by Amy Starling
“What?” She blanched. “They're gone? Then how are we supposed to get out?”
Marcus emerged from his apartment, arms full of garbage bags he'd stuffed to the brim. I felt like slapping him. That was only gonna slow us all down.
“Head for the fire escape. Go!”
The escape was via a door at the end of the hall. The handle on the door said “Press to activate alarm. Only use this door in event of emergency.”
I slammed on the bar. Nothing happened.
“Open it, Jayce!”
I tried again. Nope. The door remained shut. The alarm didn't sound. What the hell?
“It's locked or something.” I kicked it. “And it's steel, so my ax won't do a lot of good.”
“Then what do we do?”
“Head for the roof.”
We went up the stairs instead of down. I sucked in the clean air, grateful to be out of that hell – but we weren't free yet.
I looked over the edge and called to the guys below. They waved back. Billy pulled the truck over and extended the ladder for us to climb down.
Elle went first. Went she reached the bottom, the relief I felt was indescribable. Thank God.
The boys went next. Beth gnawed her lip and gazed at the ground.
“I'm scared of heights. Is this really the only way?”
Marcus hugged her. “You'll do fine, honey.”
I reached for Rose. “Let me take the baby down. I've done this a thousand times before, so I've got a pretty good grip.”
She smiled her thanks and went down slowly, one rung at a time. I let Marcus go next, and finally, me.
I held Rose tightly against my chest with one arm and climbed down with the other. The baby's cries stopped as she snuggled against me.
“Maybe Elle was right,” I told her. “There's something about me you kids seem to love.”
Didn't mean I would be a good father, but hey, it was a start.
When I put my foot on soil, everyone cheered. My brothers from the department, and the tenants who watched the whole thing, ran to congratulate me for getting them out safe. I handed Rose back to her mom and snatched Elle up in my arms.
“How did this happen, Jayce? I don't understand.”
“I have no idea. I got the emergency call and sped here fast as I could. Then a drunk driver hit me on the way, and –”
“What?”
“I'm okay. Can't say the same about the guy's car.”
The men finally had the blaze under control. Most of the flames were out now. There would be a lot of damage to repair, but fortunately, it seemed as if most individual units were spared.
A news chopper showed up promptly, along with a crew of reporters eager for interviews. I took Elle aside to get away from them all.
“Pink, I'm so sorry. I should never have left you here alone. If I hadn't been so stupid, I would have been here when the fire broke out. I could have helped you.”
“You did help me.”
“But what if things went differently? What if the fire started on the fifth floor? If something happened to you or the baby, I'd...”
Tears dampened my eyes. Elle smiled and kissed me.
“So you do care.”
“Of course I do! I... I love you, Elle. I've never felt like this about anyone. It's love; it has to be.”
The thought of having to say those words used to scare me. Tonight, I wanted to shout them from the rooftops so all the world would know what a lucky man I was.
“I love you too.” She patted her stomach. “But the baby?”
“I'd never abandon you, or the kid. Maybe I don't know one iota about raising a child, but I can learn.”
A woman's shrill cry interrupted our special moment. Elle's mother came running toward us like a stampeding buffalo.
“There you are, sweetie!” She threw her arms around Elle as tears poured down her cheeks. “I was so scared you didn't make it. When I saw the fire, and all the smoke...”
“I'm going to be fine, mom.” She looked to me. “Thanks to Jayce.”
Angie squealed and hugged me next. I gasped for breath; as usual, she didn't notice.
“I always thought you were a complete loser, Jayce, but... You saved us, so you're not all that bad.”
I sighed. “Thanks, Mrs. Gardener. That makes me feel so much better.”
She waddled off, yelling at the firemen to hurry up because she had to see if her wedding dress was safe and sound.
“No, ma'am. You can't go in there. Why not? Well, the stairs are gone, for one thing.”
Right now, I didn't care about Angie or even her stupid sham of a wedding. I had Elle and the baby – our baby – safe and sound in my arms.
Tonight, there was no other place in the world more perfect than this.
Chapter 24 - Elle
Mom always loved to be fancy. Naturally, she'd convinced David to have their wedding aboard the Santa Ana, a really big boat, as it floated across Lake Waco.
It must have cost him a fortune – and when mom was done with him, she'd end up costing him way more than that.
Unless Jayce and I put a stop to it.
I found him by the refreshments table with Heather and Zach. They were sampling the expensive-looking appetizers: shrimp cocktail, caviar, nice cheese. My stomach growled.
“Pink, get over here and have some food.” Jayce scolded me. “You're eating for two now.”
“Doesn't mean I need to eat double the calories!”
Heather laughed. “Aw, Jayce. You're so protective of her. I think you'll be a wonderful daddy.”
“Maybe we should hurry up and get married so we can have a kid, too,” Zach joked. “Wouldn't it be nice to have our children the same age?”
“Great idea,” Jayce said. “Then you guys won't mind babysitting now and again.”
“Not at all.”
It was a gorgeous day, complete with clear blue skies and warm wind. Watching the sunlight reflect off the glassy water made me feel calm and at peace.
But I knew the feeling wouldn't last.
When Heather and Zach wandered away to the bar, I spoke quietly to Jayce so the guests around us couldn't hear. Why had they invited so many people? Must have been hundreds on board.
“We don't have much time. The ceremony begins in a half an hour. Are you still going through with it?”
“My father's a dick, but I won't let him get suckered into this. You support me, don't you?”
“Of course I do. But –”
“Honey, it's so good to see you again!”
I gasped at the sound of that voice. Dad!
“My God, dad. What are you doing here?” I tried to sound surprised about it. “I thought you were in California.”
He brushed the dirty-blond hair out of his face and smiled. “Oh, yeah, I still live there. My company had me flying to Texas on business. So I just thought I'd drop in and say hello to your mother and you before I went home.”
I glanced at Jayce. He gritted his teeth and curled his hands into fists. I knew how much he hated liars, and how hard it was to resist socking my dad in the jaw.
And what was he doing here, of all places, on the boat where mom was about to get hitched? What in the hell was she thinking?
“So, mom's getting married and you came to the wedding.” I said this flatly, so he'd know I disapproved.
He turned to Jayce. “When your dad heard I was in town, he invited me. We were all quite close once, you know? Our families didn't see each other often, but still.”
They had some serious nerve! I'd never felt sorry for David before, but this was just too much, even for him.
“I heard your apartment burned down the other day. So sorry to hear that.”
“It didn't burn down.” Jayce glared at him. “There was a lot of interior damage, but once the repairs are made, it will be better than new.”
“How on Earth could such a thing happen, anyway?”
I stepped in before Jayce exploded. “It start
ed when someone left a lit cigarette on a couch in the commons area. It would have been easy enough to contain, but it turned out one of our residents had a gas grill on his patio – and he kept propane tanks stored indoors. That, and all the old wood in the building made excellent kindling.”
“Ah. That is unfortunate.” Dad frowned and hugged me. “Well, it was great to talk to you both. I'm going to go find my seat before it gets too crowded.”
I waited for him to walk away, then leaned on Jayce's shoulder. “Should I have said something? He was acting so awkward.”
“As well he should. I've never seen a man do something so scummy – and I've done a lot of nasty things.” He looked me square in the eyes. “We can't let the wedding go on. Your mother will never confess. All we have left is to show the video to my dad.”
I agreed. “But where is he?”
“Off getting ready, I would think. I haven't been able to talk to him for days now. Guess he's still salty about what happened at the courthouse.”
“Then what –”
“I've got a plan. It's kind of devious, but it's guaranteed to work.”
“Valued guests, please find your assigned seats. The wedding ceremony of Mr. David Reinhard and Mrs. Angela Gardener will begin in fifteen minutes.”
Jayce kissed me quickly before darting off. I got a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. What exactly was he plotting this time?
I found my seat next to Heather and Zach. Being family of the bride, naturally, we were given chairs in the front row. Perfect for catching all the action, I guess.
“Where's Jayce?” Heather looked around. “I wouldn't blame him if he's off getting smashed for once. I almost feel like doing the same thing.”
“He's going to crash this wedding.”
She and Zach exchanged glances. I rubbed my belly, comforted only by the flutters inside that might well have been the baby's first kicks.
Minutes later, soft, romantic violin music began to play. The crowd hushed. Jayce slipped into his chair just as the best man and bridesmaids took their places.
“What did you do?” I hissed.
He took my hand. “You'll see.”
I nervously looked around to figure out what trouble he'd started, but saw nothing. There was the orchestra at the sides, vases of white flowers everywhere, and a projector off in the corner. It displayed photos of David and mom on a screen for the guests to admire.
The music swelled as David stepped on stage. He had a big smile on his face, but it seemed phony somehow. Jayce cringed at the sight of him.
The band cued up their rendition of “Here Comes the Bride.” Flashes erupted from dozens of cameras as mom walked down the carpeted aisle in her lacy dress. She clutched a bouquet of exotic flowers to her bosom.
When she reached the end of the aisle, David turned to face her with a smile. The priest, Father Conrad, stood before them and began reading his speech about love, commitment, and family.
Even though I was livid at what mom was doing, the priest's words made me cry. Weddings always had that effect on me, but this one was different, for obvious reasons.
“And now they will cease to be alone. They will join together and become one flesh under the eyes of the Lord.” He smiled and closed his notes. “Now, I understand you have written your own vows, along with a photographic accompaniment.”
David went first. “Angela, you and I have always been close friends. You were there for me and Debbie when we needed support. You have a big heart, and your kindness knows no limits.”
Jayce put a finger in his mouth and pretended to gag. I would have laughed if this whole thing wasn't just one-hundred percent ridiculous.
A photo displayed on the projector. It was a picture of the two of them kissing in the park. Okay, now I felt like being sick too.
“I promise I will honor and love you, the way a man ought to love his wife...”
Jayce couldn't hold back anymore. He tapped a button on his phone.
The photo on the screen was replaced by a different shot. I squinted to make out the blurry image. Oh, boy. It was the video of mom making out with dad!
The video began to play, complete with very loud audio so that the entire audience could hear, even in the furthest back rows.
David stopped saying his vows and stared in confusion. Everyone else murmured and whispered to one another. Mom, on the other hand, knew she'd been sunk.
“What is this? This is ruining my big day! I demand whoever is in charge of this hunk of junk, turn it off right now!”
But they didn't. David and the guests saw it all – her kissing dad, her confessing her entire plot to steal David's money for him. She hid her bright-red face behind the lace of her veil.
Dad sat in the front row several chairs down. He clearly had no idea anybody had figured out their scheme. His mouth hung agape, and his eyes darted from left to right.
David stared at mom, then him.
“Angela,” he said, his voice shaking with barely-contained fury. “What exactly am I looking at? When was this taken? And why are you kissing your ex-husband?”
The crowd began to rumble with gossip and accusations. Jayce sat back and smiled at his handiwork.
“Now the circus really begins,” he whispered.
Heather reached over me and smacked him in the chest. “I can't believe you'd ruin their wedding. You're still a jerk.”
“What else was I supposed to do? Let my dad get cheated on while Angie bankrupts him for another man?”
She said nothing. Both of us knew this had to happen. It could have been handled a lot more discreetly, yeah, but still.
Mom clutched David's arm. “It's not what it looks like, honey. I can explain.”
The priest stepped forward and forced a smile. “Ah, um, how about we call an... intermission? The ceremony will resume... shortly.”
He gestured to the band. They struck up a loud tune to cover mom and David's arguing, but not loud enough.
“You were cheating on me? And worse, you only wanted to marry me for money?”
“No, dear, of course not! This is all someone's idea of a sick joke. I was framed.”
Dad tried to creep away to safety with everyone else, but too late. David charged at him and grabbed him by the collar.
“You! You knew I was going to marry Angie, and you stole her from me.”
“That's not entirely true. When I came for a visit, she didn't tell me she was dating you at first. She tricked me. Made me fall in love with her all over again...”
Mom scoffed. “Stop lying, Peter. You knew the whole time. Why, it's all your fault that I strayed! You, with your honeyed words. The sweet promises you made me.”
“How dare you blame me for your own actions. You're the one who lied to David all this time.” Dad folded his arms. “Go on, Angie. Tell him the truth. Tell him who you really love.”
David growled and swung a punch at dad – who was never much of a fighter, so one strike to the cheek sent him down fast.
Mom shrieked and scurried away from the brawl, tripping over her dress train and falling flat on her face into the four-tier wedding cake.
“This would be comedy gold if it weren't so damn sad,” Jayce said.
Heather nodded. “I'm totally ashamed to be part of this family.”
The crowd roared with excitement as dad struggled to defend himself against David's blows. Mom peeled the cake off her face and screamed.
“Stop it, both of you! Please, there's no need to fight. Let's try to settle this peacefully.” She slipped in cake and nearly fell. “I'm sure there's just been... a huge misunderstanding here.”
Finally, a security guard managed to pull David off dad, who had a nasty black eye already.
“I want nothing to do with you ever again, Angela. I never thought you were this way. I thought you were a good woman. I loved you.”
She began to bawl. “And I love you, sugar plum! I just made a little mistake, that's all. Nothing we can't handle.
That's what marriage is all about, isn't it?”
“We're not married yet, thank God.” He wiped the blood off his knuckles. “And we never will be.”
Mom hurried after him as he stormed away, but her lengthy dress prevented much running. She stumbled in her pointy high heels, took them off, and waddled across the boat deck to catch up with him. They vanished around the corner, and we heard no more from them.
“Mission accomplished.” Jayce pressed “Stop” on his phone. “But then why do I feel so bad?”
“Maybe you do care about your dad. You want him to be happy.”
“He's an asshole. I don't care how he feels. On top of that, he's trying to steal our home.”
But he was conflicted.
“He's still your father. Won't you want him in the baby's life?”
“I guess he has a right to see his grandchild – if he has any interest in it, which I very much doubt that he will.”
Apparently, just because the wedding had been ruined didn't mean the festivities had to end. The local band they'd hired started to play. Guests went back to dancing, while others swarmed the snack table and buffet.
“At least we get a good party out of it.” Jayce raised his champagne. “And the open bar is sweet, too.”
“Don't rub it in. I could use a drink or three after that.”
When the band played a slow love song, Jayce took my hand and led me to the floor. We danced there, with his arms around me and my head resting against his chest.
“We're not going to be like them, Pink. Not ever.”
“You think?”
“I'm gonna be the best husband you could ever ask for. The best dad, too. Although the puking and the diapers kind of freak me out, still.”
Not far away, the priest complained to the ship captain.
“A complete debacle, that's what it was. Never in all my years have I seen such scandal – may God have mercy on their sinful souls.”
The captain laughed. “I'm afraid I missed it.” He sipped his margarita. “Ah, well. It'll be up on YouTube within the hour.”
“I came all the way out here to marry these people, and for what? Now I'm stuck on the boat until we reach shore.”
Jayce and I exchanged looks. My heart skipped a beat.
