Seagrove Secrets (Love Along Hwy 30A)

by Melissa Chambers

She shoved the box back into the closet and lowered the other box on top, her mind in a frenzy over what might possibly be going on. A child? Why would he not have told her this, especially last night when he was talking about his life? What kind of man would disown a child? Did his ex-wife have him in San Antonio? How could he have just moved away from him like that?

  She caught a glimpse of the purse she’d bought to match her dress, and remembered that she’d put the handkerchief in there a week and a half ago so she wouldn’t forget it. She pulled herself together, gathering her bag for the day, and then headed toward the car.

  Scott and Felicity sat in the backseat talking in low voices, smiling and picking at one another like lovers did. Shayla would be happy for them if she wasn’t freaking out.

  She got into the front seat. “Hello, stranger,” Felicity said. “You missed cinnamon rolls from Seaside Sweets.”

  “I saved her one,” Chase said with a smile.

  She forced a smile back, and then looked down at her purse. Why was this happening right now? Right before Bo’s wedding?

  When they got to the venue in PCB, a botanical garden that belonged to a client of Harrison Pool Supply, they all piled out of the car. Shayla headed straight inside without waiting for anyone. She found Maya in the small dressing room in the back of the venue. She stood with a girl who looked a lot like her, but with curves and boobs that Maya didn’t have.

  Maya smiled, and started to tear up. “Shayla.”

  “Oh my God, you’ve got to stop this. She’s been at it all day.” The girl held out a hand. “I’m Meade, Maya’s sister.”

  “I’m Shayla, Bo’s sister.”

  “Well, I guess that makes us family of some sort.” She pulled Shayla in for a hug. Right off the bat, Shayla could tell this girl was Maya’s polar opposite in demeanor.

  Shayla hugged Maya. “You ready to get married?”

  Maya pulled away, wiping at her eyes. “I can’t believe any of this. I feel like I’m in the middle of someone else’s dream.”

  That was ironic. Shayla had felt like she was in the middle of someone else’s nightmare for the past months. After last night, she had started to feel like the nightmare was coming to an end, but then seeing those pictures had changed everything. Did Bo know about Chase’s child? Did Maya know? She could not ask. Jesus.

  Maya’s mother came out of a bathroom and discarded a paper towel in a waste basket with a repugnant wince.

  “Hello, Mrs. Forbes,” Shayla said. She’d been seated near her at dinner last night and had spoken with her briefly.

  “Oh, hello, Sheila.”

  “It’s Shayla, Mom,” Maya said.

  “Oh,” the lady said, looking mortified. “I’m so sorry.”

  “It’s no problem, ma’am.”

  “Bo was asking if you were in here earlier. I think he was anxious to see you.”

  “Okay, I’ll go see him.” She set her bag down in a corner, and then remembered the handkerchief. She pulled it out and took it over to Maya. “Before I forget, I want to go ahead and give this to you. I mentioned I had your something old. It was my grandmother’s.”

  Maya took the handkerchief like it was a precious jewel. “Shayla, I can’t take this.”

  “I want you to have it,” Shayla said.

  “But you’ll want it for your own wedding.”

  Shayla huffed a laugh. “Let’s not all hold our breath. Seriously, she left us a few of them. I’ll carry another one if the day ever comes.”

  The door opened, and Felicity came in.

  “Maya,” Mrs. Forbes said. “You already have your something old. Aunt Mimi’s earrings?” Her mother indicated Maya’s ears and she grabbed for them.

  “Oh, well, this handkerchief can be my something borrowed.”

  “You’re borrowing my pearls,” the woman said with a raised eyebrow.

  Maya’s eyebrows furrowed in stress.

  “Mother,” Meade said with a warning glance.

  Felicity held up a blue garter belt, stretching it out between her pointer fingers. “I’ve got your something blue.”

  Maya’s mother’s face drew up in a pinched expression, and she held up a hand as she turned around and collapsed into a chair, arms folded over her chest. “Don’t forget you’re thirty-five years old, Maya.”

  “Yes, you’ve reminded me of that fact a few times recently.”

  “Mother,” Meade said. “Have you seen the back room of the garden where they have the tropical plants?”

  “No,” her mother said with attitude.

  “Let me show you.”

  “I hear it’s so breathtaking it brings women to their knees,” Felicity said, and Maya’s face went beet red. There was a reason this place was so special to Maya and Bo, and Shayla could take three guesses as to why.

  Meade and her mother left, and Maya clenched her fists. “Why did I let her come?”

  Felicity rubbed her back. “She’s your mother. Either you invite her or you kill her.”

  Maya rubbed her temple. “Okay, I’m going to use the restroom one more time, then I’m going to let you two help me into my dress.”

  “Do you think Meade will want to help with that?” Shayla asked.

  “No, we have this plan in place specifically so my mom won’t be here for that. I can’t take the criticism of my body.”

  Shayla looked at Felicity in confusion. Maya’s body was as toned and fit as they came. Felicity rolled her eyes discreetly with a small shake of her head, a warning for Shayla not to go there.

  Maya headed for the bathroom. “I may be in here a second. My stomach is a little upset.”

  “Should we leave?” Shayla asked.

  “Please don’t go far,” Maya said.

  “Just turn on the fan in there if they have one and we’ll close our ears,” Felicity said.

  Maya glanced inside and located a switch. She flipped it on, and a loud fan came on. She gave a thumbs-up sign and headed inside.

  Shayla eyed Felicity. Maybe she knew something. “Did you have fun last night?”

  Felicity lifted an eyebrow. “As much fun as you had.”

  Shayla looked down at her hands.

  “Everything okay with you today?” Felicity asked.

  “Yeah, just a big day.”

  Felicity nodded.

  Shayla racked her brain. “So, is there a flower girl or ring bearer?”

  “Oh, God no. I hope not. She’s not mentioned one, and Meade doesn’t have any kids, so I’m assuming.”

  Shayla nodded. “Not a fan of kids?”

  “I don’t mind them being on the planet. I just don’t want them near me.”

  “Ever dated a guy with kids?”

  “Not more than once. I get that out of the way on the first date. Why? Does Scott have kids?”

  “No, not that I know of.”

  “Oh, shew. Not that we’re turning this into a double wedding or anything, But I do like to know these things.”

  So it didn’t seem like she knew anything either.

  A knock sounded on the door. “Ladies, I need Shayla Harrison please,” came Sebastian’s voice.

  “She ran off and joined the circus this morning,” Felicity said.

  “Then please go retrieve her from the trapeze.”

  “I’ll be back,” Shayla said. Sebastian stood on the other side of the door in a gray tailored suit that looked like it came off a red carpet. “I thought you weren’t supposed to upstage the bride,” Shayla said.

  He lifted his eyebrows. “Like you’re one to talk.”

  “Maya picked out this dress, not me.”

  “I know, and I advised against it. You and Felicity could at least darken a tooth or give yourself a quick perm to try not to look so fabulous.”

  Shayla smiled. “What’s up?”

  “Your brother. He’s so freaking cute. He’s all nervous about stuff. Does he get this way? I’ve never seen him like this.”

  “Neither one of us have ever seen him o
n his wedding day. Where is he?”

  “Back here. He wants to talk to you, but he wanted to make sure Maya wasn’t out.”

  “She’s tucked away.”

  “All right, come on.” Sebastian led her to the other dressing room, and Shayla waited outside. In a second, Bo came out.

  “Hey,” he said, his face flushed.

  She smiled. “Who knew you could look handsome.”

  He looked her up and down. “You, too, but pretty.”

  “Aww, thanks for the heartfelt words, Lord Byron.”

  Bo glanced around. “Have you seen Maya?”

  “Just a minute ago.”

  He smiled. “What does she look like in her dress?”

  “She’s getting it on now. But I wouldn’t tell you if I did know.”

  “Traitor.”

  Shayla rolled her eyes. She guessed he was kind of cute, all happy like he was. She would not cry.

  His expression turned serious. “So, listen, I haven’t really talked to you much about the wedding, about where you’re gonna stand.”

  “I was here for the rehearsal last night, you know.”

  “I know. You know what I mean. I always assumed when I got married, you’d stand up for me, but Maya was so excited and nervous about asking you to stand up for her that I didn’t want to take that from her.”

  She pinched his arm through his white shirt. “Quit worrying about all this. I don’t care where I’m standing as long as you’re getting married to the woman you love and you’re happy. That’s all that matters.”

  He smiled, letting out an exhale. “Thanks for understanding.”

  “Nothing to be understanding about.”

  “It goes without saying that you’re my best friend in the world. You know that, right?”

  She nodded. “I do, baby brother. Come here.” She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly to her, the pressure building behind her eyes. She was so lucky to have had him by her side all these years. Just knowing he was there when she needed him, if she ever chose to call on him, was more of a comfort than he’d ever know.

  She pulled away and swallowed hard when she saw how red his eyes were. “Don’t do something stupid like ruin your mascara,” she said.

  He shook his head, the backs of his fingers to his eyes. “Shut up.”

  “Shayla,” Sebastian said from the altar, standing next to Ashe, who was holding a camera. “Can you stand in for light? Bo, send out Blake or Chase to stand here. I’ve got to go check on Maya.”

  She turned to Bo to let him know to send Blake, but he was already headed back to the dressing room. Shayla stepped up to the altar and stood, her heart spinning when Chase came out of the dressing room, decked out in his tux. She’d barely noticed it in the car in her frenzied state.

  “Is the height going to be a problem?” Sebastian asked Ashe. “We’ve got like a six-inch difference between Chase and Bo.”

  “It’s fine,” Ashe said, already working.

  Chase stepped up to the altar, and Sebastian was off. Ashe started snapping pictures and then stepped around them to adjust.

  “Hey,” Chase said.

  “Hey,” she replied, forcing a smile.

  “What’s going on? Something’s been off with you since we left home.”

  She shook her head, wishing she were a better liar. She let her emotions sit too close to her chest when it came to people she loved. She cringed at herself for even thinking that word.

  “I’m fine,” she said.

  “Hold hands and act like you love each other,” Ashe said.

  Shayla gave him a look. “Is that necessary?”

  He put a hand on his hip. “If I say it is.” He backed halfway down the aisle and kept snapping.

  Chase took her hands, which she knew were clammy to match her nerves. He squeezed them. “I need you to talk to me. Did I do something wrong last night?”

  “No, you didn’t. Nothing like that.”

  “Then you’ve got to tell me.”

  “We’ll talk after the wedding, okay?” she said, glancing around at the flowers surrounding them from all sides, realizing she was in no state to take in the moment like she should be doing.

  “You’ve got to clue me in here. Is it about Brian? Has he contacted you?”

  “No, nothing with Brian.”

  “Scott?” he asked.

  “No, of course not. It’s nothing.”

  “Stay put,” Ashe said. “I’ve got to go grab something from the car.”

  Shayla let go of Chase’s hands, and he ran them through his hair. “This is making me nuts, Shayla. What is wrong? I need to know.”

  She met his gaze, her mind swirling into a tornado that was spinning out of her control, words sitting on her tongue ready to leap off. “Do you have a child, Chase?”

  His features morphed, his eyes a world of anguish and betrayal at her words. “What are you talking about?”

  She swallowed hard, realizing how badly she’d screwed up, but there was no turning back. “I found a picture in a box in the bottom of the closet. I wasn’t snooping. I was just looking for something, and I saw it.”

  Blake walked up. “Chase, I wanted…” He paused. “Are you okay?”

  Chase met Blake’s gaze, looking like he was trying to find himself again. “Yeah. What’s up?”

  “I wanted to talk to you about the toast. I think what I’ve got is too sappy. I need some humor.” He pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket and handed it to Chase.

  Shayla inwardly slapped herself around for not being able to keep her mouth shut. She pointed at the women’s dressing room. “I’m going to see about Maya.” She walked away, feeling two inches tall.

  She opened the door to the dressing room where Felicity, Meade, and Mrs. Forbes were all fussing over Maya, trying to get her into her dress, Meade and her mother bickering.

  “Mother, it is not too tight. It fits perfectly. I’m telling you, there’s something caught on one of these little hooks that’s causing this.”

  “Some brides gain weight right before the wedding due to all the stress. I’m not judging, I’m just suggesting that she should have been refitted yesterday.”

  “How is that in any way helpful right this minute?” Meade asked.

  Shayla backed out of the room and shut the door behind her. She let out a deep breath as she glanced around at everyone busying themselves, prepping for the wedding. Chase was scribbling notes on Blake’s toast. Sebastian was directing the women who were delivering the cakes. Ashe was snapping photos.

  Scott was talking to Shayla’s dad. She realized that as of last night, Bo thought Shayla was dating Scott, and she’d let him keep thinking that. As far as she knew, her dad was over there welcoming him to the family. Her mother was nodding and smiling as Maya’s father looked to be droning on about one of the many fascinating topics he’d been talking about last night at dinner which included the stock market, the hoax of climate change, and the rise and fall of the GDP.

  A pressure built at her temple that she could not tamp down. She turned around and headed to the patio for some air. She stood out there breathing deeply, feeling like she was possibly on the verge of a panic attack. She’d never had one, but she wondered if rapid heartbeat and chest pains were signs.

  Guests were arriving in the parking lot, people getting out of their cars and heading inside. She squinted as she noticed an all too familiar SUV at the back of the parking lot. The driver got out of the car, and her heartbeat went nuts. It was Brian.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  “Will that work?” Chase asked.

  Blake grinned. “Thank God for you. I was afraid I would single-handedly end the reception early.”

  “Mmm hmm,” Chase said, glancing around for Shayla.

  “Are you all right, man?” Blake asked. “You’re definitely not yourself this afternoon.”

  “I’m fine. Just weddings. I’ve been in about ten of them. You’d think I would have it down by now.
”

  “You want to hear something funny?” Blake asked. “This is the first wedding I’ve been in besides my own.”

  Chase smiled at him, wishing he had the time to focus on his friend right now, but his mind was all over the place after the bomb Shayla dropped on him. He was planning on telling her as soon as everyone left for the weekend. The timing couldn’t possibly be worse. “You’re gonna do really well. If you flub over your words, people will forgive you because you’re so damn handsome. I know from experience.” Chase flashed him a reassuring smile.

  Blake smiled back. “Thanks.”

  Sebastian walked with purpose through the venue clapping his hands. “All right I need my groomsmen by the front door for usher duty. Guests are pulling up. It’s go-time people.”

  Chase looked around again. “Did you see where Shayla went?”

  “She said she was going to check on Maya, remember?”

  “Oh,” Chase said. He’d been so freaked out that he’d spaced out. He looked at the door of the women’s dressing room. It’s not like he could go in there and grab her and explain everything, could he?

  He felt hands on his arms and a gentle shove. “Door, please,” Sebastian said.

  Brian stood by his SUV, staring at her, letting his presence be known. But he didn’t walk toward her, thank God. Still, the thing she’d feared since the day she found out Bo was getting married was happening.

  She turned around and slid open the door, closing it behind her. What was Brian going to do? Would he come inside? Surely, he knew better than to do that. He’d let her know he was there. He’d put the ball in her court. She just had no idea what to do with it.

  The door opened to the dressing room and Felicity made eye contact with her. She waved her over. “Maya’s asking about you.”

  “Sorry, I was just getting some air.”

  “Everything okay?”

  “Yeah. I’m great. Just got a little stuffy in here with the humidity.”

  When Maya saw Shayla, she smiled. “Hey, is everything good?”

  “It’s great. Just helping Ashe a minute. Chase and I were standing in for you and Bo while he checked the lighting.”

  “Ah,” she said with a smile, and then took a deep breath, resting against the table.