Billy looked up from his desk.
“My mom’s here earlier than I expected. If you don’t mind, I’m going to leave now and take her home.”
“No problem. Angela’s tied up with a client, so I’ll be staying a little late anyhow.”
“Thanks.” She’d stopped telling Billy how happy she was that he and her friend Angela had gotten engaged. For a long time she’d worried that Billy worked too hard because of some sort of post-traumatic stress. While she had no idea what brought the man out of his self-imposed shell, she was delighted that Angela had something to do with it.
“Okay.” She reached the register and grabbed her handbag. “Let’s rock and roll.”
“Ladies.” Holding the front door open, Graham waved the women through.
“Thank you, Graham,” Lillian said with a pleasant if not triumphant smile.
“Yes, thank you,” Lexie added, car fob in hand. What she really wanted was to stab the pompous ass in the—
“Let me go ahead and move your mom’s luggage to the back of your car.”
“How considerate of you, Graham.” Lillian practically cooed at the man. What was with her mother? She hadn’t been that nice to Graham even when they were engaged.
“My pleasure.” Taking one oversized suitcase in each hand, he placed the two bags side by side in the back of Lexie’s SUV and slammed the hatch. “All set.”
“You’ll give us a ring tomorrow, won’t you, Graham?”
“Of course.” With a polite dip of his chin, Lexie’s cheating, low life, snake of an ex-fiancé slid into his car and drove off.
A satisfied grin across her face, Lillian Hale opened the passenger door. “Well, that went well. Don’t you think?”
Lexie stood still staring at her mother’s back as she stepped into the car. What in the hell did her mother have planned now?
* * *
Jim Borden grabbed his sea bag from the carousel and jockeyed past the mulling passengers to the car rental booth. He’d put in an emergency call to Billy to secure a bed for the night then hopped the first available flight to Kona.
Officially he still had two weeks left from his thirty day leave for his cancelled honeymoon. Even he wasn’t enough of a cad to tell his new—unbeknownst to her—wife over the phone that she was a married woman. This needed to be done in person.
The fact that a small part of him wanted to see Lexie again should have bothered him. And it did.
Only a few days ago, he’d promised Bridget another chance. She’d called him again yesterday. Though a little stilted at first, the conversation had grown easier, familiar. They’d talked for almost an hour. Back when he’d been in the hospital after the Humvee explosion, she would stay after her shift and they’d talk for hours. It had been his only true distraction from the pain. He loved how she’d done that for him. After he’d been discharged from the hospital, talking with her had become part of his daily routine.
Talking to her yesterday had reminded him of how much he’d missed that this past week and how after all Bridget had done for him, giving them a second chance was the right thing to do. Which brought him full circle to no part of him had any business wanting to see Lexie.
What he needed to do was meet with a lawyer in Kona, draw up papers for an annulment and get Lexie to sign them before Bridget got wind of the snafu.
Keys to the rental car in hand, Jim double-checked the address Billy had sent him. He’d been at Lexie’s his last night in Kona over a week ago, but doubted he could have found it again without the exact address. By the tone of Billy’s voice, Jim knew his friend sported a knowing grin, but it wasn’t right to tell Billy before Lexie so he’d let his buddy think whatever. For now.
Mouth dry, Jim followed the computerized female voice guiding him to Lexie’s. In his mind he’d practiced a hundred times how to explain the situation. And all one hundred times sounded terrible. All he could do was hope that when he got in front of her, face to face, the right words would come. And that she wouldn’t shoot him.
Though that was extreme worst case scenario. It wasn’t his fault the chaplain’s wife was an expert on Hawaiian wedding customs, or that the waiter’s father was a Kahu—a Hawaiian holy man—so they both knew the exact wedding ritual, or that the hotel’s Event Coordinator was an idiot. He just hoped Lexie agreed with him and would see the humor to the whole thing.
And there had to be humor somewhere. If not now, there would be ten years from now when they told this story at dinner parties to unbelieving friends.
“Arriving at destination.”
Jim slowed to a crawl up the narrow street. He pulled in front of Lexie’s house and had only made it half way up the walk when a car pulled into the driveway. He recognized the driver.
“Hey,” he called out to Lexie. “Good timing.”
Her brows curled in confusion, but she smiled at him any way, walking around the car, casting a furtive glance at her passenger. “Yeah.”
Spotting the two suitcases large enough to hold gear for a two-year deployment, he bolted forward. “Oh, here. Let me get those.”
“Thanks.” She cast another glance at the woman now standing beside the car and giving Jim a very obvious once over. “Mother, this is Jim Borden.”
Setting one of the suitcases on the ground, he accepted her extended hand. “How do you do, ma’am.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr…Borden.”
Lexie heaved a deep sigh, her mother turned a concerned glance, and Jim picked up the second bag again.
“Let’s go into the house, shall we?” Lexie led the way, unlocked the door, and dropped her purse on the foyer table. “Mother, fix yourself a cup of tea. Jim and I will be right back.”
Her ever well-mannered mother gave a slight nod and a polite smile. “Shall I make a cup for you and Mr. Borden?”
Lexie turned to face him, in silent question. He bobbed his head.
“That will be nice, Mother.”
Jim followed Lexie down the hall, doing his best not to linger on the sway of her hips as she walked. He’d forgotten a great deal about his fiasco of a wedding day, but remembered everything about Lexie. Especially the way she moved.
“Just set those down over there.”
He did as asked, then turned. She’d moved right up into his space and spoke very softly, “What are you doing here?”
“We have to talk.”
“Now is not a good time. My mother is here and…well…things are complicated at the moment.”
“I understand and I’m sorry, but this really can’t wait. Could you tell her you forgot we had a date and we could go to a coffee shop or something?”
Lexie shook her head vehemently. “No. Trust me, telling her I forgot a date with a man like you is not a good idea right now.” She stepped back. “She’s on East Coast time. She’ll probably drop like a stone after she’s had her tea. We can talk then.”
He gave a quick bob of his head, but before she could walk away, he reached for her hand. “Is something wrong?”
Shaking her head, she pulled her hand out of his grasp. “Everything is wrong.”
* * *
Could this day get any worse? Having her mother here was stressful enough. Having her ex and her almost show up on her mom’s heels was just more than any one woman should have to deal with in a day.
Lillian Hale might be used to the finer things in life, but she was not helpless on her own. While Lexie had expected her mother to put three mugs of water in the microwave for two minute hot tea, she shouldn’t have been surprised to find a kettle simmering on the stove and a large tray set with three cups and saucers, and matching pitcher of milk and sugar bowl.
What should have been a few minutes of awkward communication while her mom drank her tea and then teetered off to bed, was about to become a drawn out formal tea pouring. The one bright side to the pending event was seeing how the six foot Navy man handled a grown up tea party.
Lexie waved for Jim to take a s
eat on the sofa, then proceeded to the kitchen to help her mom. “You shouldn’t have gone to all this trouble, Mother.”
“No trouble dear. You take this tray into the living room. I’ll bring the teapot in momentarily.”
Tray in hand, Lexie nodded at her mother and turned on her heel. Jim sat on the edge of the sofa, forearms resting casually on his thighs. His position seemed relaxed, at ease. And yet what little she knew of Jim Borden, she knew the man was anything but casual, relaxed or at ease. Now she wished she’d simply made him tell her in the other room what was so important to bring him all the way to Kona.
“Mom will bring the teapot in a moment. She likes to let the tea seep. Do you take milk with your tea?”
He nodded and Lexie poured some milk into the empty cups.
“Like the English.” Jim smiled.
“Like the English.” Lexie returned the smile and smothered how pleased it made her that he knew something as trivial as the British poured their milk first.
“Here we go.” Lillian came into the room with another small tray and Jim pushed immediately to his feet. Her mother gave no outward reaction, but Lexie knew the polite gesture didn’t go unappreciated. “I do so love a good cup of tea. I’ve often thought I’d have enjoyed growing up British. It seems so civilized to stop your day for afternoon tea, don’t you agree?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Setting the tray on the table she poured three cups, then cup and saucer in hand, eased into the only straight backed chair in the room. “Please, call me Lillian.”
“Lillian,” he repeated.
Resigned to a long while of forced pleasantries, Lexie opted to sit next to her guest.
“So, Mr. Borden, have you lived on the islands long?”
“Mother, Jim is in the Navy. He’s a lieutenant commander.”
“And I’d be pleased if you’d call me Jim.”
“Your father’s friend Ernie was in the Navy. Nice fellow. I believe he flew airplanes. Like that lawyer on television.”
Whenever her mother mentioned the TV show JAG, Lexie wanted to roll her eyes and scream the dang show had been off the air for almost ten years. Get a life or a new favorite TV show. “Mr. Philips never practiced law.”
“No. No he didn’t. And he never looked as handsome as that Harmon Rabb either.” Lillian set her cup on the table beside her. “I thought after I’ve had a little nap, we should join Graham for supper.”
Curious to see if Jim recognized the name from her story at the reception, Lexie cast a quick glance in his direction. If the slight tick in his jaw was any indication, he had. “I’m not interested in joining Graham for supper, Mother. Or anything else, but you’re welcome to do what ever you like.”
Jim placed his cup and saucer on the table beside him, and, ignoring her mother, turned to face Lexie. Gently resting his hand on her knee, he almost whispered, “The Graham?”
Lexie nodded, watching her mother pretend not to watch them. God how she hated it when she and her mother were on a collision course. Which happened any time Lexie’s choices for her life came into play.
“Graham has admitted to making some poor decisions, including not following you to Hawaii when you so abruptly cancelled the wedding.” As if this were the appropriate time and place to drag out the story of Lexie’s life, Lillian addressed Jim. “My Alexandra and Graham were engaged to be married.”
His hand still on her knee, Jim bobbed his head at her mother. “Yes, I know.”
Didn’t the man realize touching her now was tantamount to waving a red cape at a bull? Her mother had a Montgomery feather for the family cap within her sights and she was going to make damn sure Jim knew he was not to intrude. Not that he had any reason to, but her mother could only read what she saw. And at the moment she was obviously seeing red.
“Alexandra and Graham are very suited to each other. Her father and I were quite pleased when Alexandra accepted Graham’s proposal and quite saddened at her decision to call it off.” Now her mother turned to Lexie again. “I’m sure time has taught you a good lesson and you can see the folly of this Hawaiian…lifestyle. You mustn’t miss an opportunity to win Graham over again, and supper would be a good place to start.”
“Mother, I am not interested in having dinner with Graham, I am not interested in winning him over, and I am especially not interested in marrying the man. Now or ever.”
“For heaven’s sake Alexandra, don’t be so blind. Even with the divorce, Graham is an excellent catch.”
“Too bad I’m not fishing.” This time, she settled her hand over Jim’s. Red cape or not, she appreciated the moral support when dealing with her mother. “Graham is going to have to find someone else to parade at his side. I’m not available.”
Lillian’s gaze shifted from Jim to Lexie and came to rest on their clasped hands. “I see,” she said tightly.
“No, ma’am. I don’t believe you do,” Jim threaded his fingers with Lexie’s. “You see. We’re already married.”
Chapter Five
Had Lexie still been holding her teacup, it would have fallen to the floor with the same porcelain smashing tumble her mother’s cup had taken at Jim’s surprise announcement.
She had no idea what Jim thought he was doing, but lying to her family was not the way to get rid of Graham. And now what was she supposed to do? Say? The more she stewed over the situation, the more her blood boiled. The man was truly certifiably insane. Or stupid. And she knew he couldn’t do what he did for the government if he was stupid, so she was sticking with crazy.
Despite the shattered cup and saucer on the cold tile floor, Lillian made no effort to move. The woman sat so still Lexie thought she might have had a mini stroke. “Mother?”
“I’ll clean that up.” Jim jumped to his feet and, squatting down in front of Mrs. Hale, picked up the larger pieces of porcelain, holding them in his palm.
“Be careful.” Lexie squatted beside him. “You’ll hurt yourself.”
Jim paused and looking up from the floor, his gaze settled on hers. “Better me than you.”
He might as well have told her he’d slay dragons and scale castle walls. Even her mother blinked twice at the protective comment. “Let me get a dust pan.”
While Jim recovered the larger pieces, Lexie brushed the scattered splinters of English china into the dust pan and then the trash. Jim followed behind with a wet paper towel collecting minute shards too small for the naked eye to see. The entire time her mother watched the two work, but didn’t say a word.
The floor cleaned up, Jim took hold of Lexie’s hand and walked them back to the couch. Once again seated, he addressed Mrs. Hale. “I’m sure you must have lots of questions.”
Lillian nodded. But said nothing.
“We met through Lexie’s boss.”
“Billy,” Lexie added, not sure why she wasn’t telling him to shut up so she could tell her mother the truth.
Jim continued, “He and I were deployed together during Billy’s last tour in the Navy. Last week your daughter came to see me in Honolulu.”
“Honolulu?” Was the only word her mother had managed.
“Jim is stationed there,” Lexie said, still not sure why she helping Jim with this ridiculous story.
“There’s no waiting period in Hawaii when you get a marriage license. Nor blood test requirements. It’s a little bit like Vegas. When a couple knows it’s right, they can get married as soon as they want. We were married in a lovely beachfront ceremony with a few of our friends.”
“You invited friends but not family?” Lillian spoke an entire sentence.
“It was very spur of the moment,” Jim said quickly. Neglecting to mention his parents were there.
“And you live in Honolulu?”
“I am stationed at Pearl. Yes, ma’am. I mean, Lillian.”
Lillian stood and walked the length of the room to the lanai doors. “I don’t believe it.”
While Lillian’s back was turned, Jim leaned in and whisper
ed, “We really need to talk. Now.”
Lillian paced back across the room. “I can’t believe it.”
“Mother—”
“I assure you, Lillian, your daughter and I are quite legally wed.”
“Oh, I believe you’re married. Alexandra walked away from a wonderful young man who loved her and left a perfectly respectable job with her father’s company to come live in Hawaii and swim for a living. Why shouldn’t she marry the first sailor to come along—”
“Mother!” Lexie was appalled at her mother’s behavior. And even more surprised that Jim seemed to be hiding a smile, not fury at her insult.
“What I don’t believe is that you didn’t tell your father.”
Oh, God. Daddy. This stupid lie might temporarily get her out of her mother and Graham’s sights, but it would crush her father. “Actually, Mother—”
“Lexie very much wanted to wait for you and your husband to join us, but I didn’t want to wait. Quite frankly, I was afraid she’d change her mind and didn’t want to risk losing this wonderful woman.”
Boy could this guy lay it on thick. If the plan was to win her mother over, it wasn’t working. Lillian Elizabeth Hale glared at Jim as though he were an alley cat caught with the Montgomery feathers still in his mouth.
“I believe I feel a migraine coming on. I’d best take two pills and lie down. This…matter will have to wait until tomorrow. Good night, dear.” And once again Lillian Hale’s good manners kicked in. “Good night, Jim. Welcome to the family.”
* * *
When Lillian Hale’s teacup hit the floor, Jim was convinced she was going to follow and he and Lexie would be having the rest of this conversation at the emergency room. Just now, when the woman turned from kissing her daughter good night, at five in the evening, he thought for sure she was going to smack him hard enough to leave grooves where her fingers had struck.
Instead, she had welcomed him to the family. Not at all what he had expected. And somehow, he suspected it was not at all what she meant.
“Follow me.” Lexie turned her back on him and stalked across the room to the patio doors. Outside, the doors closed behind them, she waited in the far corner for him to reach her. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
Mai Tai Marriage Page 4