Tall Tales and Wedding Veils by Jane Graves

after last night.”

    “A little conversation might be nice.”

    “I’m really not in the mood.”

    “Come on, Heather. It really doesn’t take much to—”

    “Look, Tony. I know we spent last night together, doing God knows what, because I still don’t remember everything, but I barely
know
you. What more could we possibly have to talk about?”

    His smile evaporated. “Okay. I just hoped there weren’t going to be hard feelings.”

    She turned away to look out the window again, only to feel her conscience nag at her. She was just as responsible for this mess as he was, yet she was treating him as if it was all his fault.

    “I’m sorry,” she said. “I don’t mean to be snippy. But it’s easy for you, you know? All you have to do is walk away. I’m the one who has to deal with the fallout.”

    “Your mother.”

    “Yes.”

    “So what are you going to say to her?”

    Heather sighed. “I don’t know exactly.”

    “Does she know you drink?”

    “Yes. She knows.”

    “Does she know you drink a lot?”

    “I
don’t
drink a lot!”

    “You did last night. And that’s your excuse. ‘Mom. I got blasted and lost my mind. You understand.’ ”

    “Just because she knows I drink doesn’t mean she’s happy about it. About the only alcohol she ever has is half a glass of champagne every New Year’s Eve. Telling her I did something stupid because I was dead drunk wouldn’t exactly win me points.”

    “I don’t get it,” Tony said. “What mother wants her daughter to elope in Vegas? Don’t they like that whole wedding thing?”

    “She just wants me to be married. Preferably before I’m too old to give her four or five grandchildren. She’ll take it any way she can get it. I’m just dreading having to tell her it’s not going to happen this time around.”

    Evidently Tony didn’t know what to say to that, because he finally stopped talking, which made Heather feel exactly like the snippy person she’d just apologized for being.

    Never mind. Just get this mess over with.

    She directed him to her parents’ house in east Plano, and as he pulled up to the curb, she had to resist the urge to tell him to just keep on driving. Preferably right off a cliff, so she wouldn’t have to deal with this.

    They got out of the car. Tony opened the back hatch and retrieved her suitcase.

    “I’ll contact you when I hear more about the annulment,” Heather said.

    Tony handed the bag to her. “Good luck.”

    She nodded, then looked at the house.
It’s now or never. And never’s not an option.

    Then all at once, the front door opened, and her mother stepped onto the porch. Then her father. Then she saw Uncle Burt. Aunt Sylvia. Her cousin Kelsey. Grandma Roberta. Grandpa Henry. And other assorted aunts, uncles, and cousins.

    Heather froze. What was going on?

    They were coming down the steps. Hurrying along the sidewalk. Spilling across the lawn. Given the size of her parents’ house, it was like watching circus clowns climbing out of one of those tiny little cars, and more kept coming.

    Oh, God. No.
This couldn’t be happening!

    “What the hell is going on?” Tony said.

    “I don’t know,” Heather said warily. “But it doesn’t look good.”

    “Why are all these people at your house?”

    “It’s not my house. It’s my parents’ house.”

    Her mother reached the car first, grinning like a lunatic. She stepped off the curb, walked right up to Tony, and stopped in front of him, her hand fluttering against her chest.

    “Oh, my God, Heather! He’s every bit as handsome as you said he was!” She threw her arms around him and gave him a big, smacking kiss on the cheek. “Welcome to the family!”
    Chapter 6

    T ony couldn’t move. He couldn’t speak. He just stood there, his mouth hanging open. Cameras sprouted in everyone’s hands and began snapping, as if they were the paparazzi and he and Heather were superstars du jour.

    “I’m Barbara,” the huggy-kissy