More than a Maid (26 page)

Although each day brought new hope, it also brought fear. Maybe today would be the day he finally pissed her off enough to make her leave instead of getting her all riled up for angry sex. Or maybe today would be the day he suddenly found all of her cute little habits to be the most annoying things in his world.

But then the wedding rehearsal came, and Ramon's hidden fears all came to the surface when he shook hands with a woman he barely recognized.

"Ramon, is it?" Jocelyn's eyes were a little too perky. She stood before him, hand extended as though they were meeting for the first time.

And for that moment in the foyer, Ramon thought it really was the first time.

But there was something about her voice. Something shrill and familiar.

"Nice to meet you." Ramon let go of Jocelyn's hand, trying to remember how he knew her. "So, you're a wedding planner?"

Jocelyn cleared her throat and straightened her posture. She glanced around at the men who were rearranging the downstairs. Then she leaned in closer. "You asked me that question last winter at the Tumbleweed but I guess you were a little too drunk to remember."

"Oh shit."
I'm a slut
, Ramon thought. He backed away. "I'm sorry. I remember you now." His eyes darted around, making sure Marcy hadn't wandered in. "I didn't mean to—"

She laughed, waving her hand in dismissal. "Relax. It's fine. I saw your picture a few weeks ago. It took me a second but I remembered you." Giggling, she added, "Wow. What a night."

"My picture? How?"

"Patty showed me pictures from your other brother's wedding when we met a few weeks ago." She lifted a brow. "You clean up nice."

"Huh." Ramon chewed on his bottom lip as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Did you say anything?"

"No." Jocelyn shook her head and placed a hand on his arm, letting it linger there. "I'm a professional. That was personal. Nobody knows but us."

"Good." Ramon shot her hand an angry glance, then shrugged away from her. "I've got a…" he cleared his throat and stopped himself before saying "girlfriend," then decided to say it anyway. "Girlfriend."

"Oh." Jocelyn pulled her hand away. "Sorry. I didn't mean to offend you. Will she be at the rehearsal dinner? The wedding?"

"Yeah. You already know her. It's Marcy, the maid of honor."

"Really?" Jocelyn's face screwed up. "Hmm. I actually need to find her. I have her dress. Had to find a seamstress to let it out a few inches for an emergency alteration."

Ramon snorted. "Okay." He considered making a snide comment in response to her dig at Marcy's weight, but instantly decided it didn't matter what Jocelyn thought. He said, "She's out helping Cara but she'll be here soon."

Should I tell Marcy about this?
he wondered. Marcy hadn't cared much about the stranger who recognized him at the mall a few weeks earlier. Why would she care now?

Still, the idea that Jocelyn could mention something to Marcy made him itchy.

"So," Jocelyn asked. "You headed to the rehearsal dinner?"

"Yeah." Ramon averted her gaze, focusing on a worker carrying a lamp across the floor to his right, in the living room. "I guess you'll be there too?"

Jocelyn gave him a flat stare. "I told you already. I won't say anything. I'm not an idiot. I was paid a lot of money to plan this wedding on short notice. You think I'd do something to screw that up?" She rolled her eyes and sauntered off to the living room to direct the workers, ignoring him.

Ramon felt a sense of a relief. But he resolved to tell Marcy about Jocelyn the first chance he got.

* * *

After the wedding rehearsal at the ranch, everyone headed to a restaurant a few miles away. As they waited for the last few guests to arrive, Victor took the opportunity to pull Cara away down a hallway to a corner where they had some privacy.

He took her hands, looking in her eyes. "Are you feeling better?"

Cara smiled and took a deep breath, tightening her grip on his hands. "Yes. I haven't been sick since this morning."

"Good." Victor leaned forward and gave her lips a gentle kiss. When he pulled away he said, "You're going to be my wife in," he glanced down at his watch, "approximately fifteen hours. You ready?"

"Of course." Cara beamed. "I've waited my entire life for this."

Victor gazed longingly into her eyes, let go of her hands, grabbed her waist. "Me too,
mi amor
." His lips found hers, taking her breath away in a deep kiss. Earlier that day, they found a house they loved in Turnbrook, close to Ramon. Soon they would begin their lives there together.

As they kissed, Victor felt a small hand brush against the back of his knee. He pulled away from Cara to see Isaac standing at her feet, giving him a stern look.

His lips bunched together, Isaac said, "I'm mad at you."

Victor knelt down to him. "Why?"

Isaac's eyes widened. "You weh s'posed to give me a baby bwothow!" He hid behind Cara's leg.

Victor looked up at Cara's surprised eyes. Isaac hadn't mentioned his baby brother in a few weeks. To Isaac, he said, "I'm sorry. Remember, we talked about this? Maybe for your birthday next year."

Isaac pouted for a second, then his mouth spread to a smile and he peered around Cara's leg. "Can you make my wace caw go fastow?"

Victor gave him a flat stare. "I see." He rose to his feet and shared a look with Cara.

Cara sighed, patting Isaac's head. "Okay. You've been good. If we have time in the morning, maybe we can find someone to adjust your car and make it go faster." She took Isaac's chin and turned his face up to look in his eyes. "But
only
because you've been good. You need to keep being good, okay?"

With a sincere nod, Isaac whispered, "Okay."

At dinner, between all the conversations with out-of-town guests and toasts, Ramon had barely a moment to talk to Marcy about Jocelyn. And, to his relief, Jocelyn excused herself after the first course without giving him so much as a glance.

If Marcy noticed any strife between Jocelyn and himself, she didn't show it.

Toward the end of the evening, Patty pulled up a seat beside them and said to Marcy, "So, you have a bag packed for tonight?"

Ramon said, "A bag packed? For what?"

Patty's eyes danced. "Cara's bachelorette party!"

"What?" Ramon asked abruptly. "Why am I just hearing about this?" He slung his arm around Marcy's shoulders and pulled her close. "You leavin' for a whole night?"

Marcy said, "Yes. You see, I was originally told that because the wedding was planned on such short notice, we weren't throwing Cara a bachelorette party. But," she nodded at Patty, "someone kept it a secret until today. We're going to a hotel."

"Yes," Patty said. "You won't see us again until the wedding."

"Great." Ramon leaned forward, flashing Patty a mean look. "There better not be a stripper."

Patty rolled her eyes. "Of course not."

* * *

Late that evening, after the women had gone off to their hotel and Isaac was safely asleep, Ramon, Armando, Victor, and Tom sat around a fire in the back yard. The only one who didn't have a beer was Tom, who wanted to stay completely sober in case there was an emergency with Isaac.

Before Victor cracked open his first beer, he said to Tom, "Are you sure? I don't have to drink."

Tom shook his head and straightened his glasses, smiling. "No, you're the one getting married tomorrow. Have fun with your brothers." He yawned, glancing at his watch. "Besides, I've gotta turn in early. Patty wore me out today, planning for Cara's bachelorette party."

Armando took a sip of his beer, shaking his head. "She hired a stripper, didn't she?"

Tom chuckled. "Relax, it's tradition."

"What?" Ramon stood, reaching for the phone in his pocket. "She lied to me!"

Victor groaned. "She lied to me, too."

Tom held up his hand, meekly. "Too late now. It's probably over with."

Victor slid his hand across his forehead, chuckling half-heartedly. "Oh well. Cara probably got sick and threw up on him anyway."

Ramon let out a seething breath through his gnashed teeth. "Damn it. I fuckin' hate those male strippers. You know they're rubbin' themselves all over our women, right?" He sat down.

Smirking, Armando said, "I don't think any of us are thrilled about it but Tom's right. It's too late to do anything about it now."

Tom yawned. "Don't worry. I think that stripper was more for my wife than anyone else."

Ramon snorted. "And that doesn't bother you?"

Shrugging, Tom said, "Nah. It's just fun. When you get to be my age you stop taking life so seriously." Then he stood and said, "G'night guys."

They all said "good night."

Ramon tipped his beer bottle between his lips and drank the contents in one shot. When he saw Tom enter the house, he swallowed, then muttered, "Asshole. Coulda told us that earlier, don't ya think?"

Armando took a fresh bottle from the cooler. "Give him a break. He's got a wife to answer to. He was just trying to let her have a good time."

Ramon let out a single laugh as he reached for his next beer. "Yeah. And that'll be
you
tomorrow." He lifted a sly brow at Victor.

Victor looked Ramon straight in the eyes. "I wouldn't talk. It'll be
you
soon enough," he teased. Then Victor and Armando shared a laugh.

Ramon said, "Ha ha," then emptied another bottle down his throat. He wiped his mouth and said, "I ain't that stupid. Ain't gonna catch that disease. Everyone signin' their lives away. Nope. Not me."

Armando took a sip of his beer. "Stop drinking so fast. You're already drunk."

"Yeah." Victor nodded. "Those words'll come back to haunt you next year when we're around this fire the night before
your
wedding." He snickered.

Ramon tossed his empty bottle to the ground and grabbed a new one. "Shut the fuck up. Both of you." He popped the top of his bottle off and took a swig.

"What's wrong?" Victor asked. "You both looked pretty happy at dinner."

Armando nodded, his eyebrows raised. "And you better believe Marcy's gonna want a commitment. Engagement, marriage. Something. Especially if she's gonna move here. That's what Katie thinks, at least."

Ramon sneered. "Katie." He rolled his eyes and took a long drink of his beer. "You can all just stay the fuck outta my business. You're the ones who got me into this mess."

Victor smirked. "What mess?"

Ramon grimaced as he drank the rest of his beer, letting his bottle drop to the ground. "You know. Bringin' this woman around. Makin' me fall in love with her."

Victor and Armando shared a silent look at his mention of "love."

Ramon continued, his words slurring a little. "I'm gonna fuck it up… I just know I'm gonna fuck it up…"

"No," Victor said. "You keep thinking that, and you
will
fuck it up. You'll psych yourself out. Just keep on being good to her."

Armando nodded and heaved another stick on the fire. "Yeah. You got a good thing goin'. Don't be so negative about it. Take it one day at a time."

Ramon bellowed out a loud, sarcastic laugh. "So, you two got women now and you're full of all this wisdom, huh? Always gotta be experts at everything." He laughed again, then got serious, staring sadly at the ground. After a long pause, he muttered, "I fucked the wedding planner."

Armando and Victor both gasped at the same time.

Clutching his beer, Armando said, "When? Today?"

Ramon glared at him. "No, not today,
pendejo
. A long time ago. Last winter. Forgot about it till I met her this evening."

"Okay." Victor nodded, trying to understand. "So, it was before you met Marcy. Were you drunk or something?"

Sighing, Ramon said, "Yeah. And she wasn't the first one. A few weeks ago Marcy and I were at the mall and I ran into some other girl. Told Marcy about it."

Victor's eyes widened. "Was she upset?"

Ramon shrugged. "For a minute, I think. I told her the truth, though. Never meant to lead those girls on."

Armando said, "Geez, Ramon. How many women are we talkin' about here?"

Ramon put his hand at his forehead to shield his eyes from his brothers as he stared down at the ground. "I don't know. Never counted 'em."

"Huh." Armando glanced at Victor, then at Ramon. "And all this time when you never mentioned any women, I just thought you were celibate."

Victor leaned forward in his chair. "If Marcy didn't care about the girl at the mall, she probably won't care about Jocelyn. It was before you met."

Ramon lowered his hand and gave Victor an anxious look. "I know. Been thinkin' all along I'm gonna screw it up with Marcy. Then today when I saw that wedding planner chick I got this bad feelin' about it, you know? Seein' 'em in the same room together at dinner…"

Victor reached for a beer. "It's okay. Just tell Marcy about it. Don't put it off. She's mature enough to understand. The past is the past."

Ramon shook his head and popped the top off his next bottle. "I don't know. Not sure I'd be so understanding if it were me. Can't fuckin' stand the thought of her with someone else."

Armando and Victor looked at each other as Ramon downed another beer. They had never seen him like this before, and although neither of them knew quite what to think, they were both glad to see him smitten, for once.

* * *

The day of the wedding was busy for everyone.

Armando spent a good part of his day trying to determine whether or not Henry would attend. Ramon, who had been transparent with his cell phone records ever since he had been caught in a massive lie, did all he could to prove that Henry had indeed not been in touch for a few weeks and he had no idea whether or not he would show today.

Victor spent his day entertaining guests from out of town. He had breakfast with his former assistant, Gary—who had taken over all of Victor's clients—and Gary's partner, Max.

Tom adjusted the speed on Isaac's race car and kept him busy while his Mommy prepared for her big walk down the aisle.

Cara, Patty, Marcy, and Katie spent their day at a spa in a hotel in San Antonio where they would be pampered while getting ready for the wedding.

After Cara had her makeup and hair done, the other ladies helped her into her undergarments and dress. Cara wore a sleeveless tea-length dress, the bodice adorned with crystals. She turned to the side and checked out her profile in the mirror for the tenth time, asking, "Are you sure you can't tell I'm pregnant?"

Patty giggled and touched Cara's arm. "You can't tell, but who cares?"

Katie nodded. "Yeah. Victor wanted to marry you, regardless."

Cara smirked at Katie. "It's Isaac I'm worried about. He's started asking about his 'baby brother' again. Makes me worry. Apparently he saw a pregnant cow recently and—"

"Don't worry," Patty said. "He'll come to you if he has questions."

"No." Cara shook her head. "He's more likely to come to Uncle Ramon."

Marcy spoke up. "Ramon hasn't mentioned anything to me about it. Patty's right. Just let him come to you with questions."

Just then, they heard a throat clear.

Jocelyn entered, holding Marcy's dress. "Hello, ladies. Are we all set for the big day?"

They all started talking to Jocelyn excitedly. Marcy took her dress and went to a changing room, hoping it would fit this time.

When she finished, she walked out and said, "Does it look all right?"

They all gasped at Marcy.

Cara said, "You look amazing! With the makeup you can really tell how the color matches your eyes!"

They fawned over her for a little while longer, then Katie and Patty went to their dressing rooms.

Jocelyn said to Marcy, "Wait, you didn't zip it up all the way. Let me help."

"Thank you," Marcy said as Jocelyn helped. "Again, I'm sorry about this last minute alteration. When you're as short as I am, every pound shows up."

"Please, stop apologizing," Jocelyn said as she finished zipping. She stood back and looked Marcy up and down. "You look beautiful. Now, let's get your jewelry."

Cara gasped and said, "Oh no! I knew I was forgetting something." She hustled off to the next room.

Jocelyn glanced around the room to make sure they were alone, then said to Marcy, "So, you and Ramon, huh?"

Marcy felt herself blush. "Yeah." Then she wondered why she hadn't heard Jocelyn mention Ramon before. "Why? Do you know him? He seems to know everyone around here."

Jocelyn grinned. "We've met before. I guess you could say we're acquaintances." She inched forward like she was going to say something, then cleared her throat and straightened. "So, the dress fits? It's not too tight, is it?"

"Wait," Marcy said. "What do you mean, exactly?"

Jocelyn shrugged. "You should ask him yourself. Now, back to this dress…"

* * *

The next time Marcy saw Ramon was when Jocelyn lined up the wedding party on the front porch and directed them when to walk.

Ramon gave her a big smile when Marcy stepped onto the porch. "Wow! You look… wow. Stunning. Beautiful."

Marcy forced a smile. "Thanks." She looked him up and down. "You really know how to wear a tux. Very nice."

"Thank you."

Marcy craned her neck to see a nervous Victor standing at the arch in front of all the guests. "I thought Armando was the best man."

"No." Ramon shook his head, glancing behind him at Armando, who now stood beside Patty. "Technically, we're co-best men. But we came up with a plan. A last minute change. since Victor was beside Armando at his wedding, I'm gonna stand beside Victor today. Armando'll be next to me… if I ever… you know." He flashed Marcy a shy grin.

"Yeah." Marcy gulped. "If you ever settle down, you mean?" Then she shot Jocelyn a glare as she came around in front of them, snapping her fingers to get the wedding party's attention.

"Shit," Ramon muttered. He glanced at Jocelyn, then gave Marcy a long, knowing look. "What'd you hear?"

She cleared her throat, and in a haughty tone, said, "What do you
think
I heard?" hoping he would confirm her suspicion.

He groaned, loudly, then leaned down to whisper, "It's not what you think. I've barely seen you since yesterday or I could've explained—"

"Shh." Jocelyn placed a finger against her lips. "It's time for the procession." She extended her hand and stepped backward. "Don't be nervous. Do it just like we practiced."