From the moment Jimmy met his mother in the breakfast room, she was like a bird ready to take flight. She tweeted with excitement. Their houseguests had not come down yet, but Jimmy had already run to hell and back on the treadmill.

"Where's Dad?"

"Hiding. He's not as happy about hosting the bridal party."

Jimmy laughed. "I doubt they'll be walking around in their underwear downstairs."

She laughed. "Don't get any ideas." He had perpetual ideas, but stared into his coffee cup. "Poor Tate. I wish she could forget."

He looked up. "She refuses to talk about it. I've pushed her a little."

"You can always talk about it with me, Sweetheart."

"What? That I killed my girlfriend?"

"You didn't kill her. Don't think that way."

Jimmy looked into his coffee. "Today is a happy day. Baxter is one lucky guy."

No one knew about the kiss. Things would have been so different if he hadn't kissed Tate. How could one innocent kiss ruin lives? Sheridan drank more because of it. He remembered her weaving across the drive to the car. Then he ruined Tate because of the accident and the cross. Last was the purgatory he lived in. He tried to save others hoping to pull himself out. Some thought the snake only wanted revenge, but he didn't need to be the hero. He just couldn't save himself, so he did penance. A therapist would tell him in one session the reason he avoided any lasting relationships, but he already knew. The big question was why he kept kissing Tate.

Elena flitted around rearranging the plates of pastries. "Too bad she didn't fall for you first. Do you think the girls will be hungry?"

"What do I know about women?" How she smelled and felt when her body pressed into his. He liked when she sighed. It seemed to say the last thing she wanted was really the one thing she needed. He would be hard if he kept thinking about her sighs.

"You should eat something. It'll be a long day."

Jimmy filled his plate with warm, fluffy eggs and fresh fruit. The household ran on autopilot, but he assumed his mother had informed the staff of the extra guests. Typically, his breakfast appeared on a plate for him. It had been awhile since he had seen an abundance of food on the sideboard.

Elena sipped on her coffee. "I wish you would follow Baxter's lead."

"How so?" His boardroom skills worked as he put the ball in her court to clarify.

"Marriage. Imagine having a partner waiting at home for you. How about someone to spend your time off with?"

He swallowed some eggs. "What time off?"

"The time you would take if you had someone to spend it with."

He smiled. "You just talked yourself into a circle." Not all she mentioned was awful. His business took him away and women wanted attention he couldn't give.

Voices caused them both to turn. "Good morning." Carl entered smiling with Ellen just ahead of him.

"It's a lovely day for a wedding." Elena stood. "Come get some breakfast."

"This is nicer than a hotel." Carl lifted a plate.

Elena laughed. "I hope you both slept well."

"Like a baby." Carl seemed to be the spokesperson.

Ellen finally spoke. "Why do people say that? Ivy woke every three hours."

"Jimmy slept through the night at two months but... Um, I never understood it either Ellen."

Jimmy recognized grief cross past his mother like a wisp. Tate's reaction was larger, but both struggled with loss. He quickly changed the subject. "Ellen, I heard you had met Philip before."

Her hand shook. "A very long time ago. I met him when a friend was dating a guy from Harvard. It was only once and he..."

"He, what?" Jimmy had stopped eating to give her his full attention.

"He was much nicer last night."

Elena said, "I think he's mellowed through the years, although Amelia hasn't."

"He rides Baxter harder than the others." Jimmy never felt as much pressure.

Elena looked at her watch. "The girls will arrive soon. I need to check on the preparations. Excuse me."

Jimmy sat with their guests and searched for a new topic. "I'm glad it won't rain today."

"Or snow," Carl added.

"Do you drive the mail truck or do you get out and walk?"

"I do some of both. Either way, the elements make it hard."

Joseph arrived and Jimmy used it as his chance to slip away. He had plenty of time before he had to report to the church. His mind felt like a pinball machine with thoughts ricocheting off each other. His mother had outsmarted him as he thought about a warm, curvy greeting when he returned from a trip. Only one woman would be content to wait for him. He thought about Carl. Did he know his wife had once loved another man? Would Tate's future husband know she loved him? His eggs churned in his belly. Would anyone love him like Tate? Questions with no answers. What if Tate never trusted him to knock down the wall where she kept herself prisoner in her past? He had to rescue her.

Jimmy reviewed his toast speech. He had written in on the flight home from Vegas. Closing his eyes he touched his breast, but there was no pocket or worn paper. He would tuck it into the pocket of his tuxedo. Finding words to write about Baxter and Ivy was nothing like writing about his beloved uncle. Jimmy looked up from his laptop when he heard the doorbell. The thumping in his chest reached his ears as it sped up. Closing the lid, he stood and walked into the hall.

Ivy frowned. "Were you working?"

"Not really. Just killing time. Unlike you, men are already perfect and don't need long to get ready."

Ivy smiled and kissed his cheek. "You are not perfect, but you're pretty handsome." She touched his chin and frowned.

His nick had a noticeable scab. He pouted. "Thanks a lot." He looked past Ivy to see Tate. Her face might as well have a foreign language written on it, it was impossible to read. "Ladies, it's an exciting day. Welcome to our home."

Doyle gave him a one arm hug. "I think you're okay, Jimmy. Save a dance for me."

He laughed. "Absolutely." He winked at Tate and felt his chest loosen as pink painted her cheeks. He could read the language of blush.

Elena came down the stairs with Macintyre and Charles behind her. "Your rooms are ready. Ritchie should be here soon. Let Camila know if you need anything. She's very excited to help Miss. Ivy today."

Ivy smiled. "I feel at home here." She kissed Elena's cheek. "Thank you."

"Darling, I'm thrilled."

Jimmy stepped forward. "I can help too."

Elena swatted him. "You'll leave our bridal party alone."

Like a puppy with a tail between his legs, he walked back into his office. How was Baxter doing? He picked up his phone.

The two men met on the street. Baxter sighed. "I had to get out of there. My mother is suffocating me."

Jimmy smirked. "My mother hit me when I offered the women my assistance."

Baxter laughed. "How's Ivy?"

"Happy, calm. She teased me. How are you? Need a drink?"

"No. I want to be sharp. I'm excited although I could skip the crowd."

"Who are all the people?"

"Who the hell knows. Ivy hardly has any friends and family. Can you imagine when Tate tries it again with a guy worthy of her. The guest list will be five-hundred."

"That's not double."

"I assume some will overlap." They walked together without paying attention to where they were going. It was their neighborhood. They used to walk around on summer evenings in their early teens.

"My mother is in heaven. I can't imagine if I were to..."

Baxter stopped walking. "You have the wrong idea. It is not the shackles you imagine. It is freeing to share your life with someone you love." He frowned. "The shackles are for the ones who choose a partner they don't love. Like..."

"Like who?"

"Like half the couples we know."

Jimmy shook his head. "I'm not buying it. You were about to say a name."

Baxter sighed. "Fine, but I trust you not to tell a soul. My father wore the cross for years before he met my mother."

Jimmy smirked. "And old Philip kissed someone."

"Young Philip did, and the cross worked."

Jimmy's jaw dropped. "Ivy's mother!"

Baxter laughed. "That's what I thought but no. No one knows about this. Don't tell a soul."

"You can trust me."

"I know. I wish one of my sisters would put on the cross and kiss you. Then you would fall in love and have to marry her."

"Wait, a minute. That was a loaded statement."

"How so?"

"First, I thought your lore only affected the wearer."

Baxter shook his head. "Not from what I've seen. My father's loves the one he kissed. And Ivy..."

"Right. That explains why she didn't fall for me." Years of training allowed him to look cool on the outside, but inside was a mess. "It is a curse."

Baxter cheeks might crack. "Not to me."

"Stop smiling. I'll go blind from your white teeth. What happened to the guy who told me to protect his sisters but never touch them?"

"We were kids. I knew what was on your mind. It was the same thing that was on my mind twenty-four-seven."

Jimmy laughed. "I think it still is."

"Lucky for me. I'll have a wife."

"So if I got this right. You want your sister to fall for the notorious Jimmy Sinclair?"

Baxter laughed. "I know the real you. You just need the right woman."

Jimmy's head was spinning. It would be so easy to confess, but Tate would never forgive him. He cleared his throat. "So this is a big day for you."

Baxter beamed. He frowned. "I hope your hack job doesn't show up in my wedding photos."

Jimmy ran his hand over his chin. "See I'm not perfect."

Baxter rolled his eyes. "I never thought you were. My mother will send out a search party, if I don't go home soon."

Jimmy laughed. "We still need to make ourselves beautiful."

Baxter pounded him on the back. "Ask the girls for some makeup."

Jimmy laughed, but thought he just might.

As Baxter walked into his house, Jimmy smiled. Next time they saw each other, they would be at the church. He picked up his pace. Maybe Tate would help with his chin.

So I was wrong, next week is the wedding ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️