by Tami Lund
“What do you want to do with me?”
She glanced over her shoulder at the twisted sheets. When she turned back to face him, he was scowling.
“Not happening. This was obviously a mistake.” He swiped a hand over his face. “I think it’s time to drop the benefits package of our friendship.”
“What? No. I want…”
“What I want is more than you’re willing to give,” Kyle snapped. “Now, I’m going to shower and get dressed. You decide how you want to handle the family. I’ll go along with whatever you want to do, but that”—he pointed at the bed—“isn’t happening again.”
He stepped into the bathroom and closed the door. Madison fell back against the sheets and stared at the ceiling fan, steadily rotating above her.
What the hell was she supposed to do now?
Chapter Fourteen
Had he overreacted?
No.
He had watched the war play out on her face. She wasn’t ready for a relationship. He’d worried about it before and now he believed it: she’d probably never be ready.
She was going to spend the rest of her days trying to make her life perfect, convincing herself she had plenty of time, sometime in the distant future, to enjoy the fruits of her labor. Which meant she’d never actually get to the enjoyment part.
He couldn’t wait around any longer, especially now. They’d crossed that line, become more than friends; even more than friends with benefits, and he’d foolishly believed it meant the same to her as it did to him.
When he was done with his shower, he knocked on her door, called out that the bathroom was hers, and then strode through into his own room, pulling the door firmly shut behind him.
They should be leaving for the wedding rehearsal in about forty minutes. If this morning had played out differently, he would have gone downstairs and poured Madison a coffee, bringing it back up to her without being asked. Pushing away the twinge of guilt, he headed down to grab his own cup.
Would they be able to simply go back to the way things were? In retrospect, he’d had a crush on her for longer than he initially realized, so why not? It would suck for him, of course, but he’d carry on. What the hell else was he supposed to do?
He didn’t want to think about it. Not today. Instead, he planned to focus on his brother’s upcoming wedding. He’d do his part during the rehearsal, participate in the brunch, and take off with the guys to go golfing. By the time they returned, they’d probably be plenty tipsy and would end up sitting around the firepit out by the canal. Or, hell, they might even go down to the beach and have a bonfire. Either way, he figured it would be easy enough to avoid being alone with Madison, if not outright avoid her altogether.
“You don’t seem very cheery,” Grandma Bryant commented, stepping up next to him with her empty coffee mug.
He filled hers before filling his own. “Just tired.”
She sipped and gazed at him over the rim. “You’re leaving that one wide open for me to razz you, but something tells me that’s not it, so I can’t.”
“That would be a first.”
She patted his hand. “I can be serious when it’s warranted. Now, tell your grandma what’s wrong so I can kiss your booboo and make it all better.”
He was half afraid that if he told her he had a broken heart, she’d lean over and kiss his chest. Grandma had always taken the idea of kisses on their scrapes and bruises as a cure-all very seriously.
“I’m pretty sure time is the only thing that will make this better. But don’t worry about me. I’ll be all right. I’d rather focus on Tommy and Camila today.”
“And I’d rather all my grandchildren are happy.”
Movement caught his eye, and he glanced at the doorway, where Madison hesitated. Her hair was wrapped in a terrycloth turban, and she had on a pair of boxers and a T-shirt. She twisted her hands in the hem of her shirt.
“I, um, just wanted to grab a coffee.”
“Ah,” Grandma Bryant said. “I see.” She slipped out to the screened in porch, leaving them momentarily—it was only ever momentary with this crowd—alone.
Kyle took a couple of steps away and indicated the coffeepot.
“Thanks,” Madison said, moving forward without looking at him.
“So how do you want to handle this?”
Her hand jerked and she spilled coffee onto the counter. Cursing softly, she wiped it up with a washcloth from the sink and then filled her mug.
“The fake engagement,” he clarified. “What do you want to tell everyone?”
She added creamer to her cup and took a sip. “I guess we need to tell them the truth. I just hate for this to interfere with the wedding.”
“Me too.” But he couldn’t carry on with the ruse, not now. “I’ll tell Grandma Bryant and ask her to be cool about it. Hopefully, she’ll listen.”
A faint smile touched Madison’s lips. She was probably trying to imagine Grandma Bryant being cool about the fact that they were not actually engaged. “I’ll break it to my mother, and let her tell my dad. I’m sure Grandma Bryant will tell the rest of the grandparents.”
“That just leaves Elliot.”
She dropped her gaze to her mug. “I should—”
“I’ll tell him.”
She nodded, clearly relieved. “Thanks.”
Camila stepped into the room, crossed her arms, and jutted her chin, a frown on her lips. Her dark hair was styled with a braid that wrapped around her head and twisted into a bun. Loose tendrils brushed her shoulders, which were bare.
She wore a knee-length, off-the-shoulder dress and brown sandals.
“You look really nice, Camila,” Kyle said.
She lifted her chin, which was apparently acknowledgement to his compliment, and spoke to Madison. “Maecie’s ready to do your hair.”
“Thanks,” Madison said, and scurried out of the room.
Kyle started to follow, not necessarily to go upstairs, but Camila was obviously not pleased with either one of them, and he figured she’d rather he not be in the same room. Except she grabbed his arm and halted his progress.
“I don’t know what sort of game you and Maddy are playing, but I would really appreciate it if you stopped. At least until after the wedding.”
She was right. This trip was supposed to be about their wedding, not some stupid fantasy that he should have realized could never come to fruition. Now, instead of enjoying the game, he and Madison’s little charade had the potential to disrupt what otherwise would likely be a perfect day for Tommy and Camila.
He raked his hand through his hair. “I’m sorry. We’ll…we’ll stop.”
She let her arms drop to her sides. “Good.” And then she hesitated, opening and closing her mouth several times before saying, “Look, Maddy isn’t ready. Whatever you want to happen between you, she’s not there yet.”
Yeah, didn’t he know it.
***
They met the wedding planner on the beach. She’d selected an area surrounded on three sides by scrub bushes and short trees, with the ocean crashing onto the beach behind what would be the altar. Because the wedding was to be held on a Wednesday morning in February, she expected them to have this stretch of sand and water to themselves.
Kyle pointed out the mass of roiling, dark clouds heading their way from out over the ocean, but Maude, the wedding planner, lifted her chin confidently. “We’ll be done and you’ll be enjoying cocktails at brunch before it gets here.”
Kyle pegged her to be in her sixties, with bleached blond hair and lots of turquoise jewelry. She greeted everyone with an air kiss and a hug. Tommy and Camila got a double hug, then she grasped their hands and told them how proud she was, and Kyle wondered if she was about to start crying.
Maude positioned Tommy facing the water that was clawing angrily at the beach ahead of the storm heading their way. “There’ll be an altar here tomorrow,” she explained. “It’s made of twigs and flowers and ribbons. The florist you chose really does a
mazing work.” She gave him an expectant look. “So, which one is the best man?”
Tommy waved at his brothers, all standing together, off to the side. “I kind of want all three of them.”
“They can all stand up with you, of course,” Maude said. “But you have to choose one to be the best man.”
“I can’t.”
“Well, we know who he shouldn’t choose,” Elliot muttered.
Kyle rolled his eyes. “Who? You?”
Elliot snorted. “Yeah, right. I’m not the one who cheated on my brother.”
Kyle turned to fully face him. The wind tossed a spray of sand into his face, and he swatted the grainy particles away impatiently. “Excuse me?”
Elliot gave him a contemptuous look. “Did I stutter?”
“Nope.” Kyle shook his head slowly. “I’m just trying to figure out what the hell you’re talking about.”
“Pardon me,” Maude called out. “This is their day, not yours. Can we carry on now?”
“Sorry,” Kyle said, deliberately turning away from Elliot.
“You,” Maude said, striding over and grabbing Philip by the arm. “You’re the quietest one.” She led him over to Tommy and positioned him behind and slightly to the right of the groom.
“Now, you two,” Maude said, her skirt whipping around her legs as she waved at Kyle and Elliot. “If you think you can keep your mouths closed and let us carry on with this rehearsal so that we truly can finish before that storm rolls in, I’d like you to stand here behind him.” She nodded at Philip, who coughed, which was obviously fake.
The next hiccup came when the wedding planner realized Camila had just two attendants on her side. “But it’s lopsided,” she complained.
“We decided to invite only family,” Camila explained to the woman. The wind had gotten ahold of her hair and tugged strands out of her braid. She pushed the dark tangles away from her face. “Otherwise, it would have been a zoo.”
“Why would it be a zoo?” Maude demanded. “I run a tight ship; I could have managed one more bridesmaid.”
Camila shook her head and waved at the groom. “He’s famous. Trust me, it’s better this way.”
“Ah,” Maude said, nodding as if it all suddenly made sense, and she became all business again. “Let’s get you back here so that you and your maid of honor can walk down the aisle.” She bustled the two women up the beach, away from the water.
Kyle watched them walk away. Well, he watched Madison. Maecie had twisted her hair into a loose braid that draped over her shoulder, and she wore a bright pink dress with spaghetti straps. That hip sway of hers made him recall every vivid detail from last night, and he felt a twinge of regret that he’d decided it wouldn’t happen again.
But it was for the best. If they carried on, eventually, he’d end up just like Elliot. Heartbroken and bitter and unable to get away from the damn woman.
This was definitely for the best.
Which was hard to remember as he watched her hold a bouquet made from multicolored ribbons that danced in the wind, and slowly make her way down the aisle ahead of the bride. Madison kept a tiny smile on her lips and avoided looking at him, but that didn’t matter. He still envisioned her walking down an aisle in a big, white dress.
With him as the groom, waiting at the altar.
He swiped his hand over his face, as if he could somehow erase the image.
“Feeling guilty?” Elliot whispered from behind him.
Kyle glanced over his shoulder. Elliot stared back, stone- faced. Shaking his head, Kyle turned back around.
“Weddings tend to do that to cheaters,” Elliot whispered.
Kyle fully turned around to glare at his brother. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“Boys,” Maude chastised, “we are in the middle of a wedding here. Not to mention the time constraint as a result of that cloud heading our way.”
“Technically, it’s just the rehearsal,” Elliot drawled, “so the real guilt will probably hit tomorrow.”
“Pardon me,” Maude said, but Kyle ignored her. He was sick of his brother’s obnoxiousness.
“Why should I feel guilty? What the hell do you think I did wrong?”
Elliot lifted his brows. “You don’t think cheating is wrong?”
“What does cheating have to do with anything? Who cheated? And on whom?”
Elliot stabbed his finger into Kyle’s chest. “You cheated. On your own brother, you asshole.”
Kyle’s gaze immediately went to Madison. She was standing slightly to the left of the pretend-altar, directly across from Philip, who, until that moment, had been diligently trying to ignore his squabbling brothers. Probably something he’d perfected from years of living in a household with four boys.
But those words drew the entire crowd’s attention.
Kyle clenched his fists and narrowed his eyes at his brother. “What the hell are you talking about?”
Camila had been about to walk down the aisle on Kyle’s dad’s arm, since her dad had, for some reason, decided not to attend the rehearsal. They paused at the last row of chairs, where the grandparents all sat, avidly watching the exchange. Maude came bustling toward Kyle and Elliot.
“Excuse me,” she said. “This is a wedding rehearsal. Do you know what you are supposed to do during a wedding rehearsal?”
Kyle eyed her for a moment before shaking his head.
“You’re supposed to do exactly what I tell you to do,” she said. “And I’m telling you both to shut up.”
Somebody snickered. Tommy slapped his hand over his mouth, his eyes dancing with mirth. Deanna called out, “Do I need to send you both to your rooms?”
There were more titters and chuckles. Even Camila was biting back a smile.
The only ones not smiling were Kyle and Elliot.
“No,” Kyle finally said. “We need to do this first. I’m pretty sure Elliot is accusing me of cheating, and that’s damned offensive. Not to mention, I don’t know what the hell he’s talking about. I would never cheat on Madison.”
“I didn’t say you cheated on her, I said you cheated with her. On me.” Elliot stabbed his thumb at himself.
Kyle lifted his gaze to Madison again. She stared at the two of them like…well, he had no idea what she was thinking at the moment. Was she horrified on her sister’s behalf that Kyle and Elliot were probably ruining the rehearsal? Or was she just as confused as Kyle was by these accusations?
“We never cheated on you. The two of you broke up almost a year ago.”
“Nine months,” Elliot corrected. “And now you’re engaged to Maddy. There’s no way you’d be engaged already if you hadn’t been hooking up while we were still together. Hell, it’s probably your fault we broke up.”
“How the hell did I miss this engagement?” Camila mused.
“I’m pretty sure I’m going to ask Maecie to marry me before we hit nine months of dating,” Philip said, which earned him a gasp from his girlfriend.
“We are here for a wedding, not to discuss other people’s relationships,” Maude said, but no one was paying her any mind.
Madison hurried over to the arguing brothers and touched Elliot’s sleeve. “Kyle had nothing to do with our breakup. I hadn’t talked to him in months before it happened. And, honestly, we didn’t even start hanging out until afterward.”
“I didn’t sleep with your girlfriend, man,” Kyle added. “I would never do that to one of my brothers. Or anyone, frankly.”
“And I wouldn’t have cheated on you either, no matter how bad our relationship was at the end,” Madison said, and then she softened her voice. “Elliot, we broke up because we weren’t good together. Neither of us was happy. It just wasn’t going to work.”
“Because you were in love with him,” Elliot said sullenly. “Because I’m not good enough.”
Madison glanced at Kyle from under her lashes before shaking her head and focusing on Elliot. “It has nothing to do with you being good enough. It was just
you and I together, we weren’t a good fit.” She squeezed his arm. “Your happily ever after is out there, somewhere.”
Elliot brushed her off. “Yeah, along with my career, I suppose.”
Sounded like Elliot had issues that went well beyond his failed relationship with Madison. While they certainly needed to be addressed, Kyle was honestly relieved he wasn’t still hoping he and Madison would get back together.
Because, as Kyle could attest, she wasn’t ready to be with anyone, not even him.
Madison started talking again. “I hardly knew Kyle back when you and I were having all our problems. We didn’t grow close until last summer. Months after the breakup.”
“Besides,” Kyle said, wanting to make his brother feel better, “the engagement is fake.”
Madison rounded on him. “Hey! We were supposed to announce it far more subtly than this.”
“It didn’t look fake when I saw the two of you naked in bed together this morning,” Grandma Bryant called out.
Elliot glowered at Kyle. “So you are sleeping together.”
Kyle threw up his arms. Apparently, that little announcement wasn’t making him feel better. “It just happened. A couple days ago, I swear.”
Elliot drew his arm back and then swung, his fist clipping Kyle on the chin. Kyle stumbled backward and fell on his ass in the sand. A clap of thunder reverberated around them as Madison shoved Elliot away and dropped to her knees next to Kyle’s hip.
“Are you okay?”
He pushed up onto one elbow and rubbed his jaw, giving Elliot a wary look over Madison’s shoulder. “Do you feel better now?” he asked.
Elliot stood next to Madison, glaring down at him. After a few seconds, he reached out his hand. Kyle grasped it, and his brother pulled him to his feet.
And then they hugged, clapping each other on the back.
“Yeah,” Elliot said. “I do.”
Chapter Fifteen
Kyle released Elliot, shaking his head. “Good. Don’t ever accuse me of something like that again, got it?”
“Yep.” Elliot nodded and then walked over to stand near Philip.
