A Fool's Gold Wedding

by Susan Mallery

  His brother slapped him on the back. “We’ll miss you, but I understand. Of course you have to go save a life. I’ll see you first thing in the morning.” Davis grinned. “You’re going to have to deal with my nerves.”

  Joaquin shook his head. “You’ve never been more sure of anything in your life. You won’t be nervous.” He paused. “Melissa’s wonderful. You’re a lucky man.”

  Davis looked surprised. “Thanks. I agree with you.” He leaned his head to the right. “What about Abby? You think she’s pretty special, don’t you?”

  Joaquin allowed himself to look at her. “She’s the most perfect woman I’ve ever met.” With that, he left.

  There was no consult and he sure as hell didn’t want to spend the evening alone, but he knew it would be easier for Abby if he wasn’t around. Twenty-four hours, he told himself. Twenty-four hours and then she wouldn’t have to pretend anymore. She could tell everyone what a jerk he’d been. He would leave town and do his best to avoid seeing her as much as possible.

  He walked back to his hotel. He should have been the one to tell her the truth. He should have been brave. No—he shouldn’t have lied in the first place.

  He’d barely walked into his room when there was a knock on the door. He opened it to find Montana Bradley standing in the hallway. She smiled at him.

  “May I come in?”

  He stepped back without speaking. Despite her smile, he was fairly certain she was there to tell him off. He was fine with that—he deserved it.

  She closed the door behind him, then drew in a breath. “So, how are you feeling?”

  “Like crap.”

  “Interesting. Why? Because you didn’t get your way? Because now Simon will never let you in the program and you wasted all that time?”

  He stared at her. How could she think that? “What? No. Of course I care about the program, but losing that isn’t the problem. I hurt Abby. She is sweet and kind and sexy and all things good and I hurt her. I betrayed her. I let her believe in me when I knew I was using her. She doesn’t deserve that.”

  As he felt an unusual burning sensation in his eyes, he instinctively turned away. He had to clear his throat before speaking.

  “I don’t do well around people. Not in social situations. I’m impatient and rude and dismissive. I think my work matters more than anything. With Abby, everything was different. I was different. It was easy to be normal, to take time to talk and get to know people.” He turned back to Montana. “I’m funny with her. I can make her laugh. I like being with her. I’m in love with her.”

  He held up a hand. “I know it’s only been a couple of weeks, but I’ve never felt like this with anyone before. She is magical and I destroyed her and whatever we could have been. It’s never right to hurt another person, but to hurt someone like Abby is even worse. She’s perfect and I have made her sad and less trusting. I have destroyed a part of her and I will never forgive myself for that.”

  He managed a harsh laugh. “So while I’m sorry about the program, it is really the least of it.”

  Montana studied him. “That’s interesting. Why aren’t you at the dinner?”

  “I thought being that close to me would make it difficult for Abby.” He still had no idea why Montana had stopped by. He drew in a breath. “Please say whatever you want to me. I deserve it.” A horrible thought occurred to him. “Are you here to ask me not to come to the wedding?”

  He thought about Abby in the beautiful dress. To not see her walk down the aisle would be devastating, but if Montana thought it was best...

  “Oh, I think you should be at the wedding.” She pulled her phone from her handbag and began texting. When she was done, she smiled. “I told them.”

  He didn’t understand. “Told who what?”

  “I told my sisters that you get what you did and you’re pretty broken up about it. That’s what I wanted to know. Did you get what you’d done? Did you realize how wrong and incredibly stupid you’d been? You blew it from start to finish but that wouldn’t matter if you didn’t care. But you do. You’re in love with her. I believe you.”

  He had no idea what she was talking about. “What does that mean?”

  She smiled. “It means we’re going to help you. Not because of you but because of Abby. You’re the first guy she’s fallen for. I mean ever. We were going to disembowel you and hide the body because hey, Liz is a mystery writer and she knows about stuff like that, but now that we know you care, we’ll go in another direction. It’s great.”

  He wasn’t sure if she was kidding or not. “You mean there’s a plan?”

  “No, but there will be. We’re going to talk tonight. I’ll be in touch. Don’t do anything stupid between now and then.”

  “I believe I’ve used up my quota for this lifetime.”

  “I hope so, but you’re a guy, so I’m less sure. Try to get some sleep, Joaquin. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  She left, leaving him alone with his thoughts, his guilt and the tiniest sliver of hope. If he could win back Abby, he would do anything. If only he had a clue as to what that might be.

  * * *

  SATURDAY MORNING ABBY stared at herself in the mirror. The sleepless nights were starting to show. She knew she was lucky she was only twenty-two so she could hide the dark circles with some concealer. If she was much older, she wouldn’t be able to pretend all was well. Of course, if she was older, she liked to think she would have been smarter—able to spot liars like Joaquin and avoid them.

  For the eight hundred and twenty-seventh time, she told herself she’d been a fool. She’d been trusting and dumb and had totally fallen for a guy who saw her as little more than a means to an end. She’d thought she was grandma’s secret guacamole recipe when in fact she was little more than an off-brand chip. She was disposable—at least in Joaquin’s life.

  All of which she could handle—she might not have worked through a romantic heartbreak before, but she knew the process. There was anger and hurt and all the stages of grief, not in any particular order, plus sugar and carbs and throwing things and feeling like a failure and, eventually, moving on. She was prepared for all that—what she hadn’t expected was that she would be missing Joaquin so much. Worse, she was worried about him.

  Ridiculous, but there she was—actively concerned about how he was going to get through the wedding. She knew large social crowds made him uncomfortable, and that being with her made him feel better. Not that she wanted him feeling better. She should want him run over by a truck, but instead here she was, hoping he was going to be okay, which made her doubly, triply stupid. Plus the dark circles.

  She threw herself back on her bed and reached for her phone. There hadn’t been any phone calls and only a single text message. She opened it to read it, even though she already knew it by heart.

  I apologize from the bottom of my heart. I was wrong and selfish. I should have told you the truth. I did come here to meet Simon and initially you were a means to an end. But all that changed as I got to know you. I wanted to tell you the truth, but I didn’t want to ruin what was, for me, the most wonderful relationship I’ve ever had. I was afraid, so I acted like a coward. The results are fully justified. My greatest regret is that you are being punished, too. You are the innocent party—you don’t deserve to be the least bit upset and I know you are.

  I know that you are hurt and angry, and I deserve every horrible thing you’re thinking and saying about me. I have no excuse for what I did. If I could take it back, I would. As I can’t, I will only say that you are the most amazing person I’ve ever met. Being with you was a privilege and I will never forget our precious time together.

  Please don’t assume every guy is as much of an asshole as I am. You deserve to be happy, Abby. I’m sorry.

  He’d sent the message yesterday morning. At first she’d refused to read it, but eventually she’d given in. She�
�d spent the rest of the day wondering if it was as good an apology as it seemed to her or if she was simply hoping it was because she couldn’t stop thinking about him.

  Seeing him at the rehearsal had been torture. He’d looked so good and she’d missed him so much. She’d thought maybe they could talk at dinner, but then he’d left and she’d felt stupid all over again, even though she suspected he’d left so she wouldn’t have to deal with him in the first place, which made missing him so confusing.

  “I’m never falling in love again,” she muttered, tossing her phone onto the bed. She sat up. “Not that I’m in love with Joaquin. I’m not. He’s toady and stupid and I hate him.”

  She looked at the clock on the nightstand. She still had a couple of hours before she joined Melissa and their mom for mani-pedis and their hair appointments. Two hours to sulk and feel sorry for herself, knowing it was going to take a long time to get over Joaquin.

  If only he hadn’t been so incredibly right for her, she thought glumly. Smart, but sweet. Funny and kind, and when he kissed her...

  Tears filled her eyes. She blinked them away. The man was not tear-worthy.

  She got up and decided to shower. As she was gathering her clothes together, there was a knock on her bedroom door.

  “Abby, do you have a minute?”

  “Yes.” She let in her mother.

  Liz handed her a mug of coffee, then took a seat at the desk. “Did you sleep at all?”

  Abby sank back on the bed. She didn’t like the sound of that question. It was almost as if her mother—

  Abby groaned. “Let me guess. Simon told Montana, who told the world.”

  Her mom smiled. “Just the sisters.”

  Obviously not just the triplets, Abby thought. The larger group that included Liz, Consuelo and Isabel. The Hendrix sisters and sisters-in-law.

  “We should form a softball team or something,” Abby told her. “I’m a decent pitcher.”

  “Yes, you are.”

  Abby sipped her coffee. “Please don’t tell Melissa. I don’t want to ruin her day.”

  “I won’t say a word.” Her mother’s expression turned concerned. “I wish you’d said something to me, though. Abby, you shouldn’t go through this alone. You had to deal with the rehearsal last night. I could have helped.”

  “You were busy with the wedding stuff. Mom, it was fine. Joaquin might have broken my heart, but he’s well-mannered. He kept his distance and barely spoke to me. Then he made up some excuse to avoid dinner.”

  “Tell me what happened,” her mom said.

  “With Joaquin? You already know. He pretended to care about the wedding so he could figure out a way to meet Simon. He used me and the family and everything for his own gain.”

  “How did he get you to introduce him to Simon? That’s a pretty random thing to bring up in conversation.”

  Abby groaned. “He didn’t have to. I took care of that for him. I was afraid I wouldn’t have anything to say to him, so I talked to Simon before I meet with Joaquin and arranged the dinner. It just fell in his lap.”

  Her mother nodded. “Fate is funny that way. I’m sorry you’re hurt, but I’m glad you found out the truth before things went too far, emotionally. He sounds like a horrible person.”

  “He’s not horrible, Mom. He’s driven. And he’s really smart and I think he was isolated as a kid, so social stuff is harder for him than for the rest of us. But he’s kind and funny and he’s a really good kisser.”

  “But he used you.”

  “I know.” She set her coffee on the nightstand and shifted so she could cross her legs. “If I tell myself he made the decision to do that before he knew me, am I giving him a break or letting myself get played again? He wants into Simon’s program and he was willing to do anything to get it. Only he didn’t have to help with all the stuff with the wedding. Or go to the festivals or make me laugh. That’s what I can’t figure out. I liked him, a lot. I think I was falling in love with him. Then I found out this horrible thing about him.”

  “Has he apologized?”

  Abby hesitated a second, then tossed her mother the phone. Liz read the text.

  “As apologies go, it’s not bad,” her mom said.

  “But is it real? How can I know if it’s okay to believe him or not?”

  “Only you can know that. What I do know is that loving someone means accepting all of them. Even the flaws. You don’t have to like the flaws but you can’t pretend they don’t exist. You look at them fully and then decide if you can live with them. If the rest of him is worth it. Hopefully, he’ll do the same with you.”

  Abby smiled. “I don’t have flaws, Mom. You should know that.”

  Liz laughed. “How true.” Her smile faded. “You should talk to him face-to-face, Abby. If this man matters, don’t just walk away without having it out with him. What if he’s the one and you find that out eleven years later? You will have wasted so much time.”

  Abby remembered the stories she’d heard about how Liz and Ethan had gotten together—theirs had not been an easy road.

  “You’re thinking of you and Dad,” she said softly.

  “I am. I can’t figure out how we could have done things differently, but I also wish with my whole heart we could have found each other sooner. I’m not saying to ignore what happened, but maybe it’s worth fifteen minutes of your life to listen. If your heart and mind don’t believe him, then good riddance. But if you think he is truly sorry, then he might be worth a second chance.”

  “I’ll think about it.”

  Liz moved to the bed and pulled her close. “I love you, Abby. I want you to be happy.”

  “Me, too.”

  “If it doesn’t work out with Joaquin, let me know. I can kill him in my book. It will be painful and gruesome.”

  Abby smiled. “You’re the best mom ever.”

  “I try.”

  CHAPTER NINE

  ABBY GLANCED AT the clock on the wall in the bride’s dressing room at the resort. They had nearly half an hour before the photographer was due to arrive to start taking pictures. “The Sisters” were all over Melissa, discussing the options of her stepping into her dress or them trying to pull it over her head. Once that was done, there were about eighty-seven buttons to be fastened.

  Abby met her sister’s gaze in the large mirror.

  “Run,” Melissa mouthed with a smile. “Run while you can.”

  Abby had put on her makeup at home. Getting her hair ready was a matter of a quick fluffing, and her dress had an easy zipper up the back. It had taken her all of two minutes to go from shorts and a T-shirt to wedding ready.

  She glanced at the clock again and told herself no one would miss her for a few minutes, then stepped out into the hall.

  She was fairly sure Davis and his family were somewhere in the resort, getting ready. The reception area was prepared, and Abby could smell hints of the delicious meal yet to come. The day was sunny, warm without being stifling, and Melissa was marrying the man of her dreams. It was perfect.

  Abby walked to the open doors leading to the wraparound porch at the back of the hotel. Soon, she promised herself. Soon she would stop being sad about Joaquin. Soon the wedding would be behind her and she could focus on the upcoming school year. She was going to be a teacher!

  She was happy about that, she told herself. It was just—

  “Abby?”

  She turned and saw Joaquin had stepped out from another set of doors and was walking toward her. He had on a black tux and he looked good. Better than good.

  She fought against the need to rush into his arms and be held. She wanted to feel the heat of him, inhale the scent of his body and have him tell her everything was going to be all right. Only it wasn’t.

  She stayed where she was, letting him come to her. She was strong and she would get through this. L
ater, she would ask her mom to kill him in her book, like Liz had offered.

  Joaquin stopped in front of her. “You’re so beautiful. I knew you would be, but you’re even more so.”

  “Thank you.” Her voice sounded stiff and strained, probably because she was so confused and hurt and mad.

  He looked at her. “Montana came to see me last night. She said she believed my regret was real and that she was going to come up with a plan to help me win you back.” One corner of his mouth turned up. “I haven’t heard from her, just so you know.”

  What? “That is a very odd thing to tell me.”

  “I know, but I want you to know the truth. I don’t want to keep anything from you, the way I did before.”

  His shoulders slumped. “Abby, I am sorry. I was so stupid and selfish. I thought getting into the program was more important than anything. There is such arrogance in that assumption. Just because I’m a surgeon doesn’t mean my life is more important than anyone else’s. Everyone has value, but somehow I forgot that. I only thought of myself. And then I met you.”

  She didn’t want to react to what he was saying. She told herself they were just words and she didn’t believe him and he was a butthead and none of this mattered, only she couldn’t seem to turn and walk away.

  “I was wrong. I should have been up front with you,” he continued, his gaze intense. “I didn’t think it mattered, that you mattered, so I didn’t bother telling you the truth. And then we started hanging out together and I didn’t want to tell you. I knew it would change everything. I was afraid you wouldn’t like me anymore.”

  He swallowed. “I care about you, Abby. So very much. I want to say I’m in love with you, but it’s only been three weeks and that would just make me a scary stalker guy. But you changed me. I like who I am when I’m with you. I like being around you and helping you with things. I want to be there for you and be someone you can depend on. I want to take care of you when you need that and stand back and let you shine the rest of the time. I have no idea what you’re thinking, but if you can find it in yourself to give me another chance, I will do my best to not let you down. I’d like to keep seeing you. On weekends, and when you’re on your winter and summer breaks. We could talk on the phone and over the computer.” He looked away, then back at her. “If it’s not too much, I was thinking I would look into a surgical practice here. There’s a trauma center and I have experience.”