Cricket Cove (5 page)

It was the very least she could do for her sister and the man who’d pulled her out of the abyss a few years earlier. The very least. Archer had said he didn’t know how to repay her. For Amelia, it was the other way around.
She
was the one who owed
them
. Amelia might never get her own happily ever after but she would be satisfied to see Emma and Archer get theirs.

Chapter Six

S
everal hours later, Logan was standing on the sidelines in the decorated basement of the church, watching his brother and Emma make their rounds as husband and wife. From what he understood, this ceremony had been a far cry from Archer’s first wedding, which Logan had not been present for. That wedding had taken place in the office of a justice of the peace in Virginia, which didn’t have the same three-day waiting period the state of Kentucky had.

No, Archer’s nuptials with Emma were the perfect representation of what a wedding ceremony should be. Owen’s uncle, Eli Wells, had come up from London, Kentucky, to perform the ceremony. Apparently, he’d married Owen and Sarah more than thirty years earlier and had officiated at both of John and Zanny’s weddings. Ben explained the complicated history.

“They had some tough times a few years back. They separated, and after they reconciled, they decided to renew their vows. Did it up all fancy the second time, though not as fancy as this. Pip outdid herself.”

Logan agreed. If he hadn’t known they were in the basement of a country church, he would have thought they were in a fancy hotel’s ballroom.

“So what about you? Did Eli marry you and Ainsley? Congratulations about the baby, by the way.”

Ben grinned. “Thanks. And no. We eloped. Flew to Vegas and surprised everyone.”

“You just think we were surprised,” Emma said as she and Archer walked up, and she hugged her brother. “We really weren’t.”

Ben left his arm around her shoulders. “Have I mentioned that you make a beautiful bride?”

She preened a little, but Logan saw that her eyes were damp. “No, you haven’t. But please feel free to elaborate.”

“You’re stunning, glowing from the inside. And I’m so happy for both of you. I’ve always liked this guy, you know.” He gestured to Archer with his chin.

“I have, too.” She leaned against Ben, as tall as he was in her high heels. “I feel like a fairy-tale princess today. We’re going to have to do something very special for Pip after this. I can’t believe how beautiful it is. I know I said I didn’t need this kind of wedding, but I’m so glad to have had it.”

“The kid was saying earlier that her goal was to make you feel like a princess,” he told Emma.

“Well, she more than succeeded.”

Archer rested his hand on Logan’s shoulder as he looked around. “Maybe we can find her someone. I’d like to see her happy.”

Ben laughed, though there was no malice in the sound. “What, are you turning into a Cupid now, too?”

“Hey, what can I say? I’m happy, so I want to see her happy. And I want to see this lug happy as well.” He nudged Logan and addressed Emma. “Who do you think we should target first, Amelia or him?”

Emma pursed her lips, and the look she gave Logan sent a wave of uneasiness through him. He answered before she could.

“Not me. Oh, no. I’m not ever getting married. You just keep all the hearts and arrows aimed at someone else.”

She winked at him and patted his arm. “You’re so cute. ‘Never getting married.’ Isn’t that cute, Benny?”

Ben shook his head slowly, though he was grinning. “You’ve done it now. She’s going to take that as a challenge. How long do you give him, Archer?”

Archer, the traitor, was laughing. “Six months. Maybe eight. He’s pretty stubborn.” He held his hand out to Emma. “Let’s go find our daughter, and then it’s about time to blow this joint. See you, jokers.”

Logan and Ben watched them go.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen my sister so happy. I’m glad they finally figured it out.”

Logan had just been thinking the same thing about Archer. “So am I.” A petite figure clad in purple silk caught his eye. Amelia was dancing, laughing up at her partner. “Who’s your sister dancing with?”

“Which sister? Pip?” At Logan’s nod, Ben answered. “That’s Jonah Morissey. He’s from Lexington and is one of our close friends. He lives on the farm just down the road from Ainsley and me.”

“The doctor?” Logan grunted. “He’s a bit old for her, don’t you think?”

Ben rubbed a hand across his mouth as though suppressing a smile. “Jonah? And Pip? Huh. I hadn’t thought of that before. As to his age?” He shrugged. “He’s a good guy. She could do worse.”

There wasn’t much more Logan could say without sounding like a jealous ass. He wasn’t jealous, he told himself. He was just… concerned. Yes, that was it.

“So how do you like Hazard so far?” Ben asked.

“Pretty good. I’ve not had a lot of time to look around, what with orientation for work, but I like what I see so far.”

When Ben almost choked, Logan eyeballed him. “You okay?”

“Fine, just swallowed wrong. So you’ll be what, teaching drafting or something?”

“CAD, actually. Some drafting, but mostly I’ll be helping introduce the computer-aided aspect of it. The software is really coming along, and within five or ten years, the old board-drawn style will be out the door for most practical applications.”

“Yeah, I’m pretty excited about where it’s going,” Ben admitted, “though I like the feel of sitting down with pencils and vellum and sketching out ideas.”

“That’s right—you’re a landscape architect. I’d forgotten that.”

Ben nodded. “Newly minted. I think I’m going to strike out on my own once I finish the apprenticeship I’m in now. I’d like to do garden restorations, and with the baby on the way, I want to be able to stick pretty close to home. There are a lot of historic gardens out there that need help.”

They talked about the business for a while longer until Ainsley came up to steal Ben away for a dance. Logan decided to get some air. When he stepped outside, he had to go halfway around the church to find a quiet spot. A soft female sigh alerted him to Amelia’s presence. He looked around and saw her sitting on a low bench, a heavy shawl of some sort wrapped around her shoulders.

“Please don’t tell me they need me back in there yet,” she said. “I’d just like to rest my feet for a few minutes.”

“No, I just came out to get some air.”

He got the feeling she wanted him to go away, which caused Logan’s perversity to kick in. Instead of leaving, he took a seat beside her and leaned back against the wall of the church.

“You put on a nice wedding.”

Her response was more of a grunt than a laugh. “Thanks. I’ll have to put it on my résumé.” She didn’t say anything else, and he decided to let the silence stretch between them. To his surprise, it wasn’t uncomfortable.

After several minutes, she sighed and stood. “See you inside.”

Logan watched her go, his thoughts jumbled. He didn’t know many women outside the military who had the ability to sit quietly and not feel the need to fill the silence with chatter. Hell, he didn’t know many men who could do it, either. He wasn’t sure whether Amelia had kept quiet because she didn’t need to speak or out of a desire to not talk to him in particular.

Either way, sitting beside her in the dark had been intimate, one of the very scenarios he needed to avoid with Amelia. He couldn’t help running through all the things that could have happened had they not been so antagonistic toward one another. His imaginings started with a kiss and ended… well, they ended in a place they shouldn’t, in Logan’s bed. Even the cold chill of the December night couldn’t quell his desire.

“It’s going to be a long night,” he told the starry sky as he stood, adjusting his clothing to hide his erection. It took several minutes of pacing beside the icy creek that ran behind the church before he was presentable enough to go back inside. “Just from a few minutes of sitting beside her. God help me.”

His hip twinged as he went up the three steps that led to the door, and Logan gave a bitter laugh. It wasn’t enough that he desired a woman he could never have, but his injuries were apparently deciding to make themselves known. “Probably thanks to the damp and the cold.”

Most of the time Logan played down the injuries he’d sustained. He had learned very quickly to hide his pain from Archer, as it worried his brother. But tonight he was tempted to use the wounds as an excuse to get away from the church. Away from Amelia.

Much more time in her presence and he wouldn’t be responsible for his own actions. Somehow he didn’t think throwing Amelia over his shoulder and making for his cave would be an appropriate ending to Logan and Emma’s wedding.

Chapter Seven

A
melia grabbed a ride back to her house with Ben, Ainsley, and Jonah. It was late, almost midnight, by the time they left the church. They had to be back early the next morning to clean up from the ceremony, but she was so tired she felt like she could sleep until Monday.

“So what’s up with Logan?” Ben asked as they pulled out of the parking lot.

She shifted in her seat and put her feet in Jonah’s lap, whimpering as he slid her shoes off and started rubbing her feet. “You may have to carry me inside. I don’t know if I can stand to put those shoes back on,” she told him before addressing Ben. “What do you mean, what’s up with Logan?”

Her brother’s shrug was a little too nonchalant for her comfort. “Nothing. It’s just that he was awfully interested in who you were dancing with tonight. By the way, Jonah, you’re too old for her.”

Amelia sat up a little as everyone snickered. “He’s what?”

“Logan thinks Jonah is too old for you.”

In the front seat, Ainsley reached over and laid her hand on Ben’s shoulder. “Did you set him straight? Tell him that Jonah’s gay?”

“I did not. I was enjoying watching him turn green with jealousy too much. So what’s going on with the two of you, Pip?” He glanced at her in the rearview mirror.

Her cheeks felt like they were sunburned, they were so hot. “Nothing is going on between us. He can’t stand me for the most part, and I find him incredibly annoying.” She started taking her hair down to have something to do.

Jonah’s hands were gentle as he worked the tension from her feet. “Didn’t look like he couldn’t stand you, not from my perspective. I noticed his glaring attention, but I figured it was more a gay disapproval thing than jealousy.”

Amelia shook her head. “No. You guys are just imagining it. If he was glaring, it was because I did something he disapproves of.”

Ben laughed outright. “Yeah. You were dancing with another man. Pip, for someone who’s a Cupid, you’re kind of oblivious. Maybe that’s how it works, though. You can’t see it for yourself.”

“Believe me, I know how Logan feels about me, and there’s nothing remotely warm or flattering about it. He thinks I’m a frivolous waste of space.”

There was shocked silence in the car. Ben actually pulled off the road and turned around in his seat to look at her.

“Explain.”

She cursed her loose lips, blaming it on her fatigue. “It’s nothing, Benny. I’m just tired.”

“I don’t think so. You’ve said a couple of things today that just weren’t right. What’s going on, Amelia?”

Jonah reached a hand out and she took it. “I overheard a conversation between him and Archer a few months ago. It wasn’t flattering to me, to say the least. Archer ripped him a new one, but still.”

“Oh, sweetie. I’m sorry,” Ainsley said. “Is that why you’re so impertinent with him?”

Amelia’s laugh was bitter, she knew. “For the most part, yes. I just liked to tweak his tail a bit at first, but then after I heard what I did, it seemed safest to keep the tone unpleasant. At least until I could hide what I knew. And now it’s just how we interact. Please, none of you say anything about this. Not to Logan, not to Archer or Emma. It’s embarrassing enough.”

“I don’t have to say something to Logan to knock the hell out of him,” Ben growled.

“Ben, that’s not going to help Amelia,” Ainsley chided. “If it would, I’d hold him down for you.”

He clearly wasn’t happy but he conceded to her request. “Fine. We won’t tell anyone. But if he hurts you again? He’s mine.”

Amelia gave a single nod. “Fair enough.”

After a minute, he pulled back out on the road. They were quiet the last few miles, and Amelia could feel the anger rolling off her brother, even from the backseat. When they pulled up in her driveway, she sat up and touched his shoulder.

“Benny, I’m fine. I had a pretty good blow dealt to my ego, but I’m fine. Don’t let this bother you, please. Before long I won’t even remember it happened.”

“Bullshit,” he replied, though his voice was soft as he turned to face her. “I know you. I know how painful it had to be. And it isn’t like you can avoid seeing him. He’s family now, damn it all.”

There wasn’t much Amelia could say in argument. He was right. Fortunately, Ainsley stepped in and took the attention off the situation with Logan. She handed her an envelope over the back of the seat.

“Enough of him. This day has been too good to end on such a sour note. Emma and Archer wanted you to have that. Don’t open it until you get inside. And you’re not to show up at the church tomorrow. That’s an order from on high. There are plenty hands to go around and get things straightened up.”

Tired, her emotions broke over her reserve. Amelia sniffed back tears and fingered the heavy paper of the envelope. “What did they do? This isn’t just a thank-you card, is it?”

Ainsley’s smile was sweet. “No. You’ll like it, I promise—and you deserve it.”

Once she was inside she opened the flap. There was a thank-you card inside, but there was also a slip of paper with a reservation number on it. Emma’s handwriting told her what the number was for.

Dearest Baby Sister,

You’ve worked so hard for us, and you’ve made what is traditionally a stress-filled ordeal an experience that was a pleasure to go through. We wanted to say thanks.

I know how much you love the spa we go to occasionally in Lexington. We’ve always talked about spending a few days there at their full-service retreat. Well, guess what? They’re expecting you Monday for a three-night stay. I had Zanny and Rachel pick your brain, and I know you don’t have anything scheduled early in the week that won’t keep for a few days.

Go have fun and get some rest. Accept this token of our thanks. It isn’t quite a happily ever after, but it’s the least we can do.

With love,

Emma and Archer

“Damn it, Em.” Amelia wiped her wet cheeks with the heel of her hand. “I was expecting an engraved platter or something. Not this.” But the gift wasn’t really surprising now that she thought about it. She’d just been so distracted with everything the last week or so that she hadn’t noticed the probing questions. Hindsight was twenty-twenty. The spa sounded like heaven, and she didn’t want to wait until Monday to go.

She did a quick walkthrough to make sure the house was locked down, grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, and went to the bedroom. She considered a shower but she was too tired even for that. Stripping out of the bridesmaid’s gown, she laid it on the chair beside the bed. The rest of her garments followed. As soon as she was undressed, she turned the lamp out and crawled into bed. Her mind drifted to the possibility that Logan really had been jealous of Jonah.

“Dog in the manger, you know. For all the good it would do the man. I wouldn’t touch him with a ten-foot pole if he offered.”

But part of her knew she would touch him. She wouldn’t let herself get emotionally involved with him, but if the opportunity presented itself, she probably would give in to the temptation he presented. In all her life, she’d never thought she’d be interested in sex without love, but there it was.

As Ben drove around to his parents’ house where they were staying, the tension in the car was so thick it could almost be cut with a knife.

“She’s not going to just forget about this,” he growled. “You do realize that, don’t you?”

“Of course we realize that, but Ben, there’s nothing to do about it tonight. And it’s her decision. If Amelia doesn’t want us to interfere, we have to respect that decision.” Ainsley touched his shoulder. “But damn him, I’d like to get my hands on him right now.”

“So would I,” Jonah added from the backseat, surprising Ben. The man was usually laid-back and gentle. “And I wonder about him. I saw the way he was looking at her tonight. Hell, we all did. He wants her.”

“He can want until hell freezes over. He goes near her, I’ll rip his head off.” Ben was serious. He’d always been protective of Amelia, but after seeing her go through the tragedy of losing Jimmy, seeing what that loss had done to her, his protective instincts were stronger than ever. Add in the emotional stress of his impending fatherhood and it was taking all his willpower to not rip Logan Gibson limb from limb.

Ainsley’s words shook him, however. “It isn’t just the way he looks at her. She looks at him similarly when she thinks no one else is watching. I think they’ve got a powerful attraction between them, despite what she thinks. If they could somehow manage to work out their demons… he might be her mate.”

“You are out of your mind if you think I’m going to let him have my baby sister,” Ben told her with a soft caress down her arm to temper his words.

“Let me remind you that things aren’t always as they appear, no matter what someone hears or reads or is told.” Her voice was gentle, but Ben still felt the reproach. More, he knew she had a valid point as much as he hated to admit it. Their own relationship had nearly been destroyed by her mother’s machinations. They’d spent five years apart because of the woman’s interference and had only by the grace of God found each other again.

“If he hurts her again, I’m ripping his head off,” he countered as he parked beside his mother’s car.

Ainsley nodded. “If that happens, you’ll have my blessing and then some. I just hope it doesn’t come to that. Though if it does? Honestly, there might not be enough of him left for you after Archer gets hold of him.”

“She’s right,” Jonah said as they got out and made their way to the front door. “If you think you’re unhappy about this, I don’t even want to know how upset Archer would be. And given how long he and Emma have waited for each other, I think we’ll all have to work hard to pretend nothing is wrong. At least for a few weeks until they’ve had time to enjoy each other. It wouldn’t be fair to them to do anything else, or to Amelia. She’d feel so guilty if their honeymoon was ruined.”

Ben conceded the point. “Then I guess we keep our mouths shut. Mom and Dad, John, Rachel—the whole rest of the family. If Pip wants them to know, she’ll speak up. But I don’t like it.”

“Neither do we, love,” Ainsley assured him. “Neither do we.”