The Best Man (13 page)

Beth shuddered as his rough-spoken words washed over her. “Show me.” She wrapped her arms around him and held on tight.

HER SHOULDER WAS COLD
. Without opening her eyes, Beth reached down in search of her blanket and found an arm slung across her lower back instead. It caused her only a moment of confusion before the memory of her spontaneous visit to Colin’s hotel room flitted back into view. She turned over and carefully removed both the arm and the leg he’d draped over her. She glanced at the alarm clock: 10:17 a.m. Colin was sleeping on his stomach with the side of his face smashed against the mattress and his limbs spread awkwardly. He looked so harmless — unlike the man who’d rung all her bells the night before. She almost giggled.

Colin grabbed Beth’s wrist before her feet hit the floor. “You leaving?”

“I’m just visiting the restroom. Go back to sleep.”

Colin sat with his back resting against the headboard when she returned.

“I … uh — I stole your robe.” She smiled at him and gave the sides of the oversized fluffy white robe a tug.

He shrugged. “Hotel robe and it looks better on you.”

“So … umm … I should —”

Colin held out his hand, palm up for a moment. “Come here.”

Beth hesitated. Curling up next to Colin was exactly what she wanted to do, but should she really risk getting in any deeper? She considered it for a moment before acquiescing.

“Here.” He patted the bed, and Beth sat down beside him.  “Thank you.” Colin pulled her into his lap. “Now, let’s have a chat, shall we?”

“I have a wedding this afternoon.” Something had changed last night. He was burrowing in too close to her heart.

Colin sighed, pushing the robe off her shoulder and kissing her neck. “Could we start with good morning? I’m glad you came over. I loved seeing you all aflutter after your event.”

“Good morning.” She kissed his cheek. “Me too, but I still have a —”

“What time?”

“Hmm?”

“Your event. What time do you need to be there?”

“I guess I have a few hours.”

Colin nodded. “Tell me about today’s wedding.”

“What do you want to know?”

“Whatever you feel like sharing. What do you think of the couple? Do you expect trouble from the groomsmen or a drunken uncle? Is there anything you wish they’d have agreed to do differently?” He lifted one hand to brush her hair away from her face. “I want to be a part of your life.”

“Don’t you think that has to happen on its own? I mean, won’t that happen naturally if it’s meant to?”

“Perhaps, if we were neighbors or colleagues it would work that way. We’re not. Our lives don’t overlap.”

“And don’t you think that means something, Colin? Really?” She softened her words by rubbing her hand against his chest.

“I think it means that we were incredibly lucky to have ever met.”

“Colin, I don’t want to be responsible for you throwing your life away.”

He lifted her chin and kissed her as gently as he ever had. “It breaks my heart a little that you see it that way. When I think of starting a new life with you, I think of all that I would be getting, not the few things I’d be giving up.”

“And I think  it would end up hurting a lot more if you burned all your bridges at home, moved here and we discover a month or two down the road we shouldn’t be together.”

“You think I’ll leave you? Is that it? You think I’ll change my mind and disappear if we ever have difficulties?”

“You seem awfully ready to run away from your current life.”

He nodded. “Who left you?”

“This isn’t about someone else. This is — I am not crazy for seeing you not taking this seriously enough.”

“Aside from falling in love with you and asking you to marry me, what have I done to convince you that I’m so flighty and untrustworthy?”

She sighed and, feeling the urge to pace, stood up.

Colin followed. “Please.”

“Nothing, I guess, but I’ve only known you for a week. It’s impossible to take your proposal seriously after such a short time.”

“Oh, love, if only you knew how boring and responsible I am.”

“I’m finding that very hard to believe.”

“It’s true, though, you bring this out in me. It’s all you. I’ve never even considered proposing to a woman before.”

Her brow furrowed. “You were engaged to Andrea, Colin.”

“She proposed. I -- she’s a beautiful woman and I was lonely. I wanted a family and Andrea said she wanted that too, with me. It seemed simple. I thought that if she could love me I could love her back. I’d rather convinced myself that I did by the end.” He shrugged.

“How do you know you’re not doing the same thing here? That you’re not just grabbing onto the idea?”

Colin smiled. “Because this isn’t simple, love, and because when Andrea broke it off I was humiliated and I felt like a failure. But I never missed her — not really. I never wondered what she was doing and if she was happy. She never inspired me.”

“That’s …”

“I wrote it yesterday. I wrote for hours because you fill me with thoughts and words and hope.”

“I’ve turned down your proposal twice.”

“A muse needn’t be kind.”

“Fine, but this muse needs to take a shower. Do me a favor?”

“Want me to wash your back or maybe ...” He trailed off, glancing suggestively at her breasts.

Beth shook her head. “Go down to my car and get the duffle bag from my trunk. I keep a couple of changes in there just in case something happens at an event.”

Colin smiled broadly.  “Of course you do. I’m surprised it’s not in that enormous bloody handbag of yours. I’ll run and fetch like a good boy.” He sighed. “You’re certain you don’t need any help in the shower?”

“I’m the blue Civic near G-two. My keys are in the side pocket of my ‘bloody, enormous handbag.’ ” 

He chuckled and shouted after her as she walked into the bathroom. “Worst British accent ever, love. Truly dreadful. I’m ashamed, honestly.”

After a quick shower, Beth dressed in a simple grey wrap dress fashioned from a miraculously wrinkle-free fabric, and applied a careful touch of makeup. She stayed for a very late breakfast before rushing off to check the venue for that evening’s wedding reception. She gave Tony a call on the way.

“Hey, yeah?” he answered.

“Tony?”

“What? I mean … umm, yes? Oh! Beth. Hi. I’m on my way. I should be there in just a minute.”

His voice was accompanied by the sounds of crashing and a few muffled swears. “You’re not late … yet. I’m just calling to remind you to pick up a case of bottled water. It’s going to be warm today and the photographer want lots of outside shots after the ceremony. The poor groomsmen are going to be dying in their suits.”

“Oh. Right. I’m on it. I’ll … um … I’ll see you soon.”

“Good. And Tony?”

“Yeah?”

“Say hi to Claire for me.” She hung up the phone and chuckled.

“ARGHH!” BETH SWUNG HER
arm along the floor under her bed and came up empty. Dusty, but empty. She stood up and scowled at the fuzzy pink slipper in her hand. One slipper.

A series of loud bangs on her front door halted her search. She tightened her robe and went to greet her visitor.

Colin smiled as she opened the door. He pointed at the slipper. “Should I be concerned?”

“Only if you’re the one who took my other slipper.” She stepped back. “I don’t understand how this happens. It’s not like I only wore one last time. I’ve looked everywhere; it’s gone.”

“Infamous slipper-eating monster. They’re often erroneously associated with sock stealing elves, but it’s actually a different genus.”

Beth narrowed her eyes. “Fucking slipper-eating monster.”

“I’m afraid so.”

“Are you coming in?”

“Are you going to comment on my suitcase?”

“Not yet. First, I’m gonna get dressed.” She closed the door behind him. “There are sodas in the fridge. Help yourself.”

Beth tossed the slipper on the floor of her closet and pulled on a turquoise sundress. She dabbed on the lavender perfume that Colin mentioned liking and went back to the living room.

Colin stood up and smiled. “You look beautiful.”

“Thank you. Are you ready? Wearing comfortable shoes?”

“Did we have plans I don’t know about?”

“No, but I have an idea.”

“Should I change?”

She took a quick look at his khakis, button-down shirt, and loafers. “You look fine. Sexy, even.”

“Is that so?” His eyebrow arched.

“Come on. I’ve got a surprise. First we’re stopping for bagels. I’m starving for carbs.” She slipped on a pair of sandals and hefted her bag to her shoulder. “You can tell me how you got kicked out of your hotel on the way.”

“Wild rock star party -- lots of drugs and broken guitars. You know … the usual story.”

Beth slid into her seat. “That makes sense. I mean, you couldn’t have just showed up at my door hoping that puppy dog eyes would earn you an invitation back into my bed.”

“Of course not.”

Colin kept his curiosity under tabs until they left the bagel shop. “So, where are we headed next?”

“That’s the surprise.” His look of distress nearly made her giggle. “You’ll see when we get there.” “Just give me a hint,” said Colin.

“Nope,” she replied.

“Does it involve other people? Animals? Musical instruments?”

“It’s a surprise.” She glanced over. “What are you doing?”

He held up his phone. “Tracking our trip on Google Maps.”

“Off.”

“But it’s hardly definitive. Perhaps —”

“Colin.”

He turned off his phone and tucked it into the cup holder. “It doesn’t involve skydiving, does it? Or any other activity that requires one to actually enjoy the rush associated with the fight-or-flight response? It’s just that I find terror sort of ... terrifying.”

“And here I had you pegged as an adrenaline junkie.” She parked on a residential street and chuckled at Colin’s confused expression. “It’s a couple of blocks from here, but there won’t be parking any closer,” she explained, slipping her hand into his and trying to ignore the warmth that erupted in her stomach at Colin’s responding smile.

She pointed at a sign as they turned a corner and Colin’s jaw dropped. “La Brea.” He turned to grin at her. “You know this is still an active dig site. I read about it on the plane trip over.”

Beth giggled. “I seem to remember hearing that on a school trip or two. I thought it past time for you to play tourist and … well, dinosaurs, right?”

Colin scooped her into a kiss. “You are brilliant. Best soon-to-be fiancée ever.” He pulled her toward the entrance with all the enthusiasm of kid in line at Disney.

“I’m not …” She sighed. Arguing was pointless.

“If memory serves, excavation here began nearly a hundred years ago. It’s remarkable.”

Beth followed him along a weaving walkway through the oozing tar puddles, bit her lip as he interrogated nearly every employee they came across, and flat out giggled when a few children gathered around to hear his thoughts on a mammoth skeleton. He was going to be a great dad, she realized as he gave a little girl a high five for asking a good question. There, sliding to the front of her mind’s eye was a picture of Colin reading bedtime stories to an adorable, curly-haired toddler. Her heart skipped.
Whoa
. She shook her head, erasing the image like lines on an Etch A Sketch. Since when did she consider a guy’s paternal potential?

Colin shot her a questioning glance, but she waved him off. He ended his kid chat anyway and stepped closer, placing his hand at the small of her back. “Is everything all right?”

“Of course,” she lied.  Aside from the fact she’d just realized she was in love with him, everything was dandy. Beth took another glance around the small museum and gestured at a display featuring dozens of dire wolf skulls. “One question: Where are the dinosaurs?”

“Wrong time period. This whole area would have been under water then. The animals trapped here lived tens of millions of years later.”

“That’s disappointing.” Beth was sure she’d visited as a kid, but clearly she hadn’t paid enough attention. “I’m sorry.”

“Why?” He looked bewildered. Maybe all fossilized bones were exciting.

Beth gave him a peck on the cheek. “Go stand next to the mammoth. I’ll get a picture.”

“Come with me. I’ll get someone else to snap the shot.”

She conceded easily, and smiled as Colin wrapped his hands around her waist and thanked the fellow patron he’d given his phone.

The phone a flashed a couple times and the helpful lady holding it nodded. “I think you’ll like that one. Very cute.”