Kitabı oku: «His One And Only Bride»

Chapter One

“BY THE VIRTUE of the authority vested in me under the laws of the state of Florida, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

Zoe Simmons took a big step back as the groom hauled his bride in for an enthusiastic smooch. The bride wrapped her arms around her new husband’s neck while the guests clapped and hooted their congratulations.

Once the couple disengaged, with wide grins meant only for each other, Zoe peered around them to say, “It is with great pleasure that I introduce to you for the first time, Lilli and Max Sanders.”

Lilli sent Zoe a grateful smile, and Max winked before tucking his bride’s hand securely into the crook of his arm as they turned toward the happy faces before them. Linked in the promise of a new life together, the newlyweds strode down the aisle.

With a bittersweet sigh, Zoe watched them walk away.

When she’d agreed to officiate this marriage—a privilege she’d never considered as part of her duties as the mayor of Cypress Pointe, but then soon learned it was a tradition—she’d had good intentions. Lilli had been her friend for years and even though standing here stirred up a bittersweet web of emotions, Zoe wanted to be part of her friend’s special day. In the past few years, Zoe had generally avoided weddings, especially since...

Don’t go there.

The guests filed out of the pews, chatting and greeting friends and family. The mother of the bride, artfully dressed in a jade-colored designer dress and shoes, wiped her eyes with a lacy handkerchief. The bride’s father, tall and distinguished, spoke into her ear. The woman broke out into a wobbly laugh.

Never having known her own father, Zoe had walked down the aisle alone at her small wedding ten years ago. She tried to deny the slight hint of jealously at Lilli’s good fortune, then decided to be honest with herself. This wedding had been a million times different than her own.

“Zoe. Are you coming?”

Shaking off the direction of her thoughts, Zoe nodded, briskly placing her regrets where they belonged, buried deep down in her heart. Today was about Lilli and Max, not the what-ifs and could-have-beens shadowing her own life. There would be plenty of time later, when she was alone, to mull over the events that had led to her current state of affairs.

“I’ll be right there,” she told her date.

Date. It still sounded strange. She’d been out with Tim three times now. He was fun, smart and good-looking. What’s not to like, right? When he’d first approached her, it had been at a fund-raiser they’d both attended. After spending the entire evening talking, he’d asked her out. It had seemed like a good idea at the time. Hadn’t she just decided to put herself out there? See what could happen? The initial date, dinner at an Italian restaurant, had been awkward but soon they’d eased into a companionable friendship. He made her laugh and went out of his way to take care of her. You couldn’t ask for more. So why did she hold back? Was she afraid to put her heart on the line? She hadn’t totally recovered from the fallout of her marriage, which probably said it all.

Gathering the binder containing the wedding script and her small clutch, she watched the scene playing out at the back of the church. The maid of honor fussed with the bride’s veil. One of the groomsmen slapped the groom on the back and made some comment they both laughed over. The flower girl, darling in a pretty pink dress, chased the ring bearer, who tugged at the bow tie circling his neck.

Zoe moved down the center aisle, savoring the sweet herb-scented fragrance of lavender bunches, tied together with twine ribbon, at the end of each pew. Wide swaths of lace were draped between the rows. The ceremony had been simple, along with the rustic decorations. Lovely flower arrangements of white, purple and yellow wildflowers spilled from dark brown rectangular baskets, adorning the platform in the front of the church. In the back, additional woven handbaskets of daisies complemented the bright bouquets carried by the bride and her attendants. The early June weather had been perfect. Not a humid Florida day, as had been predicted. Instead, a light breeze and sunny sky created a picturesque wedding tableau.

She reached the vestibule to find Tim waiting for her. He smiled as she joined him.

“I want to give my regards to Lilli before we leave.”

“I’m right here with you,” he replied.

Honestly, snagging Tim as her date had been the talk of the town. A handsome firefighter, dressed in a navy suit, they’d clicked despite his knowing her history. Her friends had been after her to start dating again. Mitch, your husband, has been gone for almost two years, they’d said. You’re young. You deserve a second chance at happiness, they’d insisted.

So why did she feel like she was cheating on a ghost? A ghost she was still angry with.

They had tried putting the pieces back together before his last assignment, taking a short trip to rekindle their marriage. But the reality was, she and Mitch had grown apart and there hadn’t seemed any possible way back to the love they’d once shared. He’d left her, after the last in a long line of arguments over a career he’d increasingly placed more and more value on than their relationship. Things had ended up with Mitch taking an assignment overseas where he’d gone missing and was presumed dead. They’d never located his body. Could that be the reason she was having a hard time moving forward?

Zoe stopped before the bride, beautifully attired in a frothy cream-colored gown. Lilli reached over to grab her hands. Max, handsome in his fitted tuxedo, stood beside her as if never wanting to let Lilli out of his sight. They were so ridiculously happy looking they could have posed as cake toppers.

“Congratulations.”

“Thanks so much for being here,” Lilli said in way of greeting. “You were right. The vows you picked out for us were perfect. Max was never going to write his own, and to be honest, I probably would have been crying too hard to speak my own words if we’d gone that way.”

“I’m honored you asked me to officiate. Although, I’m surprised your mother didn’t insist on the pastor presiding over the wedding.”

“My mother is just so delighted I’m finally married. She never once staged a takeover. Well, not much of one, anyway.”

They both laughed. Lilli’s mother, Celeste, was a force of nature. No one said no to the woman—not about her fund-raising events and especially not about her superb taste in...everything else.

“I was as surprised as anyone when she actually let me plan my own wedding. I never thought she’d let me get away with barn chic, but I have to say, her input was invaluable. And we grew close during the planning.”

Zoe forced a smile. A mother who was invested in her daughter’s life. Imagine that.

“What more could I ask for?”

“White cowboy boots instead of sparkly sandals?” Zoe threw out.

“That would have been pushing it.”

“I wouldn’t have complained,” Max added, eavesdropping on the conversation.

Lilli playfully slapped his arm. “When Mom suggested we hold the reception at the Grand Cypress Hotel, I didn’t fight her. I knew Nealy would continue to carry out my vision over there.”

“And peace reigned.” Max glanced at Zoe. “I hate to rush you two, but the photographer is ready for us.”

Glancing around the foyer, Zoe noticed she was the last guest to give her congratulations to the couple. The attendants and relatives were mingling and the photographer politely hovered, waiting to take church shots with the entire wedding party and family.

“Looks like all you have to do is smile and look pretty for the camera.” Zoe hugged her friend. “I’ll see you at the reception.”

Max took Lilli’s hand, drawing it to his lips for a tender kiss. “After you, my wife.”

Lilli giggled.

The sight made Zoe grin as well: rough-and-tumble Private Investigator Max indulging feminine, soft-spoken Lilli. She’d put off the wedding date from the moment they’d gotten engaged, then had slowly dragged Max through the process of the engagement party and the ongoing myriad selection of flowers, music and so on that weddings required. He’d gamely participated when he would have been just as content getting hitched at city hall.

Another friend, Maid of Honor Nealy Grainger, hurried by in a gorgeous pale pink off-the-shoulder, full-skirted dress. “Come on people, we have a schedule to keep.”

A consummate event planner, she’d patiently walked the couple through the entire process, just as excited as everyone else in town to see the two finally married.

“Great job,” Zoe called out after her.

Nealy grinned and waved, the diamond on her left hand glittering in the overhead lighting. Zoe supposed she’d be invited to another wedding soon. It seemed all her friends were getting married lately. Could she handle all the happiness?

“Do you want to head over to the reception?”

Zoe glanced up at Tim. Taller than her, although most people were, his dark hair was neatly cut, his blue eyes lighting up when she met his gaze.

“Sure.” She opened her clutch and pulled out her cell phone. “I’m just going to call my mom and check on Leo.”

“I’ll get the truck and bring it around front.”

Standing on the sidewalk in front of the church, Zoe hit speed dial. Her mother answered on the third ring.

“Hi, Mom. How are things going?”

“Leo didn’t sleep much this afternoon. I’m getting ready to feed him now, then put him down for a nap.”

In the background, she could hear her son, Leo, rambling in his nonsensical baby language. Unable to hold back a smile, she chuckled at the sound of his voice, in awe of how quickly he’d become the light of her life. She’d always wanted to be a mother, but she’d had no idea how much this little bundle of joy would grab and hold on to her heartstrings. After several miscarriages, and almost losing hope that she would ever have a child of her own, he had been her miracle baby. Just a year old, he had her wrapped around his tiny finger. And Zoe’s mother? Let’s just say Samantha Collins was way more of an attentive grandmother than she’d ever been a mother when Zoe was growing up. Still, Zoe was eternally thankful for her mom’s help. She’d stepped up when Zoe had needed her most. Raising a child alone was not easy.

Nor was getting over the death of a husband.

Mitch had started his photojournalist career documenting local and regional current events. As his reputation grew, he covered noteworthy national news subjects, like elections and natural disasters, eventually moving on to photograph world-famous events and celebrities.

But on his last trip, he’d insisted on a different assignment than what he’d normally taken, traveling to a refugee camp to photograph and document its conditions. While there, he’d been killed. She didn’t have many details, only that there had been an explosion.

She closed her eyes and a picture of Leo popped into her mind’s eye. Chubby and healthy, his light fuzzy hair standing on end. The ready smile with a few teeth coming in and rosy cheeks that took her breath away. Hot tears stung her lids. Already at this young age, Leo had that cocky grin Zoe had loved on Mitch. If she’d found out she was pregnant before he’d left, would his knowing he’d be a father have changed things? Would it have kept Mitch from willingly plunging headfirst into danger?

She supposed she’d never know.

“He’s not a big fan of the peas I introduced this week.”

“That’s why he’s getting scrambled eggs. And bananas. Aren’t you, big boy?” her mother cooed. “You should see him holding his spoon. You’d think he could really manipulate it instead of pushing his food to the floor.”

“He thrives on messes.”

“He does, but who cares. His cuteness outweighs the cleanup.”

Zoe’s heart squeezed. She hated being away from him, especially since he’d experienced separation anxiety in the last couple of weeks. He loved his grandmother, though, and Samantha adored him, so Zoe had been able to leave the house today without the inevitable crying.

Leo’s and hers.

“I shouldn’t be late. Maybe I’ll be home in time to put him to bed.”

“Honey, enjoy yourself. Leo is fine. Stay out and have fun.”

Her admonition to enjoy herself took Zoe by surprise. Samantha had been Mitch’s biggest supporter and his death had deeply affected her. She hadn’t been thrilled about Zoe taking the plunge into the dating world. Since she’d favored Mitch so much, in her mother’s eyes, no man could replace him.

Zoe had held back for as long as she could, until the thought of spending the rest of her life alone began to depress her. She’d told her mother and Samantha had apparently gotten onboard.

“I know. It’s just—”

“Zoe?”

“Yes, Mom?”

“I have everything under control here.”

Zoe bit her lip. Growing up, her mother had never been big on responsibility, schedules or running a household. A budding artist, she’d get caught up in her newest project for days, immersed in paint and canvas and flourishes of ideas, forgetting she had to feed a daughter. Or bills to pay. At a young age, Zoe had taken over the mothering role. Old habits died hard, even more so when it came to her son’s welfare.

She blew out a breath. “I appreciate it.” Tim’s truck pulled up to the curb. “Call me if you need me.”

“I will.”

Tapping the end button, Zoe walked the few steps to open the door, but Tim beat her to it.

“Have I told you how nice you look today?” he asked as, always a gentleman, he helped her into the cab.

For the wedding today, she’d found a pretty floral sleeveless dress with a flared skirt and strappy silver sandals to wear, in addition to getting her shoulder-length wispy-cut hairstyle trimmed and actually put on makeup. Very different from her stay-at-home uniform of mom jeans and baggy tops or the more professional wardrobe she used for her mayoral duties. It felt good to dress up for a change and, in a way, she’d wanted to please Tim.

She sent him a genuine smile. “Thanks. You look pretty spiffy yourself.”

Tim closed the door and jogged around the front of the truck. She tried to ignore the jitters that quaked over her at the thought of socializing at the reception. People still gave her the look, the one reserved for a wife who’d lost her husband early in life. Actually, Mitch had been lost to her a few years prior, but no one knew the miserable details. Placing her hands over her stomach, she told herself to calm down. She knew most of the people who would be at the party. Really, she could think of this as another one of her town events. Even though this party had more to do with hearts and arrows than a function benefiting Cypress Pointe.

Tim jumped back in the cab and placed the truck in gear. “I’m glad you decided to come with me today.”

“Thanks for asking. I was already scheduled to do the ceremony, but it’s nice to have your company,” she said, determined not to let reminders of the past ruin her present.

“Look, Zoe, I understand that I’m the first guy you’ve gone out with since Mitch...um...passed away. I know this decision wasn’t easy.” He paused. “You got this watery look in your eyes when you were reading the vows. I thought you might not make it through the ceremony.”

Yeah, she’d had a moment of self-pity. She’d hoped it hadn’t been that obvious. “Maybe we should talk about something else.”

“I want you to know I admire you,” he soldiered on. “Having a baby and finding out Mitch wasn’t coming home? I can’t even imagine the pain you must have gone through. And then performing this wedding today? You’re one tough cookie.”

In the past two years, she’d had to be. “Thanks. I think.”

“I just mean you’ll move on with your life.” He turned his head in her direction. The surety in his gaze made her squirm. “Someday, you’ll find another man.”

Tim continued extolling the virtues that were Zoe Simmons while her stomach churned. She really wanted to make a go of it with Tim. Stop holding him at arm’s length. Let the relationship advance naturally. Grow closer. Maybe if he kissed her, she’d be able to open up to him and get past the reservations about the way her marriage had ended.

Before long, they pulled into the hotel parking lot scattered with crushed white shells. The charming southern plantation facade of the building greeted guests like long lost friends finally coming home. After Tim pulled into an empty space, Zoe grabbed hold of the handle and opened the door without waiting for him to do the honors. She slid out of the cab, shaking off her misgivings. She could do this.

Her feet hit the shells and she made her way to the wide veranda of the Grand Cypress Hotel. The porch was stocked with cozy rocking chairs situated in front of the wide windows with thick plantation shutters.

“Hey, Zoe. Wait up.”

She was being prickly, and she knew it. He’d made her sound like a saint and she was far from one. If she’d been a better person, she wouldn’t have been filing for a divorce after making one last-ditch effort to fix her marriage. Wouldn’t have screamed, I never want to see you again, the final time her husband walked out the door because her heart was breaking and she’d had enough.

Yes, she’d picked up the pieces after Mitch’s death. Grieved the man, as well as the marriage that had been collateral damage when his career had carried him to every corner of the world. If there was the hint of a government coup, political upheaval or celebrity scandal, Mitch was there with his camera. But the idea of a new man, Tim or anyone else for that matter, took some getting used to. One day, she would be totally one hundred percent over Mitch. Today was now or never.

Stopping by the glass-etched main entrance, she faced Tim when he caught up to her. “Please go inside,” she told him. “I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

For the first time he looked unsure of himself. “Was it something I said?”

“I need to gather my thoughts.” She tilted her head toward the building. “I’ll be in soon.”

“If you say so.”

A blast of air conditioning drifted over Zoe as Tim went inside. Heaving a breath, she lowered herself onto a rocking chair a few feet away and smoothed the cotton skirt of her dress with shaky fingers.

Mitch still had the power to reduce her to uncertainty. It hadn’t always been that way. When they’d met in high school, then married young, he’d always made her laugh. Given her hope.

But once he’d become Mr. Hotshot Photojournalist, things had begun to change. Subtly at first. He was a thrill seeker from the get-go; she shouldn’t have been surprised when he thrived at his job. She, on the other hand, had always been leery about walking into the unknown. She had been wounded as an innocent bystander in a bank robbery, and the helplessness she’d felt then had never left her. It had, in fact, spurred on her commitment to the town and the people of Cypress Pointe. Mitch, meanwhile, had craved the action and on the way to success, her concerns hadn’t seemed to matter to him.

Can’t blame him. You had your part in the breakup.

It was true, but she’d hoped Mitch would put their failing marriage first. When he didn’t, she’d become even more civic-minded, throwing her energy into projects bettering the lives of her friends and neighbors. But what if she’d tried harder? Maybe battled her fears? Gone with him a time or two to show her support? If she’d known then what she knew now, she might have made a different choice.

A couple headed in her direction, dressed up for the wedding-reception revelry inside.

“Good afternoon, Mayor.”

She waved. It still felt odd answering to that title. She’d always been Zoe. Just plain Zoe. Mitch Simmons’s wife. Leo’s mother. Samantha’s daughter. Now she had a responsibility to the good people of Cypress Pointe. She wasn’t completely sure how that had happened. One day she was busy with her latest community project, a food bank, when her best friend suggested she’d make an awesome mayor. Next thing she knew, she was running an election and won.

Now she ran a town, dealt with a town council, worked closely with the police and fire chiefs, along with other officials, and found herself thriving. Her ideas were accepted and embraced, and best of all, successful. Her passionate goal of keeping Cypress Pointe safe for current and future generations was falling into place.

“Are you going inside?” the man asked as he held open the door.

Not wanting to appear rude, she stood and joined the couple as they ventured inside. Following them into the cool, spacious lobby, her heels echoed on the marble floor leading to the assigned banquet room. As she entered, voices carried over the soft music flowing from hidden speakers. Waiters moved about the room with trays of hors d’oeuvres and flutes of champagne. The yummy aroma of a loaded baked potato made her stomach growl. She took a small plate and helped herself to the potato and a BLT on a cracker. She’d forgotten to eat lunch in her rush to get ready and had to stop herself from swallowing the comfort food too quickly. Taking a bite of the potato, she closed her eyes and savored the gooey melted cheese spiced with bits of bacon.

“Whoever came up with these hors d’oeuvres is a genius,” a familiar voice said beside her.

Zoe’s eyes flew open. “Bethany. I missed you at the rehearsal party last night.”

“My flight got delayed. I came in too late.”

“I knew you wouldn’t miss the wedding.”

“After hearing all your stories about Lilli making Max crazy by dragging out the wedding plans, I had to see the ceremony with my own eyes.”

Depositing her plate on the tray of a passing waiter, Zoe threw her arms around her best friend and squeezed. “I’m glad you’re here.”

Bethany squeezed back. “Me, too.”

Zoe pulled away to scrutinize her friend. Bethany’s shoulder-length brunette hair gleamed under the subtle banquet room lighting and her mocha eyes sparkled. “I see the road agrees with you.”

“What can I say? I love my job. Even if it does keep me away from Cypress Pointe.”

Zoe hugged her again. “Which is more often than I like. But now you’re here. That’s all that matters.”

“Just for the weekend. I fly out Sunday.”

Tomorrow? Pushing away the pinch of dejection, Zoe smiled. “Great. We can catch up. Leo would love to see his godmother.”

“And I’m dying to see him. Half of my suitcase is filled with toys and adorable little outfits I couldn’t resist buying.”

Bethany might be busy, but she always had time to dote on Leo.

“Stop by in the morning.”

“I will.” She sized up Zoe. “You okay with all this lovey-dovey, happy couple stuff?”

Zoe laughed. Bethany was not a believer in happily-ever-after.

“I’m fine.”

“You’re sure? I thought I saw you tear up during the ceremony.”

Good grief. “Did everyone notice?”

“I suppose only people paying attention. I’d say the majority were focused on the bride and groom.”

Which, hopefully, meant only Bethany and Tim saw the moment of weakness.

“No matter. I’m good. Better than good.” She scanned the room. “I even have a date roaming around here somewhere.”

“So you’ve stuck to your moving-on plan?”