Happy Campers
Page 14
"Um, have I missed the Webster wedding?"
The lady sank to her chair. "I'm afraid so, dear. It was a short service. The happy couple just left for the reception. It's at the Clubhouse about a mile away. You can catch them there."
The happy couple. A dark cloud blanketed her, blotting out her last hope. Tears burned the back of her eyes. Swallowing wouldn't dislodge the knot in her throat.
"No. That's all right. I just wanted to make the wedding ceremony." I just wanted to stop the wedding ceremony. But she'd arrived too late.
"Pity, since you're all dressed up. I must say you'd make a lovely bride someday."
"Thank you," she murmured, knowing it would never be. How could she ever marry when she'd lost Gray? Her life's one great love. Leslie turned toward the door to leave.
"Were you a friend of the bride?"
"No." She struggled to hide the tremble in her voice. "The groom."
"Mr. Webster? Such a handsome man, too. Charming. Why, if I'd been ten years younger, I'd have given that lady some competition!"
Leslie smiled. Ten years younger? Who was the lady fooling? She had at least thirty years on Gray, probably closer to forty. "Well, thank you for your time."
Slipping her sunglasses back on, Leslie emerged into the blinding sunlight. Standing on the blacktop, she gazed across the sprawling golf course in Chastain Park. What a perfectly lovely day and a perfectly lovely place to be in a perfectly rotten mood.
Last night she'd painted her toenails the same color red as her new dress, imagining the look on Gray's face when she entered the back of the church. He'd see her, a vision in red silk, and he'd be a goner. No matter what, he'd have to leave the chapel. Make his apologies to the wedding guests. He'd stroll down the aisle, then break into a jog until he reached her. Sweeping her into his arms, he'd swing her around and...
Stop it! This wasn't the movies. There would be no last minute dramatics, no happily-ever-after ending. Gray was lost to her. She had to come to grips with the facts and move on.
She dragged herself back to the Liberty and slipped inside without looking at Kat. Closing her eyes, she battled tears. Tears would do no good and they'd surely ruin her mascara. Kat wouldn't approve. Leaning her forehead against the steering wheel, she groaned. "I blew it, Kat."
"I wouldn't say that."
That masculine voice. That wasn't Kat's. Her mind played a cruel trick on her, making her sister's voice sound just like... Her eyes jerked open. "Gray?"
* * * *
He'd watched Leslie walk out to the parking lot and his heart nearly stopped. Her short red dress clung to her curves, stopping just shy of covering her shapely thighs. Thin straps exposed plenty of creamy shoulders and neck, just waiting for his mouth. Red tipped toes peeked from the straps of sexy sandals. Memories of kissing and licking her feet gave him an instant hard-on.
He'd never seen her dressed in anything but blue jeans or sweats, or the bathing suit she wore the day he left her. Her auburn hair was styled in a perfect bob. He'd only seen it towel-dried and sun-kissed, or dripping wet. The addition of make-up highlighted her wholesome, natural beauty. The sight of her overwhelmed him.
She'd dressed up for him. She'd risked coming here to stop him from getting married. Never had he loved her more.
She hadn't spotted him sitting in the passenger seat, even after opening the door to her Jeep. It had taken all his willpower to keep from sweeping her into his arms. And she looked so sad, so miserable, so dejected...
"How ... what are you doing here?"
"Rob told me you and Kat were on your way here to stop the wedding."
"When did you speak with Rob?" Leslie eyes narrowed.
"I called him looking for you, to tell you I wasn't marrying Myra. He met me here and picked up Kat..."
"Did you say you weren't marrying Myra? I don't understand."
"Then understand this." He lowered his voice, struggling to speak around the lump of emotion in his throat. "I love you. I can't live without you, even if it means going against every ounce of responsibility or honor I felt toward Myra."
"Felt?"
Now that he'd found Leslie, his anger at Myra dissipated. "When I told her I couldn't go through with the wedding, she admitted lying about the baby. She wasn't pregnant."
Leslie gasped. "She almost ruined your life. Both our lives."
"No. I almost let her ruin our lives. I'm sorry for hurting you."
"You canceled the wedding?"
"I didn't say that. I said I didn't marry Myra."
She pointed to the chapel. "Then who is the Webster groom who just got married in there?"
He grinned. "My father. It's a long story. Let's save it for later."
When he reached for her, she willingly fell into his embrace. "I love you, too, you know."
"I know." He kissed her temple. "The next wedding I go to better be mine and yours."
Afraid of her answer, knowing he'd rushed her, Gray covered her lips. Pouring all his feelings into the kiss, he left no doubt how precious and vital she was to him. It frightened him to think how close he'd come to throwing away his future.
Their future.
She loved him.
Enough to crash his wedding!
Leslie returned his kiss, giving as good as she got. "Come home with me," she whispered against his mouth.
"I thought you'd never ask." He dipped his head toward hers for one more taste.
"I'll make it worth your while." She winked.
"The truth is, I have no place else to go. Myra evicted me today."
"I think we can work something out."
He pulled her across the console, covering her lips in a smoldering kiss. He slid his hand up that short, short red skirt, grazing her thigh. He fingered the lace edging of her panties. "I think I'd rather work something in."
"We'd better leave now, Gray, before we get arrested or one of us gets hurt on this emergency brake." She straightened in her seat, then tugged her dress toward her knees.
Leaning across the console, he draped his arm across her shoulders. "First, tell me one thing. Would you really have stood up in church and objected to the wedding?"
"I wouldn't have said a word." Shrugging away from his arm, Leslie slid the key into the ignition.
Disappointment nagged at him until he caught the glimmer of mischief in her eye, the deepening of her dimple. "And why not?"
"Because your father is old enough to know what he's doing, Gray." She started the engine. "And I think we are, too."
He laughed, a loud, boisterous laugh from the gut. Giddy, happy, he wanted to jump and kick his heels together. Except he'd do himself serious bodily harm if he tried, especially with the boner he was sporting. "I agree."
"How do you feel about elopements?"
"How do you feel about Niagara Falls?"
Leslie grinned, her face flushed with pleasure. "Shall we pack up the motorhome?"
About The Author
Vanessa Hart, known as "Nessie" to her writing buddies, writes romance and suspense novels under a different name. She is an imaginative, drop-dead gorgeous, curvy young red-head. Well, she's imaginative, anyway.
Vanessa's Website: http://www.vanessahart.com/
Email Vanessa: author@vanessahart.com
We invite you to visit Liquid Silver Books http://www.liquidsilverbooks.com/
for other exciting literary erotica romances.
Waiting For You -- Glenda Diana
Weekend Games -- Chris Tanglen
Destiny's Magick -- Rae Morgan
Love Lessons -- Vanessa Hart
Portal -- Sydney Morgann
Bittersweet -- Louisa Trent
Business or Pleasure...or Both? -- Rae Morgan and Jasmine Haynes
And many, many more!!