“Oh. Yes.”
She blinked awake a little more. “What time is it?”
When he told her, she straightened quickly. “We really do need to hurry. They’re supposed to be there early to take pictures with Nick and Cara.”
He helped her wake the girls and transferred a still-sleepy Grace to her wheelchair, then pushed her to their cabana.
“There you go.”
“Thanks for the T-shirt,” Sarah said. “I love it.”
She reached her arms up, and after a startled moment, Shane bent down and hugged her.
“Me, too,” Grace insisted.
He hugged her tightly, too. When he straightened, he again had an odd, bemused expression on his face.
“Thanks for your help,” Megan said. She wanted to ask for a hug, too, but decided that probably wouldn’t be wise.
“You’re welcome. I’ll see you at the wedding.”
He gave her another searching look, then headed for the door.
CHAPTER EIGHT
“I NOW PRONOUNCE you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”
Just like that, her daughters gained a stepmother.
Megan wiped her eyes, touched by the joy in Nick’s and Cara’s expressions that was obvious to all the guests.
It truly was a beautiful wedding, at sunset on the beach with the murmur of the sea for background music. The bride was stunning and Megan had never seen Nick so happy.
She felt a little twinge of sorrow that the two of them had never been able to make it work, but she was happy the girls would have such a kind woman as Cara in their lives.
She would have been sorry to miss it, even though she still felt out of place.
After the wedding, the guests mingled as the sun continued to slide below the horizon. Megan kept a close eye on the girls while trying to stay on the sidelines and remain unobtrusive.
Somehow she wasn’t surprised when Shane approached her.
“How are you holding up?” he asked.
She really hoped he knew by now that her heart wasn’t broken because Nick had found someone else. “They make a beautiful couple. I’m thrilled for them.”
He gave her a searching look. “I don’t know many ex-wives who would be able to celebrate when their former husband moved on.”
“I couldn’t ask for a better situation for my daughters. That’s the important part.”
She would have said more but the twins made their way in their direction, Grace with the walker she had used to go down the aisle. Nick and Cara were close behind.
“Did you see me, Mommy? I threw the petals just like I was supposed to,” Grace declared triumphantly. Even after one dose of antibiotic and Tylenol, she was obviously feeling better than she had that morning.
Megan hugged her. “You did a beautiful job, darling. I’m so proud of you.”
“And me,” Sarah said. “What about me?”
She smiled. “You were both magnificent. Without you, your dad and Cara’s special day wouldn’t have been nearly as wonderful.”
“She’s right,” Nick said. “Thanks, girls.”
He hugged Megan. “Thanks for being here. I know the girls were only able to attend because of you.”
“It was a beautiful wedding,” she told him, before hugging Cara, too.
“Thank you,” Cara said. “Having the girls here made it perfect.”
Megan smiled with genuine affection for Shane’s sister. She was so sweet-natured and kind. Given what he’d told her about their tumultuous upbringing, it seemed a miracle that she could emerge with such a giving heart.
“I can’t wait for the day when you find someone special and can know this kind of happiness,” she murmured.
Megan forced herself not to look at Shane as a bittersweet pang pinched at her. Somehow she didn’t think a happy ending was in store for her.
“I’m perfectly happy the way things are. Don’t worry about me,” she assured her.
“We’re moving down the beach a little for the reception,” Nick said. “Cara has arranged a dance floor and a band and everything. You’re coming, right? I want to dance with my girls.”
She really wanted to decline the invitation. Grace still wasn’t completely herself, and all of them were tired. But they’d come all this way to celebrate the wedding. What were a few more hours?
“Yes. We’ll come for a while.”
And then she would take her girls back to their cabana, spend their last night in paradise and return to real life.
* * *
THE RECEPTION WAS informal, more of a party and buffet meal, really, with music and dancing.
She and the girls found a table and a little food. The twins watched, starry-eyed, while Nick led Cara out for the first dance.
“Hmm. Three beautiful ladies,” Shane said. “Which one do I dance with first? Eeeny, meeny miny, moe. Grace, I guess that’s you.”
Her daughter giggled, clearly delighted at the idea of dancing with one of her new favorite people.
“Your choice. In the chair or out?”
“Out,” she said promptly.
Sarah didn’t have time to even summon a pout, as Nick came over at the same moment to dance with her.
Megan’s heart warmed, watching both of her girls. Nick moved across the dance floor with Sarah, but Shane stayed close to Megan’s table and she had a clear view of the two of them, Shane moving carefully to accommodate Grace’s slightly awkward gait.
As she watched them smiling together at something Shane said to this very special child, emotion clogged her throat, tender and soft.
She was in love with him.
The realization washed over her like surf pounding against the reef, battering away all her defenses. She was in love with Shane.
He was an amazing man, good and decent. A man dedicated to his job, to his family. He was kind to Grace, patient with Sarah.
Beyond that, when he kissed her, she felt as if she could take on any challenge, conquer any difficulty. He made her feel things she never thought possible, given the choices she’d made in her life.
How could she help but fall in love with him?
“The girls look like they’re having fun.”
She jerked her gaze away from Shane and the stunning truth to see Jean, Nick’s mother, approaching her.
“Yes.” Her voice came out strangled and raw so she tried again. “I think they’re having the time of their lives.”
“I’ll tell you, I wasn’t thrilled when Nick and Cara told me they were having this destination wedding. Why did they need to come all the way to Hawaii to get married? I asked myself. We have perfectly good wedding venues in Chicago. I’m not too proud to admit I was wrong. It’s turned into a really lovely time. I’ve loved having the girls here to share it. Thank you for bringing them.”
She kissed her former mother-in-law on the cheek. “It’s been magical for us.”
At that moment, the song ended and she watched while Nick and Shane switched partners.
She chatted with Jean about their travel plans during the next song, all while watching Shane laugh with Sarah.
Her girls loved him, too. Her emotions were a tangled snarl as she envisioned heartache for all three of them when they returned from this warm, sweetly scented paradise to the cold and wind of Chicago, and Shane returned to his own life.
Another song inevitably ended and Shane walked with Sarah back to their table. “Jean, do you mind keeping an eye on the girls while I steal a dance with Megan?”
Her mother-in-law’s gaze widened and she looked between the two of them. Megan didn’t like the sudden speculative look in her eyes. “No, of course not. They’ll be perfectly fine. Take all the time you want.”
He slippe
d his hand into hers and led her out to the moonlit dance floor. The song was a slow, romantic Hawaiian melody she didn’t recognize, featuring a slack-key guitar. She fought back the knowledge that this might be the last time she would be in his arms as they began to move slowly in time to the music.
* * *
HE COULDN’T SEEM to take his eyes off Megan.
She was stunning in a soft blue, floral-print sleeveless dress, the lei he’d brought her earlier in the day and delicate silver hoops in her ears.
She’d pulled her hair up into a loose, flowing style, and in the flickering glow of the tiki torches, she took his breath away.
The scent of her, like strawberries and cream, drifted to him on the breeze, and though he hadn’t had anything but a swallow or two of wine, he felt intoxicated.
She didn’t say anything, only settled her cheek against his chest as if she couldn’t imagine anywhere else she’d rather be. He closed his eyes and held her, trying to treasure every breath, every moment. He couldn’t have said what song they danced to—or, indeed, if any music was playing at all. He was completely absorbed with her.
There must have been music. He was aware when it ended, as everyone but the two of them moved away from the dance floor. He gazed down at her, consumed with the need to wrap her in his arms again and lower his mouth to hers.
He couldn’t do it. For one thing, he knew she wouldn’t appreciate a big public display of affection in front of her ex-husband’s family. Beyond that, he was aware of a melancholy ache in his chest.
This...thing between them was impossible. In his heart, he knew it. Whenever he looked at her adorable daughters, reality yanked him back to his senses like an inescapable riptide.
He had sworn a long time ago he wouldn’t date a woman with children. He didn’t want the girls to have to deal with that kind of complication and chaos. He wanted that increasingly rare beast, the traditional marriage where neither party had previous entanglements.
It was old-fashioned, maybe, even backward. But whenever he might have been tempted to go back on the vow he’d made to himself as an angry, hurt teenager, he only had to look at his parents. Right now, his dad and the new wife—what was her name again?—were dancing embarrassingly close, and his mother was flirting with one of the husky Hawaiian bartenders.
All those memories poured back, the nightmare of his childhood when he and Cara had been forced to bounce back and forth between them, not feeling at home or even wanted in either place. Custody and child support issues had been wielded as weapons in the ongoing war between his parents, with him and Cara stuck in the middle.
He refused to do that to any other children.
The ache in his chest intensified, the heartfelt wish that things could be different. He was fully aware of the irony of the situation. Even if he could, he wouldn’t have wished a different life for Megan than the one she had. Her daughters were wonderful and he had a feeling she’d become the woman he cared about so much because of her daughters, not in spite of them.
Knowing he had to do it, even though it hurt, he walked her back to her table. “Thank you for the dance. And for making this an...unforgettable trip.”
“You’re welcome,” she murmured. She looked as if she wanted to say something else, but didn’t.
“What time does your flight leave?” he asked.
“Early. Nine.”
“Ah. I don’t take off until later. The red-eye.”
“I couldn’t put the girls through that one.”
“Understandable.” He had a hundred things he wanted to tell her. A thousand. All of them would have to remain unsaid. It was better that way, for both of them. “Well, have a safe journey.”
“Thank you. Same to you.”
He kissed her softly on the forehead and turned away, trying to tell himself that emotion in his chest wasn’t sorrow or vast, aching regret.
He headed immediately for the bar with the intention of ordering a good, stiff drink. He was waylaid by Cara, in the midst of a crowd of well-wishers, who grabbed his arm as he passed.
“There you are. Dance with me,” she ordered.
“You’re just as bossy as ever,” he complained.
In answer, she tucked her arm through the crook of his elbow, waved at the group she’d been talking with, and tugged him to the dance floor.
“You make a beautiful bride, sis,” he said, after they’d been dancing for a few moments. “I don’t think I’ve told you lately how happy I am for you and Nick.”
She hugged him. “It’s been a beautiful few days, hasn’t it? Just like I always dreamed.”
“Yes. Everything was perfect.”
“I saw you dancing with Megan. She’s wonderful, isn’t she?”
His emotions felt too raw to talk about this. Yes, Megan was wonderful. The most amazing woman he had ever met. That ache in his chest seemed to ramp up a notch or two.
“The two of you are perfect for each other,” Cara went on without waiting for an answer. “Have you made plans to get together when we’re all back in Chicago? Nick and I will have the girls every other weekend and every Wednesday night, which means her schedule will be completely clear at those times. Just saying.”
A muscle in his jaw flexed, and he didn’t know what to say. At his silence, Cara met his gaze. Her expression sharpened and she frowned suddenly. “You’re not planning to ask her out, back in Chicago, are you?”
“What would be the point, really?” he finally asked.
She stared at him, storm clouds gathering. He winced. The last thing he wanted to do was upset his sister on her wedding day.
“The band you hired is really good. How did you find them?” he asked, desperate to distract her. Tonight wasn’t about him. It was about his cherished sister marrying the man of her dreams.
“Thanks. I found them on the internet,” she answered.
He thought his ploy had been successful, but he should have known better. When she was in a mood, Cara could be like a stubborn pitbull guarding a particularly juicy bone.
“Back to Megan. Seriously, Shane. What is wrong with you? She’s amazing.”
“I agree. She’s just not the right amazing woman for me.”
She stopped dancing altogether now to stare at him. “I don’t understand. This is crazy. You care about her. I can see you do. And I could be wrong, but I think she has feelings for you, too. You live in the same city and live only a few L stops away from each other. Why not take her out, see where things could lead?”
“Just drop it, Cara. I don’t want to fight with you on your wedding day.”
“This isn’t a fight,” she countered. “This is a heated discussion.”
“Only one of us is heated,” he pointed out.
“Because the other one is crazy.” She grabbed his hand and dragged him off the dance floor to a quieter corner. “I’ve seen the kind of women you date, Shane. They can’t hold a candle to Megan. Good heavens, I just married her ex-husband and I already love her like a sister. That should tell you all you need to know about her, shouldn’t it? I mean, what’s not to love? She’s a wonderful mother, a caring nurse, a good friend.”
He really didn’t need to hear all this. He already knew about all her fabulous qualities. Having his sister reinforce them only tightened the knife in his gut.
“Megan is fantastic. I agree. But things would never work out between us.”
“Why not?”
He sighed. “Do we have to talk about this right now? This is your wedding, in case you didn’t notice. You’ve got guests who’ve come a long way to celebrate with you. We really don’t need to hash out my disaster of a love life.”
“Fine. Just tell me what the problem is so I can tell you how stupid you’re being, then we can both go back to my wedding party.”
&n
bsp; He knew Cara wouldn’t let up. She was the very definition of relentless. “It’s no big deal. I like Megan a lot,” he said, a glaring understatement, “but our lives are just too different. For one thing, she has two daughters.”
She frowned. “What’s wrong with the girls?”
“Nothing. Absolutely nothing. They’re great. Funny and smart and adorable.”
He loved them, too, he realized. He had fallen hard for all three of the McNeil ladies.
“So what’s the problem?”
He kissed her on the nose. “I promise, sis, this is nothing you need to concern yourself about on your wedding day. We’ll talk about it later.”
“Too late. I’m concerned.”
At that moment, she spied their father dancing by them with his latest wife locked in a tight clinch. He almost saw a lightbulb switch on above her head like a cartoon.
“Oh. Oh! The girls. You always said you’d never be involved with a woman who had children. That’s what this is about, isn’t it?”
He really didn’t want to bring this up now, to dredge up these rough memories. If he didn’t, though, she would keep pushing and pushing at him.
“Cara, you remember what it was like for us.” He picked his words carefully. “You know the turmoil we lived through, with people moving in and out of our lives all the time. Just as we came to know a new stepmother or stepfather, the bloom would be off the rose and they would be out of our lives again. I decided a long time ago that I would never put any child through that. I care deeply about Megan—and I care about Sarah and Grace. Because of that, I won’t add more chaos to their lives. End of story. My mind is made up and I’d really prefer you don’t lecture me about it.”
CHAPTER NINE
ON THE OTHER side of the bushy shrub with bright pink flowers, Megan pressed a hand to her stomach at the finality of Shane’s words.
I care deeply about Megan—and I care about Sarah and Grace. Because of that, I won’t add more chaos to their lives. End of story. My mind is made up.
She had known. Somehow, she’d figured out he had deeply personal reasons for keeping some part of himself distant from her and the twins. Hearing him admit the truth with such stark certainty sliced at her like a machete.
Island Promises: Hawaiian HolidayHawaiian ReunionHawaiian Retreat Page 7
