As Kevin pushed past, Stone grabbed the other man by the shirt sleeve to prevent his escape. “That’s it? You’re just going to walk away?”
The cab honked again. Kevin shook off his hand. “I gotta go, man. I ship out in less than three hours.”
Stone followed him toward the cab. “If it’s any consolation, she hasn’t looked at anyone since the divorce, not till you showed up at the estate.”
“Yeah, well, it’s not going to happen. I tried and she turned me down.”
“She needs time, Kev. Don’t let pride stand in the way of your happiness.”
“Maybe you’re right. Maybe love isn’t enough to hold two people together for the rest of their life.”
“What if I’m wrong?” He thought of Stephanie, of the way she came apart in his arms, of the way he felt when he woke up in the morning with her cuddled against him. Like he could do that every morning for the rest of his life. “What if love is enough?”
Without a word, Kevin climbed into the cab.
As Stone stood there and watched the taillights disappear around a corner, he knew he had to fight for a future with Stephanie.
Or live his life alone, always with the regret of what might have been.
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
Early Friday morning, Jim finished the ninth hole with a personal best score. Without saying a word, he left the guys behind, his teeth clenched so tight, he thought they might shatter.
By the time he reached the house, his jaw was aching, his heart was pounding double time, and he thought the delicate appendage in his chest might explode. But it didn’t. Just like the doctor had said, as long as he took care of himself—ate well, exercised daily, stayed away from the booze—he could do anything he wanted.
Including sex with the only woman he’d ever wanted.
But first he needed to convince her to stay.
He found Grace in the garden and stopped at her side. “When were you going to tell me?”
“Tell you what?”
Stubborn right till the end of time. He clenched his hands at his sides and refused to be put off. “About the doctor appointments. About the tests and the results.”
She shoved the garden spade into the dirt and refused to look at him. “There’s no need to be concerned. Women get breast cancer every day. You won’t have to change your life at all.”
His throat suddenly closed up and he could barely breathe. “What?”
“That’s right, Jim. Like with everything else, I’ll take care of this myself. You don’t have to put yourself out for me. Heavens, I wouldn’t hear of it.” She pushed to her feet, tugged off her gloves, brushed at the grass stains on her slacks, and refused to look at him. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have things to do.”
She turned her back on him and started to walk away.
“What are you going to do?” Sweat gathered at the back of his neck, under his arms, soaking his golf shirt. When she didn’t answer him, he asked, “You’re not thinking about leaving me, are you, babe?”
She turned to face him, her gaze clear and unconcerned. “You left me a long time ago, Jim. Maybe not physically, but in every other way possible. Maybe Stone is right. Maybe it’s time to make a clean break so we can both find a touch of happiness in what remains in our life.”
“Do you want a divorce?” Jim studied the face of the woman he’d known for the last thirty-five years, the woman he almost didn’t recognize now, and stuffed his hands in his pockets to keep from reaching for her. “Is that what you want, honey?”
“Don’t call me honey.” Cool as a cucumber, she tucked a lose strand of hair under her kerchief. “You have to be married to get a divorce. Since we’re not, we can just walk away from each other. Split things equally so it’s fair to us both. No need to even involve a lawyer.” She turned her back on him. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a wedding to prepare for.”
And with that, she strode away from him and disappeared into the house.
Jim stared after her, part of him wanting to run away until the fear of losing her left him.
She’d always been strong and independent. So much so that he’d pretty much let her run things as she wished without any interference from him. Hell, they’d laughed about it in the early days, how their relationship was different from everyone else’s.
So what was he supposed to do now? He’d never imagined a life without her in it.
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
After tossing and turning all night, Stephanie decided she couldn’t keep her mouth shut. She had to tell Liz and Roger the truth about their relationship, and to heck with the consequences.
And then she had to tell Grace that she couldn’t take the job offer, and hope that Stone didn’t figure out why she’d walked away from the job of a lifetime.
Dressed in her dad’s frumpy sweater and an old pair of jeans, she headed to the main house where she found Liz and Roger and Grace in the breakfast room. As expected, there was an argument going on between Liz and her mother, which apparently didn’t faze the groom at all. He sat between them, his phone in one hand, a slice of toast in the other, appearing totally oblivious to the women.
Stephanie barged into the middle of the fray. “Enough.”
The room went silent for all of two-point-five seconds, then Liz and her mother both started talking at once.
“Silence.” Stephanie held up one hand and glared at them both until they finally went silent. She focused on the bride and the groom first. “It’s time you two faced the truth. I don’t care what you do when I’m gone, but you’re crazy to get married to each other.” Out of her peripheral vision, she saw Grace open her mouth, and without turning her way, she held up her hand for silence. “Call the wedding off.”
Grace humphed. “Exactly what I’ve been telling them.”
Thankful that someone was on her side, Stephanie forced herself to continue.
“You want to know all of the reasons you’re wrong for each other?” She clasped her hands together at her waist. “Liz, you love the idea of getting married, of wearing the princess gown, of being on YouTube and the Crazy Heart album and the cover of People magazine. But you won’t put in all of the hard work that a relationship requires.”
Liz came to her feet. “That’s not true—”
“And Roger,” Stephanie continued, not caring that she’d rudely cut off the bride. “You may think you love Liz, but she thinks she’s in love with someone else. Deal with it and move on. I quit. If you two go through with this marriage, that’s your problem, but I wash my hands of you both.”
Before either of them could say a word, she turned to Grace and handed the older woman the contract. “Thank you for the generous offer, but I’m afraid I’m unable to take the position on your show. There are extenuating circumstances, which I don’t wish to go into now. So if you’ll excuse me, I’ll pack my bags and go.”
Without a backward glance, she walked away, out of the house, past the pool, and down the pathway that lead to the Hole For One cottage. As she approached, she saw Dora spritzing a clay pot of yellow pansies with water. “Pack your bags, Mom. The wedding is off. We’re going back to Mandy’s.”
Her mom came to her feet. “Honey, are you crying?”
Stephanie swiped at her cheeks and realized she was. “No, I just have something in my eye.” She stomped up the steps and into the house where she found her sister lounging on the couch. “What are you doing here? Aren’t you wedding shopping with Dane?”
“We’re taking a break.”Mandy shrugged as she watched her mom disappear into the kitchen. The moment the older woman was out of sight, she turned back, her expression solemn, a worried look in her eyes. “Are you okay? What’s up with the baggy sweater?”
She wanted to tell her sister about the pregnancy. They told each other everything, but now wasn’t the time. But gosh, she really needed to talk to someone.
Instead, she shrugged and picked at a hangnail. “Still covering up that pre-period
bloat, you know.”
Her sister checked over her shoulder, then turned back and gazed at her waistline. “Nothing else you want to tell me?”
Her sister always had been very perceptive, which is probably why she was able to see Grandpa George when no one else in the family could. “Nope, that’s it.”
“You’d tell me if something was wrong, right?”
“Of course.” Stephanie forced a smile. “Everything is hunky dory.”
The doorbell rang.
In the kitchen, Dora called out, “Who’s at the door, honey? It’s not that nasty divorce lawyer, is it?”
Mandy raised one brow and pushed to her feet.
Stephanie backed toward her bedroom and whispered, “If it’s Stone, I’m not here.”
Chicken that she was, she sprinted toward the bedroom and slammed the door behind her.
A few minutes later, Mandy slipped into the room. “Okay, spill. What’s up with you and Stone?”
In the middle of packing her things, she sighed. “Remember when I said I was leaving Grandma Elvira’s wedding with a hot guy?”
Mandy’s face blossomed with a wicked smile. “It was Stone? Have you been seeing him since the wedding? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Nothing to tell. It was one night of exquisite sex, and then we went our separate ways.” Silence greeted her statement. Finally, she added, “Hey, I was busy. I had a lot of spring weddings and no time for distractions.”
Her sister poked her in the side, her voice soft, coaxing. “But Steph, don’t you want to find out if it could lead to forever?”
“He’s a divorce lawyer and I’m a wedding planner. What kind of match is that?” But even as she said the words, she knew it was no longer true. And they had their child to think about.
“You’re a wedding planner who doesn’t believe in love or forever. I’d say that’s a pretty good match for a divorce lawyer who probably believes the same thing. Maybe you two could figure it out together. You can keep each other company under the covers at night while you both hide from the reality of life.”
Stephanie thought about it, then immediately discarded the idea. Because, let’s face it, the Stone's of the world ran at the first sign of impending parenthood. Although Stone hadn’t. Instead he’d presented her with a pre-nup and an engagement ring.
She snapped closed her suitcase. “Come on. We’re getting out of here.”
“What about the wedding?”
“It’s been cancelled.” Her fault, but no one needed to know that.
A commotion on the other side of the door caught her attention, and Stone’s smooth baritone tugged at her heart.
“Where is she?”
Dora said, “She doesn’t want to see you. I don’t want to see you either.”
Stone lowered his voice. “I want to hear that from her lips.”
“Trust me, I’m her mother. She only wanted one thing from you…sex. And if it’s any inclination from how often the two of you disappeared, she got that in spades.”
“Mrs. G. You can get out of my way or I swear I will physically move you. Either way, I am seeing your daughter.”
An unwanted shiver raced up Stephanie’s spine.
But before a physical fight broke out—her mom was feisty and determined, and Stone would be no match for her—Stephanie pulled open the door. Sure enough, her mom was splayed across the opening like caution tape at a murder scene, determined to protect her oldest daughter from the big bad wolf.
Stephanie couldn’t help but laugh through the tears that stung at the back of her eyes. “It’s okay, Mom. You might as well let him in because he won’t go away until you do.”
Dora lowered her arms, stepped out of the way, and as Stone stepped past, her mom hissed, “Divorce lawyer. For shame.”
Stone held the door open until Mandy departed, then closed the door, shutting out the furious and overprotective woman. “If I ever want your mom to like me, I may have to change my career.”
“She thought that an environmental lawyer in the family might be nice.” Stephanie turned her back on him and fiddled with the suitcase latch as she tried to ignore the erratic beat of her heart. “What do you want, Stone?”
She heard his soft footsteps cross the room, felt his hand capture her upper arm to tug her around to face him. She gazed up into his eyes and felt sucker punched by her love for him.
“I love you, Steph.”
As tempting as it was to jump into his arms, she was certain his declaration was just a reaction to the lie she’d told him about losing the baby. He needed time. She needed time. Shaking her arm free, she turned back to the suitcase, determined to contain her emotions until she was alone. “Thank you, but I’m sorry, I don’t love you back.”
The entire week had been like a train wreck about to happen.
In almost every relationship, one person always loved the other person more. And when things got rocky, they were the one who ended up with a broken heart.
And it wasn’t going to be her. No way. No how.
She picked up the suitcase and brushed past him, out of the bedroom, out of the cottage, out of Stone’s life. “Mom? Mandy? I’m ready to go.”
They tagged along behind her.
Dora said, “Awww, honey, I think you hurt his feelings.”
Refusing to look back, Stephanie climbed into the backseat of Mandy’s car. She’d have to deal with the rental car later, but right now, she didn’t want to be alone.
As Mandy put the car into gear and drove away, Stephanie said, “Mom, you and Dad have something special. Don’t ruin it over a little tiff.”
“Oh honey,” her mom said, a hint of laughter in her voice. “Marriage is about give and take, but sometimes we need to argue before we can come to a compromise. We’re only human We all make mistakes. But your dad and I…we’ll be just fine. There was never any doubt in my mind.”
CHAPTER FORTY
Ready for an afternoon of tests—poking, pinching, prodding—Grace pulled on one glove at a time, trying to appear calm and cool and oh-so-level-headed, when all she really wanted to do was collapse into a lump of weeping womanhood. But that had never been her style. Not as a child. Not as a young woman. Certainly not now, especially since everyone seemed to have abandoned her anyway.
The flurry of activity near the cottages caught her attention and she saw the wedding planner come out of the cottage, her mother and sister on her heels. As they reached the car, Stone came out of the cabin and stopped at the top of the stairs. And before Stephanie climbed into the car, her hand went to her stomach in a protective motion, and Grace suddenly realized that there might be a completely different reason for the young woman’s wanness.
Well now, that put a whole new spin on things.
Even from this distance, she could see her son was upset. So what was all that about? Did he know? And if so, why hadn’t he said something?
Because they didn’t have that kind of relationship.
The urge to control the outcome of the young couple’s relationship washed over her, but she pushed it away. It was none of her business. They were old enough to work things out themselves. And in good time, they’d tell her about the baby.
How lovely, she thought as she turned her attention back to the gloves. Perhaps when she returned from the hospital, she should spend some time with Mariam’s boy. What was his name again?
The front entrance door banged open. Jim burst into the foyer, the tie around his neck only half done up, wearing a suit that had been in the closet for so long, Grace nearly didn’t recognize it. The gladness she’d been feeling vanished in a heartbeat.
He headed straight toward her. “Good, I caught you.”
Grace gave a final tug on the gloves, picked up her purse, and tossed the car keys in the air. “Aren’t you supposed to be on the fifth hole right now?”
As he passed her by, he let go of the tie long enough to catch the keys in midair. “Right. I can golf tomorrow. Hell, maybe you’l
l even take a break from the office and join me.”
“Jim, give me those keys,” Grace said as she followed him across the foyer. “I’m heading to town. Take the truck if you’re going somewhere.”
“Honey, the only place I’m going is with you.” He turned at the door, pulled it open with a flourish, and stared at her. “Well?”
“I…” Grace tucked an imaginary strand of hair behind her ear. “There’s no need to come.”
“What kind of husband would I be if I didn’t see you through this?”
“It’s not as if we’re really man and wife, you know.” She turned toward a sound at the door and saw Stone standing there. The shocked look on his face told her that he’d overheard. She frowned across the room at him. “What’s with the face? You’re old enough to finally know the truth.”
And as she turned her back on her son and followed the man she loved out of the house, determined to steal the keys back and leave him behind, he turned, dropped to one knee, and said, “For the love of God, marry me, Grace. Be my friend again, my partner, the love of my life. You’re the only woman I’ve ever wanted, the only woman I’ll ever want.”
Heat warmed her cheeks. “Jim, get up off your knees before you grind dirt into the material.”
He stayed right where he was. “Is that finally a yes?”
It hit her then, like a heatwave before a summer storm. He wasn’t going anywhere. They were in this for better or worse. So what if her viewers discovered the truth about her relationship—or lack of it—with the man who’d been her partner for nearly her entire adult life.
Perhaps it was time to come out of the common-law closet. They could get married on live TV. Her viewers did love weddings.
“Well?” he prodded her, which brought her full attention back to him. “I’m not twenty any more. These stones are hard on my knees.”
Caught Between an Oops and a Hard Body (Caught Between series Book 2) Page 22