19. Nineteen
NINETEEN
Ofelia woke on her wedding day, alone, bright-eyed and excited for what was to come.
Even though Sully had argued about spending the night before their wedding apart — he thought such ideas were antiquated — he’d ultimately given in and returned to his old condo to spend the night with Ben.
That meant Angelique spent the night at the penthouse above Krewe with Ofelia.
Surprisingly, Ofelia had managed to put the fate of the other banshees out of her head.
As much as she didn’t want that to be the outcome for them, she recognized she had no choice.
That old Star Trek saying about the good of the many outweighing the good of the one had stuck around for a reason. It was true.
Angelique had wanted to hang around downstairs at Krewe the entire night. Ofelia had indulged in two drinks and then cut herself off. Angelique had begged for more, but she’d grudgingly followed her friend upstairs when Ofelia shot her down. It was Ofelia’s big day after all.
The morning of the wedding meant hours of pampering.
Since the wedding wasn’t happening until after sunset, they had plenty of time to indulge in massages, pedicures, and facials.
Madeline, Marie, Amelia, and Sully’s other sister, Charlotte, had invited themselves along for the trip.
Ofelia had expected the two older women to be obnoxious.
Both of them were on their best behavior, though.
Obviously, Sully’s warning had hit home.
Angelique did Ofelia’s hair, putting it up in a fancy bun and sticking flowers in it to make it look magically pretty, and when it was time to jump into her dress — which was not white but still breathtaking — Ofelia had never felt more prepared for anything in her life.
Sully would meet her at Jackson Square. They’d gotten approval to have their wedding in the locked park after hours — Ofelia was still marveling at how Sully had managed that — so everything was already set up with the caterers and wedding organizer. All Ofelia had to do was show up in her dress.
“There’s a limo out there,” Angelique said from her spot at the window. Her dress was a beautiful grayish lavender color that offset her coloring. “I’m guessing they’re here for you.”
Ofelia looked over at her friend, then gave herself one more look in the mirror. “That means it’s time.”
“Yup.” Angelique beamed at her before gathering the bouquets from the counter. They’d been delivered only an hour before. “Are you ready?”
“I’ve never been more ready for anything,” Ofelia replied, giggling at how emotional saying it made her feel. When the knock at the door came, she headed in that direction automatically. “I didn’t think the driver would come up,” she said to Angelique.
The siren merely shrugged. She had a scar on her arm so she would always remember the banshee attack.
Otherwise, she was completely back to normal.
Nobody would have been able to figure out that she’d almost lost everything only days before.
Ofelia could see the signs, but she knew Angelique better than almost anybody, with the possible exception of Ben.
She would watch her friend closely in case the trauma resurfaced.
For now, however, Angelique was ready for a party.
So was Ofelia. When she opened the door, expecting the limo driver, she found her father waiting instead.
Oscar was dressed in a new tuxedo, his hair was slicked back, and he looked like a million bucks. Ofelia immediately broke into a wide smile when she saw him.
“Daddy.”
Oscar swallowed the huge lump in his throat as he looked at his only daughter. “You’re the most beautiful bride in the world.” He wasn’t exaggerating. He’d never seen anything prettier than Ofelia in her wedding dress. “I can’t believe how beautiful you are.”
Ofelia blinked back tears. “I didn’t know you were coming with the limo to take us to the park,” she said, somehow managing to keep her voice from cracking. “This is a really nice surprise.”
“You didn’t think I was going to let my favorite girl in the world go without a fight, did you?”
Ofelia arched an eyebrow. “A fight?”
“I’m not handing you over to that guy until I have no other choice.” Oscar was firm. “You are the greatest thing I’ve ever done in my life. You’re mine for another hour. I’m going to cherish that time.”
A tear slid down Ofelia’s cheek. “You’ve been a great dad. I need you to know that.”
“I was the best dad I could be,” he corrected. “You deserved more.”
“No.” Ofelia grabbed his hand and squeezed. “I don’t regret for a moment that you’re my father.” She paused a beat. “You should probably refrain from telling Felix that I’m the greatest thing you’ve ever done, though. His nose will be out of joint.”
Oscar chuckled. His eyes were glassy, telling Ofelia he was fighting his emotions as well. “Do you know what I was thinking about last night?”
Ofelia shook her head.
“You used to tell me about the guy you were going to marry when you were in your reading nook at the bar,” he said. “You said you were going to solve mysteries together, and he was going to be the greatest guy in the world.”
“I do not remember that,” Ofelia said on a laugh. “I guess I got it right, though, huh?”
Oscar nodded. “When he first started sniffing around, I wasn’t certain he was the right one for you. I know now that you made a good choice. That man, he thinks the sun rises and sets on you.”
“I think the same thing about him.”
“Yeah, but you deserve it.”
Ofelia laughed. “Don’t give Zach a hard time today, huh? It’s his wedding day, too.”
“No promises.” Oscar manfully cleared his throat. “I couldn’t give you away to anybody other than him. It took him a long time to earn my trust, but I do trust him with the most precious thing in my life. That makes him worthy.”
“It’s okay, Dad,” Ofelia said on a laugh. “You’re not losing me for more than a weeklong honeymoon. I’ll be back, and nothing will be different.”
“Something will be different,” he argued. “You won’t just be my daughter after today. You’ll be his wife, too.”
“Is there something wrong with that?”
“No, but it makes me feel a little territorial. For some reason, I still want to punch him.”
It was the perfect thing to say because Ofelia’s tears dried up and she giggled. “How about you give him a free pass today?”
“I guess I can manage that.”
TANSY LOANED SULLY HER SALON, which was on the cobblestone street outside Jackson Square, to use as a preparation room before the wedding.
He’d been ready for three hours when he walked into the salon.
He was just that excited. Now, waiting for Ofelia to arrive in the limousine, he felt as if he were being tortured.
“You look pretty good,” Felix said, looking him up and down. When Sully had asked him to be a groomsman along with Ben, he’d readily agreed. Ofelia only had one person standing up with her, Angelique. Sully had several people standing up for him, including a favorite cousin.
“Not as good as me, but pretty good,” Felix added after a beat, looking Sully up and down. “Are you nervous?”
Sully shook his head. Surprisingly, it was true. “Nope. No man has ever been more ready to marry the woman of his dreams.”
Felix gave him a disgusted look. “Dude, lay off the schmaltz.”
Sully shook his head. “Today is the day for the schmaltz,” he said. “I’m going to be the king of the schmaltz.”
“Does that do it for my sister?”
“No. She makes the same faces you do.”
“Well, at least she hasn’t completely lost her mind.” Felix sobered as he regarded the man who would be his brother-in-law in less than an hour. “I don’t think I’ve said this to you before, but you’re the only guy I would let my sister marry.”
Sully snorted. “As if you have a say in it.”
“You know what I mean. There weren’t a lot of guys before you, and the only one who stuck around for a reasonable amount of time was a real turd.”
“Yeah, let’s not talk about Sebastian on my wedding day, huh?” Just thinking about the guy made Sully want to punch somebody. “He’s a memory now. Not a good one, but he is gone from our lives.”
“You’re missing the point.” Felix was firm. “My sister is the best person I know. Only a really amazing guy could deserve her. Before you showed up, I didn’t believe that guy existed.”
“And now?”
“And now I know that he does.” Felix placed both of his hands on Sully’s shoulders.
“You’re not just my sister’s husband. You’re my brother.
I’m going to give you a hard time and drive you crazy.
There’s no stopping that. I’m also going to respect the hell out of you because nobody could ever love my sister like you do. ”
Sully had known he wouldn’t get through the day without crying, but he didn’t think for a moment that Felix was the one who would draw first blood.
“When I first met you, I thought you were the worst brother in the world,” he admitted when he found his voice. “Your sister coddled you, even though you were the older sibling. You seemed aimless and not all there. I didn’t think it was fair that she was the only adult in the family.”
Felix made a face. “Well, thanks for that, I guess,” he said dourly.
Sully chuckled. “I was wrong, Felix. That’s what I’m saying. You give your sister exactly what she needs. Sure, sometimes that’s somebody to mother, but most of the time you’re giving her the sort of fun she never seeks out on her own.”
Sully took a deep breath. “I guess what I’m really saying is that somewhere along the way, you became my brother as well. You’re a good brother. You’re a good man, too. I’m pretty sure that you’re going to be a good father on top of everything else.”
“Does that mean that you love me more than your sisters?” Felix asked, somehow keeping his face straight.
“It depends on the day.” Sully shrugged. “I wasn’t the best brother. That’s why it took me so long to realize that you are the best brother your sister could ask for. You’re kind of a pain in the ass when you want to be, but that’s what makes you the best brother. That’s what your sister needs.”
Felix blinked back tears. “I need you to make my sister happy, because nobody deserves it more than her. You were right with your first instinct about me. I wasn’t the best brother. I do want to be the best brother now, though.”
“Well, with you being the best brother and me being the best husband, maybe your sister will get all of the support that she deserves.”
“Yeah. That would be nice.”
The two men embraced and held on a bit longer than either of them expected. When they pulled back, they smiled at one another.
“Are you ready to say goodbye to your single life?” Felix asked. “You know, adopt your ball and chain and all that?”
Sully smirked. “I’ve been ready since the moment I met her.”
“Yeah, I can see that. My sister is a catch.”
“She most definitely is.” Sully turned nostalgic. “I’m just glad that I’m the one who caught her.”