by Debra Webb
As if his troubled musings had somehow conjured her, Lisa appeared at the door of the restaurant. Larry went to let her in and she made her way to where Joe sat at the bar.
“I hope I’m not intruding,” she said quietly.
Joe liked to come here in the mornings when it was quiet and no one else was around. He did a lot of thinking here. Lisa must have remembered that about him from their time together. He tried to mentally list all the things he’d learned about her, but could only come up with their amazing physical connection.
“Have a seat,” he offered. “You want some coffee?” He cringed, belatedly wondering if coffee was okay for the baby.
She shook her head. “I’m fine. I just wanted to talk.”
This didn’t sound good. Was she going to tell him that she’d chosen Greg? Joe abruptly felt like the loser on The Bachelorette. Only this was far more important.
“I guess you made up your mind?” He couldn’t blame her if she chose Greg over him. His mother had laid it out for him crystal clear: Joe had given Lisa absolutely no reason to believe that he was the right guy for the job of husband and father. Why should he expect her to jump at his proposal? He’d taken her for granted. Hadn’t done the first thing to show he was reliable when it came to personal relationships.
He had no one to blame but himself.
“I did,” she allowed. “It wasn’t easy, but I had to think of the baby and what was best for her…or him.”
Joe looked at her then. Really looked at her. She was just as beautiful as he’d thought she was the first time they met, only this time he looked beyond her outward appearance. She was a good woman, one who loved life and cared deeply about other people—and animals. She deserved a hell of a lot better than him.
“Look, before you say anything, I want you to know that I fully understand what you likely think of me.” He slid off the bar stool and stood, since she didn’t appear eager to sit down. “Everything you’ve concluded about me is probably true. Marriage was the furthest thing from my mind. And to be honest, I’d be lying if I said I was really ready to settle down now. I’m not.” He shrugged. “I hadn’t even thought about it. But there are extenuating circumstances now.”
Her expression turned graver with every word he said. Damn it. He wasn’t doing this right.
“Yes, I asked you to marry me because of the baby,” he said, rushing on. “But the truth is I care about you. We had something special. We can make this work, whatever the circumstances.”
She closed her eyes as if she didn’t want to hear the rest, but he had to say it all.
“I can be a good husband and father, if you’ll just give me the chance. I want to provide the right kind of home for my kid…for you,” he added, knowing deep in his gut that the words were true. “I know we can do this if we give it the old college try.”
She held up her hand. “Just shut up, Ripani, before I change my mind.”
For a guy who had a reputation for sweet-talking the ladies, Joe had pretty much gone overboard here, Lisa thought. If he said another word, she wasn’t sure she could stand by her decision. She wanted to believe him, but she had a feeling that desperation had motivated that rambling monologue more than anything else.
“Does that mean you accept my proposal?” he asked cautiously.
Lisa drew in a mighty breath and let it go. “Yes. Though it may be the biggest mistake of my life, that’s exactly what it means. I will marry you.”
The kind of smile that Ripani was famous for spread across that handsome face. To her utter consternation, her heart lurched at the sight of it. She really was doomed here.
“The sooner the better, babe.”
Before she could grasp his meaning, he pulled her into his arms and brought his mouth down on hers. Her hands went instantly to his chest…to resist, she told herself.
But there was no resisting Joe Ripani.
Those firm, warm lips nestled fully over hers and he thrust his possessive tongue into her mouth without the usual foreplay. He held her tightly against him, allowing her to feel the hardness of his body and the desire he felt at her nearness. Her breath evaporated in her lungs and she melted against him. She had no choice.
And that was the way of it with Joe Ripani.
All or nothing.
She could only pray, as her senses scattered in the wind like so much dust, that this was the beginning of having all of him.
CHAPTER EIGHT
LISA SOON REALIZED she was mistaken to think the only tough decision was behind her.
“Completely unacceptable!”
She held her breath while her mother stomped around the living room of Lisa’s childhood home.
“Mom,” Kate calmly explained, “there just isn’t time for the whole church-wedding scene.” She glanced at Lisa and shrugged helplessly.
“That’s right,” Lisa added, grateful for her sister’s support. “Time is of the essence here. We don’t want to drag this out.”
Her mother shot her a look that said it all. Ruth Malloy was disappointed that her youngest had gotten herself pregnant before wedding bells had rung. Her old-fashioned sensibilities were seriously ruffled.
“I should say not,” Ruth said, her tone blistering. “You might have thought of that before.”
Lisa turned back to her sister in hopes of rescue.
“A wedding at the firehouse will be exciting,” Kate insisted. “Think how jealous the ladies will be that your daughter not only nabbed Joe Ripani but managed a wedding at Jefferson Avenue Firehouse with the chief and the mayor in attendance.”
Lisa had to give it to her sister—she’d gotten their mother’s attention with that one. The ladies were the members of the Catholic Women’s Auxiliary Club. Ruth Malloy was a longtime member and the current vice president.
Ruth pondered the idea a moment, her gaze narrowed speculatively.
Kate and Lisa exchanged hopeful looks.
At last Ruth said, “I suppose that could work.” She looked from one daughter to the other, her expression still suspicious. “That is, if your father agrees.”
Lisa breathed her first easy breath since she’d made the announcement. She wasn’t worried about her father’s blessing. Carl Malloy had always been a pushover when it came to his daughters. He might not be exactly pleased that Lisa had the cart before the horse, so to speak, but he would deal with it.
Now all she had to do was figure out the details.
SEVEN DAYS.
One hundred sixty-eight hours, or thereabouts.
It wasn’t nearly enough time, but the day was here just the same.
His wedding day.
Joe swallowed hard and resisted the urge to wince.
It wasn’t that marrying Lisa was a hardship, especially under the circumstances.
But there hadn’t been nearly enough time to get used to the idea.
Last night had been his final night as a bachelor. The guys had given him a great party right here at the station. Lots of beer and pizza and jokes. Even a dancer. No one had shed a single garment, not even the dancer. The whole event had been nothing but good clean fun.
Chief Egan’s presence had guaranteed that, which was fine by Joe. The dead last thing he needed was more trouble. He’d gotten himself in far too much already.
His conscience pinged him. He wasn’t supposed to consider Lisa and the baby trouble. Hadn’t his mother told him that repeatedly in the last seven days? Both his brothers were pissed at him for producing the first grandchild without even bothering with a wedding first.
Lisa’s mother, as well as his own, had wanted a church wedding—different churches, of course. Lisa had sidelined that potentially explosive situation with a command decision that the wedding would be held in neutral territory. Unfortunately, the Courage Bay Country Club had been booked, along with any hotel big enough to host the event.
That left just one place on such short notice.
Jefferson Avenue Firehouse.
Joe l
oved the idea and so did his pals. He’d have to thank O’Shea eventually, when he got over being ticked at her for coming up with the idea and suggesting it to Lisa.
His squad had gone all out. The outdoor area was decorated so that no one would even notice the basket-ball hoop or the nearby parking area. O’Shea had borrowed truckloads of ferns and other potted plants, big and small, to camouflage whatever she considered unsightly. Tables for the reception afterward and hundreds of folding chairs, every single row decorated with white satin ribbons, filled the recreational space behind the firehouse. Candles, ribbons, balloons—the works. O’Shea hadn’t missed a trick. Everything was perfect.
The mothers of the bride and groom had given their approval when they arrived half an hour ago. If anyone had possessed second thoughts about utilizing the firehouse, they had dissolved the moment the mothers arrived and expressed their delights.
Joe adjusted his bow tie and stared at his reflection in the locker-room mirror. He looked like a damn penguin, but it was the proper attire for the occasion.
In just ten minutes he would be taking sacred vows.
A local justice of the peace had agreed to do the honors, since neutral was the catchphrase of the day.
“Ready?”
Chief Dan Egan stepped into the locker room, a broad smile on his face. Joe didn’t miss the hint of amusement in those blue eyes. The guy looked impressive as hell in his tux. Tall and athletic, even at forty-five.
“Ready as I’ll ever be,” Joe admitted, dragging his attention back to the business at hand.
“You’ll be all right, Ripani.” He gave Joe a fatherly clap on the back. “I appreciate your asking me to be your best man.”
“I’m glad you could be here.” Joe shrugged. “It means a lot.”
Asking one brother over the other would have been a damn fool thing to do, so Joe had done the next best thing: he’d asked the chief. He respected and admired Dan Egan. Joe couldn’t think of anyone else he’d want to stand up with him today, unless, of course, his own father had been available.
“Let’s get this show on the road,” the chief said. He gestured to the door. “After you, Captain Ripani.”
Joe couldn’t keep the grin off his face as he made his way to where the justice of the peace waited. He was glad to see so many friendly faces, including arson investigator Sam Prophet. Sam had apparently been damn busy lately. Joe had scarcely seen him around, but he knew of the arson-related cases under investigation. That Sam had made time to come to the wedding meant something to Joe. Although he was as nervous as he’d ever been, this day was important. He wanted to share it with his friends.
John Forester, Shannon’s fiancé, was there, as well as Shannon’s brother Patrick, who was Courage Bay’s mayor, and her brother Sean, a fellow firefighter, and his wife, Linda. Friends and family from both the Malloy tribe and the Ripani clan filled every single chair.
Joe’s grin faltered just a little when he noted Greg Seaborn among the guests. As if he’d felt Joe’s gaze on him, Greg looked up. For a single beat Joe barely repressed the urge to point directly at him and shout a victory cry. But he didn’t have to say a word. He was the one about to marry Lisa, not Seaborn. Besides, if he did anything like that, it would only lend credence to Lisa’s fears that Joe couldn’t handle the whole marriage scene. He had every intention of showing her differently. So with that in mind, he smiled big and wide for Seaborn.
It was his wedding day—he could smile if he wanted to.
LISA TRIED HARD not to fidget.
She recited over and over every bone in the feline skeletal system. Then the canine one. Anything to keep her mind off the here and now.
What if the wedding was a mistake?
A part of her kept arguing that it wasn’t real. A fake. But she couldn’t think that way. This was the right thing. It had to be.
She’d had an entire week to have second thoughts, and not once had she been plagued with doubt as she was today. But then, she had been rather busy. Pulling a wedding together in one week was nearly impossible. And it would have been, if not for friends like Shannon.
Lisa smiled. Shannon looked amazing in her dress. Anyone who wondered whether or not there was a feminine form beneath that firefighter gear had only to look at her today. The silky fabric of the gown hugged her shapely curves, and the royal blue color looked great against her skin.
Lisa looked at her own reflection in the cheval mirror. The ankle-length, formfitting white gown she had chosen wasn’t fussy and wasn’t actually even a bridal gown, but it did flatter her figure. She studied her still-flat tummy and suddenly wondered if Joe would find her attractive when her belly rounded with child. Doubt plagued her. She huffed an impatient breath. Now wasn’t the time to worry about that.
She glanced around the room and smiled. A makeshift bridal chamber had been put together in one of the bunk rooms, complete with this lovely antique mirror. Shannon had really outdone herself. Lisa owed her big time.
“They’re ready for us,” Shannon announced, as breathless as Lisa felt. She motioned for Lisa to join her at the door. “Spike gave me the cue that the wedding march is about to start.”
God bless her mother, Lisa mused. Ruth had agreed to the arrangements without much of a fuss, except for the tape-recorded music. She had insisted that her friend Gladys play the piano for Lisa’s big day. Shannon, ever resourceful, had managed to get a piano here. A keyboard would have been so much easier, but Gladys insisted that only a piano would do.
As Lisa and Shannon moved into the corridor outside the bunk room, the first notes of the wedding march filled the air.
This was it…no turning back.
Lisa’s stomach did a little flip and she took a couple of deep breaths, grasping her bouquet tighter.
Even if Joe hadn’t told her that he loved her…even if he hadn’t really been in the market for a bride…this was the only right course of action.
She was nearly certain. Their marriage would be real…eventually.
Shannon moved through the rear exit of the building and onto the red carpet runner ahead of Lisa. The crowd rose and turned to view the bride as she made her appearance.
Lisa’s heart surged and she smiled widely at the friends and family gathered to share this special moment with her.
“My dear.”
She paused and took her father’s arm. Carl patted her hand and gave her a loving and reassuring smile. “You’re so beautiful.” He kissed her cheek then, and it was all Lisa could do not to burst into tears.
How many times had her father held her when she’d fallen and scraped her knees, or when her feelings were hurt at school? He’d always been there for her, just as he was now, ready to escort her toward her new life. Would Joe be that kind of father to their child?
It wasn’t until her father had led her all the way to the front that Lisa saw Joe. The picture he made took her breath away. He looked so handsome and so serious. She knew he must be every bit as nervous as she was.
She said one last silent prayer. Please let this be the right thing. And then she took the final step toward her soon-to-be husband.
By the time the justice of the peace invited the groom to kiss the bride, Lisa’s knees felt ready to buckle beneath her. The ceremony had only taken minutes, but it felt as if everything in her life had changed.
Nothing would ever be the same.
In that seemingly endless second as Joe’s lips descended toward hers, Lisa saw her future flash before her eyes.
A new beginning.
A new life thriving inside her.
And then his mouth settled on hers, and all thought ceased.
The crowd roared around them. Joe’s buddies cheered him on, ensuring that the kiss would be one the audience would not soon forget.
When he drew back, he looked deeply into her eyes and murmured, “Lisa, I—”
Whatever he was going to say was lost as the fire alarm wailed.
Firefighters dressed in fo
rmal suits and tuxedos rushed inside. Before Lisa could catch her breath after that kiss, someone was calling Joe’s name.
He squeezed Lisa’s shoulders and said, “It must be a bad one. Gotta go.” He gave her a quick peck on the cheek and added, “I’ll be back.”
And then he was gone. A flash of black and white, he rushed after the other members of his squad, including her maid of honor, Shannon O’Shea.
AS THE RECEPTION BEGAN, without the groom and a number of the guests, Lisa learned that the duty squad had called for backup on the fire in progress. There had been no way Joe or any of the others could have ignored the summons. She understood that. It was part of who they were and what they did. Lives were likely at stake. She pressed her hand to her abdomen and knew with complete certainty that she and this child would face moments like this many times. Somehow she had to learn to live with it.
Lisa managed to hang in until the final guests departed. Kate and her mother insisted they had cleanup under control and that Lisa should go home to wait for her groom. There was no need for her to stay.
She felt exhausted. And a little deserted…actually.
She shouldn’t feel that way, Joe was only doing his job. But as their wedding day wound down, his sudden departure felt like desertion.
Sam Prophet had gone out on the call, as well. Lisa didn’t know fire procedure well, but it did seem odd that an arson investigator would go to the scene of a fire before it was determined to be arson.
Seeing there was nothing for her to do here, Lisa finally made her exit. It wasn’t exactly the wedding day she’d always imagined, but it was what it was.
As Lisa slipped away, she took one last look at her mother and father as they worked together with the catering staff to clear up the remains of the big event. She smiled, feeling a sense of balance for the first time in more than a week. Kate and her husband were busily stacking chairs, along with Joe’s brothers and their wives. Lisa wondered if she and Joe would ever fit together so easily, or would this marriage remain a matter of convenience?
She thought of the tiny life growing inside her. Somehow she had to make it right…for the baby’s sake.
