An attractive, very pregnant woman walked over to him. She smiled.
“It’s all right,” she said in a soothing voice. “Just breathe. The panic will fade and you’ll feel better.”
Her expression was teasing, her blue eyes bright with amusement. When he managed to keep from bolting, she glanced over her shoulder.
“Abby, I’m guessing your friend is here. You need to come reassure him. The store has a chilling effect on most men and he’s no exception.”
Abby appeared from around a corner. She smiled and hurried toward him.
“Girlie overload?” she asked, linking arms with him. “I should have warned you what to expect.”
“I’m not sure a warning would have helped,” he admitted. “I’ve never been in a store like this before.”
“And you probably never will be again.” She smiled at the other woman. “Madeline, this is Joaquin Kincaid. His brother, Davis, is the groom. Joaquin, this is Madeline Blaze.” She lowered her voice. “Okay, I don’t usually say this, but you’re going to be family, so it’s okay. Madeline’s married to Jonny Blaze.”
Joaquin was far more interested in the feel of Abby snuggling up to him than who Madeline might be married to. He smiled politely.
“Nice to meet you.”
Abby grinned. “I told you.”
Madeline looked surprised. “You don’t like action movies?” she asked, sounding puzzled.
Movies? What did they have to do with anything? “I don’t have much free time, and when I do, I prefer to read.”
Abby sighed. “This is why I’m crazy about him. I can’t help it. He’s perfect.”
He told himself she was teasing. That she was having fun with a friend. Regardless, her words hit him with the subtlety of an eighteen-wheeler, leaving him shattered on the side of the road.
Crazy about him? Did she mean it? Was she really? And could she possibly think he was perfect? He, who was so much more flawed than most with his awkward conversation and inability to function in normal society?
“You were right,” Madeline said, smiling at Joaquin. “My husband is an action movie star. I don’t usually talk about him but Abby insisted you wouldn’t be impressed.”
“I’m sure he’s very good at his job,” Joaquin said, not wanting to offend Abby’s friend.
Abby leaned her head against his shoulder. “You haven’t insulted her. Don’t worry. You’re refreshing.” She took his hand and tugged him along toward the back of the store. “Come on. I need to try on my dress one more time. I told Madeline you get to sit in the comfy chair.”
He found himself in a large open area with a dais and a huge mirror. There were several plush wingback chairs, small tables, magazines, boxes of tissues and a fancy tea set. Once again he had the sense of stepping into a world where he did not belong.
Abby pointed to the largest of the chairs. “I’ll be right back.”
Joaquin took a seat. Madeline hadn’t followed them so he was saved from having to make small talk. He looked around, trying to get his bearings, then picked up one of the magazines. There was a woman in a bridal dress on the cover. He flipped through the pages and saw dozens of women in different styles of wedding gowns, along with ads for everything from invitations to dishes to rings. There were more pictures of brides, along with other women dressed like bridesmaids. In the back of the magazine were photos of honeymoon destinations.
Apparently this getting married thing was an entire industry, he thought in amazement. Given the polished nature of the magazine and the existence of the bridal dress store, it must be a large segment of the economy, worth billions of dollars. He’d had no idea.
He went through the magazine again, studying the dresses more closely. He started to see differences in the styles, although the predominant color was white. He saw a few pages devoted to a specific wedding—with details on how the tables were decorated and what flowers were in the bouquet. There—
“Ahem!”
He looked up and saw Abby walking back into the waiting area. Without thinking he let the magazine fall to the floor as he stood and stared.
She was incredible. The dress was long and beautiful, leaving her shoulders bare except for skinny straps. The top part was pleated somehow, only softer, and there was some wisp of fabric draped across her upper arms. The color was the palest of pinks, which could have clashed with her coloring but somehow didn’t.
She bit her lower lip and blinked several times. “Wow. If we ever have a fight and I’m really mad at you, just look at me like that and I’ll forgive you in a hot second.”
“How am I looking at you?”
“Like she’s the only woman in the world,” Madeline said, walking toward them. “Abby, you’re stunning. Now let’s see if we need to do any more alterations. Although from what I can see, the dress fits perfectly.”
Abby stepped up on the dais and faced the mirror. Madeline joined her, tugging and pulling, checking the fit. Joaquin couldn’t look away, couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Feelings swelled up inside of him. Unfamiliar feelings he couldn’t name but that seemed as if they could change him forever.
He wanted this, he thought. He might have come to Fool’s Gold for the fellowship, but now that seemed secondary to his relationship with Abby. He glanced at the magazine, then back at her and realized he wanted to see her in more than a bridesmaid dress. He wanted to see her in a white wedding gown, carrying flowers, walking toward him down a long aisle. He wanted to be with her always, to do all the things they talked about—love and cherish, no matter what.
She was everything he hadn’t known he was looking for. He’d come to Fool’s Gold to further his career, but instead he’d found something far more important—the missing piece of his heart.
He knew it was too soon, that they’d just met and that there was no way in hell he deserved her. But in that moment, he was certain this was why he’d come to Fool’s Gold. To meet her and know what was possible.
* * *
“I THINK WE’RE READY,” Liz said, surveying the backyard.
Abby looked around and nodded. “We are. I’ll go double-check that the downstairs bathrooms have plenty of supplies.”
The big family barbecue the Thursday evening before the wedding had grown in scope, much like the wedding itself. Not anyone’s fault, Abby thought as she looked in on both powder rooms along with the full bath by her dad’s study.
There were plenty of towels and soap and everything was clean and tidy. She made a mental note to pop in about halfway through the evening, just to make sure all was well.
They were expecting a crowd. Melissa and Davis, of course. Abby, Joaquin, Davis’s parents. All six Hendrix siblings, their spouses and kids, Grandma Denise and Grandpa Max. Rather than a fancy dinner at a restaurant, Melissa had asked for something easy and casual. Liz had arranged for tables to be set up in the backyard. She’d hired Ana Raquel to do the cooking. Instead of a bar, there was self-serve wine, a couple of kegs of beer and a metal tub filled with sodas on ice. Dessert was cupcakes stacked in the shape of a wedding cake. Ethan had set up Bluetooth speakers around the backyard and Davis had chosen the playlist.
Right at six, people started arriving. Abby hovered by the door, as much to greet her family as to wait for Joaquin. She hadn’t seen him all day, which shouldn’t be a big deal but it felt as if it had been weeks since she’d seen him smile at her. She also wanted to make sure she was nearby when he arrived because she knew the crowd of relatives would be a little stressful for him and she planned to run interference.
She greeted Molly and Gary Kincaid. They were both nice people—he was a dentist and she ran a daycare facility in Gardenia, California. They hugged Abby, then made their way to the backyard. Abby was just about to text Joaquin when she saw him walking up to the house.
She raced out front. He opened his arms and she th
rew herself against him, even as he pulled her close. When he kissed her, she felt the tingles all the way down to her toes.
“It’s been forever,” she complained. “How did we go the whole day without seeing each other?”
“I don’t know, but let’s make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
She thought of his practice back in Los Angeles and how her life was here. “But it’s going to, isn’t it?” she said before she could stop herself. “Once the wedding is over, you’ll go home. This is only a vacation.”
His mouth straightened. “I want to talk to you about that. I’d like it to be more. Abby, being with you has been—”
“Hey, you two,” Uncle Finn said, walking toward them. “Take it inside. You’ll shock the neighborhood.”
Aunt Dakota followed, Hannah and Jordan Taylor at her heels. “Finn, leave them be. They’re young and in love. It’s nice.”
In love? In love! What was with everyone? Abby tried to process the comment even as she hugged her relatives and introduced Joaquin.
“The mysterious but gifted doctor,” Dakota teased. “Nice to meet you at last. It’s good to know you have such excellent taste in women.”
Joaquin grinned. “It’s one of my best qualities.”
They all went inside. Abby told herself to put all thoughts of the L word out of her mind for now. She had a party to get through and she didn’t want to be distracted and not enjoy it. From what she could tell, Joaquin was as interested in her as she was in him. Yes, he had things he wanted to tell her, but they could figure out the logistics. They could visit on weekends and there were her long breaks at the holidays and over the summer. It could work.
Melissa and Davis arrived to cheers. Abby took Joaquin around and introduced him to everyone. When he seemed to tense up around so many people, she stayed close, linking her fingers with his. He smiled gratefully as he rubbed his thumb against the back of her hand. Over the next hour or so, he began to relax.
When her mom announced dinner would be starting in ten minutes, Abby headed toward the tables. She wanted a couple of seats near the back where they would be out of the limelight. Not only did she want the night to be all about her sister and Davis, she knew that plan would make things easier for Joaquin.
She’d just chosen their chairs when Uncle Simon walked over. He gave her a quick hug before turning to Joaquin.
“Did you tell her?”
Joaquin stiffened. “You said I had until the wedding.”
Although Abby had no idea what they were talking about, she suddenly felt cold and her stomach knotted. What were they talking about?
“You had over two weeks,” Simon said. “There was no reason to wait.” Simon turned to her. “Abby, let me start by reminding you that I love you very much.”
She didn’t know what he was going to say, but there was no way she wanted to hear it. She nearly put her hands over her ears and demanded that he stop talking. Only something in her gut warned her that would be a mistake. That one of the things she knew for sure was that her uncle adored her and would never hurt her. Never do anything that wasn’t in her best interest.
She glanced at Joaquin, who looked as if he wanted to speak, only he didn’t. When their gazes locked, she read worry and something she couldn’t define in his eyes. Guilt? Fear? Whatever it was, it wasn’t good.
Simon touched her shoulder. “I’m sorry. I told Joaquin to tell you or I would. Apparently he didn’t believe me.”
“It’s not that,” Joaquin began.
Simon silenced him with a shake of his head. “You had plenty of time. Abby, Joaquin isn’t here for the wedding. He came to Fool’s Gold to meet me and talk to me about the fellowship I run. He applied a few months ago and didn’t get past the first screening interview. He thought if we established a personal relationship, I would reconsider accepting him into the program.”
Abby took a step back and stared at them both. There was no way to make her uncle’s words other than what they were—a stark explanation about a situation that had never fully made sense.
She turned to Joaquin. “You used me to get to my uncle?”
“It started out that way, yes. My career is important to me, Abby. You know that. I lost a patient because of her burns. There was nothing I could do and I hated being helpless. I wanted to be a better surgeon, so I applied and was turned down. When I found out about the wedding being here, I decided to see if I could get to know Simon.”
Her entire body went cold as the truth settled over her. “So it was a lie. All of it.”
“No.” He moved toward her, stopping a few feet in front of her. “No, it wasn’t. Everything changed when I met you. Everything. You captured my attention and my feelings. I’ve liked everything we’ve done together. I’ve never known anyone like you, Abby. I didn’t want to say anything about why I’d come here because I didn’t want to destroy what we had. It’s important to me. You’re important to me.”
She wanted to say nothing made sense, only it did. She’d been busy falling in love and he’d been taking advantage of her. He’d been playing a game. No, he’d been playing her.
“You used me to get to my family. You pretended to care. You tricked me.” Tears burned, but she blinked them away. “Was any of it real?”
“Of course it was.” He reached for her. “Abby, please. I don’t want to lose you.”
She pulled away. “What else are you going to say?” she asked bitterly.
She turned to run toward the house, only to remember where she was. This was a party to celebrate her sister’s wedding. All their family was here. She couldn’t make a scene. She couldn’t scream or cry or run—not without ruining the night for her sister.
She looked at Joaquin. “Don’t say a word. I don’t want Melissa or Davis to know anything is wrong.” She felt her mouth twist. “Not that keeping quiet will be hard for you. It’s something you’re really good at.”
With that she walked toward her mother. When she reached Liz, she leaned in and whispered. “I think my period just got here early,” she lied. “I’m going to head up to my room for a few minutes to check and maybe take something for the cramping.”
Her mother smiled at her. “Of course. Should we hold dinner?”
Abby shook her head. “I won’t be long. I just need a second. Go ahead with the meal service. I’ll be right back.”
She started for the house, careful to not run and to keep smiling. She greeted people who noticed her, doing her best to act normal. When she finally reached her room, she sat on the edge of the bed and covered her face with her hands.
She’d been a fool. For the first time in her life, she’d given her heart to a man only to discover everything about their relationship was a fraud. Just as bad, she had to get through the next two days without anyone finding out what had happened. Saturday was Melissa’s special day. No matter what, Abby was going to do everything she could to make it perfect. Even if that meant lying to her entire family.
CHAPTER EIGHT
WHEN JOAQUIN HAD been eight years old, and home for the weekend from his boarding school, he’d overheard his parents talking about him. He remembered his mother speaking through her tears that while she loved her son, she was also afraid of him.
“It’s like he’s a different species,” she’d admitted. “I never feel completely safe around him.”
He hadn’t known what she meant or how to fix the problem but he’d instinctively understood she didn’t want him anywhere near her. In the end, he’d decided to stay away as much as he could so she wouldn’t be afraid. He’d known that being alone was better for everyone.
But knowing and enduring were two different things. Even though he’d believed he’d made the right decision, he’d cried himself to sleep nearly every night for a year. He’d tried to focus on his studies, telling himself he wasn’t hoping that his parents insist h
e come spend time with them. Not that they ever had. When he’d gone to college at such a young age, he’d seen similar looks of apprehension on some of the other students’ faces. He didn’t know how he could frighten them but he acknowledged that he did.
After he graduated from college, he’d gone home for a long weekend. He’d gathered the courage to ask his mother if she was still afraid of him. Her warm hugs and sobs of regret had been nice, but by then, the wound had run too deep to be healed. Joaquin had known that day nothing would ever hurt more than his parents’ rejection of him.
But he’d been wrong.
Losing Abby was close, but what truly broke him was the realization that he’d hurt her. He’d taken something special and unique and precious and he’d destroyed it with his thoughtless behavior. He had found the very thing he’d been looking for his entire life and he’d destroyed it.
He spent Friday with his brother, helping with the wedding, careful not to let on that anything had changed. Friday night he went to the rehearsal.
He and Abby listened to the instructions and practiced walking out together. He was aware of everything about her—how her eyes were red and how she was so very careful not to ever brush against him.
He tried saying he was sorry, but she curtly told him this wasn’t the time. That they were to get through the wedding without anyone knowing. Then she gave him an artificial smile that had crushed his already shattered heart.
Several of Melissa’s family members had come by to watch the rehearsal. Joaquin saw Simon and wished he could blame the other man for what had happened. Only he knew Simon had simply done the right thing. Joaquin understood all the fault was his own. He’d been the one who had misled Abby from the start. He was the one who had been arrogant, playing with people’s lives for his own end. He might be a gifted surgeon but he was a terrible human being.
As the rehearsal ended, Joaquin moved toward his brother.
“I have an unexpected consult,” he lied. “There’s a complex surgery. I’m going to be on the call for over an hour, so I won’t make it to the dinner. I’m sorry.”
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