Chapter 78

“Oh, you and Daddy and JT look suitably threatening.”

“That sounds familiar.” Jack looked suspicious.

“I know, Daddy; I was listening at the top of the staircase.”

“Do I look okay, Miss Becca?”

She turned to examine Billy Bob, and her eyes widened. “Wow. I hope you won’t take this the wrong way, Mopp, but dressed like that? I definitely wouldn’t want to run into you in a dark alley.”

“Yeah?” The boy actually beamed.

And isn’t it sad that such a mild compliment made him so happy, Tom thought.

“Excuse me!”

They turned to see Jan standing about halfway down. She held her pose for a moment, then seemed to float down the remaining stairs.

“Well?” She stood beside Rebecca. They were a study in contrasts, Jan in a brown satin slip-dress, “Mocha,” she’d corrected with a frown when Tom ventured an opinion on its color, and Rebecca in what she said was champagne lace lined with a slightly darker satin. Her dress had a handkerchief hem, while Jan’s had a slit in the side that went midway up her thigh.

I was definitely hiding behind the door when the fashion gene was handed out. If they hadn’t told me, I’d never have known.Tom grinned to himself as he observed the two girls, both so fair. As far as I’m concerned, they’re both wearing very pretty dresses,although he did feel Jan’s dress was the more revealing of the two.

“You ladies look lovely.”

Rebecca smiled and opened her little purse, making sure she had whatever she needed to bring with her, but Jan preened. As pretty as she was, it didn’t seem as if she could soak up enough compliments.

Damn Nick and his inability to keep his dick in his pants.

Just then, the in-room phone rang, and Rush went to answer it. “Yes?…Oh. Thank you, we’ll be right down.” He hung up. “The car is here. I…uh…I called earlier to have it brought around.” He licked his lips, suddenly pale. “Is that all right?”

“Of course it is.” Tom didn’t like that Rush seemed to have reverted to the diffident and uncertain young man he’d been when they’d first met.

“We…uh…I guess we’d better get going.”

“It’s going to be fine, babe.” Thaddeus went to him.

“If you say so.”

“I say so. Hey, come on. We’re going to have a blast. Think how surprised your brother’s going to be.”

“Yes.” Rush smiled, but it looked forced. Thaddeus whispered something in his ear, and he nodded, his cheek rubbing against Thaddeus’s. “I’ll remember. I promise.”

There was more traffic than Rush had apparently expected, and he fretted the entire way to the church. “We’re going to be so late.”

“Relax, Rushboy. If we are, we’ll just slip in the door and take a seat in the back. Who’ll know when we got there?”

He smiled at Thaddeus and seemed to lose some of the tension that tightened his shoulders, but in a matter of minutes, he was back to worrying.

They wound up arriving at the Cathedral of St. Claire’s just as the organist began to play Wagner’s Wedding March.

“I knew we were going to be late. But how could I have known?” Rush contradicted himself. He gave absent nods to the people who acknowledged him with surprised smiles. “We’d better hurry.”

They took their seats in a pew on the groom’s side.

“I love weddings.” Rebecca fumbled in her purse for a hanky. Jan took one out of her own purse.

Tom heard a sniff to his side, glanced at Jack, and reached into his pocket for a handkerchief.

“Thanks, babe,” Jack murmured, and he blew his nose. He noticed Billy Bob watching him and biting his lip to keep from laughing, and Jack ordered, “You don’t say a word about this to the crew, Mopp.”

“No, sir.”

Tom had to grin himself, and he patted Billy Bob’s shoulder.

* * * *

After what seemed like an interminable service, they queued up to the receiving line. The bride’s parents greeted them politely, then turned to the guests who followed.

Next were Rush’s parents, and before he could even greet them and introduce his guests, they tore into him.

“Rushton. I was uncertain if you would arrive on time.” His father was coldly polite. “Not that it would have surprised me.”

His mother ran her gaze over him as if studying his tux for flaws. “Don’t you dare embarrass us,” she hissed at him.

“Rush is the least likely of anyone here to cause embarrassment,” Tom snarled. The poor kid looked miserable, and Tom was more than ready to go to battle for him.