Pamela Macaluso - Christmas Wedding

Red nodded. “I remember. Why don’t you go on into the stockroom and unpack the shipment and let me handle this?”

She looked at Jesse. The urge was there to spout philosophical ideals about artistic freedom of expression, but at the moment artistic freedom was balanced against her father’s livelihood, and she didn’t feel it was her place to jeopardize that.

Especially when the probability was that even if the sample drawing were in the shop she doubted there would be many requests for it. Tiny’s girlfriend had run off with a guy who rode a Yankee, which was why he’d come up with the idea in the first place.

Holly looked at her dad. “All right, but call if you need me.”

* * *

Ten minutes later her father joined her in the stockroom.

“Are they gone?”

“Yes.”

She set aside the packing list she was holding. “Well? What did they say?”

“For the most part, they repeated what they’d said to you.”

“You were listening?”

“I heard the whole conversation.”

“And what did you say?”

“I told them I wouldn’t use the design again.”

All artistic freedom and philosophical issues aside, it was the most logical solution. “Were they satisfied with that?”

“The lawyer seemed to be, but Mr. Tyler said he’d be happier if he’d heard it from you personally.”

“I’m sorry, Dad. I should have said it, but something about the guy annoyed me.”

“I noticed. You were uncharacteristically edgy.”

“Edgy? I’m never edgy.”

“I know. That’s why it was such a surprise.” He placed his hand on her shoulder. “Hopefully we’ve seen the last of them.”

Holly hoped so, too.

Or did she?

Jesse was glad when Biketoberfest ended and he could get back to his real work—designing and planning the next generation of Yankees. Sales were rising, and their racing team was holding its own. But, the way he saw it, there was always room for improvement.

He had been spending long hours at work. It kept him from having to think about the shambles his once-active social life was in.

That blasted Yankee Hunk thing!

Jesse, Rorke and Alex had posed in full-faced helmets for a Yankee ad campaign. No one had expected the furor that had followed as all around the country women asked, “Who are those guys?” Once their identities were known, all hell had broken loose.

He’d always had a way with the ladies. But after the ad campaign there were more willing women than ever pursuing him. Unfortunately, rather than wanting him , the women were after the mystique of the Yankee Hunk. And just as he hadn’t wanted the Tyler family fortune handed to him on a silver platter, he wasn’t interested in women lusting after his image. Women who claimed undying love when they didn’t even know him.

He couldn’t even share the frustration with Rorke and Alex. With the phenomenal growth of the business, they all lived in different states now. Besides, Rorke had gotten married before the trouble had started, and Alex had tied the knot shortly after the news had broken.

Oh, well, he liked getting more work done, but other than that, his self-imposed celibacy was no picnic.

On this Saturday morning in November as he read the newspaper and thought about whether to go on a motorcycle ride or put in a few more hours at work, the phone rang. He considered letting the answering machine get it, but ended up picking up the receiver.

“Hello?”

“Hi, Jesse. It’s Joanna.”

Jesse smiled. The rest of his family had turned their backs on him when he’d gone into the motorcycle business, but he and his younger sister had stayed in touch and kept a close relationship in spirit if not in distance. “Hi, sweetheart. What can I do for you?”

“I have a really big favor to ask. Please don’t say no.”

“I’ll try not to. You know that.”

“Douglas proposed. We’re getting married in December, and I want you to be in the wedding party.”

Joanna and Douglas had visited him one weekend. He’d liked the other man well enough and could tell the two of them were crazy about each other. “Are you eloping to Vegas or Reno?” While he meant it as a joke, he couldn’t help thinking it would make his life so much easier if it were true.

“No, we’re getting married in Florida. At Dad and Mom’s.”

“JoJo—”

“Don’t say no, Jesse. I asked Dad and Mom. They said all right.”

“Can I have that in writing?”

“Jesse!”

He closed his eyes and shook his head. His parents’ house was the last place on earth he wanted to go. Actually, it ran a close second to the center of an active volcano. “Sweetheart, you know I wish you and Doug all the best—”

“I want you there...please?”

How could he say no? “All right.”

“You’ll come?”

“Yes. I’ll come.”

“Doug, he said he’d come!” Joanna called out. “Doug says he’s glad. Now, I want you to come down the week before, so we can do the tuxedo measurement thing and you can help me with all the last-minute stuff.”

“Isn’t that what bridesmaids are for?”

“Oh, they’ll be here, too. But you’re my brother. I want you around the last week.”

“I can have my measurements taken here and faxed to you, then come down the morning of the wedding. How’s that?”

“Jesse—”

“Don’t you dare say please again, Joanna. I’ll think about it and let you know.”

“Okay. Oh, and bring a date if you want.”

Later that same afternoon Jesse was thinking about his conversation with his sister and wishing the whole wedding was over and done with. He knew the family event would attract Tylers from all around the country.

He pictured them all outside soaking up the December Florida sunshine. Suddenly the growl of a motorcycle engine catches their attention. He rides up the driveway on his red Yankee.

Sitting on the passenger seat behind him would be his “date.” Her body pressed against him, her hair flowing out behind.

Of course it couldn’t really happen this way. Not with helmet laws, but this was his fantasy so her hair could flutter in the breeze.

He sat up with a jolt when he realized the woman’s hair was strawberry blond....

* * *

Holly turned her Harley-Davidson into the parking lot of the tattoo shop. Parking to the far right, she left the center spaces for customers. There was a Jeep Cherokee in one of them, and her father’s bike was on the far left.

She set the bike on its kickstand and got off. Reaching into one of the leather saddlebags, she pulled out the bag of fabric samples she’d collected for use in a homework assignment. If it was a slow afternoon at work, she would be able to get started on it. One of the perks of working in a family business.

After entering the shop, it took her eyes a moment to adjust to the dimmer lighting. When they did, she saw her father standing next to Jesse Tyler.

Was he here about the lawsuit again?

Jesse was wearing a business suit, which made her nervous.

But her father was smiling. That was a good sign.

She walked past the men and went to stand behind the counter, tucking her bag onto one of the shelves. “Change your mind about a tattoo, Mr. Tyler?”

“No, I was hoping to take you out for coffee. There’s a business proposition I’d like to discuss with you.”

Were the rumors true that Yankee was looking into creating a line of clothing? Had he found out she was studying to be a designer?

Holly slammed on her mental brakes before her imagination could get carried away any further with the unlikely scenario.

But whatever did he mean by “a business proposition”? “Can we talk here? I’ve just come back from my lunch break.”