“You in there, Ella?”
“That’s my sister,” said Ella, her cheeks heating red with what Paul hoped was passion more than embarrassment. However, he highly suspected she felt like him—needy but trying to get it together. His heart was still beating a fast tempo and he cursed her sister’s timing.
“I’m in here, Tara,” said Ella, scouting around him before Tara got the wrong impression. For once she’d be correct with her assessment of the situation.
Tara stepped through the open door and took in the scene. Paul smiled at Ella and then walked over to the cooler to grab another drink of water. He needed to put more space between them because he ached to act like the fool and haul her over his shoulder and away to a much more private location so they could finish what they had started.
“Why are you here, Tara?” asked Ella, trying hard to zip up her boomer jacket. Paul was pleased to see her fumble. She was rattled and that’s exactly how she made him feel.
Tara looked at both of them but Paul wasn’t about to kiss and tell.
“I’m here because there’s a guy at our house claiming to be your fiancé,” said Tara, crossing her arms over her chest as she glared at her sister.
Paul waited a heartbeat for Ella to refute her sister’s ridiculous claim. Instead Ella said, “Craig. Craig’s at the house.”
Tara moved closer to her sister. “Yes, Craig’s at the house and Mom’s playing hostess. Are you telling me what he’s saying is true?”
Paul didn’t wait to hear another word. He’d heard all he needed. Ella hadn’t denied it. She was engaged.
“Guess congratulations are in order,” said Paul, mustering his courage as he grabbed his shirt and strode past Ella and Tara. “Shut the door on your way out. It locks automatically.”
He didn’t look back. Ella certainly hadn’t when she had left him and it was good to remember that. Better than recalling in vivid detail the taste of her lips or how wonderful she felt in his arms. Once again he was the one being played for a fool.
Chapter Seven
“I can’t believe you didn’t tell us,” said Tara for the tenth time as they made their way up from Paul’s workout building to the parking lot.
“Sorry,” said Ella, again. She noticed immediately Paul’s truck was gone. She wasn’t sure if that was a blessing or not. She felt stupid, realizing she should have said something to Paul but what? Yeah, Craig’s my finance but I’m not sure how I really feel about him. That sounded lame. She should know how she felt about Craig. It wasn’t like he wasn’t nice, good looking or prosperous but the hard reality was Craig didn’t make her feel like Paul did.
Ella fought the tears that threatened to spill. Being wrapped in Paul’s arms had made her recall how she felt whenever she was with him – a hot, wild woman. That had always been the way with Paul. Even when they were teenagers she’d been wild about the shy boy who turned out to be quite the opposite in the bedroom. Not that they had sampled each other once as teens in a bedroom – more like the barn, his father’s hunting shack, and one especially vivid memory surfaced of them behind the bleachers at their high school football game.
“Well, it’s a good thing I found you before you did something stupid with Paul.”
Too late. Way too late. Ella kept quiet as they both unlocked their vehicles. She almost wished Paul had said something to her. But that wasn’t his way. He wasn’t like his father who would explode in anger. Paul, from an early age, always made an effort to channel his anger in another direction. Even when they were teens and she got angry at the injustice of her life that took away her father, who died suddenly of a massive heart attack, Paul would only offer the comfort of his arms and calming voice. God I miss that.
“Mom’s really excited just so you know, but she’s going to act mad at you because you should have told her and me. So when did this big event happen?”
“A couple of weeks ago.”
“And how long have you and Craig been an item?”
“About six months,” answered Ella, with a quiet voice.
“Six whole months and you didn’t let on once. Why?” Tara rarely raised her voice and the mere fact she did now spoke volumes. She was hurt that Ella hadn’t said anything but every time Ella had thought to tell her sister about Craig the words got stuck in her throat.
And that should have been her clue that being with Craig would never work. The why she’d been avoiding to answer to both herself and to anyone else was screaming at her. Shrugging, Ella opened the door to the pickup truck. “It’s sort of complicated.”
Tara opened her car door which happened to be parked adjacent to Ella’s truck.
“Ella there’s nothing complicated about this. You only get married if you love the guy. So do you?”
No, Ella didn’t love Craig, but he’d been the only one in New York who had taken notice of her. The only one she’d even remotely considered and the only man other than Paul she’d had sex with.
“So do you, Ella?”
The urge to cry hit Ella so hard she slumped into the truck. “Oh, Tara what am I going to do?”
Her sister scooted into the truck, pushing Ella over to the passenger side. “It’s simple. If you don’t love him you have to break off the engagement. It’s not like you’ve told everyone.”
“But you don’t know Craig.”
“Yeah, you got that right. I don’t know him. But you can’t marry someone you don’t love and that’s that,” declared her younger sister in a motherly voice that stole through Ella. Then Tara gave her a hug and said she’d see her back at the house.
Ella drove on automatic, running through her mind what she’d say to Craig. First things first, she wanted to know how he knew where she was. While they might have been going out for six months she’d been fairly vague about where she grew up. And what right did he have to show up at her house anyway. What’s wrong with calling her first? By the time Ella parked her mother’s pickup truck in the driveway and made her way up the shoveled driveway thanks to Paul, Ella was in a fine fit.
But the minute her mother opened the door, with a look of absolute rapture on her face, Ella’s determination to set matters straight evaporated like melting snow. She allowed her mother to haul her in for a big smothering hug.
“Oh, darling, why didn’t you tell us? Never mind. Never mind. I’ve spent the last two hours with your finance, Craig. He’s an absolute delight and so very polite. I was very angry with you for not saying a word but what can I say, except I’m so excited for you. Craig has told me you want to elope but come now, that can’t be the case.”
“Ah, no, not really,” mumbled Ella, letting her mother haul her into the house. And before she could say another word, she was wrapped once again in another set of arms—Craig’s. Except her heart didn’t once flutter and her knees didn’t feel weak like they had when Paul held her.
“I was so worried about you,” said Craig, attempting to give her a kiss but at the last moment Ella moved and he ended up giving her cheek a peck instead.
Ella looked at Craig and wished with all her might she felt something. Nothing. Not that Craig at six feet with his wavy blond hair and light brown eyes wasn’t a catch, but after being with Paul again she knew going through life without those butterflies was something she couldn’t settle for.
“Ah, yeah, how did you find out where my home was?”
Craig chuckled. “Ella my love, it was simple. I called and spoke with your secretary and when she told me you had a car accident well I knew I had to see for myself you were one hundred percent okay and she didn’t hesitate to give out your family address.”
Ella made a mental note to have a talk with her secretary when she got back…if she got back. For a moment she recalled her afternoon mission and the delight she had discovering that there was real potential for her to start up her own business in town.
“I’m so happy to see you and know that you’re okay. You had me really worried,” said Craig, a smile lighting up hi
s face.
Why did Ella not believe him? The only thing that usually worried Craig was work and his family. Ella might not know Craig well and had only met his family once briefly but that had been enough. His family had been born with wealth and they wore it like an accessory. She often wondered why Craig worked so hard when he didn’t need to prove himself to anyone or pull in the large paycheck he did.
Thinking of that made Ella feel more miserable. “Thanks Craig. Sorry, I guess I should have texted you.”
Craig laughed. “Ella my love you are to call me when things like that happen.”
Ella nodded, thinking most of their discussions actually did revolve around texting so that had been her automatic thought. Plus, knowing Craig’s busy schedule as a public prosecutor he never took a call—it always went to voice mail. Moving into the living room, Ella immediately began stuffing chocolate from the always full candy bowl into her mouth. With her mouth occupied she hoped to avoid talking because speaking meant dealing with the weird situation she found herself in.
“Craig was about to tell me when you two were planning to get married,” said her mother with an eager look on her face. A look Ella most certainly did not want to crush.
“Mom, why don’t we leave Craig and Ella alone for a while,” said Tara, moving the candy bowl out of reach as she winked at Ella.
Ella mouthed a ‘thank you’ and waited for her mother to refuse but Tara was having none of that. Tara helped her mother up from her chair, telling her she wanted to show her some new designs she was working on. And presto, just like that, Ella was left alone with Craig.
Craig moved closer on the sofa so that their legs brushed against each other. Ella waited for that tingly feeling she experienced with Paul but when nothing happened she realized she had to spit out those hard words now and not later.
“Finally alone. I’ve been dying to see you.” Craig moved closer into Ella in an attempt to claim a kiss. Ella moved out of reach and tried hard not to feel awful when Craig gave her a confused look.
“You’re really not happy that I’m here, are you?” he asked, composing himself. “How come you’re not wearing your ring?” He tried not to sound accusing and failed.
The ridiculous larger-than-life diamond he’d presented to her two weeks ago still sat in the black velvet box it came in. She hadn’t had the courage to tell him the night he’d proposed she hated the massive rock. Most women would die for it but all it did was make Ella feel fake.
“I never thought about it in my dash to get here and no…its okay you’re here.”
“Don’t lie to me Ella. I was worried. What was I supposed to do?”
“Text me.”
“I tried,” he said, “but you didn’t respond.”
Damn, she’d forgotten that part of her cell hadn’t been working since the accident. “Sorry, my cell sort of got damaged in the car accident.”
“And once again you didn’t think to call and tell me about that.” He tried to sound hurt but it came out more accusing than anything and instantly Ella felt her anger rise.
“You were out of town. I told you I was going to visit with my family over the holidays and you said you would be out of town on business, if I recall.”
“Yeah, well I wrapped up the business early and really wanted to see you.”
He sidled up closer to her again and Ella fought not to move. Maybe if she let him kiss her she’d feel something. This time when Craig made a move to capture her head to draw her attention to his lips she let him. Like the knee brush though, Ella felt nothing. And without a doubt she now knew that wasn’t normal. Less than an hour ago she’d wanted to strip Paul naked and crawl all over his body simply from one kiss.
“What’s wrong?” asked Craig, the minute the kiss ended.
She looked into his brown eyes and tried hard to recall why she’d even agreed to be his wife. They were complete opposites. Craig was born in the big city and loved the corporate world. He worked as a public prosecutor following in his father’s footsteps and loved the idea of moving into a condo together—not a house, with a backyard and swings for children. His idea of a vacation was to visit another city, not the country. She looked at his slick black business suit and realized she’d never seen him in a pair of jeans. And when they had sex it was planned and meticulous. He insisted she be on the pill and still he used a condom, citing some weird statistical evidence that the pill wasn’t a one hundred percent guarantee but with his added protection he all but stated he never wanted children.
“You’re looking pale, Ella, are you sure you’re okay?” asked Craig.
No, she certainly wasn’t okay. “I’ve got a really bad headache,” said Ella.
“I should leave and let you get to sleep.”
“I think that might be a good idea, Craig,” said Ella, feeling like a heel for not gathering her courage to tell him she didn’t want to marry him.
He patted her knee, a gesture he did a lot and one she had always loathed. It felt almost condescending.
“Well, I guess I’ll go. I’m staying at the only hotel in town,” he said with a forced chuckle. “Why don’t I give you a call in the morning?”
Ella stood up to move toward the front porch, which force him to follow her.
“Sure, we’ll touch base in the morning.”
“It’s great to see you again,” said Craig, bringing her into his arms. Ella simply stood still. When he finally got the hint that she wasn’t returning his hug, he let her go.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked again.
I’ll certainly be better once you leave. “I’m fine. It’s just a headache. I’ll text you tomorrow.”
Silently he buttoned up his fashionable black winter coat and only once the door was open did he turn back to her. He gave her one final kiss on the cheek and then thankfully stepped out the door, leaving Ella the space to finally breathe.
A few minutes later both Tara and her mother returned to the living room. By this time Ella was a wreck. Trying to compose herself, she grabbed two more chocolate candies to plop in her mouth. Even the sugar high wasn’t helping.
With a mother’s understanding, Ella’s mom put on the kettle in the kitchen and then sat down beside her.
“Craig seems like a nice young man, but if he’s not the man for you, you have to do the right thing.”
“You heard us?” asked Ella, looking at both her sister and mother as she fought the tears.
Both of them nodded.
“Tara told me you were going to end things. Is that really what you want?” asked her mother.
Ella sighed. “I’m not sure. Craig really is a nice guy…”
“Nice. Honey, of course he’s nice. You like him. He likes you, but that a marriage won’t last,” said her mother, rising to answer the shrill whistle from the kettle.
The minute her mother left the room, Tara was on her. “You should have told him. You don’t really have a headache, do you?”
“Well, even if I didn’t before I do know. This is such a mess.”
Tara plopped down beside her and hauled her in for a sisterly hug. “Ella, if you don’t love Craig you do need to tell him. Plus, it sure looked to me like things between you and Paul had changed.”
Ella felt her cheeks heat. “You saw us?”
“Just enough to know I should not stick my head any further and certainly yell louder,” said Tara, chuckling.
“God, this is awful. Paul must think I’m terrible. I can’t believe this is happening.”
“What’s happening?” asked her mother, carrying a tray with three steaming mugs of tea and slices of apple pie with cheese.
O’Connor women always dealt better with weird situations when caffeine and sweets were consumed with gusto.
“Ella and Paul,” said Tara, grinning wickedly at Ella.
“Oh, Ella, Paul’s never forgotten you but you broke his heart when you left and didn’t return.”
“Well, it wasn’t completely broken
, he did get married,” stated Ella, sipping her tea, hoping the caffeine would help ease the ache in her mind and heart. She shivered, recalling the feel of Paul’s muscles. Gone was the adolescent boy she’d fallen in love with and the man he’d become made her come undone. If her sister hadn’t interrupted them she was fairly certain they would have done what they had done all those years before behind the bleachers and just go at it without any inhibitions.
“He only got married when he thought you were never coming back and even that didn’t last. Don’t get me wrong, I’m thrilled that you and Paul are reconnecting but that boy has grown into one strong, handsome man and he’s not to be trifled with.”
“Mom, why don’t you just say what’s on your mind,” said Tara, sarcastically.
“Well, if I did that, you’d leave the room running when you should be returning that nice doctor’s phone calls,” said Gwen, eyeing both her daughters enough to make them squirm under her intense gaze.
“Okay, that’s not fair. First off, I’ve got to deal with Craig,” said Ella, taking a bite of the heavenly warm pie her mom had fixed for her. The taste of cinnamon and nutmeg, her mother’s special ingredients in her famous apple pies reminded her of Paul. Paul used to play a pie game when she’d sneak pieces to him when they’d meet up at the old hunting shack. One bite of pie for a kiss. It was a memory she’d totally forgotten until this moment and instantly it brought tears to her eyes.
Misunderstanding why she was crying, both her mother and sister hugged her.
“It will be okay, Ella,” said her mother.
“Once you end things with Craig,” said her sister.
Ella couldn’t say anything. She wasn’t sure who was correct, but one thing she knew for certain was that she’d blown things with Paul tonight. No way would he want anything to do with her now after learning she’d lied to him.
Paul was one of those stoic men who treasured honesty above all else. Ella knew that more than most people because he’d been lied to for most of his childhood thanks to his drunk father. He’d once told her, after they’d shared a hot intimate moment at the shack, he’d never be like his father, who lied his way through life. Honesty and integrity were part and parcel of Paul’s nature. For the first time in her life Ella didn’t know how to tackle the situation. Considering she was always the take charge kind of girl, what she’d experienced tonight truly took the wind from her sails.
What to Read After FSOG: The Gemstone Collection (WTRAFSOG Book 7) Page 164