Rules of Engagement

by Kay Lyons

  Carter moved into the interior and shut the door behind him, locking it for safe measure in case James made a reappearance. Considering the man headed toward the main road toward some restaurants, Carter was pretty sure someone would spot his staggering walk and report him. Maybe a night in the drunk tank would do some good. Then again…

  Carter turned and followed Eliza into her living room. He stared at her back, willing her to turn. Finally she did.

  "What did James mean? Carter, is there something you haven't told me? Have you been married more than once?"

  "Yeah." He grimaced and held up two fingers, wishing the sign meant peace instead of failure. He watched as Eliza struggled to contain her upset.

  "So after hearing about my family and listening to me and Marsali in the pool talking about honesty in a relationship, you thought the best thing to do is lie to me?"

  "I was going to tell you."

  "When?" she countered.

  "I don't know. Soon. I tried to at the beach but… Eliza, I wanted you to have time to really get to know me first."

  She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him, and Carter decided to own up to his reasons. "You're right. I heard you in the pool. I heard all of the rules and advice. I even read Marsali's book."

  "And you still didn't tell me."

  He nodded, staring into her eyes and hoping they could see into his soul. "Because I didn't want to lose you. Eliza, I listened to you describe your family and… I panicked. Okay? I've got two strikes against me, and I knew if you found out too soon, you'd never agree to see me again, even though the first time I saw you, I knew…"

  "You knew… what?"

  "That you were different. That you were the woman I've been searching for all of this time. I just… knew."

  A huff left her, a mixture of surprise and disbelief and pain. She turned away from him, giving him her back once more.

  "I talked to Lincoln," he said, knowing now that everything had to come out. "He said if I wanted a woman of quality—which you are—I had to bring quality to the table so you'd see me, not my past."

  She didn't comment.

  He stared at her back, every muscle and bone rigid. "I planned to tell you, Eliza. I just wasn't sure of when."

  More silence. He raked his hands through his hair and pulled, hard. "You want the dirty details? Let's do this. My first marriage was when I was eighteen, dumb, and drunk. It was spring break, and I woke up married to a stranger. Thirty days later, it was dissolved by her lawyer daddy and a judge friend. It never should've happened and I'm embarrassed that it did, but I can't change it. As to Piper's mom… you know that one. She left, I didn't."

  Eliza turned, arms hugging her front. Her expression killing him because of the pain he'd put there. "Eliza, say something."

  "I'm… I don't know what to say. If you'd just been honest with me from the beginning…"

  "Yeah? And then what? Now's when you have to be honest and own up to the fact if I'd done that, you would've shut me down and judged me, even more than you already did when you first saw me. My past is rough and I did far more stupid things than smart in those early years. But it's the past, not my present."

  "I just need to think, Carter."

  Carter sucked in a breath at her expression. As badly as he wanted her, and he did, he could see the truth she couldn't hide. The judgment.

  He took a step back. Then another. "What's to think about? You've already made up your mind, haven't you?"

  "Carter…"

  "I'm sorry I didn't tell you and you found out this way. That's on me and I own it. But right now? Your expression tells me I was kidding myself thinking time with you would help you see the real me."

  "Carter…."

  "You heard two divorces and automatically judged me unworthy." He watched her struggle to put her thoughts into words and realized nothing she said at this point could change how he felt, that he'd screwed up yet again. "You don't need to say anything, Eliza. It's written on your face."

  Chapter 25

  By the time the weekend rolled around and Eliza worked the Sunday-afternoon wedding, she felt like a walking zombie. The sleepless, bloodshot, dark-shadowed kind with drool leaking from their mouths.

  "Hey, boss, interference to your left."

  Kellie's voice filled her ears via the headset, and Eliza quickly set out to flag down and stop the golf cart about to ruin the couple's photo session.

  She managed to get the driver of the cart to wait until the photographer finished before sending them on their way.

  An older woman stood nearby, glass in hand, watching the beach wedding and antics. Eliza smiled at the woman when she passed by her.

  "You look tired, my dear."

  As a greeting, it kinda sucked. Eliza pinned a smile to her lips and shrugged. "I'm fine." The I'm fine response had been her mantra every waking moment since Carter had left her house.

  I'm fine, she'd said to Marsali when they'd gone to dinner to celebrate the official release of Marsali's book—which had hit the bestseller list as of yesterday. Whenever Marsali had tried to discuss Carter, Eliza had shut her friend down and declared the night to be Carter-free.

  "You're not fine," the older woman said, her gaze narrowing on Eliza's face with the intensity of a soul-seer.

  Maybe it was the level of her fatigue or the sympathy in the woman's eyes, but Eliza's eyes flooded with tears, and no amount of blinking could stop the sudden barrage. She gasped at her unexpected response and froze, unable to move or react.

  "Oh, my dear. Here," the woman said, finding and pressing a tissue into Eliza's hand. "Walk with me. Just down here a bit."

  The woman took Eliza's hand and led her away from the wedding attendees waiting for the bride and groom to join them at the beachside buffet, back toward the water's edge, where Eliza had stopped the golf cart. "I'm sorry. I don't know why I'm like this."

  "Oh, I think you do. Who is he?"

  A laugh burst out of her at the insightful question. Crying to laughter? Eliza wondered if she was having a breakdown. "It doesn't matter. He's… gone."

  "Because?"

  They walked slowly, barely moving, and the words just exploded out of Eliza in a blubbering gush as she explained the situation with Carter to a total stranger with a gently wrinkled face and kind eyes.

  "Tell me, has this gentleman given you reason not to trust him?"

  "Not… not that I know of."

  "So your fears—while genuine—are based on what's happened with your family?"

  Eliza nodded. "After he told me, I thought I could handle it but he's right. He said he saw the judgment on my face, but I couldn't help it. He's been married. Twice."

  "Honey, I doubt many people go into marriage thinking, oh, I can't wait to get divorced. It sounds as though he was genuinely embarrassed by his past and that's why he didn't want to tell you."

  "I know. I think he is but—"

  "But?"

  "But he's ended two marriages already. How do I know he won't end another and I'll be strike number three?"

  "Does he seem to be that type of man? One who doesn't take his responsibilities seriously?"

  Eliza thought of Carter and his loving relationship with Piper, the way he was with his employees and his business, Lincoln and his family… "N-no, but—"

  "Do you not believe he's changed?"

  Changed? "I don't know. I hope so. I think so. But how would I ever know for sure?"

  "That's where faith comes in," the woman said. "Can I share a secret with you?"

  Eliza sniffled and blinked at the woman, nodding and laughing at the same time. "Of course. I've just embarrassed myself in front of a guest. Please tell me something that will help me feel better."

  "I will then. Do you see that hunk of a man standing over there? Balding, a bit of a belly? Blue suit?"

  Eliza smiled at the description and sniffled. "I do."

  "Well, that beautiful man is my husband, and between the two of us, we share
five marriages."

  Eliza sucked in a gasp so sharp it nearly choked her and she coughed. "Oh. I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to imply—"

  "Stop apologizing, dear, and listen. I told you that to say this—life happens. Usually when we least expect it. In Bart's case, alcohol ended his first two marriages. Then he got sober. As to my first husband… well, I was young and stupid myself, and when I couldn't hide the bruises anymore, I decided enough was enough."

  Eliza stared at her new friend, hanging on to every word. "And the… fourth?"

  A sad smile flickered over the woman's lined face.

  "My Arthur passed away a week after we'd wed. Car accident."

  "I'm so sorry."

  "Me, too. But then," she said, inhaling, "I met Bart. And even though our pasts were full of mistakes, we fell in love. Next month will be our thirty-fifth anniversary."

  Eliza inhaled sharply. Thirty-five years? After all of that? “That's wonderful."

  "It is. And had we not moved beyond our mistakes and fears, we wouldn't be here today celebrating this wonderful day. Everyone makes mistakes of some sort, but it's how we pull ourselves out of them and move forward that matters most. Bart hasn't taken a drink in all of these years and is a changed man. I changed, too, because I found my self-worth, and the brief love I knew with Arthur made me realize I didn't want to spend my life alone. It hasn't been easy, but we are both committed to living our best life with each other."

  "That's… I think that's what everyone wants." She certainly did. And when she thought of the next thirty-five years or more, the image of the man beside her took the form of tattooed arms and a blinding smile and sexy whispers in her ear.

  "Yes, well, now you must decide. Do you think your young man has changed from who he once was?"

  "He has. I-I think he has.”

  "Well, then, can you really blame him for wanting you to see the man is, rather than the one he's embarrassed about? Especially if he knew of your fears? It sounds to me like he wants very much to be the man you need him to be."

  "I made him feel less than," she whispered. "How do I fix that? Carter will always think I doubt him now."

  "Grandma, we need you in the photos!" someone called.

  "Trust runs both ways, my dear. You fix it by proving to him you were taken aback by the news, but you see the man. Now, I have to go. Will you be okay?"

  Eliza nodded and hugged the woman, whispering her thanks. The woman walked toward her family and the waiting photographer, and Eliza watched as her balding, older husband met her with a sweet kiss, tucking her beneath a protective arm as they joined the group under the driftwood arbor.

  Trembling to the very depths of her soul, Eliza lifted her fingers to her headset and pressed the button to speak. "Kel, I have to leave. Can you handle things here?"

  Chapter 26

  Carter sat at the bar, sandwiched between Mac and Lincoln. He wasn't sure why Mac had insisted they come here to eat since it was the same hotel where he'd first laid eyes on Eliza. Knowing Mac, it was to torture Carter and rub salt in the wound.

  "Marsali said Eliza looks awful," Mac said.

  "They make a matched set then," Lincoln added from Carter's left.

  He glared at his so-called friend and brother in the mirror over the bar, his drink halfway to his lips when he spotted Eliza crossing the lobby behind them.

  Carter swiveled on the seat and glanced at Mac long enough to see his smirk.

  "You're not the only one who can read a calendar—or want her to have help if she needs it."

  Carter took off out of the bar, his gaze taking in Eliza's small frame. "Eliza."

  She swung around and he hated himself when he spotted her red-rimmed eyes. She did look awful—beautiful but gaunt, like she'd lost weight and hadn't slept. "Hey."

  Eliza blinked at him, her head shaking slightly as though she tried to clear her vision.

  "What are you doing here?"

  "Where are you going?"

  The questions were asked in unison, filled the space between them and hung there in awkwardness. "The, uh, guys— Mac knew where you'd be and brought us in case you needed help."

  "Marsali," she whispered.

  He nodded, uncaring about the details. Only that she was there. "Probably. Where are you going?"

  "Oh, um, I-I was going up to my room to fix my face before… I was coming to see you."

  "Now? Aren't you in the middle of a wedding?" he asked, his entire body tensing at the hope springing to life inside of him.

  "Yes, but… I have to talk to you. Can we? Please?"

  Now that his temper and frustration had cooled, talking seemed like a really good idea. "Walk you to your room?"

  She smiled, the expression on her face revealing that she remembered the night they first met, and he felt it like a punch to his gut.

  Carter stepped toward her and clasped her shoulder in his hand, tucking her to his side, and tried to be the strength she needed looking as tired as she did.

  "I'm sorry," she whispered. "You were right about me… about me judging you. I totally did that and it was wrong of me and I apologize."

  "Apology accepted," he said, stopping in front of the elevators. He punched the button with a finger and waited for her to continue.

  "I wish you'd told me the truth from the beginning—"

  "Me, too," he readily agreed.

  "But I also totally get why you didn't. After what I said about my family, you knew I'd… I'd have a problem with it. That I'd see the divorces rather than you."

  Another gut punch. He nodded once, holding her gaze and silently willing her to continue.

  "Carter, I'll be the first to admit this scares me, but do you think we can start over? With me being less judgy and you understanding I have severe issues that require complete and total honesty, whether I like hearing it or not?"

  The elevator doors opened, and he was beyond thankful that they were empty. He tugged her inside and pressed the door close button, not bothering to wait before pressed her into the corner of the elevator and kissed her like the starving man he was.

  "Is that a yes?" she asked against his lips.

  He stared down into her gorgeous green eyes, maintaining contact as he slowly kissed her again. "That's a yes, sweetheart. I apologize for taking off like I did, but when I saw how disappointed you were and it sank in that I'd blown it, I had to get out of there."

  She framed his face in her small hands and kissed him again.

  "It wasn't disappointment. It was shock and jealousy and anger and… fear that you'd kept it from me. I let it overwhelm me and—"

  He kissed her, hard and fast and purposeful, not letting her up for air until she clung to him and sagged against the wall behind her. "From now on, no secrets." He kissed her again. "We communicate." Another kiss. "We fight… and make up," he growled against her lips, kissing her at the same time. "But we figure it out together. You and me."

  She stared up at him, tears glistening in her eyes as she nodded.

  "You and me."

  * * *

  Four months later, Eliza stared down at the sparkling rings on her finger before shifting her gaze toward her almost-husband.

  She wore fitted winter-white jeans and a matching sweater paired with boots and a beautiful cashmere coat borrowed from Amelia. The small group of friends gathered by the Carolina Cove Pier on a bright February afternoon, called at the last minute so no one could make a fuss, though she would admit to picking the date after hearing Amelia's shooting schedule would allow her to attend.

  Marsali and Amelia stood beside her, Mac and Lincoln beside Carter. They'd even taken Piper out of school for the afternoon so she wouldn't miss the special event, and given her seashells to toss in lieu of flowers as they made their way to the pilings beneath the pier for the service.

  Now Eliza repeated the vows said by the minister and slid the ring on Carter's finger, barely able to breathe. Not from fear but love. She loved this man. This gorgeous, make-h
er-toes-curl, kiss-her-until-her-head-spun man and his beautiful little girl.

  And best thing of all?

  They loved her just as much. All her crazy. All her insecurities. All her neediness.

  Carter loved her just the way she was, and ever since that day in the elevator he'd gone above and beyond to show her he wasn't the man of his past but a man who had grown up and changed and lived every day striving to be better. For her. For Piper. For the future he wanted with them and the life they'd have together.

  The minister pronounced them husband and wife, and Carter used his hold on her hands to tug her closer, lowering his head to seal the pledge with a kiss that promised everything and gave her more than she could've ever asked for. A husband, a daughter. A life she couldn't wait to live with her family at her side.

  Carter lifted his head and she blinked up at him, dazed and happy and so very glad she'd broken her own rules and allowed Carter into her walls, her heart. Because in the process, he'd shown her that true love healed.

  And in this case? His case? The third time was definitely the charm.

  MAKE ME A MATCH SERIES:

  ROMANCE RESET

  RULES OF ENGAGEMENT

  THE MATCHMAKER’S SECRET

  PERFECTLY MISMATCHED

  BY THE BOOK

  MONTANA SECRETS SERIES:

  HEALING HER COWBOY

  IT HAD TO BE YOU

  HERS TO KEEP

  MILLION DOLLAR STANDOFF

  HIS CHRISTMAS WISH

  THEIR SECRET SON

  THE SEASIDE SISTERS SERIES:

  THE LAST GOODBYE

  LATTES AND LULLABYES

  MAP OF DREAMS

  WORTH THE RISK

  LOST LOVE FOUND

  TAMING THE TULANES SERIES:

  SMALL TOWN SCANDAL

  THEIR SECRET BARGAIN

  CROSSING THE LINE

  THE NANNY’S SECRET

  SOMEONE TO TRUST

  THE STONE RIVER SERIES:

  WORTH THE WAIT

  NOT BY SIGHT

  THROUGH THE VALLEY