there’s more to this whole sudden wedding thing than you’re telling.”
Rita glanced past her sister to the people in the private dining room. Sure that no one could overhear, she said, “Okay, yes. There is more. Thanks for not saying anything, and I’ll tell you about it at some point, I promise. Just... I can’t right now and I don’t want Mom and Dad worrying.”
“I know how to keep a secret.” Gina’s eyes narrowed on her. “So I’ll stay quiet. But I’m warning you, Rita, if he’s a jerk, I expect you to tell me so I can kick him.”
Rita laughed a little as relief trickled through her. She had enough on her mind and heart at the moment without worrying about her family worrying about her. Gina was always as good as her word. If she said she’d keep a secret, nothing and no one would be able to pry it out of her.
If her family knew she’d gotten married with the promise of a quickie divorce looming, there would no doubt be hell to pay. As it was, her brothers kept giving Jack a hard eye like they’d prefer to take him outside and deal with the man who’d left their sister pregnant and alone. But her parents at least were believing Rita’s story of finding Jack and the two of them reigniting the love between them.
If only, Rita thought with an internal sigh.
“I promise. But, I might kick him myself before you get the chance.”
“I can live with that,” Gina said, sipping on a mimosa in a crystal champagne flute.
While her sister was quiet, Rita had a minute to think about her wedding day. The ceremony had been small, just hers and Jack’s families on a roped-off area of the beach. The early June weather of dark skies and cool winds had kept the beach mostly deserted, so it had been intimate in spite of being so public.
When they exchanged vows, Rita remembered looking deeply into Jack’s eyes and for one brief moment, she’d seen that quick glimpse of her Jack hidden inside him again. And that gave her hope. Maybe there was a way to reach him. To actually reignite what they’d shared so briefly six months ago.
Their kiss at the end of the ceremony had started off perfunctory, but after a split second, it was as if Jack had forgotten that they were putting on a show. He’d pulled her in to him and cradled her against his body as his mouth took hers in a slow, seductive kiss that had nearly blown Rita’s short veil right off her head.
If there was that between them still, that heat, that magic, couldn’t there be more? Heat didn’t exist in a vacuum. Emotions, feelings, had to be there, too, right?
Was she being deliberately foolish? Probably. But if you didn’t try, you couldn’t win. If you didn’t ask, the answer was always no.
“You’re thinking.”
“That’s a bad thing?” she asked, a small smile curving her mouth.
“I haven’t decided yet,” Gina admitted. She half turned to look at Jack, across the room, standing somewhat apart from everyone else. “He’s gorgeous, I give you that. But he doesn’t seem the sociable type. Won’t that drive you nuts?”
Rita shook her head. “No, I talk enough for both of us.”
“True.” Gina laughed.
“You know, he wasn’t like this when we first met,” Rita said quietly. “Oh, he never talked as much as I do, but he was warmer. Less...closed down. I don’t know how to explain it.”
“You’re doing pretty well,” Gina said thoughtfully, studying the man they were talking about.
“Gina, the thing is, every once in a while,” Rita continued, “I see the real Jack hiding behind his eyes.”
Her sister gave her a cool look. “And you think you can bring him out of hiding?”
“If not me, who?” Rita asked. “If there’s a chance, I have to try.”
Gina dropped one arm around her shoulders. “Sweetie, sometimes people are hiding for a reason.”
She might be right, Rita acknowledged. But if she didn’t find out for sure, the what-if would haunt her forever. “But what if that reason can be dealt with? Fought?”
“Oh, God,” Gina murmured, shaking her head. “You’re trying to save him, aren’t you?”
Was she? Oh, Rita didn’t like the sound of that. How many times had she seen friends fall for a guy with “issues” and then try to fix him? Get him to change. Help him deal with his demons? Is that what she was doing?
No, she argued with herself silently. This was different. Jack was different. Something specific had happened to him and whatever it was had affected him deeply. Even if it was because of what they’d once had, or the fact that they’d created a child together... Didn’t Rita owe it to him to at least make the attempt to help him?
“Is that so wrong?” She looked at her sister, really curious to hear what she had to say.
“No, I guess not,” Gina said, resignation clear in her tone. “If it’s something you feel like you have to do, there’s no stopping you anyway. Just make sure you don’t lose yourself in the effort.”
“I won’t,” Rita said and knew that keeping her promise wasn’t going to be easy. Because in spite of everything that had happened between them, Jack was the one man in the world who could still cause her pain.
“Uh-oh,” Gina said suddenly, “I’ve gotta go save Jimmy. Mom’s just dropped Kira into his lap, so he’s got all four kids and is seriously outnumbered.”
Rita smiled on cue, but she wasn’t thinking about her brother-in-law. Her thoughts were with Jack, standing apart and alone at his own wedding. Backlit by the light flooding in through the wall of windows he stood in front of, he looked so solitary, it broke her heart.
He’d done all he could to make this faux marriage beautiful for her. From the ceremony itself to this family reception. The Queen Mary was a beautiful old ship and this private dining room in its five-star restaurant was old-world elegant. Windows lined both sides of the ship and she imagined that when the old ocean liner was still sailing, the views were incredible.
Where Jack stood, there was a sweeping vista of the sea and other boats bobbing on the surface. The sun had finally broken through the clouds and slanted off the water like gold dust. But Jack was silhouetted, defining his aloneness, and that tore at Rita.
“We’re staying in town for a few days,” Gina was saying. “As long as we’re here, figured we’d take the kids to Disneyland.”
Rita glanced at her. “They’ll love it.”
“Yep,” Gina mused. “Hope Jimmy and I survive it.” She grabbed Rita’s hand and squeezed. “If you need me for anything, call me. I’ll be there.”
“I know,” she said, returning that squeeze briefly. “Thanks, Gina. I’m gonna be fine.”
As Gina moved away, Rita heard her own words echo in her mind and she hoped she was right. Because at the moment, her heart was aching for the man who’d cut himself off. He’d gone to so much trouble for her, but he wasn’t being a part of this at all. Even in
