A Second Chance (20 page)

“
And that doesn’t bother
you?” Madeline was sure she’d heard enough about the woman to know
she was a French beauty and a very playful one at that.

“
No. She’s been chasing my
husband since they were seven. He’s never shown interest in all
these years, I don’t see him changing his mind. Besides, she finds
a new sailor in every port, if you know what I mean. I’m sure
she’ll show her face for the cause, and Zach will handle the
business.”

“
I’ve heard she’s Curtis’s
date for the wedding.”

“
Yeah. It’ll keep them both
out of trouble.”

“
Or get them into it,”
Madeline said with a smile, and Regan returned it with
laughter.

But Regan’s laughter died down as she
filled the soap dispenser of the dishwasher. She shut the door,
turned to Madeline, and leaned against the counter. “Are you going
to be there?”

“
No.” Her answer was
definite. She didn’t want to see the man she loved marry someone
else.

Regan’s brows knit. “Why?”

“
It’s just not right for me
to go. Kathy certainly doesn’t need me there. This is her special
day.”

“
And Carlos is okay with
that?”

Madeline chewed the inside of her
cheek. “No. Kathy personally brought me an invitation, and Carlos
told me he wanted me there. Regan, I just don’t think I can do it.”
She would have liked to pick up the sleeping baby from the swing
and hold him close to comfort herself, but she couldn’t hold
anything heavier than her cup of tea. She adjusted in her chair for
comfort and to hide her emotions from Regan. “I know he spent the
last five years watching me share my life with another man. I’m
just having a really hard time watching him move on. But on the
other hand, it’s about damn time.”

Regan walked to the table and sat down
across from Madeline. “Aside from you, he couldn’t have done
better.”

The thought should have brought her
some comfort, but instead her heart ached. She wondered when things
had gone so wrong for them so long ago. He shouldn’t have to be
moving on at all. Madeline should have always been the better
choice. Why had they decided they weren’t good for each other? It
was certainly too late now, wasn’t it?

Chapter Nine

Carlos drove down the street where
he’d lived with Madeline years ago. There was still a pain that
pierced his chest, knowing he’d only be driving away to head to
another home. For now, he’d take the time he had and visit with his
ex-wife and his kids, and be grateful that he’d escaped his own
house, which had been draped in pink by his sisters for Kathy’s
bridal shower. But in the backseat, Tyler slept in his carrier.
Carlos had been given the important task of babysitting so that
Regan could keep some sanity about her, and dry boobs, he’d been
reminded.

He pulled up in front of Madeline’s
house and smiled when he saw his boys in the driveway playing
basketball.

“
Hey, Dad!” Christian waved.
“Wanna shoot some hoops?”

“
Maybe in just a bit,” he
answered as he ducked back into the car and unbuckled Tyler’s car
seat from the backseat.

“
Oh, you’re the babysitter
today?” Christian held the ball under his arm as he walked closer
to the car to peek at the baby. “Hey, Cuz, what’s up?” Tyler smiled
and Christian nudged his father’s arm. “Hey did you see that? He
smiled at me.”

“
I think it’s just
gas.”

“
Funny, Dad.” He went back
to shooting the ball at the hoop as Eduardo helped Carlos with the
diaper bag.

“
I think he looks just like
Aunt Regan.”

“
I think so too. But don’t
tell Audrey that. She thinks he looks just like Zach.”

“
Everyone has an opinion,”
he laughed as he opened the door for his dad. “How come you brought
him here?”

“
I needed to be absent from
the party, and I thought your mom would enjoy seeing
him.”

“
I think that will make her
day.”

The sight of Madeline sitting on the
couch, her feet tucked under her, and not one compress in sight
warmed him. Her white cotton T-shirt had a scooped neck, and he
could see the proud swell of her breasts. Obviously, by the choice
in her clothing, she was pleased with the results. Different levels
of excitement ran though his body. Of course he was as happy about
her having new breasts as she’d seemed to be by letting them peek
through her shirt. But there was always that side to him that still
got stirred up at just the sight of her, and not just her
chest.

It had been four weeks since her
surgery and he knew, from talking to the kids, that she was finally
getting back the mobility in her arms.

She was wearing a bright orange scarf
on her head, and he was pretty sure she had on makeup.

Carlos walked into the living room and
set the baby carrier down. “I brought you a visitor, I hope you
don’t mind.”

“
Oh my goodness,” she said,
moving quickly toward the baby. “Look how big he’s already
gotten.”

“
Mom, do you think he looks
just like Zach?” Eduardo asked as his father unbuckled him from the
seat and picked him up.

“
Not one bit. He looks just
like Regan.”

“
That’s what I
think.”

Carlos held him to his shoulder,
adjusted him, and turned to Madeline. “Do you think you can hold
him?”

“
I’d love to try. Will you
sit right next to us in case I need you?”

It all seemed so familiar. They’d
shared a moment like this once, but it’d been their own baby they’d
cradled and admired. He let his emotions settle before he spoke.
“Of course.”

Madeline held out her arms and Carlos
laid Tyler in them gently. He then slid up right next to her,
placing his arm around her shoulders, keeping a hand on Tyler for
support.

Carlos watched his children all filter
into the room. Clara didn’t move toward Tyler as she normally
would. Eduardo and Christian stood back, and they all just
watched.

He looked back down at Tyler, who was
awake and smiling up at Madeline, holding tight to her finger. The
look on Madeline’s face was priceless, and he knew they all saw the
same thing. She looked like she was glowing.

The color in her skin was almost back
to normal. The smile on her lips was radiant. The optimism in the
room was infectious. He realized, aside from his precious nephew,
it was just his family in the room. His children and their mother
and him. Peace filled the room. Madeline had tilted her head and
rested it against his, and his hand rested gently on her shoulder.
Never had he felt with such comfort with anyone else, not like he
did with Madeline. That thought hit him. But there was someone
else. There was Kathy—and while he was sharing moments with his
ex-wife Kathy was celebrating their future.

When Tyler became fussy, Carlos
reached for him. “I’ll take him.”

“
Oh, please don’t. He’s just
hungry. Perhaps you could make him a bottle.”

Carlos rose from the couch and went to
make Tyler’s bottle. He was glad he had a reason to release
Madeline from his arms and get his thoughts in order.

He wasn’t surprised to find
step-by-step instructions in the bag. Regan, even though she wasn’t
officially an executive assistant anymore, kept everyone around her
organized and on track.

Carlos made Tyler a bottle and then
resumed his position next to Madeline so she could feed him. But
this time he left some space between them.

She took the bottle and set it to
Tyler’s lips. “Thank you for bringing him. This is wonderful. I
needed this.”

“
I thought it would be good
for you.”

“
Look at my face,” she said,
turning to him. “Do you notice anything?”

She turned her face from side to side
and smiled.

It took him a few moments of
contemplation. “Your eyebrows grew back.”

“
Yes!” She smiled wider.
“Isn’t that wonderful?”

“
You look great. You really
do.”

“
I feel great. At my last
appointment they said my blood work looked good. My cell count is
back up and normal, and there are no signs of cancer.”

“
So you’re in
remission?”

“
They won’t say it until I
finish my treatment next month, but yeah, it looks like maybe I
am.”

“
You did great.” He kissed
her on the cheek instinctively.

He felt her suck in a breath, but she
kept her eyes on the baby in her arms.

Kathy had opened sheet sets, china,
and appliances. Everything she had registered for was set before
her in a beautiful display of boxes, with bags of discarded
wrapping paper and bows set next to the pile. She was glad Regan
had wanted to have her shower at her own house, and then she
wouldn’t have to transport everything home.

She’d been right about Judy’s gift of
the condo. It would be a nice way to spend her honeymoon in Hawaii
with her new husband.

It was surreal. In just three more
weeks she would be married to Carlos. She looked around the house
with its mountain of boxes and trays of leftover food. If the
shower had been that much fun, she couldn’t wait until the
wedding.

Carlos had hurried into his office the
moment he’d returned home. Regan had kicked him out of the house so
fast, he hadn’t had time to finish his grading. He wasn’t one who
liked to get behind on that, so he wanted to get the grades in the
computer before dinner. Tyler had fallen asleep again, and by the
look on Regan’s face, a stranger would have thought she’d been
weeks since she’d last seen her son. She’d hurried out the door
with him to get home before he woke.

The house was quiet, and Kathy sat
down on the couch and kicked her feet up. So many things still
needed to be done in the three weeks before the wedding. There was
one more meeting with the photographer, a finalization on the cake,
and they still needed to pick out a song for their first dance.
Audrey had taken care of the caterer after Kathy had given her a
list of items she wanted them to have; that was at least the one
thing she knew she wouldn’t have to think about again.

The dresses had arrived at the bridal
store, and they would have a final fitting for them the next week.
Regan was still trying to get the perfect body, even though Kathy
and Arianna had told her repeatedly she looked
wonderful.

The invitations had all gone out and
RSVPs were pouring in. They’d had very few nos. The afternoon
wedding looked to be as perfect as she’d always dreamed it would
be.

She looked again at all the gifts that
filled the room and let out a long breath. If everything seemed to
be going just right, why did she feel so unsure about it
all?

Each day when she woke, she felt a
little more uneasy. She just couldn’t pinpoint why. She loved
Carlos and adored his children. His family was nothing but
wonderful, and even his ex-wife was easy to get along with and she
considered her a friend. Why then couldn’t she shake the feeling
that something just wasn’t right?

She hadn’t told Carlos, but her body
had felt so strange, she’d even taken a pregnancy test. It was
negative, but she was only looking for answers. She wanted a baby,
but not until after they were married and had planned it. The
doctor had told her she was stressed, but besides that, she was
healthy. What more could she ask for?

Wedding jitters, she figured. Everyone
had them.

Carlos watched Curtis, in his green
scrubs, as he waved to a nurse across the diner then slid into the
booth next to him. “Oh, my brother, you are going to love
us!”

Carlos shook his head. “You know those
words alone scare the hell out of me.”

“
Don’t worry. I’ve got your
back,” Zach ensured him.

“
And I’ve got his,” John
Forrester ensured him further.

“
Thanks.” Carlos
grunted.

Curtis leaned over the table. “Why
doesn’t anyone trust me?”

Zach laughed a hearty laugh as he
leaned back against the booth. “Oh, I don’t know. Because John had
to carry me home after my party and Regan almost killed me, him,
and you.”

“
And me,” Carlos added. “And
I don’t even think I was there.”

“
Oh, you were there. You
just ducked out at bedtime.”

“
Well some of us have
families to think about,” he reminded him.

“
That’s right,” Zach added.
“So don’t get me killed this time.”

“
Well I don’t have that
problem. So I’m not going to worry too much about it.” Curtis waved
at the waitress to take their orders. “Tell me about my date,
Zach.”

The waitress took their orders, and
Curtis focused in on Zach.

Zach shrugged his shoulders. “Tell you
what? You’ve met her.”

“
Right. Sexy French girl who
came to your wedding with a date who was what, twenty?”