Special Order Groom

by Tina Leonard

  “He can meet you later. That way you won’t lose both your airplane tickets,” the woman suggested.

  “I guess…you’re right.” Crystal glanced behind her. Mitch wasn’t running urgently toward the gate. She didn’t know what to do. She glanced again, knowing the woman couldn’t wait another moment to shut the gate.

  As if it were only yesterday, Crystal remembered that she’d waited on Mitch once before. She’d kept straining to see him, but he’d never come. And the prom had never happened for her. It had all been over.

  But this was different. There was an explanation…there had to be…

  “Ma’am,” the woman said insistently.

  “Okay.” Crystal stepped forward and handed over her ticket. “I can cruise by myself if I have to.” She’d call again before boarding the cruise ship.

  “I’m sure that won’t be necessary,” the woman said with a smile. “Your groom wouldn’t dream of not showing up for you.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Quayside in Florida, Crystal boarded the cruise liner. It was a beauty, big and colorfully decorated. People said goodbye to loved ones, laughing and happy to be going on a spectacular voyage.

  Coldness seeped into Crystal as she went to her cabin. It was her cabin now. There had been no message for her from Mitch, though she hadn’t really expected there to be. His mother had sounded worried when Crystal called, but as far as she knew, Mitch was fine. She had no explanation for him not showing up.

  But Crystal knew why Mitch wasn’t coming. Their marriage of convenience had been two-sided, and both sides had been fulfilled. Her mother had made a wonderful recovery, and the suit against Mitch had been put aside. He’d said a wife would give him a sense of respectability and solidness, but worries like that were now behind him.

  There was no reason for them to continue their marriage. She might have realized she was in love with him and wanted their marriage to last, but it took two people to want that goal.

  She went into her cabin and closed the door to wait for the ship to sail.

  THE NURSE SPONGED SWEAT from Mitch’s brow. The skin above his left eyelid twitched as he stared down at a sleeping Kathryn. He had no choice but to force himself past the fear. Kathryn’s life depended on it.

  He should have turned his pager off when he’d left the courthouse. He should never have returned the call when he’d seen it was the hospital number on the pager. He’d be on a ship now in the middle of the ocean with his bride—but no. Mitch had tried to call Crystal, but she’d already left. He’d left a message with her uncle, in hopes she’d call home when he didn’t show up.

  Kathryn had wanted him to perform the emergency surgery on her heart. Violent pain in her chest had sent her to her doctor. When she’d learned that she had a defective aortic valve, a weakness that needed repair, she had insisted she wanted no other doctor than Mitch. Ron Halberstam hadn’t taken offense, remembering that there was history between the two of them. He’d tracked Mitch’s pager number to get him the message.

  Ron was here with Mitch, as he’d said he would be. Mitch was comforted by that, but the painful fact of operating again loomed large in front of him. Why Kathryn? Why a woman he cared so much about? He hadn’t even had time to breathe a deep sigh of relief from the court case…and he could only hope that Martin had been able to get hold of Crystal to let her know what had happened.

  Otherwise, the past would still be with them…most likely forever.

  He said a quick prayer, and picked up the laser.

  SEVERAL HOURS LATER, Mitch checked in on his patient. “How are you feeling?”

  “Like I had heart surgery,” she replied, her voice raspy from the recently removed respirator. She managed a weak smile for him. “Mitch, thank you.”

  “No problem. I was happy to do it.”

  He neared the bed, and she looked up at him. “It was a problem. You should be on your honeymoon.”

  “I’m going on my honeymoon.” He sat next to her bed and took her hand. “Crystal wouldn’t have wanted me to leave without making sure you were fine.”

  “It seems like I’m always keeping you two apart,” she said sadly. “I know I was being selfish, but Mitch, there’s nobody else I could trust to operate on me. I was so scared—”

  “It’s fine. I’m glad you caught me before I left. The truth is, Kathryn, I believe that this time, you’ve brought Crystal and I closer together. I’m pretty sure that’s how it’s all going to pan out.”

  “You’re here, and she’s on your honeymoon. I don’t think you’re closer together, Mitch.”

  “Maybe not at this moment, but I wasn’t fully in the marriage yet, and I don’t know that I could have been. I’ve been hiding behind my wedding plans to keep from thinking about the fact that I wasn’t doing what I was born to do, which is to be a doctor. The crazy thing is, when you’re a doctor, sometimes you have to be healed, too. And I hadn’t healed. You forced me to become a doctor again, Kathryn. I might have ignored my skill forever if it hadn’t been for you.”

  “You’re being very kind, I think.”

  “No, I’m not. When I got the message that you required surgery and wanted only me to perform it, in spite of knowing about the lawsuit, I had to reward your faith. And more important, Crystal’s. She never stopped believing in me. In the end, I was healed.” He laughed, every word he spoke giving him a renewed sense of rightness. “It feels great, Kathryn. You can’t know how great it feels to know that I can now be the husband Crystal deserves.”

  “You’d best go catch that boat, then.”

  He smiled at her. “Barney’s wearing out the carpet in the waiting room. Can I send him in? You’re not really supposed to have visitors when you’re in this section, but I could sneak him in for two minutes, if you’d like that.”

  “I’d very much like that.” The most delighted smile he’d seen Kathryn wear in a long time transformed her face. “I love him, Mitch.”

  “I know you do. It’s obvious to everyone.”

  “I don’t know that he’ll want to be with me forever. I know he always wanted to be a bachelor. But he’s so good to my baby, and he treats me like a queen. I’ve never been this happy.”

  Mitch’s smile broadened. “From prom queen to Barney’s queen. He looked pretty happy to me to give up his bachelor’s membership card to be the king for a queen and her little princess.”

  Happiness glowed in her eyes. “Do you really think so?”

  “Yeah. I know so. I have no doubts at all that while I’m on my honeymoon, you’re going to be pampered the way I’d want my patient to be.”

  “Tell Crystal that I’m sorry, so sorry,” Kathryn said, her joy dimming a bit. “And that Barney’s going to go over every day and feed her pet menagerie, and that—”

  “Kathryn. If you start worrying about little things that aren’t important, I’m not going to let Barney come in.”

  “Psst!” sounded from the doorway.

  “Barney!” Kathryn cried with delight.

  “I snuck in, Doc,” the hulking football player said. “I had to see her.”

  Mitch grinned at Kathryn. “Crystal and I will drop you a postcard. Enjoy your new life.”

  “I will. You do the same.”

  “Two minutes,” he told Barney on the way out.

  “Thanks, Doc,” Barney said, his eyes on Kathryn.

  Mitch grinned and hurried out. With any luck, he’d be in Crystal’s arms tonight.

  He hoped that he’d been right when he’d told Kathryn that Crystal would have wanted him to stay behind. It was a very awkward start to a marriage he wanted more than anything.

  THE LAYOVER IN KEY WEST would only last the day, so Crystal decided to put on shorts and take a look around a place that was renowned for being a good walking town. Opening her suitcase, she saw the gifts to her and Mitch from Bess, Elle and Martin. Tears jumped into her eyes. They were gag gifts, she knew, but all the same, it hurt that her family had believed that she and Mit
ch were going to be together forever. Even though that was the original agreement between them, a rosy glow of happiness had overtaken her, making her want to believe that she and Mitch would stay together.

  Pushing the three packages aside, she vowed not to think about it as much as possible. Of course, it wasn’t easy to ignore the realization that she was, again, Lover’s Valley’s most conspicuous spinster.

  She’d go back to dressing brides for their happily-ever-afters.

  At night, she’d go home to her five cats, three dogs, lovebirds and the painted teacup she drank out of when she sat in her living room at night thinking about her business.

  She’d be happy.

  No. She’d be heartbroken.

  SHE WAS BENT OVER brushing out her hair when a knock on the cabin door shocked her out of her sad thoughts. “I didn’t order anything,” she murmured. “Who is it?”

  “Special delivery,” a muffled voice called.

  Hope leapt in her breast. Maybe it was a message from Mitch. A telegram? She pulled open the door. “Mitch!” she screamed, jumping into his arms.

  “Ah. That was the longest flight of my life,” he said, burying his face in her hair. “I was afraid you wouldn’t open the door.”

  “Where were you?” Crystal asked, pulling back to look into his face.

  “Did you get a message from Uncle Martin?”

  She shook her head, but her heart was thrilling inside. “No.”

  “Kathryn had to have emergency surgery for an aortic abnormality.”

  “Oh, no!” Crystal slid out of his arms to stand in front of him. “I could tell she wasn’t herself at our wedding.”

  “She wanted me to perform the surgery.”

  “Oh.” Crystal caught her breath. “And so she’s now in better shape than she was before.”

  The frown he’d worn upon hearing she hadn’t received his message smoothed away. “You have so much faith in me.”

  “Well done, Dr. McStern. I’m proud of you.” Joy blossomed inside her.

  “You’re not upset that you had to start your honeymoon without your groom?”

  She shook her head. “I’d expect nothing less from you. Poor Kathryn.”

  “She was very upset that twice now she’s come between us.”

  “I hope you alleviated her fears.” Winding her arms around her groom, she said, “It’s my prognosis that there’s nothing for any of us to be afraid of anymore.”

  He kissed the tip of her nose. “I’d say that’s a correct long-term diagnosis, Mrs. McStern.”

  “I love you, Mitch,” she softly said, her heart singing with shining joy.

  “I love you, Crystal. I always have, and I always will.”

  He kissed her, and she knew she’d never been so happy. “Let the honeymoon begin,” she told him. “We have some good luck gifts from my family to open.”

  “I’ll send for some champagne while we open.”

  She pulled out the packages with a smile. “They won’t be the usual gifts, I’m sure.”

  “I’d be very disappointed if your family became typical.”

  She handed him the gift from Elle first. “It’s the smallest so we’ll start here.”

  “After she blew you away with your own china pattern, I’m glad she scaled back.” Tossing the paper onto the bed, he held up a small piece of satin. “This looks suspiciously like something designed for you. It’s too small to blow your nose on, and too big to wear to bed with me.”

  “It’s a thong.” Crystal snatched it out of his hand as he held it aloft. “I can only hazard a guess that Aunt Elle believes she is contributing to my trousseau.”

  “I love Aunt Elle. She’s got the right idea.” He raised his eyebrows and looked at the thong. “Model it for me.”

  “Maybe later.” Crystal wasn’t ready to commit to that with her new groom just yet.

  “Promise?”

  “Okay,” she said with a laugh. “And I hope in this package there’s something for you to wear.”

  The tag read From Bess. She unwrapped it, holding up black swim trunks. “I don’t think this will fit you,” she said. “And yet, I think that’s my mother’s intention.”

  He held it to his waist. “Do you get the impression that your family wants us wearing as little as possible on our honeymoon?”

  Crystal smiled. “All I can tell you is that my family is a little wacky, and I hope you will never regret marrying the girl across the street.”

  “I could never regret it. Let’s see what Uncle Martin deemed appropriate for honeymooning.” He unwrapped the final gift and held up a set of plastic handcuffs.

  He and Crystal stared at each other before bursting into laughter.

  “I don’t think we need these after all,” Mitch said, dropping the handcuffs to the floor and taking Crystal into his arms.

  “I don’t think so, either,” Crystal breathlessly agreed.

  They melted into a kiss that led to a wonderfully romantic afternoon in bed—champagne, handcuffs and thong, notwithstanding.

  “I forgot to tell you that Janet is engaged to Ron Halberstam,” Mitch murmured against Crystal’s ear hours later.

  “I’m so glad for her!”

  “And I want you to know,” Mitch continued, “that I’m sending her back to your store to get her gown.”

  “You’re not afraid I’ll jinx this engagement?” Crystal asked with a smile.

  “Oh, no,” he said, and Crystal’s blood fired at the look in her husband’s eyes. “This time, everything is going to be just fine.”

  And this time, Crystal knew it would be, too.

  Many thanks to all the wonderful people at Harlequin who have made my career such a success.

  ISBN: 978-1-4268-5848-2

  SPECIAL ORDER GROOM

  Copyright © 2000 by Tina Leonard.

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