by Kim Law
When she looked, she saw the problem immediately. Rob had separated from Penelope and was now walking alongside Wendy, several people back in the group. He kept bumping his shoulder into her as they walked, his head bent close. And Wendy was not shy with the giggles in response to whatever Rob was saying.
Andie sought out Penelope, up ahead of Rob and Wendy. She walked alone, her arms crossed over her chest, with the occasional worried look back as if trying to find Rob. Her looks coincided with the laughs bubbling from Wendy.
This did not look good at all.
EPISODE NINE
CHAPTER TWENTY
The screech of table legs scraping across the floor made Mark cringe. He then caught sight of Kayla hurrying from the back room at Gin’s and shooing the man who’d made the noise out of the way.
“Pick it up,” she told him. “Like this.” She and a khaki-shorts-clad server hoisted the table and aligned it with two others where the bride and groom and their parents would later sit. “Pay attention to what you’re doing, Owen. Please. We don’t have time to scrub the scuff marks from the floor that scooting will cause.”
Owen appeared sufficiently chastised. Poor guy. He looked to be about twenty, and as if he couldn’t care less about marks on the floor. But the censure from Kayla did sting, apparently; the kid went back to work with his gaze lowered and an embarrassed glow burning from his ears.
Mark smiled. Young crushes were tough.
Kayla had to be at least ten years older than Owen, but Mark had caught him watching her every move each time she’d hurried through the room to direct the servers how to set up the dining area.
It was Friday afternoon, and Gin’s had just shut down for a private event — the Masterson-Jordan rehearsal dinner.
That had to cost a pretty penny, shutting down the entire bar and restaurant. And from what he understood, the meal wasn’t only for the wedding party but for all guests who’d shown up for the next day’s wedding.
Which included his brothers and their families.
Mark looked at his watch. He sat at the bar, waiting for his cell to ring to let him know that the rest of his family was on the island.
He’d come over to the bar to offer help — since he’d been unable to get a minute with Andie all day due to her preparations for tomorrow’s ceremony and reception. She’d been busy since the moment she’d climbed from his arms that morning, so he’d enjoyed time on the beach with the assorted wedding guests before deciding to head over to see if he could do anything here. Kayla had taken one look at him and suggested he have a seat and enjoy a beer.
Grinning, he’d done so. He liked the OCD woman. She got a lot done, and didn’t mince words as she did it. Though he had yet to witness her being anything but polite. Even when she was lecturing Owen on the proper way to rearrange tables, she’d said please.
He leaned back against the bar and watched the action, thinking about the upcoming wedding. He’d avoided Rob since returning from Boston, and especially after seeing the man practically making moves on one of the bridesmaids last night.
There was so much wrong with what was going on with this wedding.
Rob was — had been? — his friend, but that didn’t mean he felt right about not warning Penelope away. He wouldn’t do it, of course. Doing so would hurt Andie. And he’d hurt her enough for a lifetime.
Now he was all about not hurting her — and instead, figuring out a way to do just the opposite. That meant Rob and his pathetic ways were being pushed to the side. Including the bachelor party scheduled for that night. Best man or not, Mark was skipping it.
Kayla had everything planned out anyway, including limos to take their drunk selves back and forth to wherever the party took them. Given that Mark and Rob had spoken no more than the stilted pleasantry since he’d knocked the guy on his ass, it seemed a good plan to make an excuse and sit this one out.
Plus, he intended to spend every minute he could with Andie.
They’d returned to the house the night before having seen no sign of a sea turtle. Nor had they joined the group at the fire pit for s’mores. The instant her bedroom door had closed behind them, they’d had each other’s clothes off.
Then they hadn’t come up for air for hours. And again, this morning. He closed his eyes as he thought about it.
They’d made love in total silence as the sun had risen, with her balcony doors thrown wide to the welcoming day. It had been one of the most intense experiences of his life.
He intended to have a similarly intense moment tonight.
He’d been moved out of the house earlier in the day, having been asked to stay in one of the bungalows for the remainder of his visit. He wasn’t sure of the need for the move, but with the added privacy, he could see it only as a good thing. Given the way Andie clung to him each time they were together, he couldn’t imagine not being able to persuade her to stay at the cabin with him.
They had less than two days left. He would make the most of the time.
He also intended to make sure they didn’t end when he boarded a plane on Sunday.
Andie hadn’t said anything about love yet, but he had to believe she still cared for him in that way. It came through in her every touch, her every look. And he was definitely still head over heels for her. He was pretty sure that had never changed. He’d only ignored the fact for the past four years.
That being the case, he was going for a commitment tonight. Before it was too late.
He had a moment of pause as he thought about the past with Andie, and then even further back to his teen years. Andie had accused him of having problems with marriage. Rob had reminded him he’d been responsible for Tiffany’s death — as if he’d needed reminding.
Had that come into play in any way with him and Andie before?
He’d asked himself that several times over the past week. But no, it hadn’t. What had happened to Tiffany was unforgivable. And it would always be there. Always be his fault. But it wasn’t holding him back. He’d gotten beyond it. He’d moved on.
He and Andie would soon move on, too. They had to. He couldn’t picture a world without her in it.
Maybe she wouldn’t be able to follow him back to Boston immediately. She did have a business to run here, and she would need to take care of getting that in order before she could do anything else. But he wanted her with him as soon as possible. He’d missed her when he’d been gone earlier in the week. He wanted to love and protect her as he should have years ago.
It was all still there between them. He simply had to prove that he was the man for her. No matter how terribly he’d not proven that very thing years before.
“You planning to take up space here all afternoon?”
Mark opened his eyes to find Roni propped against the bar beside him. She had a salad in her hand and an evil eye trained on him. Her short black hair was once again exploding from her head.
“Am I in the way?” he asked. “I can get out. I was just waiting for a call.” He looked at his watch and had the thought, And wishing Andie were here with me. He was such a sap. “Shouldn’t the afternoon ferry have already arrived?”
Roni nodded and climbed onto the seat next to him. “Ten minutes ago.”
That’s what he’d thought. His phone should be ringing soon.
“What are you doing with Andie, Mark?” Roni leaned over the counter to grab a fork, then sat back down and dug into her salad. “Playing? Planning to break her heart?”
Mark swiveled around on his stool so they sat side by side, both facing the row of liquor bottles behind the bar. He could see her in the mirrored areas between the bottles, and watched her watching him.
“Planning to steal her away from us?” Roni asked.
“I’m not playing,” Mark said, carefully choosing the words she had used. “Nor am I planning to break her heart.”
Roni lifted a brow, silently asking her third question again.
He returned the look. “How would that one be any of your b
usiness?” he asked.
“You head out of here in less than forty-eight hours, right?”
Mark nodded. He did.
“Ginger and I will be left to pick up whatever pieces you scatter. I want to know what we’re looking at.” She chewed and swallowed another bite, then jabbed the fork toward the mirror, toward his reflection. “Plus, she’s my friend, you arrogant prick. That makes it my business.”
A smile fought to make its way out. He loved that Andie had friends like Roni. But he wasn’t about to tell her that he was going to propose before Andie heard it herself.
He picked up the beer he’d been nursing for the last thirty minutes and took a long drink. When he set it down, he turned and faced Roni head-on. “I’m not going to hurt her,” he said. “That’s all you need to know.”
With his words, he gave her a nod and stood. Time to find his brothers.
Andie walked from the kitchen area of Gin’s to stand behind the bar, where she surveyed the dining room. Kayla had done well. Cream-colored linens covered clusters of tables. Not overly elegant, but with a nice touch of class. Simple centerpieces stood with handfuls of fresh-cut flowers for each of the guests to take with them. Huge baskets of flip-flops, serving as party favors, sat by the patio doors. And candles were flickering everywhere.
As the sun set, the room, along with patio, would become an intimate setting.
On the wall behind the table where the bride and groom would be seated with their parents and grandparents, there was a family tree of photographs. The branches showcased both families separately, before coming together with Penelope and Rob mixed in among the members of the two families.
The collage made a lovely statement about two becoming one, and Andie suspected Penelope would love it. The bride’s and groom’s mothers had hatched the idea, then kept it a surprise from Penelope. They’d worked closely with Kayla over the past few days to create it.
If only it were for two people who were genuinely in love, it would be a treasured gift. As it was …
Andie shook her head. She would not think about seeing Rob flirt with Wendy the night before. Nor would she think about the fact she was going to do nothing to change the course of the upcoming events.
She had a photographer for Today’s Brides in town — who’d arrived in time to attend the earlier rehearsal on the beach, one hundred of the couple’s closest friends and relatives gathering, and nothing but beautiful weather ahead.
They were having a wedding.
And it was going to be spectacular!
Seaglass Celebrations would pull off an amazing event, and everyone would go home giddy from the happy times that had been had by all. Michael, the photographer, would extol the company’s virtues to the magazine. And Seaglass’s phone would soon be ringing off the hook.
And there would be no guilt for knowing that this wedding was a sham and Andie was doing nothing about it.
Well, not much guilt.
The outside door opened and the first of the guests arrived.
As the tall, good-looking blond came in, Andie was impressed. He stood straight and proud, and he had the short haircut that spoke of the military, but she couldn’t remember having seen him before. Penelope stepped in behind him, bursting with excitement, and Andie got it. This was her brother. He’d been unable to make it to Georgia until now.
Andie gave Roni, who stood off to the side in a knee-length sundress and strappy wedges, a slight nod, and she headed to the piano to begin softly playing a medley of classical songs. At the same time, Andie stepped to the bartender and reminded him to go light on the alcohol.
“This bunch is going out later tonight for bachelor and bachelorettes parties,” she told him. “We want at least a few of them sober by the time of the wedding tomorrow afternoon.”
“Got it, boss.” Kevin, the bartender, winked at her. “I might mix you up a strong one, though. You look wound a little tight.”
“Don’t you dare.” Andie saw the photographer come through the door with the next batch of guests, and her nerves cranked up a notch. “I have too much riding on tonight.”
Kevin chuckled, then turned to the first guest to approach the bar. The evening had now officially begun.
It was cocktail hour, and the family members and guests would take the time to meet and greet one another. Derrick, the chef she’d coerced from Chicago, would then serve a selection of his seafood specialties. He enjoyed the receptions because they were opportunities for him to try out new dishes. With many couples choosing buffet-style dinners, Derrick always included a unique dish or two.
Tonight would be plated dinners, however. And then a buffet of desserts, all pink — in honor of the bride.
Andie hurried to the kitchen to check on Derrick and the waiting servers. When she saw that Kayla was going over the schedule and assignments with the crew one last time, she knew all was fine. At least with this, she could take an easy breath.
She returned to the front at the exact moment that Mark walked through the door. He entered with Grayson McTavish, and though both men were striking — in their dark slacks and button-down shirts — she had eyes only for Mark.
Seemed he had the same issue.
He zoomed his gaze directly to her the moment he’d cleared the door, and she could tell from the glint in his eyes that he was not thinking about the next couple of hours. He was thinking about tonight.
They had two nights left together, and she’d had Kayla move him to a bungalow. She’d given his room to Michael.
She did not intend for him to spend his time there alone.
Mark came to her side immediately. She tossed him a quick glance and a soft smile, but then refocused on the room in front of her. So far everything was as it should be. Rob had arrived, and he and Penelope were giving the appropriate oohs and ahs over the family tree and other decorations, and had formed a receiving line of sorts to greet their guests as they arrived.
Michael was snapping pictures and jotting notes.
The wedding photographer was also there, taking his own set of photos.
“You’ve been busy today,” Mark said, speaking softly so as not to draw attention to himself.
“I barely have time to remember to shower on the day before and day of a wedding.”
“You can shower at my place,” he murmured.
She couldn’t help it, she turned to him. And then she got lost in the warmth of his gaze. And that’s when she got it. It wasn’t naughty thoughts he was thinking so much as heartfelt ones. The knowledge caused her anxiety to register another notch higher. She couldn’t get swept away with promises he wouldn’t keep.
“You like your new room?” she asked, returning to surveying the crowd. She didn’t do a lot during these events, but was there with Kayla to oversee the details and handle any issues that might arise.
“It’s spacious,” Mark said. “And has a nice view of the ocean.”
“You lucked out. One of the groomsmen went home sick this morning.”
“Ah.” He gave a small nod, which she noticed from her peripheral vision. “That explains the stand-in during rehearsal.”
“The stand-in fit the tux.” She laughed softly. “He’s now the fourth.”
Mark laughed with her and narrowed the gap between them. The heat from his body made her lean an inch closer. She wanted to go away with him right that very moment. It was disconcerting how she couldn’t seem to get enough of him.
She kept telling herself it was because she knew their time was limited.
He touched a hand to the small of her back and put his mouth to her ear. “I hope you plan to be in that space with me tonight.”
She closed her eyes and enjoyed the closeness of the man she was pretending she hadn’t fallen in love with. Heck, the man she’d never fallen out of love with. “I already packed an overnight bag,” she whispered in return.
She turned her head to his, and the heat that filled his eyes was all she needed.
It might hu
rt when he left her on Sunday, but she was going to enjoy these next two nights to the fullest.
As she watched him, something over his shoulder caught her attention.
“Oh shit,” she muttered.
Instead of following her gaze, Mark went still. “What is it?” he asked.
“Rob.”
Mark’s eyes closed on a sigh. “What the hell is he doing now?”
Andie casually glanced around, noting the photographer had not seemed to notice Rob standing off in the side hall. Or if he’d noticed, he remained focused on the crowd in the dining room instead.
Mr. Jordan had noticed, though. His gaze was trained on his future son-in-law. And on the bridesmaid he was standing with.
“He’s flirting with Wendy again,” Andie said through gritted teeth. “He’s even leaning into her as they’re talking. He has a hand braced on the wall above her head.”
It was obvious they were having more than a hey-how-are-you-doing conversation.
“I’m going to say something,” Mark told her.
“No.” Andie reached out and put a hand to his chest. “Please don’t cause a scene,” she pleaded. “Michael from Today’s Brides—”
“I won’t.” Mark picked up Andie’s hand and pressed a kiss to the back of it. “I won’t do anything to hurt your business. I’m simply going to suggest — politely — that he get back to his bride.”
“Oh.” Andie nodded. She let out a shaky breath. “Yeah. That will be okay.”
She looked back at Phillip Jordan, to find him still watching. The man then glared in her direction, as if Rob’s behavior were her fault.
“Phillip is not happy,” Andie muttered. “Please get Rob away from that woman.”
“Will do, babe.”
Mark winked, then leaned in and pressed his lips against her mouth. Calmness engulfed her with the heat of his touch, and she closed her eyes. She could almost pretend they were somewhere else and she didn’t have to worry about her company climbing or falling, depending on the outcome of a single event.
Then Mark pulled away, and she opened her eyes and remembered that she was in the middle of a party. And she was the host. She glanced at Phillip again. The man was still glaring.
