Chapter Two
Stephanie
“I’m not certain this was a good idea.” I frowned.
Taryn pressed her thumb to my frown line. Her emerald-green eyes shone with amusement. “Remember, sweetheart, this was your idea.”
“Yeah…but…” When I’d proposed we each ask our brothers to stand up for us, it had seemed like a good idea.
That way, Taryn didn’t have to pick between her three business partners—all of whom she was close to.
MATH, Mechanics and Towing, was the only female-owned-and-staffed repair-and-tow shop in all of Cedar Valley.
They did a ton of business. Not just women who sought out honest mechanics, but men as well.
Not to say there weren’t other honest mechanics out there—plenty of them.
But Maddie, as head mechanic, had a reputation for being brutally honest. She never suggested work that didn’t need to be done, and the prices the shop offered were competitive.
Very much because Amber, as the accountant, ran a tight ship.
Holly, the estimator and parts coordinator, did her best as well.
Taryn located a guy willing to let her apprentice to be a tow truck driver. She’d found the financing to buy the guy’s rig when he retired. She, as tow truck driver, was the T in MATH.
Math was something she’d excelled at in school. All four women had, which cemented their friendship. Then Maddie went to trade school while Amber studied accounting at university and earned her CPA. Holly went to business school to learn everything she could about running a small business.
“I appreciate your sentiment behind suggesting our brothers.” Taryn eyed them as we sat at her dining room table, poring over our wedding book.
In the dining room, Cooper stood, wearing a fuchsia button-down shirt with a bright paisley tie while Lachlan’s muscled forearms bunched as he held his hands against his hips. He’d managed to shed his jacket and roll up his sleeves, but that was about as close to relaxing as he’d ever manage.
How he and Taryn had grown up with the same parents, I couldn’t fathom.
“Maddie and Holly wouldn’t have been upset if I’d chosen Amber.”
“Maybe not. But you would have.” I tapped her nose with my pencil. “And besides…I don’t really have a best friend. And with three older sisters, I was in the same boat as you. Cooper’s the one I’m closest to in the world.” Carmela, Rosalita, and Ruby were all much older than Coop and me.
He’d been the surprise later-in-life baby, and I’d been a downright shock.
My mother’d thought she was in menopause. Turned out she was pregnant.
I eyed our to-do list. “You’re sure you want to be the Mad Hatter?”
She grinned wickedly. “You bet. Top hat and tails? It’s brilliant. And this way you get to be Alice.”
Only my favorite children’s story. I’d forced Ruby to read it to me over and over. She’d taught Cooper the words so he could take over at the ripe old age of seven.
The tattered copy he’d read to me all those years ago still held pride of place on my bookshelf. At twenty-five, I should’ve long outgrown my Alice obsession—but I hadn’t. “Alice didn’t wear a white dress.”
“You’re only wearing the dress for the ceremony and the first set of photographs.” Taryn pointed to our wedding book. “Then you’re changing. Same as me.”
To my surprise, she wanted to wear a traditional wedding dress as well. That had shocked me a little because, as a child, she refused to wear skirts.
She’d recalled a time when Lachlan had suggested she go along with her parents' insistence and then she could change into the shorts he’d spirited away in his knapsack.
He was like that—always watching out for her. When she’d come out, he’d been her staunchest supporter. He’d been the one to warn their parents that they risked losing their daughter forever if they didn’t get with the program.
After a time, they had.
She’d come out at eighteen—nearly fourteen years ago.
I’d come out at twenty-three. A mere two years ago.
Coop, on the other hand, had never really been in the closet. We’d all just sort of known, and he hadn’t tried to pretend otherwise.
Maybe I should’ve been brave, like him. Our parents, unlike Taryn’s, were open and welcoming to everyone.
Still, I’d hesitated. Had tried dating boys.
Had finally admitted, after graduating from university, that I was a lesbian.
I didn’t, in all those years, have even a scintilla of sexual attraction to men.
I couldn’t relate when Cooper carried on about a cute guy.
Objectively, I could say one guy was more attractive—in societal terms, anyway. But wanting to date one? Nope.
Just like Coop couldn’t fathom being with a woman.
So he’d been my staunchest ally when I came out. Hell, he’d even tried to set me up with any woman who leaned toward bi or was gay.
I finally told him to mind his own fucking business.
The next week, my car needed towing, and I met the woman of my dreams. All five-foot-four slender body with stunning green eyes, red hair pulled into a ponytail through the back of her baseball cap with the Canucks logo, and a streak of grease on her face.
Truly, the grease had done me in.
I was in fashion—looks were everything.
Taryn didn’t give two shits what she looked like.
And I loved her for it.
I pressed my fingers to the photo of her Mad Hatter’s outfit. “We are going to look spectacular together.”
“I know, right?” She grinned. “With Cooper as the Queen of Hearts and Lachlan as the White Rabbit.”
My snort had both men turning toward us. I waved them off. “At least we’re not asking him to wear a rabbit costume.” I whispered that to my fiancée.
“No, his white tails and pants will be perfect.” With the wig and top hat, of course.
Cooper wanted to go full costume, though, so he’d secured the perfect dress to be queen.
Lachlan sputtered when he saw the photograph.
My fiancée had to intervene before her brother said something he might regret.
Which had been funny, because usually Cooper was the one running off at the mouth and saying the most inappropriate things.
I adored him.
My sisters were dressing as ladies-in-waiting for the family photos.
I felt kind of guilty Taryn and Lachlan didn’t have a big family.
Both their parents had been only children. They had some third cousins somewhere back east, but we’d chosen a small and intimate wedding, so they hadn’t been invited.
Hell, I wasn’t even certain we’d told them about the wedding. I ran my finger along the cloth napkin. “This feels fancy.”
“Sweetheart, I want you to have the best.”
Taryn stroked my hand.
Our families were contributing quite a sum to the wedding—another reason to keep it small.
I was still paying off student loans, and Taryn had a mortgage on her house that she was determined to pay off as quickly as she could.
She’d offered to foot more of the bill, but both sets of parents had refused.
Her parents were likely doing so because they didn’t see Lachlan marrying anytime soon. The perpetual bachelor, they called him.
Taryn had a stash of photos of him. As an entertainment attorney with a boutique law firm in Toronto, he was often invited to fancy events and was photographed with different women. All glamorous. All stunning.
All ice queens, as far as I could tell.
But then I wasn’t always the best judge of character.
“Is Lachlan bringing…what’s her name—”
“Lydia.”
“—Lydia to the wedding?”
“He said he didn’t need a plus one. I assume she was too busy. Isn’t she a client?” Taryn frowned. “I should know this.”
I laughed. “Given he’s your brother? Yes, you should. She’s a client of the firm, but not of him specifically. So no conflict of interest.” I sighed. “She is gorgeous.”
Taryn stretched to give me a kiss on the lips. “You’re gorgeous. And I love you anyway.”
Again, I laughed. This was an ongoing joke between the two of us. I was certainly not Taryn’s type. Or at least not a woman she would’ve dated before. She hadn’t left behind a trail of broken hearts.
More fool them…letting her go. Idiots.
“You’re just not getting this.” Lachlan’s voice carried across the room.
Taryn sighed. “Time to break them up?”
“Nah. Let them get it out of their system. Maybe if they shout now, they’ll be better behaved at the wedding.” I hid my grin under my hand as I rubbed my mouth.
Only realizing I might rub off my lipstick.
Oh well. Least of my problems.
“Why don’t you explain it to me? Like I’m a five-year-old?” Cooper glared back.
“Why don’t you guys take it outside?” Taryn rubbed her forehead. “We’re organizing the venue tomorrow. Whatever you’re arguing about—” She sighed. “—do you think it’ll keep?”
“But he—”
“Of course—”
Both men halted their words and glared at each other.
“Taffy needs a walk.” Taryn pointed to her lazy-ass dog, who was spread across the carpet in a very unladylike fashion.
Our neighbors Foster and Arnav had generously offered to take our girl both tomorrow for the wedding and even during our honeymoon.
Cooper had been offended we hadn’t asked him—but he had a big presentation early next week in Vancouver and I hadn’t wanted him worrying. Taryn, my wonderful partner, agreed with my assessment. Plus, Foster and Arnav’s dog, Queenie, adored Taffy.
Queenie was a rescue of an indeterminate breed. Taffy was also a rescue whose pedigree was unknown. We all swore the two had been soulmates in another life.
“Sure.” Cooper hotfooted over to the front door.
Taffy, spotting an opportunity to shoot out said door, bolted.
Coop was faster, and he had her leash waiting when she arrived.
She huffed.
He laughed.
Lachlan grunted.
Coop shot him a glare. “Don’t be mean.”
After a moment, Lachlan let out a long breath. “Fine. Whatever. I don’t think the dog’s feelings are hurt.”
“You never know.” Cooper opened the front door. “Good God. Six o’clock, and it’s still broiling.”
“Be glad you don’t have Toronto’s humidity.” Lachlan smiled smugly.
“Oh, you’re coming with. Let’s go before I let all the cool air out.” Coop flounced outside, Taffy hard on his heels.
Lachlan sighed. But then he put on his shoes and followed Coop out of the house as well.
“Think we have time for a quickie?” Taryn waggled her eyebrows.
I laughed. “I’m always up for a quickie.”
If Coop and Lachlan resolved their differences, I didn’t really care. I had more important things on my mind.
Like how to get my fiancée, soon-to-be wife, sated before our warring brothers got back.