Rock Chick 06 Reckoning (58 page)

In fact, everyone was calm and chatting.

Daisy had put on a huge, gourmet, catered buffet for our lunch which was sitting on the sideboard. She’d had a half dozen bouquets delivered that were the same as Indy’s wedding flowers (pale pink and white gerbera daisies, white roses and pale pink and white peonies) and these were decorating the room. She’d not gone rock ‘n’ rol but instead a Chopin CD was playing softly in the background.

She was floating around in her own robe, her hair back in a wide band, her face devoid of makeup, offering refil s to those who wished to imbibe early from a champagne bottle she was holding.

Out of nowhere, Tod rushed in wearing a beautiful y tailored navy suit, a pink shirt, monochromatic tie and a harried expression. His shiny, Italian leather shoes clattered on Daisy’s floorboards with his frenzied approach.

His dramatic entrance shattered the peaceful, feminine serenity.

Stevie (also wearing a beautiful y tailored suit) fol owed more sedately.

Tod took in two breaths, his hands up, one clamped around a clipboard and he pressed the air down. “Okay, okay. Update. Just got back from the club. They’re about to start setting up. They have the right colored linens and the florist has already been there. I cal ed her to give her a piece of my mind since she wasn’t supposed to deliver the flowers to the club for another hour and they might get droopy. She
promised
me she wouldn’t be early with your bouquets. I told her she must go back to the club and
personally
check that not one
single
petal droops before we arrive at seven.”

When he paused to take in a breath, Al y suggested,

“Tod, calm down, have a glass of champagne.” Tod’s head swiveled toward Al y.

“
Can’t you see I’m in the middle of a briefing!
” he screeched and then he looked back to Indy, face composed and voice back to normal. “Where was I?” Indy was looking a little concerned with the possibility that Tod’s head might start revolving three hundred and sixty degrees, so she said softly, “Petals drooping.”

“Right. Okay.” He looked down at his clipboard and as he talked, he made checkmarks on whatever was on the board. “The cake has been delivered and they’re putting it together now. It looks beautiful. Perfect. The Lana-slash-Chloe update has been noted by the caterers and staff.” He looked at them, pointed to them with the end of his pen and bounced it back and forth between them as he spoke.

“You’re sitting with the out-of-towner Rock Chick people.

Trish and Herb’l take care of you but I moved Stel a to your table just in case.” Then back to his clipboard, he checked something off and kept talking.

He gave updates on absolutely everything, including the state of the asphalt of the drive up to Cherry Hil s Country Club (a location that Daisy and Marcus, as members of the club, arranged for the reception) saying, “They sealed that crack I noticed last week, thank
God
.”

“Tod, darlin’, did you just say they sealed a crack in the asphalt?” Trish cal ed out.

“Yes, thank
God,
” Tod repeated.

Trish shook her head. “Son, as Roxie used to say to her Dad when she was growing up, you need to take a chil pil .” Tod’s eyes narrowed on Trish and everyone sucked in breath.

“I want this to be
perfect,
” Tod retorted.

“And it wil be, you been working hard on it for months.

Now enjoy the fruits of your labors.” She pointed at the buffet. “Have some of that cold, sliced chicken. Kid you not.

Melt in your mouth.”

“Trish, there’s a mil ion things to do!” Tod shot back.

“Nothing you haven’t already checked and double-checked, I’m sure,” Trish returned.

“Yes, but –” Tod started but Trish leaned forward.

“Tod, won’t say it again, sit yourself down, take a load off and do what your friend here real y wants you to do.” She indicated Indy with a jerk of her head. “Which is enjoy her day
with
her, not running around like a chicken with its head chopped off.” She looked at Nancy and said, “Yeesh, young people these days.”

Everyone stared at Tod and Trish, wondering what might happen next.

Then Stevie sat at the table and cal ed, “Daisy, I’l take some of that champagne.”

“Sure thing, sugar,” Daisy scooted around toward Stevie.

“Get Tod some too,” Indy put in.

“Get Tod some too,” Indy put in.

“You betcha,” Daisy said.

Indy put down her latte, got up and moved to Tod. When she arrived at him, she put her arms around him and whispered in his ear. His face got flushed and his eyes started to fil with tears.

Indy’s back was to me but I could see Tod’s face, though he wasn’t close enough to hear.

But it didn’t take a lip reader to see he said, “Love you too.”

* * * * *

“‘Nother round for you boys?” the waitress asked on a flyby. Lee’s head came up and he did a chin lift indicating a positive response. The waitress stopped, hitched a hip, smiled and said, “Lee, honey, I hear today you are oh-fficial y off the market.”

“Been off for awhile, Betty,” Lee replied.

“My heart’s breakin’,” she told him and looked around.

“You boys’re droppin’ like flies.” Her eyes moved from Hector to Darius to Wil ie to Mace. “Least there’s four of you left.”

“Three,” Mace said.

“Oh, honey, now you just went and ruined my day.” She grinned. “Saw the papers. ‘Bout time you got your head out of your ass about Stel a.”

The Nightingale Men, Hank, Eddie, Malcolm, Tom, Roxie’s Dad Herb, Jules’s Uncle Nick, Wil ie and Duke were at Lincoln’s Road House waiting for their lunch to be served. Tex had not yet arrived.

At Betty’s comment, some heads dropped to look at the table, a few eyes slid to the side and there were a couple of chuckles.

Mace made no reply. Betty had been serving Mace food and beer for years and didn’t expect one. She winked at Mace and went to get their beer.

“You comfortable with the arrangements?” Malcolm asked Lee.

Lee’s eyes moved to his father. “Yeah, Dad. I’m pretty comfortable with personal security in the form of half the Denver fuckin’ Police Department off-duty, eatin’ Indy’s catering and carryin’ concealed.”

“Indy isn’t payin’ for that catering, I am,” Tom cut in. “And what it costs, you boys better eat it and enjoy every scrap.”

“Please tel me its steak and potatoes,” Bobby muttered.

“Not even close,” Tom told him. “Don’t remember much but something’s wrapped in filo pastry.”

“What in the sam hil is that?” Herb exploded.

Tom shrugged.

Herb looked at Lee. “You have a hand in the menu?” Lee shook his head.

“You have a hand in
anything?
” Herb asked.

“I have to be in a tux and at Red Rocks at five and get Indy to Cherry Hil s Country Club by seven. Indy put her foot down that we have to stay until eleven before we can get the fuck out of there and we got a suite at the Brown Palace,” Lee responded. “That’s al I know about today.

That’s al I want to know about today.”

Herb’s eyes moved to Hank. “Listen to me now, son, you better get involved. You asked Roxie to marry you, you gotta remember, she’s draggin’ us al along with her. I ain’t payin’ for no fuckin’ pastry. Good old roast beef carved right on the spot, potatoes, maybe some of them fancy green beans and fuckin’ weddin’ cake. Got me?”

“Roxie told me Tod’s already started her wedding book,” Hank replied.

“What’s a wedding book?” Eddie asked.

Hank shrugged. “Hel if I know but Roxie says Tod’s got one for Jet too,” Eddie closed his eyes and Hank’s gaze moved to Herb. “If Tod’s involved, I’m out. Roxie knows that and she’s good with it.”

“Sounds like you did the right thing,” Luke said to Vance.

“What’d you do?” Herb asked Vance.

“Justice of the Peace.” Vance replied.

Herb nodded. “Problem is, you knocked up your girl.

That’s the only way women’l al ow you to get away with a Justice of the Peace.” Herb looked back to Hank as many of the men coughed to hide their laughter. “That’s the ticket, son, only way to save us al . Start workin’ on makin’ a baby.”

Hank was taking a drag off his beer. He choked on it and his eyes slid to Herb.

Herb kept talking. “Don’t worry. You have my permission.”

Hank looked at Lee and muttered, “Fucking hel .” Lee was too busy laughing to reply.

So was everyone else.

Tex arrived at the table and boomed, “What’d I miss?”

* * * * *

The Rock Chicks, Tod, Stevie and Kitty Sue were al in Daisy’s massive master suite.

The stylists and makeup artists had come and gone.

Indy’s bridesmaids, Al y, Roxie, Ava, Jet, Daisy, Jules and two of her other friends, Marianne and Andrea were al done up in subtle rosy-cheeked makeup, shimmer powder and beautiful, pale pink, wispy, chiffon dresses with short trains and graceful drapes of material at their arms that looked like they’d slid down from their shoulders but actual y were meant to be like that. Their hair was al in soft updos with tendrils hanging down. They al had brand new pearl studs with a single diamond at the bottom in their ears, bridesmaids gifts from Indy.

Their dresses and hair made them look like they were drifting around caught in a romantic modern day fairytale.

Who would have thought India Savage, Rock Chick, would be into romantic weddings?

Then again, Indy hooking up with Lee after loving him since he held her hand during her mother’s memorial service when she was five years old
was
a modern day fairytale.

So there you go.

I’d done my hair and makeup at the dining room table while the stylists were seeing to the wedding party and changed into my dress in the room Mace and I shared what seemed like years ago.

I’d bought my dress wel before al the drama started (and the day after a real y good take at the Pal adium). I’d curled my hair and left it long at the back but pul ed it away from my face in some soft twists secured by hidden pins at the top and sides. My dress was deep burgundy satin, strapless, skintight with a slit up the front. I was wearing a pair of pointed-toed, pencil-heeled satin slingback pumps that had been dyed to match the dress. I had a long necklace of garnets but I’d wrapped it around my wrist and I had some teardrop, chandelier garnet earrings at my ears.

I was sitting on the bed between Jules and Jet when Indy’s head emerged through the top of the dress Kitty Sue and Al y were putting on her. The dress slid down her body and settled.

Unlike the romantic visions her bridesmaids were, Indy’s dress wasn’t wispy chiffon and romantic.

It was angelic.

Ivory satin, v-necked, another deeper V in the back, the front of the dress and the back of the dress held together by loops of thin ivory cords at her shoulders which were stitched through gathered material. The dress fit her like a glove and had a wide skirt, a huge slit up the front and a long train. There was no diamante, stitched pearls, lace or sequins in sight. The only jewelry she wore was her engagement ring, a triple-tiered pearl bracelet that was Al y and Kitty Sue’s present to her and her mother’s pearls at her ears.

The dress looked exactly like what an angel would wear.

If that angel were a sexy, sultry redhead.

Her hair was down in curls and waves (like she said Lee liked it) and her makeup was subtle but exquisite.

She wasn’t going to wear a veil.

It was beautiful but that beauty al came from Indy.

Kitty Sue was standing back and staring at her.

Then she said softly, “I just need to go check something.” Then she ran from the room.

Indy and Al y watched this. Everyone else in the room was silent.

Then Indy turned to Al y, put her hands out to her sides and asked, “What do you think?”

Al y gave her a once over and when her eyes moved back to Indy’s, you could see the tears.

“Righteous,” Al y whispered then gathered Indy in her arms and gave her a hug.

“Old, new, borrowed, blue. Old, new… blue.” Tod was surreptitiously studying his clipboard and muttering to himself. He leaned toward Stevie and whispered, “Shit, I think we forgot the borrowed.”

“Man in the room,” Shirleen announced, walking in fol owed by Mace who’d changed and was now wearing a tux.

I took one look at him and the sight of my gorgeous boyfriend in a tux sent my breath on a cruise of the Caribbean.

It was clear Indy wasn’t going the romantic route with Lee’s groomsmen because it wasn’t your average, everyday tux, it was a
hot
tux. It was black on black: black suit, black shirt, black silk tie and not a bowtie either. I could tel immediately it wasn’t rented, it was tailored to fit perfectly.

Shirleen kept talking. “He’s here for Stel a, Lana and Chloe.”

She wasn’t wrong, he was our ride.

Though it was kind of weird she brought him up to the bedroom.

I watched and wasn’t insulted when his eyes caught on Indy and didn’t move.

“Shirleen! You don’t just bring a man into a bedroom fil ed with ladies dressin’!” Daisy snapped, even though everyone was already dressed. “Especial y if one of those ladies is a soon-to-be bride!”

“What? It’s Mace. He’s taken. It ain’t like he’s out on the cruise,” Shirleen snapped back.

Indy looked at Mace through the mirror, smiled and greeted, “Hey Mace.”