Always A Bridesmaid (Left At the Altar) (7 page)

He glanced at Chantal, but she was innocently perusing the paper, seemingly ignoring him. He dared a glimpse under the table. She had slipped her foot from her high heel shoe and was running it up and down his leg. He jerked his leg away.

"Interesting article here about a new exhibit at the art museum," she remarked. "'Eroticism in Modern Art'. Sounds very interesting. Do you think you'd be interested in seeing that exhibit, Zach?"

He felt her hand on his knee. What game was she playing? "Modern art's not my thing."

"I guess that's true. You always liked the works of the old masters better. All those Rubenesque women. But I really think you should give this exhibit a try. Perhaps you'll come to a new appreciation of the art form."

Her hand inched up his thigh. Sweat broke out on his forehead. "I don't think so. I have other interests."

"There's no reason you can't appreciate two art forms at the same time."

Her hand drifted to the top of his thigh. For the first time she looked at him, giving him a triumphant smile. Then her hand moved to his crotch.

He shot to his feet, his chair scraping against the wood floor and nearly tipping. Just at that moment, Dani entered the dining room with a bowl, and after setting it on the sideboard, turned to smile at him. He reached her in three strides, enveloping her tightly in his arms and covering her mouth with his before she had a chance to protest or even say good morning. He wanted to make sure Chantal understood in no uncertain terms that he was with Dani now.

For several heart beats, she held herself rigid. And then something remarkable happened. He felt her sigh against his mouth as her arms wound around his neck and she pressed herself against him. His own response was swift and totally unexpected. He held her close, running one hand over the lush curves of her bottom, her softness speaking to a primordial part of his being. The taste of berries on her tongue made him want to strip off her clothing to taste every inch of her naked skin. Though he was vaguely aware of people entering the room, he ignored them. Urgency built inside him, demanding to be released.

"Whoa! Guys! Get a room."

"Geez, Zach. People are trying to eat here."

With regret, he ended the kiss. Dani slowly opened her eyes as if awakening from a dream. She stared up at him, desire sparkling in her dark eyes. He willed his body to relax, and gradually let her go.

"Well, that's one way of saying good morning," Camp said drily. Zach didn't miss the
I-told-you-so
in his expression.

"Good morning, Dani," Fiona said with a smile. "I guess I don't have to ask how you are this morning."

She blushed, and turned away.

He'd embarrassed her, and he was sorry, but if it kept Chantal off his back, it was worth it. He didn't want to examine the kiss, and how he'd felt when he kissed Dani, too closely.

Adele finished laying out the food on the sideboard, putting the hot dishes into warming trays. "Everything's ready. Please help yourselves."

Zach noticed for the first time that everyone was down for breakfast, even Margaret. After filling his plate at the buffet, he sat next to Dani. He noticed that she was picking at her fruit salad, ignoring the pancakes and French toast that he knew from experience would be mouth-watering.

He stabbed a bit of maple syrup soaked pancake with his fork and held it out to her. "Would you like a taste?"

She looked up at him, her expression guarded, as if she wasn't sure she should trust him. It killed him that she felt that way, but he'd given her little reason to think otherwise. Finally, she gave him a shy smile, put her hand over his, and guided the fork to her mouth. Her eyes drifted shut as she slowly chewed, savoring the sweet morsel. His knees went weak at the sensual pleasure he read on her face. Would she look like that if he made love to her? Then she opened her eyes and smiled into his.

"Does this mean we can expect another wedding in the family soon, Zach?" Camp asked, a mischievous gleam in his eyes.

Wedding? Who the hell was talking about a wedding?
Panic exploded in his chest.

"No, of course not," he blurted. "What gave you a crazy idea like that?"

Beside him, he felt rather than saw, Dani flinch. She turned her attention back to her fruit salad, the pleasure he'd seen on her face just seconds ago wiped away.

"Not everyone wants to get married, Grandfather," Chantal remarked. "Some of us like to keep our options open."

"And that's exactly what we're doing," Dani shot back. She put her hand on Zach's arm in a proprietary fashion. "We're enjoying being together right now, but we're not thinking about marriage. Perhaps we'll live in sin for a while."

Chantal's mouth dropped open and then abruptly closed. Everyone else at the table stopped eating to stare. Daniella got to her feet and retrieved the coffee carafe from the sideboard.

"Can I pour coffee for anyone?"

He didn't miss the tremor of her hand as she filled coffee cups. He'd hurt her, angered and humiliated her. So why did she keep coming to his rescue?

Why did she keep rescuing him? She should have left him to hang out to dry, the rat.

After breakfast Dani helped Adele with the dishes before making her excuses and running up the two flights of stairs. She wanted to decompress in her room for a while, away from Zach, away from Chantal, and away from all the personal questions and their embarrassing answers. Soon she wouldn't have any peace. The idea of spending the entire day at the spa with Chantal gave her about as much joy as the thought of a root canal. As long as Chantal thought she was a rival, she'd continue her campaign of jabs and barbs. The day would be complete agony.

She'd just reached the top of the stairs and was headed to her room when the other bedroom door crashed open. Jonathan stormed from his room, barreling into her and knocking her over. She landed on her butt in an undignified heap.

This day just kept getting better and better.

"Dani! I'm so sorry," he said as he helped to her feet. "Are you hurt?"

She rubbed her bottom. "Luckily, I'm well padded."

"I'm so sorry," he repeated. He ran an agitated hand through his short, sandy-colored hair. "I got this phone call and I went a little nuts. I'm sorry."

"Is everything all right?" She took a look at his red-rimmed eyes, and realized he'd been crying. She put her hand on his arm. "Are you okay?"

He shook his head, his expression bleak. "I don't know. Everything is such a mess. I don't know what to do."

"Come with me."

She led him to the sunny glassed-in porch overlooking the street, shut the glass door behind her, and made Jonathan sit on the rattan sofa. She sat beside him.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

He leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees, and his head bowed in misery.

"It's not easy to talk about."

"That's okay. We'll just sit here for a few moments and catch our breaths."

She curled her legs under her and leaned her head against the soft cushions of the sofa. Outside the sun was shining, though she knew the air was crisp. The trees across the street were still in the lovely stage when all the leaves were a fiery red and still attached to the branches. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, slowly letting the tension seep from her body.

"I'm gay."

She opened her eyes, turning her head to look at Jonathan, not sure if she had heard correctly.

"I've known that I'm gay for a long time, but I've never openly acknowledged it. My dad and I are very close. We go to hockey games together, and he coached my football team when I was a kid. It's very important to him that I'm a manly sort of son. It would kill him if he knew."

"Does anyone in your family know?"

"Just Todd and Fiona, and they only found out because they ran into me and my...my boyfriend at a concert. They saw me kissing him, so I couldn't cover by saying I was out with a friend." Jonathan paused, taking a deep breath. "My boyfriend--Kevin--says I need to come out to my family. I hurt him badly when I refused to bring him to my brother's wedding, and he says he's tired of being my dirty little secret. We'd just had a fight on the phone when I knocked you over. He's threatening to leave me if I don't tell my family. But if I tell my family, I'll lose them. What am I going to do?"

"Todd and Fiona obviously still love you. Are you sure the rest of your family wouldn't feel the same way?"

"You don't know my dad. He hates fags. He was upset when I went into nursing because it was a 'woman's profession'. It would kill him if he found out his son is a raging queen."

"Somehow you don't strike me as the raging queen type. You strike me as a regular guy, with a good heart, who's built like a linebacker and who just happens to like other guys." She took his hand. "You're still going to be his son, no matter what."

"He might not feel that way."

She couldn't argue with him there. She didn't know his father or his family dynamics. There was no telling how his coming out might go down.

He squeezed her hand. "Thanks for listening, Dani. You won't tell anyone, will you?"

"Of course not. Nothing you've said will leave this room."

"You're sure? You won't tell Zach?"

"No, I won't tell Zach." She paused, weighing her words. "Would it make you feel better if I told you my secret and swore you to secrecy? Then we'd be even."

He chuckled. "What secret could you possibly have that could compare to mine?"

"You know how Zach and I told everyone we're seeing each other? We made it all up." She told him about her encounter with Zach after his ill-fated wedding and then about the hasty arrangement they'd made when she arrived for the weekend.

"Oh, what a tangled web we weave," he said.

"I know. I feel like such a fraud." She sighed again. "Do you know what's worse? I wish it was all real. I wish Zach and I really were together."

"Oh sweetie." He pulled her against his chest and gathered her close, kissing the top of her head. She snuggled against him, taking comfort from his large presence.

"I know he'd never be attracted to someone like me."

"What do you mean, someone like you?"

She twisted the emerald ring on her right hand, a twenty-first birthday gift from her parents. "Someone who's not beautiful, or tall, or blonde, like Chantal. I could never compete with her."

He snorted. "And look how well falling for that type of woman has worked for him. She's done nothing but hurt and humiliate him."

"You heard him this morning. He practically went green when Camp suggested marriage to me."

"I also saw him kiss you. That wasn't exactly a friendly peck on the cheek."

She wondered about that as well. "I know but--"

"But nothing. Even if this whole thing with you two started out as a rouse, Zach would be a fool not to see what a gem you are. If I wasn't gay, I'd give him a run for his money."

She looked up into his face and laughed. "And if you weren't gay, I'd be thrilled to be your girlfriend." She sobered. "But that's not how things really are."

"No, it's not. In real life things are pretty messed up."

"They are." She laid her head against his chest once more.

"It's a relief to tell someone the truth, isn't it?"

"It is. Thank you."

"Same to you." She felt him stroke her hair. "Dani?"

"Yeah?"

"What are we going to do?"

"I have no idea."

* * * *

Zach made his way up to the third floor. Before he went off with the other men to whack a few golf balls and down a few shots of scotch at the indoor golf dome, he wanted to apologize to Dani for being such an ass this morning. Camp had caught him completely off guard with that comment about having a wedding. He shuddered. Just the idea of going through that hell again twisted his gut and made his head want to explode. But he'd made it sound as if it were the idea of marrying Dani that he couldn't stand. In truth, the concept of marriage in general made him queasy.

He knocked softly on her door, listening carefully for sounds inside the room. All was silent. He was sure he'd seen her go up the stairs. Perhaps she was sleeping or in her bathroom. His apology would have to wait.

Turning around, he was about to descend the stairs when he heard voices. He followed the sound to the sunroom at the front of the house. Through the glass door he saw Jonathan cradling Dani in his arms. She was curled in his lap, her eyes closed, her head resting trustingly against his broad chest. Jonathan gently rubbed her back and kissed her hair, as if comforting her.

Jealousy slammed into his chest as hard and fast as a car hitting a brick wall.

He quickly stepped back a pace so he wouldn't be observed. The scene he'd just witnessed was intimate and private, and none of his business.

But that didn't stop the blood from pounding through his head and red dots of anger from forming in front of his eyes. He quickly left his hiding place and hurried down the stairs, disappointment following him all the way.

He needed to be very careful to remember that Dani was only his make-believe girlfriend this weekend. Reading anything more into their so-called relationship would be a big mistake.

* * * *

After splashing water on her face and applying a little makeup to cover her red-rimmed eyes, Dani took a deep breath and steeled herself for her afternoon with Chantal. The other three women were waiting for her in the front foyer when she made her way down the stairs.

"Having a little beauty sleep, Dani?" Chantal looked at her watch, not bothering to disguise her annoyance.

"Sorry I'm late."

Fiona looped her arm through Dani's. "Leave her alone, Chantal. We're going to have a simply wonderful afternoon of pampering and I won't let you ruin it."

Chantal pulled on a leather glove. "All right, but don't blame me if the masseuse has to cut your session short because we were late."

"Oh, for heaven's sake," Fiona said, rolling her eyes in exasperation. "Let's just go."

Dani closed her eyes briefly and exhaled. The afternoon was going pretty much the way she'd feared it would. She wished she could disappear for a few hours.