Commissioned In White (Art of Love Series) (2 page)

Jessica held nothing back from the couple, sniffling as she embraced both of them. “Well, this is what it’s supposed to be like. Beautiful roses, shiny rings, amazing clothes, and weeping, jealous friends. All weddings should be as great as this,” she said, meaning it sincerely for them.

Steve and Susan laughed, pulling away from Jessica as they all struggled to recover from the emotional outburst.

“Three more weeks, and then you’re next old man,” Steve said, swinging his gaze to Will who wasn’t frowning anymore but still looked a bit concerned. “Think you’re going to feel less jealous when you have your woman branded at last?”

Will pursed his lips and looked at the younger man thoughtfully. “Not sure yet. I’m waiting to see how it works out for you. You don’t exactly inspire me with confidence, Lipton.”

Steve laughed at Will’s dry wit. The more he got to know the man, the more he liked him. “I’ve got it easy, Larson. You—on the other hand—need to brush up on your Shakespeare. Did you ever read
Taming of the Shrew
?”

“Don’t make me kill you both over this sexist conversation,” Jessica warned, her tone only succeeding in making both men grin at her. “Steve, take my overwhelmed friend who is also your lovely bride, to the champagne table and get her something to keep her from fainting. If she hits the floor, you are dead meat.”

“I’m fine,” Susan said, patting Jessica’s arm. “Can I have my flowers back, please?”

Jessica separated the huge bridal bouquet from her discreet triple strand of single roses, handing the fragrant mass to Susan who immediately pressed her face into them and inhaled. Since Steve looked like he was going to kiss her again, or even worse, Jessica turned the love-struck bride toward the food table with a little push. “Go—both of you. Get a little something to sustain you. I’ll be along in a minute. Your mushy love vibes are getting to me.”

The bride and groom wandered off laughing together, too bemused with each other to make rational decisions about much of anything. Jessica sighed as they walked away. She sure hoped she held it together better when her time came.

“Am I in trouble?” Will asked. “Steve started the discussion.”

Jessica snorted. “Yes he did, but you are not innocent. Would you really brand me if you could?”

Will lifted Jessica’s hand and tucked it into his elbow, guiding her forward. “I’m in a church and don’t want to lie, so let’s just go have some champagne too.”

“Will,” Jessica chastised, her fingertips stroking his firm bicep as they walked. “There is no one else that even interests me.”

He was fifty-three and the most masculine man she had ever known. Truth was William Larson had already branded her. Maybe it didn’t show to the world, but she had hoped by now he knew.

Will turned a wicked smile to the woman he was never going to be one hundred percent sure of, but whom he was going to spend the rest his life satisfying in every way he could.

“Reassure me all you want, but we’re still going through with the wedding. You insisted Ellen set up the whole dog and pony show, and we’re going through with it, no matter how sweet you talk.”

“You know you are the one who needs the ceremony, not me. And I am not trying to talk you out of getting married—or the
wedding
,” Jessica protested. “I can’t help that I had a small anxiety attack when I tried on the dress. You can’t assume I’m reluctant about getting married just because of that. Carrie had the same reaction, I heard.”

“Carrie was pregnant. What’s your excuse?” Will asked, holding her gaze.

“Bride nerves,” Jessica said firmly. “Plus I gave my retirement notice for January. I’m starting part-time at the gallery during Christmas. Should I go on? Since I’m turning my life upside down, I think I’m entitled to a few nerves about being a bride.”

“Don’t forget we’re also moving into the new house this week,” Will said, grinning at her resignation.

Jessica sighed. “I hadn’t forgotten. That’s why I’m letting the new art teacher sub my classes. He’ll take over full-time after Christmas. I hate moving, but I’ve already accepted that there’s no way around the work.”

“The kids are still going to help,” Will said, patting her hand. “And the new bed arrives tomorrow. Shane’s going to help me assemble it. You’re going to love diving into that monster every night with me.”

“Are you going to soundproof it like Shane did theirs?” Jessica asked dryly.

Will grinned widely and laughed at her amusement. “Why would I do that?” he asked, releasing Jessica’s hand to retrieve a couple glasses of champagne for them.

He handed one to Jessica and waited until she had lifted it for a sip.

“Besides, who’s going to hear us making out? I like the noise. I find it inspiring. Not to mention, I’d love to brag to my son that he’s not the only man that can move that size bed.”

Jessica choked on her champagne, bringing the bride’s and groom’s attention immediately to her. Her face flamed with embarrassment at their stares. Will had developed the annoying habit of trying to shock her, and she fell for it nearly every time.

“Larson, I can’t believe you managed to embarrass a woman who never loses her cool in public. What in the world did he say to you, Jessica?” Steve demanded, hearing his wife snickering at his side, the champagne already helping to steady her.

“Do I pry into your private conversations?” Will demanded in return. “No—I do not. Just go back to seducing your bride, Lipton. Leave my woman alone.”

Steve and Susan both laughed at Will’s pretense of consternation.

Jessica lifted an eyebrow. “
Your woman?
”

Will lifted his chin and sipped his champagne as he held Jessica’s gaze over the rim of the glass.

“Want me to tell Steve what we were talking about?” he challenged.

Jessica hooked her arm through Will’s, no longer trusting that he wouldn’t call her bluff. “That’s me. I’m his woman,” she said cheerily, laughing at Susan who giggled at Jessica caving in to Will.

Steve just looked at Jessica in shock. “Unbelievable. So I just have to ask you this—you’ve dated so many men—why on earth did you click with Larson? He’s a good ten years older than your average guy, not to mention the man reeks of macho.”

“I assure you Will never reeks,” Jessica said off the cuff, shrugging and leaning her head against Will’s. “But he does make me laugh.”

Steve rolled his eyes and shook his head, not believing her statement at all.

“Jessica—I thought you said it was because Will was
really, really
good in bed,” Susan proclaimed enthusiastically with a wide blurry smile.

Will laughed softly, grinning like a fool while Jessica nabbed the second empty flute from the now tipsy bride’s fingers.

Steve bit his lip but grinned back at Will, giving him a thumbs-up sign when the women weren’t looking.

“Okay—I think we’ve all had enough champagne for now. Let’s get some canapés or something to soak up that buzz,” Jessica said, leading the bride to the next table.

“Hell of thing to hear about another man’s expertise on your wedding day,” Will said sadly, stepping close so only the groom could hear him. “Sorry about that, Lipton. Hope your ego isn’t too bruised. I wouldn’t want you to disappoint your bride tonight.”

“Are you kidding me? I am so attracted to the woman I married that every time I’m with her I just want to crawl inside and never come out,” Steve declared. “And now I can do it legally.”

Will reached out and took the still half-full champagne glass from Steve’s hand. “TMI, Lipton. You’re obviously as tipsy as your bride. Have you eaten?”

“Who needs food? I’m living on love, my friend,” Steve said, laughing at having embarrassed Will again.

“Well, I don’t want to hear any more about your love life, so let’s go get some food for my sake,” Will ordered, grabbing Steve’s arm to steer him to the table.

“You know, I really like you, Larson. Because of you I don’t have to feel guilty anymore about being so freaking happy with Susan. You going to love Jessica forever?” he asked.

“Yes, Lipton. I love her. You can quit worrying Jessica’s going to end up a shriveled-up old maid. She dated twenty guys between the two of us. Now man up and go be a groom,” Will said, laughing. “You’re as bad as my sons.”

“I’m forty-four, not that much younger than you,” Steve said, protesting.

“You handle your drink like a kid,” Will told him, picking up several crackers and pressing them into Steve’s hand. “Eat these and don’t talk until the alcohol wears off some.”

“Yes,
Daddy
,” Steve teased, popping the crackers into his mouth one at a time.

“Can we go home now?” Will whined the question to Jessica as she came back to his side, making the bride and groom both laugh.

Jessica patted his cheek and sighed. “No—they have to toss the bouquet and the garter, and then they have to cut the cake. Another hour, honey.”

Will sighed in resignation. “Oh, alright.”

“Man up, Larson. You have to do this in a few weeks yourself,” Steve told him, highly entertained by the big man’s irritation.

“Yes, but we’re doing the wedding-lite version,” Will said. “All the commitment ceremony, but with half the traditions that take forever. We’ll be in and out of the church in under an hour.”

Susan giggled and walked over to fiercely hug a surprised Will. “You really are funny. No wonder Jessica likes you so much.” She pressed her woozy, happy face into Will’s chest, causing him to sigh heavily again and her to giggle more.

“Uh, Lipton. . .I think your bride needs a hug,” he said to Steve over Susan’s head.

When she leaned even more intimately into him, Will ended up holding Susan more firmly as he tried to restrain her champagne enthusiastic embrace.

Shaking his head and grinning, Steve popped a piece of cheese into his mouth and gently unwound a very tipsy Susan from Will. He pulled his wife into his own arms, kissing her temple and murmuring how much he loved her into her ear. Her hands rubbed his back, and slid to his backside to squeeze. When Steve could trust himself to speak over his giddiness, he raised his head and mock glared at an even more embarrassed Will.

“Go get your own wife,” Steve ordered harshly, fighting not to laugh as he grinned harder at Will’s instant glare back at him.

Will turned his glare on Jessica. “We need new friends. If I wanted this kind of grief, I’d hang out with my sons.”

Jessica smiled at the frustration on Will’s face, but also knew he wasn’t really mad. “Sweetie, we are making new friends. That’s why we’re having dinner with Ellen and Luke tonight,” she said dryly, watching Will’s chin drop to his chest.

She bit her lip to keep from giving in to her amusement.

“You just had to remind me, didn’t you?” Will protested.

Jessica let herself laugh then, and held out a cracker to Will. “If you eat, you don’t have to talk to happy drunks.”

Will took the cracker and popped it into his mouth, not saying another word.

Jessica stepped into him and hugged hard. But standing there looking at the beaming bride and groom, Jessica ended up battling the now familiar butterflies she got every time she thought about committing herself forever to the man in her arms.

When the guilt came, she chastised herself for being afraid. On the plus side, she knew Will would always be there for her. The man would absolutely love her until the day she died—probably even after that.

But on the negative side, she’d have to divorce Will to get rid of him. She couldn’t just get fed up with his macho nonsense and look for another man. Not that Will would ever let her do such a thing. Just the thought that he had that much control over her future sent the butterflies into a mad dance as they tried to escape.

Oh God
, Jessica thought,
this whole marriage thing is getting way too real.
“I definitely need more champagne,” she said firmly, looking for the fastest way to calm the butterflies before she passed out.

Chapter 2

“Are you sick again?” Brooke asked, watching Carrie push the hair back from her face as she walked into the kitchen.

“I’ve been nauseated since yesterday. I tried the Chinese restaurant down the street from the gallery. I guess the cashew chicken didn’t agree with me,” Carrie said, getting a glass of ice water from the refrigerator. “Please don’t tell Michael. He hovers and worries if I complain about the least little thing. I even hide my menstrual cramps from him.”

Brooke snorted at the woman’s complaints. She had never received any sympathy for a physical ailment from any male—ever. “Do you even realize how lucky you are?”

Carrie nodded. “Well aware. Michael is an excellent husband, but he’s not perfect. I tell myself I just have to work around those one or two really annoying things.”

Brooke laughed as she sipped her coffee. “Do you see Shane much these days? I haven’t seen him since I picked up his drawings. When Reesa showed up, he kicked me out.”

Grinning, Carrie shook her head and came back to sit at the table. “Not much. Of course, he and Reesa have some adjusting to do. Shane’s given notice at the condo, but they haven’t moved him completely out yet. I think they’re still sneaking away to it now and again to have sex.”