Throughout dinner, Kaelin’s nerves felt stretched taut at the tension that still zinged between Tyler and his parents, and between Tyler and her. Avery chatted brightly and nonstop, fueled by nervous energy and several large glasses of wine, and Kaelin had to make an effort for her sake to keep conversation going, but it was exhausting her.
It would help if Tyler would say more than two words, sitting there grim-faced and silent, drinking red wine. She wanted to kick him under the table, but he was too far away from her and she didn’t have the courage to give him hell in front of everyone else. Could she get him out of the room for a minute somehow? She nibbled her bottom lip then remembered that Avery had given her Tyler’s cell phone number earlier when he’d been a few minutes late showing up at the church. She’d just started to call him when he’d arrived.
She pulled her phone out of her purse and, holding it on her lap below the table, she thumbed in a message and sent it. “U R acting like an asshole again. Cld U at least pretend U R happy to be here.”
His phone must be on vibrate because she didn’t hear a thing, but he reached for it on his hip and pulled it out. He read it, read it again, and then his blue gaze zeroed in on her. His mouth twitched.
She lifted her chin and then her wineglass, tilting her head, holding his gaze.
He bent his head and she waited, knowing he was replying.
Her phone vibrated on her lap and she flipped it open discreetly. “I am a dick,” she read. Laughter bubbled up in her throat and her fingertips flew to her mouth. “Sorry.”
She tightened her lips in to keep her amusement from showing. “Don’t think apologizing makes it okay for U to act like a dick,” she sent back, a feeling of satisfaction sweeping through her. She could text message him the things she wanted to say but didn’t have the nerve.
She shot him a glance as he read her next message, anticipating his response. He read it, sat back in his seat and looked at her again, this time thoughtfully. Oh-oh. Had she pissed him off?
He slid his phone back into the case on his hip, picked up his wineglass, then set it down and reached for the phone again. He was typing in his message, when Avery said, “Tyler. What are you doing?”
He looked up guiltily. “Uh. Sorry.” His thumbs made a couple more quick moves and he shoved the phone back on his hip. “A…uh…business call.”
Kaelin’s phone vibrated again. She glanced around the table to see if anyone was looking at her, but no, everyone was frowning at Tyler. She sighed. She’d gotten him into trouble again, dammit. One handed, she flipped open the phone to read the message. “U R right. Did I tell U how hot U look tonite?”
Heat flooded her, rushing from her chest up over her face to her hairline, all the way down to her toes. When she looked at him, he wasn’t looking at her but was smiling wickedly.
She so wanted to message him back, but dammit, she had to stop it. What was he doing, telling her she looked hot?
Just trying to push her buttons, as usual, most likely. He’d always been like that, charming apologies and flattery dripping off his tongue—or thumbs, in this case—to make up for the stupid things he did. And since it always worked for him, he knew he could get away with pretty much anything with anyone. Well, except for his parents.
She swallowed some wine. Well, he couldn’t make up for what he’d done to her ten years ago with a cheesy compliment. Sent by text, no less. Geez.
Margot poked at the chicken with prosciutto, rosemary and white wine, her appetite nonexistent. The rehearsal had gone well, although she knew Avery’s refusal to let her father walk her down the aisle had disappointed him. She glanced at her husband, talking to Scott’s father about the stock market. She suspected the only reason he wanted to walk his daughter down the aisle was so that people would see him doing it, because that’s what people expected, and not out of any real sentimental feelings of giving his little girl away. She sighed.
Now Tyler was sitting there, scowling and looking bored and, for god’s sake, sending text messages on his cell phone that were apparently business. Then he snapped his phone shut, smiled that devilish charming grin that had gotten him his own way too many times, but that still melted her heart. And he too started talking to his father and Scott’s dad about the stock market, sounding impressively knowledgeable.
The stock market was probably the last thing Margot was interested in, but she was happy to sit and listen to her son talk, warmth and pride swelling inside her. And then Scott’s dad asked Tyler a question about his business, and she was even more happy to listen to him talk about that, so smart and talented and articulate.
“New platforms—mobile, internet, gaming—are definitely changing the dynamic of the business,” Tyler said. “But that just makes it more exciting. Lots more opportunities for creative talent to really stand out.”
She almost trembled with maternal pride, smiling and listening.
Soon the dinner was over and it had gone off without a hitch, which of course it would after her careful planning, attention to detail and numerous phone calls to the hotel to check on things. And then she heard Tyler talking about taking Scott and his best man, Hardeep, out somewhere for a drink. Oh dear lord.
Kaelin focused on the dinner conversation again, Tyler now looking interested and actually participating. Apparently Scott wanted to go out with the guys for a last single night and Tyler was agreeing to take him and Hardeep and show them the local watering holes.
Oh dear lord.
Kaelin looked anxiously at Avery, but she was all for it. “That sounds like a great idea!” she said to Tyler. “It would be good for you and Scott to get to know each other better.”
“Yeah,” he agreed, seeming sincere. “I’ll call Nick and see if he wants to come too.”
“I don’t know,” Mrs. Wirth said, a hand at her throat. Her eyes darted around. “That might not be a good idea. You don’t want to be tired tomorrow, or…”
“Hungover?” Tyler supplied.
She frowned. “Well, yes.”
“Don’t worry, Mom, I’ll behave. We’ll just go have a couple beers somewhere.”
Mrs. Wirth chewed on her bottom lip.
“Kaelin and Maddie will come back to our place,” Avery said. “And we’ll have some girl time.”
Kaelin smiled and nodded. “Sure.” As if they hadn’t had enough girl time earlier that day. But it was Avery and it was Avery’s wedding.
Back at the Wirth house, the girls curled up on couches and chairs in the family room with more wine. Well, Maddie and Avery had more wine, Kaelin had had enough, and she had to drive back to her place. It wasn’t long before Maddie and Avery started talking and laughing about things that had happened and people Kaelin didn’t know. She tried to smile and look interested, but that left-out feeling swept over her.
“Hey,” Avery said to Kaelin. “When are you going to come visit me in Los Angeles again?”
Kaelin smiled. “Well, obviously not right away. You’re leaving on your honeymoon tomorrow night.”
“You should move there, Kaelin.” Avery sat up and leaned forward. “Seriously. I miss you so much. We could have so much fun living in the same city again.”
“I can’t move, Ave, you know that.”
“Why not?” Avery’s full lips pouted a bit.
“My whole life is here.” Kaelin gave her a crooked smile and lifted one shoulder. “My job. My family. My house.”
“Your only family here is your Aunt Lara. Your cousins have left. Your parents are gone. And with your experience, you could easily get a job at a law firm in L.A.”