Second Chance Girl
Page 63
“Thank you.”
Maya stepped back from the mirror. Her dress was done up the back and fit her perfectly. Her hair had been styled in an updo and her veil was waiting to be slipped on.
Elaine stood behind her, gazing at her in the mirror. “I have a surprise for you, Maya. It’s your something borrowed.” She drew a flat velvet box out of her tote and opened it. A diamond necklace winked back at all of them.
“Ceallach gave it to me after Mathias was born,” Elaine said with a sigh. “He’s always been so sentimental.”
Violet and Carol exchanged a look. Sentimental, Carol wondered. Or maybe just feeling guilty because his long-term mistress was also pregnant and about to give birth. But if it made Elaine happy to think there was another reason for the gift, then she should go with that.
Elaine fastened the necklace around Maya’s neck. The diamonds sparkled against her skin. Violet walked over and adjusted the bride’s dress. “You’re perfect,” she murmured. “Enjoy every second of your day.”
“I intend to,” Maya said with a laugh.
Carol and Violet took Sophie’s leash and led her out of the bride’s room. Their job was to walk the beagle down the aisle in front of Eddie and Gladys, then hand her over to the dog sitter. Once the pet portion of the event was finished, so were their duties. Mathias had already promised to save her a seat next to him. Carol knew that Ulrich would be doing the same for her sister. There was no reason to worry, only she couldn’t seem to quiet her head. Thoughts kept swirling as she wondered about the real reason she hadn’t seen Mathias the night before.
She reminded herself that right now, there was no way to ask. She would get through the wedding, then deal with whatever was going on later. With luck, Mathias would laugh and tell her she was being silly. That everything was fine and as soon as they could get away, he would take her back to her place and prove it over and over again.
She crossed the first two fingers of her free hand and hoped she wasn’t wishing for the moon.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
DESPITE LIVING IN a destination wedding town, Carol rarely got to attend any weddings and she almost never participated in them. So it was fun to walk Sophie to her place by the bride, then hand over her leash to the dog sitter waiting just by the urn of flowers. The woman would stay there until after the ceremony, then lead Sophie out the back way and take care of her until Elaine and Ceallach returned to Mathias’s house.
Mayor Marsha Tilson of Fool’s Gold was standing with Del, smiling happily as they waited for Maya to start down the aisle. The petite older woman wore a pale pink suit and pearls.
Carol had already found where Mathias was sitting. She tried to catch his eye as she walked Sophie down the aisle, but he wasn’t looking at her. When she sat next to him, he gave her an absent smile—one that dropped the temperature in the room about fifteen degrees. Where was the handsome, happy lover she’d known just yesterday?
But this was his brother’s wedding and there was no way to ask. Carol faced forward and tried to focus on what was happening. She watched Del and Maya exchange vows, then a kiss. As they started down the aisle, Eddie and Gladys threw rose petals at them.
“Are you staying for the reception?” Carol asked as she and Mathias joined the stream of people walking toward the open double doors.
“Sure. Del wants us all there.” He put his hand on the small of her back and guided her toward the tables and chairs set up under an open canopy. “How about there?”
He pointed to a round table far from the center of the room.
“Is there going to be a head table? Do you have to sit with family?”
“Nope. I’m all yours.”
Words to ease her growing tension. Maybe she was imagining things, she told herself. Maybe everything was fine.
She took the seat he held out. When he sat next to her, she reached for his hand. But instead of lacing his fingers with hers, he gently withdrew from her touch and put his arm on the back of her chair.
“I’m going to stay at my house tonight,” he told her. “Everyone’s heading out early in the morning, so I should be there to say goodbye.”
“Of course.” She spoke as calmly as she could and did her best to keep her face from betraying her turmoil. “I’m sure you’re looking forward to getting your life back to normal. Family is always a challenge.”
“Not yours.”
“That’s true. We’re drama free in the Lund household.”
“The Mitchells have drama enough for all.” He glanced around. “It’s great to see Eddie and Gladys. They’re cool old ladies with very quick hands.” He chuckled. “Back in Fool’s Gold they’re known for taking advantage of any man not smart enough to stay out of their way.”
“What does that mean?”
“They hug, they pinch, they give butt pats. On their best days, they’re more than willing to ask a guy to take off his shirt. More, if the man in question is willing. They have a cable access show that rates the butts of men around town.” He leaned close and lowered his voice. “Naked butts. You text in who you think it is.”
By comparison, Happily Inc seemed really tame, she thought. “And all we have is a wild animal preserve. Did you ever, um, model?”
“They asked, but Ronan and I never got around to sending in pictures.” He frowned. “Or taking them, because how do you get a picture of your own butt? You’d need someone to do it for you.”
Carol glanced at the two old ladies sitting with Ceallach and Elaine. “And they look so sweet.”
“Don’t let that fool you.” He pointed. “The bar’s open. Want to get something to drink?”
“Sure.”
She was curious about the signature cocktail and would’ve liked a second to talk to her friend Silver. But as they walked over, Carol realized that Mathias was very careful to keep his distance. They didn’t touch, didn’t even brush arms. It was as if the past few days had never happened. Something had changed. She had no idea what, nor did she know how to ask. Worry returned and with it the fear that she was going to lose Mathias before she’d truly had a chance to be with him.
* * *
SATURDAY MORNING MATHIAS was up at dawn, not that he’d ever really been asleep. Del and Maya had spent the night at a hotel before heading out on their honeymoon. His parents were gone by nine that morning, with his mother hugging him tight even as she watched to see if Ronan would show up to say goodbye. He didn’t.
Ceallach, Elaine and Sophie drove away in their rental car. They would catch a flight from Palm Springs up to Sacramento, then drive home to Fool’s Gold. Mathias walked back into his now quiet house and told himself everything would finally get back to normal. His cleaning service would be by first thing Monday to erase all traces of company. In a few days, he would be able to put the last few weeks out of his mind. Except...
He missed that damned dog. He kept expecting to run into her, literally—Sophie didn’t have any need to get out of the way. But she wasn’t underfoot, or getting into cabinets, or jumping on chairs to eat off the table or snoring in his ear at night. She wasn’t anywhere, and the house seemed colder and less hospitable because of her absence.
Worse, he missed Carol. He ached for her. While he could have easily gone home with her after the wedding, something had stopped him. A gnawing sense of concern in the back of his mind. Being with her again would be dangerous—he knew that. She was a temptation, but one he’d managed to resist. He just didn’t think he could hold out for long. He needed her—needed to see her, talk to her, touch her, make her smile. He wanted to know she was okay and that all was right in her world. She was his air, the reason his heart beat. And yet...
Maya stepped back from the mirror. Her dress was done up the back and fit her perfectly. Her hair had been styled in an updo and her veil was waiting to be slipped on.
Elaine stood behind her, gazing at her in the mirror. “I have a surprise for you, Maya. It’s your something borrowed.” She drew a flat velvet box out of her tote and opened it. A diamond necklace winked back at all of them.
“Ceallach gave it to me after Mathias was born,” Elaine said with a sigh. “He’s always been so sentimental.”
Violet and Carol exchanged a look. Sentimental, Carol wondered. Or maybe just feeling guilty because his long-term mistress was also pregnant and about to give birth. But if it made Elaine happy to think there was another reason for the gift, then she should go with that.
Elaine fastened the necklace around Maya’s neck. The diamonds sparkled against her skin. Violet walked over and adjusted the bride’s dress. “You’re perfect,” she murmured. “Enjoy every second of your day.”
“I intend to,” Maya said with a laugh.
Carol and Violet took Sophie’s leash and led her out of the bride’s room. Their job was to walk the beagle down the aisle in front of Eddie and Gladys, then hand her over to the dog sitter. Once the pet portion of the event was finished, so were their duties. Mathias had already promised to save her a seat next to him. Carol knew that Ulrich would be doing the same for her sister. There was no reason to worry, only she couldn’t seem to quiet her head. Thoughts kept swirling as she wondered about the real reason she hadn’t seen Mathias the night before.
She reminded herself that right now, there was no way to ask. She would get through the wedding, then deal with whatever was going on later. With luck, Mathias would laugh and tell her she was being silly. That everything was fine and as soon as they could get away, he would take her back to her place and prove it over and over again.
She crossed the first two fingers of her free hand and hoped she wasn’t wishing for the moon.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
DESPITE LIVING IN a destination wedding town, Carol rarely got to attend any weddings and she almost never participated in them. So it was fun to walk Sophie to her place by the bride, then hand over her leash to the dog sitter waiting just by the urn of flowers. The woman would stay there until after the ceremony, then lead Sophie out the back way and take care of her until Elaine and Ceallach returned to Mathias’s house.
Mayor Marsha Tilson of Fool’s Gold was standing with Del, smiling happily as they waited for Maya to start down the aisle. The petite older woman wore a pale pink suit and pearls.
Carol had already found where Mathias was sitting. She tried to catch his eye as she walked Sophie down the aisle, but he wasn’t looking at her. When she sat next to him, he gave her an absent smile—one that dropped the temperature in the room about fifteen degrees. Where was the handsome, happy lover she’d known just yesterday?
But this was his brother’s wedding and there was no way to ask. Carol faced forward and tried to focus on what was happening. She watched Del and Maya exchange vows, then a kiss. As they started down the aisle, Eddie and Gladys threw rose petals at them.
“Are you staying for the reception?” Carol asked as she and Mathias joined the stream of people walking toward the open double doors.
“Sure. Del wants us all there.” He put his hand on the small of her back and guided her toward the tables and chairs set up under an open canopy. “How about there?”
He pointed to a round table far from the center of the room.
“Is there going to be a head table? Do you have to sit with family?”
“Nope. I’m all yours.”
Words to ease her growing tension. Maybe she was imagining things, she told herself. Maybe everything was fine.
She took the seat he held out. When he sat next to her, she reached for his hand. But instead of lacing his fingers with hers, he gently withdrew from her touch and put his arm on the back of her chair.
“I’m going to stay at my house tonight,” he told her. “Everyone’s heading out early in the morning, so I should be there to say goodbye.”
“Of course.” She spoke as calmly as she could and did her best to keep her face from betraying her turmoil. “I’m sure you’re looking forward to getting your life back to normal. Family is always a challenge.”
“Not yours.”
“That’s true. We’re drama free in the Lund household.”
“The Mitchells have drama enough for all.” He glanced around. “It’s great to see Eddie and Gladys. They’re cool old ladies with very quick hands.” He chuckled. “Back in Fool’s Gold they’re known for taking advantage of any man not smart enough to stay out of their way.”
“What does that mean?”
“They hug, they pinch, they give butt pats. On their best days, they’re more than willing to ask a guy to take off his shirt. More, if the man in question is willing. They have a cable access show that rates the butts of men around town.” He leaned close and lowered his voice. “Naked butts. You text in who you think it is.”
By comparison, Happily Inc seemed really tame, she thought. “And all we have is a wild animal preserve. Did you ever, um, model?”
“They asked, but Ronan and I never got around to sending in pictures.” He frowned. “Or taking them, because how do you get a picture of your own butt? You’d need someone to do it for you.”
Carol glanced at the two old ladies sitting with Ceallach and Elaine. “And they look so sweet.”
“Don’t let that fool you.” He pointed. “The bar’s open. Want to get something to drink?”
“Sure.”
She was curious about the signature cocktail and would’ve liked a second to talk to her friend Silver. But as they walked over, Carol realized that Mathias was very careful to keep his distance. They didn’t touch, didn’t even brush arms. It was as if the past few days had never happened. Something had changed. She had no idea what, nor did she know how to ask. Worry returned and with it the fear that she was going to lose Mathias before she’d truly had a chance to be with him.
* * *
SATURDAY MORNING MATHIAS was up at dawn, not that he’d ever really been asleep. Del and Maya had spent the night at a hotel before heading out on their honeymoon. His parents were gone by nine that morning, with his mother hugging him tight even as she watched to see if Ronan would show up to say goodbye. He didn’t.
Ceallach, Elaine and Sophie drove away in their rental car. They would catch a flight from Palm Springs up to Sacramento, then drive home to Fool’s Gold. Mathias walked back into his now quiet house and told himself everything would finally get back to normal. His cleaning service would be by first thing Monday to erase all traces of company. In a few days, he would be able to put the last few weeks out of his mind. Except...
He missed that damned dog. He kept expecting to run into her, literally—Sophie didn’t have any need to get out of the way. But she wasn’t underfoot, or getting into cabinets, or jumping on chairs to eat off the table or snoring in his ear at night. She wasn’t anywhere, and the house seemed colder and less hospitable because of her absence.
Worse, he missed Carol. He ached for her. While he could have easily gone home with her after the wedding, something had stopped him. A gnawing sense of concern in the back of his mind. Being with her again would be dangerous—he knew that. She was a temptation, but one he’d managed to resist. He just didn’t think he could hold out for long. He needed her—needed to see her, talk to her, touch her, make her smile. He wanted to know she was okay and that all was right in her world. She was his air, the reason his heart beat. And yet...
