Just Between Friends (O'Rourke Family 4) (4 page)

The O’Rourkes surged forward, excited and congratulating them with kisses for Kate and pleased hugs and slaps on the back for Dylan, smoothing over the moment.

Kate trembled and tried to think straight. Dylan’s passionate kiss should have delighted her, but he had a fixed smile on his face and wouldn’t look at her. Tears pooled in her eyes. Fortunately everyone assumed she was simply happy and emotional. Brides were supposed to cry, weren’t they? Nobody needed to know her heart was breaking.

“I’m so delighted for you,” Beth O’Rourke said. She gave Kate an awkward hug, impeded by being nine months pregnant.

“Sweetheart, you know the doctor told you to keep off your feet,” Kane scolded, tucking an arm around his wife and leaning forward to kiss Kate. “My brother is a lucky man, Katrina.”

“I’m getting a complex,” Dylan complained. “Every-one
keeps telling me how fortunate I am. Doesn’t anyone think Kate is lucky, too?”

“Of course she’s fortunate,” Pegeen said with a mother’s staunch loyalty. “And she’s such a lovely bride.”

“Very lovely,” Dylan agreed, casting a quick glance at the bride in question.

Kate looked like an angel in her white lace dress and gold hair, crowned with tiny roses. If she didn’t have the sparkle that Beth and his other sisters-in-law had worn at their weddings, then he was probably the only one who’d noticed.

A twinge of guilt hit, but he didn’t have any reason to feel guilty, dammit—he was the one helping her out, not the other way around.

It was just like the other crazy schemes she’d talked him into when they were kids. He remembered the first day his father had brought him along to the Douglas estate. Keenan had considered the long drive into Seattle to be worth the effort since the Douglases paid so well, and he’d arranged to bring one or more of his sons along to help.

Dylan smiled. They’d helped all right, but the real reason they’d gone was to spend time with their dad.

So they’d driven inside—through the rear gate of course—and little Katydid had dashed out to greet them, cute as a china doll with big green eyes and long golden curls. She’d looked at him, ducked her head, then shot him a shy smile that went straight through his boyish heart. For a long time after that he’d been her willing slave.

The sound of a spoon tapping on a glass pulled Dylan’s attention back to the present. It was Kane,
who’d been dividing his attention between his very pregnant wife and his duties as the eldest brother.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Kane said, smiling across the assembled O’Rourkes and related families. “A year ago Pegeen O’Rourke had only two fine granddaughters, despite being the mother of nine grown children. She couldn’t understand our stubbornness about getting married and providing her with a whole new generation of grandkids to teach her Irish brogue.”

Chuckles rose from the crowd and Dylan saw Patrick fold his arms around Maddie, who was five months pregnant herself.

Dylan was pretty certain his sister-in-law, Libby, wasn’t expecting yet, but Libby and Neil were busy running a new division of Kane’s company. They didn’t have time for babies.

So, what excuse could he manufacture for him and Kate to delay starting a family? His business was going well, and Kate wasn’t a career woman. Considering their haste in getting married, people would probably think she was pregnant already. He could imagine the snide comments she’d have to endure from her society friends until it was obvious she hadn’t married because of an unplanned pregnancy. Then they’d just be snide because of her construction worker husband.

Kate didn’t deserve that.

She was bright and open, and as elusive as a swallowtail butterfly dancing on the breeze, but she wasn’t a snob.

“With this joyous ceremony, Pegeen now finds herself with four daughters-in-law,” Kane continued, “and with two more grandbabies on the way, she’s—”

A faint gasp from Beth drew Kane’s attention, but she smiled and shook her head when he took a step toward her.

“Er…yes,” he went on, his gaze fixed on his wife. “Needless to say, she’s extremely happy a fourth son has finally had the good sense to get married. Isn’t that right, mother?”

“Aye. Now if only m’daughters would be so cooperative,” Pegeen said, smiling. “And my youngest son, of course.”

A collective laugh came from the guests, while the daughters in question made faces.

A hand crept into Dylan’s, and he knew it belonged to Kate. Since it was only appropriate for the bride and groom to stand next to each other during the bridal toast, he laced their fingers together, trying not to think about their kiss.

It had shocked him.

How could he have responded to Katydid like that? She was beautiful, but they were friends, not lovers. Technically she might have just become his wife, but it was only a legal agreement they would end in a year. It had become a litany in his head—Kate wouldn’t be a real wife, so it wasn’t a real marriage.

Period.

Thinking any other way would drive him crazy.

Kane raised his glass along with the others. “So please join me in welcoming Katrina Douglas O’Rourke to our family. Dylan, Kate, may you have a long and happy life together.”

“And many, many children,” Pegeen added.

A chorus of agreement and the clinking of glasses followed the toast. Dylan looked down and saw Katydid’s strained smile. It probably mirrored his own,
though it wasn’t the first time since he’d agreed to marry her that he’d wondered exactly what she was thinking.

A sudden yelp brought a welcome interruption. Beth was bent over, supported by Kane, who had a wild, glazed expression in his eyes.

“She’s in labor. Call an ambulance,” he shouted.

“No,” Beth said, straightening as the contraction eased. “First babies take longer, don’t they, Mom?”

Pegeen nodded to her daughter-in-law. “ ’Tis right. But when did the contractions start, darlin’?”

Beth blew out a breath. “During the ceremony. I had some twinges last night that made me wonder, but I’m sure it—”

“Why didn’t you say something?” Kane demanded.

She patted his arm. “Because you would have over-reacted and I wanted to come to the wedding. Besides, if the baby starts to come, I’m sure Connor can help out.”

“Connor is a veterinarian! You aren’t having kittens.”

Despite his inner turmoil, Dylan enjoyed the frantic look on his brother’s face. Kane was usually so unflappable…about everything except his wife. When it came to Beth, Kane was so wildly in love that he was completely irrational.

“I think an M.D. would be best under the circumstances,” said Liam O’Rourke, a cousin Dylan didn’t know well. He was a practicing physician who’d recently moved back to the Seattle area from Chicago. “Let’s go inside and I’ll give Beth a quick exam.”

Beth sent Kate an apologetic look. “I’m so sorry to interfere with your big day.”

“Don’t be silly,” Kate assured her. “I can’t imagine anything better. It makes the whole thing more memorable.”

“Everyone stay and enjoy the party. We’ll be back out in a minute,” Beth said. “I’m not going to miss this reception.”

“Unless you’re giving birth,” muttered Kane.

With the mood broken, everyone began drifting around, helping themselves to food and catching up on news. Kate ditched her wedding bouquet behind a rhododendron bush and began serving cake. There were a few protests about getting pictures of the bride and groom and the traditional cake cutting ceremony, but she just shook her head and kept filling plates.

Anything to keep from crying.

Why in the world, now that she was halfway to getting what she wanted, was she so sad?

She’d
known
Dylan didn’t want a wedding that smacked of a real marriage and commitment. And while she’d been secretly thrilled with the romantic frills and mood of the day, she now realized how false it all was. There was nothing romantic about her arrangement with Dylan, and Beth going into labor was just another reminder that his name on a marriage certificate didn’t mean anything.

Kane adored Beth, while Dylan saw her as an over-indulged kid who needed rescuing on a regular basis.

She had a year to make things work between them, and until then, she wouldn’t be a member of the O’Rourke family, no matter how many wedding toasts were made or how warmly they welcomed her.

“Are you okay?” Dylan asked a few minutes later, when she’d finally been coaxed away from the cake table and was sitting with a plate of food on her lap.

“I’m fine.”

“You look pale.”

“I’m always pale.”

He raised a skeptical eyebrow. “You also aren’t eating.”

“I’m not hungry. You eat it,” Kate muttered, handing him the plate. Her stomach was unsettled enough.

With a small shrug, Dylan dug his fork into the food.

His
appetite certainly didn’t seem affected, she thought irritably. Why was he so stubborn? Why did he keep seeing her as a child, rather than a grown woman? She felt frozen in time when it came to Dylan, as if caught in an ageless piece of amber. If she had any sense she would have given up years ago.

But at least she would finally know if there was any hope for them. If the worst happened, she wouldn’t stay in the Seattle area. There were too many reminders of the past here, too much chance of being caught unaware by emotions and old hurts. And by memories. Some memories would haunt her forever, like being kissed by Dylan and the stormy expression on his face afterward.

If he hadn’t wanted to kiss her like that, why had he done it?

They were alone for the moment and she took a breath. “Dylan, about earlier, when you…we…”

“I know, Mom must be ecstatic with the baby coming,” he said, deliberately misunderstanding. She sighed. Men in general avoided discussing relationships, why should Dylan be an exception?

A hand tugged on her skirt and she looked down. It was either Amy or Peggy, though she didn’t know which one was which. Amy and Peggy were Pegeen’s identical twin granddaughters.

“Are you my aunt now?” the child asked.

“Y…yes.”

“Goody.” She clambered into Kate’s lap and kissed her.

Kate’s spirits lifted. She could never be sad around children who were healthy and happy.

“Amy ’n’ me are having a cousin,” the youngster announced.

Amy.
That meant this was Peggy.

“Yes, Peggy, you’ll have a cousin before you know it,” Kate said. She stood and balanced the four-year-old on her hip. If she was very lucky, she might be holding her own child in a year or two. With Dylan as the father.

“Goodness, she’s far too heavy for you,” Kathleen called. She rushed over and put out her arms.

“We’re fine.”

“Better let her,” Shannon O’Rourke suggested. “Sooner or later you’re going to have to throw the bouquet, and there are lots of single ladies here hoping to catch it.”

Kate swallowed and reluctantly let go of Peggy. “My flowers? Heavens, I’ve lost track of them.”

Shannon lifted an eyebrow. “I’ll organize a search. We wouldn’t want to disappoint anyone. Several of the cousins are getting anxious.”

“Hah. You’re the one who’s secretly hoping to catch the bouquet,” Dylan said.

His sister sent him a warning glance. “One wedding this summer is enough. Besides, I’m not the least bit domestic.”

“You can say that again.”

An unreadable emotion flickered in Shannon’s eyes before she tossed her head. “Why would I say it a second time, when my family is more than willing to point it out on every occasion?”

His forehead creased in confusion, and Kate dug her elbow into his side. Honestly, men were so dense.

Dylan looked down at Kate. “What?”

“Don’t you have something to do?” she asked sweetly.

He looked at her warily. “Such as?”

Jumping off a cliff sounded like a good idea at the moment, but she’d probably regret it if he did.

In a day or so.

“You could check on how Kane is surviving,” she suggested.

“Uh…right. I’ll be back.” Dylan beat a hasty retreat.

“I should hope so—you wouldn’t want to miss the honeymoon,” Shannon called after him.

Dylan turned slowly. “We’re not going on a honeymoon. Summers are busy for contractors, and Katydid has a number of charity events she’s committed to. We’ll go later.”

Shannon frowned, then stuck out her tongue as her brother disappeared into the house.

“No honeymoon?” she asked.

“Uh…maybe later,” Kate said lamely.

She’d suggested they go away, at least for a long weekend, but Dylan had refused. It was just like her idea of getting married in Victoria or having a preacher. He didn’t want it to seem like a marriage at all. A honeymoon, even a fake one, was out of the question.

“A honeymoon is half the fun of getting hitched.”

“We’ll honeymoon—on weekends, evenings after we’re finished…that is, after Dylan is finished working.”

Shannon didn’t seem convinced. “But why not go now?”

Kate crossed her fingers behind her back. “It’s a bad time, like Dylan said, but I had this superstition about getting married before my birthday. He was sweet and went along with me, even though it would have been better to wait.”

“All right, but you don’t know what you’re missing.”

Kate slumped into a chair as her new sister-in-law strolled away, calling to everyone to look for the bridal bouquet.

“I know what I’m missing,” she mumbled, thinking about Dylan’s broad shoulders and strong body—a body that wouldn’t be crawling under her sheets anytime soon. A frustrated ache sank low into her abdomen. “I know exactly what I’m missing.”

Dylan noticed Kate was silent the entire drive into Seattle. When they arrived at the converted carriage house, she jumped out and opened the front door while he was getting his suitcases from the back of his truck. She was already shoving leftover wedding cake into the freezer when he walked inside.

“I don’t know why Mom insisted on sending that home with us,” he muttered.

“It’s the top layer,” Katydid said as if that explained everything. She put the rest of the food—some of the reception leftovers—into the refrigerator.

“So?”

“So it’s traditional to eat the top layer on the first anniversary. That’s why it isn’t cut at the reception. Your mother wrapped it very carefully to be sure it would keep.”