Chapter 3
Logan
The afternoon sun warms my face as I drive through the peaceful grasslands peppered with leafy trees.
I might hate weddings since my own turned into such a disaster, but the weather and the prospect of a vacation paid in full by my rich uncle keep my mood elevated as I approach the road that should lead to the venue.
I pick up a cup of cold coffee and sip from it as my sister’s name appears on the screen of my phone. Again.
I roll my eyes and place my drink back in the cupholder before answering. “Yeah, yeah, I’m on my way,” I say, assuming this will be a repeat of the conversation we already had ten minutes ago.
Ann isn’t usually this intrusive, so I just roll with it to avoid giving her any more reasons to stress. I kind of always thought it was the bride who goes through a rollercoaster of emotion on her wedding day, but it seems that the duties of the maid of honor might have overwhelmed my sister.
Then again, she is just twenty-one, and our cousin, Madison, should know better than to work Ann into the ground.
My little sister’s voice has a shrill edge as I hear it through the car’s speakers. “Logan. Seriously, where are you? The welcome dinner is in fifteen minutes. Madison will freak out if it doesn’t start on time.”
“I’m almost there. And I’m hardly the guest of honor, so what does she care—”
“It matters because she wants everyone seated! Imagine you burst in there as I introduce the bride and groom. Get it together, Logan,” she says as if I were about to deliver a baby, not sit at a table and drink.
“I’m parking right now.”
Technically, I’m only now pulling into the driveway of the luxurious resort where the whole event is to take place, but that’s just an unnecessary detail. The long stretch of road I’m on will take me straight to the pale buildings I can see in the distance.
I step on the gas pedal as we disconnect, and within a couple of minutes, I cross the white gates of Villa Toscana.
I head straight to the parking spaces farthest from the big main building with tall Grecian columns at the entrance, but as I stop the car, Ann is already rushing toward me in a peach cocktail dress and her dark blonde hair styled into tidy waves.
“You said you were in the parking lot minutes ago!” She accosts me as soon as I open the car door.
I raise my hands in surrender. “Jesus! I lied because I didn’t want you to worry. I’m here, aren’t I?” I’m even wearing a suit, like she told me to. I hoped day one would be more casual, but Ann warned me Madison wanted everyone to make an impression. I don’t know who on, but okay.
At least I was allowed to skip the tie, because buttoning up all the way to the neck might push my patience on a day as warm as this one.
She rolls her eyes and grabs my arm, though I’m not sure if it’s because she wants to make me go faster or needs to feel safer walking in high heels that match the shade of her dress near-perfectly.
I don’t often see her this glammed-up, since she spends most of her time with the horses, but I nod in approval.
“Gotten any marriage proposals since you arrived?”
She pokes me in the ribs as we approach the manicured bushes on the edge of the parking lot. “Flattery won’t help you.”
“Still worth a try.” I laugh, impressed with how fast she’s walking. “Let me know if you need any help at the event. I’m here for the food, but I won’t leave you hanging if push comes to shove.”
“No, no, I can manage. It’s stressful, because I don’t want to deal with Madison descending into hysterics,”—we both grin, knowing how particular our cousin can be—”but it’s a good learning experience. And if I need some help, or a loan in the future, Uncle Jacob might be more inclined to say yes.”
“Smart. So this is practice for when you take over the ranch?” I ask, mentally returning to the unpleasant conversation Dad forced me into last night.
“Of course,” she says with a wide grin. “Though I might employ you as a consultant, if you prove yourself.”
That’s exactly what I need to hear. She can do it on her own, which frees me to pursue whatever goal I might have in the future.
I don’t need to return to our home town just so the family legacy isn’t lost and forgotten. Ann might be pixie-sized, but she’s always had a mind for business and a can-do attitude.
“On a scale from miniature pony to rabid longhorn, how much of a bridezilla is Madison?” I ask as we enter the air-conditioned reception area. The place is quite elegant, but also pretends to be a bit too Italian, so no matter how expensive the hotel is, there’s a certain touch of tackiness to it.
Ann smirks at me. She’s best friends with Madison, but I know I’ll get the truth from my sis. “Oh, she’s a raging buffalo.”
I laugh as we pass the lobby and leave through a different door, all the way to a landscaped garden with lots of flower beds. The building where today’s welcome event is taking place is easy to discern by the people gathered in front of it.
“If she tramples you, I’m taking your horse.”
Ann rolls her eyes. “She’s too small for you.”
I give her a menacing smile. “I’ll sell her of course.”
She smacks my arm even though she knows I’m joking. “If you sold Jolene, I’d come back to haunt you.”
“Okay, okay, let’s just hope you survive this wedding then.”
“I have to go help them with the entrance. Find your table, and behave yourself,” she warns me as if she were our mother, and rushes away as soon as we reach the crowd.
There must be at least a hundred people, all dressed to the nines, but as I make my way through the sea of strangers, hoping to have a look at the seating plan, Uncle Jacob spots me and approaches with a young woman draped on his arm.
The same age as my parents, he’s far less bitter than Dad and touches the rim of his white hat in greeting.
“Logan! And here I was, thinking you might not make it,” he says and shakes my hand with the energy of a man in his prime, even though his short beard is as gray as the gunmetal on his bolo tie.
“What? Never! I booked time off work months ago.”
“You finally get to meet my beautiful Garland.”
The blonde smiles at me and shakes my hand as well. “I’m so pleased to meet Jacob’s family!” she says with enthusiasm and a bright smile straight from a celebrity dentist.
My uncle is not a bad guy, but while I can see the appeal of his new girlfriend, I can’t help thinking it’s just another way of showing off.
As if this whole lengthy, and expensive event wasn’t enough as a display of his wealth.
But first impressions can deceive, so I am mildly interested in who the woman replacing Aunt Patty at his side is.
At the end of the day, it’s not my life, so I go with the flow.
“Pleasure’s all mine, m’am. I love a good wedding,” I say as is customary, cause it’s not like I’m gonna ruin my uncle’s mood for no reason.
Uncle Jacob shakes his head though. “You dodged a bullet those years ago, son. The ladies might want the dress, the cake, and the splendor, but us guys have to be smart about marriage. Because if we’re not, we might end up losing half of what we worked hard for to someone whose only purpose is to nag us every damn day. ”
I give him the laugh he expects even though it’s fake. I might not want to get married after my fiasco, but I don’t enjoy his narrative either. Garland looks a bit deflated for a second before she remembers to turn on the charm.
She wraps her arm around Uncle Jacob’s more tightly and bats her long lashes at him.
“Oh, but honey, just look at it all.” She sighs, turning our attention to the beautifully decorated tables and waiters milling round in the sunshine.
“It’s such a romantic event. A celebration of love and commitment.
An opportunity for all your friends and family to be a part of your happiness. ”
I keep up my polite smile, but while I might be wrong about Garland, I am positive her goals are as self-serving as my uncle’s.
And while they might be opponents in the silent war of charm versus pride, ultimately they’re the same.
The question of whether this girl can manage to convince Uncle Jacob to marry her, and whether he’s strong-willed enough to make her sign a prenup remains open.
Either way, it just confirms my opinion on marriage being something that rarely turns out well. Even those who do end up tying the knot and aren't left stranded, like I was, get divorced more often than not.
Uncle Jacob puffs his chest out, because he’s the one who paid for the party. “Well, I want my daughter to get whatever she wishes. Let’s just hope it’s her last wedding.” He looks at me with a smirk. “But her groom is on the soft side, so I think my Madison can handle him.”
“Oh, Madison can handle anyone. I’m pretty sure she could go all the way to the White House if she set her mind to it,” I say, because Uncle Jacob considers Madison the cream of the crop.
He gives a joyous laugh and pats my arm. “I always liked you, Logan. You and I think alike, and that’s why you’ll find the success you deserve. Maybe you should give some pointers to the groom? I don’t know what she sees in that boy.”
“There’s nothing like an experienced man,” Garland says, smiling up at him with stars in her eyes. My uncle takes the bait and taps the underside of her chin.
“Very well said. And that’s why I love this one, Logan. Beauty is important for a woman, but it’s not everything that counts.”
I’m so very much done with this conversation. I know he’s paying for my food and drink, but a man has limits. My uncle and Garland are yet more proof of fakery in relationships.
“If you’ll excuse me, Uncle, I’ll go find my table. With all this love in the air, maybe I’ll get lucky as well.”
He gets my point and gives me a sly smile. It only takes him wishing me a fun evening, and I’m off so he can go flaunt his girlfriend in front of someone else.