“You can fix it,” Julie said, leaning forward and closing her hand over Christine’s. Whereas Christine felt like pure shit, Julie radiated something that looked like pure happiness. In fact, she’d never looked better. No doubt because of her association with Reed. Good for her. “There’s nothing that can’t be undone if you explain your reasons.”
“I’m not so sure about that,” Christine said, swallowing hard. “But I think I’m going to try anyway, even though it’s hopeless.”
“What are you going to do?” Regan asked, leaning over and grabbing the carafe of coffee. She poured Christine a cup and handed her two creamers and a pack of sugar. “What will you say to him?”
“I don’t know yet,” she admitted.
When she fumbled with the creamer lid, Regan took it from her and poured it in. At the same time, Julie opened the sugar and dumped it in Christine’s cup before stirring it. “Drink. It’ll help,” Julie said.
Christine picked up the cup and inhaled the aroma. “I have no idea what to say, honestly. The truth, I guess? All of it.”
“Do you love him?” Regan asked, her voice uncharacteristically soft. She liked to present herself as hard and tough as balls—which she was—but she had a squishy chocolate center she didn’t let a lot of people see. “Do you want to be with him?”
“I…I think I always have, even if I didn’t know it.”
“Tell him,” Regan said, shrugging. “Simple enough, right?”
The waitress came up with her pad. “What can I get you girls?”
“Waffles,” Regan said, closing her menu.
“Me, too,” Julie said, doing the same.
“Make that three.”
The waitress smiled and took their menus. “I’ll put that in right away.”
As soon as she was gone, Christine blurted out, “He was going to move to be with me. To Colorado.”
Regan’s eyes went wide. “Oh boy.”
“Wait just a gosh darn second.” Julie frowned at Christine. “Start at the beginning.”
Christine took a deep breath and proceeded to tell them everything. From Mexico, to the first night at the wedding, to the woods, and finally ending with the dance they’d shared last night. By the time she was finished, she felt even more drained, and yet somehow more energetic. “…So, yeah. Now I need to figure out how to fix it.”
“Fixing it should be easy enough to do,” Regan said, pouring a second cup of coffee. “I’ve seen him. He loves you, too.”
“No, he doesn’t. He didn’t say anything about love.” Christine looked from Regan to Julie. “If he loved me, he would have said it, right?”
Julie shook her head. “Sweetie, around you, the man doesn’t know whether to check his behind or scratch his watch.”
Her heart stuttered. “Really?”
“Really,” Julie said, grinning. “When the wedding shenanigans are over, you’ll be good to go.”
“Well, uh, about that.” Christine nibbled on her lower lip. Reagan nodded and gave her an encouraging smile, and reached out to squeeze her hand. “There’s something I haven’t told everyone yet.”
“What?” Julie asked, leaning forward on her elbows. “What didn’t you tell us?”
“I’m moving.”
Regan rolled her eyes. “Everyone knows that. Tell her where.”
“I’m moving back to Maine,” Christine said in a rush, holding her breath as she waited for Julie to explode.
“What?” Julie shrieked. “Since when?” She turned to Regan. “Wait, did you know about this?”
Regan leaned back in her chair and smiled, as calm as a cat basking in the sun. “She told me since, well, I’m a headhunter. I helped her find her new job.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Julie asked. “You’re supposed to tell me everything.”
“I was going to.” Christine grabbed her hand and squeezed. “I wanted to, but I know how busy you’ve been with the wedding. I didn’t want to give you more to think about.”
“I wouldn’t have minded!” Julie said, hugging her tight. “Why are you moving?”
“Well, for one…it felt like it was time to move on. All this time, I’ve kind of clung to Kady as my security blanket, in a way. When she moved to Boulder, I did, too—even though it wasn’t with her. But now she’s getting married.” Christine shrugged. “It’s time for me to be on my own.”
“So you’re not going to move in with your brother?” Julie asked.
“No. Not at all. I’m going to be in my own place.”
“You need it after your roommate from hell,” Regan said.
“Seriously.” She dropped her face into her hands. “This was so straightforward before, but now it’s a big mess. I just don’t know what to do anymore.”
Julie rubbed Christine’s back in big, sweeping circles. “You know what you need? You need to indulge in some waffle therapy. Here comes our waitress.”
The whole time they ate, Christine’s mind was on Tyler. She’d been in love with him since Mexico, and she’d been a fool not to know it. Sure, it had been years and years in between with no contact, but those feelings had never died. It had taken one conversation and a kiss to show her that much, even if she’d stubbornly ignored what was staring her right in the face in her attempt to get revenge.
When they finished eating, she scanned the room for their waitress. She was in the corner of the room, taking an order from Kady, Colt, and Kady’s parents. Tyler wasn’t there. Good. Maybe that meant he would be in his room this time.
Regan laughed. “Go. I’ll cover your portion.”
“Huh?” Christine looked back at Regan, her cheeks hot. “No, that’s okay.”
“You need to go talk to him or you’ll explode. I can see it.” Regan grabbed Christine’s empty plate and set it on top of her own. “Just go.”
Julie nodded and kicked her chair with her foot, shoving it back some. “We got this.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes,” they both said at the same time.
Regan shooed her away. “Hurry up, and report back to us when you’re finished.”
“I will.” Christine stood up on shaky legs. She bent and hugged Regan, then Julie. “Thanks, guys.”
“Anytime.”
She smiled at them and headed across the dining room. She avoided looking at Kady’s table. If she were spotted, she’d have to go over and hug everyone and talk and sit and all that crap. Right now, she wanted to talk to the only Dresco who wasn’t there.
She needed him to listen to her.
The whole elevator ride up, she went over everything she wanted to say in her head. Rehearsed her speech so she wouldn’t mess it up again. Went over all the things she had to make him understand before he gave her an answer. All alone in that elevator, she was ready. Confident.
Ready to conquer the world for him.
But when the elevator doors opened and she started walking toward his room, her legs felt as if they were weighted down with anvils, growing heavier with each step she took toward his room. Her pulse leaped so fast that she worried she would have a heart attack before she even spoke to him. At least he was a doctor. If she collapsed, he could resuscitate her with a little mouth-to-mouth.
Hmm. She liked the sound of that.
She knocked three times. As she stood there, heart racing, she shifted her feet and swiped her sweaty palms on her skirt. The longer he took to answer, the more her mind hopped from one scary conclusion to another. It wasn’t until she heard a feminine laugh from inside the room that she realized he might not be in there alone.
As a matter of fact, he must not be. If there was a woman in there…
Then she was too late. He’d already moved on. Julie and Regan were wrong—he didn’t love her. Not if he was already in there with another woman. She backed away slowly, swallowing past her aching throat, and headed to her own door, blinking back the tears trying to escape. She hadn’t cried in eight years, and this made twice in twelve hours.
She was a mess. A big, ugly, crying freaking mess. She slid her card into the lock and pushed her door open.
She froze…unable to move or speak or think.
Chapter Nineteen
Tyler stiffened when the door opened, a basket still half filled with murdered roses in his one hand, and a handful of petals in the other. He was supposed to cover the bed and floor surrounding it with the red things before she came back. He was trying to create a romantic setting and all that shit, since he’d messed up the last romantic gesture he’d made for her, but now it was ruined.
He’d been caught red-handed…literally.
He’d sent Kady down to keep an eye on Christine. She was supposed to text him when or if Christine left the dining room, but that hadn’t happened, had it? Apparently, she’d missed Christine’s exit, because she stood in the door with tears on her cheeks and wide eyes. Wait…tears?
Why the fuck was she crying?
He dropped the basket and rushed to her side, cupping her cheeks and wiping the tears away with his thumbs. “Shit. Don’t cry. I can’t…I won’t…what’s wrong?”
She made a weird sound, half laugh, half moan, and gripped his forearms. “I thought…it doesn’t even matter. What are you doing?”
He ignored her question. “It matters. Tell me what’s wrong.”
“It’s stupid.” Her eyes were shining with happiness, even as tears ran down her face. Would women ever make sense? She even smiled up at him. “Did you leave your TV on?”
He blinked at her. “I don’t know. Maybe. Why?”
“I went to your room and I heard…voices.” She licked her lips. “I thought you weren’t alone in there. I thought there was a woman in your room with you.”
His heart squeezed tight. Had she been crying because she thought he had someone in the room with him? If so, that meant she cared. If she cared…he stood a chance in hell of getting her to give him another chance to love her right.
He wouldn’t fail this time.
“Red, I wouldn’t be with someone else.” He kissed her forehead. “You’re the one I want. No one else will ever be good enough. Just you.”
She blinked up at him. “R-Really?”
“Really. But you’re early. I’m not ready for you yet.”
“Would you like me to go back in the hallway?” she asked. The tip of her nose was still red, but the tears had stopped. “I can wait out there if you prefer.”
“Don’t be silly,” he said, his heart racing.
She peeked over his shoulder at the half-covered bed. “So, uh, what’s going on back there? Why does my room look like a greenhouse?”
“Give me a second to get my thoughts straight.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “You’re early.”
“You already said that.”
He laughed nervously. “You’re right. I did. So, let me just say this: I get it now. I get why you wanted payback, and I’m not mad at you anymore.”
She bit down on her lower lip. “When I came here, I had a list of things to do, but none of them were about you. I wanted to be wild and free, but then I saw you. I wanted you so badly it hurt. My whole made-up list turned into a reason to be able to touch you. To be with you. It was a stupid, silly excuse and nothing more. You have to believe me.”
“I know. I do.” He grabbed her hands and led her toward the bed, easing her down on it. He frowned and looked over his shoulder. “Wait a second. You should be still be using your crutches. If you don’t want to be carried down that aisle, you’ll—”
She rolled her eyes. “Focus, Tyler.”
He cleared his throat, knowing he was stalling because he was about to spout some shit about his feelings, and he’d never done that before. He’d learned to suppress his feelings long ago. In the ER, emotions got in the way of rational thinking. People got killed in his line of work if his head wasn’t on straight.
Now he had to let all those suppressed feelings out of the cages?
God help them both.
He couldn’t fuck this up. Couldn’t lose her. Not this time. He kissed her head again, loving the way she leaned into him and sighed. “That night in Mexico, I was a different man than I’ve ever been. With you, I knew we had something special. That it wasn’t just a one-night stand.”
She nodded and squeezed his biceps. “I know. You don’t have to explain yourself. Just like you get it, so do I. I’m not mad anymore, either.”
He shook his head. “I know, but that’s why I ran away.” He let go of her and dragged his hand down his face, knowing he was fucking this up. “I knew we could be something serious. I was young, and I was due to leave the country in a few days. But I’m not that boy anymore. There’s so much I have to tell you. So much to say.”
She bit down hard on her lip and remained silent, nodding.
“I was scared back then, but I’m not scared now.” He blew out a breath. “Okay, that’s a lie. I’m terrified. Terrified of not being enough for you. But even more so, I’m terrified of losing you. I’ve spent a long time trying to deny the fact that we belong together. I spent a hell of a lot of years running from the way you made me feel that night, thinking that it was for the best, but I refuse to run away again. From now on, I’ll run with you, not away from you. If you feel the same way about me, all you have to do is say the word.”
“Tyler,” she whispered, her voice cracking. She reached out and pressed her hand to his cheek. “Yes. I feel the same way.”
Relief, joy, and hope crashed through him and he kissed her hard. She tried to wrap her arms around him and pull him closer, but he ended the kiss before she got too close. There was more he had to say. He wasn’t done yet. “Wait. There’s more.”
She blinked up at him. “There is?”
“You’re moving.”
Her smile faded. “I know. But we can—”
“Shh.” He placed his finger on her mouth and smiled down at her. “There’s a lot of things we can do, but there’s only one thing I want to do, and it’s not open for discussion. I’m moving to Maine with you as soon as I can possibly manage it—just like I’d planned to move to Denver.”
Her eyes went wide. “What? No. You can’t. You just took that job, and Kady is out here. Your parents—no one else is on the East Coast.”
“But you’ll be there.”
She bit her lip. “Tyler…”
His heart twisted. Did she not want him there? Was he moving too fast? Probably, but he didn’t care. He’d spent the last eight years missing out on time he could have spent with her by his side—he didn’t want to spend another second in that state ever again.
But if she wasn’t ready…
“Why are you hesitant? Is it because you think it’s too much to ask of me?” he asked, his voice cracking despite his best attempt to keep it even. “Or I can’t because you don’t want me to be with you? Which is it?”
“I want to be with you. I do.” She cradled his face in her hands and kissed him before pulling back from him. “But you just got that job, which you took after you gave up your other new job to be with me. It’s absolutely asking too much of you.”
“Exactly. I took the job to be with you,” he said. “If you’re not there? Well, it loses its appeal.” He met her eyes again. “I already politely declined the job in Denver, after explaining the situation. Turns out they have a sister hospital out in Maine, and they’re looking for a new ER doctor, too.”
She blinked up at him. “And they want you?”
“Of course they do,” he said, grinning. “Why wouldn’t they? I’m an excellent catch.”
She laughed and swatted at him. “I know that.”
“But the question is…do you want me? Because, Red? I know I should have said this years ago, and I’m an idiot for not doing it already, but I love you.” He kissed her gently, making sure not to press too close. There was too much left unsaid. “I love you, and I don’t want to make the same mistakes I’ve made in the past. I know you’ll need time to trust me before you
could maybe love me, too, but I’m willing to wait. I’ll wait forever if I have to. I swear it.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled at him. “You don’t have to wait. I already love you, you silly man.”
He froze. “You do?”
“I do, and I have since Mexico. I just didn’t know it.”
He didn’t move. Didn’t blink. Barely dared to breathe, in case he woke up and found out this was all a dream or some shit like that. “So can I move to Maine with you?”
She let out a happy laugh and nodded. “Yes. If you really want to, then oh my God, yes.” She leaned in and tried to kiss him, but he pressed his fingers to her lips again. She sighed in exasperation, but the happiness in her eyes told him she wasn’t that annoyed. “What now?”
“I’ll move there with you on one condition.”
Her brow furrowed. “Okay?”
“We live apart from each other.” He smoothed her hair back. “You need to try out that independence thing for a little while first, and I refuse to mess that up. When we’re both ready, we’ll move in together. Deal?”
She nodded and smiled up at him, tears swimming in her eyes. “Deal.”
This time when she kissed him, he didn’t stop her. Her mouth melded to his perfectly, and she pressed the entire length of her body against his. He groaned and walked her backward to the bed. When the back of her knees hit the mattress, he pushed her back on it. He landed on top of her, pulling back far enough that he could look into her eyes, but not so far that he had to let go.
He couldn’t. Not now. Not ever.
“I love you,” he murmured.
She smiled up at him and brushed his hair off his forehead. “I love you, too.”
His heart soared, and he closed his mouth over hers, keeping the kiss gentle and sweet. He was going to take his time showing her just how much she meant to him.
And for once? They were in a fucking bed.
He kept kissing her, his tongue moving across hers, and stripped her skirt off, followed by the rest of her clothes. Once she was naked, he stood and divested himself of all of his own clothing, too. She leaned up on her elbows and watched, her eyes smoky hot. The sight of her lying sideways on the bed, her bare feet on the floor and her naked body all there for him to see, made him fall to his knees between her legs.
Falling for the Groomsman Page 16