Brown-Eyed Girl (Travis Family #4)(29)

“Why’s that?” Joe asked.

Ryan hesitated for a long moment. “Bethany’s pregnant.” The battened-down tension in his reply made it clear that the news had been neither expected nor welcome.

A sober silence descended.

“She said she wants to have the baby,” Ryan continued. “I told her I’d stand by her, of course.”

“Ryan,” Ella ventured, “I know you’re traditional about these things. But if that’s the only reason you’re proposing to Bethany, the marriage doesn’t have a great chance of working out.”

“We’ll make it work.”

“You can be part of your child’s life without having to get married,” I said quietly.

“I’m not here to discuss the pros and cons. The wedding is going to happen. All I want is a say in how it turns out.”

“So you want to take an active part in the planning?” I asked.

“No, I just want to set some reasonable parameters and have them enforced. Otherwise, Hollis will have the entire wedding party riding on elephants dressed in gold chain mail, or worse.”

I was troubled by the prospect of planning a wedding for a reluctant groom. It seemed doubtful that he and Bethany would make it to the altar, but even if they did, the process would likely be miserable for everyone involved. “Ryan,” I said, “there are several very experienced and well-established event planners in Houston who could do a wonderful job —”

“They’re all in the Warners’ pocket. I’ve already made it clear to Hollis that I won’t put up with any event planner who’s worked for her in the past. I want someone she doesn’t own. It doesn’t matter to me about how good you are, or what kind of flowers you pick, or any of that. All I want to know is if you can stand up to Hollis when she tries to take over.”

“Of course I can,” I said. “I’m a pathological control freak. And I happen to be great at my job. But before we discuss this any further, why don’t you come to my studio and —”

“You’re hired,” he said abruptly.

I responded with a startled laugh. “I’m sure you’ll want to run it by Bethany first.”

Ryan shook his head. “I’ll stipulate that hiring you is a requirement for the engagement. She won’t say a word about it.”

“Usually the procedure for this starts with a studio visit. We look at a portfolio and discuss ideas and possibilities —”

“I don’t want to drag this out any longer than necessary. I’ve already decided to give the job to you.”

Before I could reply, Joe intervened with a flicker of amusement in his eyes. “Rye, I don’t think the question is whether you want to hire Avery. I think she’s trying to figure out if she wants to take you on.”

“Why wouldn’t she?” Ryan’s perplexed gaze arrowed to mine.

While I was busy trying to come up with a diplomatic reply, we were interrupted by Jack’s return. “Hey, Rye.” He had arrived with Ella’s champagne in time to overhear the last of the conversation. “What are you hiring Avery for?”

“Wedding planning,” Ryan said. “Bethany’s pregnant.”

Jack stared at him blankly. “Damn, son,” he said after a moment. “There are precautions for that.”

Ryan’s eyes narrowed. “No method’s a hundred percent except abstinence. Explain that word to him, Ella – God knows he’s never heard it before.”

Jack grinned briefly. “She knows me well enough not to bother.”

Privately, I reflected that beneath Ryan’s high-handed manner, he had to be feeling what any man would in this situation: anxiety, frustration, and a tremendous need to obtain control over something. “Ryan,” I said gently, “I understand your desire to start making decisions right away, but this isn’t the way to pick a wedding planner. If you’re interested in hiring me, come to my studio at your earliest convenience and we’ll talk.” As I spoke, I fished a business card from my clutch and gave it to him.

Frowning, Ryan tucked the card into his pocket. “Monday morning?”

“That works fine for me.”

“Avery,” Ella said, “may I have a card too? I need your help.”

Jack gave her a quizzical glance. “We’re already married.”

“Not for that, it’s for Haven’s baby shower.” Ella took the card I gave her and gave me an imploring look. “How good are you at salvaging a disaster in the making? I had to arrange a baby shower for my sister-in-law Haven, because our other sister-in-law is swamped with a salon opening – she’s starting her own business – and I’m a terrible procrastinator, so I put it off for way too long. And Haven just told me that she’d rather not have a traditional girly shower, she’d rather it be appropriate for families. The whole thing is only half-planned, and it’s a mess.”

“When is it?” I asked.

“Next weekend,” Ella said sheepishly.

“I’ll do the best I can. I can’t promise miracles, but —”

“Thank you, what a relief! Anything you can do will be great. If you want to —”

“Wait a minute,” Ryan interrupted. “Why does Ella get an instant ‘yes’ and I don’t?”