Stranger in my Arms (20 page)

Merrick stared at the woman in his arms, shock freezing his features. With whom had he fallen in love
and
committed his future to? He knew life with Alexandra Cole would never be boring, but he hadn't realized it would also be fun.

 

Alex shocked her parents when they walked into their kitchen early Friday morning to find their eldest daughter sitting at the table eating a bowl of oatmeal.

David's dimpled smile deepened the network of tiny lines around his obsidian eyes. “I told you we should change the locks,” he said to his wife.

Alex waved her spoon. “If you change the locks, then you're going to have to change the alarm's security code.”

Serena smiled at her daughter. “Never mind your father. He's as fussy as an old settin' hen, but he knows he loves it when his children come back home.”

David leaned over and dropped a kiss on Alex's damp hair. “Speak for yourself, Mrs. Cole. Hi, baby,” he crooned in the same breath.

Alex patted his arm. “Hi, Daddy.” She smiled at her mother, who'd come over to hug her. “Hi, Mom.”

Serena sat down beside her daughter. “What time did you get in?”

She and David had gotten used to their four children coming and going at odd times and hours. They would be there, then hours later jetting off to another state or country. Gabriel had become the most stable of the quartet. He loved teaching and living in Massachusetts. Even though Alex had purchased property in Virginia, she continued to travel—first for her education and now with her career.

Serena had come to realize that Ana and Jason were the least independent of her four children. And because they were twins, albeit fraternal, it would be difficult for them to sever the connection that began in the womb.

Alex swallowed a mouthful of cereal. “I got in after one.”

As David filled a carafe with water to brew coffee, he narrowed his gaze. There was something different about Alex, but he couldn't pinpoint what it was.

“If you came to hang out with Jason and Ana, then you're out of luck. They'll be in Los Angeles until next week.”

Alex stared at her father, then her mother. “I didn't come to see them. I came to talk to you.”

David felt his heart lurch; he mumbled a silent prayer for strength. “What about, cookie?”

Alex smiled. It'd been years since her father called her that. “Please sit down, Daddy.”

Resting his left hand over his chest, long, slender fingers outstretched, David shook his head. “If what you're going to tell me is going to hurt my heart, then I'd rather not hear it.”

“Sit down, David,” Serena urged quietly.

Waiting until her father sat beside her mother, his right arm draped over the back of Serena's chair, Alex said, “I'm getting married.”

“When?”

“To whom?”

Serena and David had spoken in unison.

Alex smiled at Serena. “When? As soon as you can get the family together.” She angled her head, grinning broadly at her father. “His name is Merrick Grayslake.”

David's expression did not change. He'd complained about his children not getting married, but now that Alexandra had expressed an interest in changing her marital status, he didn't feel the joy he thought he would've felt.

“Why the rush, cookie?”

“I'm pregnant.”

Serena gasped, her eyes widening with each passing second while David jumped and pumped his fists in the air.

“Yes! Yes!” he shouted, cutting a dance step around the kitchen. He came back to the table and pulled Alex from her chair. He swung her around and around until both she and Serena screamed for him to stop.

“David! You could hurt the baby,” Serena chastised angrily.

He set Alex gently on her feet as he managed to look contrite. “I'm sorry, cookie. It's just that the news that I'm going to be a grandfather is the best that I've had in a very long time.”

“I thought winning a Grammy as Producer of the Year was the best.”

“Oh, hell no,” he said in protest. “The day your mama told me that I was going to become a father tops the list. Knowing that I'll be a grandfather comes in at number two.”

Serena got up, filled a glass with orange juice and placed it in front of Alex. “How far along are you?”

“I just made seven weeks.”

“Did you see a doctor?” Serena asked, continuing her questioning.

“Yes. He says everything looks normal.”

“How and where did you meet this Grayslake dude?”

Alex rolled her eyes at her father. “He's not a dude, Daddy.”

“If he's not a dude, then what is he? A she?”

“Mommy, can you talk to your husband?”

Serena leveled David a knowing look. “Please, darling. This is serious.”

“So am I, Serena. Don't I have a right to know something about my future son-in-law?”

Alex took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. “Daddy, you and I will talk later, because Mom and I need to plan a wedding.”

David ran a hand over his close-cropped silver hair. “Okay, cookie. When are you going back to Virginia?”

“Sunday night.”

He nodded. He was outnumbered two to one, so he knew when to retreat. “Just remember to save time for your old man.”

“I will, Daddy.”

David filled a mug with coffee and walked out of the kitchen; an indescribable feeling filled his chest; there was going to be a wedding on the property of his Boca Raton estate for the first time; somehow he'd thought his sons would give him grandfather status, but it appeared as if his globe-trotting, art-loving daughter had beat them to it.

It no longer mattered because now his brothers would have to stop teasing him about his marriage-phobic children.

M
errick's arrival in Boca Raton coincided with two inches of rain that delayed flights into and out of Florida. He and others waited more than six hours before boarding a jet scheduled to land at the Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport. He'd called Alex to inform her that he would be late, followed by a call to the hotel where he'd made a reservation to inform them of his late arrival.

Alex had insisted he stay at her parents' house, but he rejected her offer, preferring instead to reserve a suite at a nearby hotel chain. Merrick reassured her that there would be other occasions, after they were married, when he would willingly accept his in-laws' hospitality. After all, he was a stranger, a man who would marry their daughter and change her name from Cole to Grayslake, a man who had no known relatives with whom to share the joy of his upcoming nuptials.

He saw Alex before she spied him. She stood in the baggage claims area holding a sign with his name. “I'm Mr. Grayslake,” he whispered, startling her. “How are you, beautiful?”

Alex lowered the placard and looped her arms under his shoulders. “I'm good. Welcome to the Sunshine State.”

Merrick gave her a skeptical look before he brushed a light kiss over her mouth. “Surely you jest,” he teased.

Her eyes took in his powerful presence. “Dad said it's the first hard rain in weeks.”

Switching his carry-on bag to the opposite hand, he reached for her fingers. “Did you check the almanac for Saturday's weather?”

Alex gave him a sidelong glance as she led him out of the terminal. “Do you really follow what's in the almanac?”

Merrick nodded. “It's more accurate than not.”

“Well, it's not going to rain on our wedding.”

He lifted an eyebrow. “Why? Because you say so?”

“Yes,” she said confidently.

Waiting until they were seated in a late-model Lexus sedan, Alex gave Merrick an overview of their wedding scheduled for Saturday afternoon at four, and that family members had been gathering in Florida all week since David and Serena Cole had announced their upcoming nuptials.

“Where is everyone staying?” Merrick asked as Alex maneuvered in and out of traffic like an Indy car driver.

“Most will stay in Palm and West Palm Beach. Michael and Jolene will stay with his parents at their condo. The property where we met will accommodate at least fifty. It'll be a tight fit, but it will be like a gigantic sleepover. My aunts Nancy and Josephine have enough room to put up another thirty or forty between them.”

“What's on the agenda for tomorrow other than getting a license?”

“That's it. I picked up my dress yesterday and shoes earlier today.”

“What about rings, Ali?”

Her mouth formed a perfect O. “I forgot about them.”

“Do you want an engagement ring?”

She shook her head. “No.” Alex wanted to tell Merrick that if they'd had a formal engagement period, then yes.

“Can you take a few days off for a honeymoon?”

Alex slowed and then came to a complete stop at a red light. “We can't do Venice in a few days.”

“But we can do Key West.”

She bit down on her lower lip to keep from screaming. “I'd love to spend my honeymoon in the Keys.”

Reaching over, Merrick rested his hand on her knee. “I'll call a few places to see if we can't rent a bungalow. The summer season is over, so we should be able to find something.”

“What can I do to make you change your mind about staying in a hotel?”

He squeezed her knee. “There's nothing you can do, baby. I'll meet your folks tomorrow.”

“Are you worried that I'll slip into your bedroom and jump your bones?”

Throwing back his head, Merrick laughed. “There's not going to be any more bone-jumping until after we're married. Getting you pregnant before I married you was not what I'd planned.”

“Are you sorry that I'm pregnant?”

Merrick heard the hitch in her voice and his heart turned over. “No, baby, I'm not sorry. But if it was the only thing that convinced you to marry in
this
century, I would've made it my business to get you pregnant the first time we slept together.”

“That's diabolical and underhanded.”

“All's fair in love and war,
querida.
”

 

Merrick felt as if he were reliving New Year's Eve. There were Coles everywhere. They drifted in and out of David and Serena's house, leaving wrapped gifts and envelopes; they hugged and kissed Alex, overwhelming her until she burst into tears. He took charge of his fiancée when he led her into the house, put her to bed, staying with her until she fell asleep.

There came a soft knock on the door. Merrick left the chair next to Alex's bed, crossed the room and opened the door. Serena motioned to him. “How is she?”

Merrick smiled at the petite woman with graying reddish-brown curls. He met her gold-brown eyes, eyes she'd passed along to her four children. “She's sleeping.”

Serena exhaled. “I didn't want to say anything about the baby, because that's something you and Alex should make public. I should've known she was getting overwhelmed when she stopped talking.” Lowering his head, Merrick smothered a grin. “Oh, I guess you know that she talks a lot.”

“One of us has to be the talkative one.”

Serena rested a hand on his arm. “That's what I told David. He kept saying ‘he's kind of quiet,' but I had to remind my husband that every Cole carries the loquacious gene.” Standing on tiptoe, she kissed her soon-to-be son-in-law on the cheek. “Thank you for taking care of her.”

Merrick met Serena's unflinching stare. “I'll always take care of her.”

Turning on her heel, Serena retraced her steps. She'd told David that he had nothing to worry about. There was something about Merrick Grayslake that reminded her of David's brother, Joshua Kirkland. Both men were quiet and radiated a danger that could take the nerve of the bravest man.

She was proud of her daughter. There was no doubt she'd chosen well.

 

Merrick sat around the heated pool with Alex's twenty- and thirty-something relatives as catering staff unloaded their vans, setting candles out on each table. Within twenty minutes dozens of candles flickered like stars while a long table groaned under platters of food set up buffet style.

It was to be his last night as a single man, and Michael teased him about being
whipped.
He'd come to like Alex's family. They were friendly, outgoing, unpretentious and brutally honest. In a few short days they'd become his family: father, mother, brothers, sisters, cousins, aunts and uncles.

Merrick sat up straighter, going completely still when he saw Gabriel Cole with a woman from his past. He remembered her even if she didn't remember him. He stood up with the other men at their approach. Gabriel made the introductions, and when they stood in front of him Merrick noticed the stiffness in her slender body.

Gabriel smiled at Merrick. “Last, but certainly not least, is the prospective bridegroom, my soon-to-be brother-in-law, Merrick Grayslake. Merrick, this is my friend and colleague, Summer Montgomery.”

Merrick wanted to tell Gabriel that he knew who she was. Casually dressed in a pair of tailored taupe slacks and an ivory-hued silk shirt, and her hair pulled off her face in a loose knot, she looked nothing like the woman he'd trained. DEA special agent Summer Montgomery had completed her training at the FBI facilities in Quantico, Virginia, and had applied to take an additional course in intelligence training. Merrick, on loan from the CIA to the FBI and the DEA, had facilitated the four-week training.

Summer inclined her head. “Merrick. Best wishes on your upcoming nuptials.”

Smiling, he leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Thank you, Renegade.” He'd whispered her code name. He saw a flicker of gratitude in her eyes before she shuttered her gaze. It was apparent Gabriel Cole was totally unaware that his girlfriend was an undercover drug agent.

Not waiting for the others, Merrick went over to the serving station. Reaching for a plate, he had the servers fill it with vegetables, sliced chicken and cubed fresh fruit. He approached the table where Alex sat with Ana, Summer and Clayborne Spencer's fiancée and fellow medical student, Kim Cheung.

He placed the plate in front of Alex. Resting both hands on her shoulders, he massaged the muscles in her neck and upper back. “What do you want to drink?”

Smiling up at him over her shoulder, Alex crooned, “A fruit juice, darling.”

Merrick walked away to do Alex's bidding and Ana covered her hand with her fingers. “Michael's right,” she whispered. “He is
whipped!
And speaking of whipped, I owe you one, dear sister.”

Alex swallowed a mouthful of avocado. Some women craved pickles and ice cream, she craved avocados. “For what?”

“For pretending you didn't know Merrick when you two were knockin' boots.”

“How long have you known Merrick, Alex?” Kim asked.

“I met him New Year's Eve just like the rest of you.” Alex smiled at Gabriel's girlfriend. “Everyone except Summer.”

“I saw him, but I wasn't introduced to Merrick until he came to Michael's house on the Fourth,” Ana said. “By that time he and Alex were knee-deep in the hot sauce.”

“My sister's pissed because Miss Sherlock Holmes couldn't find out my business.”

Ana wiggled her fingers. “That's because your man is tall, dark and mysterious.”

Kim flipped several strands of straight black hair over her shoulder. “He's gorgeous.”

“It's his eyes,” Ana crooned, batting her lashes. “They're like lasers. Do they change color when he makes love to you?”

“Why don't you ask him?” Alex said, glaring at her sister.

“Ana,” Kim whispered, “you shouldn't ask your sister that.”

“Why not?” she asked.

“Because it's disrespectful.”

“You tell her, Kim,” Alex chimed in.

Summer Montgomery rested her forehead on her arms and laughed until tears rolled down her cheeks. Gabriel's sisters were like a stand-up act.

Merrick returned, carrying a glass of juice, followed by Clayborne, Gabriel and Jason, who set down plates in front of Kim, Summer and Ana.

Having assuaged her temporary pangs of hunger, Alex drank her juice, then dabbed her mouth. “Summer, you can share my room tonight because Kim will be in Ana's. Let me know if you'll need a massage, manicure, pedicure, or if you want your hair styled. Mom has contracted with a group of beauty consultants to hook us up tomorrow.”

Summer flashed a wide grin. “Count me in for the massage and hair.”

The women sat eating and chatting for several hours until Alex stood up. “I don't know about the rest of you, but I must get some sleep.”

Pushing herself into a standing position, Summer said, “I think I'm going to join you.” She smiled at Ana and Kim. “I'll see you tomorrow. Good night.”

“Wait for us,” Kim called out as she and Ana followed Alex and Summer.