by Megan Ryder
Dammit, she didn’t want to. She finally knew what she wanted out of her life and he was a critical part of that, the only thing that mattered to her.
The water rushed alongside the ferry and dolphins played in the water, leading the ferry to the island, to her future. The day had dawned glorious and bright, a perfect day for a wedding. After the storm that week and the associated stress, Caroline deserved this. Brigid had no idea what damage had been done to the island. She had left in such a hurry, focused on her own life and issues, that she hadn’t even stayed to make her friend’s day the best it could be. Yet another sin she’d have to atone for. If she were a practicing Catholic, she’d be saying Hail Mary’s until the second coming. As it was, she’d better practice groveling because Caroline might forgive her but she’d demand a good apology and Brigid didn’t have Anna’s acting ability or flare with words. She’d have to wing it, speaking from the heart, something Brigid completely sucked at. Emotions, feelings were not her wheelhouse. Logic, analysis, knowledge. Those were her strengths.
She pressed a shaky hand to her stomach. How would they ever forgive her?
The island came into view and she made her way down to the exit, hoping to find someone who could drive her to the inn or the Masters’ house. She didn’t recognize anyone milling about the ferry exit. Most of the wedding guests had come the night before and stayed on the island. Brigid had had to leave her car at the parking lot since she couldn’t drive on the island anyway so she was stranded unless she could find a ride. Fortunately, the island had a shuttle so she followed the crowd off the gangway and towards the shuttle stand. As she stood there, a voice called out to her.
“Brigid? I didn’t expect to see you here. Shouldn’t you be getting ready for the wedding?”
Brigid turned to see Janine Edgerton, the woman who had been helping Grady at the cottage, leaning out the window of a beat-up pickup truck.
Brigid shrugged. “I had to go back to the mainland for work. I’m trying to head over to the house now.”
Janine studied her and for a moment, Brigid thought she’d drive on. Then, the other woman nodded. “Hop in. I can give you a ride.”
This wouldn’t be awkward at all. But she needed the ride and the woman offered. Brigid swung her bag in the back of the truck and hopped in the cab. “Thanks. I really appreciate it.”
Janine pulled away and navigated down the road. “I wouldn’t think you would leave so close to the wedding.”
The comment was said casually but Brigid heard the censure in the tone. “Well, sometimes we can’t choose what we have to do. We don’t all have the luxury of making our own schedules and choices in life.”
Janine laughed. “You think anyone makes their own choices? We all answer to someone. The choice is how we handle that and where we draw the line.”
Brigid sucked in a breath, stung at the words, then let it out in a heavy sigh. “Yeah, I guess that’s true.”
Janine cast her a sideways glance. “So, what happened between you and Grady? He’s got his tail all twisted up the last day or so and I can’t help but wonder why when he’d been so happy.”
Brigid looked out the window at the marsh land. “I don’t think I want to talk about this with you.”
“Because I’m attracted to him?” Brigid’s head swiveled to her. Janine laughed. “He never took me up on my offers, no matter how obvious they were. He’d been out here for months, on and off, and not once did he ever consider anything with me or anyone else, not even dinner. And trust me, I’m not the only one who offered.”
Heat blossomed in Brigid’s face and she narrowed her eyes. “Oh really? And why would you tell me this now?”
“I think you need to know he never took anyone up on anything. In fact, there was a rumor that he might even be gay or married.”
“Definitely not gay,” Brigid muttered.
“I figured. But the point is, he only had one person on his mind, no matter what you thought.” She turned into the gated community. “He spoke of you, you know. He talked about your career, your dedication, and how good you were at your job. I gather you helped a friend of his out of some trouble with a legal situation or something?”
Brigid had to think for a minute. “Yes, a woman he knew had some trouble with her building and I helped get the owner to fix the problems. It was no big deal.”
“Maybe not to you but it meant the world to a woman about to be evicted and her kids who were living in an unsafe environment,” Janine responded quietly.
“I guess.” Brigid looked out the window. “I liked that case. I felt like I did something for once, something good.”
“Grady couldn’t stop talking about it. He said you were like a mama grizzly attacking that man.” Janine laughed at the memory. “I knew then that he loved you, no matter what the status of your relationship was.”
Brigid looked over at her, a question in her eyes. “What do you mean?”
“When you work on a cottage as long as we had to, and that place needed a ton of work, you talk about a whole host of things. I know you two never really dated in the traditional sense. But he’s totally gone over you, has been forever. When I first met you, I couldn’t see it. I couldn’t reconcile the woman I met on Monday with the woman he described. So, who are you really, Brigid?”
Brigid gave a rough sound of a laugh. “I think I’m just figuring it out.”
Janine pulled up to the Masters’ house and parked the truck behind a row of cars. She turned in the seat and stared at Brigid. “Grady is a good guy. But you already know that. I don’t know what you did to fuck it up, but I’m glad you’re back. He deserves happiness and, for some reason, he thinks you’ll bring it.”
“Why do you care? If I walk away, you might have a chance with him.”
Janine gave a rueful smile. “I have no chance with him. He sees no one but you. Even if you walk away, he’s a one-woman man. You’ll always own his heart. Don’t break it, Brigid.”
“I already have,” she said quietly.
Janine nodded. “So, what are you going to do about it?”
“Piece it back together the best I can.”
*
Brigid opened the front door to complete chaos. People scurried around the house, calling orders back and forth about flowers, dresses, pictures, makeup, and hair. Clearly, she had walked into the middle of preparation. Here she thought she had come early enough to get here before anything had started, able to give her apology in privacy but that was not going to happen, if Caroline would even speak to her.
“About time you show up. Where have you been?” Anna demanded from the top of stairs. The other woman walked down the stairs, dark eyes flashing in anger. “I didn’t really expect you to come back. Thought you were too busy at work.”
“I quit.”
“So, you’re back.” A voice at the top of the stairs made her look up. Caroline stood with Delaney. The people swirled around them, calling questions, and Caroline raised her hand. “Everyone, out. Now. Except the bridesmaids.”
Caroline had never sounded so cold, so distant, and Brigid could almost feel the ice skate across her skin. Delaney studied her with a coolness that she was famous for, hence her nickname of the ice princess back in college, but Caroline had always been the warm and welcoming one. Now, Brigid had no idea what to do or say. She started up the steps but Caroline narrowed her gaze and Brigid stopped on the first step.
“Caroline, I’m sorry. I know I have no right to be here or even apologize. What I did was unforgivable; to leave you right before your wedding when all you asked is for us to be here for one week. It was the least I could do for all you’ve done for me.”
“The very least,” Anna muttered behind her.
Brigid shot a dark look behind her but refused to let herself be goaded. She took another step up. “I had my priorities all screwed up. Nothing is more important than my friends, than your wedding.”
“Not even your promotion or your deal?” Caroline ar
ched her eyebrow.
Brigid took another step. “No, I quit yesterday.”
Caroline gasped, her composure shot all to hell. She rushed down the steps, completely forgetting herself. “Brigid, I never wanted you to quit. How could you? I’ll talk to daddy tomorrow. We’ll make sure you have your job, I promise. My wedding shouldn’t cost you your job.”
Brigid hugged her. “It didn’t. I made the decision that I didn’t want to make those sacrifices anymore. Any job that requires me to give up my life, my friends, is not worth it. I can find something else.”
“Hell, yeah. Lawyers are a dime a dozen. You can hang a shingle out of an office and be a lawyer,” Anna said. “Shouldn’t be that hard.”
“Stuff it, Anna,” Delaney said, following Caroline down the stairs, looking very tired and drawn. She also hugged Brigid. “We’re glad you’re back, honey. You okay?”
Brigid shrugged, blinked back tears at the quiet concern, tears she hadn’t foreseen. “I’ll be okay. I’ll figure it all out Monday.”
Delaney grabbed her shoulders and peered into her eyes, willing a strength into them. “You’re strong. You’ll survive and figure this out, coming out stronger for it. Trust me; I know this.”
And she did. She’d survived a much more difficult journey after her father’s arrest for a Ponzi scheme and her family’s sudden loss of finances. Delaney had picked herself up and forged her own path in life, maybe not one she had planned but she had done it. And Brigid could do the same thing, had no choice really.
Brigid hugged her fiercely, clinging for a moment to whisper in her ear, “I don’t know why you look so sad, but I plan on getting it out of you as soon as possible. Don’t even think of running away again.”
Delaney pulled back slightly, a small, sad smile on her face. “Running away is no longer an option. I just have to survive.”
Brigid nodded then was pulled back to face Caroline. “So, you think you can waltz back in here and be a bridesmaid after walking out on me two days before my wedding?”
Brigid bit her lower lip, not sure how to answer. “Um, yes? If you’ll still have me. If not, I’ll still be here for you. I really am sorry I screwed up.”
“You think I’m mad about the wedding? What about Grady? You destroyed him and, as my future brother-in-law in about eight hours or so, I feel responsible for him. What are you going to do about that?”
“I have no idea,” she admitted. “But I’m open to suggestions.”
“Do you want him back?”
“If he’ll have me, although I doubt he even wants to see me after what I did.”
Anna laughed. “That man is totally gone on you, girl. I know men and he wants you. He’ll take you back. You just need to grovel a little. Come on; we’ll plan it over some champagne.”
The girls linked arms and headed up the stairs. Caroline leaned back and yelled, “You can all come back and bring a couple of bottles of champagne!”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Grady leaned against the white column on the porch, staring sightlessly out onto the beautiful lawn and garden scene, and the Gulf of Mexico just beyond. It had taken quite a bit of work to fix the gazebo for the outdoor wedding vows and clean up the gardens after the storm but he had been motivated. Not just to make the day special for his brother and Caroline, a woman Grady already loved like a sister, but pounding nails and building a new gazebo was an excellent way to work out the aggression and tension that pounded through him since Brigid had left on Thursday.
In his gut, the argument was probably stupid but, truth be told, the whole relationship was most likely insane and doomed to fail. Better to know it now, than waste more time and risk forging deeper ties that would only bind, gag, and destroy them in the long run. Matt had been right; Grady and Brigid were too opposite, had a completely different goals and outlooks on life. Brigid was all about the big deals, the money, the status while he was happy with a modest house, restoring Houston’s historical district and taking time to enjoy life. Being in her third-year, she was still tied to billable hours and paid based on that, and he remembered those days, when he was paying off business loans and debts, trying to pay employees and grow, working eighteen-hour days. He was over that, ready for the next phase of his life. Brigid was still in that mode and, honestly, he wasn’t sure she would ever not be that kind of person. There was always another deal, another client, more billable hours.
Yes, this decision was for the best, for both of them. They were each free to find someone more suited to their lives.
If only his heart would listen to his head.
A glass of scotch appeared in his vision and he took it gratefully. “How did you know I needed this?”
“We all need something today,” Ethan replied, his own voice rough and tight.
Grady shot him a look but only lifted the glass in a small salute. They both tossed back the contents and grunted. “That’s good. Smooth.”
“It should be. It’s Johnny Walker Blue.” Ethan poured another shot into both glasses, then into two others as Matthew and Wyatt joined them.
The men sat in the chairs around a small round table and sipped their scotch, not talking.
Matthew finally cleared his throat. “Caroline didn’t mean anything, you know. She just wanted to repair some of the damage from the past and maybe reclaim some of the closeness we all had back then.”
Ethan shot him a dirty glare while Wyatt snorted.
Grady stared and said, “I had no part of that, Matt. She should have left Brigid and me alone. Besides, you were right. We’re at different phases in our careers and lives. Hell, we’re on completely different trajectories and will never be on the same path.”
“So, you’re giving up? Just going to walk away?” Matthew said, swirling the amber liquid in his glass. “You’re all bailing?”
“Jesus, Matt,” Ethan exploded. “This whole week was a clusterfuck from the start. I get that you guys are happy and we’re thrilled for you. I’m fucking jealous that you found your true love in college and you found a way to make it work through everything. But it doesn’t happen that way for everyone. And that’s okay.”
Matthew shrugged. “Maybe not. But I’ll say one thing. You at least have a chance to resolve everything and not just leave it all on bad terms. You’re going to be seeing each other a lot; Caroline will make sure of it. So, if I were you, I’d be sure to settle everything, even if you’re not together. And be sure you’re not full of shit because ultimately, relationships come down to talking and compromise and working shit out.”
He stood and looked at Grady. “Mom’s here. I’m sure she’d like to see us before the ceremony.”
Grady snorted. “Really? She hadn’t seem too interested while I was growing up.”
Matthew scowled. “Come on, dumbass. I want us both to see her. You don’t need to make up with her or anything. I just need you to get along for the day and not run out like you did at my promotion.”
Grady drained the rest of the scotch and stood. “Fine. Whatever the groom says. But I’m not kissing your ass after today.”
*
Matthew led Grady around the outside of the hotel towards the side where a small sitting area had been set out for people who had come out for the day. Before they rounded the corner, Matthew stopped him.
“Grady, I’m sorry about you and Brigid.”
“You warned me. Repeatedly. You told me that we were too different and sometimes opposites don’t attract. Look at Mom and Dad.” Grady shrugged, trying to toss the hurt right off his back but it clung to him, digging talons into his skin and tearing him apart.
Matthew shifted, looking uncomfortable. “I know what I said but maybe I was wrong. You were happy with Brigid and so was she. Brigid is a good friend of both Caroline and I, but I also see her at work. She has a tendency to get absorbed in her job, to the exclusion of everything else. You brought her out of that world, gave her something else to think about.”
Grady snorted.
“It was just stress relief. I clearly forgot that.”
“Maybe. Brigid was definitely happier when she was spending time with you, especially this week. And you’re different too. She gave you focus or something.” He looked so uncomfortable saying it, but Grady understood.
“Yeah, she gave me the guts to go after what I wanted, helped me worked out the business plan. But that’s not a reason to date someone. We don’t fit, Matt. She left. She’ll always leave when her business calls. Just like Mom. Mom couldn’t be happy with a contractor for a husband, or even a son. Brigid wants more; she deserves more. I can’t fit in with her lawyer partners. I’ll be the one who works in their kitchens and their bedrooms, working for them, not seen as an equal. You know what I mean.”
“Caroline works for them. She plans events and many of the partners’ wives hire her to run their parties. How is that different?”
“Come on, Matt. Caroline could never be thought of as a servant or anything other than an equal. I’m blue-collar all the way, without the education, the manners, or the connections Brigid has. I’m fine for some fun on the side.”
Matthew’s eyes narrowed. “Did she say that? Because if she did…”
“No, she didn’t but I know it’s there. It’s always been there between us. Even you saw it.”