“She’s at the store,” Margot answered. “What crawled up your butt?”
“Look.” Holly half collapsed into the chair. “These are the programs for the service, and everything is wrong. I picked out the hymns, and they’re all different. Howard’s parents’ names are spelled wrong, and...” She lowered her head to the table. “The florist called this morning. Their shipment of white roses went bad somehow. They’re trying to get some more, but they wanted to know if they could use white carnations instead.” Holly rubbed her eyes. “This isn’t a prom from the eighties or a funeral. It’s my wedding, and I want roses.”
“Of course you do,” Daniel said, jumping up and coming around to Holly. “What did you tell the florist?”
“To get roses,” Holly said, the tears starting now that her anger was spent.
“Give James the number of the florist and a copy of the order for the wedding. He can use that policeman voice of his to put the fear of god in them and you’ll get your roses.” Daniel met his gaze, and James nodded. “Thanks, sweetheart,” Daniel added with a smile, and James’s mind skipped a thread for just a second. Damn, he loved that smile.
“I’m back,” his mother said as she came into the kitchen through the garage. “What’s wrong?” she asked, and Holly pushed the box across the table. Mom opened the box. “These look fine to me.”
“Mom! You did this?” She whirled on their mom in a second.
“These are great hymns, and what you had didn’t seem like you, so I thought this would be better.” She set her jaw, and James braced for a fight.
“How could you? That isn’t what I wanted,” Holly said softly, the tears running down her cheeks.
“I thought you’d made a mistake and would want the hymns you grew up with.” His mother pursed her lips as though she were going to argue, then sighed dramatically. “You do what you like. It’s your wedding.” James had heard that guilt-inducing tone many times before. Their mother always thought she knew what was best.
“It’s okay, we can fix it,” Daniel said gently, lightly tapping his long nails on the table. James was so grateful for Daniel’s calmness in the wake of the crisis. “Do you have your original program?” Holly nodded. “Then come on. Let’s you and I fix everything up. There has to be a printer nearby.” Daniel was already on his phone, looking up what was in the area and making calls. James returned to the bedroom to dress, and by the time he came back out, Daniel was sending the files to the printer. “They’ll email a proof in an hour, and we can have the updated programs by tomorrow.” Daniel smiled.
Holly wiped her eyes. “Oh god, thank you.” She hugged Daniel, who gently patted her back. “You saved this.”
Daniel glanced at him over Holly’s shoulder, smiling slightly. “I’m glad I can help.”
“Tomorrow when we meet with the minister, we can make sure that he knows exactly what you want for the service. That way there won’t be any mix-ups,” James offered.
“Just relax. Little issues will come up, but you have plenty of people to support you,” Daniel comforted her, and glanced around the room. “Where’s Howard?”
“Today is his last day of work before the wedding,” Holly said, grabbing a napkin from the holder in the center of the table to dab her eyes.
Mom had said nothing more through this entire exchange and clearly wasn’t happy. “Is anyone hungry?” She didn’t wait for an answer before getting started with eggs, sausage, and a platter of bacon. Dad joined the rest of them, and once the food was on the table, everyone sat.
The lunch yesterday was a veritable party compared to the strained conversation around the table now. Holly glared at their mom, who pretended not to notice. Dad just ate and said nothing. Margot grabbed her plate and left the table, closing her door more loudly than was necessary. Poor Daniel looked like he had no idea what was going on. “Is this normal?”
James shrugged. There was no normal when it came to his family...and especially his mother. “When we’re done, I’m going to call the florist.”
“What’s wrong with the flowers?” Mom asked a little snappily.
“You didn’t change those, did you?” Holly retorted and pushed her plate away after eating just a few bites.
“It’s fine, Mom. Just a mix-up in an order. I’m going to take care of it. Holly has enough to do.” James hoped to calm the waters. Daniel patted his hand, fingers resting on his skin for longer than was necessary. James turned his hand, sliding his fingers into Daniel’s. It was strange to him. Daniel was dressed as a beautiful woman, and yet James found it hard to see anyone but Daniel. The clothes didn’t matter, and neither did the makeup. The features were Daniel’s, and that was what mattered.
James slowly pulled his hand away, not wanting to draw attention to the movement. He needed to keep his head on straight and remember that Daniella was a character that Daniel was playing, and that they both had roles to play. He was here for Holly’s wedding, and Daniel was someone he had an arrangement with to be his “girlfriend” for the duration of the trip. Anything more would be a bad idea.
He got up from the table, taking a deep breath, needing to handle the florist issues for Holly and taking the opportunity to put a little distance between him and Daniel for a few minutes. It was so damned easy to get carried away, and it needed to stop.
* * *
“What can we expect at this shower?” Daniel asked in his normal voice once they were within the safety of their bedroom, just the two of them. He spoke softly and sat on the edge of the bed, pulling on nylon socks.
“I’m expecting it to be casual—some games, talking, and plenty of wine,” James explained. “Mom apparently wasn’t thrilled about the alcohol, but Holly’s friends planned the party, and thankfully Mom was polite enough to keep quiet for once.”
“Are your parents going to be there?” Daniel asked, lying back on the bed, probably enjoying a few minutes of quiet. James knew he was, and sat next to him, lying back as well.
“I don’t think so. This is supposed to be for Holly and Howard’s friends. There’s going to be enough to keep Mom and Dad busy for the next few days.” He sighed. “Shit...” he swore under his breath. “I don’t have a present to bring.” He had the wedding present covered, but he had completely forgotten about a gift for the shower.
“Don’t worry about it. Holly and Howard probably aren’t expecting anything. They’re happy that you came to the wedding. Showers aren’t usually about presents as much as they’re about a chance to have fun with friends before all the formal wedding activities drive everyone nuts.”