The Bride's Secret

by Sophia Summers

“I liked what you said, but I think what I liked most was the kiss.”

  His smile started small and then grew.

  “But you keep forgetting to kiss me.”

  “Whatever, forgetting.”

  “Well, I don’t know what else you want to call it. You kiss me here.” She pointed to her cheek. “And here.” She pointed to her other cheek. “And here.” She ran a finger down her neck. And then she touched her lips. “And here?” She reached up and ran the same finger along his lower lip. “Wyatt. I’m falling for you. I can’t help it. I don’t know why or if it’s right or wrong, but when I saw you with that woman, I felt sick inside. I can’t lose you before we even begin.”

  He pulled her tight and pressed his mouth to hers. At first she was shocked. After so many near misses, she had stopped expecting him to actually kiss her thoroughly, but he kissed her again and again, almost feverishly, quickly. Until she put her hands at the side of his face and slowed things down. She kissed him once and again and pulled at his bottom lip and then his top and then wrapped her hands around his neck, and he picked her up while his mouth explored hers. Until she was about to melt into a puddle. Then he put her down. “Wow.”

  “And you thought that first kiss was phenomenal.” She giggled.

  “You know what this means.”

  “What does it mean?” She held his hand in her own.

  “After a kiss like that, I can’t ever let you go.”

  “Carisa?” A voice from behind them in the open elevator shocked her into silence. Heath.

  “How did you get up here?” The first words to come out of her mouth.

  “They let me have a key when I explained who I was. Surprise for the new bride.”

  “That’s a terrible breach of security.” Wyatt’s voice sounded harsh, abrupt.

  “Well, no harm. It’s just me. So, you’re staying up here?” Heath stepped closer and into the room. “Hey Wyatt.”

  Wyatt nodded. Apparently neither Carisa nor he knew what to say. What had Heath seen or heard?

  Carisa frowned. “Um, Heath, what are you doing here?”

  He looked from Wyatt to Carisa. “Can we talk?”

  “I’m on my way out.” Wyatt stepped around them toward the elevator.

  “Can we go too? Down to our room?”

  Wyatt stiffened but Carisa said, “Sure, okay.”

  So they all got on the elevator together. And rode it in silence. When it stopped on the fourth floor for Carisa to exit, she squeezed Wyatt’s hand before stepping out into the hallway. It closed on Wyatt’s unreadable face.

  “I’ve never seen him like that.” Heath looked puzzled.

  “Like what?”

  “All rumpled and kissed.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “If I didn’t know him better, I’d say he had a total make-out face. He eyed Carisa but she turned away.

  “Look, babe, I don’t want to know why he’s here. That’s weird and between you and him. But I came to work things out.” He held the key up to their room. It opened. “Can we talk?”

  She nodded and followed him into the room.

  Chapter 13

  Wyatt went through the motions of working out, showering and getting ready for the day. He’d called Miss Spagnoli and by some miracle she’d agreed to see him. At her office. So he headed down to meet his driver, fully planning to the lay the story out at her feet. She seemed reasonable. She might even think it was funny.

  He winced. Too bad Wyatt didn’t expect to be amused any time soon. What a nightmare. The sick feeling of guilt at his own betrayal had pierced him the moment he heard Heath’s voice. He could no longer rationalize that Heath didn’t care. He was here. He cared. Wyatt resigned himself to the expectation that Carisa would give Heath a second chance, or at least at a minimum, spend the rest of her vacation with him. He’d already checked the timing of flights home.

  The car pulled up to Aloha Industries. Nice building. Modern layout and construction. When he walked in, the cute little blonde receptionist smiled. “You must be Wyatt.”

  He nodded. “Very good. What gave me away?”

  “Well, Miss Spagnoli told me to expect a handsome man, taller than I imagined.” She winked.

  “At your service.” He dipped his head.

  She eyed him appreciatively but said only. “She’ll be right with you.”

  A door opened and Miss Spagnoli stepped out in a black business suit, crisp white shirt, and bright red lipstick. Her heels clicked across the tile floor. “Wyatt. Good to see you again. Shall we meet in the conference room?”

  He nodded. “Thank you for fitting me in.”

  Not sure what he expected to find in her office building but large rock walls, water features and indoor palms were not it.

  “This is incredible. What an office.”

  She smiled. “We enjoy it, makes for a warm working atmosphere.”

  “I can see that.” Already his mind was spinning about how he could get some more greenery in his office. The trickling sounds of water soothed him, and he felt more confident about this meeting. As soon as they sat at one end of the table in the conference room, Wyatt leaned forward. “Miss Spagnoli. I hope this becomes a story we can laugh about for many years.”

  She raised both eyebrows. “I’ll be honest. So far, I’m not amused.”

  He held up a hand. “And yet you agreed to see me. Thank you.”

  Her slow nod told him his story had better be good.

  “I’ll just get right to the point so I don’t waste your time. Carisa and I are not married, not engaged, and, her real fiancé just showed up this morning.”

  “And yet you’ve been parading about as a couple. I don’t understand that.”

  He told her the story, in order of events, from his moment of meeting her until his date with Miss Spagnoli. And when he finished she leaned back in her chair and studied him for a full minute before she said anything. “So, do you love her?”

  He sputtered inside, but on the outside, swallowed, and said, “Pardon me?”

  “Did you fall for her through all this?”

  He toyed with a pen. “Well now I don’t know the answer to that question. I haven’t really felt like I was free to do so, if you know what I mean. She’s not my girl.”

  Miss Spagnoli nodded. “Good answer.” She placed both hands on the table, and Wyatt thought she would stand and dismiss him, but she said, “To put your mind at ease, I’ll just tell you right away, we are still planning to sign our agreement with you.”

  Wyatt breathed out. “I’m pleased to hear it. I think we would be an excellent partnership.” He lifted an eyebrow, “Not to mention I’ve already been planning epic trips to Hawaii over the course of the next six months.”

  She smirked “But I do have some things to say about the matter of your personal life.”

  “I’m all ears. I messed up. I know. But I’ll be honest. I’m not sure how I did so.”

  She laughed. “You’re such a good, home-grown southerner I’ll have to tell it to you straight.”

  “I’d appreciate that Miss—”

  “And please, for all that’s good and beautiful, call me Bellami.”

  He nodded. “Yes, Ma’am.”

  “If she goes back to Heath, you don’t want this woman in your life.”

  “Well, I would think that obvious since I don’t date taken women…” He grimaced. “Usually.”

  “That’s not what I mean. She’s obviously not going to stick it out with Heath permanently, but if she goes back to him, even after everything, she’s not the woman for you. You deserve better.”

  Wyatt thought that excellent advice.

  “You don’t want to be the rescuer hero-type in her life forever. You don’t want to be cleaning up her messes. Honestly if you step back in after she leaves Heath a second time, it will just be sad.”

  He shifted. “You don’t mince words.”

  “Never have.”

  “I like that in a woman.”<
br />
  She eyed him. “Now, I think you and I could have something, but I’m not going anywhere near that mess you’re in, not until it’s all figured out and has been for many months.”

  He snorted. “I can’t say I blame you. I’ve never run so many miles on a treadmill in such a short amount of time, trying to deal with all this.”

  “You’re lovely, Wyatt. Most women think guys like you don’t exist anymore. I wish you the best in your personal life. And much success in our new business relationship.” She stressed the word business and Wyatt nodded in acceptance. “I do apologize for that unfortunate evening and misunderstanding.”

  “Makes for a great story. Some day.”

  She stood so he joined her, and he was relieved they left on excellent terms. At least one time-bomb averted.

  When his car pulled back into the hotel, Carisa and Heath were running across the parking lot toward an awaiting shuttle, hand in hand. Her face was full of laughter, and they looked about as close to carefree as a couple could be.

  And his heart fell.

  Maybe. That’s all he could guess. Maybe Heath had decided to change. Maybe Carisa had agreed to try again. Wyatt would do well to stay as far away as possible until they worked it out between them.

  He ran a hand through his hair. But that kiss. He couldn’t even think about it without wanting to go running after them. What was his role here? Win her back? Wait to see what kind of woman Carisa was, as Bellami hinted, or something in between?

  After a moment’s more hesitation, his driver waiting for the signal to open his door, Wyatt decided to lay low, almost invisible and see how the chips landed.

  Chapter 14

  Carisa studied the side of Heath’s face while he answered texts on the bus ride to their sunset cruise. After the initial shock and the awkwardness with Wyatt in the elevator, Carisa admitted she was happy to see Heath. Not happy to see him like she wanted to marry him, but genuinely happy to spend some time with him. She was grateful for the chance to make things right by him. Leaving a guy hanging like that at his wedding was uncool on so many levels she’d battled guilt about it since she left. He was handsome. Women checked him out everywhere they went. But besides friendship, besides relief that she could now talk things through with him, she just wasn’t attracted to him anymore.

  Not once she’d spent time with Wyatt. That kiss. Her face burned at the memory. She’d tried not to think about it in front of Heath but images of his face, his mouth, the feel of his hands on her back, came back to haunt her during surprising moments. Like the first time Heath leaned in to kiss her.

  She snorted.

  Heath looked up. “What? Is there something on my face?” He held up his phone camera to check himself out.

  Her non-answer went unnoticed.

  His phone dinged and a face filled the screen, a woman’s pouty red lips took up the majority of the screen shot.

  Heath smiled then dismissed the call.

  “Who’s that?”

  “Huh?” He turned to her, then pocketed his phone. “Just someone I met.”

  “Where?”

  “Look, babe, you left. What was I to do? I was pretty devastated by the whole thing to tell you the truth, and she offered some company. Just drinks. Didn’t mean anything.”

  Carisa had no right to feel anything at all about this girl. But she began to put together lots of hints and clues she’d noticed the whole time she was with Heath. “Did you guys get together?”

  “What?” He wouldn’t look her in the face.

  “You did.”

  He looked out the window then faced her. “I need to talk to you about some things I’m not proud of.” He looked around them. She followed his eyes. No one seemed to be paying attention. “Before, I didn’t think I was really ready to get married.”

  “You’re the one who pushed things.”

  “I know. I wanted to be married to you… some day. I just wasn’t ready for the whole commitment part of it all.”

  Carisa didn’t know what to say to that. What was marriage, if not commitment?

  “And so I thought that I could, you know, get it out of my system at the beginning and then I’d be ready to be your one and only.”

  “Wait, what exactly are talking about when you say get it out of your system?”

  “Babe, don’t make this harder than it needs to be. I’m being bare here.”

  “Not as bare as you need to be apparently.”

  His face turned red and a flash of anger passed across his eyes. Carisa was shocked to see it, thinking Heath so mild. Then his expression cleared and he sat back in his seat. “Okay, I’ll lay it all out. I cheated. All the time. As much as I could, thinking that if I could get it all out of my system, when we married, I’d be ready.” He shrugged.

  “And were you?”

  “Well, then I decided I could just keep playing during the first part of our marriage but when we had kids, when we really settled down, then I’d be able to give up the side flings.”

  A swirl of emotion rose up into her throat. She choked it back. “So, this whole time, you’ve been seeing women, lots of other women?”

  He nodded. “They don’t mean anything to me. But do you know how hard it is to have a luscious piece offer herself to you? It’s hard to resist. I’m only human.”

  Carisa couldn’t even begin to understand. “Heath. You make me ill.”

  “Babe, how can you say that? Hear me out. I’m saying I’m sorry. I’m saying—” He coughed. Swallowed, then continued. “I’m saying I’m done now. Losing you showed me I’d rather have you than all the girls in the world.” He lifted her hand and brought it to his lips. “You’re the real deal and I want that in my life.”

  The feel of his lips made her cringe. She ripped her hand away. “Before I even knew any of this, I’d already decided we could never be.”

  His face went white.

  “It should be obvious. I mean. I left . I ran on the very day we would get married.”

  “But we can’t try again? Take it slow? I flew all the way out here.”

  “I appreciate that. I wanted to talk. I told you earlier how sorry I am.”

  “Sorry. Sorry was okay when I thought we were going to be together. You can’t just say you’re sorry and then not marry a guy. We have gifts, Carisa. Do you know how embarrassing this is?”

  “Is that your largest worry about not being together?”

  “Well, no, yes. I don’t know. It’s a pretty big one. But it’s not all of it.”

  “I know that was low of me. And I am sorry. Again, I’m sorry. But I just can’t see us together.”

  Heath stood up.

  “What? Where are you going?”

  “Getting off this bus.”

  “Uh.”

  He called out. “I need to get off the bus.” Pushing past her and moving forward up the aisle, he started an animated conversation with the driver. After about three minutes, the bus put on its blinker and pulled over on the side of the road.

  Heath climbed out the front door without a backward look in her direction. And that was it.

  She fell back against her seat, exhausted.

  The woman across the aisle leaned forward. “Everything alright, my dear?”

  People all around tuned in. She could almost see them trying to hear her next words. But the woman who asked, her face was so kind, her expression so earnest that Carisa suddenly felt all her emotion rise within her, tears fill her eyes and her lower lip actually quivered.

  “Oh honey, now.” The woman moved across the aisle to sit by Carisa and held her close. She smelled like baby powder and Chanel number five. “Whatever it is, you can conquer this.”

  Carisa nodded. “I don’t know.”

  “You can, honey. I just know it. Tell me all about it.”

  Carisa hiccupped. And then she told her story, all of it. She talked and talked. The story poured out of her in a lava flow of hot, bubbly explosions. People on her bus moved closer, e
veryone leaned in. Some came to stand nearby so they could hear better. And when she was finished, they cheered.

  “That’s the best story I’ve ever heard. You gonna write a romance novel?” The lovely woman from across the aisle wiped her eyes.

  “I could never do that. What I really want. Is to make things right with Wyatt.”

  “Is he the hot tall one?” A woman a couple rows back called forward.

  “Yes, keep up.” Her new friend waved a hand towards the back.

  Carisa wiped her eyes. “Thanks for listening. I do feel much better now that I’ve shared all that.” She turned to face the woman and spoke to all the people listening. “You don’t think I’m crazy do you? Emotionally unstable?”

  “No.” Many people piped up in the negative and she felt a little comforted. Then an old man laughed and shouted. “No more than the rest of us.”

  Her soft hand patted Carisa’s shoulder. “You gotta get out of here, honey. When we stop, grab an Uber or something and get yourself back to the hotel. Wyatt’s waiting for you.”

  “Oh, I hope so.” He’d gone to talk to Miss Spagnoli today. Who knows what kind of conversation they’d had about her, and then Wyatt might easily have seen that he didn’t have time or use for someone so pathetic in his life.

  The bus at last pulled into a marina. They were to board the Flying Dolphin and head out for their sunset sail. But Carisa took the passengers’ advice and searched for Uber cars nearby. There were many to choose from so she set it up. The fare would be huge, but it was worth it to her to get back to Wyatt.

  Many of the passengers hugged her farewell. The women kissed her cheeks. She was crying all over again in gratitude and appreciation. What a wreck. Wyatt would be crazy to want to be with someone like her.

  On the Uber drive back, she chided herself a little bit for her weakness. Sure she had run from her wedding. But she was a successful person. Had a fantastic job, was well liked by everyone who knew her. So what if she didn’t have the money to live like Wyatt did. She was still doing well for herself. Even if she needed a few months to feel emotionally normal again, she was still a decent catch even for someone like Wyatt.