Pounding footsteps rushed down the boardwalk to the Pierce home before silence suggested that the person had hit the sand before calling out, “Dudley!”
The dog barked again, and Connie poked her head from around the protection of the dune to see who it was.
God, please take me now, she thought as Jonathan strolled toward her.
Chapter 8
Jonathan heard Dudley’s happy bark and walked toward the sound. A second later, Connie stuck her head out from around the edge of one of the dunes.
Fuck me, he thought and called out Dudley’s name, only to have another happy yip confirm that the terrier was with her.
He sucked in a deep inhalation and slowly ambled toward her. So far, amid all the rushed wedding prep, they’d managed to stay cordial. But they’d also managed to keep their distance, well aware that being too close produced a combustible mix. The last thing anyone needed was a messy explosion on top of all the hectic, last-minute wedding arrangements.
When he reached the almost foxhole-like spot where she was sitting, he stopped short. Dudley was in her lap, happily providing dog kisses, and while it dragged a chuckle from her, he had no doubt that she’d been crying. The sheen of tears on her cheeks shimmered beneath the moonlight, and her eyes were red rimmed.
“Hi, Jon,” she said, her voice husky from the tears she’d shed.
“Were you crying?” he asked and kneeled close to her. He could handle her stubbornness and the temper that she luckily kept leashed for the most part. He could even handle the iciness that warned him to stay away. But the thought of her crying just shredded his heart.
“No,” she answered way too quickly and rubbed Dudley’s head as he kept up his enthusiastic loving.
“What’s that on your cheeks then?” he pushed, needing her to admit it, not so that he could rejoice, but because he wanted to help.
“Dog spit. Your dog’s spit, because I’m assuming this little guy belongs to you,” she said and urged the terrier down into her lap again. The dog squirmed and presented her with his belly, jonesing for a rub.
As she obliged, Jonathan’s gut tightened. He hated that he was suddenly wishing he could get that kind of attention as well. But wishes like that were best kept secret, because Connie had made it clear she wanted no part of him. And yet, something inside made him try to change things between them.
“He’s mine. When I saw him at the shelter a few weeks ago, I couldn’t walk away. Now that I plan on moving to Sea Kiss—”
“You’re moving to Sea Kiss? To the mansion?” she asked with surprise.
He shook his head. “I only stay here because I know my father never comes down. As much as I love the family home, I need to find my own place. I’ve started searching for a house nearby.”
There was no doubting the look on her face and her obvious worry. With Maggie and Owen getting married and him right in the neighborhood, they’d be constantly thrown together.
“Don’t worry, Connie. I won’t make it hard for you to see Maggie. I know how close the two of you are.”
A guilty splotch of color erupted on cheeks already ruddy from her tears. “It’s not like that. We’re two mature adults. We can handle being around each other.”
“Yes, we can. Like now. We’re talking. No anger. No worries.”
She huffed out a breath and looked away. “Right, no worries,” she said, but despite her words, something major was going on with her.
“If you want to talk about it—”
“I don’t.”
He didn’t give up. With a smile, he said, “Or if you just need a shoulder to cry on.”
She tilted her chin up in a defiant gesture that was achingly familiar. “I wasn’t crying. Like I said before, it was just your puppy’s kisses.”
“Really?” He couldn’t resist the challenge. He leaned forward and cradled her chin with his hand.
Her gold-green eyes widened in surprise as he came ever closer. When he kissed the corner of her right eye, her eyelashes fluttered against his lips as she closed her eyes.
“Sweetest,” he began and shifted to her other eye. “Dog spit,” he said and didn’t wait for her protest. “Ever.” He kissed her lips, a gentle coaxing kiss that had her tilting into him and grasping his shoulders for support. As they moved closer, Dudley, who had been sitting in her lap, squirmed and barked a complaint as he got sandwiched between their bodies.
They slowly shifted apart, and even in the dim moonlight, the flush of color across her cheeks was obvious. She grabbed Dudley, thrust the dog against Jonathan’s chest, and shot to her feet.
“I have to go,” she said and raced away without waiting for his reply.
As Jonathan watched her rush off, Dudley slathered his face with kisses, either in apology for ruining the moment or in sympathy for the loss he felt at her departure. Jonathan rubbed the dog’s head and set him on the ground. He talked to him as they walked back to the mansion. “Silly pooch. I knew you had the right name since it seemed like you always did the right thing.”
He stepped up onto the boardwalk, Dudley dutifully at his side. “And now you go and run away and to her of all people. And damn, you interrupted at the worst possible time, dude. I thought I was finally breaking through that wall of hers.”
Dudley gave a combo growl/bark, making Jonathan pause on the edge of the great lawn.
“What? You don’t like that idea?” he asked and shook his head in wonderment. He was truly losing it. He was talking to his dog, for God’s sakes.
Dudley barked again, looked toward the Sinclair mansion, and whined loudly. Beyond the row of privet hedges, Connie’s silhouette was visible through the tiny leaves and thin branches. It was almost as if the little dog wanted him to go after her, but Jonathan knew that was crazy, just like it had been crazy to kiss her before.
Only she had looked so sad and so alone. He had never been one to ignore someone in need. Even if it had been Connie. Smart, beautiful, prickly, stubborn Connie.
“Come on, Dudley. Forget about her,” he said, but inside of him, a spark of hope ignited. He didn’t rush to extinguish it.
* * *
Connie was grateful that no one was around when she slipped back into the mansion. Mrs. Patrick had left a light on in the kitchen, not that Connie needed it to navigate her way around the table and island and to the stairs that led to the second floor. Thankfully, nothing had changed in the house in the nearly ten years she’d been visiting, so she could do the walk blindfolded. But so many other things have changed, Connie thought as she trudged up the stairs and marched to her room.
Tracy was married. For now at least, since the marriage was off to a rocky start. She hoped her friend could make a go of it, since she was truly trying hard to be a better person and set things to right. A very different attitude from Tracy’s usual drama-queen persona.
Maggie was getting married. That still had to sink in some more, since it was all too new and uncertain.
Emma…Emma never changed. She was essentially the same woman who Connie had met in college. Hardworking, bright, and beautiful. Still denying that there was a Prince Charming out there for her, even though Carlo was standing right before her eyes.
Just like you can’t see what’s right in front of your face? the little voice in her head challenged. Just like you haven’t changed at all? it tacked on cheekily.
Connie shut down that annoying voice as she walked into her bedroom, undressed, and got into bed. She lay there, staring at the ceiling and listening to the normally calming rumble of the surf, and let her mind wander. Or at least tried to let it wander, since it seemed to circle right back to her earlier thoughts.
Contrary to the little voice’s challenge, she had changed. She was not the frightened little girl she had been, always worrying about her parents fighting. Time and time again, her father had left to chase one un
realistic dream or another until the day he had walked away for good and the fighting had stopped. Then it became worry about how little they had and how hard her mom worked to earn it. It was why she’d been good. Her mother deserved some respite when she came home.
And they both deserved a better, easier life, which was why she’d worked so hard to get straight A’s and a scholarship for college. She’d wanted to provide for herself and her mom. She hadn’t wanted to be that scared little girl all her life.
But as much as she had changed, here she was, afraid again. Fearful of not getting the partnership for which she’d worked so hard and worse, losing it to someone like Perez, who’d always coasted through life. She was also worried about whether her best friend would have her heart broken. Worried, just a little, about how that marriage might impact her. Which led to her next biggest fear: Jonathan.
She raised her hand and brushed her fingertips across her lips. Recalled his gentle kiss, filled with tenderness. His humor, which could always draw her out of the darkness, like where she’d been tonight. His caring, because he hadn’t just asked her to talk about it as a platitude. He’d meant it.
And even though she’d told her friends weeks earlier that Jonathan hadn’t changed, she had to confess that there had been something different about him lately. She’d sensed it during their impromptu lunch that had ended so badly. And again earlier that day when they’d all gathered to discuss the wedding preparations. It had even been more apparent tonight as he’d talked about buying a house in Sea Kiss. Not to mention his adorable little terrier, she thought with a smile.
It was almost as if he was truly trying to settle down, but Jonathan had always been someone wildly alive and free. Like anything wild, it wasn’t easy to domesticate him.
Like you wanted to? said the little voice as it emerged again.
Maybe she had wanted to, but the last thing she wanted to do was destroy the spirit that had attracted her to him in the first place. Now, with the advantage of maturity and hindsight, she recognized that the plans she had made for them so many years earlier would have done just that. But despite all the little changes that said he was a tamer version of the Jonathan she’d fallen in love with, she didn’t dare take the chance. It was too easy to see him growing tired of the everyday and leaving for one of his adventures, just like her father had come and gone until the day when he hadn’t returned.
Some people weren’t meant to be contained. She was wise enough to know that wild animals that had been caged for too long either lost their spirit or turned on their masters. Neither outcome would be good for her or Jonathan.
Chapter 9
The prenup had been signed and the wedding plans finalized a few weeks earlier. In a flurry of activity, Connie, Emma, and Tracy had gotten their bridesmaids’ dresses. Emma had muscled the men into choosing their tuxes. Earlier that day, they’d met at the Sinclair mansion to walk through what would happen when Maggie and Owen walked down the aisle together tomorrow.
It had been difficult to stand by Jonathan and stroll across the great lawn with him to the arbor that had been assembled on the beach for the nuptials. Her mind had betrayed her, making her wonder what it would be like if it were the two of them doing the walk. A happy walk instead of one that had felt like they were death-row prisoners on the way to their execution. Somehow, they’d managed to get through it.
Now Connie had to survive the rehearsal dinner. Luckily, there were a good number of people there. Beside some long-distance members of the Sinclair and Pierce families, there were about half a dozen or so close friends. Since the wedding itself had been rushed and people were flying in anyway for tomorrow’s wedding, it had seemed to be a good idea to give them this one night to toast the soon-to-be newlyweds and get to know each other before the big event. Not a traditional rehearsal dinner, but it seemed like everyone was enjoying themselves so far.
Connie circled the floor of the ballroom in the large Sea Kiss inn where the affair was being held, making sure that everyone was enjoying themselves. At various other spots, Emma and Tracy were doing the same thing while Maggie and Owen went from table to table, greeting their guests. At one table with a gathering of men she recognized from their college days, Jonathan sat, apparently regaling them with tales of his exploits as the men laughed out loud and one of them congratulated Jonathan with a sharp clap on the back.
Jonathan did an “aw shucks” kind of shrug that was too damn endearing and had her heart constricting painfully. He’d always downplayed his accomplishments, maybe because of his dad and the man’s constant criticism. After their talk at lunch weeks earlier, she knew that he’d hidden a lot, including the fact that he was a genius behind that laid-back surfer-dude persona.
She tore her gaze away from him because he looked just too damned good. His blue eyes were bright against skin tanned from his time on Sea Kiss Beach. The custom suit he’d put on emphasized his broad shoulders, and she’d noticed earlier how the suit pants hugged his muscular legs and fine ass.
Damn, she said to herself as heat spiraled through her. She really had to stop looking at and thinking about him and how he’d tamed his sun-streaked light-brown hair into a man bun. She hated man buns and those silly bad boy bracelets. Thumb rings too, but as she glanced at him again from the corner of her eye, it was only to wonder why he carried them off so well and why it affected her so.
“Are you okay? You look a little flushed,” Emma said as they crossed paths and then walked together to their table.
“Just fine,” Connie said, but another round of loud laughter drew her attention back to Jonathan’s table. Damn if he wasn’t smiling that dimpled grin that did all kinds of things to her insides.
“Oh, I see,” Emma said as they sat. She reached for an icy glass of water and handed it to Connie. “Take a sip. It may help you cool down.”
“Fuck you, Emma,” she playfully murmured under her breath.
Emma chuckled out loud. “Don’t blame me if you have no control,” she teased and picked up her half-finished glass of champagne. They’d done a toast and brought out dessert about half an hour ago, and the dinner would be winding down soon.
“I so have control,” Connie said, trying to convince herself as Jonathan rose from the table and went over to the side of the room where Owen was standing next to Carlo. Carlo seemed to be giving his staff final instructions as the affair ended, but once he was finished, he turned his attention to the two brothers. Jonathan reached into his pocket and handed something to Carlo.
She risked a glance from the corner of her eye at Emma, whose gaze was set on the very handsome man who was her caterer extraordinaire. She might have been fantasizing about Jonathan, but her friend was likewise fixated on Carlo.
“Ladies, you two seem to be interested in something,” Tracy said as she joined them and glanced over at the men. “Ah, I see,” she said, earning protestations from both Connie and Emma.
“It’s not what you think,” they said, almost in unison.
Tracy barely contained her laughter. “Right. I may have made a mess of my romantic life, but you two… It’s really sad, you know.”
As Emma began a spirited defense, Connie focused on the men across the way again. It was impossible to miss the look on Carlo’s face as he gazed at Emma. It was filled with disappointment and yearning. Despite Emma’s protestations, she knew her friend had feelings for him. It was good to know those feelings weren’t unrequited.
A second later, Jonathan also peered in their direction. As his gaze locked with hers, the emotion on his face was raw. Needy. Luckily, Owen wrapped an arm around his brother’s shoulders and drew him back into the discussion with Carlo.
“Connie. Earth to Connie,” Tracy said, but Maggie returned to their table at that moment, beaming with such happiness that it was impossible not to get caught up in it.
“It looks like you’re ready for the big day,”
Connie said.
“Totally,” she said and glanced lovingly in Owen’s direction.
That made Emma smirk and say, “Still think it’s a good idea not to see Owen until the wedding tomorrow?”
“For sure. It’ll make tomorrow night that much more special.”
“That’s the spirit,” said Tracy, who of all of them had always been the one to embrace romance with both hands.
Because Connie didn’t want to rain on Maggie’s parade, she added, “It will be wonderful.”
Maggie smiled and hugged her. “You know it will, and tonight, it will be wonderful for all of us. Let’s go back to the mansion and have our last girl’s night with me as a single lady.”
* * *
Jonathan raised his glass of beer and toasted his brother. “To Owen. I know I’m supposed to say something more, but to be honest, I’m still trying to figure out what to say tomorrow, so for now, I’m glad we have this excuse to get drunk tonight.”
Not that he planned on getting drunk, since he was driving all of them home, but he truly was struggling with what he’d say tomorrow as the best man. Especially since he didn’t have a clue about marriage or finding the right woman. Or maybe it was more appropriate to say keeping the right woman. Obviously, he sucked at that, he thought as Dudley trotted over and sat by his feet. Since the pup had been home all alone for most of the day, he’d decided to bring him along for their impromptu bachelor party. Dudley had happily gone along with them, trotting beside him jauntily as they’d packed up the car and headed out.
Owen laughed and playfully punched his arm. “Come on, Li’l Bro. You’re going to have to do better than that tomorrow.”
“I’ll try,” he said and glanced at Carlo, who had joined them at the home Jonathan had borrowed from a friend for Maggie and Owen’s short weekend honeymoon. “You must have some tips. How many weddings have you done with Emma? Hundreds?”
What Happens in Summer Page 8
