Always A Bridesmaid (Left At the Altar)

by Richards, Jana

  He told them the whole story, from his tumultuous relationship with Chantal and his meeting with Daniella in the church after his wedding, to the crazy bargain he'd made with her to pretend to be his girlfriend. He held nothing back, even telling them how he'd accused her of having an affair with Jonathan, and how totally off-base he'd been.

  "I was completely wrong, but now she doesn't trust me. I want her to know I'll do anything to have her in my life. I want her to know I mean it when I say she's beautiful."

  "Of course she's beautiful," Frank Sr. said, pushing his chair back and rising to his feet in agitation. "Why shouldn't she believe that?"

  Olivia put her hand on his arm. "It's true, Frank. Dani's always been self-conscious about her looks."

  "What if she's just not that into you?" one of her other brothers asked. Paul, Zach thought his name was. "What if she says she honestly doesn't want to be with you and she wants you to leave her alone?"

  This was the question that scared him most. She'd told him she loved him three months ago, but what if that wasn't the case any longer? "If Daniella tells me she doesn't have any feelings for me, then I'll get out of her life and never bother her again. But I think she does. At least I hope she does."

  "You really haven't known Daniella very long," Rose said. "Are you sure you really care for her, or are you still caught up in this game you two were playing?"

  He thought about his answer for a couple of moments. "I think a part of me knew from our meeting in the church that she was the one I was supposed to be with. She's the one I'm supposed to spend the rest of my life with." He smiled when he remembered what Dani had told him that day. "I'll look at her fifty years from now and say 'Thank goodness I was dumped at the altar all those years ago, because if it hadn't happened, I wouldn't be here with you now.'"

  The room suddenly went silent and he wondered if he'd said something wrong. Everyone continued to stare at him, unnerving the hell out of him.

  Finally Rose brought over a plate of cookies, offering them to him with a smile.

  "I think we can help you, Mr. Morrison."

  He sighed in relief. "Please. Call me Zach."

  * * * *

  Her mother sounded chipper on the phone. "Hello, sweetheart. How are you this lovely day?"

  Dani glanced out the window at the falling snow. "Have you looked outside? It's turning into a winter wonderland out there."

  "The snow and cold don't bother me today. I'm very happy because my children are all here, except for you. Everyone just sort of showed up here this afternoon," Rose said. "Why don't you come over for dinner? It'll be nice to have the whole family together."

  She tried not to groan. She wasn't sure she had the energy to face her entire family. "I've already eaten."

  "Really? It's only four in the afternoon. What did you eat?"

  She couldn't lie to her mother. "A bowl of popcorn."

  Rose clucked her tongue. "Honestly, Daniella, you're going to make yourself ill with a diet like that. I want you to come over and eat with your family. We're having lasagna but I can grill you some skinless chicken, and I'll make sure we have lots of steamed vegetables and salads."

  "All right, Mama. I'll be there in a little while." Sometimes it was easier to just give in to her mother than to fight with her. Besides, she hadn't seen some of her family for weeks and she missed them.

  "And wear something nice and do something with your hair," Rose said. "A woman always feels her best when she looks her best."

  She looked down at her clothes. She wore an old pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt that was so thin she could see through it. Maybe she could do a little better. But she stubbornly refused to fuss with her hair. Her family had seen her in a ponytail before. It wasn't like she was trying to impress anyone.

  "I'll be there in a half hour or so," she told her mother before hanging up the phone.

  To appease Rose, she threw on a pair of comfortable jeans and a favorite blue sweater she'd owned for years. Not exactly high fashion, but at least they were clean. As she drove through the icy Ottawa streets, snow continued to fall in big, slow-moving flakes that quickly turned the world to white. The thought of winter with its bitter cold and unending snow depressed her. A vision of a beach in Hawaii popped into her head, the snowy white streets replaced by warm white sand. Should she actually use the voucher for the beach vacation that Zach had offered? If she did, who would she take?

  His words popped into her memory. I was really hoping you'd want to take me.

  Thinking of Zach only made her more depressed. She did her best to push thoughts of him out of her head by turning up the car radio and singing along with a Taylor Swift song at full volume.

  "'We'll never, ever get back together.'"

  She turned off the radio.

  When she arrived at her parents' house, she pushed open the front door without bothering to knock. The sound of voices and laughter filled the small house. As she stomped the snow from her boots, she took off her coat and hung it in the front hall closet. "Hi everybody."

  Was it her imagination or did the house suddenly go very quiet? Curious, she stuck her head around the corner and looked into the living room.

  "What's going on with you guys? Don't quit talking on my account--"

  The words stuck in her throat when she saw Zach sitting on the sofa between Olivia and Frank. He rose to his feet when he saw her and covered the distance between them in three long strides. She took a cautious step back.

  "What are you doing in my parents' house?"

  "We invited him." Her mother came up behind her and laid her hand on Dani's shoulder. "We wanted to meet him."

  Her mind whirled in confusion. "How did you get hold of him? How did you even know about him?"

  Olivia stood up. "Fiona gave me Zach's number. I hope you're not too angry with me."

  She stared at her. Angry? She was too stunned to be angry, at least for the moment. Why had Liv brought Zach here?

  She dared a glance. He was staring at her with an intensity she'd never seen from him before. She quickly averted her eyes, her face growing hot with embarrassment. Why had he come here?

  "Where are all the kids?" she asked.

  "We decided to make this an adults only evening," Sheila replied. "They're all at home with babysitters."

  "Zach is going to stay to supper with us," her mother said. "Isn't that right, Zach?"

  "Yes," he said, giving her mother a charming smile. "I'm looking forward to sampling your cooking, Mrs. DiPietro."

  "Dani's actually a very good cook, too," her father said. "My Rose taught her everything she knows."

  "Did Dani tell you she's into refinishing furniture?" Sheila said. "She's very talented when it comes to interior design."

  "Oh yes, absolutely," Sharon, another sister-in-law, agreed. "She helped me pick furniture and colors when we redid our living room. It came out great. And her own home is lovely."

  "I'll bet Dani didn't tell you she won an award from the Bar Association for her pro bono work with the Humane Society," Steve said. "She's very modest."

  "We're proud of her," Tony added. "Zach, did you know--"

  "Enough you guys!" Dani's face flamed with embarrassment. "Zach's not interested in any of this."

  "We're proud of you, cara," her father said. "What's so terrible about that?"

  Zach touched her arm. "Of course I'm interested. I'm interested in everything about you."

  "I know you're only saying that for my family's benefit, so please, just stop." She could barely make herself meet his eyes. She turned her attention to her family. "And all of you stop talking about me as if I was a prize pig at the country fair."

  "You're wrong, Daniella." Zach threaded his fingers through hers. "I'm not saying anything for your family's benefit. If I say I'm interested in everything about you, it's because it's true. And if you refer to yourself as a prize pig again, I'm going to be very angry."

  "Oh." She stared, mesmerized. He's serious. The
set of his jaw and the determined look in his eyes gave the impression he meant what he said. Was he really interested in the mundane details of her life?

  Tony grinned. "He sure told you, hey Dani?"

  She turned her attention to her brother, her face growing hot once more. "Shut up, Tony."

  "I don't think so. I'm kind of enjoying seeing someone get through to you for once."

  She glared at him, but her brother only grinned wider.

  "Dinner's nearly ready," Rose announced. "If you children would please set the table in the dining room and help bring in the food, we can eat."

  Dani was glad for something to do. She tossed a lettuce salad with a light vinaigrette dressing and steamed some vegetables. As she brought the last bowl into the dining room, she saw the empty seat beside Zach that had been reserved for her. She also saw her family's barely suppressed smiles.

  She hadn't realized before what a devious bunch they were.

  Taking her place, she bowed her head while her father said grace. After he finished and everyone started to dig in, she watched Zach from under her lashes as he placed his napkin on his lap and took a sip from his water glass. He had such beautiful hands, with long, elegant fingers. She remembered the touch of those hands as they skimmed over her body, raising her to heights she'd never reached before...

  "Earth to Dani. Pass the vegetables, please."

  She blinked a couple of times before tearing her gaze away from Zach to reach for the bowl Paul was holding.

  He winked when their eyes met.

  Dani glared back at him. Her face felt hot yet again. Everyone was watching her.

  She hoped they hadn't turned into mind readers.

  She helped herself to the grilled chicken and salad while everyone else heaped their plates with lasagna and garlic bread. For the millionth time she thought how unfair it was that her brothers could load up on carbs and never gain an ounce, while she put on weight if she so much as sniffed a pasta dish. Even her sisters-in-law had little issue with their weight. Life definitely wasn't fair.

  But when Zach smiled at her, her grilled chicken suddenly tasted a whole lot better.

  "So Zach," her brother Frank said, "tell us about your business."

  He finished chewing and put down his fork. He told them about his consulting business, and his partnership in the travel agency with his friend Mike. A barrage of questions followed; where did he grow up, where did he go to school, where did he live now.

  "I've got a condo and I like it because it's low maintenance, but someday I'd like a bigger place with more room for my dog. Maybe a single-family house, something older with character. Maybe something I can fix up to my own taste."

  "I'm sure we could help you there," Dani's father said. "My sons and I are some of the best tradesmen in the city. Except for Tony, the archeologist, of course."

  Tony lifted his water glass and saluted his father. "Hey, I can still set tiles with the best of them. I just finished retiling our bathroom."

  "He did a great job, too," Olivia said proudly. "Our bathroom looks like something out of a magazine."

  "There you go, Zach," Frank Sr. said. "Whenever you buy a house you want to fix up, let us know."

  He glanced at Dani, his smile widening as he answered. "I will. Thank you."

  She could only stare back at him. Her head spun with possibilities. Visions of the two of them together danced in her head, she and Zach living in a beautiful old house with a passel of blue-eyed, dark haired children racing down the hallways. She blinked to dispel the vision. Don't dream of things that may never be, she told herself firmly.

  They finished eating the main course and Dani helped her mother and a couple of her brothers clear the plates and serve dessert and coffee. She and her mother and Sheila had the fruit salad while the rest of the family and Zach indulged in the beautiful chocolate layer cake with fudge icing her mother had baked. She sneaked a peak at his cake, her mouth-watering at the thought of fudge. He lifted his fork, a piece of chocolate cake heaped on it.

  "Would you like a bite?"

  His eyes twinkled with amusement, the rat. He enjoyed tormenting her with food. She lifted her chin in disdain and returned her attention to her fruit salad.

  "No, thank you."

  "Just one bite, Daniella. Don't be so hard on yourself."

  Her gaze flew to his. His expression had softened, become more tender. He wasn't teasing her; on the contrary, she detected concern. She was hard on herself, but it was the only way she knew to keep the weight off.

  But a person had to live a little once in a while.

  "Okay, just one bite."

  He brought the fork to her mouth and her lips closed around it. She closed her eyes in ecstasy as her taste buds exploded in bliss. When she reopened them, Zach was staring down at her, unsmiling, his expression unreadable. He lifted his hand to caress a strand of hair that had escaped her pony tail, before gently tucking it behind her ear.

  "Did you enjoy it?"

  She could barely breathe. "Yes, very much. Thank you."

  "You're welcome."

  His mouth quirked in a smile, his eyes crinkling at the corners. She loved when he smiled. His face transformed, making him look young and carefree and so beautiful it made her chest ache with longing. She stared at him until the sound of her father clearing his throat brought her back to the present. Frank Sr. raised his wine glass in Zach's direction.

  "To new friends."

  "To new friends." echoed around the room.

  As they finished dessert, her family peppered Zach with even more personal questions. He answered each one honestly and with good humor. He pitched in to help clear the table and do the dishes, appearing relaxed and happy. What was more, her family appeared to accept him wholeheartedly as well. He joked with her brothers as they talked football and hockey, even daring to tease them about their favorite hockey team, the Ottawa Senators. In return, her brothers ribbed him good-naturedly about his team, the Toronto Maple Leafs. He fit in perfectly with her family.

  So why did she still feel a tingle of unease?

  After the dishes were done, he thanked her parents for dinner, said his goodbyes to the rest of her family, and headed to the front door to retrieve his coat. Dani followed him.

  "You have a wonderful family," he said, wrapping a scarf around his neck. "I enjoyed meeting them."

  "I'm pretty sure they liked you, too. I think they may try to adopt you."

  He laughed and Dani savored the deep baritone of his voice. "That might not be so bad. I always wondered what it would be like to have a big family."

  "Be careful what you wish for."

  He smiled at her. "They adore you, Dani. They just want to make sure that anyone you're involved with is on the up and up."

  Her breath caught in her throat. "Are we involved, Zach?"

  His hands cupped her face, his thumbs gently caressing the delicate skin under her eyes before he lowered his face to kiss her. His kiss was sweet and brief and left her wanting more, so much more.

  "I don't know about you, but I certainly am." He kissed the end of her nose. "Goodnight, sweetheart."

  "Goodnight."

  He opened the door and left. Dani pushed aside the curtain and watched him through the side window until he drove away.

  She'd been down this road before, maybe not quite as far, but certainly in the general vicinity. She'd given her heart away twice to men who at first said all the right things, made all the right moves to make her think they were in it for the long haul. But in the end they'd tired of her and left.

  Would that happen with Zach?

  A part of her argued that he was true blue and as honorable as the day was long. But another part of her remembered the pain of rejection. She couldn't bear to go all in with her relationship to Zach only to have him cash in his chips at the first opportunity.

  She shivered and closed the curtain. Maybe it was best to play her cards close to her chest, no matter how much she loved Z
ach.

  * * *

  Chapter Fourteen

  The minute they got home from Tony's parents' house, Olivia shrugged out of her winter coat and reached for the phone.

  "In a hurry?" Tony raised his eyebrows.

  "I need to call Sarah with the news."

  "News?"

  She rolled her eyes at him as she punched in Sarah's number. "For a bright boy, you can be exceedingly dense sometimes. The news about Dani and Zach, of course."

  "It's not like they announced their engagement or anything."

  "No, but when was the last time you saw Dani so happy? And the great part is that when Zach looks at her, he looks just as happy." She turned her attention to the phone. "Sarah, hi. You're not going to believe this."

  "What's up?"

  "Dani's got a new boyfriend, and he's hot, hot, hot!"

  "I heard that!" Tony shouted from the other room.

  Liv put her hand over the mouthpiece of the phone. "I still think you're cuter, honey!"

  "You better!"

  Sarah chuckled. "Sounds like Tony's a little jealous. What's this about a hot new boyfriend?"

  Liv filled her in on all the details. "He really likes her, Sarah. He told me he was in love with her."

  "That is such wonderful news. She deserves someone who's crazy about her. I'm so happy for her."

  "Don't start planning the wedding just yet. There's a problem. Dani is holding back. Zach let her down once. I think she's scared he'll do it again."

  "Do you think he'll let her down?"

  "My gut feeling? No. He's in it for keeps and he's trying to convince Dani."

  "So let's help him," Sarah said.

  "How?"

  "We can make sure they spend some time together. How about we all get together for dinner on Saturday night? I'll cook."

  "Sounds good, but what if Dani decides she doesn't want to play nice in our sandbox? She may decide she doesn't want to come if Zach is there."

  Sarah laughed. "Then I guess we use an alternative method to get her to come to our little soiree. I've always found guilt an effective method with Dani."

  "Has anyone ever told you you're very sneaky?"