Page 78 of Sawyer
“Dean,” Madison called, “I swear, if you and Pierre are planning a surprise duet of that song for Thea’s wedding, you’re both going to answer to me. Are you, Pierre?”
Pierre’s head turned toward Dean, and his black eyes seemed alarmed as he called,“Non, Madison. Pas de souci.”
“I’d better not have anything to worry about.” She lifted the tinfoil covering an aluminum container and sniffed. “Dean?”
“Just biding our time, Madison,” he drew out, humming the famous tune. “It’s a big day. You know Thea and Jean Luc asked me to put together a playlist.”
Madison rolled her eyes before opening another tinfoil-covered container. “Which they approved, Thea told me.”
Sawyer caught the scent of something roasted and caramel along with the hints of aftershave from the men. They were going to eat well tonight.
Kyle came over next to her as Dean barked out a laugh. “You do know that Thea and Jean Luc went through a rigorous process of selecting a caterer so you wouldn’t need to worry about anything.”
She shot him a look. “Listen, I can’t thread flowers into Thea’s hair like Brooke and Nanine can, but I can do a quality check. Their first meal as a couple should be everything they hope for. I don’t want condensation from the tinfoil watering down the food.”
Sawyer could see the French woman in charge of catering was not happy with Madison’s interference, but she was keeping a respectful distance as Madison did her line check. Probably because Madison was the shit, and also because she was scary. Even though she was wearing a red cashmere dress Brooke had gotten her because “you don’t wear black to a wedding.”
Of course, Brooke had removed the designer label from the dress and given it to her as a Christmas present after swapping Secret Santa picks with Dean, something that hadn’t been against the rules. Dean had gotten Jean Luc instead, which their bro had not appreciated since Dean had given him a T-shirt that said LAWYERS DO IT IN THEIR BRIEFS.
Madison had only agreed to wear the dress because it was for Thea, and she didn’t want to bring a dead vibe to their day. Sawyer had to admit she looked terrific in the dress. The red worked well with her short black hair and skin tone. Kyle’s constant gaze agreed. He couldn’t stop staring at her when she wasn’t looking.
Dean swung over to where he was standing as they waited for Jean Luc and his party to arrive. “Doc, you must have a whole bunch of wedding quotes up your sleeve for today.”
Not really. It wasn’t like he’d be reading quotes from a podium or anything during the ceremony. “One does come to mind.” He’d said it to Phoebe one night after making love.“‘My bounty is as boundless as the sea,My love as deep: the more I give to thee,The more I have, for both are infinite.’Romeo and Juliet.”
“Nice, but didn’t those two croak at the end?” Dean asked with a groan, eliciting a squawk from Pierre. “We need a happy love quote, Doc.”
“‘Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength,’”Kylesuddenly added,“‘while loving someone deeply gives you courage.’Lao Tzu.”
“Whoa!” Dean staggered back playfully. Pierre flew to Madison, who was staring at Kyle with wide eyes. “Man, I had no idea your talents went to love quotes. When did this start? Recently?”
Sawyer knew what Dean was hinting at, and he wasn’t going to let his recent champions get uncomfortable. Especially not today. “He probably heard me saying it.”
“Thanks, Doc.” Kyle only smiled. “I was engaged once, remember, Dean? I looked things like that up. Of course, I didn’t really understand it then.”
The implication was that he did now.
Madison’s whole frame stiffened. Pierre gave a concerned squawk as she stalked out of the kitchen, calling over her shoulder, “Hey, Jacs, let’s make sure they’ve got the bar set up.”
Jacqueline gave an understanding smile before following Madison.
“Am I in trouble?” Dean asked way too innocently.
“Ask the parrot,” Kyle stated, running his hand through his hair.
Everyone seemed to be harried after that. Even Jean Luc, who was usually cool and collected, was fiddling with his cravat when he walked into the kitchen sometime later after situating his family. “My mother insisted on doing my tie, and I find I do not like it.”
“I’ve got ya, bro.” Sawyer walked over to him, grimacing at how tight she’d tied it. “Was she trying to strangle you or something?”
“She was distracted with her emotions, I fear.” He gave a long-suffering sigh. “Her oldest son is marrying finally. I did not know she could cry so many tears. Even my father joked she had not carried on like that for their own wedding. My mother did not find this amusing. She said her son marryingwas different. I found love, which means my life can be complete now. My father and I agree this is very Italian of her.”
Sawyer laughed as he finished the cravat. “Romantic too. But I’m glad Fabiana is happy for you both. That means a lot to Thea.”
“She told me the two of you spoke about her unhappiness with her parents.” He put his hand on Sawyer’s shoulder. “Since then, she has been easier. I thank you for that.”
“We both helped each other.” He pointed to the side bathroom in the kitchen, where there was a mirror. “Check it out.”
Jean Luc stepped inside and smiled. “Nicely done. Now you have my additional thanks. Bro.”
