If I Can't Have You (If You Come Back To Me #3) (21 page)

As usual, Deidre was fearless in the face of potential danger. She grabbed Colleen’s free hand and pulled.

“Come on. We’d better get moving. Nick is likely to go into interrogation mode any second.”

Colleen glanced at Nick bemusedly as they passed, but his gaze was glued to Deidre. Was that concern she saw on his face, mingling with annoyance? For some reason, the way he looked as he followed Deidre’s retreating figure reminded her of the way Eric glared at her sometimes when she was being stubborn.

Chapter
Thirteen

A
painful stitch stabbed at Colleen’s side as she and
Deidre raced through the Holy Name parking lot, both of them wearing heels
and holding hands to improve their balance. Their flight from Reno to
Detroit had been delayed four hours because of weather, and now they were
running late for Liam’s and Natalie’s dress rehearsal. Brigit had gone ahead
and brought the kids with her to the wedding rehearsal, while Deidre and
Colleen hurried to get ready.

Everything in the past
twenty-four hours had happened so suddenly, it still felt a little surreal
to her. She couldn’t believe she was rushing to Liam’s rehearsal dinner with
Deidre in tow. They’d decided to surprise Brigit, Liam and Marc with
Deidre’s presence. Colleen didn’t like to think about how either her mother
or Deidre would act when they saw each other.

All of that was nerve-racking
enough. But Colleen had to admit to herself that she was nervous and edgy
because she was about to see Eric again. Would he be irritated at her for
avoiding him all this time? Or would he be relieved? He’d stopped attempting
to call her in the past week. Had he given up on trying to apologize for his
intentions in seducing her? Was he ready to move on from the whole
affair?

Dashing into the church
vestibule, Deidre and she removed their coats and hung them on the rack in
the entryway. In the distance, she heard Father Mike calling out
instructions.

Her heart thrummed with dread
and excitement as they entered the church. Deidre hadn’t spoken to Brigit
since she’d overheard an argument between Brigit and Derry sixteen years
ago. In that argument, Derry had confronted Brigit with the fact that given
their blood types, Deidre couldn’t be his daughter. Brigit had admitted
Derry wasn’t Deidre’s father, although she’d kept the identity of Deidre’s
biological father a secret until last summer.

Now Deidre was back in Harbor
Town, and Colleen couldn’t help but worry that all hell was going to break
loose for the Kavanaughs—again.

Despite her worry about Deidre
and Brigit, it was Eric’s face she immediately sought out among the small
crowd, not her mother’s.

“Oh, my God,” Deidre whispered
without moving her lips. They paused at the back of the church, and the
entire wedding party turned to look at them. “Is that Eric? He’s
gorgeous.”

Colleen flushed, hoping
fervently the excellent acoustics in the church hadn’t made Deidre whisper
carry. Deidre was indeed staring at Eric, and he did indeed look gorgeous,
as usual. He wore a black suit, white shirt and pale tie. She hadn’t been
able to resist her sister’s encouragements to reveal the truth about the
reason for her frequent distractedness and occasional weepiness while they’d
been in Tahoe. Now Deidre was privy to the secret workings of her heart.
Well…most of them, anyway. There was no way she could convey with words the
feelings she had seeing Eric at that moment.

The wedding party had apparently
been practicing the bride’s entrance, because Natalie was holding Eric’s arm
and they paused in the center aisle. His gaze fixed on her. Colleen couldn’t
interpret his expression. Her heart plummeted to the vicinity of her
belly.

Suddenly, Liam gave a shout, and
Marc, Mari, Liam and Natalie were converging on them at the back of the
church.

“I can’t believe it!” Liam said,
laughing jubilantly as he hugged Deidre and picked her up, making her shriek
in surprise. “You came!”

“I was wondering if I’d ever see
the day,” Marc said a moment later, beaming at Deidre. He gave her a big
bear hug. When he glanced over Deidre’s shoulder and saw Colleen standing
there, smiling with joy, he reached and pulled her into the embrace.
Laughing, Colleen put out an arm for Liam. The Kavanaugh children all
engaged in a mutual, clumsy, heartfelt hug. “Do we owe you for this
miracle?” Marc asked Colleen. “This is incredible.”

“I’ll say it is. All four of you
together again in Harbor Town. I wondered if I’d ever see it
again.”

They all broke apart and turned
at the sound of Brigit’s voice. Brigit stared at her oldest daughter, her
expression rapt. The hesitancy mingled with joy Colleen saw on her mother’s
face sent a pain through her heart.

“Deidre. You’ve made me so
happy.” She flew to her daughter, arms outstretched. Deidre didn’t speak,
just returned the hug, albeit stiffly. When they parted, Colleen saw a film
of tears over Deidre’s eyes, but she didn’t allow one to spill.

Father Mike approached, greeting
them enthusiastically. Everyone started talking. Colleen sighed in partial
relief. She’d been dreading the moment, unsure of whether or not Deidre
would turn a cold shoulder and cut Brigit completely. At least the initial
greeting between mother and daughter had passed and gone tolerably well.
Brendan and Jenny ran up to hug her. She’d missed them like crazy while
she’d been in Tahoe and they’d stayed with their grandmother.

When she straightened, she
realized that while everyone else conversed and made introductions, Eric was
watching her with that dark-eyed, knowing look that always seemed to pierce
right through her.

She licked her lower lip
nervously. She should say hello, at least. No casual greeting seemed to fit
the mixed anxiety, uncertainty and pleasure she experienced at seeing him
again, though. He looked tense. Deidre had suggested—very delicately—while
they’d been in Tahoe that Colleen may have been a tad defensive in not
allowing Eric to fully explain himself. Was Deidre right? Was he angry?
Concerned? Or was he completely immune to her now that he’d met his personal
challenge of seducing her?

He took a step toward her, and
her heart jumped into her throat.

“Okay, everyone, let’s get back
to business!” Father Mike called out, herding them back toward the front of
the church.

Unfortunately, there was no
opportunity for the next forty-five minutes to find out what Eric had been
planning to say to her as Father Mike led them through the wedding
proceedings. She kept stealing glances at him and occasionally caught him
looking at her, but his expression gave her no clues as to what he was
thinking or feeling. After they’d finished with rehearsal, she saw Natalie
draw her brother aside and speak to him. Liam joined them. Eric nodded and
approached Deidre. She became distracted when Brendan asked for permission
for he and Jenny to ride to the restaurant with Eric.

“Eric wants us to,” Brendan
insisted when she demurred. “We’re giving
Lucy
to Uncle Liam and Natalie after
dinner tonight.”

“
Lucy
is going to be in the parking
lot, waiting for Natalie and Uncle Liam when they leave,” Jenny said,
brimming over with enthusiasm. Between the excitement of giving
Lucy
and the thrill of
her flower-girl duties tomorrow, Colleen seriously doubted her girl would
sleep well tonight.

A little later, she watched Eric
leave with Brendan and Jenny. Everyone was trickling out of the church,
leaving for the rehearsal dinner at Bistro Campagne.

“Natalie wants me to be in the
wedding,” Deidre said later as Colleen drove over to the
restaurant.

“She does? That’s a wonderful
idea.”

Deidre laughed. “I told her I
couldn’t. I don’t have a dress to wear. But it was sweet of her to ask. I
like her…and Eric, too. I can see what you meant about him. Tall, dark and
smoldering. What eyes,” Deidre added, giving Colleen a sideways, significant
glance from the passenger seat.

She frowned, ignoring Deidre’s
mischievous expression.

“Is that what Eric was talking
to you about? Being in the wedding?”

“In part,” Deidre said lightly.
“He also asked about you.”

“He did?” she asked, nearly
missing her turn. “What did he say?”

“He asked if you were doing all
right. He said you looked pale. I told him he should ask you himself how you
were. I said that all I knew was that you were up most nights in Tahoe,
crying your eyes out.”

“You
didn’t,
” Colleen declared in an
ominous tone.

“Okay, I didn’t,” Deidre said,
smiling angelically. “I’d never, you know that. I’ve got your back.
Still…you guys should talk. I saw the way he was staring at you. If you
seriously believe he was just interested in you for a challenge, you’re
nuts.”

Colleen willed her breathing to
calm and changed the subject. “Of course you should be in the wedding.
You’re Liam’s sister. I have a dress you can wear. Mari and I chose our own
dresses—we just made sure the colors and fabric matched in a general sense.
I have another dark red dress you can borrow. I’ll do some alterations on it
tomorrow.”

They chatted about the
possibility until they entered Bistro Campagne and were shown to a reserved
room. The wedding party was seated at the front of the room at a long table.
Both Colleen and Natalie—who had also just arrived—insisted that Deidre sit
at the head table. Colleen was chatting with Deidre and Mari when she
noticed Eric enter the room with the kids. She waved at Jenny and Brendan as
they sat down at a table with Brigit. Eric sat at the opposite end of the
head table. Colleen watched him unobtrusively as he talked and joked with
Marc.

“Colleen, did you have a chance
to come up with something for your speech for the toast?” Mari asked her in
a confidential tone.

She stared at Mari in horror.
Oh my God,
the toast. They’d agreed that Marc and Mari, as best man and matron of
honor, would give the toast at the wedding reception, but Eric and Colleen
were responsible for the rehearsal dinner traditional toasts to the bride
and groom.

Deidre noticed her horrified
expression. “What’s wrong?”

“I thought there was a chance
you’d forgotten, with everything going on, and you being away.” Mari glanced
at Deidre. “She’s supposed to give the toast tonight.”

Colleen took a large gulp of
water. How could she have forgotten?

“Why don’t you let me do it?”
Deidre offered blithely.

“You wouldn’t mind winging it?”
Colleen asked in amazement as a waiter filled their champagne glasses. Most
of the guests were seated now.

Deidre winked. “You’re talking
to an army nurse, remember? Making do with what I’ve got and winging it are
my specialties.”

She was relieved to pass the
duty on to Deidre. Colleen was used to public speaking engagements for The
Family Center, but she liked to have something prepared. The sound of silver
tinkling on crystal rung out, and the guests ceased their chatter. Eric
stood to make his toast. Colleen was glad to have a valid excuse to stare at
him.

“I was given the singular
privilege tonight to toast the future happiness of this special couple, Liam
and Natalie. I suppose I’m not the typical brother of the bride. I’ve also
had the honor to be a father figure to Natalie and to watch her grow into
the amazing young woman you see before you today.”

Colleen found Eric’s deep,
resonant voice and striking good looks compelling, and she could tell by the
many rapt faces in the room, she wasn’t the only one.

“I won’t lie to you and say that
I didn’t have my doubts when Natalie and Liam announced their engagement. I
was cynical that anyone could be good enough for my little sister. She’s one
of the kindest people I know, generous to a fault. A braver soul never
existed. There are things she’s endured that would have broken me,” he said,
meeting Natalie’s misty stare. He looked at Liam. “If you’ve won such a
worthy heart, then you must deserve her. Is it possible for two people to
fall so quickly for one another, to know with absolute, unquestionable
certainty that this person is who they were meant to spend the rest of their
lives with?” Colleen’s heart skipped a beat when Eric’s dark-eyed gaze
landed on her and seemed to burn right down to her spirit. “Until recently,
I would have said no. I would have denied cynicism and said I was just being
rational in doubting the possibility of falling head over heels in love so
fast, so completely. I would have said someone who claimed such a thing was
not only foolish, but naive.”

He paused, and Colleen held her
breath.

“But tonight I gladly admit I
was the one who was a naive fool for doubting. Love comes in many ways, if
the trusting heart only lets it in.” He raised his glass to the bride and
groom. “Join me in toasting happiness and prosperity to a couple who taught
this fool a measure of wisdom. To Natalie and Liam, may your brave, trusting
hearts continue to beat strong and united for a lifetime.”

“To Natalie and Liam,” the
guests murmured before they drank. Eric sat down to enthusiastic applause.
The guests demanded a kiss by tinkling their goblets, which Liam and Natalie
gladly provided.

“Great, how am I going to follow
such a terrific toast?” Deidre grumbled. She did a double take when she
glanced at Colleen’s face. She smiled fondly and dried off Colleen’s cheeks
with her napkin. “I told you he wasn’t just interested in a
challenge.”

Colleen sniffed and leaned
forward, glancing down the table, only to see that Eric was doing the same
toward her. While she hadn’t been able to read him at all earlier, currently
he was an open book. His expression was a little pained, as though he
entreated for her understanding.