Beth stared up at the large Horizon poster hanging near the bed. James stood in the foreground wearing leather jeans that had to have been spray-painted on, shirt unbuttoned, his arms folded arrogantly across his broad chest. The gold hoop dangling from one ear gave him a careless piratey air. She was certain that the camera lens must have melted from the carnal Trouble with a capital Oooh Baby look it captured.
“The whole family’s got the same color eyes, you know,” Lily continued.
Beth knew, all right. As a huge Horizon fan, she had enjoyed some pretty interesting fantasies over the years about the lead singer, most of which involved him, her and…well, him and her. Stunned into speechlessness at the revelation that James was Ian’s younger brother, she nearly fainted dead away when she learned that he would be her escort in the wedding party. The diet had started immediately, but as yet hadn’t succeeded in defeating the last ten pounds that had declared open warfare on her hips.
Lily followed Beth’s line of sight and peered up at the poster. “Have you ever taken a good look at the medallion he’s wearing? Ian has one just like that.”
“He mentioned it in an interview once. It’s a Celtic dragon - his grandmother painted it for him. He’s a Fire sign, so that makes sense,” Beth answered.
Lily nodded. “Ian’s has a hawk on it.” She checked her watch and jumped off the bed. “I need to get moving if I’m to make it to the Castle by six. Think they’ll start the rehearsal without the bride?”
“You’re not allowed to walk down the aisle at rehearsal anyway, ees verrah verrah bad luck,” Beth intoned in her best gypsy accent. “You get a stand in to walk up the aisle, then you and the Prince meet on the stage.”
“Are you ever going to stop calling him that?” Lily giggled then held out an arm so Beth could see her watch. “You’d better get ready too. I’ll see you there.” Snatching up her purse, she scrambled for the door and waved as she fired her parting shot, “Wear the dress. It looks great on you!”
Beth laughed and locked the door after Lily left. She headed back toward the bedroom to start getting ready, but abruptly changed her mind and sat down on the couch, pulling the wooden box on the coffee table closer to her. She opened it and took out her Smith-Waite Tarot deck and shuffled it, thinking of the upcoming evening.
What can I expect tonight?
She laid out three cards face down, and turned them over one by one. The first card was the four of Wands. “We’re having a party,” she sang, reaching for the second card. Eight of Wands, swift events unfolding. “Hmmm…” she murmured, turning over the last card. The Knight of Wands, passionate and impulsive. She put the cards back in the box and with a smile headed for the shower, thinking that perhaps passionate and impulsive would be just what the doctor ordered, in whatever form it chose to come.
Castle Wilde closed early for the evening wedding rehearsal. By the time Beth stepped through the gates of the list field, everything was in full swing. In the months prior, Meg had informed her that a true Irish wedding goes on for at least a week. Although Beth had thought it a colorful exaggeration at the time, she now suspected Meg had spoken the truth. The members of the wedding party were having a delightfully chaotic time much to the disconcertion of the director. That poor woman ran to and fro, trying unsuccessfully to herd all of her rebellious ducklings into a tidy row.
“Beth!” Camille Evans, mother of the bride, waved her over. “Thank goodness you’re here. We can get started now,” she called to the harried director. Camille was a bit on the frantic side herself as she grabbed Beth by the arm and led her over to two women. Both were petite with flame colored hair, the younger of the two pregnant. “Beth, this is Moire Kelly and Meghan Wilde, Ian’s mother and sister. Wait, you work for Meg, so you already know her.” Camille glanced around, spied her next target and took off toward him at a trot. “Ian! I need to talk to you about…”
Beth laughed. “Nice to meet you, Mrs. Kelly. You too, Meg.”
“I’m delighted to finally meet the famous Beth. Ian and Lily have told me so much about you.” Moire smiled.
Meg giggled and took Beth’s hands in hers, giving them a happy squeeze. “You look lovely this evening, Beth. That dress is stunning on you.”
Murmuring her thanks, Beth picked at the knit again where it clung to her hips. Meg gently swatted her hand away. “Stop it,” she whispered. “You look wonderful.”
Attired in a lovely floral dress that swirled around her when she moved, Lily glided up bearing two plastic cups. She took a sip of one and handed the other to Beth, who peered into it and sniffed. “What is this?”
The bride-to-be grinned and took her friend by the arm. “It’s mead, kind of a spiced wine honey thing and it’s excellent. C’mon, I’ll introduce you around.” She led her to the edge of the crowd gathered near the stage and pointed out the other family members present. “You see the tall black-haired man talking to my dad? That’s Ian’s brother Sean. The ginger-haired lady next to him is his wife Leslie. She’s from Scotland, has the coolest accent. Sean runs Gallia Diamond Corporation from where they live in South Africa. They’ve got three of the most adorable kids. Their twins Siobhan and Ryan are our flower girl and ring bearer.” She sipped her mead while they walked. “All the Kelly brothers and sisters are just about two years apart. Sean’s the oldest, then Meg, Ian’s in the middle, then James and Heather.”
A tall blond man walked by with a pretty young woman on his arm. His face lit up when he saw Beth and Lily. “Beth!” Renaud exclaimed, pulling her into a tight hug. One of the Castle’s most popular cast members and fencer extraordinaire, the handsome Frenchman was also one of Beth’s good friends. Releasing Beth, he turned to Lily and shook his head with mock sadness. “Lily, ma chere, you I dare not touch. Ian might see and I like my face just as it is, thank you. You look tres belle, Beth,” he added. “Have you met Ian’s sister Heather? She’s studying to be a chef at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. You’re due to graduate soon, non?”
“Mais oui.” The beautiful green-eyed blonde smiled sweetly. “I feel as if I already know you,” she said, clasping Beth’s hand. “Ian and Lily speak of you so often.”
Beth laughed and replied, “Only the good stuff is true, though.” She had just lifted her cup to take a sip of her drink when she sensed a presence behind her. She froze, holding her breath in anticipation. There was only one Kelly left to meet.
“Me next,” a lilting baritone purred. The bearer of said voice stepped into view and Beth’s heart skipped several beats as she gazed into the most beautiful green eyes she had ever seen. Lily grinned and introduced the newcomer.
“Beth, this is James Kelly, Ian’s brother. James, meet my best friend and maid of honor, Beth Vargo. You’ll be escorting her.”
Beth’s tone belied the excitement shivering through her body as she calmly offered her hand. “Pleased to meet you,” she said.
* * * *
Mine.
His entire body resonated as that one single word exploded through him. James took her hand and brushed his lips across her fingertips, his gaze never leaving hers. “The pleasure is all mine, darlin’,” he said softly.
Christ almighty, she’s gorgeous. Now this was a real woman. They stared at each other without speaking until the wedding planner clapped her hands and called, “It’s time to get started, people.”
James managed to tear his gaze away first. Turning to Lily he grinned and said, “I believe Renaud is escorting Heather and as I have now found my partner, you should probably run along and find that homely bastard you’re marrying.” He looked around in feigned alarm. “Feel free to not tell him I said that.”
Laughing,