Susan Crosby - Wedding Fever

“Are you busy?”

“As a matter of fact, I am. My date will be here momentarily and I still have to get dressed.” She glanced at the clock. Her nephew, Matthew, was due to stop by on his way home from a friend’s house nearby, and Maggie would drive them both to her sister’s house. She could have canceled with Jasmine and her family for the night, of course, but she wouldn’t give Diego the satisfaction, not after ignoring her all week. “I can’t believe you waited until now to ask.”

“I hadn’t expected to be free,” he said.

“Your date backed out, huh?”

“That’s not what I meant. I’m sorry if I offended you. Who are you going out with?”

“Someone tall, blond and handsome who asked me very early to make sure I’d be free. So, next time, make me more than an afterthought, will you, honey? Bye.”

“Magnolia?”

“What?”

“I can quote Shakespeare, if it means so much to you.”

“This I’ve gotta hear.”

“‘A horse! a horse! my kingdom for a horse!”’

A short, surprised laugh burst from her as she heard the line go dead. With any luck, he’d see through her ploy and call her back. And maybe she would go out with him, after all.

She set down the telephone, then hurried into her bedroom to dress. Ten minutes later, a knock sounded on her door.

“Coming,” she called, teetering on one black satin high heel as she jammed on the other one. She scooped up three-inch-long rhinestone earrings and fastened them on as she moved from her bedroom into the living room. She stopped at the front door, settled her clingy black dress down so that the hem was its normal five inches above her knees, then turned the knob, expecting to greet her nephew.

Two defensive linemen loomed in her doorway. The larger of the two, the one minus a neck, thrust a bouquet of white roses straight at her and let go, forcing her to catch it.

“There’s a card,” he mumbled, his granite jaw barely moving.

Maggie eyed the flowers, then the men. From Brendan, of course. To appease Tweedledee and Tweedledum, who stood with their feet apart and legs locked to support their bulk, she plucked the envelope from inside the cellophane wrapping, then set the bouquet aside and opened the card—An unforgettable evening awaits you—as do I, eagerly. BH.

With her hand on the door, ready to shut it, she said, “Please inform Mr. Hastings that I have other plans.”

Tweedledee and Tweedledum exchanged glances Dee cleared his throat. “We can’t leave without you.”

Something trickled down her spine. “You most certainly may. I have other plans.”

Before she could close the door, Dum slammed his arm against it She heard wood splinter a second before they barged into her apartment, pulling her along as they went, somehow shutting the door behind them. Everything happened in one fluid movement, giving her no opportunity to grab the phone or run into another room. Each man held one of her arms.

“Let go of me now!”

Dum made an inarticulate sound toward Dee. Simultaneously they released her. Dee, obviously the only one capable of actual speech, mumbled, “We aren’t asking.”

“So, what are you gonna do? Kidnap me?”

“No one will hurt you,” Dee said. Dum croaked agreement. “But you must come. Mr. Hastings insists.”

Maggie glared at the two men. “Mr. Hastings insists, does he? All nght”

She scrawled a quick note to tack on the front door for her nephew, scooped up a full shopping bag, then preceded Dee and Dum out the door. She’d see Brendan Hastings, all right, but on her terms.

“By all means, gentlemen. Let’s not keep your boss waiting.”

Three

J.D. scanned the block, trying to find a parking place, anticipating Magnolia’s shock when she opened the door and found him there instead of her “tall, blond and handsome” nephew. But would the shock result in her being irritated or pleased? Her unpredictability always kept him off guard—it was one of the things he enjoyed most about his relationship with her.

When Jasmine had called a couple of weeks ago to invite him to join them for New Year’s Eve, he’d turned her down, not wanting to encourage Magnolia by being there. Then this morning he’d gotten word that Hastings was back in town, and J.D. had reinvited himself to the party.

He almost rear-ended the limousine double-parked Dios, double-parked in front of Magnolia’s apartment. He watched in horrified fascination as she came down the stairs, a bulky man on each side of her. Tall, blond and handsome was Hastings, not Matthew?

She didn’t look his way but got into the limo calmly. She was going willingly? What the hell?

He muttered every curse he knew, English and Spanish. Blindly, he reached under his car seat and pulled out a custom computer the size of a cigar box. He flipped a switch, punched a few keys; a comforting beep greeted him. While stopped at a red light, he glanced at the digital numbers in the amber-lit screen.

Dios. She wasn’t wearing the necklace.

He reached for his cell phone, searched his memory for a number and dialed, wishing he had the luxury of using a pay phone, where his call couldn’t be easily intercepted and overheard.

“Yes?”

The soft, smoky voice wrapped him with a measure of relief.

“Do you know who this is?” he asked, keeping the limo in sight.

A tiny hesitation followed, then, “Why sure, lover. What can I do for you?”

“I need a favor.”

The limousine turned into an underground parking garage, and Maggie was hustled into an elevator accessed only by a special key. She wondered if one would be needed to leave, as well.

Dum pushed the button marked P. In only a few seconds, the doors opened agam and they faced a huge living room with an opulent view of San Francisco Bay. Brendan, dressed in a crisply pressed tuxedo, stood near the plate-glass window, a phone to his ear.

“Deal with it,” he said, then turned and saw her. His voice changed from authoritative to mild as he smiled at her. “Quick and painless, though. It was a minor infraction, after all.” His smile widened as he hung up the phope and walked toward her.

“Miss Walters. How very nice of you to join me.”

“Stuff it, Mr. Hastings. ‘Nice’ has nothing to do with it. I was kidnapped.”

Maggie watched Brendan fire a look of shocked inquiry to the two men who loomed behind her, blocking any attempt at escape. Then his mouth curved in a solicitous smile.

“I’m afraid my employees lack the finesse you’re accustomed to, Miss Walters, but they mean no harm,” he said, extending a hand in greeting.

She ignored the gesture. “They forced me to come here when I told them I had other plans. They gave me no choice. None. That’s kidnapping.”

Brendan cocked his head toward Dee and Dum, signaling they should depart. “You had other plans?” he repeated, taking her elbow and guidmg her into the room with the glorious view. The silkiness of his voice didn’t hide the intensity of the question.

“In fact, Mr. Hastings, I’d just turned down someone else’s request for a date because of those plans. Just who do you think you are?”

“A man who’s more than a little interested in you. May I fix you a drink? Some wine, perhaps?” He moved behind the bar.

Maggie took several calming breaths, knowing she had to be rational and reasonable.

Not waiting for her answer, he handed her a full glass. “Tell me about your plans. Were they with your sister, Jasmine?” Anticipating her next question, he said, “I made it my business to learn about you.” He looked at her over the rim of his glass as he sipped his wine. “Try it, please. It’s a delightful California zinfandel I just discovered.”