"The grounds are stunning, Willow. This is perfect for the reception."
"God we are so lucky that they had a last-minute cancellation and can accommodate us," she confessed. “I just want everything to be perfect for the day.”
I chuckled. "And it will be. But just remember it's about more than the day. Travis loves you. You two are going to be so happy.” I hoped that was true. She was so young. I hoped her getting married right now wasn't a response to being too sheltered and desperately needing freedom.
We finished our drinks and opted for a walk through the castle to go meet Travis. As we went, she was buzzing with excitement, almost like I had to hold onto her just to keep her grounded. It was good to see her like this. For a long time I had often felt like I was her mum. It was silly, but with her getting married it felt like I was finally reverting back to the role of big sister.
When we turned the corner, some of her exuberance faded and was replaced by a serious look. "Are you sure you're okay about Mum?"
I hesitated for a split second and forced my face into complete neutrality. "I don't get to have feelings about Mum. Not at your wedding. You want her there, and I support you.” I tried not to say that through my teeth. “You only knew her as the mother you didn't have. So experience your feelings as you need to and don't worry about me. As long as she leaves me alone, we won't have any problems."
She chewed on her bottom lip, and I could tell that wasn't quite the answer she wanted but it would have to suffice. "I'm glad to hear that. Thank you for always supporting me. I love you."
"I love you too, Wills."
She took a breath, a sheepish smile playing on her lips, and I braced for the coming blow. "Oh, Jesus Christ, Wills, now what?"
"Just… You know Massimo has been invited, right?"
I held my breath for a beat. Would I never be free of this guy? "To the wedding? I know he's a friend of Travis's. I guess I don't care, but he is a little creepy. I guess I left out that I ran into him about a week ago when I was out with Talia. The night I snogged my would be client."
She grimaced. “That makes so much sense now. He, um, told Travis all about it.”
I halted my footsteps then. “Excuse me? He ran and told Travis he'd seen me out?”
“Yeah, that night he called Travis a bit miffed, actually. Said he'd seen you out and you were rude. That you snogged some bloke right in front of him. That didn’t really sound like you but now I’m putting two and two together.”
I blinked at her slowly, not sure if I was hearing correctly. “What business is it of his if I snog somebody? And second, what business is it of yours, Travis’s?”
Willow winced and rushed to explain. “I'm just telling you what he told us. That he'd seen you and reintroduced himself, then you basically ran up and snogged somebody. He was a bit irritated because Travis told him you were single, so he thought he had a shot. I didn’t realize this was the night of the client kiss.”
What the hell? Where did he get off? “I very much hope you told him that only I determine who has a shot with me. Not to mention that he has zero ownership over me. I don't even know the bloke.”
“Oh, I did. And Travis got an earful, too, because he was the one who was busy trying to play matchmaker.”
It didn't sit right with me. Something was off about this whole situation. “That's bullshit. I don't need a matchmaker, and I don't know this guy. Why is that so hard for him to understand? And let's go ahead and circle back to that part where who I snog is none of his business.”
Willow sighed. “I'm sorry, Daphne. I shouldn't have said anything.”
“No, I'm glad you did. Because now I need to talk to Travis.”
She put her hands up to stop me from marching straight up to my brother-in-law-to-be. “No, don't do that. He’ll feel terrible if you yell at him. I don't want him getting upset. He's just trying to show you he cares about you.”
“By giving some creep the impression that he has a shot with me? Does Travis not know that we don't live in the 19th century? I don't need a male relative to arrange dates for me.”
Willow shifted from foot to foot, and I could feel her anxiety coming off her in waves. “He was just trying to help, Daph. He figured you would be uncomfortable with Mum there, so he thought a date would make it better.”
I was caught between a rock and a hard place. I didn't want Willow to feel anxious, but I still wanted her to get the message. “I hear you. But he was just super creepy and acting a little bit possessive. Considering I didn't even remember him, it was ridiculous. He acted like we were dating or something.”
“Maybe you just misunderstood. Or maybe Travis told him you'd be happy to be his date.”
“Not okay, Willow.”
"I totally get it,” she said, chewing her bottom lip. “To be fair, though, I didn't know he was being creepy and possessive. And he is a friend of Travis’s, so Travis can invite whoever he wants. I just thought you should know so there are no surprises."
I sucked in a sharp breath, finally understanding why I had been so reluctant to tell Willow about everything my mother did. This Massimo thing was minor, but from the sounds of it she was siding with Travis. Like I was the one who just didn't understand.
"Let's move on, okay?"
"Okay good. I just… I don't want you to be uncomfortable."
Uncomfortable didn't even cut it. "I won't be. It's your wedding. I can handle a lot for your wedding. Now show me around. What else do we need to see here?"
As we located the restaurant, Travis was waiting for us. When he saw us, he stood and embraced his wife-to-be. "Hello, my beautiful love." And then he gave me a tight squeeze. "And my soon-to-be sister. What are you two cackling about?"
"It's not a cackle. It's a hoot and a holler really,” I said. “We're planning our next adventure."
His brows furrowed at that. "Maybe the next one won't get my wife killed?"
"Ugh, one time you fall off a tight rope…"
He rolled his eyes. "How much longer do you need to have your adventures?"
I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. Did he really need to talk to me like he was my dad? "I don't know. Until I think I've had enough, I guess."
He nodded. "Maybe we keep Willow away from them. Or maybe don’t tell us until after you’ve done it. I mean that’s if you even do it. It makes her worry."
I knew what he was saying. He was concerned about his wife. But I didn’t want to be shamed as if I was a rebellious child.
Just a few weeks. It’s just wedding stress. I shoved down my unease.
The chef came over and introduced himself. He was a short, squat, jovial man with a zesty enthusiasm that played out on his ruddy face as he talked about the dishes he was going to bring us to taste. He was animated in a way that made you excited to eat whatever he was bringing.
When he was gone, Travis leaned forward. "So, how are we doing on the dating front?"
I expelled a long breath. "Please, can we not talk about it?"
Willow nudged him with her elbow. "Lay off, love. Besides, maybe she wants to bring the bloke she was snogging."