Just One Week (18 page)

Mom glanced at Alex with a definite twinkle in her eye. “Anything else you want to add?”

“You were right,” he said. “Mom is always right.”

“I’ve known that for thirty-five years,” Dad said.

Now that everyone had pie, Mom got the coffee pot and some mugs. And sure enough, they had a little celebration going on. As fabulous as it all was—including having Kyle back as a friend—Alex couldn’t stick around. The team needed him back, but more importantly, he had to get himself to New England to Michelle. To fight for her.

After he finished his last bite of pie, Alex pushed his plate away and rose. “This has been great. I love you all, but I need to get to the airport and see what kind of flight I can get to the East Coast.”

“No rush, sweetie,” Mom said. “You just got here.”

“Yesterday, and it’s time I got going.”

“Why not use the computer in the study to book a flight?” Mom said.

“Because if I’m at the airport, I can get on whatever plane they have leaving.” Something odd was going on. Mom should be encouraging him, not trying to delay his departure. Was she up to something else? “Is there something you’re not telling me?”

She got that fake innocent expression on her face. “What could that be?”

“I don’t know,” Alex said. “But I’ve watched you operate.”

Dad chuckled. If there was a secret or a joke, Dad was definitely in on it. Chase and Kyle looked as bewildered as Alex.

“You can have a big I-told-you-so later, Mom.” Alex bent and kissed her on the forehead. “I gotta go.”

As he passed Kyle, Kyle rose and stretched his arms out for a hug. All very manly with pats on the back. It felt damned good.

“Now you really are going to be my brother,” Kyle said.

“As soon as I can get your sister to agree.”

“Tell her to call me if she resists,” Kyle said.

“Will do.”

Mom followed him to the front hall, where he’d stashed his small carry-on, already packed. “Why don’t you at least stay for dinner? I’m sure Kyle will.”

“Mom, I don’t know what you’re up to, but right now, I’m going straight to Michelle.” And that thought warmed him inside. He could see her again, hold her in his arms. No, he wasn’t going to stick around for anything if that awaited him.

“Bye, Mom,” he said as he opened the door and hurried across the front porch.

“Call me,” she shouted after him.

He waved and got into the rental car. Then he started the engine and headed toward the road, only to find another car coming up. Normally, two cars could inch around each other on the drive, but for some reason, the other driver did a half U-turn and blocked his exit. What the hell?

He put the car in park and climbed out. Damn it all. First Mom, now this. The next person who stood between him and the airport was going to get an earful
.
“Hey, this is a private road.”

The a-hole in question got out of the other car and slammed the door, and Alex’s heart leapt somewhere up into his throat. Michelle.

“What the…” He managed to stop himself before he said a really bad word. “How did…why…what are you doing here?”

She stormed up to him. “Your mother called me.”

“Mom?”

“She said you wanted a family meeting. You know what, bozo? If you get the family together, you’d better include me.” She thumped her chest with her thumb. “Because I’m part of this family, and you don’t get to exclude me.”

“I wouldn’t—“

“Close your pie-hole for a minute.” She stuck her nose up into his face. He’d never seen her angry before, and the display was impressive. Her cheeks were flushed, and sparks seemed to shoot from her eyes. She looked as if she’d grown a few inches. “I have something to say to you, and I don’t want to hear a word from you until I’m done.”

What could he say to that? He’d been headed to look for her, and now here she was. He’d planned to apologize and beg for forgiveness. Why not let her blow off some steam first? He probably deserved it. Besides, she was flat-out gorgeous angry, although he’d never tell her that for fear of losing a limb.

“You wanted to talk about what happened between us eight years ago.” She threw her arms out to her sides. “Okay, let’s talk. That was the worst day of my life, and given some of the things my father did and said to me, that’s saying something.”

“I’m sorry, Mickey.”

She shot him a look that almost had him reeling back against the rental car. “All those things you called me, like fast and easy. How could you have uttered those words? I loved you so much, and you cut my heart out.”

He hadn’t said she
was
those things but that she’d end up that way if she kept on with what she was doing. But at this point, that was splitting hairs.

“And then, I confessed my love, and you called me a kid and told me to get over it.” She swiped at her eyes. “I know it was an adolescent crush but it felt real to me. I wanted to turn into dust and blow away on the wind.”

“I know…I was—”

“I’m not through yet.” She started pacing, but at least, she’d stopped crying. “And then I came back, and you claimed you wanted to work things out, but you didn’t trust me enough to do that.”

“Trust?” How had this turned into a question of trust? “What does that have to do with anything?”

“I know you’re dyslexic, Alex. Your grandmother told me.”

“Grandma?” Great. He was starting to sound like an echo.

“At the picnic at the winery. She let it slip by mistake.”

He did a little mental history. That had been the day after she’d arrived. “You knew all that time, and you didn’t say anything.”

She got up in his face again, standing only inches away from him. “I was waiting for you to tell me. But no, you had to keep me at a distance. For the love of heaven, Alex, did you think I’d care any less for you because of a thing like that?”

“I dunno.” Stupid reply, but at least she didn’t take his head off for opening his mouth.

“So you have trouble reading. Big deal. I’m not going to love you any less because of that.”

Love
. She’d used the word, and it warmed him inside like good brandy. But still… “What about your friends, your colleagues? I can’t keep up with them intellectually.”

“Screw them.” She waved her arms again. “If they don’t like you, that’s their problem. I don’t give a fig.”

He opened his mouth to speak, but she pinned him with a stare again.

“Besides, we don’t sit around and discuss Proust and quantum theory all day,” she said. “We go to movies and eat pizza. We watch football, you doofus.”

“Wait a minute. Doofus?”

“One more thing, and this is the last I’m going to say.” She waved a finger under his nose. “I love you. It might have been a crush at first, but it’s the full-blown real deal now. I’m not going to pretend I don’t anymore.”

He opened his mouth, but she wagged her finger again.

“No, two more things,” she said. “You love me, too, whether you’ll admit it or not. At least, I know I’m being honest.”

“You’re right,” he said. “I do love you.”

For a moment, that seemed to take the steam out of her. She stopped pacing and moving her arms around and just looked at him. “Then why did you tell me to go? I gave you chances to ask me to be with you, and you ignored them.”

“My biggest mistake of all, baby. I’m sorry.”

“You rejected me again.” Her voice was small now, all the bluster gone. “Didn’t you realize that?”

“I was too busy seeing things through my own eyes,” he said. “I know now it was all a mistake. Right now I was on my way to the airport to go to you and tell you, but you blocked my exit.”

“Really?” she said. Her eyes widened, and for a moment, she reminded him of her younger self, so trusting and vulnerable.

“Really.” He reached for her, and miracle of miracles, she allowed him to pull her into his arms. All the sensations of being with her came back to him in a rush. The softness of her curves against him, the warmth of her body, the smell of her hair. How the hell had he ever thought he could live without this?

“I messed up big time. I want to make it up to you, Michelle,” he said. “I’ll spend the rest of my life doing that if you’ll let me.”

“I never wanted anything but for you to love me,” she whispered.

“You got that, and more,” he said. “Marry me, and I’ll do all the things a faculty spouse does to help his wife’s career.”

She tipped her head back and studied him. “Like what?”

“During the off season I’ll be home to make your life easy. Clean the house. Stuff like that.”

“Alex, you? Doing housework?”

“I might.” Okay, that part was a stretch. “Or I could hire someone.”

“That sounds more realistic.”

He was winning. She hadn’t agreed to marry him yet, but he hadn’t played his ace. “I’ll get Mom’s recipes and cook for you so you have a nice meal when you get home.”

She laughed. “You’d honestly do that?”

“I’d do anything, baby. Just marry me.”

“Yes. Of course. Yes.”

With a whoop, he lifted her in his arms and spun her around. He was dizzy when he put her down, but he could still kiss her well enough. She came to him eagerly, wrapping her arms around him as if she’d never let go. Any just fate would make that come true.

Applause and shouts came from the direction of the porch. They had an audience. Fine by him. He just kept on kissing Michelle.

Epilogue

Northern California gave Michelle the most beautiful morning imaginable for the day she married her childhood crush and hero. Kyle and Chase had organized a small army of workers to transform the grounds around the winery into a wedding paradise. It held a seating area big enough for the Staffords’ extended family and friends and a shaded spot where the minister from Jim and Emma’s church would hear their vows and declare them husband and wife.

Because Jim’s assistant, Liane, had helped so much with the planning, Michelle had asked her to serve as bridesmaid. Over the past months, they’d become close. With Michelle’s hectic life, she hadn’t had a girlfriend. Now she did, at least on the West Coast.

A bit after noon, their little procession started down the aisle, Liane first followed by Michelle on Kyle’s arm. Emma had already strewed the path with rose petals, and the whole space took on the magic of a fairy tale. Because her colleagues lived three thousand miles away, the crowd was mostly Alex’s extended family, but Hal Rainey and his wife sat next to Michelle’s mother. They served as her side of the proceedings.

At the front, Alex stood next to his brother and best man. When he turned toward her, she almost dropped her bouquet. She’d seen Alex in formal wear before, but the sight would always steal the air out of her lungs. Today, he was not only the epitome of male beauty, but he stared at her with such adoration in his eyes she could hardly frame the words to thank the Almighty for giving her the gift of his love. So tall and straight, broad-shouldered and proud, he could have been a prince if he’d worn a satin sash over his chest and hung a sword by his side. He was her champion, and after today, he’d always remain so.

When she arrived by his side, she handed her bouquet to Liane, had one quick peck on the cheek from her brother, and then took Alex’s hand to face the minister. Most of the ceremony went by in a blur, although she’d already memorized every word in her heart.

The minister read their vows—some of them the standard. For better or for worse, in sickness and in health. But then they came to the place where they’d each speak from their hearts.

Alex swallowed a couple of times and cleared his throat before he started.

“I’ve always loved you,” he said. “Even when you were Mickey with dirt on your face and a cut on your knee. I never suspected that love would turn into something else entirely.”

That got chuckles from the crowd.

“I have to pinch myself to realize you’re really mine,” Alex went on. “Baby, I promise to always stand beside you, support you in everything you do, and protect you from harm. As long as there’s breath in my body, you have a safe harbor.”

“Michelle,” the minister prompted.

Suddenly, she found a lump in her own throat, but if Alex could manage to get words out, so could she. Even if she had to take a deep breath first.

“I’ve always worshipped you, and that hasn’t changed,” she said. “You’re the best man in the world, Alex, and if you ever doubt it, come to me for reassurance.”

And finally, the one thing she needed to say, even if she had an audience. One more promise she needed to give him.

“I swear before God and everyone here that if we ever hit a bump in the road, I’ll stay by you and work things out,” she said. “I’ll never turn away from you. You’re my life and my home.”

Someone in the audience let out a sob. The voice sounded suspiciously like Emma. Happy crying. Her new mother-in-law had hardly stopped since the night before. They could all share some tears later and then wash them down with champagne.

The vows done, the minister presented them to the crowd as husband and wife, and all formality fled, replaced by cheers. Alex kissed her, clutching her against him as if he’d never let her go. For her part, she wouldn’t do a single thing to get loose. She was perfectly fine right where she was.

Eventually, the crowd parted them, the men congratulating Alex while the women gathered around Michelle. Emma’s tears moistened Michelle’s cheek as she muttered “I’m so happy” over and over again like a mantra.

Alex’s grandmother stood off at a short distance, one hand perched on her cane. She smiled at Michelle, although a twinkle in her eye suggested more than a little mischief. A little challenge. What better way to start a marriage?

When Emma moved on to talk to other people, Michelle made her way to join her grandmother-in-law.

Vivian’s smile widened. “Well done, young lady. You got the best of the lot.”

“I know.”

“Seems you weren’t quite the fool I thought you were,” Vivian said.

“I’m not so sure. I almost blew it a couple of times.”

“So Emma told me. I was getting ready to chase you down and talk some sense into you.”

Vivian would have done it, too, even if she’d had to fly across country. Luckily, Michelle and Alex had come to their senses before Vivian had shown up in her lab.

“In any case, welcome to an elite club—people I’m most difficult with in the world,” Vivian said. “Namely, people who’ve married my loved ones.”

As Michelle recalled from their previous conversation, Vivian also loved the spouses, but bringing that up now wouldn’t win her any points. So she kept her mouth shut on the subject. She’d hide that little kernel of knowledge away for the years ahead when she’d need it to deal with the woman’s prickly side.

“Still, everyone deserves a reprieve from time to time.” Vivian tapped her lips in thought. “Yours might as well be today.”

“I’ll enjoy it.”

“Do.” Vivian linked her free arm through Michelle’s. “Let’s go find some wine.”

…

Every male in Alex’s family seemed intent on keeping him from dancing with his new bride. As soon as the band had started up in the back yard—the same location as his parents’ party—his father had claimed the right to the first dance, and then Kyle had taken his place for the second. Chase had had his turn. Then Michelle’s new boss at Cardmouth had commandeered her. For now, he could stand and drink in the sight of her enjoying herself. They’d have plenty of time alone together later.

His mother sidled up to him carrying a glass of champagne and wearing a self-satisfied grin. “Everything was wonderful today. Just perfect.”

“Exactly how you planned,” Alex said.

His mother put her hand over her heart in a display of innocence. “Me? I hardly had anything to do with the planning.”

“Not for the wedding, but you planned on us falling in love from the beginning.”

“I only gave you a little push in the right direction.” His mother’s smile widened.

“And it was almost a disaster,” he said.

“Nothing love couldn’t fix.”

He slid his arm around his mother’s waist. “Look, Mom, you can’t be interfering in other people’s lives.”

“Oh, I don’t know.” She scanned the crowd and her gaze fell on someone and held.

Alex looked over to discover she was staring at his brother. At the moment, Chase was pretending not to watch Liane as she danced with one of their unmarried male cousins.

“I wouldn’t try anything with Chase,” Alex said. “He’s not a creampuff like me.”

“Oh, really?”

For one thing, Chase got around the dating scene. For another, he had a rather jaundiced view of the world and the people in it. Hearts and flowers were definitely not his thing.

“Chase isn’t so very different from you,” Mom said. “Remember I gave birth to the two of you. I know you better than you know yourselves.”

“Whatever you say.” He obviously wasn’t going to stop her from more matchmaking. Besides, he couldn’t protect Chase from their own mother. Let Chase take care of himself. Might be fun to watch.

“There’s the lucky fellow.” His father appeared and inserted himself between Alex and his mother, putting an arm around each of them. “And the most beautiful woman in the world.”

His mother giggled like a schoolgirl and patted her husband on the chest. “Flatterer.”

“Only speaking the truth.” Dad turned to Alex. “Thirty-five years from now, you’ll be standing where I am now.”

Alex had thought of all that, of course, but now the real meaning hit home. He and Michelle would be as happy as his mom and dad. They’d have children and watch them grow up. Someday, he’d dance at his son or daughter’s wedding. The sense of joy that had lived inside him since Michelle had agreed to be his wife now swelled to fill him until he felt like he’d burst with it. If he wasn’t the luckiest s-o-b on the planet, he’d like to meet the man who was.

“If you’ll excuse me, I think I’d like to dance with my bride.” Alex didn’t wait for permission but worked his way across the dance floor toward Michelle and Professor Rainey. The band was just winding down one song, and before the good professor could monopolize Michelle, Alex eased between them. “My turn.”

“You bet, young man.” Professor Rainey clapped him on the shoulder and disappeared into the crowd. Not that Alex watched him go. He was too focused on Michelle.

Not even making a pretense of normal dance protocol, Alex put his hands at her waist and pulled her toward him. Luckily, the band played a slow tune, and when she wrapped her arms around his neck, he only had to shuffle his feet a bit back and forth to keep them moving. More or less.

“Happy?” he said.

She tipped her head back and gave him a smile full of sunshine. “Delirious. How about you?”

“Like I just won the Superbowl, Probowl, and MVP all rolled into one.”

“That’s a lot for one day,” she said.

“But what a day it was.”

She gave him a beautiful, seductive grin. “The day’s almost over.”

True. They’d spent what seemed like hours posing for pictures at the winery and then come back here for champagne and toasts. Dinner had followed, along with more toasts and speeches. Now, as the party moved on into the night, the overhead lights came on. The band would play for a while, and then everyone would toddle on to wherever they’d spend the night.

“I hate for it to end,” he said.

“Don’t think about ending,” she said. “Just going to a different level.”

“I like the way your mind works,” he said. “Have I told you lately how brilliant you are?”

“Tonight I’m not a brain. I’m just a woman in love.”

He didn’t need another invitation. He only needed to take her hand and sneak away. No one seemed to notice that the bride and groom were deserting their reception. Except for Chase, who spotted them out of the corner of his eye and smiled but didn’t say anything.

A few seconds later, Alex walked hand-in-hand with his new wife up the path toward the cottage. When they arrived, he opened the door and then bent to scoop her up into his arms. Two steps more, and he’d taken them over the threshold into their new life together.

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