“Beautiful, isn’t she?” Yvana asked, sneaking up on Collin as he stood at the bar. She nodded toward Madison. Yvana wore a colorful scarf on her head and a beautiful coordinating coral silk dress. Gone was her usual uniform of a Captiva Club polo and khaki shorts. She placed her white wine on the bar and slipped onto the stool next to his.
“I thought you had to work tonight,” Collin said, raising his tumbler to his lips.
“Dave invited me to the wedding, so thought I’d come. Dave and I go way back. He’s done a lot of ceremonies here,” she said. “Now, back to Madison. You’re supposed to be telling me how she’s the most beautiful woman you’ve ever seen. Because, you know, she’s glowing, what with all that work of carrying your baby.”
Collin laughed. “Yes, she’s the most beautiful woman here. Except for you, of course.”
“Oh, go on, you charmer.” She grinned, her smile lighting up her dark eyes. “So, you making any headway?” Yvana pulled no punches and Collin admired her directness.
“I think so. She told me she loved me.”
Yvana let out a little squeal of delight and slapped her knees. “Well, now, that’s something.” She leaned forward, her dangling silver earrings jingling. “How about the puppy? How’s he working out?”
“Oh, he’s a pain in the ass,” Collin said. “But Madison’s in love with him, so we’re probably going to have to adopt him and...why not? My son will need a dog to play with.”
Yvana laughed. “Yes, I suppose so. The puppy’s still with you? Y’all haven’t lost him yet?”
“Not for very long, anyway.” Collin pretended to sound disappointed, and Yvana laughed.
“Well, good. I say if you can look after a puppy, you can probably handle a baby just fine. Least a baby can’t run away from you. Or chew up your furniture... Not right away.” Yvana grinned again.
“Thank God for that.” Collin held up his glass and she clinked her wineglass against it. “Though, I’m still hoping his real owner finds him.”
Yvana winked at him. “Well, honey, you don’t need to be looking any further.” She took a sip of her white wine.
“What do you mean?”
“The owner is me.” Yvana tapped her chest.
“I don’t understand.” Collin frowned.
“A friend of mine had a litter of golden doodles she was trying to find homes for. Couldn’t get rid of this last one, and I told her I’d take him, but he was a handful.”
“Oh, you’re telling me.”
“When I saw you and Maddie having trouble, I thought I’d give you something to bond over. I figured you’d fall in love over that puppy.”
“You sly matchmaker,” Collin said as he imagined Yvana sneaking around with a puppy and coming up with this elaborate plan.
“I’m the one who released the dog in her yard, and I just thought...well, the dog would probably bring you together—besides, if you can take care of a puppy, you’d damn sure be ready for a baby.” Yvana grinned, showing a dimple in her cheek.
“You fooled me. Totally fooled me. Does Madison know?”
“Not yet.” Yvana couldn’t seem to stop grinning. “But, anyway, that dog is yours.”
“I ought to make you take it back,” Collin threatened.
“Why? You got a free parenting lesson out of that dog,” Yvana said. “Now, you know you can take care of a baby, too. And did it work? You two going to get married?”
Collin let out a weak laugh. He had no idea what was in Madison’s head—or heart—at the moment. She seemed happy to sleep with him, but not thrilled about the idea of marrying him...
“Falling into arguments, you mean.” Collin studied the amber liquid in his glass, and wiped a bit of sweat from the brim. “I’ve asked Maddie to marry me so many times, but she keeps saying no.”
“You just got to be patient with her. She’s stubborn, that girl. I remember one time when she was little, she refused to wear her flip-flops around ’cause she said they hurt her toes. So, her mama got her sandals. Well, apparently they hurt, too. No matter how many different pairs her mama bought, she couldn’t make that girl wear shoes. You know how many splinters she got?”
Collin shook his head. He didn’t, but he could imagine.
“I don’t know, either, but I pulled out at least four myself, so it had to be a lot more than that.”
Collin laughed. He could almost see stubborn little Maddie refusing to wear her sandals. Or any shoes at all. He liked the idea of her being a bit wild, determined to walk her own path, even if she did so barefoot. He liked the arguments they had, and the blistering sex that usually followed. She was the Earthquake, no doubt about it.
Collin watched her do a little spin in the arms of the elderly gentleman.
“You’re in it for the long haul, though, right? I might put in a good word for you, but ain’t gonna do that if you’re some fly-by-night.” Yvana glanced at him over the top of her wineglass. The woman seemed to miss nothing. He glanced over at Madison once more. She was laughing at something her dance partner said and seeing her face full of mirth made him feel warm inside. He didn’t want to be with any other woman. Madison was the woman for him, and not just because she was carrying his baby.
“I’m definitely in it for the long haul,” he assured her. “No doubt about that. Now, it’s about convincing Maddie to feel the same way. I think she’s still looking for the emergency exits.”
“So, what is it she doesn’t like? What is it about you that’s not hitting her right?” Yvana cradled her chin in her hand, settling in for a comfortable talk. She was easy to talk to, wise, and he was starting to forgive her for sneaking that dog into their lives.
“She thinks I’m a control freak.”
“Are you?” Yvana quirked an eyebrow as she took a small sip of wine.
“Maybe a little,” he admitted, shrugging one shoulder.
“We all gotta let someone else drive now and again,” Yvana said, absently toying with one silver earring. “Otherwise, we’re gonna run off the road. Plus, if you’re gonna get married, be a family, you have to let everyone carry their fair share.”
“You think so?” Collin wasn’t so sure. For years, he’d been the only person he could depend on.
“I know so,” Yvana said. “Now, you gonna let that old man steal her away from you?” She nodded toward Madison and the elderly man who was shuffling her around the dance floor. “He’s got some serious dance moves.”
“No, ma’am.”
“Well, go on, then. I’ve gotta work on getting that fine police detective to dance with me.” Yvana stared at Mark on the other side of the dance floor. He was scanning the crowd, keeping an eye out for anything suspicious.
“You’ve got a thing for Mark?” Collin had a hard time imagining the speak-her-mind Yvana with the reserved veteran cop.
“Tall glass of chocolate milk, that’s all I’m saying.” Yvana rested her chin on both hands.
“Wanna borrow Teddy? He’ll help you fall in love in no time.”
“Oh, hell no,” Yvana said, making a face. “That’s a devil dog. Cute as hell, but he’s not housetrained, and he destroys everything he touches.”
“Tell me about it.” Collin sighed. He glanced at Mark, who still stood watch. “Maybe I’ll put in a good word for you, then,” Collin offered.
“Tit for tat, oh, yes.” Yvana gave a quick nod. “I like the way you think.”
Collin laughed, put down his drink and went to Madison, gently cutting in. Her partner looked sad to see her go, but graciously allowed Collin to take over.
“I’m glad he was nice about that, so I didn’t have to clock him,” Collin joked as he slid his hand around Madison’s back and pulled her closer to him. She smelled like lavender and something else equally delicate. He loved the way she smelled.
“Counselor!” Madison excl
aimed, mock outrage crossing her face as she looked up at him. “That is awful.”
“Not as awful as watching you dance with another man.” Collin could feel the deliciousness of her body pressed to his. She was so soft, so very feminine. All he wanted to do was dance with her forever. How could she not see how perfect they were together? Couples didn’t dance like this, unless they had that intensity, that love, the heat like a flame between them. Sure, they argued, but that just meant their passion ran hot.
Madison laughed, and the sound made his groin tighten. God, he wanted her. He wanted her right here on this dance floor. He wanted her every minute of every day.
“So, what did you think of Dave? I think he’d be great to officiate our wedding.”
“Collin,” Madison said, a warning in her voice. “I haven’t even said yes.”
“Well, once you do, what do you think of Dave? He told me he has slots open next weekend. He could marry us then.”
“Collin! No, we’re not getting married next weekend.” She glanced to the side, deliberately avoiding eye contact. Why was she so stubborn? Why did she keep refusing him? She was having his baby, so why not marry him?
Collin squeezed her tighter. This was where she belonged. Right here in his arms. “Why not?”
“Because we can’t.” The woman was so stubborn. And irrational. And irrationally stubborn.
“Give me one good reason why you and I shouldn’t try to spend the rest of our lives together.”
Madison’s eyes found his once more. “Because we’ve only just started to date. Just because you want it right now, doesn’t mean it’ll happen. Remember what happened when you told Teddy to go pee outside? And then he did it inside.”
“You’re comparing us to housebreaking a dog?”
“Kind of.”
He liked teasing her, he liked the constant back and forth between them.
“Seriously, though. Why not marry me?” he said again.
“We hardly know each other.” Madison looked at the elderly bride and groom who were toasting each other at the head table.
“So? What I know about, I love.” Collin was determined to hear them and knock each one down, the way he would with a defense attorney’s closing arguments.
“You’re just proposing to me because I’m pregnant.”
Collin didn’t see why that was a problem. Wasn’t it a good thing he was proposing to her? “What’s wrong with that? Would you rather I not propose? That I tell you I want nothing to do with the baby?”
“No.” Madison looked a little flustered. She seemed to want to tell him something else, and yet she was holding it in. It was just like her to keep the most important information to herself, like the fact that she was pregnant.
“Then I don’t understand. What do you want? You don’t want me here on the island, but you don’t want me to leave, either.” The slow song came to an end, and they stopped dancing. A high-tempo song came on then, and the crowd around them started bouncing to the beat, but Madison just stood there.
“You don’t understand,” she said.
“So, explain it to me,” Collin pleaded. If she’d speak some sense, if she opened up that vault, the one she kept closed to him, then he could understand. She looked at him, and for a split second, he thought she might actually share her true feelings with him. But then the moment was gone.
She shook her head and left the dance floor, with Collin staring after her, wondering what on earth he’d said.
“You look like you could use a drink,” said Dave. He was sitting at a nearby table and had a bottle of wine open.
“I could, actually,” he said and took a glass of red that Dave offered him.
“Don’t worry. Pregnancy hormones are the worst,” he said. “My wife didn’t know if she was coming or going during both her pregnancies. You just have to weather the storm.”
“I wish I was sure it’s hormones and not that she hates me.” Collin took a swig of wine as Dave laughed.
“What’s it like? Being a parent?” Collin thoughtfully continued to sip his wine, thinking how much he didn’t know.
“It’s absolutely terrifying,” Dave said. “The best kind of terrifying, though. I highly recommend it.” He laughed. “I’ll let you in on a little secret. Parents never really know what they’re doing. We’re all just winging it. You can’t really control anything. You just do the best you can.”
Dave peered out across the dance floor. “Uh-oh, looks like Mom lost one of her tennis balls off the feet of her walker. I’ll be right back.”
Dave handed Collin his wine glass, so that now Collin looked like he was double-fisting it. Dave hurried off as Collin glanced up to see another guest from the party in front of him—a woman, probably twenty-five, blond, wearing a short sundress that revealed perfect legs. “I’m Amber.”
“Collin,” he said. “I’d offer to shake but...”
“You’ve got your hands full.” Amber flipped her blond hair off one shoulder and smiled, a flirty little smile. She leaned forward so Collin could see down the V-neck of her dress. The woman was definitely flirting with him. She was cute, no doubt about it, and sexy in her sandals and short dress.
“Are you here for the bride or groom?”
“Groom. I’m his great-granddaughter.” She leaned forward a little more, toying with a strand of her hair, wrapping it around one perfectly manicured finger. “And you?”
“I’m actually a wedding crasher. I met the bride’s son about an hour ago.”
“Really?” Now, she seemed even more interested. This was the give-and-take that Collin knew so well with a woman who liked him. All he had to do was not muck it up and he could have her out of that little dress of hers in no time. He’d been at odds with Madison for so long that he’d forgotten how easy this could be—a woman interested in him, no complications, just fun.
But he wasn’t supposed to do that anymore, was he? He was going to be a father. A husband. Flirting wasn’t on his agenda anymore. Yet, he thought, what would be the harm in just talking to the woman? They didn’t have to take it any further—and he wouldn’t—but he liked the idea of simple small talk with a pretty girl. What harm could it do?
“Would you like a drink?” he asked, looking at her empty glass.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
MADISON CAME BACK to the reception prepared to talk to Collin, ready to apologize. With the pregnancy hormones rushing through her body, her emotions seesawed, unsteady chemicals about to mix and explode at any moment. She felt unstable sometimes, bouncing like a ping-pong ball from one extreme emotion to the next. She hoped it was just the baby, because otherwise, she might be losing her mind.
She stood near the pool, on the other side of the tables, searching the crowd for Collin. The bride and groom were sitting down, toasting with flutes of champagne, while other guests hit the dance floor. Then she saw him—broad-shouldered, dark hair, that radiant toothpaste-commercial smile. She almost waved at him, almost shouted his name, when she realized he was talking to a leggy blonde at the bar. In that instant, he handed her a drink. Madison froze. Collin was flirting, she could tell that all the way from over here.
Madison was suddenly off-balance—insecurely observing the sleek flat-stomached woman flicking her hair off her shoulder and laughing at something charming Collin must be saying. She felt bloated, thick in the middle with the start of baby-weight; but even on her best days, she wasn’t sure she could compete with the young pretty girl, who was clearly fascinated with everything Collin had to say.
Here it is, she thought, the fear she’d had all along. He’d just proven it—Collin wasn’t interested in her as much as in fulfilling an obligation. The realization cut her to the quick. He might be the father of her baby, but he wasn’t ready to settle down, or be faithful, or make a life with her. He didn’t understand that she wanted him free of any r
esponsibility, any obligation. She didn’t want him to marry her because he thought she was a burden, or because he felt he needed to “do the right thing.” Love shouldn’t be the “right thing,” it should be the only thing, the thing he couldn’t live without.
The air suddenly seemed thin. She tried to calm herself and take a deep breath, but she felt shaky. Collin wasn’t going to change. He wasn’t going to settle down for her. He’d marry her and make sure his son carried his last name. But the way he was smiling at the pretty girl in front of him told her that he didn’t really love her.
Madison felt so vulnerable, so weak. She was pregnant, a slave to her emotions and hormones, and there was no way she’d be able to handle the jealousy. Everything in her life seemed to be hurtling out of her control. She just wanted to get away.
It was all suddenly insurmountable. Unsolvable. Yes, she could agree to marry Collin, but how could she when he didn’t seem to understand what she wanted or needed? Could she marry him when she knew he’d flirt with every beautiful woman who batted her eyelashes at him?
“You okay, sugar?” Yvana was by her side, looking concerned.
Madison hugged herself. “Do you ever feel that you have everything under control, except then you find out you actually have nothing under control?”
Yvana chuckled low in her throat. “Honey, I feel like that all the time.” Yvana put a hand on Madison’s shoulder. She, too, looked at Collin.
“They’re just talking,” she said, seeming to read her mind. “You don’t know...”
“I don’t have to know,” she said.
“I’m sure he’s not asking her to marry him,” Yvana pointed out.
“I think it’s obvious he only wants to marry me out of obligation,” Madison said, holding her sweating glass of club soda, the ice melting in the humid air. “And he only knows his way. His way is always right.”
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