Beth hesitated a moment before speaking. “The Prince is…quite the piece of work,” she said slowly, “but he worships the ground Lily walks on and I approve of that.”
James doubled over with an explosion of laughter. “The Prince? Sweet Jaysus, where’d that name come from?” he wheezed, once he was able to speak again.
“It’s short for Prince Charming,” Beth confided solemnly.
James snickered again. “Prince, indeed. Aye well, he does have something of a noble bearing. Not poor common folk like me, I’m afraid.”
“Common isn’t a word I’d use to describe you,” Beth said then bit her lip as if to catch the words. James didn’t comment but cast a sideways glance at her and smiled.
* * * *
The rehearsal went as well as could be expected considering the amount of irreverent fun the alcohol had initiated. After an hour and a half, the newly hoarse director was somewhat optimistic that everyone knew where they were supposed to be and when. With a stern admonition to be on time and sober for the wedding, she turned them all loose to leave for the rehearsal dinner. The group started as one toward the parking lot, but once there began a spirited discussion about who was riding with whom.
Ian and Lily pulled Beth aside. “Would you like to ride over with us?” Ian asked, snaking his arm around Lily’s waist and giving her a playful tickle. She smacked his hand in mock exasperation.
“Nah, I hate being without my car,” Beth grinned. “I’ll see you both over there.” Her spine tingled and she got all shivery inside, knowing that when she turned around, James would be standing there. And yes, he was.
“I didn’t drive and I don’t really know the area,” he shrugged. “Would you mind if I rode with you? I promise to behave,” he said with a crooked grin, “unless of course you don’t want me to.”
Beth gave herself a mental pat on the back for resisting the urge to throw herself on him right there and then, and nodded numbly that yes, it would be fine if he rode over with her. Lily waved and called back, “Drive carefully!”
Ian gave James a hard look but said nothing as he spun on his heel and followed his fiancee.
Casting a wary glance toward the back of his retreating brother, James turned to Beth and said cheerfully, “Ready?”
Waving for him to follow her, Beth headed for her car. She was relieved that it was for the most part pretty clean, all the fast food bags having been cleared out and nearly all of the French fries recovered from their hiding place under the seat. The old lilac Saturn had seen better days, but was still holding its own. James whistled when he saw it. “What a great car,” he exclaimed.
She turned to give him a withering glare and saw the look of appreciation on his face. He wasn’t kidding. “I like it,” she admitted as she got in, “It’s old, but it still runs pretty good.”
“It’s great,” James repeated, easing into the passenger seat, “full of character. Reminds me of a car I had once. Mine wasn’t purple, though,” he laughed.
On automatic pilot, she backed out of the parking space and threw the car in gear. Okay, time for an emergency meeting, her brain sent out to the rest of her body. James Kelly, internationally-known rock star and the gorgeous brother of my best friend’s fiance is sitting in my junky old car talking to me like he’s just an average, normal guy. This is not happening. Men like him don’t look at girls like me. Men like him want beautiful, tall and skinny, not plain, short and chunky. Her heart, however, elected to skip the meeting.
To Beth’s surprise, they talked easily and non-stop all the way to the restaurant, and when they pulled into one of the last remaining parking spaces at the back of the lot, James jumped out and ran around the car to open the door for her. Offering her his hand to help her out, he gave her a bright smile. “Shall we, Miss Vargo?”
Charmed, she grinned back and said, “Why certainly, Mr. Kelly.” She took his arm again and he patted her hand as they walked toward the front door of the restaurant.
“Your dress is lovely,” James commented.
“Thanks,” Beth blushed. “It’s not the sort of thing I normally wear, but it’s comfortable. That’s a nice suit,” she said, indicating his obviously expensive jacket.
“Thanks yourself,” he smiled. “It’s not what I usually wear either, but Ma said–and I quote–‘If ye show up for yer brother’s weddin’ in leather pants, anything ripped or dangling from yer earlobes, ye’d best commend yer soul to God because yer ass will belong to me.’”
She bit her lip to keep from laughing at the dire admonition repeated in the high feminine pitch. “Your mom really said that?”
“She did,” James said somberly. “Terrified me too. As you can see, I’m observing the warnings and cleaned up all proper-like for the festivities.” Beth nodded and still managed to keep a straight face until he added under his breath, “I hope she don’t check my underwear, though.”
About half of the wedding party had already arrived and the harried servers ran back and forth taking drink orders. James ordered a glass of wine for himself from a star struck waitress and turning to Beth asked, “And what is your pleasure, m’dear?”
You naked in a great big champagne glass. “I’ll have the same, thank you,” Beth nodded.
The bride and groom made their appearance, along with the rest of the wedding party, family and close friends, and everyone laughed, drank and mingled while they waited to take their seats at the long table. Beth moved from group to group chatting, never losing sight of the fact that not once did James leave her side, attentively gesturing for refills when her glass was empty and making small talk. He occasionally put a gentle hand to her lower back to guide her through the crowd almost possessively. Was he flirting with her? Not bloody likely…she snorted delicately.
When they reached Ian and Lily, Beth overheard as Ian leaned next to James’s ear and whispered, “A private word, if you please.”
“Ladies, if you would be so kind as to excuse us,” James bowed low to Beth and then to Lily, who giggled at his formality. Beth looked at Ian with a question in her eyes, feeling the strange undercurrents of something she just couldn’t quite put her finger on. Ian just smiled and nodded, then took hold of James by the upper arm and dragged him from the room.
* * * *
Once in the hallway near the restrooms, James wrenched his arm free from Ian’s iron grip and took a good look at his brother. “Here now, leave off. What’d I do?”
“I just wanted to take a moment to explain this potentially life-threatening situation you’ve managed to get yourself into,” Ian said, his face carefully devoid of any emotion. “Beth is a lovely woman. She is Lily’s best friend, and they are very, very close. If you hurt Beth, it will hurt Lily. If you hurt Lily, it will hurt me, and if you hurt me, I will cheerfully drown you in the pond and apologize to Ma later when you’re not there for Christmas.”
James felt the color drain from his face then flood back. “You’d drown me? Seriously?”
Ian nodded, solemn as a judge. “I’ll let you call Ma first to tell her you love her. I couldn’t kill you knowing you hadn’t done that, but afterwards, yes…I will drown you and smile in the doing of it.”
James suppressed a grin. “I consider myself duly warned.” Cocking his head sideways he remarked, “Jaysus, you’re still a right vicious bastard, aren’t you? All that pent-up male energy. Maybe you just need to get lai–” Ian growled and James threw his hands up in self defense just as Meg’s husband rounded the corner.
“Leave the two of you alone for one minute and you’re gearing up to