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Derrick watched as Taylor’s light and happy face flooded with panic and her breathing became heavy. “Not now, Marty,” he said to his sister tight-lipped. Taylor’s eyes bounced around from him to the magazines to the ring and to Marty.
Marty flung her hand at her brother, brushing him off. “I saw this dress in this one,” she said, pulling open the top magazine and flipping through the pages. “You would look amazing in it!”
“I, uh, I don’t think—”
Derrick pushed his chair back noisily, causing both women to turn and look at him. He made his way over to Marty. “Come on, Marty,” he said, grabbing her arm, “we have things to do.” He scooped up the magazines and took them and Marty out of the room.
“Derrick!” Marty whined as he dragged her from the room. “What is your problem?” she hissed at him as he deposited her in the library on a couch. “I just wanted—”
“It’s too much, Marty! She is burned out, okay?” he shouted at his sister.
“What do you mean?”
An annoyed groan escaped Derrick. “Her uncle died, forcing her into running a company, and now she is the center of attention everywhere she turns. Do you recall Taylor ever wanting to be the center of attention?”
“No,” Marty answered softly, looking remorsefully at the floor and avoiding Derrick’s eyes.
“And now on top of all that you want her to plan a wedding?”
Marty lifted her gaze, slowly meeting her brother’s eyes. “I just want to help.”
“Well, stop!” he commanded. He instantly regretted it, especially when he saw Marty look away and her eyes well up. “I’m sorry, Marty,” he said, pulling her into a hug, “but she needs space. I need to make sure she doesn’t get overwhelmed with stuff because she will, and she won’t say no.”
Marty gave her brother a squeeze. “I guess I can come on very strong,” she admitted, and Derrick rolled his eyes at her understatement. “Go check on her. I will go plan your wedding on a secret Pinterest board,” she said, breaking the hug and scooping up her magazines. “I’m glad she has you to love her so much, Derrick,” she said as she left the room.
I wish Taylor was just as glad to have me, he mused as he made his way back to her.
When he found her, she was still at the table and pushing the food around on her plate while she spun her ring on her finger. What Derrick wouldn’t give to be able to get inside that mind of hers.
“Hey,” he said as he walked over to her. “Crisis averted,” he assured her, standing beside her.
“Thanks,” she muttered, not making eye contact with him, “but I’m pretty sure that is just the calm before the storm.”
Derrick shook his head. “Nah, Marty gets it now. She was just caught up—”
“But it’s not just Marty, Derrick. The world is watching to see when we,” she gestured between them, “are going to have this wedding of the century. Not to mention all my business follow-through hangs on the edge of us getting married, or at least me married to someone, so Todd, Charlie, and your dad are chomping at the bit to get this marriage thing done and over with so we can all move forward with their grand ideas. So Marty is just a passing shower, but the tsunami is coming.”
Derrick grabbed Taylor’s chair and spun it until her back was to the table, surprising her and sending her fork flying. Derrick crouched in front of her, “Taylor Preston, whose grand ideas are you talking about? You are in charge,” he reminded her, accentuating every word.
“But everyone—”
“No, Tay. Forget everyone. You make the decisions. YouarePreston Corp. No one else gets to decide that for you.”
“But nothing is legal until—”
“I believe I quote you exactly when you said you didn’t need to be married to get the ball rolling, correct? Sure it means you can’t sign permissions and things, but this company is so far from being ready for any of that. You don’t have to worry about it,” he reminded her.
“But we still have to—”
Derrick put a finger over her lips, “Get the decree and look at it. Maybe in their frenzy everyone missed something you won’t. They want answers on how to get this going. You want answers of a different sort. Maybe a fresh set of eyes will help get this straightened out.”
Taylor wrinkled her brow and searched Derrick’s face. “I thought you wanted to … I mean you kept saying—”
Derrick moved his finger from her lip and cupped her face with his hand, “Taylor, I want to marry you more than anything. I am not making that up. But I don’t want to make you feel trapped.”
Taylor stared at him, as if he were waiting to say “April Fools!” and bring in a priest. “Thank you, Derrick,” she finally said and leaned in to hug him.
Derrick took her into him and kissed her head, smelled her hair, and felt his heart break a little at the thought of her finding an out from having to marry him.