How to Lose a Groom in 10 Days

by Catherine Mann

  “What am I doing, Polly?” As if in response, the puppy cocked her head, trying to make sense of her question. She let out a small bark before curling up in a tight ball on the bed, tail wagging now that Melanie had stopped crying.

  “If only it were that simple, little one,” Melanie breathed, lying next to the dog.

  Part of her wanted Grady. His kiss. His heat. There was an undeniable chemistry between them. There had been since the moment they met. But that kind of chemistry didn’t mean that they could build a life together.

  It wasn’t fair to either of them. She had to leave, had to show this too-good-for-her man that they were on two completely different—and incompatible—paths. But how was she supposed to get that point across to him so he wouldn’t keep following her? She scratched Polly’s head, searching for more of that calm and peace to sort through her thoughts.

  The pup had fallen asleep curled against Melanie, her little chest rhythmically rising and falling. Polly needed a real collar, one that suited her. Melanie envisioned something cute, fun, something that fit a helluva lot better than her wedding dress had. Maybe she would go tomorrow morning to look for a collar and leash before Grady woke up since the last thing he would want to do on his honeymoon would be shop for doggy paraphernalia. The extra time alone could give her time to think. Time to figure out how to show Grady why their marriage was a mistake. But as she glanced at the sleeping puppy, the perfect plan began to take shape in her mind, thanks to Polly and that missing collar. She kissed the puppy between her ears. Polly stretched her paws out, still half asleep.

  The best way to show him that their marriage would never work? Paint the domestic scene. His life as a rising baseball star wasn’t a good fit for her ideas on the future. She wanted to plant roots somewhere, wanted kids, and a house that needed weekend projects. That vision would send him away. It would help him move on.

  So she would preview that life. Tomorrow at the pet store.

  Chapter Five

  ‡

  “Well, this is just adorable,” Melanie breathed in the center of the pet store. She held up a pink leopard print leash. Her lips pursed as she scrutinized the details along the length.

  As Melanie inspected yet another leash, Grady glanced around the store, his foot twitching from boredom. How long did it take to choose a leash and collar, for Pete’s sake? And how much stuff did one puppy need?

  He studied the other shoppers to gauge. A family with a harnessed husky mix stood at the opposite end of the aisle. A little boy, four at most, gave the husky a giant hug while the parents picked up a few toys, balls, bones, and tossed them in the cart. There was a look exchanged between the couple, one that broadcasted their love, their commitment to being on the same team. It was that look he was after with Melanie.

  One that seemed impossible to obtain as the day wore on and she vetoed his choices while she held up each option against the pup’s fur to look for the perfect match.

  “But this one doesn’t say ‘Polly’ either, does it?” she sighed setting the leash back down on the rack. He turned away from the family to study her.

  This was the seventh leash Melanie had ogled. And the seventh one she had rejected. Grady took a steadying breath, doing his best to keep his frustration in check.

  They had already been in the pet store for an hour. And the only item in the cart was a bag of kibble. Melanie’s attention flitted between cutesy items for the puppy so fast, he could barely keep up.

  Grady balanced in a squat, petting Polly, who rolled over to accommodate a good belly-rub. Her tongue lolled lazily out of her mouth with unmistakable bliss.

  “Oh Grady. What about this?” Melanie said, a smile on her face as she held up a purple doggie-hoodie that read “puppy love” in white cursive letters.

  “It’s nice. But Polly is going to be growing like a weed. I don’t know if—” He stopped talking as he examined her face.

  Tears welled in her eyes. And she seemed to retreat into herself farther. Damn it.

  With a sigh, Grady forged ahead. “You know what? That’s perfect. Toss it in.”

  He pushed the cart towards her. She plopped the sweater inside, a smile deepening the dimples in her cheeks.

  Turning back to the leashes, she picked up a purple leather one.

  “Now we have a theme. She’ll be a vision in purple,” she said as she tossed the leash and matching collar into the cart.

  They made it five more steps before she stopped again.

  “Look. At. These. Toys,” she squealed, running her hands across the arrangement of squeaky stuffed animals.

  There was such an exaggeration in her voice. It didn’t add up. None of her behavior today aligned with the Melanie he knew and loved.

  She seemed to be waiting for him to comment. A little too eagerly for this to be part of a normal conversation.

  A thought tugged at him. Was she trying to push him away again? To become a pouty girl when he disagreed. While he had been blind to how freaked out she was about their marriage, he knew this wasn’t the real Melanie.

  If she was trying to scare him off with overplayed domesticity, the least he could do was give her a run for her money. It was worth an experiment at the very least. Time to knock her off balance for a change.

  “There are a lot of toys,” he said enthusiastically. “How many do you think she needs? Ten? Fifteen? We will need a variety of toys that squeak, and some toys that don’t. And of course, a Frisbee! Every dog needs a Frisbee. That would be great for camping trips. And speaking of camping trips, look at those outdoor dog beds that can be anchored to the ground. Perfect for camping.”

  She gaped at him, brows raised in complete surprise. It was only for a moment, but it told him everything he needed to know. This was an exaggeration, an act. He was sure of that now. She chewed her lip for a moment, turning sideways to let an older couple walking a lab mix walk past before she turned back to him with an over-bright smile.

  “Yes. Let’s get ten toys. That is the perfect number,” she said removing a variety of toys from the shelves.

  “What about a dog bed for indoors as well?” he asked, gesturing in front of them to the back wall where a middle-aged women held a toy poodle in her arms as she examined the beds. The poodle stared at Polly and barked excitedly.

  “Hush now.” The blonde lady soothed the black poodle, “That nice golden isn’t bothering you.” She glanced over at them. “She gets excited easily.”

  “Please don’t worry,” Melanie said, “we want to socialize Polly. She won’t be an only dog for long.”

  “Oh,” the woman exclaimed, “How exciting. Is this your first dog together?”

  Grady nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”

  The woman looked wistfully at them, shaking her head at the memory of things past. “I remember what it was like when Bobby and I got our first dog. That pup taught us so much, though I think it’s supposed to be the other way around. No matter, y’all enjoy the pup and each other.”

  She hugged her poodle closer with one hand and pushed her shopping buggy with the other towards the front of the store. Had Melanie heard the woman’s words? Taken them to heart? Grady turned to his wife, but she was already debating between two dog beds.

  “Which one?” She held up a large bed that was lined with fleece and one that was lined with microfiber.

  “You pick,” he said, the game suddenly losing some of its fun as he thought about the sadness in the lonely woman’s eyes.

  “This one,” Melanie said, holding up the microfiber bed, “is much softer. Oh, the decisions we have to make for you, Polly.”

  At the mention of her name, the dog surged forward, against her newly fitted collar.

  Grady couldn’t take his eyes off Melanie. She was beautiful. Nurturing. Everything he wanted. Everything he needed. Even when she was trying to push him away.

  “Maybe we should let Polly choose. We’ll take whatever she sniffs first. But let’s do it quickly. I have a surprise.” He
yanked at his phone and went to work.

  *

  A quick Internet search had revealed the location of the local dog park where Grady insisted on taking Polly. Melanie still tried to wrap her brain around how quickly he’d gotten on board with the doggy parenting outing. Now, he insisted he wanted to make sure the pup was properly exercised. This didn’t fit with the party animal image she’d had of him as a pro athlete.

  What game was he playing? Or was this the real man and she hadn’t noticed before?

  They were the only ones at the wooded park. It was a perfect retreat with shady trees and benches. Away from reality. From the pressure of anything outside of caring for this adorable puppy.

  She watched Grady intently as he made sure Polly had water. His broad back was to her, and his shoulders were relaxed. The fresh air was doing them all some good.

  “You know, for never owning a dog, you’re practically a natural,” she called to him. Grady had been working with Polly for the better part of a half hour on the sit command.

  “Thanks, I was even careful to find a less visited park so she wouldn’t be exposed to germs from other dogs since she’s so young,” he said, a smile widening across his face as he turned to face her. Polly’s tail wagged in anticipation of the training treats. She twitched her feet in anticipation but stayed sitting. “Good girl.”

  He rewarded her with the treat. The pup chewed it happily.

  “What a good puppy,” Melanie cooed as the dog pranced up to her.

  Those warm cinnamon eyes met hers, twinkling with a compassion and love that she had never quite noticed before. Without question, he was thoroughly enjoying this low-key day. She’d misjudged him on this point.

  And what other things might she have mistaken?

  Melanie turned her focus back to Polly. “Here you go, girlie,” she said, tossing one of the newly purchased toys – a braided rope ball – out into the still-vacant dog park.

  “And you don’t have a bad throwing arm,” he observed, still smiling at her. Polly took off at a near-gallop after the toy, kicking up dirt and grass as she went to the edge of the park.

  “I can thank my dad for that. He thought it was an important skill for me to have. Probably because it was a way for him to still enjoy the game.”

  He nodded thoughtfully at her.

  The dog returned with her roped ball, tail wagging all the way back to them, clearly proud of herself. Polly dropped the toy in front of Grady, ready to go again. He sent the ball flying and she took off again. They did this routine five more times and he never once seemed annoyed.

  He was patient, reassuring. Everything that was important in a pet owner.

  Or a future father, a small voice inside of her called. How she wanted that to be true. A lump formed in her throat.

  She couldn’t let herself think like that though. It was too soon for her to go that far in her thoughts.

  She hitched her purse on her shoulder. “I’m ready for some dinner. Maybe we can get room service again?”

  He raised his brow, scooping up the ball and puppy. “Yeah, of course. A night in will be just what we need. Besides, I think Polly is exhausted. She’d probably appreciate some downtime as well.”

  Tucking Polly against his chest, he opened the park gates on their way back to the car, the sun setting and casting a mellow glow over the end of a surprisingly great day.

  Melanie gave a quick nod as she opened the passenger side door. “Perfect. I think I want that spinach and cheese dip again.”

  “That can most certainly be arranged.” A crooked grin notched in the corner of his mouth as he secured Polly in the back seat with a newly purchased doggie harness seat belt.

  Sliding back into the driver’s seat, he turned on the ignition. “Mind if I put some music on?”

  She shook her head, curious what he would pick. Curious about so much more when it came to her new husband. Grady fiddled with the radio, settling on an old country love ballad. He hummed along. Didn’t press her to talk. The silence felt…comfortable. Easy.

  His hand slid to the top of her thigh. The warmth from his palm felt delicious on her bare skin. It was such a simple gesture, so sweet. Her thoughts turned back to the course of the day, to the surprisingly good time they’d had.

  They were silent on the way back to the hotel. Melanie barely registered the walk back to the room. She was preoccupied with how wonderful their day had been. And that was a problem.

  It was time to regain control. To regroup. To guard her heart against this practically perfect man.

  *

  Grady tipped the room service delivery attendant, and turned back to Melanie, who was curled up on the couch, remote in hand. God, she was gorgeous in that thick robe, her hair loose and damp around her shoulders.

  “I’ve picked out a movie for us to watch over dinner.” She clicked play on the remote and ordered the movie off of pay-per-view.

  “Excellent. That’s my favorite way to unwind.” He brought the tray over to the coffee table in front of her. There were two orders of spinach and cheese dip. The accompanying chips were piled high, nearly spilling over the side of the bowl.

  He sat next to her, pressing his leg against hers.

  Her pulse leapt. “I imagine you prefer high action, shoot-em-ups.”

  “Not so much,” he said truthfully. “I like period pieces, old films, and documentaries.”

  “Really? You’re a movie buff? Where does that fit in with your major-league, fast track lifestyle?” She chased around a chunk of cheese with a chip, scooping the heap ungracefully into her mouth.

  “What does my career have to do with a love of old movies?” Try as he might, he couldn’t work out the accusatory statement and stare.

  Melanie’s shoulders shrugged. “Don’t you spend your evenings going to parties with the team?”

  “Not if I can help it. That’s a fast way to burn out or tick off the manager.” He licked his fingers.

  “Uhm, okay. I can see that.” She channel surfed, frowning.

  “Wait! Stop!” His head whipped toward the screen at the familiar sound. “Is this High Society?”

  “Yeah. Lame, I know. It’s one of my favorites. So romantic. And I do love the singing.” Her tone fell low, “You probably hate this kind of thing, don’t you?”

  There she went again. Assuming so many things about him. Maybe, just maybe, if he could open up a little bit more to her, she would realize they were more alike. That there was common ground between them. That he meant his vows.

  “I meant it when I said I love classic movies, but this is probably in my top ten.” He laughed out. “I know all of those songs by heart.”

  “Really?” Eyebrow arched in disbelief.

  Grady’s arm snaked behind her head, and rested on her shoulders, allowing himself to toy with a lock of her damp hair. “Truly. When you are on the road for weeks on end, you have the opportunity to watch a lot of television and movies. Which I wholeheartedly take advantage of. I skip out on parties in favor of some old-fashioned relax time.”

  “You are a man of pleasant surprises. I’ll give you that much,” she teased. A genuine smile spread across her face. Nestling against his chest, she sighed deeply.

  “I do try. What other movies do you love?” His hand gently pushed hair from her face, and he began to massage her scalp.

  “Hmmm.” She practically purred. “That’s nice.”

  He damned well hoped so, because just the feel of her was turning him inside out. The movie rolled along, the songs filling in the small spaces of their conversation. They were more alike than even he had realized.

  This felt so right. He ached to be closer to her. To keep them in this moment forever. Kissing her on the forehead, he released a deep sigh.

  Pushing off his chest, she stared at him, eyes intense. Full of longing.

  “Oh, Grady,” she whispered, “I give up.”

  She kissed him. Deeply.

  And then again. More urgently this t
ime.

  “Are you sure, Mel?” he said between kisses. “I don’t want you regretting this. God, we don’t need any more regrets.”

  He didn’t want to rush this. Wouldn’t let her think he’d ignored her concerns. But the chemistry between them was a vivid, hot, sexual need that wouldn’t go away if they ignored it.

  “I’m unsure about many things. But about this?” She nodded, the movement swift. Jerky. “I am one hundred percent certain I want you. Now.”

  She flattened herself against him, her full breasts robbing him of his last shred of sense.

  “You’ve always felt right to me.” He whispered it to himself as much as her. “Exactly right.”

  *

  Melanie couldn’t remember why she wanted to deny herself this.

  Grady was a potent, sexual male even when he stood in a batter’s box or ran down a fly ball in the field. But when he sat this close to her, his brown eyes searing her with silent, simmering heat, he was a temptation no woman would ever resist. That powerful body of his. That demanding mouth. She wanted all of it for however long this fever between them lasted.

  Tomorrow would come soon no matter what happened in this hotel room.

  She kissed him. The barriers between them melted like they’d never been there, her defenses crumbling as fast as his. Not that she’d ever had any with this man. From the first night they met, passion seethed just beneath the surface all the time. The slightest touch could turn her inside out. Or the taste of a marshmallow could transform into an erotic experience because he was watching. Before Grady, she’d barely been orgasmic. With Grady? She could reach that peak again and again in a single night.

  He bent her back over his arm, kissing her like he was starved for her. She clung to him like he was the only thing keeping her anchored to the world. Impatient hands tore away the cloth belt holding her robe closed and in an instant, she was naked against him.

  The shock of his body—ripped, hard, male perfection—made her breasts bead against his chest. Her thighs heated with a liquid ache.

  She broke their kiss.