His Bahamas Affair (The Albury Affairs) (3 page)

Amy chuckled, shaking
her head. “By the time I got to Matthew at the altar, I was in the middle of a
panic attack.”

Loraine laughed. “Oh,
he must have been impressed with that!”

“Oh, I remember that.
Allan was asking around for a paper bag for you to breathe into!” Melody chimed
in with a giggle.

“I thought Matthew
would be angry. But he just looked at me, took my face in his big hands and
planted one on me. For the few seconds he was kissing me, I completely forgot
what I was nervous about,” she giggled. “Heck! I even forgot where I was,” she
said with a sigh.

Loraine caught the
sweet loving look on Amy’s face as she traveled down memory lane and she felt
her heart twinge with jealousy. She wished she had a reason for that look too.

“Where
is
the bride?” Melody asked.

“Right here.” Riana
stepped into view and Loraine had to stand up and turn around to get a better
look.

“Oh my God,” Loraine
whispered in awe as she looked at her friend. Riana looked mesmerizing in her
princess ball gown dress.

The bodice was studded
with small crystals in an intricate pattern. The white satin of the skirt of
the dress flowed out around her and when she turned full circle, it resembled a
ringing bell. She had a small tiara seated perfectly in her hair that it looked
more like a hair band. Riana hadn’t liked it much but Aurora had insisted on
her getting a matching one to her own little tiara and Riana folded. But the
little hellion was right—it looked wonderful with her hair style. Her white
veil reached her waist, covering the back of her hair and her exposed back. Her
makeup was light and natural, accentuating her facial features and not acting
like a mask like it does on most brides.

“You look beautiful,”
Melody sniffed.

“No! No cry. No time to
redo makeup. Time for dressing.” Guliana shoved a Champaign dress at Loraine
with a sarcastic smile. “I pulled your dress. Hurry, you are the only one still
in your robe and the bride is the only one allowed to be fashionably late.”
Then she walked away taking Aurora’s hand and leading her to the room to dress
her.

The room erupted in
laughter except for Loraine.

Riana stepped before a
full length mirror to admire herself. “Don’t go toe to toe with Guliana,
Loraine. You won’t win.”

Loraine snickered with
a roll of her eyes before she stomped into her room and banged the door behind
her to mute the laughter. “Damn Italian stylist!”

Chapter Two

Reno walked up the
aisle toward the groom and the best man. Most men would be nervous about
signing away their freedom but Allan looked completely relaxed. In fact, he
looked like the ceremony of thirty of their friends, family, and Allan’s
business associates was nothing but a formal party. He had no fears of the
bride bolting or the nervousness that came with signing away a man’s
bachelorhood for the responsibilities of a family. He looked quite ready to get
the entire thing over with, without the least bit hurry to say the ‘I dos’ so
that he could start breathing again.

Reno remembered feeling
that same way on his wedding day. It had been a small affair with a pastor and
two of his resort managers standing in as witnesses. Neither of them had family
in New Providence nor could he afford the plane ticket out for Riana. He’d felt
like his life was about to take the next step to a wonderful journey. Like
finally things were starting to go right in his life.

How wrong he’d been.
The only thing that step had brought was misery. Georgia had been the worst
mistake of his life and four years after she abandoned him, she was still the
worst mistake. Now, just a mistake he’d found impossible to divorce. But that
would soon be resolved once the court appointed time lapsed.

Two
more months and I will be a free man.

The court had granted
his petition of dissolution of marriage under the suit of abandonment but he’d
had to wait a full year before his farce of a marriage was annulled.

He chortled. His
petition had lasted longer than his marriage.

Three months into their
wedded bliss she’d ran away with one of his guests at the resort. Reno hadn’t
even seen it coming. No word, no sign whatsoever. Hell, they never ever fought
bad enough to warrant a separation. They’d barely had their hands off each
other long enough to even have a meaningful conversation, let alone a quarrel
bad enough to warrant abandonment. And to think of the reason he’d married her
in the first place…but thinking of it now, he was sure he’d taken on the load
of another man, which he was glad to be rid of. Let some other unsuspecting man
play sucker to her Jezebel charms.

But his pride had taken
quite a beating. Just remembering the snickering behind his back and the pity
looks from his employees made him cringe. It was hard to face the guests at the
resort when the employees’ gossips of the owner’s sad and embarrassing
heartbreak reached them. It had taken some time to get over and with it came a
new resolution. He was going to embrace his bachelorhood and enjoy it
extremely, especially if she was blonde and blue eyed. Was it petty and jaded
to casually screw women who looked like his wife? Hell yes, but it did help his
bruised ego some.

“What are you smiling
at?”

Reno turned to Ruiz. He
was still nervous but much better than he was before they entered
L’Archeologia
in Rome
.
Riana had wanted to hold the wedding in their open grounds full
of archeological remains. She was an art nut, and the reception was to be held
inside the restaurant. Ruiz was more nervous than when he was introducing
himself to Reno. But who could blame him? He’d thought Riana was dead until
Reno had told him otherwise.

It was uncanny how much
they resembled each other. They were both tall and broad and from the pictures
Ruiz had brought with him as proof, they took after their father. Aside from
the obvious difference, and the two year age gap, they could be twins. And who
would have thought he would be walking next to the reason for his mother’s
heartache at his sister’s wedding? Life could be strange sometimes.

“Would you calm down?
She’s the sweetest person alive and she doesn’t know how to hold a grudge.”

“Like you?”

Reno narrowed his eyes
at him. “Watch it little brother.”

Ruiz flashed him a
smile. “Hey, I’ll be your wing man tonight
big
brother
. I heard the bridesmaids are usually very slutty and willing at the
reception.” He waggled his eyebrows. “Are you looking forward to some slutty
wedding sex?”

Reno shook his head.
“Don’t even think about it. One of those bride’s maids is spoken for by the
best man.” He pointed Matthew out. He’d met Allan and Matthew the night before
and they’d become quick friends, to his astonishment. Reno wasn’t like the two
of them—rich and without a sordid background—but they’d hit it off.

“And the other is
Allan’s sister so if you want to end up dead and washed up on the beach
bloated, half eaten by fish until you’re unrecognizable and the obvious
amputation in your nether regions, go for it.”

Ruiz frowned with a
wince. “What about the maid of honor?”

Reno whistled shaking
his head. “That is a blonde, blue eyed can of trouble. I’m not going anywhere
near that and neither should you.”

Ruiz sighed and pouted.
“When I finally get the opportunity to behave like a juvenile, no one is
available to play with.”

Ruiz hadn’t told him
the full story but Reno got the impression he’d had a hard life after his
mother moved both of them back to Argentina just months after his own mother
took them to the States. All those years he’d spent cursing his brother out for
having the life he and Riana were denied were wasted. Unlike him, Ruiz was all
alone.

Reno Senior, their
father, had tried to have his cake and eat it too but it all back fired on him
. Good, the bastard deserved to suffer some
for what he did to us, to all of us.

But he wasn’t what was
important now. Reno had to think about how he was going to break this news to
Riana. He knew she wasn’t going to take it well, but with Allan’s help, it
might all go well.

They had spoken the
night before about Ruiz. Allan hadn’t met him yet but he’d invited Ruiz to be
one of his groomsmen to even the number out. Reno had been roped into being a
groomsman too, though he preferred to act as the father of the bride for the
night and nothing else. He’d helped raise Riana and he wanted to watch her live
her special day and not risk ruining it.

The pit of his stomach
still churned knowing she was about to be married. He was scared that her
marriage wouldn’t work out and he didn’t want to watch her heart break for
another two and a half years over the same man. His stomach churned for another
reason too—he didn’t want to share his sister. He hadn’t realized how much he
missed having her around until she left Bahamas for the States.

His little sister was
getting married, and it made him as nervous as hell!

“Reno, how are you?”
Allan greeted them with a smile.

Reno smiled back. “Great,
but this guy is so nervous he’s beginning to annoy me,” Reno stood to the side
and made introductions. “Allan, Matthew, my little brother Ruiz.”

“Hey! You aren’t the
one who’s about to meet his sister at the altar on her wedding day!” Ruiz
pulled at the collar of his shirt completely ignoring Reno’s introductions.

Geez!
The kid really is nervous. He’s practically sweating!
Reno thought, biting the insides of his cheeks to keep from laughing.

Ruiz looked around
nervously. “Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.”

Matthew laughed,
punching Ruiz lightly in the shoulder. “You’ll be fine. And if I know Riana
well, she’ll be sad you weren’t involved in her wedding in some way once she
finds out who you are. Let her think you are one of Allan’s close friends until
he introduces you.”

Allan chuckled shaking
his head. “Why am I in the line of fire? Why can’t Reno do it?”

“Because
soon-to-be-brother, you are currently walking on water and the news won’t hit
as hard coming from you. From me, she’ll think…” Reno stopped giving Ruiz an
apologetic glance.

Ruiz shrugged, “She’ll
think you are betraying her. It’s cool. I resented you guys for a long time
before I decided having a brother and a sister was much better than being alone
and keeping company with resentment.”

Allan slapped his hands
and rubbed them together. “Okay then. Ruiz, why don’t you take your position,
and Reno, go bring the love of my life to me.”

Reno smiled at that,
the weight on his heart getting lighter. “Take care of my sister Allan
Sinclair.”

Allan gave him a nod.
“With my life.”

With an encouraging pat
on his brother’s shoulder, Reno turned around before the treacherous tears
fell. He walked briskly back down the aisle, his head lowered until his eyes
were clear. He never thought it would be this hard to give his sister away to
another man. He was losing her all over again.

He’d just walked into
L’Archeologia
when he was almost knocked off his
feet.

“
Weno
!”
Aurora shrieked, hugging his legs tightly.

Reno chuckled, bending
to grab Aurora up into his arms. “How’s my little angel? You look like a little
princess in your beautiful princess dress.”

She giggled. “Tank
you.” She pointed up at her hair. “Look, my
tiawa
.
Mommy has one too!”

Reno kissed her chubby
cheek, turning to look at Riana. He stood there, shocked for a moment as he
stared at his sister. She looked so beautiful and radiant, it took his breath
away. When had his little sister grown up?

He careful placed
Aurora on the ground before he moved to take Riana’s hands in his. “You look
gorgeous baby sis.”

She smiled with beaming
happiness. “Thank you. You don’t look too bad yourself. Did you ever think this
day would come for me, after everything we’ve gone through?”

Reno gave her a watery
smile. “If anyone deserves happiness, it’s you. I wish mom was here to see
this,” he croaked.

Riana nodded with a
shaky smile, a blur of tears in her eyes. “I prefer to think that she is. She’s
in my heart, in yours and in Aurora’s.”

Reno kissed her
forehead. “Come on let’s get this show on the road.”

Riana hugged his arm.
“You’ll get this too, Reno. With the right girl who’ll love and cherish you
like you deserve, you’ll never know anything but happiness. I just know it.”

Reno just smiled down
at his sister, not willing to ruin her day by disputing her wish for him. He
believed only the lucky few and the most deserving found their soul mates and
he wasn’t one of them. And after the disaster with his first marriage, he
wasn’t very keen on going down that road again.