Caught Between an Oops and a Hard Body (Caught Between series Book 2) (27 page)

Dora came out the front door, a worried frown on her forehead, ending whatever response Stephanie might have had. She slipped from the truck and as the door clicked shut behind her, she whispered, “Goodbye, Stone.”

“Is everything okay?” Dora called down to them. “You two disappeared so quickly, I’ve been worried sick.”

Stephanie headed up the steps, never looking back. “Everything is fine, Mom. We had an errand in town. It’s all taken care of now.”

He wanted to chase after her, but maybe now wasn’t the time. Maybe she needed some space to reconcile all that had happened.

Raking both hands through his hair, he turned the key in the ignition, put the truck into gear, and drove away.

All he knew was that his heart hurt more than it had ever hurt in his life.

And he had a funny feeling that given enough time, he could get Stephanie to admit she felt exactly the same.

For the first time since meeting her at the Valentine Day wedding, then here on Serendipity Island again, he had his head on straight. He knew what he had to do.

He had to do anything he could to make it work with her, because he loved her for the rest of his life. And before either of them let the island, he intended to ensure their future was tied together.

They could make it work. They
had to
make it work.

Parking the truck in front of the Three For Par cottage, he saw Wanda standing on the porch, her suitcase in hand. As he climbed out of the truck, she came down the steps to meet him.

Silently, she handed him an envelope.

He frowned down at her clear, crisp writing, then raised his gaze to her face. Her expression was as void as always, and he forced a smile. “Tell me you’re not breaking up with me too.”

Pity formed on her face. “She booted you to the curb?”

Nodding, he felt his heart pinch in his chest. “For now.”

“I’m sorry.” With the barest of regret pinching at her brow, she gestured toward the envelope. “It’s my resignation. I never meant to stay so long, but you were nice to me.”

“Why are you leaving?”

“I have personal issues that demand my attention. I’ve put them off long enough.”

“I’ll give you the time off to take care of them. You don’t have to quit.” He cleared his throat. “I don’t want to lose you.”

“Thank you, but I’ve made up my mind.” She placed one hand on his forearm. “I’ll give you plenty of time to find someone to replace me, and I’ll stick around to train them, of course. Plus you’ll have my cell, in case they have any questions after I leave.”

He opened the letter and scanned the contents, then glanced back up at her. “Are you sure I can’t convince you otherwise?”

Tears sparkled in her eyes, and she stepped into him and gave him a quick hug, then quickly stepped back before he could hug her back. “I won’t forget you. In fact, I’ll be watching for an invite to the baby shower and wedding.”

And then she was gone.

Stone didn’t even get a chance to tell her there wasn’t going to be a baby shower.

Well, not unless he could convince the woman he loved that he needed her. Not unless he could convince her that the baby neither of them had wanted was wanted indeed.

He watched Wanda until she disappeared from sight, mulling over his next move, wishing he could move the clock back a few hours so he could appreciate what he’d had.

The sound of a branch breaking behind him alerted him to another’s presence. He turned and saw Kevin, his duffle bag slung over his shoulder.

After the way Stone had spoken to him, he was surprised the other man even gave him the time of day.

Stone met him half way. “I’m sorry I spoke out of turn. What goes on between you and my sister isn’t my business. I spoke out of line and I apologize.”

“No, it’s my fault for not telling you the truth in the first place.” Kevin met his gaze directly. “It’s Mariam. It’s always been Mariam. I figured that now that she was divorced, I had a chance. But I was wrong. She’ll never see me as anything but your friend.”

Stone grimaced. “Maybe you’re wrong.”

“What does it matter? I’m halfway across the world most of the time, and I never know whether or not I’m coming home. That’s not fair to her.” A taxi pulled up the driveway and frustration bracketed Kevin’s mouth. “Look, I have a plane to catch. Please don’t say anything to her. Thank your mom for the use of the cabin. Wish Liz and Roger a happy life from me.”

As Kevin pushed past, Stone grabbed the other man by the shirt sleeve to prevent his escape. “That’s it? You’re just going to walk away?”

The cab honked again. Kevin shook off his hand. “I gotta go, man. I ship out in less than three hours.”

Stone followed him toward the cab. “If it’s any consolation, she hasn’t looked at anyone since the divorce, not till you showed up at the estate.”

“Yeah, well, it’s not going to happen. I tried and she turned me down.”

“She needs time, Kev. Don’t let pride stand in the way of your happiness.”

“Maybe you’re right. Maybe love isn’t enough to hold two people together for the rest of their life.”

“What if I’m wrong?” He thought of Stephanie, of the way she came apart in his arms, of the way he felt when he woke up in the morning with her cuddled against him. Like he could do that every morning for the rest of his life. “What if love is enough?”

Without a word, Kevin climbed into the cab.

As Stone stood there and watched the taillights disappear around a corner, he knew he had to fight for a future with Stephanie.

Or live his life alone, always with the regret of what might have been.

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

Early Friday morning, Jim finished the ninth hole with a personal best score. Without saying a word, he left the guys behind, his teeth clenched so tight, he thought they might shatter.

By the time he reached the house, his jaw was aching, his heart was pounding double time, and he thought the delicate appendage in his chest might explode. But it didn’t. Just like the doctor had said, as long as he took care of himself—ate well, exercised daily, stayed away from the booze—he could do anything he wanted.

Including sex with the only woman he’d ever wanted.

But first he needed to convince her to stay.

He found Grace in the garden and stopped at her side. “When were you going to tell me?”

“Tell you what?”

Stubborn right till the end of time. He clenched his hands at his sides and refused to be put off. “About the doctor appointments. About the tests and the results.”

She shoved the garden spade into the dirt and refused to look at him. “There’s no need to be concerned. Women get breast cancer every day. You won’t have to change your life at all.”

His throat suddenly closed up and he could barely breathe. “What?”

“That’s right, Jim. Like with everything else, I’ll take care of this myself. You don’t have to put yourself out for me. Heavens, I wouldn’t hear of it.” She pushed to her feet, tugged off her gloves, brushed at the grass stains on her slacks, and refused to look at him. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have things to do.”

She turned her back on him and started to walk away.

“What are you going to do?” Sweat gathered at the back of his neck, under his arms, soaking his golf shirt. When she didn’t answer him, he asked, “You’re not thinking about leaving me, are you, babe?”

She turned to face him, her gaze clear and unconcerned. “You left me a long time ago, Jim. Maybe not physically, but in every other way possible. Maybe Stone is right. Maybe it’s time to make a clean break so we can both find a touch of happiness in what remains in our life.”

“Do you want a divorce?” Jim studied the face of the woman he’d known for the last thirty-five years, the woman he almost didn’t recognize now, and stuffed his hands in his pockets to keep from reaching for her. “Is that what you want, honey?”

“Don’t call me honey.” Cool as a cucumber, she tucked a lose strand of hair under her kerchief. “You have to be married to get a divorce. Since we’re not, we can just walk away from each other. Split things equally so it’s fair to us both. No need to even involve a lawyer.” She turned her back on him. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a wedding to prepare for.”

And with that, she strode away from him and disappeared into the house.

Jim stared after her, part of him wanting to run away until the fear of losing her left him.

She’d always been strong and independent. So much so that he’d pretty much let her run things as she wished without any interference from him. Hell, they’d laughed about it in the early days, how their relationship was different from everyone else’s.

So what was he supposed to do now? He’d never imagined a life without her in it.

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

After tossing and turning all night, Stephanie decided she couldn’t keep her mouth shut. She had to tell Liz and Roger the truth about their relationship, and to heck with the consequences.

And then she had to tell Grace that she couldn’t take the job offer, and hope that Stone didn’t figure out why she’d walked away from the job of a lifetime.

Dressed in her dad’s frumpy sweater and an old pair of jeans, she headed to the main house where she found Liz and Roger and Grace in the breakfast room. As expected, there was an argument going on between Liz and her mother, which apparently didn’t faze the groom at all. He sat between them, his phone in one hand, a slice of toast in the other, appearing totally oblivious to the women.

Stephanie barged into the middle of the fray. “Enough.”

The room went silent for all of two-point-five seconds, then Liz and her mother both started talking at once.

“Silence.” Stephanie held up one hand and glared at them both until they finally went silent. She focused on the bride and the groom first. “It’s time you two faced the truth. I don’t care what you do when I’m gone, but you’re crazy to get married to each other.” Out of her peripheral vision, she saw Grace open her mouth, and without turning her way, she held up her hand for silence. “Call the wedding off.”

Grace humphed. “Exactly what I’ve been telling them.”

Thankful that someone was on her side, Stephanie forced herself to continue.

“You want to know all of the reasons you’re wrong for each other?” She clasped her hands together at her waist. “Liz, you love the idea of getting married, of wearing the princess gown, of being on YouTube and the Crazy Heart album and the cover of People magazine. But you won’t put in all of the hard work that a relationship requires.”

Liz came to her feet. “That’s not true—”

“And Roger,” Stephanie continued, not caring that she’d rudely cut off the bride. “You may think you love Liz, but she thinks she’s in love with someone else. Deal with it and move on. I quit. If you two go through with this marriage, that’s your problem, but I wash my hands of you both.”

Before either of them could say a word, she turned to Grace and handed the older woman the contract. “Thank you for the generous offer, but I’m afraid I’m unable to take the position on your show. There are extenuating circumstances, which I don’t wish to go into now. So if you’ll excuse me, I’ll pack my bags and go.”

Without a backward glance, she walked away, out of the house, past the pool, and down the pathway that lead to the Hole For One cottage. As she approached, she saw Dora spritzing a clay pot of yellow pansies with water. “Pack your bags, Mom. The wedding is off. We’re going back to Mandy’s.”

Her mom came to her feet. “Honey, are you crying?”

Stephanie swiped at her cheeks and realized she was. “No, I just have something in my eye.” She stomped up the steps and into the house where she found her sister lounging on the couch. “What are you doing here? Aren’t you wedding shopping with Dane?”

“We’re taking a break.”Mandy shrugged as she watched her mom disappear into the kitchen. The moment the older woman was out of sight, she turned back, her expression solemn, a worried look in her eyes. “Are you okay? What’s up with the baggy sweater?”

She wanted to tell her sister about the pregnancy. They told each other everything, but now wasn’t the time. But gosh, she really needed to talk to someone.

Instead, she shrugged and picked at a hangnail. “Still covering up that pre-period bloat, you know.”

Her sister checked over her shoulder, then turned back and gazed at her waistline. “Nothing else you want to tell me?”

Her sister always had been very perceptive, which is probably why she was able to see Grandpa George when no one else in the family could. “Nope, that’s it.”

“You’d tell me if something was wrong, right?”

“Of course.” Stephanie forced a smile. “Everything is hunky dory.”

The doorbell rang.

In the kitchen, Dora called out, “Who’s at the door, honey? It’s not that nasty divorce lawyer, is it?”

Mandy raised one brow and pushed to her feet.

Stephanie backed toward her bedroom and whispered, “If it’s Stone, I’m not here.”

Chicken that she was, she sprinted toward the bedroom and slammed the door behind her.

A few minutes later, Mandy slipped into the room. “Okay, spill. What’s up with you and Stone?”

In the middle of packing her things, she sighed. “Remember when I said I was leaving Grandma Elvira’s wedding with a hot guy?”

Mandy’s face blossomed with a wicked smile. “It was Stone? Have you been seeing him since the wedding? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Nothing to tell. It was one night of exquisite sex, and then we went our separate ways.” Silence greeted her statement. Finally, she added, “Hey, I was busy. I had a lot of spring weddings and no time for distractions.”

Her sister poked her in the side, her voice soft, coaxing. “But Steph, don’t you want to find out if it could lead to forever?”

“He’s a divorce lawyer and I’m a wedding planner. What kind of match is that?” But even as she said the words, she knew it was no longer true. And they had their child to think about.

“You’re a wedding planner who doesn’t believe in love or forever. I’d say that’s a pretty good match for a divorce lawyer who probably believes the same thing. Maybe you two could figure it out together. You can keep each other company under the covers at night while you both hide from the reality of life.”