A Marriage Made in Texas (The Brothers Kincaid) (11 page)

Roxy didn’t say anything, didn’t return the hug, she just got up and ran out of the room.

Gee, that was fun, Gail thought, and sank her head in her hands. If she’d needed something more to stir up her doubts, Roxy’s reaction had done it. Could she and Jay really be happy? In a marriage made from practicality, from obligation, not from love? What if Roxy never adjusted to Gail’s remarriage? What would Gail do then, married, with another child? Oh, God, what a mess.

A little while later her phone rang. Checking caller
ID, she cursed silently. Just who she didn’t want to talk to.

“What do you want, Barry?”

“What the hell is going on over there? I just got off the phone with Roxy. The poor kid is totally hysterical, but from the little I understood, I gather you’re getting married.”

“Yes, I am. To Jay.”

“Yeah, I got that, too. Did you ever plan to tell me?”

“Of course I intended to tell you.” She tapped her fingers on the table, irritated to be on the defensive. “You need to know, because it affects the girls, but I saw no reason to rush out and call you. You were way down on the list,” she couldn’t help adding.

“When’s the big event?” Barry asked sarcastically.

“Friday. I know you had the girls last weekend. If you don’t want to take them, I’m sure Mom will. She’ll be keeping them Friday night, anyway. But I know Roxy would like to be with you.”

“This Friday? You’re getting married this Friday?”

“Yes.” She braced herself for what she knew was coming.

Barry started laughing. A nasty, snide sound. “You’re pregnant, aren’t you? Does Kincaid know that’s how you trapped me? My God, Gail, can’t you convince a man to marry you any other way?”

“Go to hell, Barry,” she said, and slammed the receiver down in his ear. So much for the new, im
proved Barry. That had been vintage Barry, calculated to hurt.

Trapped, she thought as she got ready for bed. Barry wasn’t the only person who would believe Gail had trapped Jay. Face it, she thought glumly, the whole town would think so if they knew.

But she didn’t care about what the town thought. She cared about whether Jay felt trapped. Because if he did, their marriage was doomed before it even began.

Gail didn’t fall asleep for a long time that night. The thought had come to her, persistent and unwelcome, that maybe part of her resistance, and her doubts, came from feeling trapped herself. But there was a big difference this time. She was older, experienced, self-sufficient. She could take care of herself and her daughters now. Support them emotionally and financially. No matter what happened in her new marriage, she’d never again be that clinging dependent woman who’d been afraid to be without her husband.

J
AY’S WEDDING DAY
dawned bright, clear and beautiful, a prime late October day. A great day for a wedding, so why couldn’t he shake the uneasiness that crept up his spine? He didn’t think Gail would stand him up at the altar. Still, he knew she harbored doubts that their getting married was the right thing to do. To be honest, so did he. He pulled on a pair of shorts and let the dogs out, then went to the kitchen in search of caffeine. He still believed marriage was the best solution to their situation, but he admitted to being worried about the practicalities. First of all, he wouldn’t be living with Gail alone, but with her daughters, as well.

Gail had told him a small part of her conversation with the girls. Not the entire conversation, but enough to let him know Roxy wasn’t a bit happy. No surprise there, but it didn’t help matters. And it sure as hell didn’t make him feel perky about things. Still, Roxy was young. She was bound to come around, and no good purpose would be served by thinking negatively.

He poured water in the coffeemaker, then grabbed the can of coffee from the cabinet above. The empty can, he realized when he opened it. After scrounging
around, he came up with instant, which he hated. But at least it was caffeine.

He put a mug of water in the microwave and turned it on. Nothing happened. Flipping the light switch, he realized the electricity was off. “Damn it!” He scrubbed his hands over his face and wondered if the lights were out all over the neighborhood. If not, he could go to Gail’s.

A loud, sort of grinding noise came from outside, from the front of the house. He trudged to the front door, opened it and saw an electric company truck parked by the transformer down the street. Probably got the whole neighborhood, he thought. After a brief stop in his bedroom for a T-shirt, he went outside to investigate.

A few minutes later he came back in and called Gail on his cell phone. Fortunately, he knew she kept a phone in the bedroom, for just such emergencies.

“’Lo,” she answered, her voice thick with sleep.

“Did you know the electricity is going to be out all day?”

“Hmm. That’s nice.”

“Gail, are you still asleep? It’s seven-thirty. Aren’t the girls supposed to be getting ready for school?”

“Huh? What? I’m awake.”

He heard rustling, then she dropped the phone. While he waited, he looked out the window into the back yard. Damn puppies had dug a hole the size of China back there. How had he missed that yesterday? It was just too damn bad, because he wasn’t spending
his wedding day digging in the mud. He’d fix it when they came back.

“The electricity’s out,” Gail said when she came back on the line several minutes later. “The alarm didn’t go off.”

“Yeah, I know. It’s going to be out all day. Do you want me to take the girls to school for you?”

“No, I’d nearly decided to keep them home anyway. Their mother doesn’t get married every day. Even though the wedding isn’t until this evening, I think they’d like to spend the day with me.”

“I’m sure they’d rather be with you than at school.” And he had a feeling Gail needed to be with them, too. “So, what are you going to do about getting ready?”

She yawned. “I’ll just go to Mom’s early. It will be easier, anyway. And it will make Mom happy. She can fuss over all of us that way. Are you going to Mark’s?”

“Yes. His electricity better not be out. Do you need anything? I’m going out for coffee.”

“No, nothing.” She paused, then said, “Jay? We’re doing the right thing, aren’t we?”

His bride-to-be needed reassurance. Unfortunately, so did he. But he was a man, and if he’d learned one thing from Mark, it was that a man took care of those who needed him. “Gail, would you have said yes if you didn’t think we were doing the right thing?”

“No, I guess I wouldn’t have.” She was silent a moment, then added, “Although, you are very persuasive when you want to be.”

“Do I need to come over and persuade you some more?”

She laughed. “No, it’s bad luck to see each other on our wedding day.”

Glad to hear the lighter note in her voice, he played along with her. “Only if I see you in your dress. I’d be perfectly willing to see you not wearing a thing. More than willing, I’d be happy to.”

“Dream on,” she told him, and laughed again. “We’re not supposed to see each other at all the day of the wedding.”

“You’re not superstitious, are you?”

“Yes,” she said, and had him laughing as well. “I’m fine. Just a little nervous. Go get your coffee.”

L
ATE THAT AFTERNOON
, everyone gathered at Meredith Randolph’s opulent house in Key Allegro, just north of Aransas City. More like a mansion, Jay thought, seeing the beautiful showplace for the second time. The first time he’d seen it had been after Mark and Cat’s wedding, he remembered, when he’d spent the entire evening with Gail. Appropriate they’d have the wedding here, he thought, where it had all begun.

Though they had scheduled the ceremony for six, Jay didn’t hold much hope that it would begin on time. Cat had told him Gail wasn’t feeling too great.

Mark and Jay’s mother and her husband had come down from Dallas. His brother Brian, still living in London, hadn’t been able to make it, though he’d called and talked to Jay that morning to give him his best wishes. Unfortunately, since Brian could imagine
nothing worse than being married, his best wishes had sounded more like condolences. It ticked Jay off, even though he realized Brian didn’t mean any harm.

Jay’s partner, Tim, and his wife had come, as well as a couple of Gail’s friends from work, and a sprinkling of her old friends who still lived in the area, or could make the wedding on such short notice.

They’d invited Gail’s boss, as well, since he’d offered them the use of his luxury condo on Padre Island for their honeymoon. That meant they wouldn’t be traveling far, but since Jay had to be back at work by Tuesday, and Gail planned to spend the following week moving, they’d been just as happy to stay close to home.

Both Gail’s brothers and Cat were there, of course, as well as Meredith Randolph and a few of her friends. Mark was currently occupied dealing with the baby. He’d enlisted Roxy and Mel to help him with Max, while Cat and her mother helped Gail do whatever it was brides did at times like this. Jay wasn’t too sure what that entailed.

While Mel had talked to Jay and even hugged him, Roxy had yet to speak a word to him. Not a very good sign, but maybe he should have expected it. He didn’t remember much about being ten, but he did remember that every change was a big deal. Hell, he was thirty and this wedding was knocking him off-balance.

After being cornered by a couple of Meredith’s cronies, both of whom made veiled references to the
speed of the wedding, he escaped with his tea to the terrace overlooking the canal.

“Lovely old bats, aren’t they?” Cam said, coming up behind him. He nodded his head at the two women, who’d now surrounded Gabe and appeared to be talking a mile a minute.

“Scary,” Jay said, repressing a shudder. “Very scary.”

Cam smiled. “They’re really pussycats when you get to know them.”

“I’ll have to take your word for it.” He took another sip of tea and turned back to the canal, leaning his forearms on the railing. Gulls circled overhead, giving an occasional lazy caw. The water was calm, protected as it was by the concrete-lined cays.

“I heard your car got stolen today from Buster’s convenience store,” Cam said, joining him at the railing. “Some wedding present.”

He shook his head. “Not stolen.” At least he’d been spared that. “Buster had it towed.”

“Man, that’s low, even for that old buzzard.”

He shot Cam a sideways glance. “Yeah, it hasn’t been the greatest day so far.” It couldn’t help but get better.

Cameron laughed. “You know, if I were the type to believe in omens, I’d say it was a sign.”

“I’m not superstitious,” Jay said, though he was beginning to wonder, considering the kind of day he’d had. “But Gail is. I don’t think I’m going to tell her what happened today.”

“What else happened?”

“Oh, not much. Max finger-painted my suit with chocolate, and when I went back to my house to get another one, the puppies were gone. It took me an hour to find them and fix the fence.” And those were only the major things that had gone wrong.

“You’re a stronger man than I,” Cam said, tapping Jay’s tea glass. “I’d have hit the bottle by now.”

“Nah.” He shrugged. “I figure the day can only get better.” They fell silent a moment, then Jay glanced at him. “You ever think about getting married?”

“Once.” Cam’s mouth turned grim. “A long time ago.”

“Why didn’t you marry her?”

“Found her doing the horizontal tango with another guy.” He shrugged. “That pretty much took care of that.”

Jay winced. “Yeah. That would do it for me, too.”

“After that I decided women were better in quantity.”

They both laughed, then Cam asked, “So, you ever think about it? Before Gail, I mean.”

“Not really.”

“What about the blonde you were living with?” He made an obvious gesture with his hands. “The one with the body that wouldn’t quit.”

“Carla.” He set his glass down on a nearby table and rubbed his jaw. “I don’t know, I never could convince myself to ask her. Pissed her off royally.”

Cam laughed, then sobered. “You’re going to tell me this is none of my business but I don’t see it that
way. I see it as being Gail’s oldest brother and looking out for her.”

Jay sighed and rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. “It’s a little late to ask me my intentions. Besides, I think they’re obvious. We’re sitting here waiting for the wedding to start.”

“Yeah, that part’s obvious. But I want to know if the baby is the only reason you’re marrying Gail.”

Jay stared at him a minute. “Is this where you slug me if you don’t like my answer?”

Cam grinned, but shook his head. “I promised Cat, no hitting.”

Maybe. But Jay had a feeling Cam would ignore that promise if he thought it necessary. “There wouldn’t be a baby if Gail and I didn’t have feelings for each other. But I don’t think either of us would have chosen to get married so quickly without a damn good reason.”

“And you think a baby is a good reason.”

“Yeah, I do. I’m not going to leave Gail to raise my kid alone. If you don’t like that, you might as well slug me now and get it over with. But whether you do or not, I’m still marrying your sister.”

“I’ll pass.” Cam held out a hand. “Sounds like a straight answer to me.”

They shook hands. Jay cocked his head. “Do I get to go through this with Gabe, too?”

“I’ll tell him you passed.” Cam slapped him on the back. “Welcome to the family, Jay.”

“Thanks.” Jay looked toward the doors opening
onto the terrace. “Mark’s waving at us. Gail must be ready.”

“Hey, Jay?” Cam said as they walked inside. “You look a little green around the gills. You wouldn’t be nervous, would you?”

“Not nervous.” He took a deep breath and tugged on his tie. “Petrified.”

J
AY’S NERVES DISAPPEARED
when he saw Gail. She wore an ice-blue silk suit that set off her fair prettiness to perfection. In her hands she carried a bouquet of white roses. Her skin was milky white, with just a touch of color on her cheekbones and on her mouth. Her blue eyes stood out, deep and intense, in the paleness of her face. She looked calm, untouchable, and very, very beautiful.

The desire hit him suddenly, urgently and completely by surprise as his bride took her place beside him. He wished she were marrying him because she wanted to. Because she loved him, and not because she was pregnant.

Then their eyes met, and in hers—wide, distraught, moist with the sheen of tears—he saw all the nerves and doubts she’d hidden so well until now. He smiled at her, held out his hand, and waited as she slowly, hesitantly put her own hand in his. He brought it to his lips, kissed it. “It’s a wedding,” he murmured, low enough that only Gail could hear. “Not an execution.”

Her smile broke, those lovely lips curved upward, and he could see her struggling not to laugh. “I know
what it is. I’m ready,” she said, and they turned hand-in-hand to the minister.

“Dearly Beloved,” the minister said, and the traditional ceremony began.

As Jay listened, he watched Gail closely, and not solely because she looked so beautiful. Was it his imagination, or was she becoming paler and more unsteady before his eyes? He wished the minister would hurry, and wondered if there was a way to tactfully tell the man to speed things up. Instead, he droned on. And on. And on. Jay had nearly decided to stop him when suddenly, he began reciting the vows.

“Wilt thou, Gail, take this man, Jason, to be thy wedded husband? Wilt thou love him, comfort him, honor, and keep him in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, keep thee only unto him, so long as ye both shall live?”

Instead of speaking, Gail looked at Jay, her eyes wide, her complexion as pale and fragile as he’d ever seen it. Then she clapped a hand over her mouth and bolted from the room.

There was a stunned silence. “Oh, dear,” the minister said, breaking it. “Is she all right?”

Everyone began talking at once. Cat squeezed Jay’s arm and said, “I’m going after her. You know she’s sick, don’t you? She’s not running out on you.”

He didn’t bother to answer. He knew he should say something, anything to break the heavy, awkward silence that had settled once again in the room following Cat’s departure. But he couldn’t for the life of him think of a word to say.

Thankfully, Mark stepped into the breach. “I think the bride’s a little under the weather. I’m sure she’ll be back shortly.”

Gail’s mother left the room a short time later.

Jay felt someone tugging on his jacket sleeve and looked down into Roxy’s face. She looked very like her mother, with her light blond hair, blue eyes, and ice-blue dress. Except Roxy was steady as a rock and not a bit pale.

“Mommy doesn’t want to marry you,” his almost-stepdaughter said, calmly and clearly enough for everyone in the place to hear. “She ran away so she wouldn’t have to marry you.” Her maturity deserting her, she stuck out her tongue and added, “So there.”