Christine felt her cheeks grow warm. “I’m happy you joined Champagne For Two, Lauren. I’m sure you’re going to like it. We have special events planned every month.”
“Christine’s going to make it the best dating service in the country,” Derek said, not looking at her.
“I’m hoping I can get Derek to show me around,” Lauren said. “With any luck, I won’t need a dating service for long.” She looked at Derek, practically batting her eyes.
“I don’t date clients since I’m the model for the company,” he replied quickly. “Besides, Maddie here is my number one lady.”
Maddie preened, touching her frizzy hair with pride.
Christine looked at Derek, surprised, amazed, and deeply affected by his sweet words. Why had she assumed that he would be interested in Lauren just because she was pretty? Derek was a man of fine character, with true depth. She knew that. How could she possibly have sold him short?
He was a much better person than she was. He deserved someone who was just as wonderful, as open, and as giving as she knew him to be.
She was not that person. She wanted to be. Once upon a time she had seen only the good in others, but then life had kicked her in the gut and she had lost her faith in people. She had erected a barrier around her heart so that it could be protected—and so that she could sit in judgment on others.
Shame washed over her. Even her own mother had been betrayed and that hurt must have been far worse than her own, but she had had the bigness of heart to forgive time and again.
She didn’t have that much forgiveness in her. Derek deserved better.
She turned to leave, but he grabbed her by the shoulder. “Where are you going? You promised me this dance.” He swept her onto the dance floor before she could get away.
She couldn’t look at him and lowered her head. “I don’t think I’m up to this, Derek.”
“What is it now? Have I done something wrong?”
“No, no, you’ve done everything right, that’s the problem.”
He laughed. “I’m sorry, but since when is doing everything right a problem?”
“Since I realized I’m in love with you.” The words were out of her mouth before she realized. Tears welled in her eyes.
He looked at her for a long moment, and then drew her body against his. “Can you please say that again?”
“No, I didn’t mean it. I shouldn’t have said that.”
“Say it, Christine.”
His mouth was inches from her and she could feel the heat of his body, and missed a step. “I love you, Derek. There, are you happy?”
“Almost. Why does that make you want to cry?”
“Because I don’t deserve you. You are better than me. A nicer person. You deserve someone wonderful. Someone like Maddie. A good person who adores you and believes in you, and is not a total mess.”
“I don’t think you’re a total mess. I think you’re pretty well put together.” He smiled. “Besides, there is a problem with your logic.”
“There is?” She tilted her head so she could look him in the eye. “What problem?”
“I don’t love Maddie. She’s a friend and I wouldn’t trade her for the world, but I’m not in love with her. I’m in love with you.”
She stumbled, bumping into his chest. Her heart was doing some kind of Highland fling to its own music, and she could have laughed. “You love me? Even if I’m jealous when I see you with other women, and I say things I don’t mean, stupid things like pretending I don’t want a relationship, when that’s the only way I’ll ever be happy?”
“You want a relationship?” He kissed her softly on the lips.
“I do. And I want you all to myself, for a very long time.”
“How long exactly?” He was smiling.
“Forever.” Her eyes smiled back. “Is that too long, do you think?”
“I think it’s the perfect length of time.” He stopped dancing and kissed her hand. “Can we go back and sit down? There’s something I want to ask you.”
She had no idea what he wanted to ask. She knew it wasn’t a marriage proposal. Neither of them was quite ready for that. Maybe a year from now, or sometime in the future, the question would be asked and she would have the right answer.
But for now and for always, her answer to him would be the same. Yes, and yes, and yes.
He was the man she trusted with her heart, the man she was willing to bet her future on.
One promise, two hearts, forever.
EPILOGUE
One Year Later
The wedding took place outdoors on the eighteenth green. A makeshift gazebo had been erected, and the guests were able to watch the ceremony from the fairway in front of the sloping green. Forty white chairs had been set in rows, and baskets of flowers lined the aisle.
There were no ushers or bridesmaids, only Jake and Nicole, ready to make a lifetime commitment to each other.
Jim, in black tie, looked handsome and proud as he walked his daughter down the aisle toward the gazebo, where Jake waited.
No bride had ever looked more beautiful, Christine thought. Her dress was exquisite—a simple sheath of beaded silk and white lace that dropped to her ankles, beautifully framing her delicate body. It was both elegant and youthful, and perfect for a warm outdoor wedding.
Nicole had chosen not to wear a veil, but a crown of flowers instead. Her long hair cascaded in soft waves down her back. She looked, Christine thought, so lovely and so in love.
Christine sniffled and wiped away a tear.
Derek patted her knee. “You okay, honey?” he whispered.
Kyle, sitting on the other side of his dad, leaned forward and snapped a picture of her in tears. Kevin elbowed his brother, and they both tried to wipe the big grins off their faces.
“I’ve never been better.” Christine smiled through her tears. “Why do mothers always cry at weddings?”
“Damned if I know. Are you going to cry at your own?”
She fingered her new ring that she’d happily accepted the night before. “Will you still marry me if I do?”
He leaned in to kiss her cheek. “You bet. I will never stop loving you.”
Kyle sniggered. “There they go again.”
Christine reached past Derek, grabbing one of Kyle’s hands and giving it a warm squeeze. “You better behave, young man, or I’ll make you be the ring bearer.”
Kyle blushed and she laughed.
Kevin snorted. “I’d like to see that.”
Anne hushed them as the minister began to speak. She had her hand tucked into the arm of her new gentlemen friend.
Derek and Christine held hands and watched Nicole and Jake exchange their vows. In a few months, she and Derek would be repeating the same vows.
The past year had been filled with such wonderful surprises and had opened up so many windows in her heart. Her business was flourishing, her mother was happy, her daughter was working on her engineering degree and had a wonderful, supportive man by her side, and she had Derek and his two delightful sons.
If she had any more blessings in life, she was afraid her heart might burst.
Still, Christine knew that life had a way of leveling things out, but for now she would sit back and enjoy the ride.
THE END
Revenge Is Sweet
Patrice Wilton
CHAPTER ONE
“David. Enough already.” Iced tea splashed in the air as Maddi Clemmons bumped shoulders with her husband. “Out of my kitchen.” She hid her irritation behind a teasing smile, swinging the pitcher menacingly as if she were giving serious thought to pouring the remainder over his head.
“You’ve been worse than ten kids tonight, honey. Making me fetch things, pestering me continuously.” She glanced down at her cream colored silk blouse. No stain, thank heavens. But still she had to interrupt her preparations to mop tea and lemons from her cupboards and tiled floor.
David stepped back, and faced Maddi. “I told you this morning
we needed to talk. You didn’t say anything about having your bridge group over.”
“I mentioned it twice last night, but obviously you weren’t paying attention.” Softening her voice, she added, “Why don’t you go downstairs and watch a movie or catch up on your sports? I’ll join you once they’re gone, and you can tell me your news.”
When he didn’t move, Maddi shooed him out of the kitchen, her hands flapping in the air. “I really need to clean up this mess. The ladies will be here any minute.”
David asked like a petulant child, “Did you pick up my shirts from the dry-cleaners like I asked?”
“Yes.” She sighed wearily. “Shirts are hanging in the closet under the plastic wrap, and I remembered to pick up your golf clubs. They’re out in the garage. And your shoes. I had the attendant get them from your locker.”
Finally he left her alone. She did a quick clean-up, then refilled the pitcher with tea. On hearing his return, she poured two glasses, offering him one.
“Find everything?”
“Yes. Now about that talk…”
“Hmmm?” She looked past him to survey the room, to see if she’d forgotten anything. Fresh flowers were arranged in crystal vases, the card tables were covered in proper green felt, and she’d added little dishes of tropical mix and macadamia nuts. Wine and bottled water chilled on ice in the kitchen sink. On top of the counter she had arranged a vegetable dip, and a tempting array of homemade goodies.
Satisfied that everything was under control, she turned to David. “I know you don’t like having a bunch of women invading your space, but it’s only once every eight weeks.”
Normally on those nights he’d happily retreat to the downstairs recreation room. Not only did it have comfortable old sofas, but a well-stocked bar, a big entertainment center equipped with a large-screen, high definition TV, an electronic dartboard, and a slate pool table. If that wasn’t enough to send him to testosterone heaven, they also had a mirrored, carpeted room set up with Bow-flex equipment, a rowing machine, and a treadmill.
So why was he hanging around her like some pesky mosquito with a death wish?
“Maddi,” he said firmly, “this is important. Can’t you stop fussing and give me a minute?”
“Sure, darling.” She put her iced tea on a cocktail napkin and turned to face him. “But the ladies will be here any moment now. It’s ten to seven.”
David cleared his throat and ran his hand awkwardly through his more salt than pepper head-of-hair. That one, simple, uncharacteristic gesture made the fine hairs on the back of her neck prickle.
“David, what’s bothering you?” Her voice rose a little. “Out with it.”
“I’m not happy, Maddi. I don’t know how else to say it.” He folded his arms across his chest and leaned against the glass patio door that led from the kitchen to the outside pool area. He wouldn’t look at her, but kept his eyes on the kitchen floor.
Stepping around the center island separating the two rooms, she moved to where he stood and put her arms around his still trim middle. “What’s wrong? Is it work?”
“Oh, Maddi.” He sighed. “When a man tells his wife he’s not happy, it means he’s not happy. Why do you have to make me spell it out? I don’t want to hurt you.”
With every word a sick feeling grew inside her. What was he saying? He couldn’t possibly mean he wasn’t happy with her. A wife would naturally know these things. So why was her stomach acting this way? Telling her one thing when she knew another. Her female intuition was way off base here, and frightening her for no good reason.
“David, you can’t mean that. You’re just working too hard.”
“It’s not work.”
He loved her, she was sure, but even so, she felt that lurch of alarm, like an elevator free falling down a shaft. She scanned his handsome face, desperate to understand. He had fine bones, a well-shaped nose, and graying eyebrows that furrowed above deep blue eyes. And normally he smiled a lot, so he had big creases at the corners of his mouth, which she loved. But he wasn’t smiling now, and the creases looked deeper than usual and sadder somehow.
She had to admit he didn’t look too happy. For one nanosecond Maddi felt a strong urge, a need really, to shake him and tell him to snap out of it, but she restrained herself. Obviously, he was going through some male PMS or early mid-life crisis. Something. For his sake, she had to remain calm.
David gave a long, weary sigh, and continued to stare at the floor, as if the secrets of the universe were contained in that one spot.
“David? What’s going on here? And why?” Maddi heard the panic in her own voice and tried to squelch it. Her eyes misted up and her breathing clogged, as if something had gotten stuck in her windpipe. She had to force air around the constriction, hitching little breaths that felt as though she was sucking air through a straw.
“I’m not in love anymore. I’m sorry Maddi, but I can’t help it.” He ran his hand through his thick hair and poked at his glasses. “Hell,” he said, as if that explained everything. “It happens.” Finally he dared a look in her direction.
She flushed with indignation. Was this some lame excuse for a joke? They’d just celebrated their thirteenth wedding anniversary a month ago. You couldn’t be married for that length of time and not be happy, or unhappy for that matter, at least some of the time. Fact of life: marriage is a bumpy road, but how boring it would be if it were flat.
So what was his problem, then? They were ideally suited and rarely argued. The only disagreement she could even remember was over the damn sailboat he wanted to buy. He’d had some foolish notion of dashing off in a new fifty-footer for months at a time, and she’d, very nicely she thought, talked him out of it.
All things considered, they got along beautifully ninety-nine percent of the time. He had nothing to complain about. He had a very nice life. Was that it? Maybe everything was so humdrum normal that he felt he needed a little stirring up, some spice.
Well, she’d give him spice all right. Mace, if he wasn’t careful.
Maddi wondered if her face was going to crack when she forced her lips upwards into a parody of a smile. It felt oddly stiff, like she had dipped it in a can of cement. Her voice took on a sugary sweetness. “Don’t be silly. I know you love me. So tell me, what are you not happy about?”
She noticed that David still wasn’t man enough to look her in the face.
He blurted, “I mean I want out.” He shoved his hands in his pockets and glowered at her. “I’ve packed a few things and I’m moving out for awhile. That’s all there is to it.”
“Your shirts from the cleaners, your golf clubs? You were packing up, preparing to leave me, while I, while I…she sputtered in disbelief.
“Maddi, stop looking at me like that. Things haven’t been good between us for a long time, you know that.”
She didn’t know any such thing. Everything was fine between them, or had been until a moment ago. Now she felt the floor beneath her dip and sway. Or was it her knees that gave way? She had to grab the counter for support and hold on tight until the room stopped its surreal, optic spin.
Then she raised her head and looked at the man in front of her. Her husband all of a sudden was a total stranger. David, her David, would never say these things. “Just like that? You’re moving out, just like that?” Her voice cracked. “You can’t go. I won’t let you. It doesn’t make any sense.”
She clasped his arm in the hope he’d change his mind and stay. Her pride was already in tatters, but what did it matter? She loved her husband with all her heart and would do anything to keep him. She was willing to throw herself at his feet if necessary, if it would change his mind, if it would make him stay. But he only brushed her hand aside and left her standing there, without a kind word or so much as a backward glance.
Like a statue carved from flesh and blood, she waited, willing him to return. She heard the garage door go up, the car’s motor run, the sound of the tires squealing on the hot pavement as he hurriedly backe
d down the driveway. Eyes closed, she could see the mighty black Lexus like some kind of slippery demon, stealing her husband away.
Later, she’d remember that moment in its absolute clarity. Her heart hadn’t broken in two. Instead it felt like he’d reached a fist inside her chest and pulled that loving heart of hers right out, then stomped all over it.
She clutched her chest as if to ward off the pain and fell into a nearby chair. Then right on cue, she heard the doorbell ring.
The ladies let themselves in and their chatter filled the room. It bounced off the walls, and high-pitched laughter screeched in her ears. She wanted to scream and tell them all to get out. She needed to be alone with her pain. It hurt so much her vision blurred and everything seemed to float around her.
The women buzzed around the kitchen, pouring wine, nibbling away at the food she’d generously prepared. Then suddenly it seemed everyone stopped talking at once.
Her dear friend, Barbara, hunched down to her level and took her by the shoulders. “Maddi, what’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
A wail built up inside of her, rising from the pits of her stomach, into her chest, through her lungs to escape from her mouth. She made a terrible keening sound, like a stricken animal in mortal pain.
Then everything was spinning, fading to black.
“Somebody give me a phone.” Barbara said from a great distance. “I’m calling home. She needs a Doctor.”
CHAPTER TWO
Maddi heard the banging on her door, but she kept her eyes shut and pulled the comforter over her head. Go away and leave me alone, she hissed to herself. I don’t need you. I don’t need anybody.
Good. The annoying person left and she was alone with her silence. She eased the comforter off her face and tucked it under her chin. Then she swiped at a fat tear that had forced its way from under her lashes and dared to trickle down her cheek. I’m not going to cry anymore, she told herself. Not one more tear.
ESCAPE INTO ROMANCE- 4 Book Bundle Page 72