Betrayed (Whiskey Nights #4)

by Suzannah Daniels

  I took it, and he pulled me up with ease. “Come on, little momma, we have a wedding to attend.”

  ***

  We arrived at a private beach house not far down the street from our condo. As we approached the house, I gazed up, soaking in its massive size with three full stories above its stilt foundation. Its exterior was seafoam green with lots of brilliant white trim, framing dozens of windows. I paused, totally awestruck by its grandeur. “It’s gorgeous.”

  Paxton stopped beside me, gazing at it. “No telling what a place like this would cost.”

  “More money than I’ll ever have,” I assured him. “Heck, I’d be happy with a little three-bedroom rancher with a big backyard for Joseph to play in. I can’t imagine living in something like this.”

  We continued along the sidewalk and up the stairs that led to the first floor. The door opened, and Cade, dressed in khakis, a crisp white shirt, and a soft aqua tie, waved us in.

  Paxton shook his hand. “Look at you. First time in a long time you don’t look like a gym rat.”

  Cade grinned. “Looking more like you every day, ain’t I?”

  Cade shook my hand, too. “Glad you could make it, Jessica.” He squeezed Joseph’s cheeks, which immediately made Joseph grin. “Baby J!”

  “Where’s Seren?” I asked.

  Cade pointed toward the ceiling. “She’s upstairs hanging out with the bride. I was heading upstairs myself, but I saw y’all through the window.” He looked toward the back of the house. The afternoon sun was streaming through the wall of windows. “Y’all should go out to the beach and grab a seat. I think they’ll be starting soon. I’ll talk to y’all after the ceremony.”

  “All right. See you in a bit.” Paxton laid his hand on the small of my back, and once Cade headed to the staircase, Pax guided me toward the door on the other side of the living room.

  The room was light and airy and beautifully decorated with oversized white furniture and soft blue accents. When Pax opened the back door and waited for me to go first, I stepped onto a deck that overlooked the pool. Round tables draped in textured white tablecloths were positioned around the poolside. Just behind the pool area on the private beach directly behind the house, I saw rows of chairs, many of them already filled with people.

  With one hand on the railing, I carried Joseph down the stairs. Pax stayed close to my side, and once we reached the bottom level, he guided me along a wooden boardwalk to a row of seats on the groom’s side. A strip of diaphanous teal fabric, accented with a starfish, encircled the back of the chairs.

  Pink petals carpeted the center aisle, which led to a bamboo canopy wrapped in flowing white and teal fabric.

  We sat down, watching the waves roll onto the beach in the distance. A gentle breeze blew a strand of hair across my face, and I tucked it behind my ear while I watched the fabric on the wedding arch billow.

  It made me picture what I would want for my own wedding day…if I ever had one. And as beautiful as everything was decorated, I couldn’t truly say that I would want the same thing. I just wanted to find someone who would love me and Joseph, someone that I could love in return. I didn’t need a fancy wedding. I needed a groom.

  Glancing at Paxton’s profile, I watched as the breeze ruffled his dark hair. I couldn’t see his eyes now, but I’d memorized them long ago. I knew they were hazel, and I knew that sometimes they could appear to be more green or brown than usual because of lighting or the color he wore. He had a strong profile with an angular jawline. He wore a beard now, but I knew that once winter was over, he would opt to be clean-shaven again.

  I found him beautiful and sexy, and I wondered who would eventually capture his heart. I loved him, and I wanted him to be happy.

  He turned and caught me staring. Maybe I should have looked away, but I couldn’t.

  “You okay?”

  “Yeah. I was just admiring how beautiful everything is.”

  He glanced toward the center aisle and turned back to me, whispering conspiratorially, “Personally, I’d rather just elope than go through all this.” He touched the end of my nose with his fingertip. “I guess you women have a way of making men do what you want, though, and let’s face it, a groom’s first responsibility is to keep his bride happy.”

  I wanted to disagree. Maybe other women knew how to get a man to do what they wanted, but I didn’t seem to possess the same power. If I did, Paxton would have never abandoned me. It was a strange feeling to be insanely in love with another person but know that the two of us weren’t quite compatible, that slight differences in our personalities would prevent us from ever finding complete happiness.

  Sadness enveloped me. “I imagine when you find the right bride, you’ll be willing to give her whatever kind of wedding she wants.”

  “I don’t know.” He glanced out at the ocean. “Maybe I’m just too damn selfish.”

  Joseph reached up and grabbed my mouth. I gently took his wrists and made him clap his hands. “I think we’re all selfish to some degree. I mean, we have to be, right? To make sure we’re happy?”

  “My sweet Jess, listen to you, trying to make me feel better.”

  Before I could respond, the crowd turned as the wedding procession started. Once everyone was in place, the bridal march began to play, and we stood and watched as Amber’s father escorted her down the aisle. She was gorgeous in a white mermaid gown that accentuated her slender figure, her hair cascading around her shoulders as it glowed like fire in the afternoon sun. She carried one of the most unusual bouquets I’d ever seen, each rose a rainbow of colors with aqua being the most dominant.

  Since I hadn’t had many close friends since I left Creekview, I hadn’t attended many weddings, but when I watched them on television, one of my favorite parts was watching the groom as his bride walked down the aisle.

  Hawk’s face was filled with love as he watched her make her final trek as an unmarried woman. While everyone else watched Amber, I watched him as he discreetly wiped the corners of his eyes. Watching this physically strong, muscular man being reduced to tears at the sight of his bride melted my heart. His chest rose, and he watched her intently, as if she were the only woman on the entire beach. And I guessed for him, she was.

  I sighed. His love for her was palpable. It was the kind of love I wanted.

  Joseph squirmed in my arms, pulling my hair as he tried to put it in his mouth. I shifted him higher on my hip as I attempted to get him to release his fist.

  Paxton turned to me and held his hands out to Joseph, who immediately released my hair and reached for him. Lifting him with ease, Pax settled Joseph in his arms, and I spread my palms across my sundress and straightened it.

  Amber’s father kissed her on the cheek and handed her off to Hawk. He held her hands tenderly, his thumbs caressing her knuckles as they gazed in each other’s eyes.

  Hawk began his vows first, his face angled toward hers. “Amber, I am honored that you’ve chosen me to stand next to you today. You’re my best friend, the love of my life. I promise….” His voice cracked with emotion, and he lifted his head, his chin jutting in the air and emphasizing his angular jawline. Pursing his lips, he took a moment to regain his composure as Amber slipped her hand out of his and swiped at tears beneath her eyes. When both of her hands were held within his, he started again, “I promise that I will never leave your side, that I will love you as long as my heart beats within my chest, that I will always protect you and put your needs ahead of my own, that I will comfort you and grow old with you. I can’t guarantee that everything will be perfect, but I can promise that from this day forward, I will be by your side until my very last breath.”

  Tears streamed down Amber’s face, and the officiant handed her a tissue. As she dabbed at her tears, I wiped away my own, and Paxton put an arm around my shoulders.

  More composed, Amber flashed a dazzling smile at Hawk. She looked so beautiful and delicate and completely in love. “Hawk, I’m the luckiest girl alive. You’re the most selfless
person I know. Not many people can say the day they were in a car wreck was one of the best days of their life, but I can…because that wreck brought me you.”

  She started crying again to the point that she couldn’t speak. The audience waited, many people wiping at their own tears. Hawk reached out and touched her face, and she nuzzled into his palm.

  She glanced back up at him, her chest rising as she took a deep breath. “I love you so much I can’t even speak.” She laughed then and tilted her head back as she drew in another breath. “Let me just say…I finally got my rainbow.”

  Hawk brushed his knuckle across the corner of his eye. I couldn’t watch the two of them without emotion surging through my heart. Hot tears filled my eyes, and they fell faster than I could mop them up. I was sure my mascara was smeared, but I didn’t even care. Their marriage was one of the most beautiful things I had ever experienced. I was happy for them and a bit envious at the same time. I glanced up at Paxton who was scanning the wedding party as Hawk and Amber completed the ceremony. The bridesmaids wore strapless turquoise dresses with flowing skirts that billowed in the breeze.

  After the bride and groom shared a magical kiss, Hawk and Amber were introduced as Mr. and Mrs. Hawkins.

  The reception was held at the pool area of the beach house. After the wedding toasts and the spotlight dances, Hawk and Amber cut their cake beneath a magnificent gazebo. The wedding cake was a pastel shade of aqua, decorated with glistening white shells and starfish. Despite the fact that Amber smashed a piece on Hawk’s face, he smiled as he held a piece in his hand and waited for her to open her mouth and take a bite.

  “He’s such a sweetheart,” I said softly to Paxton.

  He grunted. “That’s what all the girls say.”

  I smacked him playfully in the arm. “He is.”

  “He’s off the market.”

  “I was just saying….”

  “Paxton!” a deep voice bellowed.

  Pax glanced toward the sound of his name and saw Cade motioning him over. “Bring Joseph over here.”

  Paxton walked toward his brother and sister-in-law. Cade and Seren had been part of the wedding party, and I watched as Seren adjusted her strapless bridesmaid dress before she took Joseph from Paxton’s arms. Cade’s arm wound around his wife’s shoulders, and as she spoke to Joseph, Cade kissed her temple before turning his attention to Joseph, too.

  I hadn’t noticed Amber walking up beside me, but she hugged me from behind. “Thank you so much for coming to our wedding, Jessica.”

  I stood up and hugged her back. Hawk walked over and hugged me, too. “You remember my brother, Jace, don’t you?” He motioned to two men who stood not far behind him. It was obvious which one his brother. I knew Jace had went to high school in Creekview the same time I did, but he was younger than me, so he had been a grade or two behind.

  Hawk motioned them over. “Jace, you remember Jessica Beacham from school.”

  He nodded, and I held my hand out. “Hey, Jace.”

  “Jessica, it’s good to see you again.”

  Hawk motioned to the other guy. “And this is my friend, Bruno Wilkes, better known as Mercury. He’s a firefighter, too.”

  Bruno had a thinner build than Hawk, but I could tell that he was fit. He was also easy on the eyes. “Mercury…that’s an interesting name.”

  “There’s actually a wedding story behind that,” Hawk said. “We were at a call once at a hotel in Creekview. They were right in the middle of a reception when the kitchen caught on fire. Luckily, it didn’t take us long to put it out, but the bridesmaids were hovering around Bruno, gawking and fanning themselves. One made a comment that he made her temperature rise, which another firefighter overheard. So he dubbed Bruno with the nickname of Mercury, and it’s stuck ever since.”

  Mercury slapped Hawk on the back. “Oh, man, I can’t believe you told her the backstory. I just let everyone think Mercury has something to do with the heat of a fire.”

  Jace exhaled loudly. “There are worse nicknames to be had.”

  Hawk and Mercury exchanged glances and guffawed.

  “Shut up,” Jace grumbled, the upward tilt of his mouth making it obvious that he wasn’t serious.

  Hawk leaned in and whispered conspiratorially, “Jace’s nickname is Merman. I’ll let him tell you how he managed that one.”

  Before I could ask, the deejay cranked up the music.

  “We’re glad you’re here, Jessica,” Hawk said as he placed his hand on Amber’s shoulder and guided her toward the next guests.

  Mercury leaned in closer. “You want to dance?”

  I glanced toward Paxton, remembering the fact that he and I would never be anything more than friends. If I ever wanted to find a love like Hawk and Amber had, then I needed to keep my options open. I turned back to Mercury. “Sure.”

  He led me out to the dance floor, and his body immediately gyrated to the fast-paced music. He was a fantastic dancer, and I slowly loosened up, allowing my hips to sway with the beat of the song.

  As it came to an end, I swiveled my head toward Seren, so I could check on Joseph. She was fussing over him while Cade spoke to Paxton. Paxton’s eyes were on me.

  A slow song wafted through the speakers.

  “How about one more?” Mercury asked.

  “Okay.”

  I’d forgotten how awkward it was dancing with someone I barely knew. Mercury took my hand in his and placed his other hand at the small of my back. He guided me through the dance as we glided in a circular pattern.

  He wasn’t quite as tall as Paxton and not quite as muscular. But as the dance progressed, he placed my other hand on his shoulder, while his hands fell to my hips.

  I breathed in his scent. He smelled good, but I preferred Paxton’s cologne. I closed my eyes. Why was I comparing everything about him to Paxton? I would never be able to move past Paxton if I let him consume my every thought.

  Mercury tightened his hold on me, his hands slipping around toward the back of my waist as his fingertips stretched to the top of my buttocks. His hold on me was walking a fine line just below gentlemanly but not quite naughty. He was an attractive man, and I could see why his nickname fit him well.

  At the end of the song, he escorted me back to my table, ending our time together with an infectious grin. “I promised Hawk we would take a shot together to celebrate his marriage. I know him. He won’t drink very much, so I need to grab him while the night’s still early. It was nice to meet you, Jessica.”

  “It was nice to meet you, too.”

  He tilted his chin down at me and pivoted on his heel in search of the groom.

  My eyes immediately sought Joseph. Mrs. Hawkins stood beside Seren, gently squeezing his cheeks and laughing at his reaction. Cade pulled a chair out at the table in front of them for Seren to sit, and then he did the same for Mrs. Hawkins. I searched for Paxton, but he was nowhere to be found.

  Lexi, who was also a bridesmaid, set a glass of champagne in front of me. She pulled out a chair and sat beside me, followed by her boyfriend, Mason.

  “You look lonely,” she said.

  I pointed toward Cade, Seren, and Mrs. Hawkins. “Joseph’s busy charming the guests, so I’m just hanging out until he’s done.”

  “You’re going to have your hands full with that one,” Mason warned, the late afternoon sun making his hair appear more blond than usual as he ran his fingers through it. “By the time he starts school, girls will be throwing themselves at him.”

  “The way they always did you?” Mason and I had been in the same class at school. His charm and good looks had always made him popular with the girls. I knew many girls who’d been heartbroken when he and Rachel had gotten together.

  He grinned, revealing his dimples. “None of that matters now. This hot babe right here,” he said, referring to Lexi, “is the only one for me.”

  Lexi tilted her head and leaned into him, her shoulder bumping his. “I have him well-trained.”

  Mason laughe
d. “You make me sound like a pet monkey.”

  Lexi’s mouth twitched into a grin. “Positive reinforcement works wonders,” she said to me.

  He entwined his fingers with hers, bringing her hand to his lips and pressing a kiss to her knuckles. “I do like to get treats.” He nibbled on her earlobe.

  Giggling, Lexi pushed him away. “I doubt Jessica wants to watch us make out.”

  Mason stood and placed a hand on my shoulder. “Lex is right. I hope you’ll excuse us while I take my girl in search of a dark corner or better yet,” he said as he glanced out to the sun setting on the horizon, “to the beach.”

  I couldn’t help but smile at their playfulness. “Of course.” I shooed them away with a flick of my wrist. “Go have fun.”

  Lexi’s red lips curled into a smile as Mason pulled her to her feet. He pushed her lush dark hair over her shoulder and kissed her neck. Laughing, she clutched his shoulders. “Mason!”

  He turned and grinned at me. “We’ll see you later.”

  Lexi waved. “Bye, Jessica.”

  “Later.” I watched as Lexi rushed alongside him barefooted as she tried to keep up with his long strides. They headed down the wooden walkway that led to the beach.

  They were so stinking cute together, and I sighed, once again wishing I was in a relationship.

  I spotted Joseph being passed around to people I didn’t even know, but Seren was never far away.

  Since Paxton hadn’t come back, I sipped on champagne as I watched the sun set.

  It was some time later when I finally decided to get something to eat. I was filling my plate when Paxton showed up by my side, a plate in his hand. We walked along the buffet, and he spooned food onto both of our plates. “You need a drink?” he asked.

  “I have a glass of champagne on the table, but I wouldn’t mind a glass of tea.”

  He walked me to the table, and we both set our plates on the frilly white tablecloth. “I’ll be right back.”

  A moment later, he returned with our drinks.

  Now that it was dark, the beach house glowed, every window exuding light, and dozens of strands of clear lights decorated the pool area.