Her Accidental Husband (19 page)

“I just wanted to say…” Hell. He didn’t know. Maybe…
don’t leave. Don’t walk away from me again. Please, let’s give us another try. See where this thing we have can take us. That together they can overcome anything.
But those were words for the movies. Not real life. “I just wanted to say that I’m sorry. Sorry the way things ended like they did. And…I hope you’ll be happy.”

She bit her bottom lip, her eyes looking almost wild for a moment but then she turned away and opened her door, sliding in, her face still hidden.

He did want her to be happy. Even if it wasn’t with him. “Take care, Payton.”

“Thanks, Cruz. You too.” Then she slammed the door shut and started the car. He backed up, giving her room.

And he watched her drive down the road, away from him. Again.

P
ayton only made it to the beginning of the trees, Cruz’s figure still visible in her rear view mirror, before the tears came. Her heart felt like it was breaking all over again.

When he’d called out to her, her heart had risen to her throat, hope building that maybe he was going to stop her. Insist she stay with him. Tell her that he loved her.

But instead…he’d said good-bye.

It became impossible to blink the tears back, and instead she let them trail down her face all the way home. But they were quiet tears, not the soul-wrenching sobs that she’d shed the week before. Tears that accepted that things were over. What other choice did she have?

Chapter Nineteen

C
ruz popped the top from his second beer and took a pull. He was sitting in the kitchen of Daisy’s new place—Kate’s old house—as the kids yelled in laughter from the other room where his Aunt Glenda had a game of Twister set up. Daisy and Benny were across from him, Benny wolfing down half the bowl of guacamole that Daisy had whipped up. Dominic, who’d just arrived, hunkered down in the chair next to him.

Now they were just waiting for his parents to arrive. He had something he wanted to show them all together. To make it all worthwhile.

“Where’s Kate? Are you telling me that five days after you get back from your honeymoon she’s already finding you too much to stomach?” Cruz asked his younger brother.

“You really want to go there?” Dominic smiled back, almost as if offering him a warning. “Kate and Payton are having a girl’s night out, so it’s just me.”

She was with Payton. He was going to have to get used to that. They were best friends; that wasn’t going to change. Cruz nodded and took another pull as, if the kids’ shouts were any indication, his parents arrived.

Game time. He stood, and after corralling his siblings into the front room—Benny with a death-grip on the guacamole—he pulled the folded up magazine from his pocket.

“I know you’ve all thought I was crazy all these years, keeping my nose to the grindstone, never taking time to enjoy the finer things in life—blah blah blah. But I think what you’re going to see will show you why it was all worthwhile.”

At least he hoped it did. Because after staring at the article for the past twenty-four hours, he was more than disappointed that he hadn’t felt the level of exhilaration, of pride and satisfaction that he always thought he would. Hadn’t felt even half the same exhilaration he’d felt when he thought for that wonderful day that Payton was his wife.

He held up the magazine cover, so everyone could bask in the glory. “Not only did Sorensen Construction make ENR’s list of top 400 contractors in the U.S., but it’s featured in this week’s regional section, thanks to this deal with Eastman Motors.” He presented the magazine to his dad first. “Dad, I know that the past few years you struggled health-wise and it was an honor that you trusted me to take the reins and see what I can do with the business. I hope that this assures you that our company and our family’s future is going to be secure for a long time.”

His dad took the magazine, and stared at for a minute, the slightest smile on that usually stony face. “I didn’t doubt you for a minute, Cruz.” He opened the magazine and found the article that Cruz was so proud of and read it silently.

His sisters and Dominic, Aunt Glenda, and the kids all gave him a hug and congratulated him. For the next couple of minutes he basked finally in the glow of their excitement, their pride. His mother came over and kissed him on the cheek and then came to stand next to her husband, still seated on the couch. “This is so exciting, Cruz. There’s a picture of you and everything.”

“In a suit, no less,” Benny said, also peeking over her father’s shoulder. “Nice touch.”

“I think now’s a good time to finally feed the kids. Is everyone hungry?” With her own sense of pride, Daisy, with the help of her sibling, brought out platters of food that she’d been working on all day and everyone took seats at the dining table. “I’m still getting the hang of Kate’s range so I hope everything’s okay,” Daisy said tentatively.

Which was crazy as everything was delicious as she very well knew. But he knew what it felt like to hear praise from the people you love. He needed it just as much. Only sitting here, among those people, he felt like something was still missing. That someone who he wanted to share this with wasn’t here.

Payton.

Her name seemed to echo inside his head. Over and over. She should be here.

But why would she be? He hadn’t done anything to show her how important she had become in his life in the short time they’d had together.

He looked to his parents, where his mother was standing over his dad, insisting on helping him, fussing about him despite the fact it had been months since his surgery and he was healthier than he’d been for a long time. But his dad didn’t seem to mind, just watching his wife and, when she was done, grabbing her by the waist and smacking a kiss on her cheek.

It was his parents who had instilled in them all the importance of family, of taking time to spend quality moments with them. Of family dinners, vacations, and just hanging out together. Without them, all of his accomplishments would mean nothing.

But somewhere in the past few years of his life, he’d forgotten that basic notion. Family. What was he working for if at the end of the day, he didn’t have a partner there to hear about his accomplishments as much as his failures, if he didn’t have children to teach a thing or two about responsibility and being there for each other as his siblings were there for him?

He’d lost sight of what he was doing it all for.

And the only person he wanted at his side through this crazy adventure of life was the same woman who’d been at his side during that three-day journey through Mexico.

It might be too late. He understood that. She might very well be with Brad. And if so, if it made her happy, then he’d step aside and accept it.

But she deserved to know how much she meant to him. How much he’d show her each and every day of their lives together how she was the most valuable and cherished thing in his life, never to be taken for granted.

She’d be first. Always.

“Dominic? Where did you say Kate and Payton went?”

“You’re not going to believe me if I tell you. Apparently Payton got it into her head that she had to go see a hockey game, part of this thing she’s doing of trying new things. Fortunately for her the hockey season is just winding down this week, and she managed to snag a couple of tickets to tonight’s game.”

A hockey game. Of course.

Cruz came to his feet, the sound of the chair screeching across the floor drawing everyone’s attention. “Excuse me everyone. I’ve got something that I have to do.”

Dominic grinned, his eyes smiling. “Is that right? Well, just don’t do anything foolish. Like going and getting married to the poor girl without all of your family there to show their love and support. Oh. Wait. You already did that.”

He closed his eyes, understanding that this was probably the warning his brother had given him earlier. The table was still silent for four point five seconds. And then the room erupted into chaos as all the women immediately began yelling at him.

He shook his head at his brother. This was going to have to wait.

Without any further response, Cruz grabbed his keys and ran out the front door.

W
ith her arms loaded with nachos and sodas and hot dogs—everything that Cruz had once told her made the experience—Payton returned to her and Kate’s seats.

“Are we seriously going to eat all this?” Kate asked, taking a cheesy covered nacho chip and biting into it.

“It’s part of the experience.”

Kate licked a glob of cheese from her finger. “And I thought you were fearless before. Now you’re just downright frightening. Tell me, what did your mother say when you told her that you’d registered for the LSATs? You were going to tell her at dinner last night, right?”

“You mean after she stalked up to me in the middle of the first course?” Payton smiled. She’d expected such a reaction, what she hadn’t expected was what followed. “There I sat, thinking I was going to be eating my butternut squash bisque alone—because, of course, Daddy was working late—but not two minutes later, she came back. And handed me an envelope.” She shook her head, still stunned at learning that her mother had once had her own hopes and dreams for herself. “It was her admission letter to business school, dated thirty-five years ago. She never went, of course, because her parents wanted something different for her. And we know how that went.”

Kate’s eyes bugged out. “Emily Vaughn entrepreneur? It’s unbelievab—no. Never mind. I could totally see her running a company, even a third world country with an iron fist.”

“I know, right?” Payton said and laughed. “Anyway, she didn’t want to talk about it, just wanted me to see and understand and then ordered Annie to bring in the roasted chicken and put the soufflés in the oven. And like that, our moment was over. Although, when I left, she did ask me to keep her updated with my application.”

“That’s about as close to approval as you’re going to get from Emily.” Kate slurped from her soda, giving Payton a sideways glance before asking not so nonchalantly, “What about Cruz? Anything?”

Payton knew that he was going to come up at some point in the conversation tonight. She was just surprised it had taken her friend this long. “No, and after seeing him with what’s-her-name, I really don’t expect to. In fact, you’ll have more chance of hearing from him than I would, seeing as how he’s your new brother-in-law.”

“I’m afraid if I saw him right now I would probably not only smack a vase
into
his head, but I’d break it
over
his head.”

“Just get it on camera,” she said, smiling. But to tell the truth, as hurt as she was that he had already moved on, she didn’t want to inflict any real pain on him. She hadn’t been enough for him, important enough to him, for him to make her a priority. At least he’d been honest.

Another scuffle seemed to be breaking out between the players on the ice, and she and Kate craned their heads, trying to figure out what was going on, something made more difficult since neither of them had ever watched a game before.

“Payton.” The voice came from behind her, so strong and familiar. She froze instantly.

What is he doing here?

He climbed down the last two stairs so he was standing in the aisle right next to her. The nacho she’d been about to shove in her mouth, still hanging midair.

There was a small grin on his face as he stared at the feast of junk food displayed on her lap before he met her gaze. “You know, if you were going to do this thing right, you’re supposed to have beer, not soda.”

“I—I’m driving.” Were they really having this conversation? “What are you doing here, Cruz?” She looked behind him, realizing that he could be there on a date. The thought made her want to hurl the nacho chips.

“I’m here because I was given the great pleasure of receiving an early copy of this big deal contractors magazine that featured Sorensen Construction, something that should have had me flipping cartwheels and popping open the Champagne. But I got home and looked around and realized the only person I wanted to celebrate this coup with wasn’t there. Not only was she absent from my condo, but she was also absent from my life. And it was all because of me. Because I had my priorities all screwed up. See, I thought that I had to have the success first. That once I had success everything else would fall into place. That I’d gain the life, the self-confidence, and the woman that would make it all complete. But I realize now, that I had it backward. Success should follow all of that—so when you finally have it, you have someone who can share that moment with.”

Kate nudged her and Payton was barely aware of her friend pulling the nachos and hotdogs and drink from her lap, and finally tugging the nacho chip still clutched in her fingers.

The clashing sound from the ice and the crowd’s uproar told her that something had happened that didn’t look good for the Salt Lake Grizzlies. But she was unable to pull her gaze from the man in front of her, who had somewhere during that long litany, sat down on the step next to her so she could hear him better. So she could look into his face, touch it if she wanted.

“Payton,” he continued, having to raise his voice as the crowd’s fury around them grew louder. “I should have gone after you that first night. At the flower shop. I should have insisted on getting your name and your number and we could have avoided all this drama. I should have gone after you that day in Mexico when you walked out of my hotel room. Should have stopped you from leaving. I should have realized then that you are and would be my biggest priority. I should have gone down to brunch with you. I should have taken you to the beach like I promised. I should have made love to you every day. There are so many things I should have done, but I was a fool and I didn’t. Not realizing until now how much…how much I love you. Until it was too late.”

Tears sprang to her eyes and she tried to wipe them away but his hands stopped her, wiping them away himself. It took her a moment, once the blur from her tears was gone, to realize that he was now kneeling next to her. And from his jacket he was bringing out a box, holding it out.

It was happening exactly like she’d described it that day in that hot school bus outside of Tequila, Mexico, when she hadn’t even been sure he was listening to her.

Someone behind her patted her on the back and she finally processed that the people around them weren’t cheering on the game anymore, but were cheering
them
on…

Cruz was smiling, but there was reserve in his smile, uncertainty. “I am choosing you, just like I should have that day when you asked me to. And I didn’t. When I didn’t put us first. I’ll forever be sorry for that moment, but I promise you now, I’ll put us first every day, every minute, every second of our life. I choose you and sure as hell hope you still choose me. So to be clear, Payton Elisabeth Vaughn. Will you agree to marry me, to love and laugh with me all the days of our lives…again?”

She didn’t really have much choice when he put it like that. All she’d wanted was to hear him commit to her, to hear him promise to try and place them first even if at times life would make it hard. She reached out, running her hand over that bristly jawline. “Of course I’ll marry you.”

When he dropped his lips to hers and kissed her soundly, forgetting decorum, forgetting the hundreds of people around them, she melted into him. The shouts and cries around them finally seeped in after a moment and thanks to Kate, who pointed up to the Jumbotron, Payton realized their private moment was flashing above them.