Understanding dawned on his face. “That’s why everything stopped. The coordinator told us there were payment complications, but I had no idea.”
“It’s resolved now,” I assured him. “Everything’s back on track.”
He stepped forward and hugged me tightly. “Thank you. But why were the contracts in your name?”
“It’s a long story,” I said, not wanting to burden him with family drama on his wedding day. “You should be getting ready. The ceremony’s in two hours.”
“Not until we talk,” Tyler insisted, leading me to a quiet corner of the lobby. “Mom and Dad told me you chose not to come, that you were too busy with work.”
Of course they had.
“That’s not true. They asked me not to attend. Said my presence would complicate things with the Montgomerys.”
Tyler’s face fell. “I confronted them after our coffee meeting. They promised they’d fix things with you.”
“Their idea of fixing things was telling me the greatest gift I could give you was vanishing from the family permanently.”
“Permanently?” Tyler looked stricken. “Cal, I had no idea. I never wanted that.”
“You’re my brother. I know you didn’t.”
“But it is on me,” he insisted. “I should have stood up to them years ago. I’ve always known how they treated you was wrong, but it was easier to stay quiet, to accept the favoritism because it benefited me.”
His honesty surprised me.
“You were a kid, Tyler.”
“I’m not a kid anymore,” he said firmly. “And I’m done being silent.”
He looked around. “Where are they now?”
“Your mother was coordinating with the florist last I saw. Dad’s probably still micromanaging the seating arrangements.”
Tyler nodded decisively. “We’re going to fix this right now.”
“Tyler, it’s your wedding day. You don’t need this stress.”
“What I don’t need is to start my marriage with this weight on my conscience. Veronica knows how I feel about this. She’s been encouraging me to stand up to them for months.”
That was unexpected. “She has?”
“She saw through them immediately,” Tyler said with a small smile. “Called them out on their treatment of you the first time she met them. It’s one of the reasons I love her.”
My estimation of Veronica rose considerably.
We found our parents in a small antechamber off the main ballroom, huddled with the wedding planner. They looked up as we entered, relief at seeing me quickly morphing into wariness at our united front.
“The vendors are taken care of,” I said coolly. “Everything’s proceeding as scheduled.”
“Thank you, Calhain,” my father said stiffly. “We appreciate you coming to resolve the situation.”
“I didn’t do it for you,” I replied. “I did it for Tyler.”
My mother glanced nervously at the wedding planner. “Perhaps we could discuss this privately.”
“Actually,” Tyler interjected, “I think we should have witnesses for this conversation. I’m done with the secrecy and manipulation.”
The wedding planner, sensing tension, excused herself despite my mother’s attempt to detain her. Once she’d gone, Tyler continued.
“I know what you said to Cal about him disappearing permanently from the family.”
My parents exchanged guilty glances.
“We were under tremendous stress,” my mother began. “The wedding preparations—”
“Stop it,” Tyler cut her off. “This isn’t about the wedding. This is about how you’ve treated Cal our entire lives. The constant comparison, the dismissal of his achievements, the emotional neglect.”
“That’s a very dramatic interpretation,” my father protested.
“It’s the truth,” Tyler insisted. “And I’m as guilty as you are because I never said anything. I accepted the favoritism because it was easier than fighting it.”
“Tyler, you’re upset—” my mother tried again.
“The wedding pressure is not an excuse,” he finished firmly. “Nothing excuses asking my brother to disappear from our family.”
My father straightened his tie defensively. “We were thinking of your future, Tyler.”
“The connections being made today are worthless if they come at the expense of my relationship with my brother,” Tyler stated. “I don’t want connections with people who would judge my family. And if that’s what the Montgomerys are like, then maybe this whole wedding is a mistake.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” my mother gasped. “You love Veronica.”
“I do,” Tyler agreed, “and thankfully she feels the same way I do about this situation.”
The door opened, and Veronica herself entered, elegant in a dressing gown, her hair half-styled for the ceremony.