“We can’t do the rehearsal. The gazebo won’t be ready until tomorrow so we’re going to plan B, the Cliff Notes version. You’ll be walking down the aisle with your wife or,” he stared at Morgan, “significant other. Since there’re four couples, this shouldn’t be difficult.” Gabe handed each man a piece of paper. He opened the folded paper with M and M printed on it in bold letters. “Morgan, you and Margot are first down the aisle.”
Morgan nodded. When he looked up, a blond stranger sat with Margot. He didn’t recognize who it was but wasn’t surprised. Margot’s and Viv’s families went back a long time. He was the newcomer at ten years and still didn’t know everyone.
“I’ve been busting Gabe’s chops telling him we’re going to dance down the aisle, record it and put it on the Internet.” Gabe’s brother couldn’t stop laughing. They made their way to the bar and ordered beers. “Jeez, I haven’t seen Zack Douglas in years.” The bottle of beer in Morgan’s hand hung frozen in midair. He didn’t need to see where Gabe’s brother was looking. Zack was with Margot. “We’re playing a short round of golf tomorrow. You joining us?” Gabe’s brother asked.
“No, Margot wants to go to the falls tomorrow. Viv told her it was a special place,” Morgan said.
“You’re cutting it close. The wedding’s tomorrow late afternoon. And don’t let my wife know you’re going to the falls or she’ll have me there, too.” The two shared a laugh although Morgan didn’t feel like laughing. Gabe’s brother gave him a heavy pat on the back and was lost in the crowd.
He watched Margot and Zack as he drank his beer, controlling his impulse to go up to Zack Douglas and tell him to get lost. Zack had his chance and Margot was his now.
That led to a quick and disturbing notion. Was she his? Had she been holding out these ten years for Zack?
Wait, he told himself as he got his emotions under control. He raked his hand through his hair. He knew she loved him. It was in the way she spoke to him, the way she looked at him, the way she touched him and the way they made love. There was no faking that.
No, he was sure she loved him. Why had she insisted on no commitment? Had it been Zack all along? He’d make sure one way or the other. Finishing his beer, he put the bottle on the bar, got a seltzer with lime and went to their table.
When he reached Margot, he put her drink in front of her and his hand on her shoulder. He knew he made a blatant statement. That’s what he wanted Zack to see. He waited two, maybe three heartbeats. He saw no evidence of aggression or surprise on Zack’s face. Margot put her hand on his and he relaxed a notch. “Morgan. This is Zack Douglas.” Zack stood up and extended his hand.
“Good to meet you, Morgan.” He took the outstretched hand. “Margot and I have been catching up.”
“Zack.” They turned around at Gabe motioning Zack to come over.
“One minute, Gabe.” Zack returned his attention to Margot. “It was a nice surprise seeing you in the elevator this afternoon.” Elevator? He had his game face on but it didn’t help when he saw Margot wince. She hadn’t mentioned that to him. He was on slippery ground. What else hadn’t she told him?
“Zack.” Gabe was more insistent.
“Coming.” Zack turned to them. “Sorry. I’ve got to go. Nice meeting you, Morgan.” He picked up Margot’s hand and squeezed it before he left.
Morgan sat beside her. For once he didn’t know what to say or where to start. His cool exterior hid his biggest fear—that Margot might walk away.
“What did Gabe want?”
He showed her the number scribbled on an index card. “We’re first down the aisle. When we reach the gazebo, I go to the right and you go to the left.”
“That’s simple enough.” Margot was more at ease than she had been in days. Was that because of Zack? The auction? Their lovemaking? He twisted in knots. “It was good to see Zack. He’s so different, so settled. He’s a doctor.”
Good for him. He didn’t give a crap about what Zack had become. Careful, get those emotions under control.
He dug deep and strapped on his attorney armor and masked his face with indifference. Silence was his best weapon. He let the silence grow, knowing she’d be compelled to fill it. He wouldn’t have to wait long.
“Come to think of it, I did most of the talking. He didn’t say much.” She was deep in concentration as her thoughts crisscrossed her face. He watched and waited. With each moment his heart squeezed tighter. Would she walk away from everything they’d built together? He didn’t want to lose her. “I’ll make sure he does the talking when we meet up later.” She glanced past his shoulder. “Gabe’s mother is waving. I better get over there. Oh, Agnes and Albert are with her. I suspected they were from Gabe’s family.” She got up and kissed him on his forehead and left.
“Meet up later,” he repeated to himself. Did Zack think he could just walk back into her life after ten years? Ten years? he screamed inside his head. He let out a deep breath, puffing out his cheeks trying to ease the knot that tightened in his chest. He closed his eyes and knew he could lose her.
Morgan walked around the room saying hello to people, talking about the local baseball game and the potential for the football teams this fall, but he couldn’t get Margot and Zack out of his mind. She was planted beside Zack at a remote cocktail table the entire evening. He was used to them working the room separately on occasion but tonight he wanted her with him. He weighed whether to join them or give her space. He left them alone. Give them their time together. But he loved her and if he had to, he’d fight for her, hard…and dirty, if necessary.
He’d do anything to keep her.
* * *
“I hope you had a good time last night. I saw you talking to Zack. All evening,” Viv said to Margot in the morning at the spa.
“Yeah, we were catching up.” Margot got her things together to go. She hadn’t been aware of how long she and Zack had been talking.
“Where are you going? I thought we’d spend the afternoon together in the spa.” Viv stood there, wearing a white terry cloth robe that said Bride on the back and her hands on her hip. She gave Margot a sour face.
“I asked Morgan to take me to the falls.” She got into a casual sundress and sandals. “Besides I’ve been saunaed, massaged and had a mani-pedi.”
“It’s a romantic spot. Are you going to propose to him?” Viv laughed.
“No, don’t be silly. Why would we want to change a good thing? I’ll see you before the ceremony.” She should’ve spent more time with Morgan last night. One minute it was early evening, and the next the bartender announced last call. Morgan had gone up to their room hours before she did and was asleep when she came in.
She kissed Viv and met Morgan in the lobby.
“Ready? Your carriage awaits.” He gave her a deep bow that made her laugh while he pushed open the inn door.
She stopped laughing. “You weren’t joking.” In front of her was a horse and carriage. Todd, Nikki’s handsome handyman, stood ready to help them in.
She stared at Morgan and was consumed with guilt for spending so much time with Zack the night before.
It could make him declare himself for her or it could backfire and make him walk away. She hadn’t slept last night. She got the idea after six vodka shots and catching a glimpse of Morgan’s hangdog expression. It seemed like a good idea at the time. Let him see someone else interested in her. Maybe then he would make a commitment.
Now she had second thoughts.
He’d left to go up to their room without telling her. She’d panicked when she couldn’t find him. It wasn’t until the bartender said last call that Viv told her Morgan had left a few hours earlier. Several times she wanted to wake him and confess she had monopolized Zack on purpose. Instead she watched him sleep and cuddled next to him, fearing it was her last night with him.
He helped her into the carriage, where they found a basket filled with champagne and hors d’oeuvres.
The small canapés were gone and he’d poured the l
ast glass of champagne when they reached the bottom of the falls. They stood by the railing enjoying the view. The sun painted everything with a rich patina. Even the spray of water was tinged with gold. The mist danced before it settled back onto the river and was carried away. It took her breath away. She watched the water while she held on to Morgan.
He pulled her around and stared into her eyes.
“Marry me.”
She stood stone-still, her hand on his chest. Had she heard him right? There was a deep rumble in his chest. “Are you speechless?” His voice quivered.
He was nervous. She was scared.
He asked her to marry him.
What had she done? These were the words she wanted to hear, but she couldn’t say yes, not now. Would he still want her if he knew she made him jealous to make him propose? She looked at his hand. He held an open box. The sun caught the diamond ring and sent flashes of a rainbow into the mist. It all melded together. The ring, the falls, Morgan. It was beautiful.
“Do you need time before you answer?” He waited a heartbeat. “I would think that ten years is time enough to, you know, to make a commitment.”
Her head popped up. Commitment.
She was surprised he couldn’t hear her heart pounding. An agonizing moment ticked past.
“Of course I’ll marry you,” she blurted out. His face lit with excitement. He held her tight and she forced a smile. She was empty. Tears tracked down her cheeks. She should be elated. This was what she wanted. But she’d tricked him. There was no joy in that. “Let’s not take the thunder away from Viv and Gabe. It’s their wedding.”
Would he buy her stalling tactic? She needed time to tell him the truth. She had no intention of rekindling her relationship with Zack. Morgan was all she spoke about last night. For her it had always been Morgan. It would always be Morgan. For now, this moment, she wanted to enjoy being engaged to him. Maybe she could find a way to make this right. “It’s a wonderful proposal, and the ring is more than I could ever hope for. I love you. I’ve loved you forever.” She threw her arms around him and kissed him. She wished with all her heart he loved her enough to forgive her deception.
“I know we haven’t discussed getting married and you’re right about Viv and Gabe. We’ll keep this to ourselves for now.” She tucked her head beneath his chin and worried whether things would be the same after she confessed.
“Excuse me,” Todd said. “Congratulations. I hate to break this up but it’s time to get back to the inn.”
Morgan led her to the carriage.
The carriage wasn’t going at a breakneck speed but they hurried along. She sat cuddled in his arms and enjoyed the excitement of being engaged. The landscape rushed by until they turned into the driveway and pulled to a stop at the inn’s entrance.
“It’s time to get into my tux. I’m changing with the other ushers.” He kissed her nose. “See you in a few minutes.” He hurried off to meet the other men.
She rushed up the steps. When she opened her purse to take out the key she stared at the small box.
She was numb getting ready. Damn it, she should have told him everything, and that Zack meant nothing to her. She touched up her makeup, changed her dress and slipped on her shoes. A quick comb through her hair and she was ready. She sat on the bed, took out the box and fit the ring on her finger. Maybe he’d laugh at her silliness with Zack. But she wasn’t laughing. She was disappointed…with herself.
She put the ring back in the box, pulled out her phone and called him. She’d explain about Zack. Tell him that she was trying to…make him jealous with her old boyfriend. Oh God, that sounded horrible even to her.
“Margot?” Go ahead, she told herself. Tell him. You created this little mess, clean it up.
“Morgan.”
“I can’t hear you. There’s a lot of noise here. Is everything all right?” Her chin quivered so much she couldn’t speak.
She closed her eyes and struggled to get the words out. “I can’t marry you.”
“What’d you say? Honey, I can’t hear you.”
“I…can’t marry you,” she shouted as tears ran down her face.
“Wait, I’ll be right there.” She didn’t want him to come to the room.
“No, I’m coming.” She ended the call before she started sobbing. That was the coward’s way to tell him. Commitment or not, he deserved more than a phone call. Her hand shook as she put the ring box in her purse. She picked up her flowers and headed for the garden.
When she came through the lounge, her plan to tell him everything fell apart. She couldn’t face him. If she told him what she’d done she was sure he would break it off with her. But she couldn’t live with herself and accept his ring if she didn’t tell him. How was she going to get through the rest of the day?
“You look lovely.” She glanced up at Zack.
“Zack?” she whispered. “Zack!” She stared at his priest’s collar. If he was surprised at her reaction he kept it well hidden. “I thought you were a doctor.” Now she was humiliated. She’d waved her reunion with Zack in front of Morgan and the man was a…
“I have a PhD in engineering. They use my title at school. I wanted to tell you about it last night but you didn’t give me a chance. You never stopped talking about Morgan.”
“When did you become a minister?” Now his manner last night made sense. If anything, the more she spoke about Morgan, the more she understood how much she loved him.
“It’s a long story, too long to tell now. Suffice it to say that while I worked on my PhD I was involved in an engineering project for the church and found my calling. I’ve combined both my loves. Now I’m the chair of the engineering department at the seminary.”
“I’m glad for you.” And she was. She stared at him. He’d been searching for something, trying to find his place. He’d found his passion and he was at peace. Okay, that was getting a bit too ecclesiastical, but he was. He’d made his commitment.
“I have to marry a bride and groom. May I take you to Morgan? I liked him after you and I spoke. I got to know him this morning. We had a good talk while you girls were getting glamorized.” She stared at him, startled. Morgan hadn’t told her he spoke to Zack. “He loves you and he has for a long time. You were all he talked about.” Her eyes widened in surprise that Morgan had spoken about her. “Why are you so surprised? Everyone knows you love each other. It’s even evident to me.” Noelle, the innkeeper’s daughter, came in from the terrace and signaled to Zack. It was time for him to get in place.
“I’ll see you after the ceremony.” Zack went into the garden. She lowered into a nearby chair. What a mess she’d made of things.
“We’d better hurry. Everyone’s seated.” With Albert trailing behind her, Agnes rushed through the lounge. “Oh, Margot.” She came to an abrupt stop where Margot sat. “You look lovely.” Agnes tilted her face.
Margot turned away. She didn’t want to speak to anyone.
“Why the long face? Has the old biddy been bending your ear again?” Albert gestured toward Agnes.
She stared at the two. They were the last people she wanted to talk to. She had to walk down the aisle in a few minutes. “No.”
“Man trouble. That’s what it is. It’s written all over your face.” Agnes sat next to her.
“Aw, jeez, Agnes, leave the girl alone. You’ve been pestering me to hurry, and now you want to sit.” He screwed up his face in frustration.
“Be quiet.” Agnes gave her attention to Margot. “Tell me what’s wrong.”
Margot studied them. What would they think of her? It couldn’t be any worse than what she thought of herself. “I led him to believe something that wasn’t true. And he knows. Now he’ll never trust me. Never.” She fought to keep tears from falling. Her throat was raw and hot with the effort. All her dreams were going up in smoke.
Agnes glanced at Albert. “Get her a glass of water.” He shuffled off without a complaint. Agnes patted her hand. “Start at the beginning. We’ll fi
gure out a solution.”
“Morgan and I have been together a long time, ten years.” She fidgeted with the ribbon on her bouquet. “From the start I told him I didn’t want a commitment.” She dropped the ribbon and searched Agnes’s face, afraid at what she’d glimpse. “But I love him and want to spend the rest of my life with him.”
“What’s wrong with that?” Albert said. “Tell him you changed your mind. Hell, you women always change your minds. Agnes does it all the time.” He handed her a glass of water.
“You don’t understand. It’s too late for that now. I tricked him. Last night I made him think I was interested in someone else. He proposed this afternoon.” She took out the ring box and showed it to Agnes.
“Are you blind, girl? Can’t you see anything?” Albert rubbed his chin. “The man loves you.”
“You don’t understand. He proposed because I tricked him. How can I base a marriage on that?”
Albert scratched his head and took the ring from Agnes. “I understand perfectly fine. You don’t understand. How’d he get this fancy ring he gave you if he decided to ask you last night? He didn’t get this out of any Cracker Jack box and there isn’t a jeweler around for a hundred miles.” He waved the ring at her. Agnes took the box out of his hand.
Startled and speechless, Margot stared at him. She hadn’t considered that.
“Yeah, you tell me that.” He fluttered his hands in the air. “A stick has more common sense than you do and I’m not sure about the stick.”
Agnes pulled a piece of paper out from under the velvet ring holder. “Your young man must have overlooked this. It says here he picked this up two weeks ago.” Agnes’s soft smile spread over her face. “He’s been planning to ask you for some time.” She tucked the box back into Margot’s purse. He’d planned this all along. Commitment. Family. He wanted it as much as she did.
“Margot.” Noelle came running into the lounge. “They’re starting the processional.”
“Go ahead now and hurry along,” Agnes said, shooing Margot away.
Timeless Vows: Five Tales of Love (Timeless Tales Book 4) Page 4
