The Wedding Reject Table (Choc Lit) (Nashville Connections Book 2)

by Angela Britnell

  Emily wouldn’t wake for a while so Maggie decided to take a chance. She hurried up to her bedroom, desperate to change out of the tight dress she’d been crammed into all day. As she pulled the zip down her body sagged with joy and settled back into its natural curves. Maggie tossed the offending object on her chair ready to take to the dry cleaners on Monday. Her stalwart dress was at least ten years old and had been to so many weddings Maggie was surprised it didn’t receive its own invitation. She tugged on an old elastic-waist floral skirt and a plain white blouse and shoved her aching feet into her ancient pink slippers. Next she shook out the contents of the small black bag she’d carried to the wedding and started to to transfer everything back into the cavernous linen satchel she used most of the time.

  From the middle of the pile Maggie picked up Chad’s business card. She toyed with it and wondered what he’d say if she rang him. You know what he’d say. He’d be concerned. Ask if you’re alright and whether he could do anything to help. Want to see you again. She let herself remember Chad’s tempting smile, the aroma of his delicious spicy cologne and the way he’d rolled up his sleeves and gone to work as if he always went to weddings and ended up helping to make the cake.

  He was out of her league, if she even had a league, and it’d been a ridiculous notion from the beginning. Sometimes even her sensible, responsible self behaved foolishly at weddings – maybe it was something about all that love and hopeful optimism flying around.

  ‘Maggie, where are you?’ Emily’s panicked voice drifted up the stairs. She plunged back to earth. This was her life, not whatever glamorous existence Mr Chad Robertson led back in Nashville, Tennessee.

  ‘Coming, Ems. I was just changing.’ Apart from her clothes nothing else was going to alter anytime soon.

  Chapter Nine

  ‘What are you doing here?’ Maggie glared out at Chad from the safety of her half-open front door. It wasn’t exactly the warm welcome he’d hoped for.

  ‘I came to see how you’re doing. I’ll go away again if you want.’

  ‘You’ve been drinking.’ She frowned and peered out around him. ‘How did you get here?’

  ‘I flew,’ he said dryly. ‘Believe it or not I discovered Cornwall has taxis, the same as most of the civilised world.’ The tight line of her mouth deepened and he guessed she was fighting against giving in to a smile.

  ‘In that case I suggest you ring them right now to take you back to wherever you came from and leave me alone.’

  Chad leaned against the door and caught a hint of Maggie’s delicious scent, the intoxicating mixture of vanilla and warm, soft woman driving him crazy. ‘Is that really what you want?’

  ‘Do you honestly think I need a half-drunk man on my doorstep on top of all my other problems?’ Maggie snapped.

  ‘Honey, don’t be too hard on me. I only had a couple shots of Jack Daniels for courage.’

  ‘Courage?’

  ‘To disobey you,’ he muttered. ‘I know you told me to go away, but I hated seeing you upset and I couldn’t damn well go to bed not knowing if you were okay.’ That was the surface reason, and a genuine one, but underneath a myriad of others fought for his attention. ‘You gonna let me in?’

  ‘Maggie, is that … oh, it’s you.’ Emily’s forlorn face crumpled as she appeared at the door and spotted him. ‘I hoped Jonathan had come back.’

  ‘Do you get it now that I don’t have time for you as well as all this?’ Maggie’s brutal tone cut him to the bone.

  ‘I’m going to bed.’ Emily whispered. ‘Maybe when I wake up in the morning this will all be a nightmare.’ She slouched off back into the house. Chad took a chance and rested his hand on Maggie’s arm, saying nothing. A single large tear trickled down her cheek and he tenderly brushed it away. ‘Would it help to talk?’

  She shook her head, nodded several times and then shook it again. ‘I … don’t know.’

  ‘How about I come in, make you a cup of tea and then you can decide?’ he suggested, mentally crossing his fingers.

  ‘Do you even know how to make tea?’ Her voice wobbled, but the faintest trace of a smile pulled at her generous mouth.

  ‘I sure do,’ Chad asserted with more confidence than he actually felt. The same legal mentor who’d recommended always replying to one question with another also told him never to sound as though he didn’t know what he was talking about in court. ‘Boiling water. Tea. China cup. Milk and sugar if required. Cake.’

  Maggie’s deep blue eyes sparkled. ‘I think we’ve had more than enough cake for one day, don’t you?’

  ‘Is there such a thing as too much cake?’

  ‘You’re far too clever.’ Maggie wagged her finger at him. ‘Nobody should be able to make me smile right now.’ But the problem is looking at you makes me happy and I can’t seem to help it. A lock of black hair fell over Chad’s forehead and she yearned to stroke it back into place, except that it looked far too tempting where it was.

  A satisfied grin crept over his face as it dawned on him she wasn’t going to send him away – not yet. She’d turned down everyone’s offers of help but he’d ignored her and turned up anyway. Chad wasn’t stupid so he had to be as stubborn as she was. When she was fifteen Maggie didn’t eat for three days because her father wouldn’t let her go to a Save the Whales demonstration in London. Her exasperated mother said she might as well resign herself to being an old maid because no man would put up with such a pig-headed girl.

  ‘I suppose you’d better come in.’ Maggie worked on sounding as ungracious as possible. She didn’t need him to think she was falling at his feet. She strode away down the hall into the kitchen and by the sound of heavy footsteps on the bare wood floor behind her assumed Chad was following. Maggie filled the kettle at the sink before switching it on.

  ‘Are you rejecting my tea-making offer?’ Chad teased.

  ‘You may think you sounded sure of yourself but I saw right through you. I’d bet on my most precious possession that you’ve never made a decent cup of tea in your life.’ His dark gaze swept down over her and Maggie shivered in an unexpected, good sort of way.

  He folded his arms and she suddenly became aware he’d changed out of the fancy suit. Only a thin red T-shirt covered his broad chest and Chad’s jeans were more holes than denim, emphasising his long, muscular legs

  ‘I’ll take your bet,’ he drawled, his voice running all over her skin like a puddle of golden syrup melting over hot buttered toast.

  ‘You don’t even know what I’m talking about,’ Maggie protested.

  ‘I don’t need to, sugar, if it’s important to you I might lose on purpose.’ He took a step closer and she struggled to keep breathing, far too aware of his clean, masculine scent surrounding her. Chad rested a finger on her jaw and lifted her chin to meet his smouldering eyes. ‘You willin’ to take the chance?’

  She was pretty sure they weren’t talking about tea any longer. A sudden image of Emily’s distraught face flashed in front of Maggie’s eyes and she reluctantly pushed Chad away. ‘I don’t need this,’ she whispered.

  ‘I didn’t mean to be heartless. I only wanted to make you smile again.’

  Overreacting was usually Emily’s prerogative and a wave of guilt swept through Maggie. ‘Sorry. I’m being a cow.’

  ‘Nope, you aren’t.’ He shook his head. ‘It’s been a long, tough day all around.’ Chad pulled out a chair and gently pushed her to sit down. ‘I’ll make your tea. No bets. No flirting. Simply tea.’

  Maggie couldn’t decide if she was sorry or not.

  He turned away and began to make a pot of tea, with the same quiet concentration she’d observed earlier during the cake disaster episode. At first she’d been surprised to hear he was a lawyer but now with his smooth talking charm, quick brain and attention to detail it made complete sense. For the first time in hours Maggie let herself relax.

  ‘Hey, tired girl, do you want tea or a nap?’

  Her eyes flew open and it took a second for her to regi
ster Chad’s concerned face inches away from hers. ‘What are you talking about?’ Maggie rubbed at her eyes.

  ‘If I hadn’t put my hand out to keep you on the chair you’d be flat on the floor by now.’ He said with a wry smile. ‘You’re exhausted.’

  ‘Tea please.’ Maggie murmured, glancing away so she didn’t have to meet his intense eyes, the flecks of brown and gold shimmering in the light.

  ‘Yes, ma’am.’ The touch of sarcastic humour made her smile despite everything. ‘Strong, weak, milk, sugar, lemon – specific details please and I’ll fix it for you.’

  ‘Strong. A little milk. No sugar.’

  ‘Your wish is my command.’ Chad teased and proceeded to follow her instructions. ‘There you go.’ He set a cup down in front of Maggie and poured another one for himself before joining her. They both started to drink and she waited for him to start bugging her with questions.

  ‘It’s complicated,’ Maggie blurted out and caught him half-smile. The damn man was too clever. He’d purposely kept quiet and the silence forced her to speak up.

  ‘People usually are.’ His free hand rested on the table and without thinking she covered it with her own. She rubbed idly over the dusting of dark hair, buoyed by the strength and warmth under her stroking fingers. ‘Don’t tell me any more than you’re comfortable with. I’m happy to listen as much as you want but I don’t want you to regret it in the morning.’

  His ambiguous words made her cheeks burn with embarrassment.

  ‘You’ve got a wicked mind.’ He chuckled and shook his head in fake disappointment, but in a flash his smile faded. ‘Sorry. I promised no flirting.’

  Would it be awful to tell him she really didn’t mind?

  ‘Of course, if you …’

  She leaned over and placed her finger on his mouth, silencing him. ‘Leave it.’ Maggie sat back and took another large swallow of her tea. A shy smile warmed his eyes making her glad he’d stayed. Having no one to talk through things with was tough and for some absurd reason she trusted Chad.

  ‘Do you wanna start with what Emily was upset about earlier?’

  Maggie plunged in before she could change her mind. ‘Her fiancé, Jonathan, sent her a text breaking off their engagement.’

  ‘What a shit.’ She gasped at his harsh comment. ‘Sorry, excuse my language.’

  ‘That didn’t shock me, it’s the fact you reduced it to the basic truth. Nothing else really matters because there’s no excuse for his behaviour, is there?’

  Chad shook his head. ‘Nope.’

  She started to fill in a few details, telling him how Emily and Jonathan met a couple of years ago and how kind and patient he’d been with her sister’s uncertain temperament. At least until recently when his tolerance appeared to be fraying around the edges. Chad raised his eyebrows, but didn’t say a word. Maggie explained that they’d been planning a spring wedding and Emily had bought her wedding dress already. ‘She kept on at him last week to set a date but he didn’t answer her outright. I wonder if he felt cornered?’

  ‘I guess it could be.’ Chad shrugged and didn’t quite meet her eyes. ‘You don’t suppose there’s … well, you know …’

  ‘Another woman?’

  He nodded.

  ‘I suppose it’s possible, but I suspect it’s more a question of him getting tired of trying to handle Emily’s ups and downs.’ God knows, I’d understand that. Sometimes I can’t either.

  Chad’s eyes darkened and she watched him working out how to phrase his next question.

  Chapter Ten

  ‘Spit it out. You don’t have to creep around me. I don’t do tears and hysterics. There isn’t room for more than one of those in a family.’

  Chad decided to take Maggie at her word. Sometimes clients asked him to be honest and meant it, others spoke the words but it was the last thing they really wanted. But everything about Maggie had been straightforward from the moment they met. ‘Has Emily always been very emotional?’ A heavy silence swirled around them. Maggie nodded, her shoulders drooping with tired sadness.

  ‘My first memory is of Emily throwing a tantrum in a shoe shop. She threw shoes around, kicked the assistant and screamed the place down because my mother wouldn’t let her have the inappropriate pair she wanted. Of course Mum gave in and bought them.’

  ‘So she learned how to manipulate people and get her own way and hasn’t ever grown out of it.’

  Maggie shrugged. ‘I was told she was sensitive and artistic so my job was to be the responsible one and look out for her.’ Resentment threaded through her words. ‘I do love her, but I …’

  Chad picked up her hands, rubbing them with his own to warm up her chilled skin. They were the hands of a woman used to work, strong and capable and he admired that. He might be an attorney but could still plumb a toilet and build a wall from the ground up. His father insisted they knew how to take care of themselves and the fact they could afford to pay other people to do things was irrelevant.

  ‘Of course you do, but there’s no shame in admitting she sometimes frustrates you and you wish things could be different.’ For a second he almost shared his story about his own strained relationship with his brother but she didn’t need his burdens added to her own. ‘It’s put a damper on your choices, hasn’t it?’ Like with me today.

  ‘Sometimes.’

  The tight line of her mouth told Chad he might’ve gone too far, too soon. ‘Would it help if you got in touch with Jonathan?’

  Maggie screwed up her face. ‘I can’t see how.’

  ‘Maybe you could persuade him to speak to Emily face to face and explain his reasons for breaking off the engagement.’

  ‘You’re behaving as if it was me or you this was happening to,’ she scoffed. ‘Emily would tear his eyes out.’

  For the first time Chad wondered if the other man wasn’t so dumb after all, even though he’d taken the coward’s way out.

  ‘You think he was right, don’t you?’ she accused, and he couldn’t lie outright.

  ‘Not exactly, but …’

  ‘There are no buts.’ She jerked her hands away.

  Now he’d upset her, which was the last thing he wanted.

  ‘It’s late and I’m very tired,’ Maggie declared. ‘You’d better leave.’

  Chad debated arguing his case, but there was no point. They were both worn out and he had no right to challenge a woman he barely knew over the right way to run her life. His own wasn’t exactly something to shout about. The stubborn side of him refused to totally quit. He had four more days left in Cornwall and wasn’t ready to give up on Maggie Taylor yet. ‘Fair enough. I’ll be off.’ She looked about to say something but slammed her lips shut again. Chad decided to give it one last try. ‘If Emily’s all right in the morning would you have lunch with me tomorrow? I’m staying at the Black Prince and everyone tells me their Sunday lunches are excellent.’ Chad held his breath.

  ‘I’ll probably have to stay here to keep her company,’ she explained, but without any sign of her previous anger.

  ‘But if you don’t?’ he persisted.

  ‘If I don’t I’ll have lunch with you. All right?’

  Chad grinned and held out his hand. ‘Deal.’ She took hold of it and he wrapped his fingers tightly around hers, giving a hard squeeze before letting go again. ‘I’ll call around mid-morning.’

  ‘How are you going to get back to town? Do you want me to ring for a taxi?’

  ‘The walk will do me good,’ Chad declared and quickly got up and headed out to the front door. If he didn’t work off some of his pent up energy he’d never sleep tonight. ‘Good night.’

  Maggie followed Chad with her eyes and it took all her self-control not to call out after him. She’d started off by telling him to go away and then almost agreed to have lunch with the man – it didn’t make sense. Ever since she met him this morning he’d turned her life upside down. Maggie didn’t do leaning on other people or opening up, both of which she’d done with a recklessness
way beyond her understanding. He was leaving in a few days and a brief fling definitely wasn’t on her agenda. She’d never been one for blink-and-you-miss-it relationships and still regretted the one night she’d succumbed as a teenager because she’d hated being considered odd and a prude. Maggie had promised herself the next time would be with a man she truly loved.

  ‘Is Romeo gone?’ Emily’s voice drifted downstairs.

  Maggie fought against sighing out loud at the sight of ashen-faced Emily wearing a voluminous white nightdress, and with her flowing blonde hair rippling around her shoulders. Presumably tonight her sister was channelling her inner Cathy pining over Heathcliff. At least it was calmer than the Lady Macbeth route.

  ‘Chad has left, if that’s what you mean.’

  ‘I suppose you told him all about your useless sister?’ Emily persisted, coming down to join her in the hall. ‘I wouldn’t blame you.’

  Wouldn’t you? You normally do. ‘I didn’t say much.’ She chose her words with care because the last thing she needed was to set Emily off again.

  ‘I don’t suppose Jonathan called?’

  Maggie shook her head.

  ‘I didn’t think so.’

  ‘Do you want a cup of tea?’

  Emily gave a hollow laugh. ‘Tea? No, Maggie, tea isn’t going to cure what’s wrong this time.’ She slapped a hand in front of her mouth and hurried away down the hall to run into the guest toilet. The unmistakeable sound of retching coming from behind the half-closed door made Maggie wince. No lunch date tomorrow.

  Maggie returned to the kitchen and made a fresh pot of tea.

  ‘You can pour me one too and I’ll see if I can keep it down,’ Emily muttered, coming to join her.

  ‘He’s not worth making yourself ill over, he really isn’t. I know you had your plans all made, but …’

  ‘You don’t get it do you?’ She flung herself into the nearest chair. ‘I’m pregnant, you idiot.’ Emily burst into loud, wracking sobs.

  Maggie crossed the room and bent down to wrap her arms around her sister’s thin shoulders. How was she going to cope with this on top of everything else? Today’s brief dream of Chad and the possibilities he dangled in front of her shattered into a million tiny pieces. ‘It’ll be okay. We’ll manage.’ She struggled to reassure herself as much as Emily. ‘Does Jonathan know?’