“I wanted to tell you that we’ve charged Beth. She’s the one who sent you the package and painted your house.” Donaldson was grim with his news.
Caroline had already figured out that Beth was behind her problems. Well, not all of them. He who shall not be named was behind the rest.
“Sit down, sweetie.” Kirsty tugged her into the sofa and patted her hand.
Donaldson took a deep breath. “She was also the one who sent the photos of you in your suits to the magazines and newspapers. And she’s been letting the paparazzi guy, Pyro, live with her. She snuck him into your wedding as her date.”
That was what Caroline got for being polite and inviting her in the first place.
“As for Pyro.” Donaldson shifted his feet on the spot, and Caroline knew the news wasn’t good. “We caught him, but not before he’d sent the pictures to his publisher. I’m afraid photos of your wedding, and what Beth did, are all over the media.”
Caroline supposed she should be upset at the news, but she couldn’t work up the energy. The photos didn’t matter. In a few days, no one would be interested in the woman who almost married Josh McInnes. Whoever Josh chose next would get the attention. No doubt he’d learned his lesson and would go back to dating celebrities.
“Don’t worry,” Kirsty told her. “It will all be fine. The photos will be old news in a day or two. Some other celebrity will do something more interesting and the media will turn their attention to them. You only have to hold on until this passes.”
Caroline wanted to tell her friend that she honestly didn’t care about the photos. She wasn’t sure she cared about anything. Instead, she nodded her agreement and left it at that.
“Okay.” The police officer seemed to have given up waiting for a response from her. “I’ll be in touch.”
With that, he strode out of the house. Caroline was relieved to see him go. One less person to deal with. Unfortunately, he let someone in when he left. Mitch entered the living room with an apologetic look on his face.
“How are you doing?” His smile was gentle. With one look at Caroline’s red, swollen eyes, he nodded. “About how I expected.” He sighed. “I’m sorry to add to things for you, but Josh wants you to come to the castle tonight to sign some papers.”
Kirsty jumped to her feet. “Can’t that wait? Doesn’t he have a heart at all? Surely he realises Caroline isn’t up to this right now.”
“I’m sorry. I know the timing isn’t great. But I’m sure Caroline wants to resolve this as much as Josh. It won’t take long.” He turned to Caroline. “Can you be there at eight o’clock?”
“Can we make it another day?” Caroline knew she sounded pathetic.
“Sorry.” Mitch gave her an apologetic shrug. “He’s leaving the country tonight. So it has to be this evening.”
Caroline felt a sharp jab in her side. He was leaving already. She’d never see him again. She ignored the pain that twisted her insides, and told herself that this was a good thing.
“Fine. I’ll be there.”
“Thanks. That’s great.” He turned to Kirsty. “Can you walk me out? I’d like a word.”
Kirsty frowned, but followed Mitch. Caroline was glad that they were gone. She loved Kirsty, but she hoped her friend would follow Mitch out the door and come back in a year or two. She slid over to lie on the couch, curling her knees tight into her chest. Tomorrow, she promised herself, she would stop wallowing in self-pity and get on with her life. The centre needed her. She still had things to do. She would feel better staying busy. It was a good plan. That left her with today to mourn what might have been with Josh.
When Kirsty came back into the room, she had a strange look on her face. As though she was excited about something, but loath to show it.
“This won’t do.” Kirsty grabbed Caroline’s arm and yanked her into a seated position. “Enough of this. If you’re going to deal with Josh tonight, we need to get some work done. You can’t turn up in your PJs. We need to get you cleaned up and do something about those eyes. Do you have cucumber? Never mind. I’ll send one of the boys to fetch some. They’re just sitting out front playing dominoes anyway. Since the press left town there’s really no need for them to be there.” She tugged Caroline to her feet. “Shower,” she ordered. “I brought new lingerie to cheer you up. You can wear that, and that pretty lavender dress of yours. There’s no way I’m letting you go to the castle looking anything but stunning. One look at you and Josh will regret that he ever let you walk away.”
Caroline thought it would take more than an old dress and new underwear to make Josh regret anything. But Kirsty was right about one thing. There was no way she could confront Josh with red, swollen eyes, wearing pink pyjamas. As she dragged herself up the stairs to the shower, part of her wished she still had her grey suits. They were like armour. And armour sounded perfect for saying goodbye to the man she loved.
CHAPTER FORTY
Caroline arrived at the castle at exactly eight o’clock, flanked by Kirsty and Archie. Archie had demanded to attend, saying she needed all the moral support she could get. Caroline couldn’t say no. She was ill with the thought of facing Josh again. If there had been any way to avoid it, she would have. Instead she’d given herself a pep talk on the fact that being an adult meant facing difficult situations. She needed to be mature. She needed to be calm. She needed to hide in a closet until she was sure Josh was out of the country.
Caroline felt battered. Her insides were raw with the emotional beating she’d endured—most of it caused by her own stupidity. What made her think that she could marry Josh McInnes? She was silly idiot of a woman. At least she’d had the sense to realise in time that he would never love her. He’d obviously recognised that she was unlovable as soon as he’d set eyes on her. There was no other explanation as to why he’d picked her, out of the millions of women who would have jumped at the chance, to be his wife.
She placed a hand on her stomach and tried to calm the chaos inside her. It was humiliating to have to face the man again. For them to both be reminded of the reasons why their marriage plans had been such a joke. People like her didn’t marry people like Josh. It was one of the laws of the universe. She’d been stupid to challenge it. And as soon as she got this awful evening over with, she’d slink back to her place in the scheme of things and give up on her hopes of having a family. It wasn’t for her. She was sure of it.
Caroline’s head ached as Kirsty drove them to the castle in Lake’s car. She’d been worried that there were still some press lingering. There were none. Caroline and Josh were old news.
“It will be okay,” Kirsty said as she reached over to pat Caroline’s hand.
She didn’t have the heart to contradict her friend. It wouldn’t be okay. It would be torture. She would be ripped open after this visit. And she would spend days, months, years, putting herself back together.
The castle looked deserted, which was a relief to Caroline. When they got to the front door, they found a note pinned to it.
“It says we’re to go round the back. Josh is in the garden,” Archie told them, even though they could all read it for themselves.
Caroline licked her dry lips. “That’s a strange place to deal with paperwork.” Why couldn’t he just have been waiting for her in his office? She wanted to get this over with as fast as possible.
“He’s American.” Kirsty led Caroline to the back of the house. “Strange is a way of life for them.”
They walked around to the back of the house and Caroline was relieved to see that there was no trace of the marquee. Or the tartan sheep.
“You returned the sheep to their owner, didn’t you?”
Archie shot her a look that clearly said she was mad. “What else would we do with a bunch of hand-painted sheep?”
There was no sign of Josh at the back of the house, but they spotted Mitch coming down the path that wound its way through the old orchard.
“Caroline.” He smiled at her. “Glad you could make it.
Josh is this way. Follow me.”
He ushered her on in front of him.
Her stomach fluttered. She felt faint and wanted to retreat. Maybe he could mail the papers to her for her signature? Now why hadn’t she thought of that before coming to the castle? Caroline eyed Mitch nervously over her shoulder. “Why am I meeting Josh in the garden? I thought he wanted me to sign some papers.”
“He does. It’s better if he explains.”
Caroline clenched and unclenched her hands. A cold sweat broke out in the small of her back. She wanted to go home and crawl into a box of chocolates. And stay there until she vomited or passed out.
“What are these papers for, anyway? Is it something that can wait? Maybe Josh could mail them to me?”
“They’re mainly to do with the renovation and really should be signed straight away. You’re here now. Why not get this over with?”
Caroline’s stomach rolled. She’d forgotten all about the castle restoration. She guessed that was something else that wouldn’t go ahead. One more thing she’d screwed up. And one more thing she’d deal with after this meeting was over. The workmen would be so disappointed. It was a look she was getting used to seeing on the faces of the people around her.
Her feet dragged as she rounded a bend in the path. If Kirsty and Mitch hadn’t been behind her, she would have turned and fled. This was a mistake. Seeing Josh again would be too painful. Being anywhere near him would be agonising. Why was she doing this to herself? Didn’t she deserve some time to heal? To hide?
She tripped over something on the path and jerked to a halt. Her hand fluttered to her mouth. “What on earth?” Thousands of bubbles floated towards her. They covered the path and danced around the trees. She gave Kirsty a questioning glance and became even more confused when her friend beamed widely.
“Keep going, Caroline.” Mitch urged her forward. “Not far now.”
Kirsty squeezed her hand. “It’s okay, sweetie. You’ll see.”
Archie smiled and nodded.
Caroline’s brain was frozen. The scene in front of her didn’t make sense. Gingerly, she stepped through the bubbles and slowly followed the path. Her palms were clammy. Her mouth was dry. A part of her mind was screaming hysterically. She felt like she was walking into a dream. Or worse, a psychotic hallucination.
“Have I had a breakdown and I’m lying in a hospital bed?” she whispered to Kirsty.
“No, silly. You’re actually here.”
“So there really are bubbles?”
Kirsty gave her a one-armed hug as they walked. “Just like you planned when you were a girl. Remember?”
Caroline felt her knees weaken. She couldn’t mean…? No. Kirsty didn’t mean the wedding she’d planned. Her mind stuttered. This was not happening.
The path turned one last time. Caroline stopped dead. Before her was a small white gazebo decorated in thick bunches of purple heather. There was so much of it you could barely make out the wooden structure. The path before her was covered in white rose petals. Rainbow coloured bubbles floated everywhere.
And under the gazebo, standing tall was Josh.
Caroline stopped breathing. Her feet wouldn’t move. There were no thoughts in her mind. It was as though time had hiccupped and she was in the void.
Josh was dressed in his jeans and a plain pale blue T-shirt. And he was smiling at her. Nervously.
Beside Josh stood the vicar. In front of the gazebo were some chairs. Not many. Enough for Josh’s parents, the domino boys, Betty, Mitch and Kirsty. Caroline spotted Lake standing to the side, monitoring events closely. Kirsty nudged Caroline forward. She couldn’t move. She wasn’t sure what was going on, but she couldn’t deal with any more humiliation. She’d reached her limit.
Josh seemed to realise that she wasn’t going any further, so he slowly moved towards her. His usual saunter had turned into something far more predatory. He prowled forward. The look in his eye made it clear that she was his prey. Caroline swallowed hard, aware that it was too late to run. He would just chase her.
Josh stopped in front of her. “Hi.” The soft rumble reminded her of other times they’d had together. More intimate times. Her cheeks warmed at the thought.
“What’s going on?” She hated that the words came out hesitantly. “I thought you wanted me to sign some papers.”
“I do, baby. I want you to sign a marriage certificate.”
Caroline blinked at him until her brain caught up. “A marriage certificate?”
Josh reached for her hand. Tingles ran up her arm and straight to her heart. “We’re getting married tonight.”
She shook her head. “I told you. I can’t.”
He stepped towards her. “You told me you couldn’t because you love me. Do you still love me, baby?”
Caroline felt the tears she’d been fighting all day. They flooded her eyes, ready to spill. She blinked furiously. Josh stepped into her space. One hand wrapped around her to press against the small of her back, closing the distance between them. She should have protested. She should have moved away from him. But it felt so good to have his hands on her again. To have him hold her again.
He leaned down to nuzzle her ear. “Do you still love me, Caroline?”
She sucked in a sob. “Yes.”
“Good.” Josh kissed her neck below her ear. “Because I love you, baby.”
Caroline felt every muscle within her tense. “You don’t mean it.” Could he? It didn’t make sense. “You don’t believe in falling in love.”
“Yeah.” He spoke against her neck. “About that. I was wrong. I fell in love with you.” He wrapped both arms around her, bringing his clasped hands to rest in the small of her back. His blue eyes captured hers. “I fell in love with you the minute I opened the door and found Grace Kelly staring up at me. I fell even deeper when you wouldn’t let me make a sound studio in the castle. I fell in deeper still when you got drunk on champagne and propositioned me in the garden. And I fell all the way when you took me to your bed and let me make love to you.”
Caroline’s head was spinning. “You don’t mean this. You’re only saying this to get me to marry you.”
He chuckled. “Hell yeah, I’m saying this to get you to marry me. I want the woman I love to be my wife.”
“What about the arrangement? What about a life of committed friendship and mutual respect?”
“Baby.” He kissed her softly on the lips, stealing the air from her. “We can have that too. But we’ll also have romantic love and seriously hot sex.”
Caroline couldn’t think straight. Her whole body vibrated with hope. But she didn’t believe him. “Yesterday, I told you I love you and you let me walk away because you didn’t love me. How could that change overnight? You don’t love me one day, but you love me the next. It isn’t possible.”
He pressed his forehead to hers. “I get that you don’t believe me, baby. But I do love you. It took you walking away for me to realise that I can’t let that happen again. If you leave me, you take my heart along with you. I’ll never love anyone else. You’re it for me, Caroline Patterson. And I would really like to turn you into Caroline McInnes. Say yes. Don’t make me suffer. I deserve it. But don’t do it. Marry me tonight.”
Caroline’s thoughts stumbled over each other. “I thought you were leaving the country tonight.”
“We’re leaving the country tonight. I booked a honeymoon. I wouldn’t leave without you.”
Caroline was terrified to believe him. Her heart was too fragile. She stared at him for the longest time. Josh seemed happy to let her think things through.
“Prove it,” she said at last. “Prove you love me.”
He gave her a long, slow grin. “That’s easy.” He turned towards the gazebo, took her hand tight in his and pulled her along with him. Their family and friends smiled their encouragement. Even Josh’s dad seemed pleased. When they got to the gazebo, Josh turned to her.
“I took a leaf out of my dad’s book.” There was a noise be
hind him as his band appeared from the bushes. “Women want big romantic gestures. Right? Well, the boys are going to help me with that.”
Caroline was confused. “You don’t believe in romance.”
“I believe in it where you’re concerned. You deserve some romance. And I’m only too happy to give it to you.” He turned to the band. “Let’s go, boys.”
The secluded area was filled with music. And Josh began to sing. To her. For her. The words of Etta James’s “At Last” floated around them.
There was no mistaking the depth of feeling in Josh’s face as he sang to her. He let all of his emotions show in his eyes. Caroline’s heart stuttered as tears slid down her cheeks. He gently and lovingly wiped them away for her. When the song ended, he pulled her close and whispered in her ear. “Remember my dad’s little talk? The big romantic gesture is only part of what women want. I’ve got a suit and handcuffs on standby, just in case this doesn’t work.”
A laugh erupted from Caroline. “You really mean it. You love me?” She stared into his eyes, searching for confirmation. And gasped when she found it.
“I really mean it. I love you, Caroline Patterson. All of you. Even the bossy bits.”
She laughed some more as she wiped her face. “Then marry me, Josh McInnes.”
“Damn right I’m going to marry you.”
They turned to face the preacher. He grinned at them. “I hope you don’t mind, but I’ve adapted the wording of the service. I’m not asking for any objections this time.”
The group behind her laughed. The preacher’s words were a blur until Josh was asked if he took Caroline to be his wife. His answer was loud and clear. “I really do.” There was a cheer.
The minister turned to Caroline and asked if she took Josh as her husband. Caroline stared into Josh’s eyes and saw anxiety there. He was worried she’d refuse him. She touched his cheek with her palm and took a deep breath. “I do.”
Josh grabbed her around the waist and kissed her hard.
“Hey,” the minister shouted. “We aren’t at that part yet.”
Goody Two Shoes (Invertary Book 2) Page 31