Mad, Bad and Blonde - Cathie Linz [99]
Caine raised an eyebrow at her confident claim but did leave after saying, “Just shout if you need any help.”
She smiled and nodded before turning to glower at Buddy. “How could you make such a mess of things?”
“Hey, listen up, buttercup—” he protested.
She interrupted him. “No, you listen up!”
“Logan, are you going to stand there and let her talk to me like that?” Buddy demanded.
Logan just nodded.
“I had no idea you had such a temper,” Buddy told Megan. “She must have Irish blood in her,” he added for Logan’s benefit.
“No doubt,” Logan agreed.
“I don’t believe you two. This is serious.”
“What’s serious?” Gram asked as she came onto the terrace. “Buddy, is there a problem?” She came to stand by his side, a concerned look on her face. Even though she was in her midseventies, Ingrid West was not your typical senior citizen. Her blue eyes and high cheekbones proclaimed her Scandinavian heritage, while her gelled, spiky haircut revealed her rebellious side. Today she was wearing one of her Chanel suits with a large red flower in the lapel and a Save the Polar Bears pin. “It’s not the Swedish mob, is it?” she said in a semiwhisper. “Are they here in Las Vegas?”
“Gram, there’s no such thing,” Megan began when Buddy interrupted her.
“No, the Swedish mob has no foothold here.”
“Swedish mob?” Logan frowned.
“That’s right.” Buddy sounded defensive. “Tell her they aren’t here in Las Vegas.”
“I have connections,” Gram said.
“To the Swedish mob?” Logan said.
Gram nodded. “Why? Does Buddy have a problem? Do we need to call in the Swedish mob?”
“No, ma’am. I don’t think that will be necessary,” Logan said.
Gram gently socked his arm. “I’ve told you before to call me Gram, not ma’am. Were you feeling left out today, Logan? Is that why you stopped the wedding? You didn’t want to miss anything? I’m sorry you weren’t invited to the event.” She patted his shoulder. “That was wrong of us.” She turned to Megan. “Why wasn’t Logan invited to the wedding? He’s practically family.”
“No, that’s okay, really,” Logan hurriedly said. “I wasn’t feeling left out.”
“He’s a cop,” Buddy said. “Third generation. Logan isn’t all touchy-feely.” Buddy shuddered at the thought. “Not at all.”
“Then I don’t understand why he wanted to stop Faith’s wedding.” Gram paused as a thought occurred to her. “Unless you thought it was Buddy’s wedding to me. Is that what you thought?” Her expression reflected her hurt feelings. “I thought you liked me.”
“It isn’t about you. It’s about Buddy,” Logan said.
“What about Buddy?” Gram said.
“Are you going to tell her or should I?” Logan asked Buddy.
“I’ll tell her. We could use a little privacy here.”
Megan reluctantly stepped back inside but hovered near the doorway in case her grandmother needed her. Logan stood beside her. They were soon joined by Megan’s uncle, Jeff, and her father. Jeff was the smooth, uberworkaholic, and Megan’s dad, Dave, was the quiet, bookish accountant in the family. They both owned West Investigations, the largest private investigation firm in Chicago.
“Is somebody going to tell me what’s going on here?” Jeff demanded. “Why wasn’t I told that Buddy planned on proposing to my mother? I had no idea things had gotten that serious. They’ve only known each other a few months. I thought they were just . . . I don’t know . . . playing bingo together.”
“Strip bingo,” Logan muttered under his breath.
Megan elbowed him in his side.
“What was that?” Jeff said. “I didn’t hear you.”
“Nothing.”
“It was a mistake,” Buddy said in a loud voice from the terrace. “I didn’t know I was still married!”
“Still married?” Jeff’s face turned red with fury. “Did Buddy just say he was still married? The bastard. How dare he . . .” he sputtered.
Megan’s dad helped him out. “Tamper with our mother’s affections?”
Jeff nodded. “Yeah, that. I’ve got a good mind to—”
“Beat up a seventy-something-year-old senior citizen?” Megan said, irritated by all the testosterone swirling around her. She hadn’t missed the smack-down looks shooting between