A Second Chance
Page 52
The picture that Ed had sent her of them kissing had flashed in her mind. “You didn’t marry Kathy?”
“Oh, I married her.” He rubbed his free hand over the back of his neck and bit down on his lip. “It was a nice wedding.”
“Oh.” She sighed and tried to sit back, but Carlos didn’t release his grip.
“Somewhere between eating wedding cake and waking up the next morning, she decided I wasn’t the right man for her. She says we should tear up the marriage license and move on. She’s leaving for Hawaii and then moving to California. She had my reservations changed to Mexico so I could come down here and get my wife.”
The first tears dropped from Madeline’s eyes.
Carlos picked up the other drink he’d set on the table. “I was going to drop this into a glass of champagne.”
He held out the glass to her. A narrow band of gold adorned the paper umbrella.
“This is my wedding ring.”
He nodded. “Yes. Corbin thought teetering it on the umbrella would be more suited for the drink.”
“Corbin?”
He gave her hand a squeeze and locked his eyes with hers. “Tell me you don’t love him, Maddie. Right now it would kill me if you told me you did.”
She shook her head. “I don’t love him. I’ve never loved anyone but you.”
Carlos’s shoulders dropped, and the sexy smile that won her over every time surfaced on his lips.
“Madeline, I love you.” He took the ring off the top of the umbrella and set the drink back on the table. He took her hand and slipped the ring onto her finger. “Will you marry me again?”
She couldn’t answer. She couldn’t find the breath to speak. Instead, she pulled her hand back, which was now adorned with the only piece of jewelry she’d ever missed wearing. She turned and reached into her beach bag.
She pulled a chain from the bag and offered it to him, his wedding ring hanging from it.
“I found this the other day.”
Carlos fingered the band of gold that dangled from the chain. “You have this with you?”
“I was wearing it around my neck when you kissed me good-bye.”
“You kissed me.”
“Hm,” she laughed. She opened the clasp on the chain and let the ring fall into her palm. “It didn’t belong on my neck.”
Madeline reached for his hand and slid the ring onto his finger. “It never, ever should have left your finger.”
Carlos fisted his hand as if to hold onto the ring. “I love you.”
Tears rolled down her cheeks, but she was smiling. “And I love you.”
Carlos lifted his hand to her face and brushed away the tears with his thumb. “So, Madeline, will you give me a second chance and marry me?”
“I’ve never wanted to do something again so much in my life.”
He ran his fingers down her neck and over her shoulder, sending a surge of passion and promise through her body. “I’ll make you happy.”
Madeline lifted her eyes to meet his, and in them she saw his devotion to her. “You always have.”
“Oh, I married her.” He rubbed his free hand over the back of his neck and bit down on his lip. “It was a nice wedding.”
“Oh.” She sighed and tried to sit back, but Carlos didn’t release his grip.
“Somewhere between eating wedding cake and waking up the next morning, she decided I wasn’t the right man for her. She says we should tear up the marriage license and move on. She’s leaving for Hawaii and then moving to California. She had my reservations changed to Mexico so I could come down here and get my wife.”
The first tears dropped from Madeline’s eyes.
Carlos picked up the other drink he’d set on the table. “I was going to drop this into a glass of champagne.”
He held out the glass to her. A narrow band of gold adorned the paper umbrella.
“This is my wedding ring.”
He nodded. “Yes. Corbin thought teetering it on the umbrella would be more suited for the drink.”
“Corbin?”
He gave her hand a squeeze and locked his eyes with hers. “Tell me you don’t love him, Maddie. Right now it would kill me if you told me you did.”
She shook her head. “I don’t love him. I’ve never loved anyone but you.”
Carlos’s shoulders dropped, and the sexy smile that won her over every time surfaced on his lips.
“Madeline, I love you.” He took the ring off the top of the umbrella and set the drink back on the table. He took her hand and slipped the ring onto her finger. “Will you marry me again?”
She couldn’t answer. She couldn’t find the breath to speak. Instead, she pulled her hand back, which was now adorned with the only piece of jewelry she’d ever missed wearing. She turned and reached into her beach bag.
She pulled a chain from the bag and offered it to him, his wedding ring hanging from it.
“I found this the other day.”
Carlos fingered the band of gold that dangled from the chain. “You have this with you?”
“I was wearing it around my neck when you kissed me good-bye.”
“You kissed me.”
“Hm,” she laughed. She opened the clasp on the chain and let the ring fall into her palm. “It didn’t belong on my neck.”
Madeline reached for his hand and slid the ring onto his finger. “It never, ever should have left your finger.”
Carlos fisted his hand as if to hold onto the ring. “I love you.”
Tears rolled down her cheeks, but she was smiling. “And I love you.”
Carlos lifted his hand to her face and brushed away the tears with his thumb. “So, Madeline, will you give me a second chance and marry me?”
“I’ve never wanted to do something again so much in my life.”
He ran his fingers down her neck and over her shoulder, sending a surge of passion and promise through her body. “I’ll make you happy.”
Madeline lifted her eyes to meet his, and in them she saw his devotion to her. “You always have.”
