It Might Be You

by Jennifer Gracen

  “Sure.” Dane adjusted his baseball cap to keep the sun out of his eyes.

  “When you proposed to Julia . . . you were totally sure about it, right?”

  “Without an ounce of doubt.” Dane peered at his brother. “Why, are you having doubts?”

  “No. No, not at all,” Pierce assured him. “I was wondering why you eloped.”

  “Aha.” Dane grinned. “Because once I proposed and she said yes, the thought of having to wait a year to throw a big wedding . . . it wasn’t what I wanted. She didn’t want a big wedding either. So, we wanted to be married, decided the other stuff wasn’t for us, and that was it.” He shrugged as he added, “Also, I’ve always had a bit of a problem with impulse control.”

  Pierce laughed. “You and I share that trait.”

  “We share more than a few, actually,” Dane remarked. “You and me . . . we were the serial daters.”

  “I didn’t even date,” Pierce said quietly. “I slept around. Hit and ran.”

  “And Abby changed all that.”

  “Well . . . I was trying to change it just before I met her, but yeah, once I met her . . . I didn’t want anyone else. I knew she was it for me.” Pierce kicked at the sand in front of him. “I sound like a sap, don’t I?”

  “Nope. Either that or I did too, because that’s exactly how I felt when I fell for Julia. No one compared.” Dane leaned in. “They still don’t. My wife is extraordinary.”

  “I feel that way about Abby.”

  “Good. You should. Means you’re doing the right thing.” Dane stared at his younger brother for a long beat. “You’re gonna do okay, you know.”

  Pierce met his gaze. “I worry sometimes. I think about Mom and Dad and . . .”

  “I know. I get it. I did too.” Dane nodded, then lightened his tone. “But if I can carry this marriage thing off with such panache, so will you. Abby is an amazing woman. She’s grounded and she keeps you grounded. You’re already involved with her family, who are a really decent, good group of people. Not only am I not worried about you, I’m thrilled for you.” Dane put a hand on his brother’s forearm and added kindly, “I hope with them—the McCords, I mean—you’re feeling the kind of extended family love and support you never had growing up.”

  Pierce blinked in surprise. “Yeah, I didn’t, but I feel it now. Always had Tess, but now I have you and Charles too. And your wives and his kids. That all matters. A lot.”

  Dane nodded. “Good. Good, I’m glad.”

  “I know you’ve all been keeping Dad away from the wedding too.”

  “Well, Chuckles gets most of the credit for that, really.”

  “You and Tess helped. I know that. I’m trying to say I’m grateful.” Pierce rubbed the back of his neck as he thought. “I was thinking the other day how different my life is now from just two years ago. It’s a total one-eighty, you know?”

  “Yeah,” Dane said. “Because you worked hard for it. That credit goes to you.”

  “I guess. I just . . .” Pierce looked out at the water again. “I’ve just been very aware lately of . . . how lucky I am. I’m so damn grateful for Abby and the life we have. It’s, um . . . a little overwhelming sometimes.”

  Dane nodded slowly, seeming to take that in. Then he murmured, “You deserve this good life, Pierce. You hear me?”

  Pierce’s eyes flew back to his. He didn’t say anything.

  “You deserve this happiness,” Dane said. “You deserve Abby, you deserve what you’ve built together, and you deserve peace. I thought you knew that by now.”

  Pierce swallowed hard. His throat had thickened and his mouth had gone dry. “I don’t want to let her down,” he whispered.

  “You won’t,” Dane assured him.

  “I don’t want to suck at this,” Pierce said. “It’s too important.”

  “You feel that strongly about it,” Dane said, “you won’t.”

  Pierce licked his dry lips. “I hope so.”

  “Look. This is a marathon, not a sprint. Marriage takes work. There are boring times. There are hard times. But it’ll also transform your life. Because . . .” Dane paused, searching for the right words. “Guys like us? Who thought we’d never settle down, like getting married was a fate worse than death? When we found the right women, it changed us for the better, right? We changed. We grew. We’ll keep evolving and growing. And we’re gonna fuck up sometimes because we’re human, and that’s okay. As long as we keep trying.” Dane snorted out a laugh as he added, “We’ve got the prime example of what we don’t want: Mom and Dad. So use that. Learn from their mistakes. Whatever they did, do the opposite.”

  Pierce chuckled at that. “Good tip.”

  “It’s true, though.” Dane took off his cap, scratched at his damp curls, then put it back on. “They were both selfish. Never put the other one first. Demanded everything and gave each other nothing. So when in doubt, I remember that. And I love Julia so much, it’s easy to want to give and listen and work at it, because she makes me want to. You have that with Abby, from what I’ve seen and what you’re telling me. She also happens to love you as much as you love her, also from what I’ve seen. So stop worrying.” Dane squeezed his shoulder in support. “You’re gonna be fine, bro. I know it.”

  “Thanks.” Pierce nodded and exhaled. “I think . . . I think you were the one I needed to have this talk with.”

  “I get that. Like I said, we have a lot in common.”

  “Nah, you’re nicer than me,” Pierce joked. “Not as surly.”

  “So true,” Dane joked back. “I’m also wiser, more stylish, better-looking, and infinitely more charming. Don’t forget all that.”

  “Like you’d let me.” Pierce smiled wide. “But hey, you’re also older. Like so much older. You just turned thirty-nine . . . before we know it, you’ll be forty. Geezer.”

  Dane grimaced. “All right, shut up, you. And get off my lawn.”

  * * *

  Abby floated back up to her room at one o’clock. She’d just come from the spa, where she’d enjoyed one of the best massages she’d ever had in her life. It had been a gift from Tess: massages for Abby, Fiona, and their mother. Tess was always so thoughtful and generous. Abby adored her.

  After all, Tess was the one person who’d always watched over Pierce and made him feel like someone cared about him, from when they were small kids all the way through adulthood. Tess was the one family member Pierce trusted and counted on, back before he’d restored his relationships with his brothers. When Pierce’s soccer career tanked and he needed a safe haven to lie low while he licked his wounds, he’d gone to the one person and place in the world he felt secure: to Tess. If he hadn’t come back to Long Island to stay with his beloved sister, he and Abby would never have met. Tess and Abby both adored Pierce and had bonded over that. Needless to say, Tess held a special place in Abby’s heart.

  Abby sat on the plush couch that faced the back wall, with its wide windows and magnificent views of the property and the beach and the ocean just beyond. As she sighed in contentment for the umpteenth time, she picked up her cell phone and texted a gushing thanks to Tess for the massage, then texted her fiancé. Hey there, handsome. Where are you?

  Pierce’s text came back immediately. At the pool with Charles and the kids. Come on down!

  Sounds good, she wrote, but no thanks. The massage left me boneless. I’m basking in the afterglow, melting into a puddle of happy goo in our suite. Might take a nap. You enjoy.

  I’ll be up soon, he responded. Might want to take advantage of you in goo mode.

  Stay if you’re having fun! she wrote back. Seriously, I might fall asleep.

  Okay. Enjoy your afterglow. See you later. Love you.

  Love you too. xo

  Abby put down the phone to enjoy the view of the sea and sky for a few minutes. When her eyes grew heavy, she got up and went into the bedroom to burrow into the luxurious bed. As if on cue, there was a knock at the door.

  She wasn’t expecting anyone,
but anyone coming to see her was friendly, so she opened it without hesitation.

  “Miss McCord?” said a hotel employee from behind a tremendous bouquet of colorful flowers.

  “That’s me.”

  “Then these are for you.”

  “How nice! Come on in.”

  Abby watched as the young man placed the bouquet on the glass table in the middle of the sitting area. She thanked him, closed the door behind him, then went to the flowers with an enchanted smile on her face. The flowers were beautiful, and she dipped her face down to smell them before plucking the small white card from its holder.

  Dear Abby,

  Wishing you well as you officially join the family.

  Hope the wedding is lovely. Best, CRH II

  Abby was so shocked she dropped the card. Pierce’s father had sent these? He’d made no attempt to hide his distaste for her from the beginning. His words floated through her head as she recalled some of his choice phrases: “gold digger . . . blue collar . . . nothing special.” She’d disliked him for his disparaging comments about her, but they didn’t really matter. What she hated him for was the way he’d purposely tried to drive a wedge between her and Pierce simply because the man couldn’t stand to see his son happy. It’d almost worked too. But his attacks had only served to draw them closer together.

  Pierce . . . oh God. Abby frowned hard. When he saw the flowers and the card, Pierce would not be happy. In fact, he might go ballistic.

  Abby stared at them, thinking about what she should do. Do nothing and keep the flowers? Send them back? Get rid of them? She just wanted to keep Pierce happy. The wedding was only twenty-eight hours away now . . .

  Her phone dinged with a text and she went to check it. It was from Tess saying, I’m so glad you loved it! That makes me happy. Mission accomplished!

  Could you call me? Abby wrote back. I need to ask you something.

  The phone rang in fifteen seconds. “What’s up?” Tess asked.

  “Umm . . . I don’t want to sound like a drama queen,” Abby said, “or possibly be making a big deal out of something that isn’t a big deal. But . . . I just got a huge bouquet of flowers, here in the room. From your father.”

  “Oh God,” Tess groaned. “Pierce will flip out.”

  Abby exhaled. “That was my exact reaction. I feel better now. But what should I do? I don’t want to hide anything from him, but he was already upset yesterday by your mother’s call. I’m thinking if he sees this now . . .”

  “I’ll be there in a few minutes,” Tess said. “I’ll take them back to my room. Done deal.”

  Relief washed over Abby. “I’m not overreacting, then?”

  “Nope. Pierce has a short fuse when it comes to our parents on a good day. Seeing those flowers today could make him blow up. He’s already a little high-strung because of the wedding.”

  “I noticed,” Abby said. “I mean, the whole time he’s been so laid-back about everything. All the wedding planning, you know? Until we got here. Now . . . I thought I’d be the one who’d be tense with all the last-minute things, but he’s the one who’s tense.”

  “It’s not about you, if that’s what you’re thinking,” Tess assured her. “It’s that he desperately wants everything to be perfect. For you. He wants to give you the wedding of your dreams . . . and his parents are reminders of his unhappy past. He doesn’t want that—or them—touching this weekend. He wants perfection. They remind him of how far from perfect he was before he found you. Does that make any sense?”

  Abby sighed. “I suppose.”

  “I’m so glad I texted when I did,” Tess said. “I’ll be there in two minutes.”

  While Abby waited, she thought over what Tess had said. The rehearsal dinner was only a few hours away. Getting him alone might be difficult. But at some point, she needed to have a heart-to-heart talk with her soon-to-be husband.

  Chapter Four

  Abby looked around, utterly enchanted with everything she saw. Their rehearsal dinner was being held out on the massive back patio, on a deck canopied by trees that went right up to the edge of the beach. Six round tables were topped in cream-colored linens, bright flowers, and candles. Music played from some hidden sound system, soft acoustic guitar over ethereal keyboards. Paper lanterns hung from the surrounding trees and thousands of tiny white lights had been strung everywhere, making the twilight sparkle and shimmer, transforming the space into something magical. She couldn’t help but sigh in sheer delight.

  Pierce slid his arm around her waist to pull her closer and murmured into her ear, “You like it?”

  “I love it,” she gushed. “It’s beautiful. I can’t believe it.”

  “I’m so glad it’s how you hoped it’d be.” He pressed a kiss to her temple.

  She turned into him for a long, tight hug. Her head rested on his chest as their arms wrapped around each other. “I love this,” she said. “And I love you.”

  “Oh, good. I mean, because we’re getting married tomorrow and all.”

  “I can’t wait.” She pulled back to smile at him. “We were standing there during the rehearsal and I kept staring at you and thinking, ‘This time tomorrow, it’ll be real. We’ll be married.’ And Pierce . . . I can’t wait.”

  He smiled down at her, his fingers caressing her cheek, before he lowered his head to press his lips to hers. “Me too, baby. Me too.” He kissed her again, long and sweet. Her arm curled around his neck to hold him as they kissed.

  “All right, all right, enough of that.” Dane’s jovial voice broke into their moment. “Come on, you lovesick kids. Time to eat, drink, and be merry. You can get it on later.”

  Pierce shook his head and snorted, giving his brother’s arm a light punch as he passed. Dane grunted and rubbed his arm, then kept walking to join his wife.

  The sixty guests mingled, enjoying the evening as the sun fell farther into the horizon. Soft breezes blew off the ocean, bringing its salty scent. Drinks and hors d’oeuvres were passed around, people talked and laughed, and music played.

  Pierce glanced around, taking note of where his nearest and dearest were situated. Charles and Lisette had the table closest to the wall. Dane and Tess were with them; Dane had tiny Charlotte in his arms, making silly faces and trying to charm their newest family member. Tess laughed at whatever he was saying to the baby, her smile radiant. Julia was by the railing with Abby and her sister, talking and looking gorgeous. Charles’s three kids and Abby’s nephew, Dylan, all sat in a huddle at the edge of the deck. Thomas held a tablet in his lap and they were watching a video or playing a game or something. While Pierce felt bad because the kids were likely bored at something like this, he was glad his niece and nephews had made Dylan feel so welcome, instantly a part of them. Abby’s parents sat at one of the tables with her aunts and uncles, talking and laughing. Various friends filled in the spaces. Seemed like everyone was enjoying themselves. Pierce allowed himself to exhale.

  Troy came up to his side and said, “You still throw a good party.”

  “Thanks,” Pierce replied, “but I can’t take credit. Abby planned all this, chose everything.” He smirked. “Besides, this is really nice but tame. Too elegant for you to think I planned it.”

  “Good point.”

  “I mean, it’s not like I can really let loose with my soon-to-be in-laws here.”

  “Another good point.”

  “The bonfire on the beach tomorrow night, after the wedding? That’ll be fun.”

  “Want tequila shots there?”

  “Sounds like a plan.”

  “I’ll make sure to bring them, then.”

  “You’re the best best man ever.”

  They clinked their beer bottles and sipped.

  “Still can’t believe you’re getting married,” Troy said. “But I have to say . . . I’ve never seen you so . . . well, content. Like you’ve finally found peace.” He looked across the deck to where Abby and Fiona stood as Julia walked away from them. “I’m happy for you, man
. Seriously.”

  “Thanks.” Pierce gazed across the deck to his fiancée. Abby’s straight blond hair swayed as a breeze lifted the ends. The same breeze made the hem of her gauzy sky-blue dress seem to float around her ankles. She smiled broadly at something Fiona said. “It’s all her,” Pierce murmured. “Everything.”

  “I know,” Troy said. “Well, we Edgewater folks are pretty damn awesome.”

  “That’s the truth. Speaking of Edgewater folks . . .” Pierce lifted a wicked brow at his best friend. “Fiona’s pretty nice to look at, huh?”

  Troy blinked, then huffed out a breath. “Shit. Am I that obvious?”

  “Only a little.” Pierce chuckled. “Fiona’s gorgeous, no question. Smart, with a good heart. You have some things in common. Could be fun. Could be more than fun. But I’m warning you, she’s feisty as hell. Think you can handle her?”

  “I’d love to find out.” Troy took a swig from his bottle.

  “Well, then.” Pierce fixed him with a look. “You gonna do anything about it this weekend?”

  “Hell yes.”

  “Attaboy.”

  * * *

  After the salad plates had been cleared away, Dane turned, scanned the length of the wide patio, and realized his wife still wasn’t there. Maybe she’d slipped away to use the restroom? He nabbed a waiter and ordered another beer. After he got it, he chatted briefly with Abby’s parents. They were nice people, smart, down-to-earth. Dane could see where Abby got such a good base from, and a wave of sentimentality whopped him. He’d found himself expressing personal thanks to them for welcoming Pierce into their family as warmly and completely as they had. Carolyn and Jesse had seemed genuinely moved by that. It was a nice talk . . . but then he’d realized he’d almost finished his beer and Julia still hadn’t returned.

  A glance at his watch showed she’d been gone for almost half an hour. Where the hell was she?

  Determined, he left the deck and went into the hotel. His long legs carried him down the hallway toward the restrooms. Never shy, he pushed open the door to the ladies’ room just a few inches and called out, “Red, you in there?”