The Mischievous Mrs. Maxfield

Chapter Twelve: Here Comes The Unlikely Bride

Aimee and Rose showed up. Aimee and I talked while Brandon, who poked his head out at the sound of Rose's giggles, took the girl out to the balcony to show her the view. Armina and Noli arrived next with some final details about my wedding gown, my honeymoon clothes and the scandalous trousseau I was taking with me as well. Then Shelly came next and she had a gazillion things to finalize with me about the wedding ceremony and reception details. She looked extraordinarily composed for someone who had two weeks to throw a small but grand wedding and if it weren't for hers and Felicity's organizing prowess, the wedding wouldn't be happening tomorrow at all.

After they left, the rest of the Maxfields arrived for lunch. Anna came, looking in much better shape than when we saw each other last. She had a nasty bruise that was starting to go purple-yellow on her but she surprised me when she insisted herself that she was fulfilling her bridesmaid's duties and attending the wedding despite her injury. Given, she still looked beautiful despite the bruise, but the fact that Anna Maxfield, the girl known for never having a hair out of place, was showing up in public with her battle scars for my wedding meant a lot to me.

Tessa, who seemed to have patched up with her sister, had tears in her eyes when she gave me a wordless hug and I understood everything she wanted to say to me. 

Jake arrived shortly after the Maxfields left, holding a big arrangement of pink-tipped yellow roses. 

"I left the car running too in case you decide to dump this loser guy and run off with me," he said with a wink as he leaned down to kiss me on the cheek. 

Brandon had emerged from his office at Jake's arrival and was now boring a hole into his best friend's head as he glared. 

I laughed and took the flowers, smelling them for a moment. "Thank you, Jake, but I'm afraid I can't run away with you. You see, Brandon would just shatter to pieces if I abandoned him. He can't live without me. Right, darling?"

Brandon turned his scowl to me which only amused me more. I laughed again and leaned up to kiss him on the cheek. "Sheesh, Brandon. I'm just teasing. Get back to your work. Jake and I will just be out on the balcony catching up."

"Do you know that he once dated four girls at the same time in junior high?" Brandon muttered, glancing at Jake who was grinning broadly. "He only got caught because he returned one girl's sweater to a different one." 

I gave Jake a look of mock-horror. "You're an unrepentant playboy, Jake Hastings. How could a girl ever trust you?"

Jake shrugged. "They shouldn't because there's only one girl I care to convince to trust me and Brandon is just sabotaging it best he could."

"That's because she's mine," Brandon growled at Jake. 

"Not officially until tomorrow," Jake countered with a shrug, glancing at his watch. "I have a little less than twelve hours to steal her away from you."

I groaned, giving them both an exasperated smile and a shake of my head. "Good God! Will you two stop it? If you don't, I'll ditch you both and elope with someone else."

Jake nodded, looping my arm through his and cocking his head smugly at Brandon. "You heard her, Brand. Stop stewing about it. It's already bad enough that you have me to contend with. You don't need another man trying to steal her away as well."

I smacked Jake on the arm with the back of my hand, wincing slightly at the pain. "You're such a troublemaker, you know that? Stop taunting Brandon."

Jake rolled his eyes. "I can't. He's got the one thing I want."

Brandon's eyes narrowed. "I have no problem tossing you out, Jake."

"Don't worry about it, Brand," I said with a sigh, steering Jake toward the balcony before Brandon could lunge for his throat. "I'll toss him out myself if he doesn't behave. He'll discover why I'm nicknamed the Nutcracker at Marlow's."