Tropical Heat

by Stephanie Bedwell-Grime

  Gracie’s gaze tracked his movements. She had her hands clasped in front of her, like she always did when she was nervous, or was about to deliver bad news. “Could I talk to you for a minute?”

  He opened his mouth to explain this was about the worst minute she could have picked. Actually, a few minutes ago would have been worse, but Gracie said, “If you’re um, busy, I’ll understand, but I could really use your advice.”

  Jesse heard the shower turn off in the bathroom. Explaining his relationship with Sydney to Gracie would take more time than he wanted to spend. And Gracie really seemed like she had something to say. He owed her that at least after how things had ended with them.

  Gracie had seen him with Sydney last night, but that didn’t mean she expected Sydney to be in his room this morning. Unless Ethan had filled her in. Then again, after the condition Gracie had found Ethan in, he doubted the guy had gotten in a word of his own. Maybe he could talk to Gracie quickly and be back before Sydney was dressed.

  “I’ll be back in a minute,” he called into the room. And quickly shut the door behind him.

  He stepped out onto the path just out of sight and hopefully out of hearing distance from the door, and leaned against the wall. Gracie still twisted her hands. That didn’t bode well.

  “So, what’s up?” He winced inwardly at how flip that sounded.

  Gracie shook her head. “What’s up?”

  “I didn’t mean for it to sound that way…”

  She waved his apology away. “I know, I know. You’re busy. You have that girl from last night in your room. Not that it’s any of my business.”

  “About that girl—”

  “Never mind. Like I said, not my business. I’ll be quick, so you can go back to her.”

  She opened her mouth and closed it again. “Ah, I don’t know where to start.”

  He wanted to say at the beginning, but that would take too much time.

  “Thing is,” Gracie said, breaking into his thoughts, “I not sure I should marry Ethan today.”

  What on Earth was he supposed to say back to that? He settled for, “Okay.”

  She continued, “And you’re hardly the person I should be telling this to, but I needed the advice of, well, someone who really knew me. Someone who isn’t … Ethan.”

  “Not Ethan.” That was hardly a brilliant thing to say. What had happened to his brain? Not that any of this came as a huge surprise, but he found himself completely tongue-tied. Lucky for him, Gracie seemed intent on doing most of the talking.

  She raised a hand. “It doesn’t take a genius to know what’s been going on down here.”

  “Maybe Ethan’s merely having one last bash.” And that sounded like completely the wrong thing to say. “You know, before the big commitment.”

  “Oh, he’s been doing that. Honestly, I knew he would. That’s why I arranged to have my bachelorette week at another resort. So I wouldn’t have to watch.” She paused and her gaze centered on the door of his room. “Which isn’t saying much about the state of our relationship.”

  He took her hands in his. “No, honestly, it’s not.”

  “I know.” She looked up at him, her eyes brimming with tears. “I was pretty heart-broken after we broke up. And Ethan … well, Ethan was fun. After all the drama. After all the heartbreak, Ethan was just fun. He was like, life’s too short, let’s party. And for a while, that was fun. It took my mind off things. But it’s not really enough to build a whole lifetime together on. And I know you’re not supposed to fall for your rebound fling, but I did. Hard. I didn’t do it to hurt you. It just happened.”

  “I never thought you did.”

  “I know it was weird, Ethan asking you to be a groomsman, but we both still considered you a friend.”

  “I am a friend, Gracie.”

  “The problem is, I don’t think Ethan’s ever been secure in our relationship. I think he’s worried I’ll go back to you. You’re still there, after all.” Her gaze darted to the door again. “At least you were until now. I think that’s why he wanted to get married right away.”

  Now he was supposed to say something wise. Something to make it all right. Something that kept all of his own conflicted feelings out of it. “Look, I know everyone’s here. And everyone’s expecting a wedding today, but you and Ethan need to talk about this. And if you two don’t feel right about getting married today, then you need to make the next best decision.”

  “Well, that’s the thing…” She pulled her hands from his and began twisting them again. “Because I said all of this to Ethan last night … after he sobered up. He still wants to get married today. And I—I don’t think we should.”

  It all sounded so familiar. He couldn’t shake the eerie memory of a very similar conversation between him and Gracie and few months ago.

  Only he’d been the one saying he didn’t think they should marry and Gracie was the one who’d been sure they could work things out.

  He shoved his hands into his pockets. “I’m so sorry, Gracie. Really I am. To be honest, I do have complicated feelings about you and Ethan, but I did want you to be happy.”

  “I know. But I just don’t know what’s the right thing to do. The one that’s going to hurt the least. For both of us.”

  “And I can’t tell you. Because anything I say will really only be what I would do in your situation. And you already know that.”

  She studied the ground between her feet. “Yeah, sure do.”

  “In any case. This isn’t about me. Or me and you. It’s about you and Ethan. You two need to work this out. You two need to decide what’s the best thing to do.”

  He pulled his hands from his pockets and took hers again. “Whatever you and Ethan decide, I am your friend. Josh and Lucas are your friends too. We’ll all stand by you. Just let us know what you decide.”

  Gracie pulled her hands from his and reached up to give him a hug. “Thank you, Jesse. I knew you’d have good advice.” She let him go and took a few steps down the path. She turned back and forced a smile. “You should probably get back to whatever you were doing.”

  Jesse could only wave in reply.

  ****

  Sydney stepped out of the shower to find the room empty and the door closing. She thought she’d heard him call out something, but she couldn’t be certain. Wrapping herself in a towel, she walked to door and peered through the peephole.

  In time to see Jesse walking away with Gracie.

  Her heart sank. Was there no end to the number of women who wanted a piece of Jesse? And after they’d just…

  She stood on tiptoes and took another glimpse. Gracie seemed to be on the verge of tears. And by the way she was twisting her hands, what she had to say to Jesse didn’t look good.

  If Gracie called off her wedding to Ethan, would she want Jesse back? Would Jesse want Gracie back? Sydney couldn’t stop the worrisome thoughts from crowding into her mind. She’d been foolish. Even after the thing with Brittany, she’d opened her heart to Jesse. She’d given him another chance. Would Gracie take that chance away from her?

  She pulled on another pair of trousers and a t-shirt. Whatever happened, she wasn’t going to greet bad news naked.

  Another glance through the peephole showed Jesse walking back to the room, his head down, deep in thought. He didn’t seem happy. She watched him rummage in the pocket of his shorts. He appeared to have forgotten his key.

  Sydney was about to open the door when he knocked.

  “What going on?” she asked, opening the door.

  The expression on his face told her the answer.

  “I don’t think there’s going to be a wedding today.”

  Chapter Ten

  The hours dragged by. They’d completely missed the breakfast buffet, but they made it in time for lunch. Groups of people sat at the patio tables. More than a few new couples had formed during the week. Happy conversation surrounded them, but Sydney could feel the tension rolling off Jesse in waves.

  “What
do you think they’ll do?” she asked after he’d filled her in on his conversation with Gracie.

  Jesse finished a mouthful of sandwich and put what was left down his on his plate. Though he’d seemed ravenous before Gracie had arrived, now all he’d eaten was a few bites. “I really don’t know. Apparently, Ethan still wants to get married and Gracie doesn’t think they should.”

  Sydney put her own sandwich down. “Ethan wants to get married? By the way he’s been partying like it’s the end of the world, I never would have guessed.”

  “I think he’s confused, really. He cares for her and he’s afraid of losing her.”

  “He has a strange way of showing it.”

  “Ethan rarely shows anything. He uses his hard-partying ways as a front.”

  “Well, he fooled me.”

  “He fools a lot of people that way.”

  “What about Gracie?”

  Jesse shook his head. “No, I think Gracie probably knows the real Ethan a lot better than the rest of us. She’s perceptive.”

  “You say such nice things about her. You speak so highly of her…” How to ask the question she really didn’t want to ask? “It’s like you perhaps regret breaking up with her.”

  Jesse reached for his cup of coffee and took a long drink. “I do regret breaking up with her.”

  When she opened her mouth to protest, he continued, “But not the way you’re thinking. I regret how it happened. And I regret I was the one who had to do it. Gracie is a nice person. But we weren’t right for each other. And Ethan…” He shook his head. “I don’t know.”

  There was another question she hesitated to ask. But if this was going to be a day of revelations, then she should have her answers as well. “If there is no wedding today. If it turns out Gracie’s still single, will you want to give your relationship another shot?”

  He pondered that for a moment while her heart pounded. “No,” he said finally. “If it didn’t work once, another try would only prolong the suffering. If Gracie marries Ethan, then I’ll stand by them. And if she’s single again, then she needs to move on and find a guy who’s right for her.”

  “So, what are you going to do, then?”

  Jesse glanced at the people walking by on the path, as if he suspected one of the wedding party to come and tell him it was off. But the only people on the path were strangers. “If no one tells me differently, I’m going to get dressed in my wedding clothes and head over to the other resort.”

  “Well, good luck.” That sounded wrong, so she added, “I’m not sure what for.”

  He reached across the table and grasped her hand. “Come with me. Be my plus one.”

  “Jesse, I don’t know…”

  “Please, Sydney. I really don’t want to do this alone.”

  “Josh and Lucas will be there.”

  “They will, at least I hope so. But if it all goes as planned, then it’ll be a nice night. A nice party. And I won’t have to watch Gracie and Ethan get married by myself.”

  “And if it all goes bad?”

  He smiled for the first time since Gracie had come to talk to him. “Then we’ll come back here and have our own party.”

  Sydney considered her options. She didn’t really want to go to Gracie and Ethan’s wedding. She had nothing acceptable to wear, except the sundress she’d had on the other day. Maybe if she hung it up in the shower, the creases would hang out. But if she admitted it to herself, another part of her was curious to see what would happen. Would there be a wedding or not?

  “Okay, I’ll go.” She pushed her plate away and stood. “Let’s go get dressed for a wedding.” She almost added, hopefully there’ll be one, but decided not to. In Gracie and Ethan’s case, she wasn’t sure what she should be hoping for.

  At four o’clock, the summons came in the guise of Lucas and Josh

  Jesse had already donned the cream-colored silk shirt and darker trousers he was to wear as a groomsman. Sydney ran her hands over the skirt of her sundress. The creases had hung out as she expected. With her hair up, she looked presentable enough. They were both sitting on the end of the bed waiting for the time to head over to the next resort to draw near, or for the phone to ring with bad news. The clock ticked closer to the hour. The phone hadn’t rung. When a knock on the door sounded, they both jumped.

  Jesse got up to answer the door to find Josh and Lucas standing on the doorstep wearing identical clothes to Jesse’s.

  “Ready?” Josh asked.

  The men studied each other, everyone clearly thinking the same thing. Jesse broke the silence. “Okay, let’s go.”

  Josh’s gaze strayed to Sydney sitting on the end of the bed. But he didn’t say anything when Sydney stood and Jesse held out his hand for her to join him.

  Together they left the room and headed up the path to the lobby where Josh said a cab was waiting for them.

  It seemed the wedding was on after all.

  They emerged from the cab and walked through the resort to the gazebo where the ceremony was to be held. Sydney caught her breath. The tall, white gazebo sat out over the water, a wooden bridge linking it to the resort. A wrought-iron railing ran around the bottom, allowing everyone a view of ceremony about to take place. Resort patrons had gathered on the resort side. Within the gazebo, Ethan stood waiting with the officiant. Jesse, Josh, and Lucas walked across the bridge to join him. Sydney found a spot beneath a palm tree by the resort fence.

  Even from that distance, she could tell Ethan was nervous. He appeared sober, perhaps a little hung over. He wore similar clothes to his groomsmen, only his shirt was white. He was sweating, either from the heat or from yesterday’s excesses. Sydney decided it was likely a little of both. The wedding party was flanked by a couple of large arrangements of orange flowers. The bright hue only served to make Ethan look paler. She didn’t envy him standing there, waiting to see if his bride was going to show. That had to be the most gut-wrenching moment ever.

  The groomsmen shifted nervously, making Ethan seem even more anxious. The obvious tension was even making her nervous.

  When she thought she couldn’t stand the tension any longer, the music started and Gracie appeared.

  Gracie wore a long strapless dress that flared out behind her. Her hair was swept back from her face in a low chignon and accented with a large flower. She carried a bouquet of orange flowers that matched the arrangements. Three bridesmaids wearing short orange dresses walked in front of her.

  Set against the gleaming white gazebo and the turquoise water beyond, the effect was stunning. A photographer darted in front of them to capture the moment. It would make spectacular pictures. For a moment, Sydney allowed herself to dream about having such a moment for herself as she watched the bridesmaids make their way into the gazebo.

  Ethan visibly relaxed when Gracie appeared. His shoulders lowered and he sucked in a deep breath. A wide smile lit up his face. Gracie made her way across the bridge and took her place beside Ethan. The entire wedding party breathed a sigh of relief.

  The officiant launched into the service.

  Sydney felt her own shoulders lowering and the tension flowing out of her body as Ethan said his vows. He may have been conflicted earlier in the week. He may have been partying hard out of fear he might lose his bride, but he seemed certain enough of himself now as he spoke his vows in an even voice. Sydney realized she’d been secretly holding out hope for Ethan and Gracie. She’d wished they would be able to settle their difference and everything would work out for them.

  The officiant turned to Gracie.

  And that was when it all went wrong.

  “Do you take this man…” the officiant began.

  Gracie hesitated. Ethan swallowed hard. His gaze wandered over her face, beseeching her. The entire wedding party held their breath.

  Gracie opened her mouth to say something and then closed it. She exhaled and her shoulders drooped. She handed her bouquet to one of her bridesmaids and reached for Ethan’s hands. “I’m sorry, Etha
n. I just can’t. I don’t think this is the right thing to do.”

  “Gracie.” Ethan said her name in a choked voice. “We talked about this. We decided…”

  “I know, I know,” she said quickly. Tears gathered in her eyes. “But I just can’t.”

  She gathered up her skirts and ran across the bridge toward the resort, her bridesmaids trailing after her.

  For a moment, no one spoke. Giving the officiant a tortured expression, Ethan headed back across the bridge. His groomsmen followed, leaving the baffled officiant standing alone in the gazebo.

  Ethan disappeared into the resort, leaving the groomsmen to mull around on the patio deck where the reception was supposed to be held. Confused waiters unaware of the drama inside the gazebo began to serve drinks.

  Sydney found Jesse staring back out over the water. A waiter offered them drinks. Jesse accepted one. She took a glass as well, happy to have something to hold onto. But neither of them drank. It seemed wrong to be enjoying champagne after what had just happened.

  “For a moment there, I thought…” Jesse gave her a searching look.

  “Me too. When Gracie showed up, I thought she’d go through with it.”

  She glanced behind them at the wait staff setting up for the reception. “What happens now? It seems like no one’s told the resort there isn’t going to be a party.”

  Jesse groaned. “What a mess.”

  She had to agree with him. The reception had likely already been paid for. And the resort seemed intent on going ahead with it. She tried to imagine how she’d feel in Gracie’s position with all her friends and family, as well as the resort waiting for an explanation, and found she couldn’t. Awful didn’t quite describe it.

  On the other side of the patio, she watched Lucas and Josh talking quietly. Lucas threw back a glass of champagne and reached for another. Josh set his down on a nearby table.

  Spotting Jesse and Sydney, they walked toward them.