How to Be a Blissful Bride Page 10

  Let the McClaren men talk.

  As if his mother didn’t know perfectly well that he and his father got along so much better when they weren’t talking.

  Chance shoved another big forkful of fluffy, melt-on-your-tongue, buttery pancake into his mouth. If he could keep his mouth shut—or full—for a few minutes more, they might all get through this visit unscathed.

  He’d done his best to hide his sigh of relief when his mother offered the destination for their trip. His father would be eager to get back on the road, every turn and stop carefully plotted along the way, despite what Mary had said about taking the scenic route.

  He swallowed a snort of laughter at that. His dad never took the scenic route. Matthew McClaren was direct to a fault, always on the straight and narrow, never one for taking the road less traveled.

  Chance had known from the time he was a kid that getting lost was the best way to find himself. To find out what he was capable of, to find out what he truly needed and wanted out of life.

  Discovering that what he wanted was the exact opposite of what his parents wanted for him? Well, that was a hurdle the three of them had yet to successfully cross.

  “Chance’s work drew some of the highest bids that evening. I can’t tell you how many people would pay a small fortune for a McClaren original.”

  Matthew gave a grunt, the dismissive sound that much more abrasive compared to the pride in Alexa’s voice.

  Pride? She’d made it clear how she felt about his job and its dangers, and yet...

  Sitting by his side at the tiny table, Alexa offered him a small smile. “I would have bid on one of them myself if winning wouldn’t have seemed unfair.”

  “Unfair? Why would it?” Mary asked.

  “I had organized the event, so it was best that I not win any of the items. You know, for appearance’s sake.”

  For appearance’s sake... She’d told him that night how much she hated living her life with that kind of scrutiny. How she longed to be free. She hadn’t told him she’d thought about bidding on his photographs.

  He wondered what she and his mother had talked about in the kitchen. His mother wanted nothing more than to see him settled down and married. Hell, she’d been the only one in the family to approve of Lisette. Even Rory, who almost always looked for the best in people, called her his crazy ex-girlfriend.

  But for Mary, all she cared about was that while he and Lisette had been together, he’d spent more of his time focusing on his girlfriend’s career rather than on his own dangerous one.

  “Well, I hope you were able to take some kind of memento home from the event.”

  His gaze met Alexa’s, this time her smile more than a little wry. “Oh, yes, I definitely brought something home with me.”

  A baby. His baby.

  And while a part of him still wanted to reject a reality he wasn’t ready to face, another, bigger part of him wanted to reach over and pull Alexa into his arms. It was the same feeling he’d had that morning while she was throwing clothes at him in the bedroom.

  A feeling of connection...

  For a man who’d lived his adult life without ties to hold him down, the emotion should have scared the crap out of him. And yet he wasn’t willing to break the fragile contact, letting the moment lengthen and strengthen between them.

  Until his father interrupted when he demanded, “So what’s with the black eye?”

  “You know me, Dad, always the one picking a fight.”

  His father didn’t miss the subtle dig judging by the way his grip tightened on his fork.

  “Chance, you—”

  “It was my fault,” Alexa jumped in suddenly. “The fight—everything—was my fault.”

  His father raised an eyebrow as he glanced over in surprise, almost as if noticing Alexa for the first time. Not that Chance bought into that for a second. Even wearing yesterday’s clothes and without a speck of makeup, she looked stunning. With her head held high as she took on his father, defending Chance, she was even more beautiful than the first time he saw her.

  Too beautiful for words, and certainly too beautiful to be so easily dismissed as his father waved off her claim. “Unless you’re a lot stronger than you look, something tells me there’s more to the story.”

  Before Chance could shove back from the table, Alexa placed a hand on his flexed arm and gave a reassuring squeeze. “There is,” she agreed as she glanced from his father to his mother and back again. “It was mostly just a big misunderstanding, but when it comes down to it...Chance was looking out for me.”

  Jealousy still carved a hole in his gut when he thought of Alexa and Griffin together. Friends, just friends, she had said, but it was still a blow knowing Griffin was the man she had turned to. The man she could trust, the man she could count on. Griffin. And not Chance.

  Griffin had been willing to marry her, to prove he was responsible—when Chance was responsible. For Alexa. For the baby they had created together.

  “So, does this mean the two of you are...serious?” His father speared him with a knowing look, expecting the typical answer.

  I’m not ready to settle down. My career comes first. A family isn’t part of my future.

  Alexa had held her own with his father, but now her hand slid away from his arm and her attention fell to her mostly empty plate. Immediately missing the contact, Chance reached over and laced her slender fingers through his own. As he met her startled gaze, he couldn’t help but think, Ready or not.

  “I wouldn’t call it a ‘thing’ between us. More like a baby. And if you’ll excuse us, I have a wedding...to photograph.”

  Chapter Nine

  “I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride.”

  Chance took a deep breath, leaned forward...and lifted his camera for the perfect shot.

  The guests gathered in front of the gazebo burst into applause as the newly married couple exchanged their first kiss, and he gave a silent exclamation of his own as he captured the moment with a click of a button.

  He’d done it. His first wedding. He hadn’t expected it to be so nerve-racking. He didn’t know how his sister put up with this week after week.

  From his own admittedly ignorant and totally biased view from behind the camera, Chance thought Rory had done an amazing job on the simple afternoon wedding. Red-and-white-flowered garland draped the gazebo’s pillars and railing. Matching velvet bows decorated the tiebacks of the chairs on either side of the white lace runner that led to the platform steps.

  Even the weather—frequently rainy and overcast in November—had cooperated. The sun had peeked out from behind the clouds during the ceremony, shining down on the tuxedoed groom and his vision-in-white bride. The party would move into Hillcrest’s ballroom for the reception, but for now...

  He focused on the couple as they made their way down the aisle amid a shower of red rose petals. He didn’t doubt the pictures would be perfect, but he still couldn’t shake the dizzying feeling of vertigo every time he looked through the lens.

  He was totally out of his element, and he knew it. But it was more than that. It was looking through the lens and trying his damnedest not to imagine Alexa in a white gown and flowing veil. Alexa walking down the aisle, bouquet in hand. Alexa repeating the vows, tears filling her beautiful eyes as she promised to love, honor and cherish.

  Only just yesterday, she’d been thinking about saying those very words to her good friend Griffin. And even though she’d reassured him she was not accepting the other man’s proposal, Chance still couldn’t make the leap of seeing himself as the groom. What did he know about being a husband?

  What did he know about being a father?

  That was the question his father had demanded after Chance dropped his bombshell about the baby. His mother had been over the moon, instantly ready to share what sounded to him like hor
ror stories about pregnancy woes and labor pains and sleepless nights filled with round-the-clock feedings.

  But it was his father’s words that stuck with Chance.

  How do you plan to parent a child from half a world away? Fatherhood isn’t something you can phone in like your latest story.

  Chance didn’t have any answers. He wasn’t ready to walk away from his career, but after having Alexa back in his life for only the past few days, he damn sure wasn’t ready to walk away from her or their baby.

  They had time to work out the details. It was what he’d told his parents before ushering them out of the cottage even as his mother instructed him to keep them up to date on things like the baby shower, the baby’s due date, and oh, yeah, by the way, the date of their wedding.

  Judging by the way Alexa’s eyes had widened at his mother’s words, Chance figured she was looking for the nearest window to jump out of.

  Sucking in a deep breath, he lifted the camera, taking comfort in the familiar weight in his hands. Wondering as he often did how the most important thing he and his father had in common, the one thing they both loved, was also the one thing that had driven such a wedge between them.

  He worked for another half hour, taking shots of the bridal party posed on the gazebo platform and lining the steps. But every damn time he had to blink away the image of Alexa standing there—Good God, was that really just the day before? How was it that his life had completely changed in a mere twenty-four hours?

  The muscles in his leg burned in protest as he bent to a knee for an angled shot of the bride and groom, reminding him that life didn’t need hours. It could change in a split second. Still, it was a relief when the bride announced they were ready to join the guests for the reception.

  “Did you get the shot?”

  “Did I get the shot?” Forcing a confident smile he was far from feeling, Chance turned and snapped a quick photo of his sister, who glared in return. “Don’t you know who you’re talking to?”

  “Yeah, my obnoxious older brother.”

  “Hey, I’m here, aren’t I? I even got that haircut you wanted.”

  “Right, and the black eye’s a wonderful addition.”

  Despite the words, Rory’s tone was more exasperated than angry. They hadn’t had much time to talk since he’d arrived. Rory, busy with the finishing touches before the ceremony started, and Chance with photographing the bride in the moments leading up to the wedding.

  “I take it you talked to Mom and Dad.”

  “Are you kidding? I was grilled by Mom and Dad, who seem to think I should have known everything that was going on when clearly I didn’t have a clue!” Taking him by the arm, she led him away from the gazebo and toward a curve in the tree-lined path leading back to the hotel, she asked, “Alexa’s pregnant?” At his nod, she added, “And the baby’s yours?”

  “Was that a question?”

  “I think it’s a somewhat legitimate one.” She shook her head at his scowl. “No pun intended. But, Chance, she was engaged to another man.”

  “He’s just a friend.”

  “And you believe that?”

  Chance’s shoulders tightened though he couldn’t blame Rory for her doubts. His track record with women was far from stellar. Lisette had manipulated him more thoroughly and professionally than the physical therapist who worked on his leg. He supposed he should be grateful she’d been so determined to claw her way to the top of the fashion world. No way would she have risked her figure or her future by getting pregnant—not even as a way to keep a hold on her favorite photographer.

  “Why would Alexa lie, Rory?” He pulled up short as he confronted her suspicions. “If she was going to trick someone, Alexa would be better off fooling Griffin James into believing he’s the father. The guy’s family has almost as much money as Alexa’s does.”

  Chance made a decent living. He’d invested well, and his nomadic lifestyle limited his spending when it came to worldly possessions. But his bank account was pocket change compared to the Mayhew and James fortunes.

  “Look, I did some research online about Alexa.”

  “Oh, good, because you know you can always believe anything you read on the internet.”

  Ignoring him, Rory said, “She lives with her grandmother who’s something of a recluse. I saw pictures of their home. It’s this walled fortress of a place, Chance. It wouldn’t surprise me if they have armed guards at the gate.”

  “What’s your point, Rory?”

  “I’m just saying, it will be a lot easier for you two to work things out here than back home on her turf.”

  “Her turf? You make it sound like some kind of battle.” He thought of Alexa’s wealth, of the dozens of lawyers she could easily employ, the miles of red tape she could use to keep him away from their child. Away from her... It was a battle he couldn’t afford to win.

  Chance swallowed. It was a battle he couldn’t afford to lose.

  A high-pitched whistle sounded, and Rory pulled her phone from a pocket in the pale yellow skirt she wore. Her dark brows pulled tight as she read the message on the screen.

  “What is it?” Chance asked. “Some kind of wedding crisis?”

  His sister shook her head. “I guess that would depend on you.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Evie just sent a text.” Rory held up her cell. “Alexa’s checked out of the hotel.”

  * * *

  Alexa had spent her entire adult life trying to live up to her grandmother’s standards, but she was seconds away from throwing a tantrum that would make any reality-star diva proud.

  “Griffin James checked out earlier today,” she stressed to the wide-eyed maid who stood in the middle of the hotel suite, cleaning cart at hand. “I am still here.”

  Though why she was still there was rather fuzzy at the moment. Or maybe that was just due to the tears she refused to let fall.

  If she had any question about how Chance felt about their baby, he’d made his answer loud and clear.

  Alexa would be better off fooling Griffin James into believing he’s the father.

  Her head had been spinning since meeting Chance’s parents that morning, and with Chance busy with the wedding, Alexa had gone back to the suite to say goodbye to Griffin. She’d given him a brief recap of all that had happened, tempted to smack him when he wouldn’t stop laughing during her explanation of how the McClarens had all but walked in on her and Chance.

  “We still have a lot to discuss—including the fact that his parents are clearly expecting us to get married—but I’m glad I told him about the baby,” she’d told Griffin, believing in her heart that things were going to work out somehow.

  Now she didn’t know what to believe.

  “I’m sorry, ma’am,” the maid was saying, “but I was told to ready this room for a new guest who will be checking in this evening. Maybe the front desk can help?”

  Alexa didn’t want to go back down to the lobby. She wanted nothing more than to bury her head in a pillow and cry. But the recently fluffed and perfectly arranged pillows were no longer for her use. She was no longer a guest and had no reason to stay in Clearville. No reason not to return home.

  “My luggage... My clothes... Where?”

  “I’m sure the front desk...”

  “Right.” Swallowing her tears, Alexa straightened her shoulders and left the suite only to bump into a solid masculine form in the hallway. “Oh, I’m sorry. I’m—”

  “Crying.” Chance caught her by the shoulders and ducked his head to get a good look at her face. “Why are you crying?”

  Concern furrowed his forehead, the expression on his face sending her already confused emotions into another tailspin. “I’m not—I don’t—”

  “Come on, let’s go back to the room.”

  “It’s not my room. You have a new g
uest arriving tonight.”

  The arm he’d wrapped around her waist tensed. “You’ve checked out?”

  “Evidently.”

  Guiding her back into the suite, he made eye contact with the startled maid. “Out.” The one word had the poor girl dropping her dust rag and scurrying out of the suite with her cart in tow.

  Dropping onto the blue-and-white-patterned love seat, Alexa stared at the empty doorway. “Do you know what people would say about me if I treated the staff like that?”

  “I don’t care what people say.”

  “No, of course not.” Alexa cared. Maybe that was part of the problem. Maybe she cared too much. About things people said. About things she overheard...

  “Look, Alexa.” Chance ran a hand through his dark hair to grip the back of his neck. “Don’t go, okay?”

  She blinked up at him, the words not the ones she expected to hear. “You want me to stay?”

  Dropping onto the cushion beside her, he reached for her hand. “Of course I want you to stay. When I heard you were checking out...”

  She shook her head. “I’m not. There was a mix-up with the room.”

  “We’ll figure it out. We’ll figure all of this out.”

  The words were so similar to the ones she’d used earlier, and she wanted to cling to that promise and yet... “Do you really wish I’d tried to fool Griffin into thinking this baby was his?”

  “What? No, Alexa!” His hands tightened around hers. “You were there? You heard...that?”

  “I went to find you.” Remembering why she’d gone to look for Chance, Alexa slipped her hands from his to wrap her arms around her waist. The wild swing of emotions rushed back—from exhilarated to devastated—in the blink of an eye. “I thought I felt the baby move. It’s still so early, I can’t even be sure, and it’s not like you could feel it anyway—”

  Her words cut off with a gasp as he reached over, his large palm laying claim to the slight swell of her belly. And Alexa suddenly hoped he couldn’t feel what was going on inside her body as yearning grew from everywhere his hand touched to everywhere it didn’t.