How many times had Paisley admitted to wanting the same? It crushed him that he still wasn’t prepared to give it and wasn’t sure when—if ever—he would. The only thing he did know was that he couldn’t let her go.
As if she’d felt his stare from across the room, she looked up. Their gazes locked.
He found a smile. Waved.
She did the same.
He entered the vast, vaulted-ceilinged room, sticking to the perimeter to draw the least amount of attention. He reached Paisley, then held out his hand. “Want to find someplace a little more quiet to talk?”
“We probably should.”
He helped her from the chair, out of the room and down the stairs. His pulse raced not from exertion, but nerves. He owed it to her to tell her the truth about his dad. In the same respect, if there wasn’t going to be a wedding, he owed it to his folks to break the news to them now.
He walked Paisley to the house’s center courtyard and eased her onto a bench that faced the gurgling three-tier fountain.
“You left early this morning,” he said by way of an icebreaker. “I was hoping for at least a good-morning kiss.”
Her cheeks reddened adorably. “Last night got a little out of control.”
“Am I complaining?”
“No, but...” She looked up and when their gazes met, he lost all sense of time and place. All that mattered was now, and getting her to understand his point of view. “I just never expected us to go that far.”
“If it’s not a problem for you, it sure as hell isn’t for me.” He took her hand, easing his fingers between hers. “I got some great news.”
“What’s up? Is it about your dad?” She angled closer to face him. Their knees touched. Such a simple gesture, yet it struck him as intimate. Every time they touched had become a special occasion.
Caught off guard by the emotions blocking his throat, he nodded. “I was on my way to see you earlier, but Dad drew me aside. He wanted me to go over his medical paperwork, so we saddled the horses and hit the trail.”
“What did you find out?”
“Amazing news.” He slowly exhaled. “He does have cancer, but it’s testicular. His doctor caught it early enough to be reasonably sure it won’t come back. But my dad’s English is so poor, all he heard was ‘cancer’ and he flipped out, assuming it meant instant death. Of course, he was mortified to have lost a part of his manhood, but if I can keep him off his horse long enough to heal, he should be fine.”
“Wayne, that’s incredible!” She tossed her arms around him for a fierce hug. “That’s the best news ever. You must be thrilled.”
“I am. I really am.” His smile faded. “Only there’s one issue needing to be resolved.”
“Our wedding?” Head bowed, she said, “I guess there’s no need to go through with it, huh?”
“Here’s the thing...” He cupped his hand to her cheek, brushing her lower lip with his thumb. “Paise, I want to marry you. I want to help raise your baby boy. The time we’ve spent together has been great. I’ve always thought you were a great friend and neighbor, but now...” Leaning in to kiss her, he tasted salty tears that had streamed onto her lips. It reminded him of his father’s speech, about how he hated seeing his mother cry. Wayne now experienced that same ache. “Don’t cry, angel. Like I said last night at the barbecue, let’s not overanalyze this. Let’s just do it. With my dad’s long-term prognosis excellent, it makes sense. Why shouldn’t we be a happy family?”
“Because we’re not in love.”
“With a friendship as solid as ours, we don’t have to be. Your whole concept of love is an issue of semantics. I’m sure a boatload of solid marriages have been forged on foundations of a lot less.”
“Yeah, like yours to Chelsea? Look how that turned out.”
His hopeful smile faded. “Leave her out of this. I need an answer, Paise. Is this wedding a go, or should I tell my folks we’re done?”
She took a lifetime to shake her head, then whispered, “I’ll marry you.”
Chapter Fourteen
Safely ensconced in Monica’s bridal suite, surrounded by all the trappings of the quintessential wedding celebration—champagne and iced white cookies and cupcakes. Laughter and giggles. Yards of satin and tulle. Paisley should have been happy. This was her wedding day. For real. It represented the sum of her every wish come true—all save for one.
Love.
Wayne had delivered a highly convincing speech. So much so that she almost believed if he didn’t love her now, that he could grow to love her in their shared future. But was that enough? Or was she being greedy to even expect perfection?
“Why so glum?” Monica asked. She held a champagne flute filled with sparkling cider in one hand and her phone in the other—no doubt in the event a photo-op presented itself for her social media empire. In case her mother called, Paisley had left her cell back in her room. The last thing she needed on this already emotionally charged day was a blast from her past in the form of a reunion with her absentee mom.
“I don’t know.” Truly she didn’t. Paisley rubbed her baby. “I should be blissfully happy, right? I’ve got a great guy willing to marry me and be a father to my baby boy. I should be dancing like your grandma Lucy.”
“She does have some moves.” Both women looked to the senior citizen shaking her tail feathers to DNCE’s “Cake by the Ocean.”
“Seriously, Mon, what’s wrong with me?”
“Nothing.” She wrapped Paisley in a great hug. “I think maybe your head hasn’t quite caught up with your heart.”
“What’s that mean?” Paisley wrinkled her nose.
“Deny it all you want, but you and I both know you’ve crushed on Wayne forever.”
Heat rising on her cheeks, Paisley didn’t try hiding her smile. “Guilty.”
“Okay, so all this time you two have been faking having the hots for each other, just reinforced your genuine hots for the guy. And now you get to be with him forever. But it happened so fast, you need a minute to get used to the idea. But that’s good, too, because now you have a lifetime to spend together. Makes perfect sense, right?”
“I love you.” Paisley gave her friend another hug. “In a crazy Monica way, that does compute. But you have to know, he still hasn’t said he loves me. What if he never does?”
“So what? It’s just a word, Paise. If you want to dissect something, look deeper into the man’s actions. He can’t keep his hands off you. He’s probably going to be awesome in bed. He might even—Oh, you naughty girl!”
Paisley’s cheeks practically caught fire.
At the mention of bed, her mind ventured straight to the memories of her and Wayne’s wild night. Good grief... If there was ever a motivation to stay with a guy, the tricks he did with his hands should have been all the encouragement she needed.
“You and Wayne left the barbecue early to do the deed, didn’t you?”
“It wasn’t exactly like that, but let’s just say we may have consummated our relationship earlier than the honeymoon.”
“Was it amazing?”
“I’m not telling you!” Paisley hid her grin behind the napkin she’d used for her cookie.
“I’ll take that as a yes.” She clapped and smiled. “This makes me so happy. I love that my best friend is finally getting a great guy.”
“Wait—” Paisley held up her hands. “Did you actually refer to Wayne as a great guy? Do I need to check you for a fever? I thought you two were sworn enemies?”
Monica laughed. “Ever since he showed us that awesome thrift store, I might have decided to give him a second chance.”
Paisley felt the same. Only her second chance for Wayne hadn’t been found through shopping, but adoring. She really did have all the right happy, giddy tingles for Wayne.
But did he have the same for her?
&n
bsp; * * *
“YOU LOOK INCREDIBLE,” Wayne said to Paisley beneath the ivy-covered pergola in his mother’s garden. The rest of the wedding party finished lunch beside the pool. A trio of harpists provided ethereal mood music. The ceremonies weren’t until tonight, but Monica had packed every second of their big day with activities. If she asked him one more time to pose for her Instagram, he’d chuck her phone in the pool’s deep end. “Thanks again for agreeing to marry me.”
“Don’t.” She sat on a padded iron bench beside a trickling fountain.
“Compliment your dress?”
“Patronize me. And for the record, my wedding dress is beautiful. This makes me look like a walking tent, but it was the only thing in my closet that fit.” She fingered the pale green silky fabric. Didn’t she realize it matched her stunning pistachio eyes?
“How am I patronizing you when I realize you have reservations about taking vows?”
She sighed, arching her head back while closing her eyes. “We’re talking in circles and I’m sick of it. If I had my way, we’d get married right now, then head back to San Diego. Every time I see your mom tearing up while snapping pics of us, I want to hurl.”
“You’ve got a beef with my mom?”
“No. I love her, which is why I feel horrible lying to her. After the baby is born, have you thought about what happens next? Will you formally adopt him?”
“If that’s what you want. Is it?”
Worrying her lower lip, she nodded. “I don’t ever want him feeling alone or unloved.”
“Hey...” He planted his hand beneath her chin, urging her to meet his view. “Is that how you grew up?”
She nodded.
“I know your dad died, but where’s your mom now?”
“I’m too ashamed to tell you.”
“Try me. Or have you already forgotten my dad’s recent near-death experience?”
“How could I forget?” she said with a faint smile. “Best relationship incubation service around. Monica should find a way to duplicate his technique for a new dating app. With her love for all things social media, she’d make a fortune.”
“Funny. But, babe,” he said, taking her hands and giving them a light squeeze, “what’s up with your mom? You say you want a family, but if she’s alive out there somewhere, why isn’t she here now?”
“For all I know, she could be on her way. It’s been a year since we last spoke. Before that, she was in a Florida prison for bilking a retiree out of his fortune. I’m not clear on the details, but her actions make me sick. She’s a user in the worst possible sense of the word.”
“It all becomes clear.” Wayne stroked her palms. “You don’t want to be guilty of using me or my family?”
She shook her head, sniffing back fresh tears. “I had no idea your family ranch is more of an empire.”
“How could you? And who cares? Maybe one day we’ll end up here? Maybe we won’t? Regardless, I want to be with you. Is that love? I have no idea. But for now, it feels damned good.”
“For now.” She turned to him. “But what if a few months or years from now, you feel trapped?”
“I could turn that around on you. What if you get tired of me being a slob or missing birthdays and anniversaries and holidays because of surprise deployments?” Like the one I learned about just last night? “All this time, you’ve presumed I’m the one holding the power, when all along it’s been you, Paisley.” He cupped her cheek, brushing the pad of his thumb along her full lower lip. “One of your biggest charms is that you have no idea what a huge catch you are.”
“Keyword huge.” She rubbed her enormous belly.
“Don’t do that. You asked me not to patronize you—fine. But only if you agree to knock it off with the self-deprecating humor. You are carrying a baby. That’s a miracle. You’re adorable and smart as a whip and never back down. You make me laugh and watch movies I know I’ll hate, but you somehow know me so well that I end up thoroughly enjoying every minute of them. Kind of like every time I’m with you. God’s honest truth? I can’t wait to marry you. To spend the rest of my life coaxing as many smiles out of those gorgeous lips as I possibly can.”
* * *
WAS IT POSSIBLE to be high on the potent drug of kind words? If so, Paisley never wanted to come down.
When Wayne leaned in for a kiss, she met him halfway.
For an eternity, they searched each other’s gazes, the universes still waiting to be discovered within. Was this love? Who knew? Who cared? The champagne bubbles making her giddy from fingers to toes said she no longer needed that label.
Once Wayne pressed his lips to hers, all she needed was him. His gentle pressure, the tease of his tongue, the nip at her lower lip and exchange of breaths and souls. This was all too perfect to be real, but here she was and here Wayne was and no matter what, she was never going back. She was never giving up the family she’d searched her whole life to find.
A squeal came from beyond their ivy-covered hideaway, then a splash.
“Logan, noooooo!” Monica?
Paisley frowned. “This can’t be good.”
“Come on.” Wayne stood, then grabbed both her hands to help steady her on her feet. “Let’s see what’s going on.”
By the time they rejoined the party, bedlam had broken loose. The harpists had been replaced by a boom box and Luke Bryan crooning for his “country girl” to “shake it for me.”
“What did we miss?” Wayne asked.
“At least a few dozen glasses.” Paisley pointed toward the half-dozen empty champagne bottles on most tables.
Guests who weren’t in the pool danced alongside it, laughing and clapping and helping themselves to more lobster and champagne and crazy fun in the sun.
“Now, this is a great wedding.” Wayne had already removed his tie, and now worked on his jacket, dropping both to the terra-cotta pool deck. He eyed her. “Are you going in voluntarily or am I going to have to coerce you?”
“Oh no.” She backed away, shaking her head. “Don’t even think about it.”
His devilish grin said he wasn’t only thinking about it, but already lunging for her, scooping her into his arms.
Clinging to him, closing her eyes in anticipation of an ungainly splash, he thrilled her by easing into bathtub-warm turquoise water. The sensation of weightlessness prompted a groan of sheer bliss.
“Feel good?”
“Better.”
“Better than sex?”
She peeked around him to ensure his mom or any of the other guests hadn’t overheard. “The only thing better than this would be sex while in the pool.”
“That can be arranged.”
She giggled. “Tonight, Mr. Brustanovitch, I might just take you up on that offer.”
“In that case, almost Mrs. Brustanovitch...” he kissed her nice and slow “...I’m thinking I should track down the pastor so we can get this show on the road.”
* * *
“YOU AND PAISLEY looked awfully cozy in the pool,” Logan said while checking the collar of his white button-down in the hall bathroom mirror. After the impromptu pool party, as more guests streamed onto the property, Monica’s appalled wedding planner shooed both brides and grooms to their respective corners of the ranch. “I assume that means you worked everything out?”
“I really think we did.” Wayne added his black sports coat over his white shirt, thrilled that the women had picked jeans, cowboy boots, hats and no bow ties to finish out the men’s wedding attire. “Thanks for last night’s advice, man. I don’t mean to jinx us, but I think we might have a shot at this marriage thing.”
“I’m happy for you. For us. I feel the same about Monica.”
“Have you heard from any of the guys?”
“Monk texted. They’re finding the assigned mission a bit more taxing than anticipated, but I�
�m sure they’ll get it done.”
“Who all’s with him?”
“Lion, Jeb and Houston. They took the wrong exit off I-10.”
“And we regularly trust them with our lives?”
Logan laughed. “Did you and Paisley have the talk about next week’s deployment?”
“That would be a negative. Thought we agreed to keep it on the DL.”
“I think that’s best. I’d be lying, though, if I said I wasn’t dreading leaving. Did Paisley tell you Monica’s pregnant?”
“No way? Congratulations, man.”
“Thanks.”
“Did this have anything to do with the speedy wedding?”
“Nah. She’s not very far along. We just found out last week—haven’t even told our parents. Guess this is all so new and unexpected we’re afraid to jinx it. The speed of our wedding had more to do with the fact that we’ve both dallied at this for years. When she told me it made her feel like I didn’t appreciate her by not putting a ring on it, something deep down snapped. She turns me to mush inside, man. It’s the damnedest thing.”
Wayne was unfortunately growing all too familiar with the mush sensation. Would it go away the longer he and Paisley were together? Or only get worse?
* * *
“NERVOUS?” PAISLEY ASKED Monica a few minutes before walking down the aisle. With her hair swept high into an elegant looping updo, and her strapless, beaded gown clinging to her curves, Paisley couldn’t decide if her friend looked more like a Roman goddess or modern-day royalty. Either way, she was stunning. Her brilliant smile proved her best accessory.
Monica squeezed her hand. “Not with you beside me. I love that we’re walking down the aisle together, then sharing my father once we reach the altar.”
“Me, too. I love him almost as much as you.”
Paisley struggled to hold back her tears as she hugged her longtime friend.
Gathering her composure, Paisley tried to squelch her apprehension. At least for once, with the help of Monica’s hairstylist and makeup artist, she felt beautiful. She’d forgotten how perfectly her dress fit, and fell in love with it all over again from the rhinestone belt that rode atop her baby bump to the bodice hugging her breasts in all the right places. She couldn’t have been more thrilled with it. The long satin skirt with its train made her feel as if she wouldn’t be walking down the aisle, but floating.
Cowboy SEAL Daddy Page 14
