Текст книги "Her Accidental Husband"
Автор книги: Ashlee Mallory
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Текущая страница: 15 (всего у книги 16 страниц)
Chapter Nineteen
Cruz 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.
With 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.
Just the way she’d told it.
“I’m sorry to leave you like this, Kate,” Cruz said as he brought his arm under Payton and pulled her up against him. “But I think that my fiancée and I have a few more things we need to talk about.”
Then with the applause surrounding them, he carried her up the stairs and away from the blinding lights and camera lenses. Stopping only when they were out of sight and standing on the other side of the arena door.
Her back pressed up against the wall, Cruz looked down with love and tenderness in those eyes. “I meant it you know. I do love you, and I promise I’ll show you how much every day, every morning, and every night you grace me with your presence in my life.”
“I insist on nothing less. And if you haven’t figured it out, I love you too. Love you for accepting me as I am, pushing me to be true to myself, and showing me what happiness could be.”
He kissed her again, long and hard, and she was having a difficult time remembering where they were. Until the bright light from over his shoulder caught her attention. “Cruz?” She pulled away, and stared into the camera lens and the grinning faces of those around them.
He turned and saw them. His hand grabbed hers and he bent down to her ear. “Guess we better make this good.”
Then he was kissing her again, and she didn’t care about anything but the fact that he loved her.
And she was finally going to get her own happy ending.
Epilogue
The hot Mexican sun was relentless above their heads but neither of them cared as they wielded their shovels and hacked away at the stump in front of them. Payton envisioned little bursts of freckles popping up on her skin, something that her mother would certainly abhor.
And that Payton relished.
This time Cruz was successful as he whacked away at the large agave plant he’d dug up from the ground. And the crowd burst into applause.
“Your husband is certainly quite the charmer,” the older woman who was part of the tour said next to her.
She thought about the past couple of months, beginning with Cruz pulling her away from her first exhilarating hockey game and whisking her away for some much needed talking, interspersed with lots of lovemaking. His family had, of course, eagerly accepted her into their happy herd, all of them insisting, rightfully, on taking some responsibility for events that led up to their wedding.
But the real reason for this change of events was both she and Cruz letting go of everything that had held them back—whether they saw it at the time or not—and embracing whatever thrills this road together could take.
And just four days ago, the Sorensens and even her own dignified parents had stood as witnesses in a small, private but unique and beautiful civil ceremony where Payton walked herself down the aisle with Abba’s “I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do” playing overhead. They’d all been just as delighted to see them off in the car that Cruz had rented just for the occasion. One nearly identical to the first one they’d set out in just a few months before.
Cruz looked up and winked at her, sending chills through her.
Cruz? A charmer? “He certainly is.”
Many hours later, the stink of the dirt and sweat from their tour washed away, and their bodies sated and tangled together in the tangle of the covers, Payton thought about how lucky she was.
“Hey. Don’t even think of conking out on me now,” Cruz whispered in her ear. “I’m only just getting started.”
She sat up, pressing a kiss against his mouth, basking in her happiness. She reached over to the nightstand. “I was only giving you a chance to catch your breath. But in case you needed any musical inspiration…” She picked up his phone, scrolling through it, an idea for a song already forming.
But Cruz placed his hand on hers. “I have something already in mind.”
He took the phone from her and scrolled around another minute, obviously not as familiar with the music app. She bit her lip to stop from smiling. “I’ll have you know,” he continued, “I’ve not only created my own playlist, but I’ve added that Fandango app you’re so fond of, along with Facebook and the Twitter. You’re going to have to help me figure out that whole tweeting thing, though.” He shook his head.
She thought about correcting him, telling him that it’s just pronounced “Twitter,” but she laughed instead. “Okay. Lay it on me. What musical selection does Cruz Sorensen prefer listening to in his free time? Madonna? A little Enya? Maybe Barry Manilow?”
He just smiled smugly and set the phone onto the small stereo on the nightstand before turning back to her.
It was a breezy reggae song that started and it took her a few seconds to recognize the unmistakable sound of Bob Marley singing “Is this Love.”
She listened to the lyrics for a moment, understanding that Cruz was confirming for her that he was going to love her. Every day.
More tears filled her eyes. But then she laughed at the devilish grin on Cruz’s face as he leaned across the bed toward her and nipped her sensitive ear lobe, sending chills down her spine.
“Heaven help me, woman. I do love you,” he whispered.
“And I love you. All the days of my life.”
And what a wonderful life it would be.
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Acknowledgments
I want to thank the wonderful readers who found my first book in this series, Her Backup Boyfriend, and fell in love with the Sorensen family and asked that all the siblings get their own happily ever after, too. I hope you love Payton and Cruz’s adventure just as much as I do.
I’d like to thank all of the support team at Entangled Publishing who’ve worked seamlessly to make this book a success, including my editor Alycia Tornetta, production manager Crystal Havens, publicist Debbie Suzuki, cover designer Heather Howland, and so many more people working behind the scenes.
And as always, to my family. Always my biggest cheerleaders. xoxo
