SIXTEEN:

"This is going to be fun." Cary said sarcastically as we parked our car outside the Jackson's family home. It was a fairly big home, although not as big as some in the area. When we'd dropped Lara off with Nelson Cary had looked as though he would have happily swapped places and been the babysitter.

I smiled slightly and took his hand. In all honesty it wasn't my idea of fun either, but I wanted to see Adam married and settled down. Even though I hadn't seen him in a few months I still felt uncomfortable about his obvious feelings towards me. "Well we can look forward to next weekend." I told him.

Holly and Kenneth were already there, and we quickly hurried over to them. "It looks as though they've invited the entire town." Kenneth commented dryly.

"Why doesn't that surprise me? The Jackson's have always liked to show off their wealth!" Cary grumbled.

"Is he going to be like this all day?" Holly asked me.

"I'd say so." I replied shooting Cary a look which clearly said 'behave.' "Have you seen any of the Jacksons?"

"Just Mr. Jackson Senior." Holly said. "I think Mrs. Jackson and Adam are inside somewhere."

"What about his sister?" I asked. Adam's sister and I have never gotten along, she was a spoilt, rude and snobbish girl.

Holly's eyes lit up as we wandered around to the other side of the house where the wedding was going to be held in the garden. "Well that's actually a bit of a family scandal. She's in Europe and rumors differ as to what she's doing there. Some say she got so out of control the Jackson's sent her to school over there to get her out of their hair. Others say that she's over there for the same reason, but not at school, and that she's found herself a rich old man to look after her, or a rich kid and she's pregnant."

"Well she's certainly been busy." Cary quipped. He took my hand and squeezed it signaling that even though he'd complained about being here, and hadn't wanted to come, he was not going to act like a kid and annoy everyone.

"It's a pity that Sara couldn't come-but I bet she and May are having a great shopping trip." Holly commented. "Actually I think I could do with a nice big shopping trip, couldn't you Melody?"

"Sure." I said with a shrug, glancing at Cary.

"Great." He muttered, but he didn't seem to bothered about it.

"Please could people take a seat, the wedding is going to start." Someone was calling.

We walked over to where the chairs were all set up. At the top there was the altar and a priest, and a gorgeous rose covered arbor for the ceremony to be performed under. Mrs. Jackson and Adam came out then, and Adam went up to the top of the altar while his mother took her seat in the front row. A few men about Adam's age went and stood beside him, obviously his groomsmen. Mr. Jackson came out then, surveying things as he made his way to the front where his wife was waiting for him. He spotted me and smiled happily, but I didn't smile back. I didn't want him to think I'd came because of our family ties, nor because he had wanted me to come. When he'd sat down everyone else was sitting and then the music began and we turned around. A young girl came first, a nervous look on her face as she pulled rose's from her basket scattering them on the aisle. Next came the bridesmaids, and then the bride and her father. I was surprised to see her. I'd always assumed that Adam, being Adam, would only ever have picked the best looking girl he could find, but Francine was not that. She wasn't ugly, that's for sure, but she was plain. It was obvious she was rich and well brought up, but that seemed to be her only appeal. My gaze swung to look up at Adam, who was watching the procession solemnly. I scanned his face, and wasn't surprised to see that there was no real look of love in his eyes.

Francine reached the top and the ceremony began. When it came the time for Adam to speak his vows his voice was firm and loud, but his words sounded wooden to me. Francine, however, spoke like someone who was deeply in love. When the ceremony was over and the groom was allowed to kiss the bride Adam kissed Francine quickly and that was that. They were married.

We all stood as they came back down the aisle, stopping and thanking people. As they reached us I held my breath. But Adam was as smooth and slick as he often was. "Melody, Cary, Holly, Kenneth, thank you for coming." He said, and they moved on.

"That marriage won't last." Holly told me.

"Holly!" Kenneth said shocked. "At least wait an hour before you make dire predictions like that."

"He doesn't even love her. Don't look at me like that Kenneth- I can tell how people in love look, and she looks like she loves him, but he doesn't love her." Holly argued.

Kenneth shook his head and said nothing. At the top of the aisle Mr. Jackson stood and called for our attention. "Ladies and gentlemen, would you please make your way over to the area around the dance floor? Food and drink will be served and we will then have dances, speeches and toasts."

We were following the crowd when there was a tap on my shoulder and I turned around to see Mr. Jackson. Coming face to face with the man I knew was my real father never made me completely comfortable. "Hello." I said.

"I was wondering whether I could have a word with you Melody?" He asked me.

I sighed and then nodded. Holly, Kenneth and Cary went on, while Mr. Jackson and I walked away from the throng of people.

"What did you think of the wedding?" Mr. Jackson asked.

I shrugged. "It was nice. The roses were beautiful."

"And Francine?" Mr. Jackson asked, his eyes on me keenly.

"I don't know." I admitted. "I mean I can't say having not spoken to her too much."

"She loves Adam very much." Mr. Jackson said.

"I got that impression." I replied, not wanting to add that I had also got the impression that Adam's heart wasn't exactly in the marriage one hundred percent.

"If you speak to Adam today, and I have no doubt you will, can you do me a favor?" Mr. Jackson asked.

I raised my eyebrows. "A favor?" I asked slowly.

"You and I both know Melody that Adam's always carried a torch for you, even after he found out you were related. I am sure he's still carrying that torch." Mr. Jackson said.

"That's no fault of mine. I have made it perfectly clear to him on a number of occasions that nothing can ever happen between us, and that I am in love with Cary." I said firmly.

"Oh, I wasn't going to blame you." Mr. Jackson hastened to assure me. "I know how stubborn Adam can be. What I wanted you to do was, if you spoke to him, to tell him how glad you were he was happy and married, and how nice Francine seems, that kind of thing?"

"Mr. Jackson," I said not sure how to respond to this request. "I would say something along those lines anyway, as would everyone."

"But I think it will mean twice as much coming from you." Mr. Jackson argued.

"I better get back to my husband and family." I said, choosing not to answer his question. As if I would say anything stupid when I knew only too well how Adam felt about things.

"What did Mr. Jackson want?" Cary asked when I reached him and the others.

"Oh legal stuff. Telling me he thought your deal with the factory was a great one." I lied casually. I don't know whether or not Cary believed me, but he didn't comment. One thing we didn't talk about in public was who my real father was and what he wanted. "Let's dance." I said deciding that it was more fun to dance than stand around.

"You know how I feel about dancing." Cary complained.

"I know how you feel." I replied, taking his hand and pulling him onto the dance floor. "I just want to let off some steam."

"Your father?" Cary asked.

"None other." I replied. "Sometimes he makes me so damn mad, and I wonder what my mother ever saw in him."

"No offense Melody, but your mother hasn't got the best of taste in men." Cary said.

I laughed, thinking of Archie. "True." I admitted. "But he just gets under my skin sometimes. The whole Jackson family do. His wife knows about me know, and what happened and every time I see her in town she looks at me as though I'm a piece of mud having the audacity to dirty her expensive rugs. As if it were my fault that her husband had an affair."

"I could care less what the Jackson's think of me." Cary said airily. "And after the way some of them have treated you, you should be exactly the same."

We returned to Holly and Kenneth and all got a drink. Kenneth was unusually quiet, but it turned out he was thinking about a new art project he was anxious to start. And not surprisingly it revolved around his son. "He's just got the perfect face to sculpt." Kenneth explained.

Holly laughed. "He's only saying that because people tell him Nelson takes after him."

We all laughed including Kenneth, and then we went and sat at a table with our drinks, some of us, myself included, mentally wishing the night was over.

*****

"Can I have your attention please?" Mr. Jackson called over the noise.

The music had stopped and it was clear it was finally time for the speeches. We were all ready to go, but we knew it was rude to leave too early. Firstly Mr. Jackson spoke about how he knew Adam and Francine would be very happy together, and then Francine's Dad made a similar speech. Then Adam thanked everyone for coming and celebrating the most important day of his life, and that was about it. I got up, but before I could move too far I saw Adam's eyes boring into mine. He hurried over. "Don't tell me you were leaving."

"Well we were actually. We've got to pick Lara up from Judge Childs'." I replied.

"But we haven't had a dance yet." Adam said.

"Sorry." I said.

"Just a quick one." Adam asked, his eyes staring into mine.

"Look, I really-" I began, but he interrupted me.

"Are you telling me you're not going to have a dance with me on my wedding day? The happiest day of my life?" He demanded.

Put like that I had trouble saying no, and I was unhappily led out to the dance floor. He put his arms around my waist, and reluctantly I put my arms around him, but when he tried to pull me closer I resisted. He wasn't pleased, but he didn't say anything about it. In fact for most of the song we danced in silence, my eyes meeting Cary's over Adam.

"So did you think it was a good wedding?" Adam asked.

"Yes it was lovely. Francine planned it wonderfully. She seems like a very lovely woman." I said automatically.

Adam snorted. "Are you blind? She's not exactly gorgeous, but she loves me, and it was a good match moneywise."

Part of me wanted to tell him that was a terrible reason to marry someone, but the other part of me remembered Mr. Jackson's request. So I said nothing.

"It would have been a lot nicer if it were you and me getting married." He said, somewhat plaintively.

I forgot my conversation with Mr. Jackson then. "You know perfectly well that could never happen, we're related Adam-"

"-Only half." He argued.

"Half's more than enough. And I happen to be very happily married to Cary, and we've got Lara and we're happy. And hopefully you'll be happy with Francine." I said wishing the song would end.

"Francine." Adam spat out her name. "Do you know she doesn't like sex? When we're having sex I have to think of you to-"

"ADAM!" I hissed. "That's terrible. And telling me-"

"Lara could have been ours." Adam said interrupting me again. "She's a cute baby. I think I might pretend that secretly she's mine."

"That's it." I said pushing away from him. "I think you've got some serious mental problems Adam Jackson, and you know what? I'm glad we're not together, because I don't think I could have coped with this. And I think it's really unfair of you to be saying, and thinking, things like that about Francine, when she's clearly devoted to you."

"Not devoted enough to enjoy sex." Adam argued.

"That's not my problem. That's yours and hers. I've got to go." I said, and as I said it the song ended and there was no other excuse for me to stay there and talk to him. "Try and be happy with her Adam or else you're always going to be unhappy."

He didn't respond, and I hurried back over to where Cary was waiting for me. "Holly and Kenneth have gone, although we'll probably see them at the judge's."

"Right. Let's get out of here." I replied and we hurried to the car, with Cary matching my fast pace silently. It wasn't until we were in the car and on our way that he asked whether Adam had said something to upset me.

I thought about it for a moment. I hadn't told Cary that since Adam and I had broken up he'd always tried to convince me to go back to him, even after he knew we were related. I hadn't even told Cary about it after I saw him in town the other month. "Not really, just being his usual obnoxious self."

"I bet you wished you'd listened to me when I warned you about him before you started seeing him." Cary said nodding to himself.

"Isn't that the truth." I replied. Of course Cary had no idea how much of the truth it was. And I wasn't going to upset him by telling him that Adam didn't seem to see a half sister relationship as getting in the way of another type of relationship, even when he was married.

I decided to put Adam out of my mind. He hadn't bothered me in a long time, and I didn't think he would much anymore. After all, like it or not, he was a married man now, and he had certain responsibilities.