Accidentally Yours (27 page)

“
Boy, what’re you talkin’ about? You know I haven’t had a cigarette in fifteen years.”

“
It doesn’t matter. Former smokers are just as susceptible to thin air as current ones. I want you to stop at the drugstore on the way back to your hotel.” He instructed his mother on what product to ask for. “It should help you.”

“
My son, the medicine man,” Mr. Warner said with a shake of his head that failed to disguise his pride. Then he turned his attention back to Vivian. “So Zack didn’t tell you we would be here, eh? Well, he sure told us about
you.”

“
He did?”

“
Uh...I think they want us to take our seats now,” Zack said quickly, taking Vivian’s arm and steering her away, talking over his shoulder as they went “We’ll see you guys later, huh? I need to sit close to Ozzie, since I’m his best man.”

“
That was a quick getaway,” Vivian said knowingly as he steered her away from his parents. “Does that mean you’re not going to tell me what you told your parents about me?”

He spoke close to her ear in a low voice no one else could hear.
“If you must know, I told them I’ve continually been running into a succulent young lady under the most unusual circumstances, and that she had agreed to fly out to Denver with me.”

“
Succulent? You make me sound like a chicken leg.” The slightly glazed look in his eyes told her he liked her ideology. In spite of how good she felt, she elbowed him gently in the ribs, feeling this wasn’t the place for innuendo. She noticed the unmarried bridesmaids, Desireé’s friends Lorna and Eva, eyeing them with undisguised curiosity and more than a little envy of what surely appeared to be an intimate relationship.

If only they knew.

Austin stood up and addressed the group, “Desi and I are so happy to see that the people nearest and dearest to us are all here to celebrate our marriage. We gave a lot of thought about where to hold our wedding, knowing that whichever choice we made meant many of you would have to travel a long way, and to see all of you here...” His voice cracked a little as he continued. “It means a lot to us. I know I’m getting a bit emotional—” he joined in when someone laughed loudly—“but believe me when I say I’m sincere.” He glanced over at a member of the kitchen staff who was gesturing to him. “I’m told we can begin serving ourselves now, so let’s all eat, and remember, there’s plenty of food.”

The group applauded him and then formed a line at the buffet, where they proceeded to fill their plates with ham, turkey, and roast beef, plus macaroni and cheese, stuffing and gravy, potato salad, tossed green salad, greens, and cornbread.

“This is delicious!” Vivian exclaimed.

“
Yes, the food here is good,” Desireé agreed. “They do a great business in private parties. My mother came to one and suggested we have our rehearsal dinner here. It’s larger than most rehearsal dinners; we wanted to include all the people who traveled in addition to the members of the bridal party.”

“
I haven’t met your mom. Where is she?”

“
She’s with her boyfriend. They’re sitting with Ozzie’s parents. I’ll introduce you after dinner.”

Zack sniffed and frowned.
“Vivian, do you smell something funny?”

“
No. What does it smell like? Rotten food?” She had a flashback of Timothy Golden’s food poisoning and felt her muscles tighten up.

“
Nothing like that. It smells a little like…car exhaust. Nothing to worry about, I’m sure. I just have a sensitive nose.”

She relaxed. It was actually rather sad that Timothy, quite a nice fellow, had been relegated to her memory for the incident of food poisoning, but she had been honest when, the day the audit was complete, he asked her if she imagined anything could ever happen between them. He had been utterly charming when she told him she couldn
’t see it and she knew his Ms. Right was waiting for him somewhere. Even if her heart wasn’t with Zack—and there was no doubt in her mind that it was—she didn’t think she could cope with a newly divorced man who had children. It was a delicate situation she just didn’t want to be in the middle of.

Jaws that had been chewing at twenty miles an hour began to stall as everyone
’s bellies reached capacity, and the conversation up and down the table was peppered with variations of, “I’m stuffed.” Mickey Spivey tapped on his coffee cup with a spoon to silence them, then stood up. “I’ve known Austin for a long time, and I even met Desireé before he did, which means it could have been
me
getting married tomorrow...” he cleared his throat delicately to laughter, then continued.

“
I knew they would be an item by the time they returned from that assignment in West Africa, and I was right. That’s where it all began, and who knows where it will all end.” He turned to the betrothed couple. “Pretty soon you’ll have a ton of little rug rats who’ll be begging you to take them to Casa Bonita for dinner.”

“
What’s Casa Bonita?” Vivian asked Alisha, Desireé’s matron of honor, who was sitting across from her.

“
It’s a Mexican-themed restaurant all the kids love. It’s got a lot going on to keep them occupied, kind of a cheaper version of Disney.”

Mickey continued with his speech, but Vivian became aware of the buzzing of whispering voices.

She remembered thinking it was very rude of people to talk while Mickey was making a toast, but then everything became hazy. She thought she heard coughing and choking sounds, maybe coming from her own throat. Her hand caught on to something tubular-shaped, and she held on tightly. She wanted to ask what was happening, but her brain wouldn’t cooperate.

Then she went limp and passed out. If Zack hadn
’t caught her she would have fallen to the floor.

Her body jerked at the strong odor that filled her nostrils, and she opened her eyes. She didn
’t recognize the strange man who stood over her. “Who are you?”

“
Emergency Medical Services, ma’am. Apparently, there’s some kind of fumes coming out of the air conditioning. A lot of the people inside were overcome. Some, like yourself, fainted.”

It was then that Vivian realized she was lying on a stretcher outside.
“Where’s Zack?”

“
I’m sorry. I wouldn’t know who that is, but whoever he is, you’ll see him at the hospital.”

“
Hospital?”

“
Everybody has to be checked out. We’re trying to bring everybody to the same place. Most of you will be examined and let go.”

“
I can’t go to the hospital! My friend’s getting married at two-thirty tomorrow afternoon.”

“
I don’t think there’ll be a problem with that. From what I’ve seen no one looks bad off enough to be admitted. Once they call us we’ve got to bring you to the hospital. It’s up to them to release you.” Then Vivian felt herself being lifted and put in the back of an ambulance. Desireé’s friend Alisha was already inside.

On her arrival she was rushed into an exam room. The EMS technician had started an IV, which made no sense to her whatsoever. She hadn
’t thrown up even once, and there was no way she could be dehydrated.

But she felt lousy. There was a sourness in her stomach, and it hurt to even breathe. And she was worried about Zack and the others. No wonder Mr. Warner said he felt nauseated
before they sat down to dinner. It hadn’t come from thin mountain air, it had come from the air conditioning ducts. Even Zack had noticed it.

“
There you are!”

“
Zack!” She tried to get up, but quickly fell back.

“
Don’t get up. And don’t worry. I have it on a very good source that you’re going to live to a ripe old age.”

“
How are your parents?”

“
I think they’re going to keep my dad overnight. He has a touch of COPD anyway. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. It’s a respiratory ailment that comes from smoking.”

“
Oh, no!”

“
Actually, I think it’s for the best. He’ll be monitored overnight and released in the morning. Phil and Sandy’s place in Golden is at an even higher elevation than Denver, and I want to make sure he’ll be all right.”

“
And your mother?”

“
She’s fine. As far as I know my dad’s the only one they’re keeping for observation. Even the matron of honor, who’s four months pregnant, is expected to be released.”

“
Alisha. She and her husband were in the ambulance with me. I didn’t know she was pregnant. I’m glad she’s okay.”

“
Everyone is just a little shook up and maybe nauseated, but that should go away in a few hours.”

“
What about Austin and Desireé?”

“
They’re both fine. Has the doctor been in to see you yet?”

“
Yes. He said he’ll be back to check on me in a few minutes. I guess that means at least a half hour in MD time.”

“
Well, I brought you a little present.” He handed her a small, plain white box.

She stared at it, instan
tly trying to figure out what it contained. A four-leaf clover or other good luck charm would be appropriate right about now. “I guess I could be coy and say, ‘Oh, Zack, you shouldn’t have,’ but hey, I’m a material girl.” She opened the box eagerly, revealing a round gold compact. She raised an eyebrow. He’d gotten her some kind of makeup?

“
Don’t just stare at it, open it.”

She complied. It was a mirror, but the shrill female scream that accompanied it made her shut it quickly. The screaming promp
tly stopped, and she began to laugh. “This is supposed to cheer me up? This thing suggests I’m so ugly I’m frightening.” It was so like him, but she knew him well enough now to know it was a harmless joke.

“
It made you laugh, didn’t it?”

*****

Vivian was released an hour later. She tried to comfort Zack’s mother. “I’m sure Mr. Warner will be fine. Zack said he thinks it’s the best thing for him.”

“
I can’t remember the last time we spent a night apart. We’ve both been blessed with good health. I just can’t remember,” she repeated.

“
We’re going to bring you back to your hotel, and you get a good night’s sleep. Tomorrow morning Zack will bring you to pick up your husband. At least you know he’s getting round-the-clock care in the emergency room.”

“
If I know my husband he won’t sleep a wink. I have a feeling I’m going to have a hard time going to sleep myself.”

*****

“Are you sure you’ll be all right, Vivling?”

“
I’ll be fine.” She sniffed playfully. “Go ahead, leave me to go somewhere that has semi-naked ladies—and I use that term
very
loosely—shaking their boobies in your face.”

Zack gave an embarrassed shrug
, but not before his gaze settled on her own chest, as if it was
her
boobs he really wanted to see. “Something like that. Mickey and Phil have invited the guys to a club. But I won’t be late.”

“
You don’t have to say that, Zack. You’re a big boy.”
I’m not your wife.
“But I do hope you don’t get too carried away. If you’re hung over, you might embarrass yourself at the ceremony tomorrow and trip over your own feet.”

“
No hangover for me. I’m not much of a drinker anyway. Besides, I’ve got to pick up Dad from the hospital in the morning.” He kissed her lightly. “Get a good night’s sleep. I hope you don’t mind if I leave the connecting door unlocked. I’d like to check on you when I come back.”

Vivian hesitated only for a second. Not only was Zack concerned for her well-being as a physician, but he had stayed at her apartment for nearly a week and had made no improper advances.
This wasn’t some silly
Lifetime
movie or an episode of the
Law & Order
franchise that concentrated on sex crimes, where the kind and helpful doctor was really a psycho serial killer in disguise. “Of course.”

He left through the door to his room, and Vivian went to change into her nightgown. The experience of breathing in those
fumes and the aftermath had drained her, but she couldn’t help thinking of Zack’s mother, who would no doubt toss and turn all night long.

*****

Zack quietly opened the door that connected his and Vivian’s rooms. It hadn’t been a late evening: A few toasts, some boisterous conversation, and appreciation of the dancers’ physical attributes…from a distance. None of the fellows were interested in having an up-close-and-personal lap dance. No doubt Austin was concerned with marrying the woman of his dreams tomorrow afternoon. Zack didn’t know about the rest of the fellows, but the only naked body he wanted to see was that of Vivian’s.

He’d hoped to be able to act on his long-held desire tonight, to the point where he’d told Austin
beforehand that he might end up leaving the bachelor party early or even skipping it altogether. He’d asked the operators of the inn for the “romance package,” which included flower petals sprinkled over the bed and cellophane-wrapped chocolate-dipped strawberries placed on the pillows. They’d spent a wonderful three days together, and he planned on making his desire for her known the moment they returned after the rehearsal dinner. But then came those fumes, and everything changed. Instead of a passionately romantic evening at the bed and breakfast, they ended up spending several hours in the ER, and Vivian’s treating physician had advised she take it easy the rest of the evening to prepare for tomorrow’s festivities.