CHAPTER THREE
Nadine’s feet faltered but she managed a smile, put her head up and walked toward the two brothers. The only two men she’d ever loved. Why was he here? Why wouldn’t he be here? She’d assumed he wouldn’t come. Had hoped he wouldn’t come. It was just awkward. Wrong. She’d slept with Michael’s brother, and wept buckets when he’d left her to go off to war.
Wept more when he returned—but not to her. She’d loved him but it had not been enough. Now, years later, he looked strong and healthy, as handsome as she remembered. The wavy dark hair, the firm shape of his jaw, dimples flashing with his bright smile. That was the man who left for war, but not the one who came back.
She stiffened her shoulders and sucked in a deep breath. She could handle this. It wasn’t like she had any feelings for Jeremy left. They were dead and buried. Gone forever.
To prove it, she kissed Michael on the cheek, giving him a brief embrace—his skin was warm from the sun and he smelled like Banana Boat sunscreen. Holding Michael’s hand, she turned to face her first love. “Hey, Jeremy. It’s great to see you again.” It had been over three years since she’d seen him last. No more gaunt cheeks, or shadows beneath his eyes. “How’re you doing?”
“Doing fine,” he answered, his voice deeper than she remembered. His dark eyes searched hers. “You look great—Michael must be taking good care of you.”
“Oh, he is. He is.” She slipped her hand up Michael’s arm, hoping her voice didn’t really sound so high-pitched. Why should she be nervous? She took a calming breath, forcing herself to relax. They were old friends, nothing more. A brief time in history that ended on his good-bye.
“Congratulations on your wedding, Naddy. I’m really happy for you both. You got quite a catch here.” He punched his brother’s arm, yet his warm chocolate eyes stayed on her. “On the cover of Golf magazine. Sports Center claims he’s the new man to watch.” His tone teased but she sensed an underlying tension.
Michael grinned too and ran a hand threw his styled hair, managing a “golly-gee-me?” expression that didn’t fool anybody. He liked the media attention, and was smooth as silk during his interviews. “Next week it’ll be somebody else. You’re only as good as your last win.”
“Which you will get soon,” Nadine assured him, then smiled at Jeremy. “I just hope all this fame and fortune doesn’t go to his head.” She stood hip to hip with Michael, needing the feel of him beside her, the reinforcement that they were a team. “So, what are you up to now? Michael hasn’t kept me informed.”
In fact, Michael made it a point to never talk about Jeremy with her. When they’d first started dating they’d joked about it once or twice, but it had made her uncomfortable, especially when Michael brought it up in bed. That had turned into a heated argument—how could Michael be jealous of a man who’d left her? Afterward, they’d agreed that Jeremy was no longer a topic for discussion if their own relationship was to grow.
“Fireman,” he answered. “It’s not much of a job, but I like it.”
Nadine could easily imagine him running into a burning building to save kittens and babies. “It’s a very good job. A perfect fit. You’re always the one helping others.” It had been a source of contention from the beginning. His need to help his country, fight the battles of the world, save people who didn’t necessarily want his saving. It wasn’t lack of patriotism, but a woman’s fear for the man she loved. She hadn’t wanted him to go and had begged him to stay. But he had needed this—whatever the hell it was….more than he’d needed her.
He grimaced. “Guess that’s my clue to get you a drink. What would you like?”
“White wine if they have any.”
“Coming right up.”
Chad and Rob threw the ball back and forth, and one of them spiked it toward Michael. It landed by her feet, so she picked it up and tossed it back to them. “Hey, guys! How’re you doing?”
Rob, she remembered now, was the one with a cleft in his chin. “Hi, Nadine. Why don’t you and your friends come for a dip in the pool?” He flexed his biceps, waving to Melody and Jordon. “Come on in,” he invited. “We don’t bite.”
Chad swam to the edge, and folded his arms, displaying tanned muscles and toned pecs, as he splashed water at the giggling bridesmaids.
“Not me, but my friends might be interested,” Nadine answered, wanting her girls to have fun, too. She touched Michael’s arm, speaking softly for his ears alone. “It was a surprise to see Jeremy just now.” She had secretly hoped he wouldn’t show his face at their wedding. Not after walking away from her, leaving her with a broken and bleeding heart. Human decency demanded he stay away. Unless he didn’t understand how much she’d cared.
“We’ve never talked about it. About him being at the wedding, I mean. He is my only sibling.” He gave her a quizzical look. “Figured there was no reason—not after all this time. Is there?”
She shook her head, stroking Michael’s wrist. “Of course not.”
“That’s what I thought. So what difference does it make if he’s here or not?” He shrugged his big shoulders, strong and confident. “The two of you were over and done with years before we hooked up.”
“I know.” Her insides churned. This was the exact conversation she’d come to dread, and had learned to avoid. She didn’t want to remember how much she’d loved his brother, how hard it had been to let Jeremy go. And when she’d met Michael, a little broken piece of her heart had slowly mended. She’d learned to be happy again, and wanted to stay that way. Not to drag up the past and go down memory lane.
“What?” Michael pressed.
She licked her bottom lip and swallowed a sudden lump in her throat. “It just ended badly. But he seems better.” For a long time, she’d worried about Jeremy’s temper, his anger and mood swings. From what she’d researched, this was common behavior for those who had been in active duty overseas. He’d pushed her away and toward the end, she’d been resigned to the fact that he had demons only he could fight.
“So what?” Michael asked, a sour note to his voice.
Nadine forced a light laugh. “Now I have a different Williams to worry about. Right?” She stood on tiptoe and kissed her future husband. “My handsome, talented, Honda Cup champion.”
Accepting her unspoken apology, he responded, “I’m the only Williams you need to be concerned with.” Michael wrapped his arms around her waist and drew her in for a long, thorough kiss. When it was over, his hand slid down to her rump and gave it a pat.
“I like the sound of that,” Nadine said.
Jeremy came back with her glass of chardonnay, handed it over with a friendly wink, then went to sit at a table with Ashley, who was munching on a plate of tacos. Melody and Jordan flirted poolside with Chad and Rob. Another woman, pretty with highlighted hair framing her flushed cheeks, took a seat next to Jeremy, engaging him in conversation. Was she his girlfriend? Had they come together? She almost hoped it was true. It would be easier for her in the following days if he had his own lady love.
“What time did you get in?” Nadine turned her back on Jeremy’s table and gazed up at Michael. Her pulse fluttered like a wild bird’s and her insides twisted in a knot. “I was in bed,” she said softly. “You should have joined me.”
“Melody told me you were wiped.” He lifted a strand of hair from her cheek, his eyes teasing. “Said you guys were so hung over, that you and Jordon both threw up in a bush.” He shook his head, laughing. “My stag sounds quite uneventful, after hearing about yours. You hit up quite a few clubs, so I’m told.”
Nadine pressed the chilled wine glass against her hot forehead. Melody, huh? Her friend had a big mouth. Wasn’t there some sort of girl code that one did not rat out the bride to the groom? “Uh…please don’t remind me. We didn’t get back to the hotel until four-thirty in the morning.”
“Lucky you. Gambling at the Hard Rock unfortunately meant I was in bed by two. Lost the money I had and had the good sense not to use my credit card.”
“You were wiser than me,” she told him, eager to stroke his ego. “Wish we’d had an earlier night, but the girls…well, they wanted to party. None of us woke up until half past one. Missed half the day here.” She’d done her best to keep up with her friends but an all night celebration was not her style. “The hotel had the nerve to charge us a late fee, can you believe it?” She jutted out her chin. “We went down to talk to the guy at the reception desk, but he had no sympathy whatsoever—probably single and frustrated. And a creep.”
“Well, my dear sweet bride to be, I’m glad you had your fun but take it easy tonight.” He tugged her up to him, and she could feel him growing hard. “I’m thinking we should go back to your room, have a little fun, then go out for dinner.”
“I was thinking the same.” She felt his bulge again. “But how are you going to walk out of here without everyone noticing how much you missed me?” They hadn’t seen each other in the past ten days, and it had been a long stretch with him on the road.
“Hold this.” He handed her his beer and dived in the pool, his Ralph Lauren red and white swimsuit flashing beneath the blue water. He swam to the side, and folded his arms on the ledge, looking at her with a twinkle in his eye. “Why don’t you join me?”
“I’m wearing a dress,” she said. “In case you didn’t notice.” She’d wanted to be pretty for him, but this was not about her. He wanted to play.
“I noticed and I can’t wait to take it off.” He caressed her ankle, water trickling down her sandal between her toes. “Hand me my beer.”
She dropped down to give it to him, and before she knew his intention he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her in. Nadine came up spluttering chlorine as she gasped for breath, wine glass in hand—empty, but not broken. “What the hell was that for?”
Anna and her father rushed to the side of the pool. Jeremy stood to see what was going on. “You okay, honey?” her father asked.
“I’m fine. Pissed but fine.” She glared at Michael. “I don’t get you.” She swiped at her face, wondering if mascara was dripping down her cheeks.
“It was a joke.” His eyes glinted, almost like he was daring her to lose her cool. “Where’s your sense of humor?”
“On the dry side of the pool.” She swam to the shallow end and used the ladder to get up. Her pretty dress was soaking wet, and hung on her like a rag. She’d lost her shoes somewhere in the deep end. Tears filled her eyes. Why had he done it? To get back at her for Jeremy? Was he that insecure or jealous? Or was she merely over-reacting?
Ashley helped her out of the water and enveloped her in a white towel from the rack next to the ladder. “What happened? I didn’t see.” Her voice was full of concern. “You’re not still tipsy are you?”
“No, nothing like that.” Nadine lifted her dress, but it clung to her skin. “Michael pulled me in.” Tears burned and she fought to keep them from falling. “Thought it was funny, I guess.”
“I’m sorry, sweetie. Why don’t you run back and change? Put on a swimsuit, pretend it was all in fun.”
Shivering, she studied her bare feet and the water pooling around her toes. “I suppose I could. He probably didn’t mean to hurt my feelings. But I feel like such an idiot, and I’d dressed up to meet him too.” She whispered, “I’m so embarrassed.”
Ashley rubbed her shoulder. “You looked gorgeous—Michael was just being a guy, you know, in the moment.”
Anna joined them, a look of sympathy on her face. “What can I do to help? I can throw your dress in the dryer, won’t take but a few minutes.”
If she stomped off to their cabin, she’d set a precedent for their relationship—and not a positive one. She needed to go with the flow. “Michael was just being playful. Guess I should too.”
Nadine dropped the towel and jumped back into the pool, aiming to get him with a giant splash. His back was to her and she soaked him—he turned with surprise. She grabbed his head and dunked him under. Grinning, he slid his arms around her waist and kissed her before tossing her back into the deep end.
Michael liked having a good time, and she tended to be serious—if their marriage was to work, there had to be compromise. As they laughed and splashed, the party vibe picked up. Rob and Chad got out of the pool and grabbed Ashley and Melody to toss them in—they’d been smart enough to wear swimsuits beneath their short-shorts. Jordon joined the fun, jumping in on her own accord. Anna turned the music up and the other guests started to dance, poolside.
When the attention was off them, Michael helped her out of the water, wrapped the towel around her, picked her up and carried her back to the cabin.
* * *
Jeremy watched them go. He’d wanted to throttle his brother when he pulled Nadine into that pool. It was obvious that she’d done her hair and makeup and dressed for the man she loved. Michael might have done it for a lark, but he was a selfish prick for humiliating his future bride like that. He could see her fighting tears and had applauded her for showing some spirit by turning a bad situation into playtime. Made her look less pathetic, and Michael like a jerk.
But why should that surprise him? Michael had always been one-track-minded. Out for himself, and to hell with everyone else. Jeremy had hoped his brother had changed, and would appreciate Nadine—showing her every day that she was special.
Seeing her tonight had opened up a door in his heart that he’d slammed shut long ago. He’d thought it would be easy. He’d fooled himself real damn good. Jeremy had buried his jealousy when he heard Michael and Nadine were dating, had congratulated his brother when they’d gotten engaged. He had bluffed it so well, that he hadn’t suspected it himself. Jeremy still had feelings for her. Probably always would.
She was more beautiful now than she’d been fresh out of high school, but it wasn’t the sparkling blue eyes, the silky blonde hair, or the cherry lips and lush curves that got to him—it was the way she’d looked at him the moment their eyes connected.
It had come as a shock. Their gazes held, years slipped away and he was back to being that young guy again, the one who had loved her so much that he’d been tempted to stay with her even though his conscious wouldn’t let him. He’d firmly believed he was doing the right thing to march off to war, but recent events made him doubt his decision. Although honorably discharged, he wasn’t the same man. Not good for her, not fit for anybody—the years of killing and death had tortured his soul. He’d been luckier than a lot of men—whole in body, physically strong. It was his head that had been all screwed up.
But her eyes had met his and she’d seen the man he’d become again. Perhaps he’d imagined it, but it was as though he’d felt her blessing, felt her love. Joy, pure and simple, had lit her from within. Then the sky blue eyes had clouded over with doubt, and she’d turned her face to Michael’s.
Michael—who right this moment was probably doing all the things to her that he should have been doing if he hadn’t gotten so messed up. Feeling guilty for where his thoughts had led him, he squirmed in his seat, and gulped a swallow of warm beer.
Jeremy had no intention of spending the night thinking about Nadine. She was his brother’s girl now, for better or for worse, and he needed to accept it.
He turned his chair and focused on Carole, who seemed as lonely as he felt. There was something about being unattached at a wedding that made flying solo extra painful. “So. You were saying that you were married before. What made you decide to move here?”
She gave him a bright smile, leaning forward as she spoke. “My mom and Anna worked together in Princeton, and we came down here for a visit, after my divorce. They were struggling to bring this place around and didn’t have much help. Anna asked me if I’d consider staying on but at the time I wasn’t ready to give up my job as a librarian.” She picked up her margarita and took a sip, glancing around at the tables. “It was my first job when I graduated college, and I loved it. But my ex wouldn’t leave me alone, always driving by at weird times during the night, and I just couldn’t take it anymore. So I came here two months ago to take over guest relations—that includes advertising and promoting the resort for destination weddings and making arrangements to satisfy the guests.”
“So if I want anything, I just ask you?” The only thing he wanted was gone. Nadine was getting married to his brother, and Carole could never take her place.
“Pretty much.” She reached across the table for the tortilla chips and salsa, holding his gaze. “Satisfaction guaranteed.”
He smiled. She was a nice girl, just not the right girl.
“So you like being a fireman?” She bit into the chip, swallowed then licked the sauce off her bottom lip. She had pretty eyes—soft blue that looked sad too, as if they’d seen too much heartache.
“I do. It wasn’t the original plan, though. I was a career military man, did three tours in Afghanistan, from 2011 until 2014. They reduced the troops after that and I was one of those left behind to help train the local police and army. Place was a shit hole, and nobody could be trusted.” He took another drink, stating the facts. He wasn’t looking for sympathy—he’d made his choices, and stood by them. “The guy you thought you knew might be the one to knife you in the back. I was injured in a random IED attack on the base, and sent back home.”
She narrowed her eyes and looked him over with concern. “You seem fine now. How bad was it?”
“Thirty percent of my body was covered in burns, but we lost three men. All good men—during a training exercise. Anyway, it wasn’t my injuries that made me resign, it was my head.” He tapped his temple with his forefinger. “Just couldn’t wrap my mind around it anymore. Decided, with the help of a lot of head shrinks, that I’m better off saving lives than taking them.” Intensive therapy had given him back his life.
“Good answer.” She stood up, waving her empty glass. “I’m ready for a refill. Would you like one too?”
“No, thanks. I just got in a few hours ago. I’m going to unpack, maybe go for a run on the beach. It’s been nice talking with you though.”
He saw the disappointment in her eyes, but she shrugged. “Sounds like a plan. Let me know if you want to go snorkeling or out on Chase’s charter boat. I’m the go-to-girl for making reservations.”
“Thanks, Carole. Not sure what’s ahead of me. I’m the best man, so I’ll have to see what my brother has planned.”
“Enjoy your run. It’s going to be a good night for it.” She left to refill her drink, and he felt a little remorse. She was a nice woman and attractive enough. No reason why he couldn’t take her up on what she was offering, but something held him back. Ridiculous, he knew. No matter how much he’d have liked to reverse time and win Nadine back, it wasn’t going to happen. She was marrying his brother, whether he deserved her or not.
He and Michael were polar opposites. As much as Jeremy loved him, they didn’t see eye to eye. Never had and never would. Even as a high school jock, Michael had been a babe magnet and took what came his way. He’d always been popular, surrounded by friends, while Jeremy had been more of a loner. He was book smart, and woman shy.
They’d been brothers, but not friends, so it seemed perfectly natural that they hadn’t stayed close over the years. When Jeremy joined the military, Michael had attacked his decision, not understanding why he’d want to fight for his country and risk his own life to end terrorism so that people could sleep at night without fear. That disrespect left a sour taste in his mouth.
Funny thing was, his younger brother had always felt like there was a competition between them, and struggled to be better at everything. Jeremy hadn’t cared enough to try. He did his thing and let Michael worry about keeping score. It wouldn’t surprise him if he’d picked Nadine for his bride just to spite him. He didn’t want to see her hurt, but with Michael on the road all the time and the way women came on to him—combined with his recent success, it was a recipe for disaster.
But what could he do? He was here as the best man, not to try and save his ex-love from making the biggest mistake of her life. He owed it to Nadine to be there to pick up the pieces.