by Pamela Bauer
He looked at the truffles next to her plate. “I’ve never known you to pass on chocolate.”
Normally she didn’t, but she knew that inside the chocolate confections was a boysenberry cream that killed any temptation she might have had. “There’s a first for everything, I guess,” she said with a weak smile. “Would you like them?”
He grinned. “It would be a shame to let them go to waste.”
She shoved the plate in his direction. “Enjoy.”
“Thanks.” Before he could eat them, his five-year-old nephew went running past. Garret reached out to slow him down, grabbing him around his waist and lifting him onto his knee.
“Hey there, Mickey! Whatcha got, buddy?”
“Trucks,” he said, proudly displaying two Hot Wheels cars in his hand. One was a red pickup and the other was a yellow dump truck.
“Hey, they’re pretty cool,” Garret said.
“Do you like trucks?” he asked his uncle.
“I sure do. Can I try it?”
Mickey handed him the red pickup and Garret set it on the white linen tablecloth, moving it around his plate and glass and making zooming noises.
Mickey followed his example, pushing the tiny dump truck with his small fingers.
“We need to make a parking garage.” Garret told him, then took his napkin and draped it over his water glass. He then pushed the red pickup under it.
More zooming sounds came out of Mickey’s lips as he wheeled his tiny truck around the plate and under the linen tent. Then he spotted the uneaten truffles and reached for one. Garret’s hand stopped his.
“Let’s ask your mom first,” he said, then glanced across the table at Jennifer Donovan for approval. “Do you care if Mickey eats another chocolate?”
“No, but he’s going to make a mess of your clothes. Why don’t you send him back over here,” she answered, motioning to the chair next to hers.
“No, I want to sit by Uncle Garret,” Mickey protested.
“He’s okay,” Garret said.
“He’s pretty messy when it comes to eating chocolate,” Jennifer warned.
“I don’t mind.” He gave his nephew the candy.
As his mother predicted, Mickey soon had chocolate on his hands and face. Krystal watched Garret take the napkin from the water goblet and wipe the boy’s cheeks. The five-year-old protested, but only because he was using the makeshift garage to do the job.
“Uncle Garret! What about our cars?” he shrieked.
Krystal offered him her napkin. “Use mine. I’m finished eating.” She watched the two of them play with the miniature trucks, noticing how patient Garret was with the young boy as they made roads using the silverware.
Gradually the dinner party began to break up. Guests left the table and began mingling and Mickey was sent back over to his parents.
Krystal thought about the scene she’d just witnessed. She’d always known Garret thought highly of family. All of Leonie’s sons did. Only now she realized how important that was. In five years time it could be her son sitting on his knee.
When he flipped a penny on to her plate, she gave him a puzzled look. He said, “That’s for your thoughts. You looked lost in them. I figured they must be good.”
She didn’t want to tell him that she’d been thinking he’d make a good father so she said, “You’re really good with kids. You should be a pediatrician.”
“I’ve thought about it, but I like family practice,” he told her.
Dylan came over to stand beside him. “Hey, I have a question for you, little brother. It’s about Maddie’s pregnancy.”
Krystal knew that was her cue to leave. She excused herself and joined Maddie and Leonie, who were discussing the plan for the morning. While they talked, her glance kept straying to the two brothers she’d just left.
As they stood next to each other it was easy to see the similarities. They had the same strong jaw with a hint of five-o’clock shadow, the same cheeks that dimpled when they smiled and the same brown eyes that held just a hint of mischief. Dylan’s were less serious looking than Garret’s, but they could play the same kind of havoc with a woman’s heartbeat. She wasn’t sure why she’d always thought Dylan was the best-looking of the four Donovan brothers. Garret wasn’t hot in the sense that his brother was, but he had something that set him apart from the others.
He wasn’t as broad in the shoulders as Dylan, but he was just as tall. Dylan definitely had more bulk to his frame, but Krystal knew that beneath Garret’s loose-fitting jacket and slacks was a firm body. Heat spread through her as she remembered what he’d looked like lying next to her in bed, naked.
Until that night she’d always thought of him as being reserved and had expected that when he took a woman to bed for the first time he’d be a bit shy. But there had been nothing inhibited about his actions that night. Once she’d made it clear to him that she wanted him, he’d made love to her with an intensity that had had her begging for more. He’d been strong yet tender. In control yet unselfish. She had felt a sense of empowerment that she could unleash such passion in a man.
Just thinking about it made her tremble inside. Never had any man made her feel so desirable. “You don’t know how long I’ve wanted to do this,” he’d said, then called her a fantasy come true.
A fantasy. It was the one word that had ironically brought her back to reality. Maddie used to tell her she thought Garret had a crush on her, but she’d never paid any attention. She’d been too busy looking for love elsewhere.
Love. If only what she and Garret had shared had been love. It had felt so good and so right to be in his arms, yet she knew that they’d been together for the wrong reasons. She’d pretended he loved her in order to ease the pain of Roy’s betrayal. He’d had a chance to make a fantasy a reality and hadn’t passed on it.
They’d both agreed it had been a mistake. They’d parted and gone their separate ways, unable to return to what they once had—friendship. As she stood staring at him, she wondered if he ever thought about that night.
As if he could read her mind, he glanced at her. For one brief moment she thought she saw a glimpse of the man who had gazed so lovingly at her that night in May.
“Krystal, what do you think?” Maddie’s voice broke into her thoughts and forced her to pull her eyes away from Garret’s.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t hear what you said.”
“Quinn wants to take all of the wedding party to the reception. Leonie and I think just the two of them should ride in the limo.”
“I agree with you. They ought to be alone,” she answered.
“Of course they should,” Leonie seconded. “I can ride with Shane and Jennifer and this way Krystal can go with you and Dylan,” she said to her daughter-in-law.
“Why can’t you ride with us?” Krystal wanted to know.
“Our rental car only holds five,” Maddie explained. “Garret’s coming with us, too.”
“And Samantha,” Leonie added.
Samantha. So he was bringing her to the wedding. Krystal quickly masked her disappointment, not wanting either Leonie or Maddie to see it.
“Why doesn’t Leonie ride with you and I’ll drive myself,” she suggested brightly as if nothing was wrong.
“You are not driving yourself,” Maddie insisted.
“While you two figure it out, I’m going to check on something,” Leonie said, then disappeared.
“It’s silly for you to drive alone when you could ride with us,” Maddie said as soon as her mother-in-law was gone.
“And feel like a fifth wheel with you four? No thank you,” Krystal stated in no uncertain terms.
Maddie flung her arm around her shoulder. “You could never be a fifth wheel with us. Besides, I don’t think Samantha is actually Garret’s date. Dena invited her to the wedding. She does live at 14 Valentine Place.”
The last thing Krystal wanted was to be stuck in the back seat of a car with Garret and Samantha. Just thinking about the entire day tom
orrow gave her a headache. With the exception of Sara and Luke, the junior bridesmaid and ring bearer, every other member of the bridal party was a part of a couple. She would be the only odd one out.
To her relief, Maddie said, “We can figure all this out tomorrow. One way or another, we’ll all get to the church and the reception.”
“Yes, we can. And as much fun as this groom’s dinner is, we need to get our bride back to 14 Valentine Place so she can get her beauty rest,” Krystal added.
“Good idea.” Maddie looked in Dylan’s direction. Without saying a word, he came toward her. He’d sensed she wanted to leave and had responded to the single glance she’d given him.
They knew each other so well, so intimately that they didn’t need words to communicate with each other. Krystal wondered if she’d ever have that kind of a relationship with a man.
Her mother’s words echoed in her ears. Do you know how hard it is for a single woman with a child to find a husband?
She couldn’t think about that right now. She wouldn’t think about it, especially not with Garret coming toward her. She glanced around, thinking he might be making his way toward someone else, but there was no one else nearby.
“Are you sure you’re feeling okay?” he asked when he reached her.
She wished his voice didn’t sound so impersonal. She wanted to hear in his voice the same tone she heard in Dylan’s when he asked Maddie if she was feeling all right.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” she replied. He looked uncomfortable and she asked, “Is anything wrong?”
“No.” He rubbed his jaw, then said, “I just want you to know that I’m going to do whatever I can to make sure it won’t be awkward tomorrow…you and I being paired together.”
“Oh, me, too,” she told him, wishing there was no need for them to even be bringing up the subject.
“It shouldn’t be awkward. We’ve been friends for a long time.”
“Yeah, we have,” she agreed with a weak smile.
“Are you bringing a date to the wedding?” he asked.
“No. Are you?” She knew she shouldn’t have asked, but she needed to know if he really was seeing Samantha again.
Krystal never heard his answer, because Dena interrupted them. “Sorry, Garret, but I need this woman,” she said, looping her arm through Krystal’s with an apologetic grin. “The car’s leaving. You two can talk tomorrow.”
Tomorrow. Krystal wished it never had to come.
CHAPTER FIVE
AS PERSONAL ATTENDANT to the bride, Leonie appointed herself in charge of the bridesmaids and made it her duty to insure everyone was on time. She collected each and every one on Saturday morning and took them to the beauty salon, where Krystal had arranged makeup and hair appointments for the bridal party. After a light lunch catered by one of Leonie’s friends, they headed for the church.
“Oh my gosh, it’s hot,” Krystal complained as she stepped out of the air-conditioned car into the bright sunshine.
“Happy is the bride the sun shines on,” Leonie recited cheerfully.
“If that’s true, then Dena is going to be one happy lady,” Maddie noted, shading her eyes with her hand.
“Please tell me the church is air-conditioned,” Krystal said on a moan as she lifted the large garment bag containing her bridesmaid dress from the back of the car.
“It must be. It didn’t feel warm in there last night at rehearsal,” Lisa Bailey remarked.
“No, but yesterday it wasn’t this hot, either.” Krystal could feel perspiration beading on her skin as she slammed the side door shut. “If I don’t get inside soon my makeup is going to melt.”
As they all made their way to the church entrance, Maddie tugged on Krystal’s elbow. “You seem a little on edge. Is everything okay?”
“Don’t worry about me. I’ll be all right,” she answered, although today nothing felt right and she hated pretending it was, especially with Maddie.
When she stopped at a drinking fountain just inside the door, Maddie waited for her while the others went on ahead. “Are you sure you’re okay? You usually love weddings, but if I didn’t know better I’d say you don’t want to be at this one.”
Krystal should have known that Maddie would pick up on her mood. They’d been friends for a long time and not even distance could erase the intuitive bond that existed between them.
“I’m really happy for Dena and Quinn. It’s just that…” She paused, wondering if she should simply be honest and tell her she was feeling lousy because she was pregnant. Then Leonie called out to them from down the hall and she knew couldn’t. Not yet. So she said, “You know how my stomach gets when I’m nervous.” It wasn’t a lie. Anyone who’d lived at 14 Valentine Place knew she often had tummy troubles when she was anxious.
Maddie bought the explanation. “I thought maybe that was why you didn’t come down for breakfast today. I have some antacids in my purse if you think they’ll help.”
“No, it’s all right. I’ll be fine.”
But she wasn’t fine and Leonie noticed a short while later when she helped her hook the clasp on her necklace. “You look a little pale, dear. I know you don’t like to eat when you’re nervous, but you really should have a bite of something,” Leonie advised. “Why don’t you have a piece of fruit?” She motioned to a small insulated cooler she’d packed with beverages and snacks.
Krystal nodded but didn’t act on her suggestion.
Talk turned to the wedding ceremony and Krystal’s queasy stomach was relegated to the same category as Dena’s pacing—accepted as part of the prewedding ritual. Leonie fussed over the bridesmaids, smoothing wrinkles and pinning up errant curls.
Despite taking some of Maddie’s antacid tablets, Krystal continued to have an unsettled stomach. It wasn’t her only complaint. Her feet had swollen, making her specially dyed shoes uncomfortable. She did her best not to let her discomfort show, but Maddie noticed.
“You should have some fruit. It’ll perk you up. Plus, it’s delicious.” She popped a fresh strawberry in her mouth. “I ought to know. I’ve eaten enough of it. You would not believe my appetite with this baby. I barely finish one meal and I’m planning the next.”
Krystal couldn’t imagine feeling that way. Lately she’d had to force herself to eat and then it was only accomplished out of sheer willpower because she knew that in order to have a healthy pregnancy, she needed nutritious foods.
“I thought you said you had morning sickness,” Krystal remarked.
“At first I did. It was awful. Felt sick all day long. But then right before my fifth month…” She snapped her fingers. “Just like that it was gone. I’ve never felt as good as I do now.”
Krystal hoped that meant she was getting close to being over her bout with the malady. Right now she’d give just about anything for it to go away for one day. She wondered if Maddie was right about the fruit and grabbed a small container of sliced cantaloupe from the cooler. To her surprise, it tasted good.
When she’d finished Maddie asked, “Feeling any better?”
“A little,” she told her honestly. She’d learned that the best remedy for a queasy stomach was to lie down, but the bride’s room had no cots or lounges. There were, however, padded bench seats in the hallway.
Telling Maddie she was going to take a walk, she slipped out into the corridor. It was empty, quiet and much cooler than the dressing room. She stretched out on a vinyl padded bench, her feet dangling over one end. With her eyes closed, she practiced a relaxation technique she’d learned at a one-day seminar for working women, letting her focus travel through her body. She was on her hips when a male voice broke her concentration.
“Had a late night, did you?”
She opened her eyes to see Garret standing over her. “Oh! Hi.”
“Hi yourself. I thought maybe I was going to have to kiss you to wake you.”
She knew it was said in a teasing manner for there was a smile on his face, but at that moment it was exactly what she wish
ed he would do. Kiss her. She remembered how good those lips could feel on hers.
She quickly lowered her eyes so he wouldn’t see what she was thinking and said, “I wasn’t sleeping. I was meditating.” She sat up, smoothing down the skirt of her dress. “This waiting can get to be a little nerve-wracking.”
“The girls are jittery, are they?”
“Probably not any more so than the boys,” she retorted. He offered her his hand and she took it. “Thanks.”
“You look—” he paused as his eyes roved over her figure. “—fantastic.”
She couldn’t stop the blush that covered her cheeks. “Thank you.” She looked him over and said with a teasing smile, “You don’t look half bad yourself. Reminds me of the night of the hospital ball.” As soon as she’d said the words, she regretted them. What neither of them needed was a reference to what had happened between them. She tried to make light of it by saying, “We were all dressed up, you in a tux, me in my ‘night on the town’ blue dress.”
She wished they weren’t in a corridor of the church with only minutes before Dena’s wedding, because it could have been an opening for her to tell him the truth about what had happened that night.
Then he said, “We agreed we weren’t going to talk about that night.”
She felt like a fool. “We’re not talking about it. Forget I mentioned it,” she said abruptly, then started back.
“Krystal, wait.” He grabbed her by the arm. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.” He ran a hand over the back of his neck. “God, I hate what that night has done to us.”
Her heart missed a beat. “What do you mean?”
“You know what I mean. We used to be friends.”
She breathed a sigh of relief. For a moment she thought he’d somehow figured out she was pregnant. “We’re still friends. You said we were last night.”
“It doesn’t feel like we are to me. It’s more like we’re acquaintances being pleasant to each other because it’s expected of us.”
She looked away, unsure what she should say. He hadn’t said anything she didn’t feel. Sex had ruined their friendship. She’d heard other women say sleeping with a guy you only regarded as a friend was a mistake. Now she knew for herself how true it was. Maybe some friends could continue on as if nothing had happened. It was obvious she and Garret couldn’t.
