Chapter Eleven
CHAPTER ELEVEN
“But, Rey, Daddy won’t leave,” she whispered. “There’s a turkey in the kitchen!”
“He can take it with him,” he said generously.
She laughed and hugged him very hard. “I can’t believe this.”
“Neither can I,” he said, nuzzling his cheek against hers.
His arms tightened. “Even when I was suspicious of you, I couldn’t bear you out of my sight.
I still can’t. This past week has been endless.
I thought we could cool it for a few weeks, while I got things into perspective.
But the only thing I got into perspective was how lonely I was without you.
” He lifted his head and looked down into her wide, rapt eyes.
“I love my freedom. But not as much as I love you.”
“And I love you, Rey,” she said huskily. “I was lonely, too. I feel as if I’ve known you for centuries.”
“Same here,” he replied. “We’re going to make a good marriage.”
“A very good marriage,” she agreed, and lifted her face so that he could kiss her again.
He did, at length and very nicely, until her father came out of the kitchen with a turkey leg in one hand and asked if there were plans to take the dressing out of the oven before it got any blacker.
Rey told him their news while Meredith took off at a dead run to rescue dinner.
* * *
Meredith worked out a two-week notice and gave up her job, to the dismay and regret of her boss, who hadn’t wanted to lose her. He did see that she couldn’t have a husband in Jacobsville and a job in Houston, however, and he made them a wedding present of a beautiful faceted crystal bowl.
Micah Steele offered her a job at his office, which she accepted with pleasure, on the understanding that she could work three days a week instead of six. Micah understood being a newlywed, since he and his Callie were still newlyweds as well, even with a baby on the way.
The only hitch was that all Rey’s brothers got together and took over the wedding plans, to his dismay and Meredith’s horror.
“It’s going to be a humdinger of a wedding,” Leo promised with relish, rubbing his hands together. “Cag had this great idea for entertainment.”
“I don’t want to hear it,” Rey said firmly.
“You’ll love this,” Leo continued, unabashed.
“He’s got this great hard-rock band from Montana coming down to play their new hit record.
They just had a hit single about getting married,” he added with a rakish grin.
“And they’re having a caterer from San Antonio bring down the buffet lunch.
The wedding gown is coming from one of the couture houses in Paris… ”
“But you don’t even know my size!” Meredith protested breathlessly.
“We looked in your dresses,” he said imperturbably. “Got your shoe size, too, and we also looked in your drawers and got the, ahem, other sizes.” He grinned sheepishly. “Everything is couture, and silk. Only the best for our new sister-in-law,” he added sweepingly.
Meredith didn’t know whether to laugh or scream.
“We booked you a room at a five-star hotel for your honeymoon,” he continued, glancing at Rey. “You still speak French, don’t you?”
“French?” Meredith gasped.
“Well, your rooms are in Nice,” he said. “The French Riviera. You’ve got a suite, overlooking the beach. Monaco is just on down the beach from there.”
Rey whistled. “Not bad, for a rush job.”
“We try to be efficient,” Leo said, and his eyes twinkled. “We even ordered her a trousseau with formal gowns and casual clothes. Lots of pinks and blues and soft beige colors. We thought pastels would suit her.”
Her mouth was open. She was trying to take it all in without fainting. She was only beginning to realize that the horror stories she’d heard from Tess about weddings and the brothers were true.
“You did kidnap Dorie and tie her in a sack with ribbon and carry her home to Corrigan!” she gasped.
“He didn’t have a Christmas present,” Leo explained patiently. “We gave him one. Look how well it worked out!”
“You hooligans!”
“Our hearts are all in the right place,” Leo protested. “Besides, Dorie could bake. Which brings us to Tess, who could also bake…”
“You blackmailed Callaghan into marrying her, I heard!” Meredith was getting her second wind now.
“He’s very happy. So is Tess.”
“And poor Tira,” she continued, unabashed. “You arranged her wedding and she didn’t even get to choose her own gown, either!”
“She was pregnant. We had to hurry, there was no time,” Leo explained matter-of-factly.
“I am not pregnant!” she exclaimed, red-faced.
Leo gave Rey a quick, speculative glance. “Yet,” he replied. He grinned.
“If you would just give me a little time to organize my own wedding,” she began, exasperated, and thought, I’m being nibbled to death by ducks…!
Leo checked his watch. “Sorry, I’m running late. The printer is waiting for me to check the proofs.”
“Of what?” she burst out.
“Oh, just the wedding invitations. We’re overnighting them to the people we invited.
The governor’s coming, so is the lieutenant governor.
The vice president wanted to come, but he has to be in Singapore…
” He frowned and checked his back pocket.
“There they are! I almost forgot the interview questions. Here.” He handed Rey two folded sheets of paper.
“You’ll have time to look them over before the camera crews move in. ”
Meredith and Rey exchanged wide glances. “What camera crews?” she asked.
“Just a few reporters,” Leo waved them away with a lean hand. “You know, CNN, Fox, the international press…got to run!”
“International press!” Meredith choked.
“We’ve just signed an important export deal with Japan, didn’t I mention it?
” Leo called back. “They love organic beef, and we’ve got some.
I mentioned it to our public relations people and they called the news people for us.
Your father’s writing the statement we’re giving them.
He’s sure got a way with words, hasn’t he? ”
He waved again, climbed into his truck and sped off.
“Invitations,” Meredith said haltingly. “Clothes. Honeymoons. Reporters.”
“Now, now,” he said, pulling her into his arms. “Just think of all the work they’ve saved you. You’ll have nothing to do but dress and say yes, and fly off to the Riviera with your brand-new husband!”
“But, but,” she blurted.
“I want to marry you right away,” he added. “You’re a qualified health professional, and I have a terrible pain that you can cure in only one night.”
She got the idea, belatedly, and hit him.
He chuckled, bending to kiss her gently. “It’s no use trying to stop them,” he said. “Besides, they’re very good at it. I used to be, too.” He scowled. “Somehow, it’s not as much fun being on the receiving end, though.”
She just shook her head.
* * *
The wedding was beautiful, despite her misgivings.
Meredith wore the most gorgeous gown she’d ever seen, with yards and yards of exquisite lace over satin, with a long veil made of the same lace and a bouquet of pure white roses.
Her father gave her away, and all four of Rey’s brothers were best men.
Tess, Cag’s wife, stood with Meredith as her matron of honor.
In a very short time, the two women had become close friends.
Most of Jacobsville turned out for the affair, but Meredith had eyes only for her handsome husband, who was dressed to the hilt as well.
They exchanged rings and Rey lifted the veil very slowly.
He’d been romantic and gentle and teasing over the days before the wedding.
But when he looked at her now, his eyes were quiet and loving and very solemn.
He bent and kissed her with such tenderness that she knew she’d remember the moment for the rest of her life.
They clasped hands and ran down the aisle and out of the church together, laughing gaily as they were pelted with rice and rose petals.
At the waiting limousine, Meredith turned and tossed her bouquet.
Surprisingly it was caught by Janie Brewster, notorious locally for her rubber chicken dinners and trying to catch Leo Hart’s eye.
She blushed vividly and clutched the bouquet, her eyes on it and not on anyone nearby.
Which was as well, because Leo looked suddenly homicidal as the ranch foreman elbowed him and grinned.
The newlyweds waved and dived into the limousine, already packed and ready to take them to the airport. They’d already announced that the reception would have to go on without them, to the brothers’ shock and dismay.
“I hated for us to miss it,” Rey told her on the way to the airport, “but I know my brothers. They’d have found some way to embarrass us.”
She chuckled, snuggling close to him. “Well, we’re safe now.”
* * *
The flight to France was long and boring.
They held hands and couldn’t sleep as the little computers above the seats marked the long trail on a map, showing the progress of the flight.
When the jumbo jet finally landed, they walked like zombies into the airport to go through passport control and then on to wait for their luggage so that they could get through customs and to the waiting car that would take them to their hotel.
The driver, holding a sign that read Hart Newlyweds had met them at the gate and arranged to meet them at customs. Meredith was yawning visibly when they found the driver and followed him and the wheeled luggage out the door.
He and Rey exchanged comments that went right over Meredith’s head.
“I don’t speak French,” she said worriedly when they were in the car. “I took a double minor in German and Spanish.”
“No Latin?” he teased.
“There’s a special course of it for nursing students,” she replied with a smile. “Fortunately you don’t have to learn the whole language anymore, although I wouldn’t have minded. I’m so tired!”
“We’ll have a nice long rest when we get to the hotel.” He pulled her close. “I could use a little sleep myself!”