I stepped foot on the wobbly dock and made my way to the end. Lanie glanced up as I approached. I noted she still wore her green contacts, which might not be a good sign. I missed seeing her deep-blue eyes, but perhaps that hadn’t been her real eye color either.
“Hey.” I smiled uncertainly at her, and she patted the area next to her on the bench. I gratefully sat down before my knees gave out. This situation had me tied in knots with worry.
“Hey.” She clasped her hands in her lap and studied them intently.
Recalling my mom’s advice, I curbed my inclination to blurt out my thoughts before she had a chance to share hers. I’d force myself to wait. This had to be her decision solely because she had the most to lose. I’d wrestled for two days with my own guilt and inclination to push her in the direction I wanted. I’d resisted this long. I could last a little longer.
“I’m guessing you heard about the wedding?” she said, bringing up the last subject I’d expected as her opening volley, considering our circumstances.
I blinked a few times, thrown off my game by her question. “Uh, yeah, sure.”
“I promised Mandy I’d stay through the wedding to help her out. That’s two weeks from today.”
“And then?” My throat constricted until the words came out like the croak of a big old bullfrog.
“And then I’m leaving.”
“Leaving? As in running?” I sought clarification with the hope she meant leaving with me, not leaving me.
“Running. You won’t find me again. You won’t hear from me. We’ll have our memories, and that’ll need to be enough.”
“What if it isn’t?”
“It has to be.” She avoided my gaze and stared out at the water.
No, it didn’t.
I refused to accept defeat. I wouldn’t let her go without a fight. My brain churned, running through my limited options. At least I had options.
I had two glorious weeks to change her mind. And damn it, I would. I’d bet my ass on it.
I was in the last minute of the game and down a goal, but I wasn’t giving up. Not until the final buzzer.
Chapter Twenty-One
The Dress
~~Delaney~~
* * *
The next two weeks had to be enough to last a lifetime.
I sat next to Kaden on the dock bench. We’d lapsed into silence because there were no words for how we were feeling.
I’d made my final decision five minutes before I’d texted Kaden and told him before I changed my mind. He took it much better than I thought he would. In fact, his acceptance almost made me suspicious he had something up his sleeve.
I’d been sorely tempted to accept Steele’s plan and his mother’s help, whoever the hell she was, but mulling it over, there were too many strikes against revealing myself, along with risks I wasn’t willing to take.
My family, for one, couldn’t be trusted. Robert had warned me about how deep my dad was into this mess with Darrin, which was proven by how my dad had compromised his ethics and asked me to provide an alibi. My father had been willing to sacrifice his only daughter and my career for Darrin’s freedom.
They’d chosen him over their only child. That stung. Actually, it more than stung. It cut like a knife stabbed in my heart and sadistically twisted.
Running appeared to be my best option. Next time, I’d be smarter. I’d stay away from people, do my job, and not get close to anyone. Not having another relationship wouldn’t be hard. I couldn’t imagine being with anyone else but Kaden, but never having a close friend or two seemed close to impossible and tragically lonely. Yet such caution was necessary.
On the bright side, Kaden and I had two weeks. Two weeks of paradise before I continued this hellish nightmare that’d become my life. Two weeks before the fear overwhelmed me, and I was compelled to run again. This time I wouldn’t just be running to save myself, I’d be running to protect Kaden. Despite my wishes to the contrary, our relationship put him and anyone associated with him in danger.
But, yeah, I’d give us two weeks. That’s all I could afford. All I dared to chance. I might regret my decision, but I was doing it. I’d committed the next two weeks to Brody and Mandy and Kaden, and I’d honor those commitments. He deserved this, and so did I.
My time with him would have to be enough. I’d cherish the hours, hold the memories dear, and never forget the one man who’d stood my world on end, made my heart flutter and my head spin.
I loved him with a forever kind of love, the kind that’d withstand the test of time, and I wouldn’t ever forget our time together.
Kaden stirred next to me, turning slightly to face me.
“Two weeks?” He repeated my earlier words as if he hadn’t been sure of my meaning, when I knew he was.
“Yes, two weeks.”
He grinned, much to my surprise, looking oddly happy.
“You don’t seem too upset.” I had to say something because I was dying inside, and he looked ready to party hard.
“I’m not,” he said arrogantly. “Two weeks is plenty of time to convince you that you can’t live without me, and we’re in this together.”
He was right about one thing. I didn’t know how I’d live without him, but I’d survive. It’s what I’d become the best at.
I didn’t rain on his parade and dispute his ability to change my mind. Let him have his delusions, even though I had no such compunctions.
We were star-crossed lovers, battling an unhappy ending that refused to concede its power.
“There’s one thing,” he said earnestly.
“And that is?”
“Let’s do this right. Be my girlfriend.”
“Why?” I was confused.
“Because we both deserve it. I want to take you out, sleep next to you every night, do all the little things a guy does for his girl. I want to show you how good we can be together.”
That sounded nice, but I already knew how good we were together. Doing this for him would make it harder to leave, but he was right. We did deserve normalcy, no matter how fleeting.
“All right, I’ll be your girlfriend for two weeks, but that’s all I can give you.”
“I’ll take it. Two weeks of bliss. Two weeks of dreams coming true. Two weeks to cherish for a lifetime. I’ll take it and pray those two weeks never end.”
I didn’t want them to end either, but I’d made my decision. The right one. And I wasn’t backing down now. I was my father’s daughter, stubborn to a fault. Once we established a direction, we saw it through and followed it to the bitter end. What a sad thought. My dad had made his choices, not realizing how they’d affect me. Now we were all living with those choices.
I met Kaden’s clear blue eyes and managed a lopsided, sad smile. I reached up a hand and ran my index finger across his bearded jaw, savoring the strength and roughness beneath my fingers, knowing that underneath lay a man of emotional depth with a generous soul.
He was mine. I was his. Nothing would ever change what we were to each other. Not time. Not distance. Nothing.
He pulled me into his arms and hugged me tightly. I clung to him, burying my face in his shoulder.
And I cried.
I cried for the injustice of it all. I cried for the person I once was and would never be again. I cried for the loss of my career that I’d worked for so diligently. Most of all, I cried for a love found, lost, and found again, soon to be out of reach. Gone but never forgotten.
I didn’t know if I’d ever recover, but I’d find a way to move on. I had to for both of us.
Kaden let me cry until my tears dried up and my sobs were feeble rasps against the fabric of his shirt. He put a hand gently under my chin and raised it to gaze into my eyes.
“Don’t cry anymore. Let’s live in the moment. Let’s rejoice in what we have.”
“I’ll try.” I sniffled and forced a weak smile.
“There’s always sex to cheer you up.”
I giggled because my Kaden loved h
is sex, and so did I. He was right. Sex would cheer me up.
“Why don’t you give me some of your good cheer then?”
He surveyed our surroundings. Sunny afternoon. A few guests milling about on the beach. We liked to be daring, but perhaps this wasn’t the place or time.
“My room?”
“Yeah, your room.” He rose to his feet and offered me his hand. I gladly took it, and together, hand in hand, we crossed the expanse of lawn and entered my room, our little sanctuary from all the strife.
And for a few blessed hours, we forgot about everything but us.
Afterward, Kaden and I strolled to Easton and Caro’s cottage, hand in hand. I caught the knowing looks of the guys and a few raised eyebrows. To their credit, they didn’t make any crude remarks in front of me. I suspected they’d save them for later, when it was just Kaden and them. Caro and Geneva glanced up from the table and grinned, genuinely happy to see us together. I grinned back, playing the part of a hopelessly enamored girlfriend with complete and total absorption. Only I wasn’t playing a part. I was all in, heart and soul, body and mind. For two weeks.
I wandered over to the table to join my newfound friends with their wedding planning. Kaden retreated to the deck with his teammates. Stuff like that gave him the hives, and his cohorts felt the same way.
Stacks of paper were spread out on the table. Images of cakes, decorations, party favors. All sorts of stuff. I knew from helping Mandy that some of the items were set in stone while others could still be changed. They were stuck with the orange-and-pink color scheme, as it was too late to replace all the custom decorations, tablecloths, etc. We’d have to work with it as best we could. Caro was the exact opposite of the former bride who’d planned this wedding. She took everything in stride and with good humor, not taking the wedding ceremony and reception as seriously as her predecessor. After all, she told us, it was the people who counted, not the things. It was the celebration of love, not the orange tablecloths. It was the meaning behind the vows, not who delivered the ceremony.
Caro scrambled to find someone able to perform the ceremony in June on such short notice, but Mandy had come to the rescue and suggested a local psychic who was also a justice of the peace. I’d met Eva and warned Caro, who didn’t seem to mind her ceremony might be a little off the beaten path. As she noted, everything else was, so why stop now?
This would be a wedding to remember. That was for sure.
“Things look like they’re going well with you and Kaden,” Caro noted, keeping one eye on her daughter, who was currently chasing their huge black dog around the coffee table. “Hailey, go outside and chase Mona. You’ll break something in here.”
“But Mom…”
“Outside now. You, too, Heath. It’s too nice of a day for you two to be inside. Have your father take you down to the shoreline to look for shells.”
“Okay,” Hailey said with her usual enthusiasm. She was an adorable little girl who knew how cute she was. Heath was quieter but equally adorable in his own way. Not that I’d ever tell him that. I’m sure little boys didn’t appreciate being called adorable.
The two kids ran onto the deck, followed closely by Mona. Pretty soon, the entire crew clambered down the deck stairs and to the beach.
“Finally.” Caro sat back and blew out a long breath. “I think it’s time for wine. What do you think, ladies?”
“It’s always time for wine,” I agreed.
“Absolutely. All this wedding planning is making my head spin. If I ever get married, I’m eloping.” Geneva was a practical sort, not really a girlie girl, though she cleaned up with the best of them.
I raised my imaginary glass to Geneva’s, and we pretended to drink.
Caro shook her head and laughed as she opened a bottle of wine, grabbed three glasses, and motioned us to follow her onto the deck.
“Where’d they go?” Hands on hips, Geneva scanned the area for our guys and the kids.
“All I know is that we’re having some peace and quiet and a little uninterrupted girl time. I need a break.” Caro shrugged and poured three glasses of wine. We each took one, clinked glasses, and savored the wine. Whoever bought this had excellent taste, and I did know my wine. This wasn’t the cheap stuff I’d been buying lately. This was the real deal.
“I love this wine,” I said.
“Me, too. I buy it at a small winery on the Olympic Peninsula. Well worth the trip, even with two rambunctious kids in the car. I buy a case every time I go there.”
“Let me know next time. I’d love to get a few bottles myself.” I realized belatedly what I’d said. I wouldn’t be around after the wedding, but they didn’t know that, judging by their non-reaction to my statement. Kaden and Steele must have kept my predicament between themselves. I was both relieved and distressed at the same time. I wouldn’t mind sharing with my new girlfriends, but I’d done enough soul bearing as it was.
“Then you’re sticking around?” Geneva sipped her wine and regarded me over the rim of her glass.
“Do tell. What is going on with you and Kaden? You appear to be a couple.”
They weren’t letting me off the hook like I’d hoped. “We’re navigating our way through some heavy stuff. I don’t know how it’ll end up.” But I did. I was leaving. I’d already done some research on B and Bs in Canada that needed summer help. Once the summer tourist season ended, I’d move on again, maybe to a ski resort.
“You alluded to some kind of life-threatening danger. Is that still a problem?” Geneva pushed, wanting more information than I was willing to give.
“Yes, but I promised Mandy I’d help with the wedding.”
“Then what?” said Caro.
“I don’t know,” I lied, knowing full well I’d be on the next ferry to Vancouver Island.
“I hope you stay. There are always solutions. You just have to look for them.” Caro’s gaze focused on the calm cove with its gently rocking dock and gnarly madrona trees. I knew some of her background from Kaden. She did know of what she was speaking.
“What’re you doing for a dress?” I asked, changing this depressing subject and genuinely curious about her dress. Caro might be able to get one off the rack somewhere. She’d have to spend a day or two off-island to find one, and it’d be tight to have any alterations done within the next two weeks.
“I’m borrowing one. Avery, Isaac Wolfe’s wife, has a sister-in-law who’s about my size. The dress is beautiful with simple, classic lines. She sent me pictures. My friend Hyacinth will be here in a few days with it. She’s a whiz with a needle and thread. She’ll alter it for me.”
“Oh, good. I wondered how you’d get around that.” I was happy for her. Trying to fit an already planned wedding to Caro’s taste was stressful enough. I didn’t know how she did it without throwing her hands in the air and giving up. Her problems might be small compared to mine, but they were still problems nevertheless, and I’d never diminish their importance in her life.
If only finding a wedding dress was my biggest concern.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Hippy Flophouse
~~Kaden~~
* * *
For the next week, Lanie and I were joined at the hip, and I wasn’t complaining. We slept together every night. In the morning, I went for a run with the guys, which turned into a long-distance race because, well, hockey players. Can we say competitive? Then we worked out, ate lunch, and had a beer or two. I took a nap and played a video game with Steele, then watched an hour or so of the Food Channel. By then, Lanie was done with work, and we’d hang out or make out or both. In a few days, we’d developed a routine.
I’d never been much for routines except when it came to hockey fitness. I’d considered them to be the tools of the dull and need-to-get-a-lifers. I’d been wrong. I loved our routine. I lived for it. Not that I threw spontaneity out the window, ’cause I did not, but I used it like the perfect spice to liven up an already proven dish.
Most evenings I cooked for the
entire gang. I gave Geneva some pointers on the finer points of cooking and traded recipes with Caro. Lanie didn’t seem to care much about cooking, but she loved to eat whatever I prepared.
On Saturday, one week before the big wedding, I was working on dinner, Lanie was chopping veggies for a salad, and Steele was cleaning up after me. The others were doing their own thing, and I wasn’t their keeper, so whatevs. They’d be by later for dinner.
I checked on my marinara sauce. I’d promised Heath I’d make my famous spaghetti—one of my signature meals. The kid loved it, though he often wore more of it than he ate.
I lifted the lid off the pot of sauce slowly simmering on the stove and breathed in the enticing herbs and spices. I put everything in my sauce, including hamburger, sausage, green peppers, onions, and carrots. It was like a stew, Italian style.
Replacing the lid, I heard a knock on the door. Not seeing anyone else dropping what they were doing, I wiped my hands on a dish towel and strode across the room to open it.
A little pixie stood on the doorstep in a tie-dyed sundress, jet-black hair, and full-sleeve tattoos of jungles on her arms. Her heavily made-up eyes were big and wide, adding to that pixie/fairy look she had going on.
“Where should I set up my stuff? I’ll need some help carrying all of it inside, too.” She was all businesslike and pushy. I didn’t know whether to slam the door in her face or what the fuck to do.
“I…uh…uh…” I was rendered speechless.
Lanie rushed forward. “Hyacinth. We’ve been expecting you.”
“We have?” Steele stammered.
“Sorry, I forgot to tell you. Hyacinth is a good friend of Caro’s. She’ll be doing the alterations on the wedding dress. I offered your spare room to her for the duration. Everything else is booked around the time of the wedding, and this way she won’t have to move.”
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