“Don’t ask,” I said as I grabbed the bottle of orange juice, poured myself a glass, and then downed it in one good, long sip.
“Phillip,” Maggie said, watching me from the corner of her eye. “Why don’t you grab Ed and go check to make sure the staff has the arbor ready on the beach?”
“But we just checked this morning. You know they’re—”
She gave him that look that said, “Shut up and leave.”
He caught on quickly, looking over at me with furrowed eyebrows. “Oh. Okay.”
I saluted my fork at him, giving him a fake smile.
“Did you have sex with him?” she blatantly asked once Phillip was gone.
I almost choked on my bite. “What? What kind of girl do you take me for?” I asked, trying to act aggrieved by her assumption.
She returned the stare with pursed, knowing lips.
“No,” I forcefully reiterated. “Absolutely not. I would never. Ever. He’s not even my type. I hate hazel eyes and English accents. They’re so overrated. And his sense of humor is lacking. He’s a complete bore. And… and he snores.”
“Hannah…” she dragged out.
I sighed. “Okay, so he’s cute. And funny. So what? That doesn’t mean I slept with him. Or that I will.”
She winged her eyebrow at me.
“What?”
“What yourself?” she threw back. “You’re the one over there making your own conclusions and freaking out over him.”
“I’m not freaking out. Who said I was freaking out?” I repeated, stuffing my mouth full with as many bites of pancakes as I could fit. “Definitely not freaking out over here,” I mumbled past my food.
Maggie giggled. “It’s okay, Hannah. You’re allowed to like him.”
I swallowed. “Technically you have to know someone in order to like them. He’s a complete and total stranger, ergo, I do not like him.”
“Right. And Phillip’s parents love me,” Maggie shot back. “Listen, just do me a solid and let yourself go on this one. As my maid-of-honor, you kind of have to do what I say on my wedding day. It’s the rules.”
I jerked back. “Who’s rules?”
“Mine,” she said unwaveringly. “And I’m telling you as the bride-to-be that you should enjoy yourself while you’re here. It’s not every day you’re in Rum Cay with a hot, English dude.”
Hot’s putting it mildly, I thought as his earth-shattering smile wormed its way into my mind.
I leveled my eyes on her. “Say what you want, but nothing is going to happen. It can’t.”
“Why?”
“Because.”
“Because why?”
“Because… because…” I touched my finger to the indent above my top lip. Nothing came to mind. No excuse. No reason. Just his eyes. And his hands. And his… My cheeks blushed. “Damn you,” I said, standing. “I need… I need a shower.”
“Down the hall to the left,” she called with a smirk. I wanted to reach across the table and choke her a little.
I traveled down the hall, forcing my thoughts from Ed and onto the pictures of Maggie and Phillip lining the hallway. All smiles and love in every one. They had that kind of relationship. The kind you see on a movie screen. The kind you know deep down in your gut was not a possibility for yourself because people didn’t just wake up and meet the right guy at the right time.
It was like witnessing a shooting star. Or winning the lottery. Maggie was one of the rare few who got to taste what love was. And I couldn’t be happier for her because she deserved it with every do-gooder bone in her body.
But me?
I was damaged goods. Set in my ways and not willing to budge. It would be unfair of me to put my burdens on someone else’s shoulders because love didn’t erase seventeen years’ worth of witnessing the man you should be able to trust and admire hurting your mother in countless, endless ways. It didn’t take back the hurtful words and the broken bones.
And it damn sure didn’t heal scars.
AFTER A VERY LONG, VERY cold shower, which did nothing to ease the ache left from last night’s tease, I found Maggie in her room with her dress hanging from the closet door. Autumn lay in the middle of the bed, surrounded by pillows, kicking her feet.
“It’s gorgeous,” I said, sitting on the edge of her bed in my towel.
She spun around, holding a lacy, white, halter-style dress. “This is for you,” she said, walking over to me.
“Only the bride should wear white,” I said, taking the beautiful dress from her.
“Yeah, well, this is my wedding, and that’s what I want you to wear,” she defiantly said. “I make the rules today, remember?”
She handed me the dress.
It was all lace and silky lined softness my tanned skin screeched for me to try on. “Secretly, I’m so glad you didn’t go for the horror-film bridesmaid dress.” I stood, holding it up in front of me. “I love it.”
She watched me as I stood in front of the mirror. “Me too.”
I saw her sigh, her smile relaxing as she sat on the edge of the bed.
“Phillip’s parents should be landing any minute now.”
I spun to face her. “That’s a small start, right?” I said, trying to keep it light. Panic swam in her eyes.
“It’s something,” she said, sounding somewhat leery.
“Listen, if his mom tries to give you any shit, I’ll just do my maid-of-honor duties and push her ass in the ocean. Okay?”
She giggled before sighing heavily. “I’m so glad you’re here, Hannah.”
I heard the tears in her voice and turned. “Don’t,” I said, holding up a finger. “You start, and then I start, and we can’t on a day such as this.”
“You’re right,” she agreed, giggling as she wiped the corners of her eyes.
Stepping into the dress, I slid it up under the towel.
She moved behind me, helping me with the zipper. After clearing her throat, she said with a smirk, “Ed will love it.”
“You just had to, didn’t you? You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”
“What?” she innocently asked. “Watching you finally unravel over a guy the way I did over Phillip? Hell yeah, I’m enjoying it. You deserve to feel the rush that comes with finding a guy who shakes up your world a little. I know Ed. He’s a good guy. A worthy guy.”
“And a very unattainable guy,” I said, twisting in front of the mirror to see the back of the dress. My eyes met hers in the mirror as I mustered a serious tone. “Maggie, I can’t get involved. Especially not with him. We live on opposite sides of the world, and I doubt he’s even relationship material.”
But even saying it out loud felt like a lie. He brought me damn pancakes. Who did that? People made of relationship material, that was who.
“Fine,” she said, moving around me to the closet. “I won’t bring it up again, okay? It was just a fun thought… matching you two up. But it’s not my business, and it’s not fair for me to pressure you.”
“Exactly,” I agreed, playing with my hair to figure out if I wanted it up or down. Annoyed Ed’s smile flashed through my mind as I did.
I dropped my hair and spun to find Maggie standing in front of me with her roller skates in her hands.
“These are for you. Your gift for being my maid-of-honor.” Tears danced in her eyes.
My jaw dropped. “No way! I can’t take these from you! You traded your bike for them, Maggs! They’re practically like a piece of you!”
She pushed them into my hands. “Which is why I want you to have them. I’m a mom now. I don’t have time to skate anymore, and you… you’re a badass roller derby chick who could make good use of them. And then a piece of me will be with you during your matches.”
“Bouts,” I corrected.
She laughed. “Whatever. I want you to take them. Give them another round of life.”
I set them down and pulled her into a tight hug, overwhelmed by all the mushy, gushy feelings she had a way of bringing out of
me. “I love you, Maggs.”
“I love you too, Hannah.”
We stepped back from each other, laughing as we swiped at our eyes. “Let’s get you ready. Just a few more hours and you’ll be a married woman.”
“Can you believe it?”
My head tilted to the side as my smile softened on her. She was positively glowing. “Yeah,” I said, nodding. “I can.”
She beamed as she turned, reaching for her dress. “Let’s do this.”
“DO YOU, MAGDELINE ROSALIE FAIRCHILD, take Phillip ta be yer lawfully wedded husband?” a dark man named Andre said. Maggie explained to me earlier he was a friend who helped her out while she traveled on her boat.
Leave it to Maggie to always make a friend.
“I do,” Maggie said, beaming up at Phillip.
She was a vision of what every bride would hope to look like on her special day. Her dress flowed down just a little past her knees. Her red hair played like leaves in the wind as a cool, ocean breeze moved in and around us.
But it was her smile that had my throat knotted up in happiness for her.
I wasn’t sure I had ever seen Maggie so happy, and I was so proud of my best friend for going after what she wanted and making it happen.
I couldn’t think of a better person who deserved happiness more.
Andre smiled over at Phillip and lightly slapped him on the back. “Well, den, I tink it’s time ya kissed da bride, man.”
We all cheered as Phillip dipped Maggie over his arm and sealed a promising kiss on her lips. I was careful to keep my eyes away from Ed, who stood across from me in a white, button-down cotton shirt and khaki dress pants that hugged him in all the right places.
When they came up for air, Andre said, “Mista and Missus Phillip Warrington, everyone.”
Maggie’s father wiped at his tears as Maggie and Phillip made their way past us toward the reception venue, laughing and cheering. Ed and I waited to follow suit until Phillip’s parents, in fancy clothes with stiff-lipped expressions, Maggie’s dad, strutting proud as a peacock with Autumn in his arms, and a few of their other friends followed after them.
Ed took my arm in his as he leaned close. “I didn’t get to tell ye earlier, but ye look damn good in that dress, love.”
I glanced down at our arms intertwined, feeling a swirling, fluttery feeling in my stomach. If it weren’t for the formalities of the wedding, I probably would have retracted my arm from his.
At least, I thought I would have.
“You don’t look too bad yourself,” I offered, trying to keep my wayward thoughts organized and on point.
His hair was slicked back, really showing the deep gold to his eyes, which made me think of the hue the sun took at sunset when the sky was a kaleidoscope of colors.
They did things to my stomach. Nervous things I didn’t like.
I cleared my throat, and then pulled out and dusted off my authoritative tone. “Now, remember,” I said as we crossed the sand and headed up the stairs into the small restaurant cleared out to be their reception hall. “No drinking until after they leave. We have to be on our best behavior.”
He mock-saluted me. “Did you happen to notice the gutted look on Phillip’s dear ‘ole mum’s face earlier?”
I hadn’t paid much attention. My sights never wandered too far from watching Maggie and Phillip. Well, of course, there was also a lot of covert looks tossed Ed’s way too, but I didn’t really want to think about that… or the fact he’d caught me a few times and tossed a wink back at me.
Like I said before… I wasn’t on my best game.
“She should be happy Phillip found someone as amazing as Maggie is,” I replied, my stomach burning a little with annoyance. Phillip’s mother could take her opinions and shove them up her—
“I agree one hundred percent.” Ed cut my thought off as he stuffed his hands in his pockets with a sigh. “Ye’ll not see me on the same side of the room as her. Sodding, old bat.”
I looked over at him, squinting against the sunlight. “Hold grudges much, Ed?”
“Only when a good holding is needed, love.” He laughed, pulling his hand out of his pocket and draping his arm over my shoulder. I didn’t get enough time to over-think the action, because he pulled me closer against him and conspiratorially whispered, “Okay, here’s the plan. When Phil and Maggie make their escape, ye’ll go ‘round to the bartender and show him a bit o’ your charm.”
His eyes briefly darted down to my chest with a cocky grin. My knees wobbled a bit. Sort of like they had taken one too many poundings from a blocker and needed a rest or else I’d be on my ass.
“Once he’s otherwise distracted, I’ll nick the bottle and Bob’s your uncle.”
“I don’t have an uncle named Bob,” I said, unable to keep from giving him a hard time about his odd way of saying things.
“Stick to the plan and don’t act dodgy least we get caught and have to make a runner,” he continued, ignoring my comeback.
I snorted. “The only time you’ll see me dodge is when I see a two-hundred-and-fifty pound girl with a murderous look in her eyes and a pep to her skates cannonballing her way toward me. A bartender, I can handle.”
A valley the size of the island we stood on formed between his eyebrows. “Right… now that we have it sorted, let’s go find our seats.”
“Sure,” I said, laughing.
As we made our way across the dining area, Ed moved his arm from my shoulder and placed his hand along my lower back as if guiding me to my seat.
Don’t notice… don’t notice, I begged my skin, which tingled where his hand rested, but I guess my hormones were boycotting me because I definitely noticed.
All of me noticed.
We sat at the table next to Maggie and Phillip’s chairs, waiting for them to make their entrance in companionable silence. Silence I was thankful for, because I spent it internally yelling at my body to calm the fuck down.
But the yelling fit was quickly ended by Ed saying, “Oh, I forgot to tell ye!”
The speakers came to life at the same time, playing something soft and soothing.
“What?” I asked, not taking my eyes off the door so I could see Maggie and Phillip enter.
“Phil said we can move our stuff up to the house so we don’t have to sleep on the floor tonight.” He sounded pleased with himself.
I took a quick peek in his direction. “I thought Maggie’s dad was staying at the house?”
“He was until Andre offered to take him out across the island after the reception. Heard him say something about ‘prime fishing’. Ye ready to ditch the floor and sleep on a real bed?”
I smirked at him, thinking about having to sleep another night on that God-awful mattress. “You bet I am,” I said, relief loosening the knot in my throat.
Wait a minute.
“But where will you be sleeping?”
“It’s the pull-out sofa for me, love. Unless, of course, ye decide ye’re up for it,” he answered with a sly grin.
“Up for it?” I pretended I didn’t know what he was suggesting.
“I’ll tell ye later.” He tipped his head at the door.
I WATCHED HER FROM ACROSS the room.
Watched her secretly dab the corner of her eyes when Phillip and Maggie shared their first dance. Witnessed her take an entire room that sat silently staring into space, and woo them with her humor until everyone was belting out laughter during her maid-of-honor speech.
In which I tried my best to follow after with a speech of my own.
Watched her dance with Maggie and Phillip to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” hit, throwing her head back in laughter every few seconds as she pretended to be a werewolf.
I have to admit, I chuckled a time or two.
And when I didn’t think it could get any better, I watched as she sought Maggie’s father out—a nice old chap—where he sat in a corner alone, sipping a cup of coffee. After many protests and a whole lot of charm on her part, she got
him to his feet and on the dance floor, twirling her around in the timeless way Americans did in the old days.
She was the life of the party. She had this thing about her that made you want to smile. Hell, made you smile with or without even thinking about smiling.
By the time the DJ began the parting words for Maggie and Phillip, I knew I wanted to get Hannah alone. Not because I wanted her… all right… I wanted her. Badly. But I also had the insane urge to just talk to her. To have her share some of her infectious laughter with me—only me.
I knew I treaded dangerous waters by thinking that, but a man had to do, what a man had to do.
“I think it’s time, love,” I said soon after we waved Maggie and Phillip off.
“Time for?” Hannah dragged out, swishing the ice around in her glass in an adorable, daydream-like state. I imagined she was coming off the high of watching her best friend head off into the picturesque sunset, probably wondering when it would be her turn.
I nodded to the bar, laid my best smirk on her, and waited for the pieces to click with giddy anticipation.
She stood at once. “Oh yeah! Finally, some real action. Let’s do this.” She set her cup down and took out the clip holding her hair up.
I had to swallow.
An avalanche of golden curls cascaded down in all their gleaming glory until they hit her shoulders. The waning sunlight streaming through the windows caught the almost-white highlights framing her face, making her blue eyes look like stained glass.
I mean, I knew she had all the right curves to drive a man crazy and a sexy laugh to boot, but damn me.
She fidgeted with her dress until her breasts were in prime placement. The dark, sooty sweep of her lashes entranced me, locking me in place like an unexperienced lad working up the nerve to get his first kiss. Because I really could have kissed her good and well just then.
My stomach twisted in nervous knots.
What the shite, Ed?
Without a plan or a word, she sauntered over to the bar, taking her time with her stride and swishing her hips in a way that had my mind playing out bedroom scenes that would surely send me straight to hell. It was as if she knew every man in the room watched her, and she didn’t care. Didn’t even twitch.
Runaway Heart (A Game of Hearts #2) Page 5
