Awakened By A Kiss (Once Upon A Romance) (10 page)

“Thanks, Shane. I’ve missed you being around. You’ve always been more like a big brother to me than a cousin. Mom and Dad always said that, too—you were like another son to them.”

His heart jolted. “I need you just as much as you need me,” Shane admitted. He cleared his throat. Maybe there was more to it than just who Dex was marrying. Maybe Shane didn’t like the thought of his cousin not being there for him, either. “Crap, I hate this kind of stuff. You and me, we’re good, right?”

Dex chuckled and sucked in a shaky breath. He wiped his eyes on the back of his lab coat sleeve. “Yep. Right as rain.”

“Okay, so don’t be a stranger, kid.” He got up and set the chair back in place. The legs scraped on the floor. He realized how much
he
might have let Dex down lately. It was time he stepped up to the plate for his cousin. The words nearly choked him, but he had to get them out. “Dex, if you want to marry Candace, I’ll support you all the way.”

***

Evelyn hustled to get the finishing touches on the makeshift aisle. “King’s? Of all the places to have a wedding, you pick King’s?”

“Hey, sis, you talking to yourself again?” Austin jogged to her.

Looking up at the sound of his voice, Evelyn dropped the silk drape and rushed to her beaming brother. She squealed with delight when he caught her up in a bear hug, lifted her off her feet, and swung her around. “You’re finally here!”

“I wouldn’t miss this for the world.” He chuckled, setting her back on her wobbly heels.

She jabbed him with a fist. “You better not since this is your wedding. What kept you? You were supposed to be here yesterday.”

Grabbing her again, he hugged her and dropped a kiss on the top of her head. “Flat tire. Speeding ticket. The Kid got sick all over the bus. Let’s see, do you really want to hear the awful details?”

“Stop. I get the picture. Peg’s been marching around with her clipboard, muttering obscenities. You’ve got a lot of making up to do for her.”

“Where’s my hot bride, anyway?” He glanced around, shaking his head. “God, she loves this store so much she picked it as our wedding spot.”

“It was either here or the bar you met at,” she teased him, smoothing her hair into place. “And you are not to see her before the nuptials. I think her dad, the Professor, wants a word with you first.” She turned him around and pointed him in the direction he came from. “Back you go. Bruno will escort you to the father of the bride. Good luck, bro.”

“Oh, such joy.” He stopped, and then turned back. “Sis. Thanks. For being my best man or is it best woman?” He shrugged. “My best and only sister. Mom would be happy, don’t you think?”

“She’d have loved Peg.” Tears smarted her eyes. She brushed them away.

“Yeah, she would have. Got myself quite a girl, don’t you think?” It wasn’t really a question; they were both members of the Peg Fan Club.
Who wouldn’t love Peg?

“The best. Hey, sign me up for godmother for your first, okay?” That stuck in the back of her throat.

His gaze softened even more. “I’m sorry, sis. I know how much you want one of your own.”

She could only nod.

Austin blew out a heavy sigh. He scratched his head. “Look. I know you think going it alone is the thing to do. Mom made it look easy. But, it wasn’t. We struggled.”

Evelyn frowned. She couldn’t think of a time when she wasn’t happy growing up.

“I’m older. I saw more. I was there when it fell apart.”

He must mean her father’s sudden departure. “She was so strong…she made it seem normal. Even fun. Just the three of us.”

“What choice did she have, Ev? She made it work because she adored us.” He shook his head. “There was no other way. It was hard on her. She wouldn’t want you to have the same hardships as she did. You deserve more.”

A hollow ache grew inside her chest. He’d touched a sore spot ever since she’d kissed Shane Weston and realized just what she’d been missing out on.

He came to her, brushed back her hair, and gave her a quick hug. “Just think about it. But the baby thing. It’ll happen for you.”

Lately, she wasn’t so sure of it. The eggs had cracked and her body was broken a long time ago. But her heart—ah, her heart whispered for more now: just a really special man for her and a dad for her baby. They both deserved a good man.

There weren’t any running to sign up for the positions.

Her heart ached at the sudden realization. She may only ever be a babysitter for the rest of her life.

***

“Holy sassafras,” Peg sputtered, spitting out the drink. “What is this stuff, gasoline?”

Evelyn dodged the spray and yanked the bottle from her friend’s hand. “Pegster, that’s not for human consumption. It’s some experiment Dex concocted. Body spray, maybe? Charlie had it with her earlier. She probably left it in here by accident.”

Peg rushed to the sink and rinsed her mouth. Bubbles erupted. “Oh, great,” she said. “Ma always threatened to wash my mouth out with soap when I was growing up. Now I know what it woulda been like.”

“What in the world?!” Rico stormed in the executive bathroom and stopped in his tracks.

“Don’t ask,” Peg and Evelyn said at the same time.

“I leave you two alone for a minute and this happens.” He waved his hand, swatting at the bubbles floating near his hair. “Stop. You’ll ruin my new do.”

“Who’s getting married today, you or me?” Peg splashed more water into her mouth. “Tastes like strawberries.”

“Smells good, too,” Evelyn added. “Maybe the advertisement company can use that for marketing this stuff.” She held up the clear bottle and eyed the pale fluid. “Liquid…”

“Honey? Gold?”

“Stop. You’re killing me,” Rico said, grabbing the neck of the bottle with two fingers and carrying it away.

“Ev, you in there?” Austin’s voice carried through the door.

Rico cried out. “Don’t come in. You’ll spoil the wedding day.”

“Austin?” Peg asked, dabbing her mouth with a towel. “You’re not getting cold feet, are you?”

His laugh had Peg sagging with relief. “Me? As if. No, send Ev out. I need to talk to her.”

Evelyn heard the underlying command. She swallowed hard. Her big brother hadn’t sounded like that since he’d found her tiptoeing through the backdoor after curfew one night. “I don’t want to.”

He knocked on the door once, twice. “Evelyn White—”

“All right, all right.” She gave in. “God, that’s Mom’s voice.”

Sliding out the door Rico held open by just a crack, she caught her brother’s stern look. “We need to have a little chat.” He nodded down the hall.

“You already said that.” She followed him slowly to Charlie’s office. They stopped near the play area. Evelyn’s gaze went to the kids’ table and then she quickly looked away. Sitting with Shane and the twins rushed back to her.
Why did she think of him everywhere she went now?
“What’s this about? We were getting misty-eyed an hour ago and now this.”

“Who is he? Where did you meet him? How long have you known him?”

She held up her hands in self-defense. It halted his tirade. Someone in the store blabbed. “But you were just—”

“I can answer for you,” Shane said, strolling into the room.

“Pushing me in that direction,” she finished and then turned to Shane. “What are you doing here?” It was her turn to ask a question. She gulped hard. It was the first time she’d seen him in days. His baby blues met her stare. She melted, her legs got wobbly.

“Don’t you remember you invited me?” A smile played around his lips. “I’m your escort.”

“Explain,” Austin demanded. “I’m still your brother and I still get to check out the guy at least. You could have said something to me. It’s one thing to talk about it, but another when I’m faced with it a minute later. You’ve never been serious about a guy before. It was all in theory.” His bow tie hung loose around his collar and he jammed his hands on his hips.

There was a noise in the hallway. “Don’t go any farther. I’m warning you,” Rico said. “Here, get behind me.” Something banged into a wall.

“Criminey, did you have to body slam me?” Peg asked.

“I told you you’ll jinx your wedding day, Peg! Stop that.”

“Babe,” Peg said from behind an agitated Rico who stuck his arms out here and there, trying to hide her. She shoved the clipboard out the small space between Rico and the doorway and waved it. “I got it. Connections. Eddie, Alex’s driver. Ex-cop. Background check. A-okay.”

“Why didn’t you say that before?” Austin asked. He might have seemed mellow, but Ev knew different. “Don’t worry. Just hurry.”

“Be there in a jiff,” Peg said, her voice growing more distant as Rico hustled her away.

Austin tilted his head toward the door.

Evelyn took his not-so-subtle hint and went around Shane to exit. Before she left, she scowled at him.

He just smiled, slow and sexy.

There he went again, making her knees weak.

His hand settled on her lower back. Ev sucked in a sharp breath. Why did he have to touch her like that?

“Heard that,” he whispered.

She shivered. “Weren’t supposed to,” she said in a low voice.

“Hey, hey, none of that,” Austin insisted. “Right in front of me, too?”

Wincing as he cussed, Evelyn marched into the receptionist area. There must have been more than twenty people staring at her as she emerged.

“Auntie Ev!” Stu’s twin boys rushed to her, grabbing her around the waist and hugging her. There were babies squealing and reaching for her. Seven to be exact. Some were restrained in strollers or by their parents, but they were all calling for her.

“Giggly. Wiggly.” She hugged them back. “Let me look.” They backed up a step. “So handsome. You lost a tooth!” she exclaimed. “Did it hurt?”

“Nope.” He stuck his thumb at his brother. “He did it. We gots a string—”

“And yanked it out.” His twin demonstrated the tugging motion.

“Guys, save the gory stories for later.” Stu smiled and directed them out the door. “Last one at the wedding eats a worm.”

“Yuck!” they said in unison, rushing toward the elevator and poking at the button.

Stu’s wife rolled her eyes and hiked up the little girl on her hip. “Boys—gotta love ’em.”

Once the King sisters were assured Peg’s needs were taken care of, they, along with their families, left the executive floor to get to the wedding area.

Evelyn patted her brother on the arm. “You’re next, slugger.”

He nodded at Shane. “You still didn’t give me the details, Ev, about him. Don’t think I’m going to let it drop.”

Sneaking a peek at Shane, she caught his stunned look. “What?”

He shook his head. “Kids.” Holding up his hands, he counted off seven. “The pictures. That was all of them. Right here. In one room.”

Grinning, she shrugged. Her cheeks warmed. “Lucky, aren’t I?”

His sober look made her heart twinge. “No, Evelyn, I think they’re the lucky ones.”

Why had he gone all serious on her?

Beaming as she stood beside her brother, Evelyn looked out over the crowd. Seated were the family and extended family members. Standing, all lined up in a big giant circle, were the King’s Department Store employees and their families. She waved at Bruno and some others, found her roomie, and wished she’d had a chance to thank Paige for the beautiful wispy, pale gold bridesmaid dress she’d whipped up.

With utter silence, everyone waited for Peg.

“Holy crumb cakes and cucumbers,” she cried coming around the corner on her father’s arm.

Everyone began to chuckle.

“Oh, honey, it’s perfect,” her mother said, clutching her hands together. Peg’s brother put his arm around his wife as she held their little boy, both of them glowing with pride at Peg.

“That’s our Peg,” Dolly called out, standing and waving. “Look at how beautiful she is, Eddie!” She nudged him.

The man sitting at her side rose, and held his fingers in his mouth and let out a whistle. Others stood and began to clap. The applause grew.

Peg’s dress, short and the color of champagne, sparkled under the lights. Her ever-present clipboard, decorated with white roses, shook in her hands. It seemed like her father was holding her up as she tried to put one foot in front of the other.

“That’s my girl,” Austin said, joining in the cheers. He walked toward her and met her halfway down the aisle.

Rico, in his gold suit, rushed up behind him. “I’m the maid of honor. I’ll help her.”

“I can’t walk,” she said. “I’m shaking so much my skivvies are liable to slide down my legs.”

Austin laughed and swept her up in his arms. “Can you save that trick for later? You’ve got to put a ring on me first.”

“Roger that,” she said, tugging down the hem of her dress while smiling up at Austin.

Evelyn swiped at a fast falling tear and caught Shane’s wide, shell-shocked baby blues.

Her heart dropped.

Did she see what she thought she saw?

***

He’d disappeared. Her escort had dumped her at her own brother’s wedding.

Evelyn sucked in a sharp, painful breath. “A first.”

She steeled herself as she put the finishing touches on the Hightower reception tables. That’s how she considered it. Candace whined and complained non-stop these last eight weeks. Nothing was good enough. Then everything was just too much.

The woman bounced from highs and lows like a rubber ball.

“I’ll take kids any day.” That cut her to the quick. Pulling out a chair, Evelyn sank down onto it. She waved off the four other King’s staff members. They got the hint and continued with the setup process.

Her chin wobbled and she fought a fresh wave of tears. Her many nights of crying rushed back to her. It had been a long and difficult few weeks.

How could she be surrounded by happiness every day and never feel completely happy herself?

She ached for a baby. But her body refused to cooperate.

Her options were limited. She could always go with Rico’s halfhearted offer of halfsies. She chuckled at the thought.