out of her apron pocket. “How many texts have you sent on that tonight?”
Kaylee flashed a smile. “Who counts? I guess she’s pretty.”
“You’d guess right. Any more trouble with your carburetor?”
“No.Whatever you did worked. It’s running great. But it’s still a million years old and puke green.”
“It’s five years old,” he corrected. “But it is puke green. If you can talk your dad into it, I know a guy who’ll give you a good deal on a paint job.”
“Yeah?” She brightened. “I’ll start working on him. Maybe you could—” She broke off, lost her glow. “Your friend’s coming back in.”
Kaylee turned back toward the kitchen. Not quite a stalk, Malcolm noted, but close. Amused, he gave his attention to Parker as she sat back down. “Chiffon? A tango emergency? Somebody want to ride into the wedding on a camel?”
“I talked a groom out of a chariot once, and it wasn’t easy. I could deflect a camel. Actually, one of our October brides just learned her father’s in Vegas, where he eloped with the gold-digging bimbo bitch—her phrase—he left her mother for.”
“Happens.”
“Yes.The divorce became final just this week, so he didn’t waste any time.Which also happens.The new bride is twenty-four, two years younger than the daughter.”
“Adds an ouch to the equation.”
“It certainly does, and it also happens,” Parker put in.“But add up all those ‘it happens,’ and it’s tough to swallow.”
“Sure. And still probably tougher on the first wife than the daughter.”Though she hadn’t finished the first slice, he slid a second onto Parker’s plate. “What did she want you to do about it?”
“She doesn’t want either of them at the wedding, doesn’t want him giving her away, as planned. She’d been prepared to tolerate the aforementioned gold-digging bimbo bitch as her father’s guest, but she’ll be damned if she’ll have her there as his wife, her—too bad a word to say in public—stepmother, or lording her new status over the bride’s still-devastated mama.”
“I’ve got to give her points on all of that.”
“Yes, she’s perfectly justified, and if that’s the way she really wants it to be, that’s the way we’ll make it be.” She washed down pizza with wine.“The problem is, she loves her father. Despite his questionable judgment and the distinct possibility he’s suffering from male midlife insanity—”
“Hey, we’re not the only ones who get it.”
“You get it more often and generally with more severe symptoms. Despite,” she repeated, “she loves him, and I’m afraid not having him walk her down the aisle will mar the day for her more than the GBB, and when she forgives him, and she will, down the road she’ll always regret the decision.”
“Is that what you told her?”
“I told her the day is hers, hers and David’s, and whatever she wants or doesn’t want, we’ll work it out. And I asked her to take a day or two to be sure.”
“You think she’ll opt for Dad.”
“I do, and if I’m right, I’ll follow up with a private and very pointed chat with the GBB regarding protocol and behavior at a Vows event.”
“You’ll scare the shit out of her.”
“I’ll do no such thing,” Parker said, with a small smile.
“And you’ll enjoy it.”
She took a deliberately delicate bite of pizza. “That would be petty, and unattractive.”
“Every minute of it.”
She laughed. “Yes, I will.”
“It gives us a little more common ground.”
“How’s that?”
“I figure if you’ve got to take someone down or set them straight, you might as well enjoy it on some level. I heard you took Mac’s weird mother down a while back.”
“And I don’t consider feeling a lot of satisfaction from it petty or unattractive. She had it coming. How did you hear about that?”
“Guys talk, too. Del’s got a sweet spot for his Macadamia, and having her screwed with by her mother burned his ass. Plus, I’d
Kaylee flashed a smile. “Who counts? I guess she’s pretty.”
“You’d guess right. Any more trouble with your carburetor?”
“No.Whatever you did worked. It’s running great. But it’s still a million years old and puke green.”
“It’s five years old,” he corrected. “But it is puke green. If you can talk your dad into it, I know a guy who’ll give you a good deal on a paint job.”
“Yeah?” She brightened. “I’ll start working on him. Maybe you could—” She broke off, lost her glow. “Your friend’s coming back in.”
Kaylee turned back toward the kitchen. Not quite a stalk, Malcolm noted, but close. Amused, he gave his attention to Parker as she sat back down. “Chiffon? A tango emergency? Somebody want to ride into the wedding on a camel?”
“I talked a groom out of a chariot once, and it wasn’t easy. I could deflect a camel. Actually, one of our October brides just learned her father’s in Vegas, where he eloped with the gold-digging bimbo bitch—her phrase—he left her mother for.”
“Happens.”
“Yes.The divorce became final just this week, so he didn’t waste any time.Which also happens.The new bride is twenty-four, two years younger than the daughter.”
“Adds an ouch to the equation.”
“It certainly does, and it also happens,” Parker put in.“But add up all those ‘it happens,’ and it’s tough to swallow.”
“Sure. And still probably tougher on the first wife than the daughter.”Though she hadn’t finished the first slice, he slid a second onto Parker’s plate. “What did she want you to do about it?”
“She doesn’t want either of them at the wedding, doesn’t want him giving her away, as planned. She’d been prepared to tolerate the aforementioned gold-digging bimbo bitch as her father’s guest, but she’ll be damned if she’ll have her there as his wife, her—too bad a word to say in public—stepmother, or lording her new status over the bride’s still-devastated mama.”
“I’ve got to give her points on all of that.”
“Yes, she’s perfectly justified, and if that’s the way she really wants it to be, that’s the way we’ll make it be.” She washed down pizza with wine.“The problem is, she loves her father. Despite his questionable judgment and the distinct possibility he’s suffering from male midlife insanity—”
“Hey, we’re not the only ones who get it.”
“You get it more often and generally with more severe symptoms. Despite,” she repeated, “she loves him, and I’m afraid not having him walk her down the aisle will mar the day for her more than the GBB, and when she forgives him, and she will, down the road she’ll always regret the decision.”
“Is that what you told her?”
“I told her the day is hers, hers and David’s, and whatever she wants or doesn’t want, we’ll work it out. And I asked her to take a day or two to be sure.”
“You think she’ll opt for Dad.”
“I do, and if I’m right, I’ll follow up with a private and very pointed chat with the GBB regarding protocol and behavior at a Vows event.”
“You’ll scare the shit out of her.”
“I’ll do no such thing,” Parker said, with a small smile.
“And you’ll enjoy it.”
She took a deliberately delicate bite of pizza. “That would be petty, and unattractive.”
“Every minute of it.”
She laughed. “Yes, I will.”
“It gives us a little more common ground.”
“How’s that?”
“I figure if you’ve got to take someone down or set them straight, you might as well enjoy it on some level. I heard you took Mac’s weird mother down a while back.”
“And I don’t consider feeling a lot of satisfaction from it petty or unattractive. She had it coming. How did you hear about that?”
“Guys talk, too. Del’s got a sweet spot for his Macadamia, and having her screwed with by her mother burned his ass. Plus, I’d
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