I'll Be Watching You Part 45

"The pressure's on, Rob," his sister Meredith teased. "Now that Reed's taken, you're it. The loner in the hot seat."

"Real cute." He patted Meredith's very pregnant belly. "Have another doughnut. My newest niece or nephew is starved. Make sure your mouth's full when Jen comes out of the bathroom. She doesn't need encouragement. She's already giving me hints."

"So take them." With a broad grin, Meredith helped herself to a frosted doughnut.

"What about you, Mitch?" Joy, Reed's sister-in-law, inquired across the table. "Pam seems like a sweetheart."

"She is. But I'm waiting for Rob to go first."

A collective chuckle rumbled through the room.

"Let's get back to the center-stage couple of the weekend," Reed's oldest sister, Lisa, urged, getting up to walk around the table and squat down next to Taylor. "Now that the initial hysteria has died down, may I see your ring up close?"

"Of course." Dutifully, Taylor held out her left hand for the umpteenth time since Reed had made their announcement yesterday.

"It's gorgeous." Lisa admired the glistening square-cut diamond. "Really gorgeous." She turned to Reed. "My compliments. A surprise engagement. A beautiful ring. A terrific woman. And a brand-new law firm, one that will bring out the best in you. You hit the jackpot across the board." She squeezed Taylor's hand. "Especially with Taylor."

"I think so, too," Reed agreed.

"Have you thought about where you're having the wedding, and when?" his sister Shannon asked Taylor across the table.

Taylor gave a helpless shrug. "I'm open to suggestions. I haven't had a chance to think. It's been crazy."

"Before we open up the floor to suggestions, there are ground rules," Reed announced. "Where we have the wedding is up for grabs. When isn't." He draped an arm around Taylor's shoulders.

"We're getting married as soon as possible."

"I don't blame you." Reed's father's voice was serious, laced with compa.s.sion. "After all Taylor's been through, she deserves some happiness."

"And some family," his mother added gently. "I'm so terribly sorry about your cousin."

"Thank you." Taylor still felt the pain of loss when she discussed Steph, but the horrible gripping emptiness had diminished. "I miss her."

A nostalgic smile. "But I know she's looking down at me and grinning ear to ear. She always said I was destined for a big family."

"And a hottie for a husband," Reed reminded her. "Don't forget that part."

Rob groaned. "G.o.d, what an ego."

Everyone laughed.

"I have a suggestion," Reed's mother offered. "Unless the trip is too much for your guests, why not get married here? We've got thirty acres. I'm sure that's larger than any catering hall. As for when, how about June? It's not too hot yet. And Vermont is beautiful in the late spring. The flowers are in bloom. The trees are full and green. Of course I'm biased."

"That's a great idea!" Meredith burst out. "The baby will be here by then, so we can fly up. Derek wasn't too crazy about the four-day drive; the boys spent most of it bickering."

"It is a great idea," Lisa agreed. "We can set up a couple of tents on the grounds, in case it rains. But it won't. It'll be beautiful. We'll have the ceremony in the garden, and the reception across the entire backyard, facing northwest, so there's a stunning view of the mountains."

Shannon snapped her fingers. "I just thought of something. I know an amazing photographer. David Lodge. He grew up here. He moved out to Denver for a couple of years, and Roger and I got together with him and his wife. But he missed New England. He moved back to Vermont last year." She started rummaging through her purse. "I have his new card in here somewhere. He takes exquisite outdoor shots. You remember him, don't you Reed."

"Yes," Reed began. "But--"

"Grandma, you'll have to do the centerpieces." Shari--Lisa and Bill's daughter, who was twelve going on twenty--interrupted. Her ears had perked up at the word "wedding," and she'd rushed over to take part in the conversation. "You can sculpt a little vase for each table. We'll fill them with flowers."

"I'd love to." Her grandmother beamed.

"What about the overnight guests ?" Reed's father asked with a frown. "That could be a problem.

As it is, the farmhouse is overcrowded when the whole family's here."

"Not to worry," Reed's sister-in-law Jill jumped in. "The accommodations are on us. Mark and I have a ski lodge, remember? Right over the border in New Hampshire. It's just a short drive from here. And it's offseason, so we don't have any advance bookings yet. We can reserve the whole place, and put up as many guests as you need us to." A teasing twinkle lit her eyes. "Including the newlyweds. Need I remind you, Reed, that the VIP suite has an incredible view--perfect for honeymooners."

Reed opened his mouth to reply, but was immediately drowned out.

"You've got a built-in wedding party." Kyle gestured from the table to the shrieking kids racing through the house. "Enough bridesmaids, ushers, flower girls, and ring bearers to fill a room. And that's without whatever close friends you'll want to include."

"I'll cater the desserts." Meredith was already scribbling on a napkin. "You let me know how many guests you're inviting and what your favorite desserts are. Leave the rest to me. Including the wedding cake. I can't wait to design that. As for the food, I'll get in touch with Gourmet Caterers. They're the best in Vermont. I know one of the owners, Joan Carmichael. She'll take care of everything from hors d'oeuvres to entrees."

"What about music?" Joy asked. "We could do a combination of cla.s.sical and funky. A string quartet for the ceremony and a deejay or live band for the reception. Dignity first, dancing the night away second."

"Great idea," Lisa said. "The kids would love a deejay."

"Yeah, but a live band is great," her husband, Bill, countered. "They can play contemporary stuff for the kids, and fifties, sixties, and seventies stuff for us, so I can get up and strut my stuff."

"And forties tunes for Mom and Dad and their friends," his wife added.

"But no disco," Derek interjected. "To quote the late, great Harry Chapin, 'disco sucks.' Not to mention that inevitably, you get a couple of paunchy, middle-aged guys who've had too much to drink and are convinced they can re-create Sat.u.r.day Night Fever."

Meredith burst out laughing. "That's quite an image, darling."

"Yes, really." Lisa was grinning, too. "Fine. No disco. And Bill, you're right about a band being more versatile. You and I will make some phone calls."

"I have a name for you," Jill said. "We had two sets of honeymooners at the ski lodge--one in January and one in February--both of whom raved about the music at their weddings. It turned out they had the same band."

"Terrific. That means they're local. I'll call them right away. Hopefully, they're not booked."

"You know," Mark added. "Speaking of our guests, we also had that stationery lady. The one who ended up designing our New Year's invitations. Her samples were incredible. So was her work."

"Mark, you're a genius!" Jill gave him a huge hug. "I forgot all about that. She'd be perfect for the invitations. Ours were simple and clean, but she did everything from traditional to wild."

"Wild?" Lisa frowned. "Not for a wedding. Personally, I prefer--"

"Hey!" Reed cupped his hands over his mouth and bellowed. When that only made a small dent in the noise, he put two fingers in his mouth and let out a long whistle.

That got everyone's attention. They all looked up and blinked, as if suddenly noticing he was there.

"Remember me?" he asked in dry amus.e.m.e.nt. "I'm the groom. And see this beautiful woman next to me? She's the bride. So, before you sign the contracts and finalize all the arrangements, is it okay if we're consulted? I'd especially like to know how Taylor feels about all this--a.s.suming she hasn't gone into shock. Maybe she wants to get married in Manhattan or in a big church. We love you, and your enthusiasm. But this is our wedding." He turned to his fiancee. "Are you in one piece?"

"I'm intact," Taylor a.s.sured him. Actually, she was glowing.

"Don't feel pressured by the crowd," Reed advised gently. "They have a tendency to get carried away."

"I don't feel pressured." What Taylor felt was choked up and a little teary. For the first time, she understood what it meant to be part of a family.

It was wonderful.

"I don't feel pressured," she repeated. "I feel touched. And honored. I'd love to get married here. My friends will have no problem traveling to New England." She smiled, thinking about the WVNY gang. "They'll probably all pile into a few big minivans and drive up. And my family's small--only my parents, and aunt and uncle. They love traveling, for business and pleasure. In fact, my aunt owns a travel agency and tries out vacation spots all over the world. So Vermont will be a hop, skip, and a jump for them."

"What about the date--is June too soon?" Lisa asked.

"Not for me." Taylor glanced up at Reed, gave him a questioning look. "How about you? Your firm's just taking off. Can Paul handle things on his own? Or is it too soon for you to break away?"

"Not on your life." He shook his head emphatically. "That's why I started the firm--so I could have a life and live it the way I wanted. Paul will be fine." Reed rose, seizing Taylor's hand and urging her to her feet. "Will you all excuse us for a minute? I want to talk to Taylor alone."

"Right. Talk," Rob responded dryly. "Just keep it clean. There are kids in and around the house."

"I'll try to restrain myself," Reed shot back. He led Taylor through the hallway and out the backdoor.

In the garden, he turned her around to face him. "Is this really what you want? Because a wedding's a once-in-a-lifetime event. At least in our case, it will be. I want this day to be everything you want it to be."

"It will be. It already is," she a.s.sured him. "I'm even more excited now than I was before. Your family's enthusiasm is contagious. They're wonderful--all you said and more."

"They're about to become your family, too."

"I know. And I feel incredibly lucky."

"So do I." Reed tilted Taylor's chin up and kissed her gently--in a way that was totally acceptable for the crowd of kids a.s.sembling to witness their display. "I love you," he said quietly. "Never forget that."

"How could I, after all you've done?" She gazed up at him, tears still glistening in her eyes. "I love you, too. I also trust you. Totally and without reservation. And I rely on you. You've taught me I can do that and still be strong and independent. Thank you for that. So, no more walls. No more self-protection.

Not when it comes to us." She smiled through her tears. "It seems you've tackled your hardest case to date and won, Counselor."

Reed's knuckles caressed her cheek, and she could feel the emotion in his touch. "Hey, I told you I was good."

"Oh, you are. Very, very good."

A slow grin curved his lips. "So, do I get a victory celebration?"

"Am I invited?"

"You're my one and only guest."

"I thought I was the hostess."

"You're that, too."

Taylor's eyes glinted with laughter. "Where and when?"

He pursed his lips thoughtfully. "Let's see. We're leaving my parents' place after dinner. It's just over a four-hour drive to Manhattan. It'll probably take us five, given the holiday traffic. That puts us in Manhattan at about one a.m."

"Sounds right."

"How tired will you be?"

"Wide-awake."

"Okay, then," he concluded, his thumb brushing her lips. "It's settled. My bed. Tonight. One-thirty a.m."

"Dress code?"

"Bare skin."

"Can I bring anything?"

"Nope. Just yourself. And no serving required. Not food, anyway. This is going to be a no-frills, go-for-the-gold celebration. Just you, me, a very big bed, and a very long night. You did say that Dellinger was closed tomorrow?"

"I did," she confirmed.

"Good. Then the celebration can run on into tomorrow."

"Wow. It sounds like quite an event."

"Oh, it will be. You have my word."

"Just your word?" she asked with mock innocence. "Is that all I have?"

"No." His eyes darkened. "You, my love, have all of me. And tonight, you can help yourself to any part you like."

"Can I go back for seconds?"

"Seconds, thirds--whatever you crave."

Taylor's smile was pure seduction. "In that case, I'll be there."

end.