Fiona wasn’t sure what she’d expected to feel during the ceremony. Dread? Unease? Definitely a level of discomfort. And sure, there was a bit of that. Tiny slivers here and there. But as she watched her sister marry Freddie, there was something else…something lighter.
Relief. That it wasn’t her standing up there.
God, she almost felt happy for her sister. Amanda’s dress was beautiful. Her hair, her makeup, everything was perfect. And Freddie…well, Freddie looked like Freddie. He wasn’t smiling or tearing up, but he stood straight and looked at her sister head-on.
That could so easily have been her. That had been the plan. After you date someone for so long, a wedding was almost just assumed to take place sooner or later. And she would have said yes.
The thought made a shudder roll down her spine.
Callum’s fingers tightened around her thigh. They’d been there the entire ceremony. And she welcomed his touch. Thoughts of last night had been running through her head all morning. The way he’d rubbed her back. Pulled her hair off her face and said all the right words. And this morning, she’d woken to aspirin and water waiting for her.
It wasn’t just in her head. He was perfect.
Almost without thinking, she placed her hand on top of his. He didn’t hesitate, turning his hand over and slipping his fingers through hers.
Her heart gave a little thump. Okay, no, it was a big, this-man’s-an-enigma kind of thump. She had no idea where things with Callum were headed, but she almost wondered if maybe everything that had happened was just a culmination of things that had to happen to lead her here, to him.
When the ceremony came to an end, Fiona was almost smiling. She was even able to hug and kiss Amanda and Freddie when she congratulated them.
The afternoon involved family photos and returning to the hotel for drinks, then the reception. Callum was by her side every step of the way. Holding her hand. Placing an arm around her waist like it was the most natural action in the world.
It wasn’t until she was talking with her cousin in the ballroom that she had a moment away from him. The room was huge and beautifully decorated. Candles and flowers centered the round tables. A band played on the stage and a bar was at the back of the room. Not that Fiona would be drinking much tonight. She’d done more than enough of that last night.
Stacey bumped her shoulder. “Callum’s so cute. And so into you.”
Fiona sipped her juice. “He’s just playing the part.”
But even as the words left her mouth, they felt wrong. Because things with him did feel real. Every time he touched her, his hand felt familiar, like it had run over her flesh a hundred times before. His soft words in her ear sounded like home, and his heat called to hers. Was that even a thing?
“Mm-hmm.” Stacey sipped her wine. “Maybe if you say it out loud enough times, you’ll actually believe it.”
Doubtful.
She observed her sister standing with a circle of friends across the room, her mouth moving a million miles an hour. That was Amanda, though. Always the one to be talking. She’d been the “it” girl in school.
“Careful, you almost look happy for her.”
Fiona dragged her gaze from her sister to Stacey. “I am. I’m bigger-personing the shit out of this, actually.”
Stacey’s brows shot to her hairline. “Really? The woman’s been nothing but a bitch to you your entire life. Then everything with Freddie? And you’re happy for her?”
“I want her to be happy, but…apart from me. What they both did was awful, but today I’m almost seeing it as a blessing in disguise.” At Stacey’s confused look, Fiona lifted a shoulder. “I was too comfortable with Freddie. If he’d asked me, I would have said yes and married him. Maybe even had kids if he’d been able to keep it in his pants for that long. I feel lucky that I learned what he’s capable of before any of that could happen.”
“Well, you are one strong woman, because I would have pounded into them both, then sent their wedding invite to the trash.”
Fiona laughed. “Oh, I came close to doing all that.”
She sipped her juice again before spotting Callum. He was talking to some of her uncles like he’d known them for years. When his gaze caught hers, one side of his mouth lifted. “Do you think Callum would cheat?” The words slipped into the air before she could stop them.
“No.” Stacey said it so firmly, she wanted to believe her. “You can just tell. He’s a good man. And a walking heartthrob.”
“Freddie was a heartthrob.”
“Argh, do not put Callum into the same category as that guy. They’re two different species. Yes, they’re both tall, dark and handsome. But even though I’ve only just met Callum, I know he’s Freddie’s opposite.”
“Sometimes it takes six years for the cheating side to come out.” At Stacey’s frown, Fiona shook her head. “Sorry, that’s the damaged, I-saw-my-sister-in-bed-with-my-boyfriend side talking.”
Stacey’s features softened. “Maybe Callum’s your angel and has come into your life to heal you.”
“He is beautiful enough to be an angel.”
Stacey opened her mouth to respond, but whatever she said, Fiona was too distracted to hear, because someone across the room caught her attention. She only caught a fleeting glimpse of their face before they turned and walked away.
Fiona straightened, her breath catching in her throat. The woman almost looked like…
No. No. That wasn’t possible.
But even though the impossibility of the situation was at the forefront of her mind, her feet still moved across the room. She called to Stacey, letting her cousin know she’d be back, before weaving her way through the crowd, watching the back of that dress. Every so often, a family member or old family friend would touch her arm or say something, but her entire focus remained on the woman in front of her.
She disappeared out of the function room, and Fiona followed her out, stopping at an open hall. Doors were on one side, and one was open. She stepped closer to that door to find an empty terrace. Instantly, her skin pebbled at the cool breeze.
She took two steps forward when the door behind her blew shut. A gasp slipped from her lips and she turned, almost expecting to see the woman there, but there was no one. The terrace was deserted.
Another draft of cold air hit her face like a blast of common sense. It was official. She was crazy. Because if she wasn’t, she wouldn’t have followed a woman she couldn’t have seen out here. It just wasn’t possible.
Exhaling a long breath, she walked back to the door and pulled…but it didn’t move. She pulled again. What the hell? Had the door jammed when it swung closed? She tugged three more times before realizing it was stuck. She was stuck. Stuck outside in the freezing cold, with no phone to call for help.
Callum’s gaze returned to Stacey to find Fiona wasn’t with her anymore. He waited for her uncle Burt to finish what he was saying about politics before quietly excusing himself. He only made it a few steps before Amanda stepped in front of him.
“Hi.” She tilted her head. “I haven’t had a chance to talk to you before now.”
Callum tried for a smile. It was tougher than it should have been because of what he knew about her treatment of Fiona. “That’s okay, it’s your wedding day. You’ve got a roomful of people to talk to.”
“Still, it’s important to make sure my little sister’s new boyfriend is treating her right.”
He had to bite back a less-than-polite response. This woman and her husband hadn’t treated Fiona anything close to right. Why would she suddenly care if anyone else did? “Your sister’s a very special woman, and I always treat her as such.”
Amanda’s lips thinned. Ah, there you are.
“People do tend to love her.” She pursed her mouth. “Have you been dating long? She never mentioned your name until a week ago, and I couldn’t seem to get a straight response from Fiona.”
“Not long.” When he didn’t give any more than that, the woman’s smile slipped.
“How’d you meet again?”
“I borrow books at the library where she works.”
Her eyes lit up like she’d caught him in a lie. “You don’t look like a reader.”
“Looks can be deceiving. I read a different book every week.”
“Fiona always had her head stuck in a book. I prefer reality.” She reached out and ran a finger down his chest.
Callum’s muscles tightened. What the hell was her game? He immediately stepped back, letting her hand drop. “Books are doors to new worlds. They don’t mean a person isn’t living in reality. And they connected me to Fiona, so that’s a win-win right there.”
Amanda’s eyes narrowed. He wasn’t sure if it was because he’d stepped away or because of his words. Either way, he didn’t care.
Edna stepped up beside her daughter. Unlike Amanda, her smile was genuine. “Oh, darling, everything is going so well.”
Amanda’s lips curved, but the action looked forced. “Thank you.” She looked up at Callum again. “I was just asking Callum about his relationship with Fiona. It seems fast, considering we know nothing about him and only learned his name a few weeks ago.”
This woman was really trying to get a rise out of him. Maybe she was used to guys falling at her feet and was pissed Callum hadn’t done that.
He nodded civilly. “Things have definitely moved quickly. Says a lot about the kind of woman Fiona is. She had me addicted the first meeting.”
Wasn’t even a bit of a lie.
Amanda’s features once again blanked, while her mother’s face softened. “Oh, that makes me so happy. I must be honest, I was a bit worried about today, but I’m so glad that both my babies are happy and taken care of.”
Callum bit back a laugh at the look of displeasure on Amanda’s face. Fiona hadn’t been exaggerating.
He cleared his throat and turned to Edna. “Would you know where Fiona is?”
“I saw her talking to her father near the hallway before I made my way over here.”
He gave both women an easy smile. “I’ll go find her.” His gaze stilled on Amanda. “Congratulations again.”
“Thanks.”
Well, he certainly knew now why the two women had a hard relationship…her sister liked to be the center of attention. Two seconds in her company and that had been clear.
He scanned the crowd and spotted her father. The man was standing with three people, none of whom were Fiona.
Maybe she went to the bathroom? He headed that way but paused when he heard pounding on an exterior door. Then he heard a voice…Fiona’s voice.
With a frown, he pivoted, stopping by the door. He tried the handle. Though it wasn’t locked, it seemed jammed.
“Can anyone hear me? Can someone open the door?”
Using strength a normal man didn’t have, he yanked it open.
Fiona’s eyes widened. “Oh my gosh, thank you, Callum! It’s freezing out here!”
He cursed at the sight of her almost-blue lips. When he touched her bare arms, they were like ice. “How long have you been out there?”
She shook her head, arms wrapped around her waist as she stepped inside. “I don’t know. I don’t have my phone. Fifteen, maybe twenty minutes?”
Too damn long. He chafed her arms. “Why’d you go outside?”
“I thought I saw…” She stopped, then shook her head again. “I just stepped out there and the door flew shut.”
“It must have flown shut hard.”
When a shudder racked her spine, he growled. “Come on. We should go back to the room so you can get warm.”
“No. I can’t leave the reception. People will talk. I’ve already been gone long enough.”
He cursed again. He wanted to get her into a hot shower, but he understood what she was saying.
“I’m okay,” she said softly, as if reading his thoughts.
With a sigh, he tugged her against his side and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, still not fully understanding how the hell she’d gotten stuck outside.
