have such an interesting background?”

“Yes, I am. Now, back to the subject of Aleksei, one date couldn’t hurt.” Sabrina looked at me. “Right, Addie?”

I shrugged. “I guess not. He is hot, if that helps,” I told Alicia.

Apparently, it didn’t help, because she shot both me and Sabrina a foul look. “How about you two focus on your own lives instead of mine?”

“We can do both,” I told her, stifling a smile.

Sabrina gave a sharp nod. “We’re awesome multitaskers, and we have your best interests at heart. Now stop being difficult and let us rule your life.”

Alicia rolled her eyes with a snort. “I’m thinking you two have way too much time on your hands.”

Sat on my other side, my mom leaned into me. “You doing okay?”

I smiled at her. “Of course.”

Vienna tilted her head, studying me closely. “You’ve been quieter than usual.”

Well, I’d been rehearsing in my head exactly how I’d break my news, anticipating the reactions of each person. Also … “It hit me that I’m halfway to sixty.”

She chuckled. “Did Ashley call you?” she asked, referring to a family friend who had moved to Oregon with her husband to be near their youngest son and his family. Their eldest had soon after moved to Vegas.

“She did,” I replied. “And she wished me a very happy birthday. It was an amusing call, since she had to repeatedly pause to tell one of her grandkids to stop yelling at the other. You’ll be a grandmother soon, too. Looking forward to it?”

Vienna beamed. “Can’t wait. You looking forward to being an aunt?”

“Of course.” Catching the worried glint in her eyes, I assured her, “I’m thrilled for them, really.”

“I didn’t think you wouldn’t be,” she firmly stated. “I just worry that it’s hard for you.”

“Well, it isn’t.”

Just then, Tamara planted herself on Vienna’s other side. “What are we talking about?” Though she’d lived in the US since she was a child, she spoke Russian at home throughout her childhood and so had a slightaccent that I happened to adore.

“Your shoes,” I lied. “We want them.”

Tamara sniffed. “That is tough.”

“You have more shoes than I do, and that’s saying something.”

Vienna threw me a frown. “No one has more shoes than you do, Addie.”

Tamara gave a curt nod. “She is right. I have seen your closet. It looks like a small shoe store.”

I snickered. “How’s Aleksei?”

The beautiful brunette inched up her chin. “I don’t know. Don’t care.”

Vienna’s mouth curved. “You love your brother really.”

“Only sometimes,” said Tamara. “Today is not one of those times.”

“Burgers are ready!” Ollie announced.

I helped my mom plate up food for Simon, Melinda, and Wyatt before going to grab my own food.

Hanna tossed me a smile. “We made sure to put aside burgers and hot dogs for the birthday girl before they could be demolished.”

My lips curled. “Thank you, Hanna. I’d plant a kiss on your cheek, but you have mustard on it.”

A frown fell over her face, and she began rubbing at the blob of mustard … which only succeeded in spreading it along the side of her face. Rolling his eyes, Kyle used a napkin to wipe it off.

We all ate, drank, and gravitated from seat to seat as we joined conversation after conversation. Once everyone was finished their food, I grabbed a garbage bag and started collecting the trash.

Seeing that, Simon frowned at me. “This little gathering is for you. You should be sitting down and relaxing.”

“She can’t help herself,” Melinda told him with a fond smile. “She’s used to being the one cleaning up after gatherings—it’s part of her job.”

“Which is yet another reason why she shouldn’t be on clean-up duty now,” said Simon before sliding his gaze back to me. “Enjoy the break from it, sweetheart.”

Instead, I took his empty plate and trashed it. “I’m almost done.”

Wyatt sighed. “Sit down, woman.”

I shot up a brow. “I don’t see any of you looking to take over. Or am I wrong?”

The two men spluttered while Melinda averted her gaze.

“Yeah, figured you wouldn’t offer,” I said, barely stopping my lips from quirking.

The night soon began to darken, which was when people eventually began to trickle out. Simon, Melinda, and Wyatt left first—apparently, they’d all arrived in the same car. Hanna and Kyle left shortly after. It was when I heard Ollie talking about heading home with Marleigh that I decided it was time to make my little announcement.

I cleared my throat and spoke loud enough to be heard over the chatter: “I have some news to share.” Immediately, the talk died down and everyone’s attention settled on me. “But first, I need you all to promise that you won’t repeat any of what is said here to anyone else. And I mean, anyone.”

Aside for Sabrina and Alicia—who sat either side of me on a sofa, pillars of support—people exchanged looks that were either uneasy, confused, or a combination of the two. Each person eventually gave me their word, though my dad and Ollie dragged their heels on that.

I rested my clasped hands on my lap. Seeing no need to beat around the bush, I got straight to the point. “Dax Mercier proposed to me. I said yes.”

Silence reigned. Eyes bulged. Jaws went slack. Backs straightened.

“Since when have you two been an item?” asked Vienna, her voice carefully even. “And why did you keep it from us?”

“We’re not an item,” I said. “We’re just—”

“Oh my God, are you pregnant?” Harri burst out.

I wish. “No. Dax and I agreed to a fallback marriage pact years ago and, well, the time’s come for us to honor it.”

There seemed to be a collective intake of breath, and then everyone other than Alicia and Sabrina were speaking at once. Well, they were more ranting than anything else—particularly when it came to Ollie and Dane, who both shot to their feet.

I held up a hand, palm out, and said calmly, “I can only answer one question at a time.”

“Why the hell would you agree to something like this?” my dad demanded, his expression hard, his body rigid.

“It’s insane,” Ollie added, his cheeks a worrying shade of red.

“I’m not getting any younger,” I began, “my biological clock is ticking—”

“That’s no reason to marry some random guy,” Ollie insisted, his face scrunching up.

“Dax isn’t a random person. He’s someone I know. Someone I’m comfortable with.” I looked at my dad. “You know him as well. You even like him.”

Dane snorted, his head rearing back. “Not now I don’t. He wants my daughter to marry him as part of a pact. He’s asking you to throw away any chance you have of finding something more, and he clearly doesn’t give a shit what that means for you.”

Alicia lifted both hands. “I think we should all just take a breath.”

“Take a breath?” echoed Ollie, disbelieving. “Are you even hearing what Addie’s saying? Wait, neither of you two look surprised,” he commented, glancing from her to Sabrina. “You knew?”

Not wanting him to verbally lay into them, I quickly cut in, “Alicia’s right, taking a breath would be helpful. There’s no need to rant at me.”

He threw me an incredulous glance. “No need? Seriously? I feel like I don’t know you right now. Like your IQ dropped overnight.”

Bristling, I raised a warning brow. “Careful, Ollie.”

Vienna slid forward in her seat. “What he means to say is that he’s a little too shocked by your news to be calm right now. I’m sure you’ll admit that you wouldn’t be cool and composed if either Alicia or Harri had made this announcement.”

“Probably not,” I readily admitted. “But I’d hear them out and try to understand why they’d reached their decision, not vilify them for it or act like they’re stupid.”

My mom gave me an appeasing look. “No one thinks you’re stupid, Addie. You’ve always made good, solid decisions. We’re all simply struggling to understand what made you reach this one.”

“Yeah, I don’t get it,” said Harri from her spot beside Marleigh, her voice not confrontational, merely baffled. “You’ve always been so determined to find what Mom and Dad have.”

“Which is not this,” Dane practically bit out. “Far from it. I can’t understand why you would even entertain this idea.” His eyes narrowed. “Is he blackmailing you?”

I almost rolled my eyes. “Of course not. He asked. I promised to consider it. Which I did. And this is the choice I subsequently made.”

“I get that you’re hurting over what Grayden did,” Marleigh interrupted. “But this is a bit of an extreme way to respond to it.”

I frowned. “This has nothing to do with Grayden.”

Marleigh gave me a skeptical look. “You’re sure of that? Because it sounds like you’ve taken Dax up on his offer as a fuck you to Grayden.”

I felt my face harden. “You really think I’d do something like that?” I asked, my voice flat. “That that’s the kind of person I am?”

Marleigh winced. “I don’t mean to insinuate that you’re cruel or spiteful—”

“But that’s what you’re doing. Thanks a bunch.”

“She didn’t mean it that way,” Ollie told me, putting a protective hand on her shoulder. “She’s just worried that you’re saying yes for the wrong reason. I happen to agree with her theory. It makes the most sense.”

Sabrina sighed at him. “If you’d only listen to what Addie has to say instead of leaping on her, you’d understand why you’re incorrect.”

“How can you not be against this?” he demanded of her, plopping his fists on his narrow hips. “Wait, don’t answer that. I forgot who I was talking to.”

Tamara’s back snapped straight. “It is not wrong that she likes to take risks in life, Ollie,” she said, sitting on Sabrina’s other side. “Do not insult her because you are angry at something else.”

“Really, everyone needs to take a breath,” Alicia again declared.

Dane began pacing. “Bottom line, Addie, you deserve better than an empty marriage. Surely you want more for yourself.”

“Unless you’re going to tell us that you and Dax have feelings for each other?” Vienna probed. “That would make it different.”

I could point out he and I had a connection based on sexual chemistry, but I didn’t really want to talk about that to my parents. “Such feelings might grow,” I said, though I figured the best we could really hope for was that we’d develop the warm companionship I spoke of with Brooks.

A muscle in Dane’s cheek ticked. “They also might not.”

Very true, but I wouldn’t concede that out loud. “Look, I didn’t decide this on a whim. I took an entire week to think about it. To look at it from every angle. There are more pros to this than cons.”

Dane’s brow knitted as he halted abruptly. “How can there possibly be pros to this? Why marry someone you don’t love?”

I glanced from him to Vienna as I said, “People do that sometimes, you know. They marry for other reasons, and they probably don’t expect feelings to develop. They likely think it will end in divorce—that may even be part of their agreement when they marry. But it turns out they’re wrong, and something good comes of that marriage. Those people would be hypocritical to judge me for this, wouldn’t they?”

My parents subtly exchanged a wary look.

I’d once overheard them talking about how their marriage had initially been one of convenience. Dane had needed to marry someone in order to have access to his trust fund and, since Vienna had owed him a favor, he’d requested that she help him. I hadn’t mentioned it to anybody else, though. Not even my siblings.

I skimmed my gaze over everyone. “I realize this isn’t the traditional reason to stand before a priest. But I’m tired of waiting for the things I want from life to happen—I don’t have to elaborate on what those are. This could all go tits-up and end up in divorce, sure. But any marriage can.”

“You’d have less chance of it happening if you and Dax were marrying for the right reason,” clipped Ollie, sinking onto the cushion beside his fiancée.

I shrugged. “Probably. But I’m still going to take that chance.”

Marleigh shot me a pleading look. “Addie—”

“No,” I snapped, my eyes darting from her to Ollie. “It’s easy for you two to sit there and lecture me on this. You have been together since you were teenagers. You’ve always known that you’d one day get to the point you’re at now. You haven’t spent years searching for it, hoping for it, failing over and over to make it happen. You didn’t almost make it happen only to then unfairly lose it.”

Ollie rubbed at the corner of his eye. “If this is about Lake—”

“It’s about what I feel is best for me.” Again, I glanced at everyone. “None of you can possibly know what choice you’d make in my shoes, because you’ve never walked in them, so those of you lecturing me need to dismount your high fucking horses.”

Sighing, Ollie cut his gaze to Alicia. “Don’t you have anything to say about this? She wants to marry this guy. And don’t get me wrong, I respect Dax. But do you really think he’d be good for her?”

Idly stroking her fingers down one palm, Alicia pursed her lips. “Do you remember how the son of one of Dad’s colleagues used to get all up in my space at parties? You said he’d make a good partner for me; that I should give him a chance. I took your advice, and I quickly realized he was using me to get to Dad.”

Ollie awkwardly plucked at his collar.

Alicia placed her hands on her thighs. “Both Addie and Harri have had to deal with that kind of thing as well. You never did, because you’ve always had Marleigh. You can’t know how refreshing it is to be around someone who doesn’t need or want anything from you; who you can be sure is all about you. Dax might not love Addie, but he wants her for her. And I believe he’d treat her well, just as he did years ago.”

Appearing somewhat irritated that she’d made valid points, Ollie turned to Harri. “What’s your opinion on this?”

Harri tucked her joined hands between her thighs. “I know you’re hoping I’ll back you up, but I agree with Alicia. Plus, as Mom said, Addie’s always made good, solid decisions. If she thinks this is the best thing for her, who are we to tell her differently?”

“Couldn’t have worded it all better myself,” said Sabrina.

Tamara nodded. “I, too, am in agreement with Harri.”

Alicia dipped her chin. “As am I.”

Everyone else simply stared at me.

I inwardly sighed. “I’m not asking you all to approve. I’m not asking that you be happy for me. But I am asking that you don’t interfere.”

“Even if we worry that this is something you might later regret?” asked Dane, his tone clipped.

“Even then,” I replied. “You get to feel how you feel but, like it or not, it’s not your feelings or worries or opinions that are most relevant here. This is my life. I wouldn’t tell any of you how to live yours, and you don’t get to tell me how to live mine. You definitely don’t get to shout at me.”

Dane rubbed his nape. “We shouldn’t have gone on the attack just now,” he relented.

Vienna nodded. “You caught us by surprise.”

I sniffed. “Well, you’ll just need to get over it, won’t you?”

Ollie let out a half-hearted chuckle. “You’re a hard-ass, Addie.”

Jutting out my chin, I went on, “I’ve made my decision—like it or don’t. But do not bother trying to make me go back on it. No amount of objections will do you any good.”

“Yeah, I see that,” Dane grumbled.

Vienna slid him a dirty look. “She gets it from you.”

He frowned at her. “You’re just as stubborn—don’t blame me.”

I cut in, “Very soon, I’m going to be standing at an altar beside Dax. You can all be there for that, or you can miss it to make a statement of disapproval. Whatever. But the wedding will go ahead whether you’re there or not. You’ll achieve one thing only if you miss it—you’ll hurt me.”

Ollie’s shoulders sagged as a pained look crossed his face. “You’re so good at emotional blackmail.”

Dane threw Vienna a quick look. “She gets that from you.”

“I will be at the ceremony,” Harri piped up. “Nothing could keep me away. Though I expect to be made a bridesmaid—just making that clear.”

Alicia smiled. “I told her the same thing.”

“I’m her maid of honor,” declared Sabrina, raising her hand proudly … like I’d asked her.

“Self-proclaimed maid of honor,” I muttered, earning myself a haughty sideways glance from her.

Silence fell for long seconds, but then Vienna blew out a long breath and said, “I might not fully understand why you’re going down this road, Addie, but I’d never miss your wedding day. Neither will your dad. Will you?”

“No,” Dane grunted. “But I’ll be walking you down the aisle under protest.”

“Understood.” I looked from Ollie to Marleigh. “Well?”

They exchanged a resigned look.

“We’ll of course be there,” Ollie told me.

Marleigh nodded. “Please don’t ask me to be a bridesmaid, though—I don’t look good in dresses.”

“You really don’t,” agreed Sabrina. “But Ollie does.”

His eyes went wide. “What?”

“I’ll never forget how cute you looked in the little dress me and Addie put you in when you were a toddler,” Sabrina teased … leading to a mini argument.

As the voices went up in volume, Alicia leaned into me and quietly said, “That went better than I thought it would.”

“Oh, don’t think they’ve all resigned themselves to this,” I told her, my voice equally quiet. “Mom, Dad, and Ollie will do their best to change my mind between now and the wedding.”

Alicia’s brow creased. “I’d like to be able to contest that, but I can’t. They’re going to be a problem.”

“Yup. They just won’t bother yelling again, because they know it won’t get them anywhere. They’ll try other tactics.”

None would work, though. And when they finally realized that, they might well change their minds about attending the ceremony. I supposed that time would tell.