Page 8 of Finding the One (River Rain #7)

Bouquet

Blake

I stuck to Alex like glue while keeping a watchful eye on the groom’s lounge, before noting Dair stalking behind Mum and Bally on their way to the parking lot.

Things were crazy, my mind in disarray, but even so, it was not lost on me how good Dair looked stalking.

Ugh.

I only relaxed when I saw Dair walking back by himself.

The expanse between disappearing and reappearing seemed to take him a long time.

Rix gave me an intense look before I finally let myself break away and head to the bar.

He would never know about the drama.

I hoped.

I ordered Dair three fingers of whisky and myself an espresso martini, thankful Dad was rich as all hell, so the whisky was damn good Scotch, my martini was made with Belvedere vodka, and those cars were lined up to take us home.

The bartender had the Scotch on the bar and was preparing my martini when Dair came to stand at my side.

He commandeered the glass, tipped it back, downing half of it. He swallowed, then tipped the second half back.

“Whoa,” I said.

He put the glass down, tapping it sharply on a bottom edge to demand a refill.

The bartender nodded to him and kept at my martini.

“I take it that was even less pleasant than I thought it would be,” I noted carefully.

“Dad dinnae say a word,” he told me, hunching into his forearms on the edge of the bar, staring at the barback. “Your mum, though, bitched the whole way about needing ice for her face.”

Although I was the cause of that need, and it made me feel yuck (still didn’t regret it), I probably should have gotten her some before she took off. It was a good twenty-minute ride back into town. Plenty of time for the swelling to come up.

He tilted his torso my way, not leaving his forearms.

“I texted Mum before I headed back up,” he said. “She told me she needs some space but I’ll be needing to get back to her so I can check in and be close.”

Perhaps that was why it took him so long to return from the parking area.

“Of course,” I murmured.

“There didnae seem to be a lot in your binder that still needs done.”

Wait.

Was he…?

God, who was this man?

“Dair, you can go whenever you want,” I told him.

“You could always have done that. But if you’re concerned about what’s left to do, in about ten minutes, there’s going to be a bouquet toss.

A driver is then going to take Alex and Rix down to Phoenix, and I made sure they had a car with a partition they could put up because they’re going to be banging the entire way.

They’ve got two nights at the Phoenician before they head down to St. Lucia for their honeymoon.

Once they’re away, the coast will be clear. But for you, it is already.”

I felt triumphant that my comment about my sister and new brother-in-law banging wrung a small smile out of his mouth.

But I finished, “So you’re good to go. And, uh…thanks for helping me out.”

He simply nodded and watched the bartender put my martini in front of me.

I picked it up and took a healthy sip.

He watched that too.

Then he asked, “When did ye ken?”

Ulk.

I didn’t want to talk about it.

But I felt I had to, because he obviously did want to have this chat, and we were in the same boat, him and me.

Though, I didn’t have a parent’s mental and emotional health to consider.

“Feels like all my life,” I mumbled into my martini glass. I looked over it to him. “You?”

“Same. How’d ye find out?”

I made a face. “Do I really have to say?”

“I saw them fucking in the stables. I was eleven.”

Gross!

The bartender put his whisky in front of him, and fortunately, he didn’t down it in two.

He just wrapped his fingers around it and raised his brows at me in question.

“The upstairs hallway,” I forced out. “Against the wall. We were all in the country at Treverton, and your mum, Davina and Alex were off tramping around some National Trust property. They thought I’d gone too, but I bowed out at the last minute.”

“How old were ye?”

“I don’t actually remember. But no more than ten.”

Dair turned his attention to his whisky glass. “Not exactly stealth, those two.”

“No,” I said miserably.

I wanted to ask him if he thought his mother knew, but I didn’t want to make this harder on him.

I didn’t have to ask, though, because he told me.

“She was their Camilla, your mum.”

God, that was so awful.

I sidled closer to him and asked, “So…she knew.”

He lifted his glass, took a sip, put it down and nodded to the glass. “She knew. Never told me. But I knew she knew. Put on a brave face. Probably kept hoping he’d end it and come back to her fully.” The last he said quieter. “Not sure why she decided tonight to stop pretending.”

I wasn’t sure either.

“Sometimes, we can’t pick our time,” I informed him. “Sometimes, we can’t stop our emotions from guiding us.”

He turned to me and was going to say something, but Davina came up, scorched me with a look that wasn’t all that fun, before she directed it at her brother.

“Do ye wanna tell me why Ned was putting Mum in one of the anti-drink driving cars he’s got lined up for people who are getting rat-arsed and why ye were escorting Dad and her Mum to the car park?” she demanded.

Dair pushed to standing properly and turned to her. “Davi?—”

She didn’t let him finish.

She looked to me. “Let me guess, they couldn’t keep their hands off each other, even at her lass’s wedding.”

Seemed Davina knew too.

Rix came up then and he only had eyes for me.

Fantastic.

“Can I talk to you for a second?” he requested.

“No need!” I cried breezily. “I’ll go get the bouquet so you two can make your getaway.”

“I don’t give a fuck about the bouquet. I give a fuck about why you and your dad, him,” he tipped his head to Dair, “his mom and dad and your mom were all creeping around behind a building.”

I was okay with Rix being totally in love with my sister.

I was not okay with Rix being so damned observant.

At least, not right now.

“It’s nothing,” I completely lied.

“Alex doesn’t like surprises,” he stated.

Oh.

He was worried we had some big scheme planned that Alex would hate.

“It was just kind of…a family meeting,” I said.

Davina snorted.

Rix aimed thinned eyes to her, though not long before they came to me.

“You Sharp sisters and your binders,” Rix said. “I thought you had it all in hand. She’s had a great day. Whatever you have planned?—”

“Relax, Rix,” Davina said angrily. “She was just back there stopping my dad from humping her mum behind a shed.”

Rix’s head reared back, and he looked like he might get sick.

My head dropped.

Great.

“Worst kept secret in Coddington/Wallace history,” Davina decreed then said to the bartender. “I’ll have one of those,” and pointed at Dair’s Scotch.

“Is she serious?” Rix asked me.

“Don’t worry about it,” I told him. “I’ll go get the bouquet and get your driver in position.”

“Is she serious?” Rix repeated.

“It’s taken care of, mate,” Dair said.

Rix looked at Dair.

I looked at Dair.

He looked pissed. He looked upset.

All in all, he looked wrecked.

My heart squeezed.

“We sorted it,” he said to Rix. “Alex doesn’t have to know.”

Rix turned to me.

“He’s right. She never has to know,” I reiterated.

Rix didn’t take his eyes from me.

This went on so long, I was having trouble not squirming.

Finally, he spoke, “Broke your back makin’ this a good day for her. Then you had to put up with that shit?”

“It’s over and done, Rix.” Well, not for Kenna, sadly. “Put it out of your head. The best part of this whole wedding thing is about five minutes away for you.”

At this juncture, my espresso martini splashed all over my hand because, after I quit speaking, Rix’s hand darted out and caught me at the back of my head. He pulled me to him and kissed the top of my hair.

“Appreciate you and all your hard work,” he said there.

And seriously .

Would everyone stop trying to make me cry?

“She does too,” he finished.

Gah!

He let me go but looked down at me. “Get the bouquet, babe.”

I sniffed hard and nodded.

Rix smiled, but his smile didn’t last long before he asked, “You okay with that mess?”

I wasn’t going to tell him it wasn’t news to me.

“I’m fine,” I answered.

“Probably helped that the lassie got a good wallop in on the old tart,” Dair muttered into his whisky.

“What?” Davina asked, her voice breathy.

“What?” Rix grunted, his voice stunned.

“Well, uh…” I didn’t quite begin.

“Smacked the ever-lovin’ piss outta her,” Dair shared.

An astonished splutter of mirth emitted from Davina.

Rix stared at me again.

Then he boomed with laughter.

Davina joined him.

Dair smirked, then chuckled.

It was so loud, everyone turned to look.

“God!” I cried then set my drink down and pushed at Rix’s shoulder.

“Go. Get your wife.” I pointed at Dair. “You go find their car. It’ll be the longest, fanciest one.

No ‘just married’ or any of that kind of thing.

The driver will know his destination and he should be hanging around, waiting.

Have him pull up to the exit. I’m going to find the bouquet. ”

With that, I stormed off, leaving them all still chortling behind me.

On my way, I gave the DJ the high sign to get everyone gathered where they were supposed to be.

I also gave a few more signs, specifically to Gal, Katie, Chloe, Dru, Mika, Genny, Nora, Elsa, Hailey and Mags, who were in charge of making sure everyone had the biodegradable confetti, it being biodegradable because the cones it was in were and the actual confetti was freeze-dried rose petals.

I knew exactly where the bouquet was (chilling in the industrial refrigerator in the caterer’s kitchen).

I fetched it, thinking I couldn’t wait to get my shoes off.

Normally, I could run like Carrie in SatC in heels. But I’d been in these shoes for hours, dashing around like a crazy woman, and I couldn’t wait to switch them out to flip-flops.

But I sallied forth, heading back to the pergola to see people forming as they should.

I just had time to get into position, Dru shoved a cone in my hand, while Rix and Alex ran through a hail of rose petals and the DJ played Bad Company’s “Feel Like Makin’ Love” (another Rix choice, obviously).

I tossed my petals and shoved the bouquet in my sister’s hand as she passed me (at her decree, it was white and pale green roses, some little pink flowers, mingled with some succulents you could replant and keep).

And I watched her dash hand in hand with her husband to the door of the limousine that was being held open by the chauffeur.

That’s when the tears came.

This time, though, I couldn’t keep them at bay.

Alex had picked so perfectly with her dress.

It had sheer, fluttery short sleeves, subtle hints of pretty lace and a beautiful back and front vee (the back lower), her shoulder blades covered with that sheer material and lace.

The skirt was full but not big, falling gracefully to her feet, a delicate second tier floating around, and a thin belt that tied at a rosette on the side of her waist.

It was feminine. Romantic. Dreamy.

It wasn’t her, because Alex wasn’t that type of girl. She was no-nonsense.

And it was totally her, because she loved Rix with everything she had, and she wanted him to know it in every way she could.

Especially today.

Marrying him.

While carrying his baby.

She looked so completely happy.

I was so proud of her.

I was so happy for her.

I felt the tears fall as me and all of the other singletons were shoved to the front at Gal and Katie’s command.

The chauffeur was rounding the car to get in the front seat.

Rix had hold of the door and was waiting.

Alex turned and looked me dead in the eye.

And she didn’t even bother with pretense, subtlety or misdirection of aim.

Overarm, she winged that bouquet right at me.

It hit me with a thud in my chest, petals flying. My hands automatically came up to catch it. Everyone around me laughed and cheered.

As for me, I studiously avoided looking around to find Dair to see his reaction to what had just happened.

Alex blew me a kiss then turned to Dad, who was close and waiting, so she could throw her arms around him for a hug.

More hugs were given out as Gare and Mags (both Rix’s parents) were also hanging close.

Everyone shouted good wishes and raunchy advice (that last was Gage, but also Davina).

Rix eventually fell into the car with his arm around Alex’s waist, tugging her in with him.

Their legs disappeared.

Her skirt disappeared.

Dad slammed the door and thumped on the hood.

The driver took off.

Some people (the drunker ones) raced after them.

But I stood there, holding my sister’s bouquet and weeping.

Until I saw her face in the back window.

She was again looking at me, a massive smile on her pretty face.

She waved.

I returned her blowing of the kiss and waved back.

And I kept doing it until they were out of sight.