The Wedding Setup, page 11
“He gave you a car.”
“Exactly. That’s the kind of people you’re about to meet. I’m telling you, be ready for anything. They are seriously extra. Oh, and expect animals. His parents have like I don’t even know how many cats, and one of his sisters takes her dogs with her everywhere. Oh, and there’s like a million kids, too.”
Jai’s parents lived fairly close to the hotel, the drive perhaps five minutes through the neighborhood connected to the downtown area. The house itself was a smaller, late-Victorian two-story, nestled in the middle of similarly older homes from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Several cars and trucks were parked in front, and it appeared that every light in the house was on. The Beatles were blaring, and raucous laughter was coming from inside. Despite the cold and the hour, a few children stood outside on the front lawn around a fire pit roasting marshmallows. Several of the kids called out to Stuart, and he waved before setting a hand on her lower back and leading her up the front steps and inside.
They entered a warm, crowded living room and encountered a moving mass of people and several barking dogs, two of which immediately jumped all over them before two large men led them away.
Jai suddenly appeared, dragging her through the crowd. She lost her grip on Stuart’s hand, and he waved after her as if lost at sea. She kept following Jai, who paused and shouted names occasionally, all of which she missed, but her hand was thoroughly shaken several times. She met Joan again, and another sister whose name she missed, as well as a handful of cousins and uncles and family friends. She got some full body hugs here and there and cheery pats on the back, the entire experience loud and hot.
Finally, Jai led her into the kitchen through a pair of swinging doors. The room was very bright and open compared to the living room. An older couple were the only people here, and Jai introduced her to his parents, Jackie and Jim.
“Oh, we’ve heard so much about you!” Jackie said, squeezing her before shaking her hand vigorously and soundly with both of hers.
“Such a pleasure to finally meet you,” Jim said, his frame and body, like Jai’s, enormous as he wrapped her in his arms.
“Thank you,” she managed. All three of them—Jai and his parents—were smiling at her as if expecting something more. She widened her smile, and they returned it before turning to each other and chatting about one of the sisters, Janet.
His parents seemed a little older than her own—late sixties, perhaps. Jai was the youngest, so this made sense, assuming he was close to her age. Jackie, like her daughters, was small, slight, and had clearly contributed her light hair and overall coloring to her children. Jim was darker and very tall—towering at least a few inches above his huge son. Both parents were very casually dressed—he in flannels, she in a red, heart-embossed sweater like Ryann had seen on so many various older women the last two days. Did a store in town sell them?
A cat started weaving between her legs, and she had to fight an urge to jump away.
“Get away from there, Fido,” Jackie said, swatting at the animal. “Oh, gosh, look at your legs!” she cried. “You have fur and dog prints all over you. Let me get you a rag.”
“That’ll be Onion and Rags,” Jim said, brow furrowed. “Jos’s dogs. She didn’t train them very well.”
“Oh, hush,” Jackie said, flicking him with the rag. “She doesn’t need all the dirty family details.”
Ryann took the rag and dabbed at her legs, grateful for the moment to herself. Stuart hadn’t joined them yet, and she had no idea what to talk to these people about.
After the last muddy paw print was wiped away, she realized the three of them were watching her and couldn’t help the slight blush that warmed her cheeks.
“Thanks for this,” she said, handing Jackie the dirty rag.
“Of course. I’m so sorry about that. And you have such nice clothes.”
“Thanks.” She stuttered. “And you have such a lovely home.”
Jackie waved at her, dismissively. “Oh, gosh, this old shack? Well, thank you for saying so. It’s hard to see anything with half the city of Loveland in here. It was supposed to be just family, but word got out, as it always does.”
She threw her husband a suspicious glare, which he pretended not to see, peering up at the ceiling and whistling. Jackie laughed and pulled him closer with one arm.
“This guy,” Jackie said. “He can’t help but invite everyone he knows if there’s even the slightest bit of good news.”
“Well, this is good news and big news, honey,” Jim said. “Not every day my only son gets married.”
“Oh, Dad. Gosh,” Jai said, color staining his cheeks.
Stuart was right. It was like the damned Hallmark Channel in here. She smiled back at them, still awkward with their jolliness, and, if only to have something to take attention off her, she had knelt down to pet the cat—a different one this time, she suddenly realized—when the back door opened directly off the kitchen. Maddie came in, carrying various grocery bags, and Jai and his parents greeted her and divested her of the bags.
After they finished fussing with her, Maddie spotted her and approached, smiling broadly and giving her a quick hug. The scent of vanilla filled her nose, and she leaned into it this time, inhaling deeply and with something like relief. Maddie pulled back, her eyes filled with concern.
“You okay?” she whispered. “You seem a little…overwhelmed.”
Ryann laughed, weakly. “Is it that obvious?”
Maddie snorted. “Maybe, but don’t worry about it. I know these people, and it’s always a lot. You need a drink. Let me show you.”
Maddie grabbed her hand, and she didn’t fight it, letting her lead her back into the chaos outside the kitchen. Things were, if anything, much louder than before, and judging from the state of several of the groups, the booze was really flowing. A whiff of pot came from somewhere to her right, and she turned that way, surprised, but whoever was smoking was out of sight, possibly in a back room. It was too crowded to spot Stuart, despite the close confines, and they basically had to brush and push through the crowd.
“The fire marshal would have a field day with this,” Maddie said to her, volume just shy of a shout.
“Do I smell pot?” she asked.
Maddie grinned back. “It’s legal. There’s an enclosed porch on the side of the house if you want to go join them—some of the cousins and their friends, probably. Jai’s uncle Jake is undoubtedly out there, too. He’s the real family pothead.”
So not quite the Hallmark Channel after all.
“No. That’s okay,” she said. “Just a drink is fine.”
“Maddie!” A woman suddenly shouted to their left. “Get over here. I haven’t seen you in ages.”
Maddie changed directions, still pulling her along.
“Jos!” Maddie said. Ryann hadn’t met this sister yet, who seemed older than the others. Dressed in professional attire—a skirt suit and heels—she also had her hair and makeup more carefully styled and done.
“Oh my God, Maddie,” Jos said. “It’s been like a thousand years.”
“Something like that,” Maddie said. “Almost two months, anyway. I saw you at Christmas.”
“That was ages ago.”
Jos’s voice was louder than necessary, and her eyes were slightly watery. The empty glass in her hand probably wasn’t her first.
Jos noticed her then, her eyes going wide as she stared at her. “Wow, Maddie. Who’s this?”
“This is Ryann,” Maddie said. “She’s—”
“Holy shit,” Jos said. “She’s gorgeous. I mean, you’re gorgeous, Ryann, really. Wow. Maddie always has the prettiest girlfriends. She must be dynamite in bed.”
Maddie laughed, opening her mouth to say something, but Jos was dragged away a moment later by a woman that looked suspiciously similar to her—one of the other sisters Ryann had briefly met.
“I’m sorry,” Maddie said.
She waved a hand dismissively. “Don’t worry about it. You tried. She was…well, anyway, she probably won’t remember meeting me next time I see her.”
Maddie was clearly grateful. “I don’t know about that. You’re pretty memorable.”
She had no immediate reply, and as she tried to think of something, someone jostled her from behind, making her stumble into Maddie, who steadied her, hands on her forearms strong and sure.
“Sorry!” someone shouted.
She took a small step away from Maddie—as far as she could in this press of people—but their faces were still very close, their bodies nearly flush. A tried New Yorker, she didn’t have a problem with crowds, but this proximity was testing her in other ways. She was close enough to see little flecks of steely gray in Maddie’s blue eyes and a smattering of pale freckles on her nose.
“It’s getting crazy in here,” Maddie said, sounding quiet and calm. “Let’s get you that drink and out of this hubbub. There’s a little TV room upstairs where we can escape. I bet you anything Stuart’s already up there.”
“Lead the way,” she said, still flustered.
Once again, Maddie took her hand, and as they wove through the rest of the room, several people called out. Maddie didn’t stop this time, only lifting her free hand and waving them off. She held up their linked hands a couple of times to show someone that she was busy.
They finally made it across the room and through another doorway, which led to a blissfully empty hallway, at the end of which was a steep set of stairs.
“We should find something to drink upstairs,” Maddie explained as they climbed. “I didn’t want to have to face the craziness of the bar down there.”
They were still holding hands, and Ryann didn’t fight it, a small part of her giving up. She was tired, overwhelmed, and didn’t want to make any kind of deal out of it. So they were holding hands. Who cares?
Apparently someone.
When they walked into the TV room, Stuart’s eyes flared wide, and he stood up, gaping at them.
“What the hell?” he said, pointing.
“What?” Maddie asked. Then following his finger and seeing their linked hands, she said, “Oh. Well, Ryann was about to get swallowed by the crowd. She needed—”
“She needed a strong woman to rescue her,” Stuart said.
“Can it, Stuart,” she said, letting go of Maddie. “She said there was alcohol up here?”
“Some beer, but it’s good—local,” Stuart said. “In that little fridge in the corner.”
“Do you want one, too?” she asked Maddie.
“No—better not. I have to get up really early. Unless you’d be willing to share?”
“Sure. What kind?”
“Whatever you like.”
She ignored Stuart’s giggles, her attention on the many different cans in the fridge. A toilet flushed nearby, a sink was running, and then a door opened somewhere behind her. She stood, turning with a can of coconut porter, and recognized what had to be one of Jai’s sisters as she emerged from the small powder room in the corner.
“Hi, Ryann,” the woman said. “We met downstairs, but I’m sure you were overwhelmed with that crowd. Jai is terrible at introducing people. Anyway, I’m Janet.”
“Nice to meet you properly,” she said, shaking Janet’s hand.
“My sisters are still downstairs, but Jai’s supposed to bring them up soon for a little family time alone.”
“And he’s bringing food,” Stuart said.
“Thank God,” Maddie said. “I’m starving.”
The four of them sat down on an overstuffed sectional couch, worn and frayed with age and use. It was arranged in a U-shape around an enormous television and coffee table. Stuart sat next to her on her right, slinging an arm around her shoulders and squeezing her. Maddie sat on her left despite the many other seats. She’d grabbed two glasses and now divided the can between them before handing her a glass of dark beer.
“Sorry about that down there,” Stuart said. “I should have warned you.”
“You did,” she said. “I didn’t know it would be quite so crazy.”
Janet laughed. “My parents always go all out. It was only supposed to be the ten of us tonight—the siblings, my parents, you, Stuart, and Maddie. Even the kids and husbands were supposed to stay home, but things got out of hand, as usual.”
A cat plopped on to Ryann’s lap, seemingly out of nowhere, and she flinched away. The cat, clearly oblivious to her discomfort, circled a few times before making itself into a ball of orange fluff on her lap.
“You can push him off,” Janet said.
“It’s okay.”
She pet it—once, twice—awkward and unsure. The cat, however, purred loudly, so she figured she was okay.
“Not a cat person?” Maddie asked her, smirking.
“No. I mean, I’m not used to them. I didn’t grow up with pets.”
“You should see Jai’s place,” Stuart said. “He has like a million.”
They sat in relatively comfortable silence. Janet’s eyes were on her, but every time Ryann looked her way, she would avert her gaze, seemingly just as awkward and shy as she was. This sister seemed younger than the others she’d met—closer to Jai’s age, if she had to guess. All four women were very similar to their mother—slight, short blondes. Janet’s hair was very long, tied up in an elaborate style of several braids that wrapped around her head in something like a crown.
“How were your students this week, Janet?” Maddie asked.
“I’m a teacher. Third grade,” Janet said to Ryann. Then to Maddie, “Uh, okay, I guess. They’re getting a little crazy with the holiday coming, but that’s to be expected.”
“The holiday?” Ryann asked.
“Valentine’s Day,” Janet said.
“Really?”
Janet laughed. “Oh, sorry, yes—it’s a big deal. Parties, assemblies, choral concerts. I forget sometimes that it’s such a local thing.”
“Oh, yes, of course.”
As Janet launched into a story about her students to Maddie, Ryann let herself relax a little, sipping her beer. She was still wearing her heavy coat, but she was cozy here on the couch. Her left leg was brushing Maddie’s, and the cat was warm and calming.
She’d never really seen the point of a cat. They seemed somewhat useless, really. You had to clean a nasty box, and they got fur all over everything. But having one warming your lap on a cold winter night had its appeal. She stroked its back, and it opened one green eye at her, its purring increasing, before closing it again, obviously at peace.
She let her own eyes drift closed, leaning back into the seat behind her, her exhaustion suddenly catching up to her.
“You look worn out,” Stuart whispered near her ear.
She opened her eyes. “I am. I actually have two meetings later tonight, if you can believe it.”
He squeezed her hand. “I’m sorry, honey. You’re such a peach for coming. I know you’re busy at work this time of year. And I’m sorry we haven’t had a chance to get caught up. But I promise we will this weekend. I’ll show you my place, and we can have a whole evening together—just the two of us.”
“That sounds really nice.”
They were speaking quietly, and Janet and Maddie were wrapped up enough in their own conversation that it was almost as if they were already alone. She was surprised to tear up, and Stuart squeezed her shoulders with one arm, his eyes sparkling, too. The cat stood up, disturbed, but quickly settled again when Stuart let go of her.
“So, Ryann,” Janet said. “Are you ready for tomorrow?”
“What’s tomorrow?”
Janet grimaced. “Stuart didn’t tell you yet?”
Ryann stared at him, and he refused to make eye contact, staring down at his beer.
“What’s tomorrow?” she repeated.
After a long moment of hesitation, he met her eyes. “The dresses.”
“What dresses?”
“You, me, and my sisters are all getting our bridesmaid dresses fitted tomorrow,” Janet said. “It’s my half day, and that’s why Jos came up from Denver. Then, once she told Mom and Dad she was coming, they decided to throw this whole soiree.”
“A dress? Really?” Ryann asked Stuart.
“Or you can do a suit, instead,” Stuart said, wincing slightly.
“Are you kidding me right now?” she asked.
Stuart opened his mouth, but the door opened, and Jai, Joan, and another sister came in—not Jos—all three carrying trays of food and paper plates.
“We come bearing sustenance!” Jai shouted, triumphant.
“Jos is passed out already,” Joan explained.
“I’m Julia, by the way,” the other woman said to Ryann. “We met downstairs, but it was really loud. You must be Ryann.”
“Yes, thanks. Nice to meet you.”
Everyone stood up to gather food, Stuart almost running away from her. Exhaustion was weighing on her, but her temper died down once she got in line for a plate. She decided to let it drop. After all, she was in it this far. What difference did it make what she wore to the wedding?
Stuart, as if sensing her thoughts, glanced back at her, a plate piled high. He had a carrot hanging out of his mouth, a dollop of ranch staining his lips, and she gave him a wide smile and a wink. He wiped his forehead dramatically with his free hand before taking the carrot out to speak.
“Don’t worry, Ryann. The dressmaker is really good.”
Julia laughed. “Thanks, Stuart.” Julia turned to her. “It’s my shop, actually.”
“You and your sister are both in the wedding industry?” she asked.
Julia laughed. “No. Actually, a lot of my work is for theater companies, though I also do a lot of cosplay costumes now, too.”
“And you get to sleep in,” Stuart told Ryann, cutting off further questions with something like panic. “The fitting isn’t until noon.”
