by Rita Herron
The room suddenly spun around him. Paige wasn’t the bride! He glanced through the sea of people swimming in front of him and found Paige standing beside the bride, wearing some kind of orange skirt and a white blouse, her mouth hanging open in horror. Even color-blind, he could tell her cheeks were scarlet.
“Who are you?” Amelia asked.
“What the hell is going on?” Derrick bellowed.
“Zeke, what are you doing?” Paige squeaked.
“Young man, I think you should leave,” Amelia’s mother snapped, fanning her face with her hand.
Amelia’s father stepped into the aisle and glared at Zeke. “I’ll take care of him.”
Dozens of pairs of eyes burned through Zeke as if he was a raging lunatic. Which he supposed he was.
Paige picked up the hem of her long skirt, and hurried toward him. The swishing of taffeta seemed ominous in the tense silence of the chapel. “Zeke, what are you doing?”
“Uh…” Zeke wanted to crawl under one of the pews and slither out of sight. He’d not only interrupted Derrick’s wedding to a woman he didn’t know, but he’d made a complete idiot of himself in front of Paige and a churchful of strangers. How was he going to explain his way out of this?
Paige quickly turned to her friends and forced a smile. “Zeke is a friend of mine. I’m sure this is some silly mistake.” She turned to Zeke with a beseeching look. “Isn’t it, Zeke?”
Zeke nodded, too dumbfounded at his own blunder to speak.
“Are the girls okay?”
Zeke nodded again. The girls peeked out from behind his jacket.
Paige held up a hand to Amelia. “Give me a minute, please.” Paige quickly dragged Zeke to the back of the church.
When they were all huddled behind the doorway, August pointed to Derrick. “We comes to stop you from marrying that man.”
“Yeah, we asked for you to be our mommy for our birthday wish,” Summer whispered.
Paige’s expression softened. “Honey, I’m not marrying Derrick. My best friend, Amelia, is.”
“You made that princess dress for her?”
“Yes, sweetie, I did.”
“And those pretty rings—”
“Are for them, too. I’m the bridesmaid so I was keeping the rings for them for today.”
Summer grinned and August squealed in delight. “Goodie, then you can marry us.”
Paige’s smile faded as she raised her gaze to Zeke.
Zeke cleared his throat, finally finding his voice. “I’m sorry, Paige. I thought…”
“You thought I was going to marry Derrick?”
“You never told me he was engaged to your best friend.”
“I didn’t mention their wedding because I didn’t want you to think I was hinting.”
Zeke’s mouth fell open. “Believe me, that thought never occurred to me.”
“Where’s Renee?”
“She’s gone,” Zeke said.
“Back over the ocean,” August said.
“I’m sorry, girls, so sorry. I know you wanted your mommy to stay.”
Summer’s lip trembled but August jutted her chin up, trying to look stubborn and strong, but failing miserably. Paige’s chest clenched. “The girls were upset because Renee left, right?”
“Well, yeah, but—”
“The twins talked you into coming down here, didn’t they?”
Zeke heard heated whispers from the front, and the crowd fidgeted nervously. He was completely mortified. “Well, yes, but…but I wanted to come.”
Paige shook her head, tears filling her eyes. “Zeke, don’t you see?” she whispered. “You can’t marry someone just for your daughters’ sake.”
“I know that,” he said, his voice filled with frustration. “Better than anyone I know that, Paige.”
“Besides, I wouldn’t make a good mother. Look what happened the other night when you left the girls with me.”
Zeke’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Is that what this is all about?”
Paige shrugged. “It happened before, with Eric’s little boy. I was supposed to be watching him, but I looked away for a minute and he ran into the road. He fell in the street and almost got hit by a car.” Her voice broke with unshed tears and she looked away, unable to meet his eyes. “I can’t handle that kind of responsibility.”
Zeke reached out and tipped her face toward him. “You’re afraid, God knows I understand that, Paige. Parenting is scary, but remember what you told me about doing the best you could?” He gently stroked her cheek with his fingertip. “And the accident with that little boy wasn’t your fault, Paige. Kids do that, they don’t always listen—”
She shook her head in denial. “But I was in charge, just like the other night with the girls. Don’t you see, Summer and August were almost hurt because of me, I could never forgive myself if anything happened to them.” She swiped at tears she didn’t even realize had fallen, then rested her hand on Zeke’s. “I’m not their real mother and I’d make a poor substitute.”
“Paige, look at me, darling.” Zeke brushed a strand of hair from her face, his voice husky. “You’ve been more of a real mother to them the past few weeks than Renee has in the past year. You taught them to sew, went to that tea with them, for them. You’ve sung to them, read to them, tucked them in bed—”
“Zeke, don’t. You were mad that night, you can’t deny it. You wouldn’t even speak to me when you saw those boys.”
“I was scared out of my mind, Paige.” His voice choked. “Not only for the girls, but I was scared for you, I didn’t come to you then because I was afraid I’d break down and lose control.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Then everything went crazy, the girls were upset and Renee was hysterical. But you were great, you were strong and calm, exactly the kind of woman I want my girls to be when they grow up.”
“No, I wasn’t, I was scared, too, Zeke,” Paige’s voice quivered as she pushed his hand away. She brushed her fingers gently over each of the girls’ forlorn little faces.
Tears pooled in their eyes as they clutched their daddy’s side. “Daddy, tell her you loves her,” Summer whispered, tugging on his sleeve.
“I do.” Zeke said. “I love you, Paige. I want to marry you.”
Tears streamed down Paige’s cheeks, her voice filled with disbelief and regret. “I’m sorry, Zeke. But it wouldn’t work. We’d only be getting married for the girls. Marriages like that never last.”
A lesson he’d learned the painful way. And now, he’d confessed his love, put aside his pride again for a woman, and discovered the truth—she didn’t love him.
The preacher tried to quiet the increasingly annoyed crowd, and he glanced up through blurry eyes to see Amelia’s father fast approaching, an angry scowl on his face.
He grabbed the girls’ hands and cleared his throat, his heart breaking. “I’m sorry I interrupted, Paige. You’re right, of course,” he said, resigned. “We’ll go now.”
“But Daddy!” Summer and August both protested.
“Shh.” He slowly urged them toward the door before he completely lost his self-respect and begged Paige to marry him anyway. “Everything’s going to be all right.” Then he walked outside and closed his eyes against the sunshine, and the pain he felt inside.
Chapter Fourteen
Paige wiped away her tears and hurried back to her place beside Amelia, her heart breaking.
“What was that all about?” Amelia whispered.
“I’m so sorry. I’ll explain later,” Paige said softly.
“Can we get on with this wedding?” Amelia’s father snapped.
Paige nodded, her face heating. “Yes. Sorry for the interruption.”
She listened to Derrick and Amelia repeat their vows of love, thinking about Zeke’s declaration and wishing desperately his proposal had been sincere. If he really loved her, if could forgive her what happened to the girls, if he didn’t blame her…
“Paige, um, the rings.” Amelia poked her elbow and Paige
jerked her mind back to the ceremony, tears blurring her vision when the preacher pronounced her friends man and wife. Amelia’s diamond bracelet glittered in the light as she and Derrick strolled down the aisle.
As soon as people had stopped flocking to congratulate Amelia and Derrick at the reception, Amelia pulled her aside.
“Okay, spill it, Paige,” Amelia ordered, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. “What did Zeke say?”
Paige fumbled with her fingers as she reiterated the conversation.
“That is so romantic,” Amelia squealed.
“You’re kidding. He thought you and I were…um, the two of us were…?” Derrick stuttered.
Paige nodded. “Can you believe it? I don’t know how he got that idea.”
Derrick laughed. “No wonder he kept giving me the evil eye at all those neighborhood watch meetings.”
“What do you mean?” Paige asked.
“God, Paige, he couldn’t take his eyes off of you.”
“He really said he loved you?” Amelia asked. “And what did you tell him?”
“That it wouldn’t work,” Paige said in a low voice.
“Sweet heavens, why not?” Amelia asked. “You’re in love with him.”
Paige swallowed. “He only wants me because his daughters like me, and they’re upset about their real mother leaving.”
“You’re crazy, Paige. That guy is nuts about you.” Derrick cleared his throat, his voice suggestive. “Believe me, from a man’s point of view, I don’t think it has anything to do with his kids.”
Paige’s gaze swung to Derrick’s, a fleeting memory of Zeke saying something similar when he’d admitted he wanted to make love to her. Could Derrick be right? “Why do you say that, Derrick?”
Derrick chuckled. “Look, Paige, a guy knows.” He curved his arm around Amelia’s waist. “I could tell by the way he looks at you. But I didn’t realize you were serious about him.”
“You have to go after him,” Amelia said, pushing up the lacy sleeves of her wedding gown.
“But what if you’re wrong?” Paige asked, for the first time allowing herself to feel a sliver of hope. She explained about the incident with the vandals.
“Oh, sweetie, you have to stop blaming yourself for everything. You can’t control the world.”
“Yeah, if you love those kids, you’ll make a great mom.”
“No parent is perfect,” Amelia reminded her. “For goodness’ sakes, look at ours.”
She was right. Paige’s mother had made mistakes, had filled her with guilt, but Paige had loved her anyway. A fleeting memory of a time when she’d wandered away from her mom at the local shopping mall crept to the back of her mind. All parents made mistakes…
“You have to take a chance,” Amelia coaxed. “Stop being afraid. After all, look how it turned out for us.” Paige caught the twinkle of Amelia’s diamond bracelet as she raised her hand to Derrick’s face to kiss him. Strains of a love song began to play softly in the background, and Amelia and Derrick turned goo-goo eyes on one another and headed for the dance floor. Paige nodded, picked up her skirt, then waved and ran for the door.
IT TOOK PAIGE exactly five minutes to formulate a plan. And another five to implement it. She hurriedly dressed in her running clothes and started out the front door. As she stepped outside, dusk settled on the horizon and she inhaled the sweet scent of honeysuckle and fresh flowers blooming, then smiled when she saw Summer and August sitting out in the front yard on a blanket, coloring. Maybe she would make a fool out of herself, but she had let her fears overrule her heart. She might be taking a chance but Zeke and August and Summer were worth it. And if Zeke could forgive her for putting them in danger, she could forgive herself.
She approached them cautiously, taking a quick glimpse at the pictures they were drawing. Both seemed to be moping, sketching their own versions of the wedding they’d just witnessed. Her heart squeezed when they glanced up at her with big doelike eyes filled with sadness and uncertainty.
“Hi,” she said in a soft voice.
“Hi,” both girls chimed, their eyes slightly red-rimmed and swollen from crying.
Paige eased herself down beside them, guilt spreading a dull ache through her.
“Did you have fun at that wedding?” August asked.
Paige nodded. “Yeah, it was nice to see my friends so happy.”
Summer simply stared at her, her heart in her eyes.
“I’m sorry if I upset you or your daddy,” Paige said, patting Summer’s back.
Summer’s lip trembled. August folded her arms across her pink T-shirt. “We’re sorry we messed up your stuff. We promise we won’t do it again if you’ll love Daddy.”
Paige blinked against the moisture pooling in her eyes. “Honey, I’m not upset over that project. I told you I fixed the dress and it’s forgotten.”
“And we’ll listen better next time. Daddy said you won’t marry us ’cause you was scared.”
Paige swallowed at that revelation. He’d been right on that score.
“But we told him you said if you wanted somefin bad enuf, you’d find a way to get it.”
“So he said that means you don’t luvs him bad enuf?”
Paige heaved a painful sigh. How could Zeke not know she loved him?
“How come you don’t loves Daddy?” Summer asked, her shoulders slumped.
“Our daddy’s lots of fun,” August argued.
“He smells bad sometimes,” Summer said. “But that’s ’cause he’s saving doggies’ and kitties’ lives. He’s a hero.”
“We can make him take a shower.”
Paige laughed softly. “Honey, I do like your daddy—he’s wonderful. But when a man and woman get married, it should be because they love each other.”
“That’s what Daddy said,” Summer whispered.
“So you don’t luvs our dad?” August asked.
Paige swallowed, knowing she couldn’t lie to these innocent girls. Or to herself or Zeke any more. Not because of her fears. “Yes, I do love him.”
August sighed, her expression older than her years, then threw up her hands. “Then I don’t get it. What’s the probwem?”
“Yeah, Daddy loves you, too,” Summer said.
“He tolded you that,” August said as if Paige were crazy.
“We heard him say it in his sleep,” Summer said.
“You did?”
Both girls nodded.
“He sounded all goofy,” Summer added.
“Like he was having a dream,” August interjected. “He was begging you to marry him.”
“And he was crying on the way home from the church.”
“He was?”
Summer shrugged. “He said he wasn’t, but he kept rubbin’ his eyes. Said he had dust in ’em.”
“’Cept I think he was ’barrassed, ’cause he thinks boys don’t sposed to cry.”
“Yeah, he sniffled, too. Like this.” Summer wrinkled her nose and made an exaggerated sniffling sound.
Paige studied the twins’ faces. Bits and pieces of conversations with Zeke splintered through her mind, the way he’d looked at her when they’d made love, the husky way he’d murmured her name, the tender way he’d loved her over and over in the heat of the night. But she’d sent him away, foolishly dismissing their love because she’d been afraid. He’d said he wanted the girls to be like her when they grew up, but so far, she’d been a coward.
Well, she’d swallow her pride and teach the girls that her words weren’t hollow—she loved Zeke bad enough to do anything to get him back.
“Can I borrow a piece of paper?” Paige asked.
August wrinkled her nose in confusion, but Summer nodded and tore off a blank page. Paige grabbed a red crayon and began to write. When she finished she read the flier to the girls, laughing when they jumped up and down, squealing with delight. “Come on, let’s show this to your daddy,” she whispered.
The girls beat her to the door and ran inside. “Daddy, Daddy, come her
e, Paige wants to talk to you.”
“Hurry,” Summer called. Both girls giggled, clasping hands and swinging them back and forth.
Zeke stumbled to the door, looking tired and rumpled in jeans and a Braves T-shirt. His eyes were wary as he gazed at her, his expression guarded, a sadness about him she’d never seen before. Paige almost lost her nerve, but Summer tugged at her hand. “Go ahead, Paige show him.”
Paige smiled hesitantly. “Hi.”
“Hi,” Zeke said in that incredibly deep and sexy voice of his.
“I wondered if the girls might help me,” Paige said. “I wanted to hang this flier and I couldn’t find my hammer.”
Zeke frowned, running a hand through the dark strands of his hair. “Having a garage sale so you can get ready to move?” Zeke reached for the flier and Paige placed it in his hand, her heart pausing painfully.
She saw the minute comprehension dawned on Zeke’s face. His mouth dropped open and his eyes transformed into two dark circles of fire.
Zeke silently read the flier and his jaw dropped, hope yanking at him.
Husband and family wanted for single female
Makes great chocolate chip cookies
Likes to sew little girls’ clothes
Loves kids & pets, even frogs
Call 555-7780
What the hell was she doing, advertising for a family? The woman had lost her mind! Then he reread the message and an inkling of wonder crept into his head.
“Paige, are you serious?” His throat tightened when he saw the smile curving her mouth.
“Yes,” she said in a low voice. “I love you, Zeke.”
Zeke lost his breath as he looked into her sea green eyes. “You do?”
“Yeah, I do.”
Zeke’s chest filled with emotions. He glanced down at his mischievous girls, afraid to breathe, to hope, but wanting so badly to take Paige in his arms his hands twitched by his sides. “You’re not just saying this for them?”
Paige shook her head. “I told you it wouldn’t work if the twins were the only reason, and I do love them,” she said, putting her arms around the twins’ shoulders, “but I love you, too.” Her voice broke and she tried to steady it. “I have for a long time.”