Taming Lucinda by Normandie Alleman

Chapter 11

Lucinda

The last thing I wanted to do in the morning was get out of bed. After we'd gotten back from the rehearsal dinner, Cole and I had poured ourselves some drinks and gone skinny-dipping in the hot tub. For once, it didn't go anywhere, but I still had a good time with him. I especially liked how he carried me off to bed and put me into pajamas.

For such a young guy, he was pretty good at taking care of someone else.

And then we'd fallen asleep together, without having sex, fully clothed. Weirdly enough, that felt like possibly the most intimate thing we'd done together.

Cole was already awake when I opened my eyes. He was propped up on one elbow, casually playing with my hair with his free hand.

"Morning," I muttered, pulling the blankets up to my eyes so he wouldn't have to endure my dragon breath. "Has there been any news?"

He shook his head. "Esther brought some coffee and aspirin up, but I don't think anyone else has been here."

"Should I call Dynassy?"

Cole shrugged. "I think right now, if it was me, I'd let everyone have some space until they make a move."

I sighed, dropping my forehead against his chest. "Do you know how hard it is for me to do nothing? This is torture."

"Would it be easier if I tied you up?" he teased.

I considered that for a moment. "Maybe," I admitted, making him chuckle before squeezing me tight.

"It'll be okay," he said. "And no matter what happens today, I'm going to be there. You're not going to have to deal with any of it alone."

"Thank goodness for that. How early is too early to start drinking?"

He laughed again, kissing me. "I think I know something that might do a better job of relaxing you," he said, kissing my neck, his hand sliding between my legs at the same time.

"I haven't even had my coffee yet," I said. It was a half-hearted protest, and I didn't actually put up a fight at all. I wanted to let Cole distract me and keep my mind off of the disaster that would be waiting for me in a few hours.

I wasn't sure how exactly everything was going to go wrong, but after last night, I was positive it would.

Though I was kept entirely out of the loop, it seemed there was some sort of family group chat where everyone agreed the wedding was still on. Eduardo and Chloe were the first to arrive, breaking the news to me before anyone else showed up.

"Oh my gosh, how are you?" Chloe gushed, immediately handing off their gift to Esther before coming in for a big hug. "I'm so sorry for how everything went. I know you've probably got this whole thing catered to kingdom come, but I brought some of those boozy truffles you like so much. Figured some chocolate therapy might be what you need."

Sometimes Chloe's southern hospitality was overwhelming. In Louisiana, food equaled love and comfort, so it shouldn't have surprised me that she came bearing treats. Or rather, Eduardo came bearing them for her. He'd followed Esther with the boxes as she took their gift to join the others, but he was back, at Chloe's side, giving me a somber, sympathetic look.

"Thank you. Have you two spoken to any of the others?"

Eduardo nodded. "Everyone but Leo. They have decided to go along with the wedding as planned."

I could hear the caveat waiting in his voice. "But...?"

He sighed. "They would like me to ask you to refrain from giving any speeches or toasts. They're hoping you'll understand why they want you to keep a low profile. I'm sorry Lucinda. I tried to counsel them, but emotions are just too high at the moment. I think what you've done has taken a lot of courage. Not many people would be brave enough to share that kind of truth after so long. I believe in time, everyone will come around to see it that way as well."

"I hope you're right. Cole said almost the same thing to me."

"He's a smart guy," Chloe said. "I saw the tabloid stories, but I didn't really think anything of it. I thought you would've told me you had a new man in your life!"

"There's been a lot going on," I admitted. "I didn't intentionally leave you out of the loop, I promise."

She looked around to make sure he wasn't nearby eavesdropping, but he was upstairs showering and getting dressed. "He does make you happy, though? Things are good?"

I laughed. It felt strange to have someone ready to come to my defense in regards to dating. My children had never had much concern with the men I'd dated. No one ever felt the need to threaten 'treat my mom right or else,' but that was exactly the feeling I got from Chloe's line of questioning.

My children might not have liked me much, but I had a couple of surrogate kids who were pretty supportive. It wasn't all bad.

"Yeah, with him, things are good. He's the one constant in my life that isn't always on the verge of blowing up. And he's honestly way too smart to be getting mixed up in all this mess, but he hasn't left me over it yet. I'm not sure how I got so lucky with him, but I feel very fortunate to have him."

"Good," Chloe said, still with that fiercely protective gleam in her eyes. "You deserve someone who makes you happy. I know it was a game-changer for me," she added with an adoring look at Eduardo.

He smiled back, clearly used to his wife's praise. With one hand on the small of her back, he leaned in for a quick, chaste kiss. "I'm going to go make sure everything's ready. You two take it easy with the business talk, okay?"

Chloe laughed, waving him off as he left. "He says I'm the workaholic, but who never says no to a charity event or a crisis call, no matter the hour?" She laughed again, nothing but love and admiration for her husband. It was so beautiful to see two people so in love and so supportive of one another.

Could Cole and I ever get there?

Bridger and Nick arrived not too long after Chloe and Eduardo. Nick was the only groomsman in this small backyard wedding, but it was obvious that neither one of them wanted to be there. Bridger gave me nothing more than a cordial, "Lucinda," with a nod, while Nick seemed to be debating whether he wanted to confront me or pretend I didn't exist at all.

"It's incredible how much the twins have grown since the last time I saw them," I said, sidling over to Nick, trying to make small talk. I wished Cole was down here with me, but I knew getting all dressed up was way out of his comfort zone and I didn't want to rush him.

Nick sighed, giving me a hard look. "What are you trying to do?"

"What am I—I'm just talking to my son. Can I not do that anymore?"

Nick groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Do you have any idea how upset Eden is right now? It was bad enough when she knew you slept with her father, but hearing...all that about Ray and all the ways he cheated on Mary Lou...God, Mom, what were you thinking?"

"I thought...I don't know. I guess it doesn't matter now."

"Eden didn't even want to come today. I had to talk her into it so Dynassy wouldn't be the one to suffer."

"I'm sorry," I said. There was nothing left to say. Nick and Dynassy were the ones who didn't hate me, and now I'd gone and ruined that too.

"Just...A word of advice," Nick said before I could walk away. "Don't talk to Ivy. Leo still won't answer he calls and she's having some major twin withdrawals."

"And it's all my fault," I said bitterly.

"Are you trying to say it's not?"

"I just think Leo could be a bit more mature about all of this. Ivy hasn't done anything to warrant his ire, and Dynassy shouldn't have to plan her wedding missing one of her brothers. I'm not without blame, but I'm not the only one who's made things difficult around here."

Nick scoffed, shaking his head. "You really are unbelievable, you know that? I can't believe you'd try to make yourself the victim after all of this."

"I'm not—"

"Sorry I'm late," Cole interrupted before I could lose my temper. "I had to watch that tie-tying tutorial a couple of times to get it right." He gave me a quick kiss on the cheek before slipping an arm around my waist protectively. "Everything all right?"

"Wonderful," Nick sneered, taking his chance to leave. "Hope you know what you're getting yourself into, man," he added, still shaking his head as he walked off.

Cole squeezed my side. "Still here," he said.

We'd originally planned for all the girls to get ready at my place, to have gossip and champagne and all that lovely nonsense. Now, I supposed they were doing all of that without me. Without Chloe too.

I appreciated her loyalty, but I hoped she wasn't alienating herself from her sisters-in-law just for my sake.

Things were tense enough with just the men present, but once the women arrived, the atmosphere became downright hostile. Dynassy wouldn't even look at me. She wouldn't talk to me either, instead speaking to me through Esther.

It was a nightmare, and I could only take so much of it. I'd tried to give them space, I'd tried to let it all go for the sake of the day, but if they were going to make me feel like a pariah in my own home, I was going to have to draw the line.

The moment I walked into the room they were using for last minute touch-ups, the air seemed to freeze. If looks could kill, I would've been dead on the spot.

"I thought Eduardo spoke to her," Eden addressed Chloe sourly. It was like I was a mangy stray they didn't want bringing fleas into the house.

"He did," I answered for Chloe. "And I'm not going to be here long. I just wanted a moment to speak with Dynassy."

She glared at me, but I was too taken by her beauty to even really notice. She was a goddess in her silk column dress, her skin glowing with the vitality of pregnancy. Her hair was up in a simple design with a few face-framing curls pulled out, and she was wearing the same diamond and opal necklace she'd worn to Ivy's first Grammys. My breath caught in my throat, and I fought to push back tears. I didn't want to be accused of manipulating them or trying to detract the attention away from Dynassy's day.

"You look beautiful, honey."

"Thanks."

"You all do," I added, definitely getting more teary by the minute. "Can we talk?"

Dynassy wasn't moved. "You can talk here," she said, going back to the mirror to finish her make-up.

I sighed. It didn't matter if everyone heard what I had to say. Maybe it was even better that way.

"I'm sorry for last night. It wasn't my intention to take away from the celebration, and I certainly didn't want to ruin dinner. If I'd known...Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that I'll be staying upstairs during the wedding and reception, so no one will have to avoid me."

Dynassy turned back to look at me, her mouth opening to say something, but then she glanced around the rest of the room and stopped herself.

"That's very considerate of you," she finally said, those words breaking my heart. I didn't want to miss my daughter's wedding, but if she didn't want me there, I wasn't going to force my presence on anyone.

"Eden, I think I owe you a personal apology too. I didn't think about how my story might harm your memories of your father. Ray was a wonderful man and he loved you dearly. Don't let me take anything away from that."

Eden's expression softened, just a bit, but enough that I noticed it. I didn't think I'd ever win her over, but I might be able to stop her from abandoning the entire family over her dislike for me.

"If everything you said is true, I think it's my mother you owe an apology to," Eden said coolly, turning her attention back to her twins who kept trying to wriggle out of their formalwear.

"You might be right about that," I admitted, beginning my retreat. It had been decades since Mary Lou wanted anything to do with me and I wasn't sure there was anything I could say to make up for the things I'd done, but if I was going to go on an amends tour, she certainly deserved a spot.

Cole was waiting for me out in the hallway with an expectant look.

"Well? How'd it go?"

"Good news and bad news."

"What's the good news?"

"You don't have to wear that monkey suit after all," I answered as my throat started tightening.

"Lucinda, I'm sorry," he said, pulling me into his embrace. I didn't have to tell him what the bad news was.

"What do you think about going to Texas?" I asked, still pushing back tears. I knew once I let them start they weren't going to stop for a long time. I needed to keep them at bay for as long as possible.

"Can't say I've ever considered it, but I hear they've got good bar-b-que," he answered. "Thinking about a vacation?"

"Not exactly. There's someone I hurt more than anyone else with all of this, and I think it's time I face the music."

"And you want me to go with you?" he asked, incredulous.

I nodded. "You're the only thing that's kept me sane lately. I can't imagine trying to face Mary Lou on my own. Truth be told, I'd probably chicken out at the airport and turn right back around."

"So what you're saying is you need a firm hand to keep you in line?" he asked, his voice deepening enough to make me warm all over. His over-the-top innuendo got a little chuckle out of me too. He was always so good at breaking through the tension—another reason why it'd be good to have him with me.

"Will you do it? I'll pay for everything, obviously, and we have a private plane, so you don't have to worry about a lack of legroom..." Maybe I was selling it a little hard, coming off too desperate, but with Cole, I didn't care about that stuff anymore. I didn't care if he knew how much I wanted him because I wasn't ashamed of it.

"Well, when you put it like that," he said, "how could I possibly say no?"