A Second Chance (24 page)

Madeline stood before the mirror in
her hotel room. The bathing suit Arianna had lent her fit
perfectly, and she couldn’t take her eyes off her chest. The swells
of her breasts were beautiful, and she wanted to weep. She’d been
afraid to believe she’d see them again.

Her hair was growing back in, but it
stood straight up, only about an inch tall. The wigs she’d brought
would be a must. Then again, maybe she’d opt for a colorful scarf
under a large-brimmed hat.

A giddy bubble erupted in her stomach.
She was about to walk out of her hotel room and sun herself on the
warm beach. She’d never done that. The worries and cares that she’d
carried on her shoulders for the past year already began to drip
away.

Madeline wrapped her head in a bright
orange scarf and situated the large, floppy hat on her head. Just
for fun, she added a dangling pair of earrings and picked up her
oversized sunglasses. She was a sight, she thought. And if she just
picked up that book on the bed, her towel, and ordered herself a
big, fruity cocktail, perhaps she’d forget that at that very
moment, the man she loved was marrying someone else.

Carlos paced the floor in Zach’s
office. The bow tie around his neck was choking him.

Zach crossed the room, stopping in
front of the liquor cabinet in the corner. He took down three
glasses and poured each with two fingers of brandy. He handed one
to Curtis and another to Carlos. He picked up his own and held it
high.

“
To you, my brother. May you
be forever happy.”

“
Ditto,” Curtis
added.

They all drank down the brandy, and
Carlos let it sizzle in his throat. He’d seen family members from
both sides filter through the house. His sisters and Kathy’s
sisters had run back and forth in their blue dresses. Her niece was
dressed to match the women, and her nephew looked dapper in his
mini tuxedo. But his tuxedo was uncomfortable and confining, and
the bow tie was strangling him.

He’d been married; that wasn’t making
him nervous. He loved Kathy, he was quite certain of it. But what
had him on edge was the fact that he couldn’t make himself care
about the wedding, which was only moments away. All he could think
about was Madeline and wonder if she’d landed in Mexico and if she
was okay.

“
Dad.” Eduardo’s voice
snapped his attention from the empty glass of brandy. “They’re
ready for you.”

He looked at his son, so handsome in
his tuxedo. It wouldn’t be long before he was the one standing
among his family and friends marrying a woman he loved. The thought
tugged at Carlos’s heart.

“
Where’s your
brother?”

“
Right here,” Christian
said, walking up behind Eduardo. “She looks beautiful,
Dad.”

Carlos smiled. “I’ll bet she
does.”

He looked around the room. He was
surrounded by men who meant the world to him. His brother, his
brother-in-law, and his sons. He was a wealthy man.

He wrapped an arm around each of his
sons’ shoulders and headed toward the backyard, where, with one
exception, each chair on the beautiful lawn was filled with someone
who cared about him. It was time to move on.

Kathy stood at the door that opened to
the garden, where she would walk among loved ones who had come to
see her wed Carlos.

She let out a quiet sigh on the arm of
her father. As the doors opened, she saw Carlos at the altar
waiting for her.

She had to admit she wasn’t sure he’d
be there. She’d seen the kiss he’d shared with Madeline the day
before, but he’d kept his word. He was here, and all hard feelings
drained away as she looked at him, so dapper and handsome flanked
by his sons in matching tuxedos. Regan and Arianna followed her
niece and nephew down the aisle, and her sisters followed
them.

“
He’s a very lucky man.” Her
father touched her cheek, and a tear welled in her eye.

“
Do you think
so?”

“
I know so.”

Kathy took a deep breath and looked at
her beloved. The flutter of nerves hit her stomach again as the
harpist began to play, and the guests rose from their seats as her
father escorted her toward her husband to be.

Chapter
Eleven

Madeline had indulged in two
strawberry-and banana-concoctions that had her head swimming. She
wondered how she was going to make it back to the room, but then
again, she didn’t care if she ever got back. The sun was warm, the
ocean was welcoming, and the lounge was comfortable. Madeline
figured she was as happy as she could be.

“
Beautiful, isn’t it?” A man
sat down in the lounge next to her. He sipped on a bottle of beer
and lay back.

“
Yes, it is.”

“
First time in
Mexico?”

“
Yes.”

“
On vacation with your
husband?”

Madeline tucked in her smile and let
the liquor in the drinks numb her to the fact that he was hitting
on her. She relaxed and enjoyed the moment.

“
I’m not
married.”

“
I’m surprised.” He turned
his head toward her and lifted his sunglasses. “You are one
beautiful woman.”

“
Thank you.” She dropped her
shoulders and let the smile surface.

Oh, what would the man think if she
took off her hat or he knew she didn’t even have nipples under her
swimsuit?

“
I’m Corbin, by the way.”
He’d sat up and was extending his hand.

“
Madeline,” she said,
reaching her hand—which she found incredibly numb—and gave him a
firm shake, hoping to not be mistaken for just another drunk woman
on the beach.

“
It’s nice to meet
you.”

He settled back in his seat, and
Madeline did the same. No more was said between them for a while.
She picked up her book, opened it, and found the words jumped
around on the page. She gave herself a little chuckle. Who cared
that rum swam in her veins? Sun, sand, and the ocean were at her
beck and call. She had no children, husband, doctors, or anyone
else who cared, at that moment, what the hell she was doing. They
were all occupied at a damn wedding.

Her happy mood turned sour, and she
suddenly wished for the cool retreat of her air-conditioned
room.

Madeline swung her feet to the sand
and started to stand, but the beach was unforgiving on her balance,
and she wobbled as her feet sank into the uneven sand. Corbin
looked up at her and had already reached out a hand to help
her.

“
Are you feeling
okay?”

She let out a breath. “I think I’ve
had too many of those cocktails.”

“
Mix those fancy drinks with
the heat and they’ll get your head spinning.”

“
As a matter of fact they
do.” She sat back on the lounge.

“
Why don’t you let me help
you inside.”

She contemplated for only a moment. “I
would really appreciate that.”

Corbin stood and offered his hand.
Madeline took it, but when she stood, he pulled her right to him.
Her hands rested on his bare arms and her face pressed against his
chest.

“
You don’t drink much, do
you?” This was one of those moments a mother would warn her
daughter about. There she stood in a foreign country, pressed
against a strange man, and she was inebriated. What if he tried to
take advantage of her, or steal her money?

“
No. I haven’t drunk in a
very long time. In fact…” She hesitated and then figured she had
nothing to lose, and if he was trying to hit on her, what she had
to say would have him running. “I’ve spent the better part of this
year on chemotherapy medication. So you can imagine those few
drinks threw me for a loop.”

He nodded as he wrapped an arm around
her, and they began their journey back to the hotel. Madeline had
been wrong. Chemotherapy hadn’t scared him at all.

“
Cancer?” he asked as they
neared the lobby.

“
Yes.”

“
You deserve to be on a
beach with a drink. I lost my sister last year to breast cancer.
Undetected for too long, and we lost her within weeks.”

Madeline stopped and looked up at him,
her eyes still shielded behind dark glasses. “I’m so
sorry.”

“
Thank you.” He opened the
door to the hotel and held it open for her.

The cool air was like a drug. The
moment it hit her, she felt her pulse slow, and the throbbing in
her head began to fade. She slid her dark glasses off and let her
eyes adjust to the light inside the lobby.

“
Thank you for helping me
inside.”

“
It was my pleasure.” He
bent toward her and kissed her on the cheek. Madeline felt herself
swoon. That wasn’t good. She didn’t need a man thinking she was an
easy vacation fling. She pulled away.

Corbin took a step back. “It would
also be my pleasure if you would have dinner with me.”

She was sure her face registered her
shock by the way his lips curled into a handsome smile. He lifted
his glasses from his face and rested them atop his head. His eyes
were dark, just like his hair. Sadly, the first thing that crossed
her mind was how exotic he looked, much like Carlos. She shook the
thought from her mind and looked at the handsome stranger who
didn’t seem to be put off by her admissions of the last
year.

Madeline twisted the strap of her bag
around her fingers. Why go on vacation if not to step out of the
everyday routine you have? She’d spent the last five years thinking
of Carlos every day and what a mistake it had been to let him out
of her life as her husband. At that very moment he was moving on
and becoming someone else’s husband. So why did she have to analyze
everything? If this man wanted to have dinner, then she should
accept. Maybe, just maybe, she could let herself go a little.
Wouldn’t it be the brash move she needed if she let another man
hold her all night?

She sucked in a deep breath of
courage. “Corbin, I would be delighted.”

“
Good. I’ll meet you right
here tonight at seven?”

“
I’ll be here.”

He kissed her cheek again, and she
turned toward the elevator with a smile. Perhaps she could start
all over.

Carlos looked into his bride’s eyes.
She’d shed a few tears and he’d brushed them away. If it weren’t
for the enormous smile she had on her lips, he would have been
worried, but she was happy. He knew she was happy.

The minister had asked him if he’d
take her for his bride and he’d answered, “I do.”

He’d posed the same question to Kathy,
who let another tear fall but answered, “I do.”

“
By the powers vested in me
by the state of Tennessee, I now pronounce you husband and wife.
You may kiss your bride,” the minister said.

Carlos touched her cheek, brushing
away the very last tear. He lowered his lips to hers and pressed a
soft kiss to them. He felt her tremble beneath him as she wrapped
her arms around his neck and took the kiss deeper.

“
I would like to introduce
you to Mr. and Mrs. Keller,” the minister added as the guests
applauded.

Carlos took her hand and started back
down the aisle. He guided her until they were clear of everyone and
back into the house. Then he guided her into Zach’s office and shut
the door.

She laughed as he gathered her into an
embrace and let all the tension that had built in him slide out
into a kiss. It was over. He’d moved on and there was no going back
now.

“
Hello, Mrs.
Keller.”

“
Oh, Carlos.” The tears were
back in her eyes.

“
Please don’t
cry.”

“
Oh, damnit. They’re happy.
I promise they are happy tears.”

“
Good.” He rested his
forehead against hers. “You look beautiful. Just
beautiful.”

“
Thank you. I wanted to take
your breath away.”

“
You did.” He gently kissed
her again. “You sure did.”

“
The boys look so handsome
and Clara, so grown up.”

“
I was thinking earlier that
it won’t be long before they are all up there getting married
themselves.”

Kathy shook her head. “I guess that’s
the chain of events, right? Cycle of life?”

“
That’s how it works.” He
looked up, and through the French doors he could see the guests
walking around, being directed by the caterers and attendants. He
and Kathy would receive their guests, have pictures, and then the
reception would start. “I guess we should see to our
guests.”

Kathy nodded nervously. Her eyes
darted from Carlos to the door and back. “If you wouldn’t mind, I’d
like just a moment alone.”

He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “Of
course. Don’t be too long.”

“
I’ll be right out.” She
kissed him and he left the room.

Kathy let out a deep breath,
but the air still buzzed with tension. They’d gone through with it,
and he didn’t seem to be troubled. But she was. The whole
cycle-of-life
topic had stabbed her right
in the gut. People were supposed to get married, raise a family,
and then that family would grow up and marry. But Carlos had
pointed out the obvious very subtly—he’d already done
that.