All for Family (The Rawley Family Romances Book 3) Page 5

  It was a wedding just like any other that Jeremy had attended. And with so much extended family, he’d been to quite a few. There were generally two categories of flower girls: those who stepped soft and short and demurely picked a single petal at a time from the basket to let them drift to the aisle, and then the others. Rhonda’s flower girl was of the other variety, practically running from the back to the front and crushing huge handfuls of petals in her palm to chunk them out in front of her.

  From his place at the back of the church, Jeremy fought a grin by rubbing at his lips with his thumb. Next he watched the ring bearer, a shorter tyke than the girl and entirely opposite with a meek expression on his face as he made his way to the altar. Then one, two, three bridesmaids, all in short orange dresses and bouquets of white flowers made their way past the crowd of onlookers.

  And when it was Meg’s turn, she had all of Jeremy’s attention. He wasn’t sure why he was so interested, but he realized when his eyes found her that he’d been waiting for her to make her appearance. He examined her eye and face, surprised to see only a touch of swelling and almost no bruising; he told himself that was why he really needed to see her, to be sure she was okay.

  Her husband’s behavior the night before was deplorable, and Jeremy had spent all evening stewing about it. And when he’d left his hotel room early that morning to get breakfast and had seen Ray sneaking out of Geneva’s room, he’d been practically livid. Where he was from, men didn’t so blatantly abuse and disgrace their wives.

  Meg caught him looking at her, and a bright warmth filled her eyes as she smiled, never breaking her even steps down the aisle. She was wearing an equally-orange gown as the other women, though hers was longer with a gathering waist that flattered her fuller figure. Even in that god-awful color, she looked quite lovely.

  The wedding march struck up moments later, and the congregation stood, casting their gazes towards Rhonda and her father. Still, Jeremy found his eyes drifting back to Meg. He wondered what she had looked like on her wedding day.

  She was wholly focused on her friend, tears glistening in her eyes as she watched Rhonda make her way towards the front of the church. There was total and absolute love in her expression, and Jeremy admired her refusing to hide those emotions.

  Geneva was the third bridesmaid in the row behind Meg, and he realized she was staring at him, a condescending arch of her dark eyebrow proof enough of her thoughts. He cleared his throat and shook his head, then tried to focus on the ceremony.

  After the big event, everyone gathered for the reception a few blocks away. It was a grand venue, with a full meal and open bar. “They went into hock big time for this.” Geneva leaned towards him in a snicker as they all waited for the toasts to the new couple to begin.

  “Not everyone has a few fortunes at their disposal.” He flicked his cousin an annoyed glare.

  “She could have gone simple, but no. Rhonda has always been the one to want the bright shiny stuff.”

  Jeremy snorted, noticing the way Geneva was fingering the walnut-sized yellow diamond at her neck. Is it any wonder, with friends like you waving the bright and shiny stuff up in her face at every turn?

  “I need another,” she noted, setting her wine glass onto the table with a thud. He ignored her, instead focusing on a spot somewhere in the distance. After a few seconds, she huffed a breath and got out of her chair. “Why don’t I go get it?”

  Jeremy sighed in relief when she was gone. This weekend couldn’t end soon enough for him. Duty to family was one thing he took seriously, but there was only so much he could take. And if his cousin believed he would provide a censured version of events to his uncle, then she was sadly mistaken.

  “So, hi, I’m Meg, but I guess most of you know me …”

  His attention was drawn towards the front table where the bride and groom and their family were sitting. Meg was standing to Rhonda’s left, her shaky hand flexing over and over on the microphone in her hand. She had a bright red flush that stretched from her open neckline all the way up into her cheeks.

  “I’m not good at this kind of thing, but today’s special so here goes.” Her caring brown eyes turned to her friend, and Jeremy could see that there were tears glistening in them. “I wasn’t really sure you’d ever find your ‘one.’” She made quotations with her free hand in the air. “You were always a teeny bit wilder than I was, and so settling down seemed like it would be far in the future.” The audience laughed. “But when I met Ben a year ago I knew he was special. And now seeing you two together, seeing the glow on your face . . . yeah, I’m so happy for you. I’m happy for you because you’re my family. You and your parents made me feel special from the first moment I timidly walked over to your house to welcome you to the neighborhood. And nothing less than perfect is good enough for you.”

  She fumbled to flip the switch on the mic, then set it down so that she could embrace the bride. Jeremy found it a touching scene, and he wondered at the circumstances that had her needing a surrogate family. It also hadn’t slipped his notice that she’d neglected to mention Ray in that part of her monologue.

  Later, while the bride and groom were enjoying their first dance as a couple, there was a tap on his shoulder. The smile that cropped up on his face was genuine, and he stood to greet her.

  “I wanted to thank you,” she said, crossing her hands in front of her as she looked up at him. “I appreciate your help last night after … you know.”

  He inclined his head in acknowledgment. “It doesn’t look nearly as bad as I imagined it would. I’m glad we got ice on it quickly.”

  She raised her eyebrows and cocked her head to the side. “Well, I have to confess. There’s about ten layers of makeup on my face. I feel like if I smile too big, it will crack like Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn in Death Becomes Her.”

  He had no idea what she was talking about, but he nodded as if he understood. “I’m sorry that happened. I’m sorry if I caused any problems for you.” Glancing up, he scanned the crowd to see if anyone might be paying attention to them, but everyone seemed to be caught up in the revelry of the dance.

  Meg waved her hand at him to brush aside his concerns. “It’s fine. Nothing you did anyway. I enjoyed talking with you.”

  Just then Ray came towards them, a sheepish look on his face when he eyed Jeremy. “I think they’re about finished with their first dance.” He pointed to his sister. “And Mom asked if we would …” He trailed off, then cleared his throat before continuing. “Would you dance with me?”

  Jeremy saw reluctance in Meg’s eyes, but something he could only call compassion, too. Finally, she nodded and forced a smile. “Okay, Ray. Sure.”

  And then the music changed, and her husband was sweeping her onto the dance floor.

  Meg hadn’t been lying when she’d told Jeremy the night before that she wasn’t much of a dancer. She truly wasn’t. But over the years, she and Ray had figured how to muck their way through a slow dance or two. Now he put one arm around her waist and held the other hand out beside them so that they could sashay back and forth without too much complication for her to keep up. Somehow, even with all that had happened between them, she found she missed times like these.

  “How’s your eye?”

  Meg lifted a shoulder, looking off into the crowd. “It doesn’t hurt much. I’ve been popping pain relievers.”

  “You look better than you did this morning. The ice must have helped.”

  Her chuckle was genuine. “Well, Rhonda had Martika come over and do our makeup. I’m pretty well painted up to cover it.”

  They continued to drift to and fro in silence for a few moments.

  “Ray, when can we tell them? I’ve been avoiding your parents because, well, frankly I don’t like lying to them. They’re like my own mom and dad.”

  He dropped his eyes and frowned, contrite. “I know. I’m sorry. It sucks, and I’m sorry about it. Rhonda and Ben get back from their honeymoon in a week. She’d kill me if Mom and Dad kn
ew before she did.”

  Meg pursed her lips and dropped her head onto his shoulder, suddenly tired.

  “I have to go home tomorrow for work, but I’ll come back, and we can tell them together. Okay?”

  She nodded against his chest. “Yeah, okay.”

  Ray drew her a bit closer, the hand at her waist caressing her. It wasn’t even remotely sexual, but more like a reassuring nuzzle from an old friend. A sad smile spread across her lips.

  When the song ended, they pulled apart, exchanged a long look that spoke of good times now past and the expectation that from here on out their lives would be separate. She rubbed a hand down his arm, then turned and started for the bathroom.

  Once safely inside a stall, she leaned against the inside wall and took a deep breath. Tears welled in her eyes, but she quickly tore off a gob of toilet paper and dabbed at them to keep them from falling. The last thing she needed was to ruin the makeup job that Martika had labored at to make her look presentable. With a few sniffs, she struggled to get herself under control.

  She really didn’t love Ray anymore. At least not in the romantic sort of way. But there was still a feeling of grief, of sadness for all the dreams she’d had about them. Those were pipe dreams, built not on real commitment but on emotion. Emotion and probably a little bit of a shove from his family, who were desperate to find a way to make her truly a part of them.

  “Your cousin’s kind of stuck up.” She heard a voice speak just as the door to the bathroom opened.

  “Yes, I know.” Meg recognized Geneva’s voice. “He’s stuck up but he’s also so boring. He doesn’t believe in a good time, and I swear he only came here with me to ruin my weekend.”

  “I thought you said he came to keep an eye on you. To make sure you didn’t break your probation.”

  There was a shrill laugh and then the sound of running water. “He really needs to get laid. That would get the cob out of his ass.”

  “Well, I did my best to come onto him last night. Totally brushed me aside for Ray’s chunky little wife.”

  Meg’s face burned, and she instinctively sucked in her stomach in reaction. Her hand smoothed over her abdomen, feeling the curves and extra layers that were the bane of all of her body-image nightmares.

  “Well, I don’t think he’s interested in that. He’s just being nice to her because he feels bad that I took her husband home with me last night. If you know what I mean.”

  The voices disappeared as the door opened and closed again. Meg took a few moments to get her feelings under control, then she too exited the bathroom. She tried to come up with a way she could exit the party gracefully or perhaps without anyone actually noticing. She spied Ray in a far corner, but he was entertaining a table of very good-looking women, and she could just about imagine he was plotting which one he’d go to bed with next.

  “It appears you aren’t entirely unable to dance, so would you consider giving me the honor?”

  Jeremy’s sudden appearance and offer startled a gasp out of her. She backed away, her stomach lurching with embarrassment as she remembered what the girls in the bathroom had said. “No, sorry. Dances are reserved for my … husband. But thanks.”

  His eyes drew together in a frown as he studied her a moment. “Is something wrong? You look white as a ghost. Is it your eye?”

  She brushed his hands away when he reached out to touch her swollen cheek. “I’m fine. Really.” Trying to skirt past him, she nearly tripped over the long skirt of her gown.

  Jeremy’s hands caught her, and she jerked out of his grasp. “Listen, you don’t have to do this. You don’t have to feel sorry for the fat chick just because her husband is screwing your cousin. I don’t need you to toss around your royal chivalry or whatever the hell it is out of some sense of duty. Just leave me alone.”

  He drew back and tightened his back up straight. “You aren’t fat.”

  Meg laughed, the sound devoid of even an inkling of humor. “Gee, thanks. Glad we cleared that up.”

  When she tried to escape again, he grabbed her arm and led her to an empty hallway. “Let’s be absolutely clear here. I’m well aware that my cousin has little to no decency and self-respect, and that she did in fact … screw your husband. I can’t change that fact. But I’m not the sort of man who spends time with someone out of pity.”

  Anger welled up hot from the pit of her chest. She knew he must be lying. If nothing else, she was absolutely sick and tired of lies, “Listen, don’t get carried away with whatever honor bullshit you were fed as a kid. Geneva didn’t screw my husband. She screwed my ex-husband. So there’s no need for whatever it is you’re selling yourself on this one.”

  His expression faltered ever so slightly, and she realized she must have completely thrown him for a loop. “You’re divorced?”

  A group of people were coming up behind him, and she hurried closer to him, shushing him in a panic. “Yes. Yes. Now keep your mouth closed, or you’ll spoil Rhonda’s wedding.”

  With a nod of his head, he waited for the people near them to move on before speaking again. “I’m not finished with what I was saying earlier. I admire you for your grace and tact, Margaret Slack. Your poise is something that well-brought up women strive to achieve. And that is why I’ve seen fit to give you the attention that I have. Because you’re just about the only person in this entire place that I’ve found worthy of that attention.”

  His body was taut as he said the words, and her skin felt heated by the contact of his hand still holding her arm. Maybe it was his words. Maybe it was because he was an attractive man. Maybe it was because she hadn’t been with anyone intimately in a very long time. Regardless, in an instant a spark of longing welled up in her.

  When she was sure she could find her voice, she cleared her throat and said, “It isn’t just Geneva’s fault. Raymond was after her from the moment she got into town.”

  Jeremy sniffed and nodded. To her disappointment, he pulled his hand back and slipped both into the pockets of his slacks. “I have no illusions that he’s innocent in this. I could tell you exactly what I think of him, but I’m doing my best to be a gentleman here.”

  Meg chuckled, then lifted and dropped her shoulders to try to relief the tension. “Jesus, this has been a long week,” she muttered, leaning back against the wall. Her eyes were closed, but somehow she felt Jeremy was still watching her. After a moment, there was a feather-soft touch to her face. When she looked, she saw him tracing a finger from her temple down her injured cheekbone.

  When she shivered in response, he drew back. “Hurt?”

  “No, no, it didn’t hurt.” It was hard to decipher what was in his eyes. She gazed deep into those beautiful blue orbs and tried to find some answer. “Jeremy, I was wondering if you…” Her mouth went dry, and she swallowed a few times.

  Jeremy didn’t press her to finished, just waited, watching her with so much intensity that it was almost like a spark of electricity between them.

  “I think I want to get out of here. Will you take me?”

  Jeremy agreed to pull his car up to the front of the reception hall and wait for Meg. She took more than a few minutes to get there, and he imagined she would hold out for the perfect opportunity to slip away. When she did come bursting through the doors and into the open air, he watched her take a peek over her shoulder before finally walking to his car.

  “Anyone give you a hard time about leaving early?”

  She shook her head, then took a shaky breath. “Only person I told was Ray. He won’t say anything.”

  He put the car into gear and headed down the curving parking lot street towards the open road. “You’ll have to tell me how to get to your place step by step since I’ve only been here in town a few days.”

  “Oh, well.” She hesitated, wringing her hands in front of her then finally slipping them under her thighs as if to hold them still. “I was really hoping that maybe we could just go to your hotel.”

  “Oh, I see.”

  Taki
ng her back to his hotel room had honestly crossed his mind, but he’d quickly convinced himself that such thinking was presumptuous on his part. Her words had been I want to get out of here. Not I want to go home with you tonight. Still, now that she’d opened that door, his body jumped right in, and he could feel a twitch of desire spring to life between his legs.

  He glanced down at her through the rearview mirror. Her lips were pursed just a bit, and her cheeks bloomed with color. From what he knew about her in the short time with her, he imagined it had cost her quite a bit to even suggest going to his room tonight.

  It must have taken him too long to answer because she giggled nervously and shook her head, not looking at him. “Listen, I didn’t mean anything by that. I mean, I’m not suggesting I wanted anything to happen between us. The truth is, I’d just rather not go back to my house tonight. I can probably just get a room there at the hotel.” She bit her lip, then muttered as she dug into her purse. “I bet they’d give me the wedding discount, too.”

  “Meg.” He said her name in a whisper, his voice hoarse. When she looked over at him, he reached across the seats to clasp her wrist, tugging her hand towards him. She didn’t try to stop him, just watched wide-eyed as he drew her hand towards his lips and kissed the inside of her palm. “I’d like you to spend the night with me.”

  Her lashes fluttered across her cheeks as she closed her eyes, seemingly enraptured by the simple touch of his lips against her skin. She sucked in a breath, then blew it out in such a way that it whistled just a bit. “Okay,” was all she could manage.

  A few minutes later, he was opening the door to his suite and motioning her inside. She ducked her head demurely as she gathering her dress up and stepped through the door. She’d taken off her heels as soon as they exited the elevator, and without them her gown was entirely too long to avoid stepping on it when she walked. Something about the sound of her bare feet padding across the tile floor was endearing to him.