Then Came You (The Wilde Sisters #2) (20 page)

Grayson’s hand remained at Thyme’s waist and he held her firm when she attempted to step away. “Stay here,” he whispered in Thyme’s ear and left her.

“Sophia,” he said coldly while giving her the customary, unattached kiss to the cheek as well. “We’ve invited Thyme Wilde to dine with us. Thyme is a close friend of Maddie’s and mine.”

The old witch didn’t even glance over at Thyme and motioned to the woman to her right. “Gina will be joining us for lunch. It’s about time you two announced your engagement.”

Thyme gasped, which only Eva seemed to hear. Her eyes spoke of compassion and she came over to rest a comforting hand on Thyme’s arm.

“Sophia. Now is not the time for this.”

Ignoring Grayson’s steely glare, his grandmother waved him off. “Gina was just telling me about the engagement ring she was designing. And I have the perfect gown for her for the engagement party.”

Thyme couldn’t take anymore. Before Grayson could stop her—if he even wanted to—she turned and fled.

Stupid, stupid, stupid.
It wasn’t that she expected Grayson to stay loyal to her. Hell, they weren’t even in a relationship, but she didn’t expect him to invite her to dine with his fiancée. She regretted taking off on Maddie, but she couldn’t stand there and be humiliated any longer.

***

Grayson

“Sophia. Gina and I are not engaged. We’re not even dating.”

For the record, Gina did look a tad guilty. “I think it’s a good time now, Grayson. My parents are getting older and will need an heir to run the business. Father has a position ready for you whenever you want it. And you need a mother figure for Madeline.”

Surprised at the sudden change in Gina, Grayson ran his hands down his face. She was not mother figure material. “Gina, we’re not getting married. I’m in love with someone else.” He turned around to reach for Thyme but she was gone. “Mom? Where’s Thyme?”

His mother rested a hand on his shoulder. “She had to leave, honey. You need to go find her.”

“Where did Thyme go?” Maddie whined. “I didn’t get to say goodbye to her. Again.”

Grayson saw his life flying before his eyes. The woman he loved kept walking out of his life. Granted, he kept pushing her away. He wanted to run after her, to bring her back to the restaurant and shove her in Sophia’s face, showing her what true love looked like, but he couldn’t abandon Maddie on her magical day. Torn between his two loves, he stuck with his daughter as he’d vowed never to abandon her. As soon as he found Thyme he’d tell her the same thing.

It was time for The Plan to go in effect. Now.

“Let’s order. Then I have some news I’d like to share with all of you.”

***

Thyme

It had only been four days since Thyme’s third and final kick to the gut, yet it seemed like a lifetime ago. She missed Maddie’s constant chatter and infectious giggle. She missed Grayson’s strong arms and sexy smile. She loved them both more than life itself and didn’t know how she would survive without them.

But she would. Starting with a clean break. The last of her clothes from the Davenport house were packed. She’d drop her key off with the family attorney on her way to her sister’s house. Hopefully it wouldn’t take too long to find a roommate. She’d look for a daycare job while she finished up her courses and hopefully squirrel away enough money to open her own daycare and preschool the following year.

Pushing her sweaty bangs out of her face, she hefted the last box off the floor and took one final look at the house that started it all.

“Going somewhere?”

Thyme shrieked and nearly dropped the box of undergarments. “What the hell are you doing here?”

Grayson leaned against the doorframe to the living room, arms crossed, looking sexy as sin in cargo shorts, an Under Armor t-shirt, and—was it?—yes, flip flops. “I could ask you the same thing.”

“I live here. Or rather…I used to live here. I’m moving out. The house is yours. Or Maddie’s. I don’t know. I don’t care.” She shifted the box to her right hip and looked for another way to escape that didn’t involve brushing up against him and his shoulders that filled the entire doorway.

“You don’t care?” He quirked an eyebrow and didn’t try to hide his smile.

Damn him for looking sexy. He should be groveling at her feet, not looking smug. Unless…unless he had the wife and kid with him? No, he wouldn’t have married Gina that quickly. “Where’s your fiancée?”

“She’s here.”

Her heart plummeted to her feet and she did her best to swallow her tears. “Well, then. Don’t let me get in your way.” She squared her shoulders and marched toward him. He surprised her by stepping aside, allowing her to get by. Once outside, she saw a large U-Haul truck blocking her Prius. The three of them must be staying in Maine for the summer. Just wonderful. She should move to Kansas.

Thyme shoved the box in her car. “Can you please ask your driver to move the truck?”

“In a hurry?”

“Yes.” He twirled a set of keys around his finger, that annoyingly charming, smug smile still on his face. “You drove here?” Grayson nodded. “No corporate jet?” He shook his head. “Why not?”

“My parents and Maddie are using it this weekend. They gave me a head start.” Grayson tossed the keys in the air, caught them, and shoved them in the deep pockets of his shorts.

The only other times she’d seen his calves was when he went swimming in Aruba and when they were rolling around naked. Thyme swallowed down her lust and told her heart to take a chill pill.

The man infuriated her. He let a bitchy old woman dictate his life. What kind of boyfriend or husband would he be? He may be a wonderful father to Maddie when he was around—which wasn’t often—and was amazing in bed, and not too hard on the eyes, but the forever kind of guy who could give her what she finally realized she wanted? Dreamed of? No. The silence between them grew more awkward for her. Grayson, on the other hand, seemed to be quite content and even looked as if he was enjoying the weirdness. “Can I leave now?”

“I’d rather you didn’t.”

Exasperated and just wanting to get out of there, Thyme clenched her fists. “Look, you don’t need to make this any more uncomfortable than it already is. I’m over it. I’m over you. Congratulations with your golden girl. You’ll make a lovely stiff couple. Just don’t hurt Maddie. Now will you please let me go?”

“Never.”

“What?”

His green eyes turned predatorish—if that was even a word—and he stepped closer to her, licking his lips and quirking his mouth into a devilish grin. “Never.” He stood toe-to-toe with her and, cupping her face in his hands, he lowered his mouth to hers and whispered, “I will. Never. Let. You. Go.” And then he kissed her. A kiss so deep she felt it in the depths of her soul. Thyme lifted her hands to his chest and moved them up to his neck, pulling him in deeper, breathing in the clean, sweet scent of Grayson.

Yes. This is what she wanted. His gentle touch. His generous heart. His hard, sexy body. But, no. He wasn’t hers. He belonged to someone else. Gina. Sophia. Society.

Thyme pulled back and pushed him away. “No. Don’t. You’re confusing me.”

“Sweetheart—”

“Don’t
sweetheart
me. You have a lot of explaining to do.”

“Yes. I do. Come.” He grabbed her hand and she had no choice but to follow behind. They walked down the road together in silence, toward the path that led to the beach. They strolled along the surf until they came to an outcropping of rocks. He sat and pulled her down next to him.

“The morning after you left…the first time…after the fashion show…I had an intense talk with my mom. I learned a lot about her. About Sophia. About myself. I told Sophia about Maddie and did my best not to laugh in her face when she told me to send her off to boarding school while she did damage control. I made it very clear that she did not and would not control my family’s life.”

“I bet that didn’t go over so well.”

“She threatened to take away my inheritance. I told her to do what she wanted with it.”

“Wow. That’s so…wow. I’m proud of you.”

“Then I talked with Maddie. I told her that Bethany and Eric would always be her parents, but that I was her dad too. She’s too young for me to go into the biology of things, but she seemed to take the news pretty well. She loves having Grandma Eva and Grandpa Richie to play with.”

“Grandpa Richie?” Thyme laughed.

“I guess that’s what he went by before Sophia interfered with their lives. He became Richard Montgomery, the architectural tycoon. It sounded better, Sophia said. Anyway, Maddie was thrilled. And she wanted to know if you were her second mom.”

Thyme’s heart squeezed. How she would have loved to be Maddie’s second mom. She’d be lucky if she ever found a man who could love and respect her and give her a child as perfect as little Madeline Davenport.

“I told her I had to work out a few details with my job. I stepped down as CEO of Montgomery Designs and started a new eco-friendly business designing family homes. And that I’d work on making you her second mom.”

“What?” Thyme stood up and put her hands on her hips. “Why would you say that to the girl? The poor thing doesn’t understand—”

“She understands love. And she knows how much I love you. The question is, do you?”

“Do I?”

“Do you know how much I love you? How much I think about you? Your smile, your laugh. The way you think about everyone else before yourself. The way you look fresh out of bed in the morning. The way you look after we’ve made love. I want you more and more every day. I want you so much it hurts when I can’t have you.”

“You…
want…
me?”

“Damn, Thyme.” He sunk to his knees in the warm sand and wrapped his arms around her waist, touching his forehead to her belly. “I know it sounds primitive. Yes, I need you. I need you with me, but I want you so damn much too. I feel younger. I feel more manly when I’m with you. I know it’s not a sophisticated, dignified proposal, but I want to wake up every morning with you by my side.” Grayson drew back and stared deep in her eyes. “I want to go to bed with your lips on mine, me buried deep inside you. I want to live in Maine with you and raise Maddie together and a slew of other babies. Will you marry me, Thyme? Will you fulfill all my wants, needs, and desires?”

“You want me? And need me? And love me?” Thyme’s heart swelled and she choked out a loud, obnoxious cry. A stream of tears flooded down her cheeks and she was sure her nose was spewing something nasty. Damn her ugly crying nature. He wanted her and not just to fill a job. Grayson Montgomery wanted her and Maddie to be together. In Maine.

“More than anything.”

“For real?”

“Totally.”

“Totally?”

“Absolutely one hundred percent holy shit in love with you.”

“Grayson Montgomery,” Thyme gasped. “You swore. That’s very undignified.”

“Does that turn you on? When I turn all cavemanish?”

“Everything you do turns me on.”

“Everything?”

“Unfortunately.”

“That doesn’t sound very good. And my knees are killing me and I’m dying to kiss you. Not to be pushy or anything, but if you could give me an answer soon I’d really appreciate it.”

“Pushy, flirting, swearing, wearing shorts and flip-flops. That’s quite the transformation.”

“I’ll give you a kiss on the lips if you say yes. And anywhere else you want.”

“You’re stealing a five-year-old’s lines now?” Thyme couldn’t love him any more. His sea glass eyes studied her and pleaded. Not able to contain herself, she lifted her hands to his cheeks. “I love you so much, Grayson. And I need you and want you too.” She kissed him deeply, only coming up for air to wipe her face on his t-shirt. “First came the job. Next came Maddie. Then came you. How did I get so lucky?” Thyme kissed him again and pulled back when she realized she didn’t answer his question. “Yes. I’ll marry you and raise Maddie with you and practice day and night making babies with you.”

“So tell me, soon-to-be Mrs. Montgomery, where else do you want those kisses?”

Epilogue

Thyme

Sage fiddled with the diamond headband that held Thyme’s veil. “You should probably be wearing red, not white,” Sage scoffed as she swatted Thyme’s hand away and finished adjusting the veil. “You guys have been living together for almost a year. We know you’re no white virgin.”

“Sage. This is Thyme’s wedding day. Can’t you two get along for one day?” Rayne scolded.

Thyme stared at her reflection in the mirror, her lip trembling as tears smeared her mascara.

“Don’t cry, honey. Sage is just…being Sage.”

“It’s not that.” Thyme shook her head and blotted her tears with the tissue Rayne gave her.

“It’s perfectly normal to be nervous. Grayson loves you, and so does Maddie. You two are perfect for each other and are wonderful parents to that precious little girl.”

“I know. The three of us are very happy together, but Grayson’s sacrificed so much for us. And I have nothing to offer him.” Her heart clenched, the horrible secret twisting like a sponge inside her chest. She had to tell him the truth before they married. If he still wanted to marry her.

“Stop the pity party. Close your mouth.” Sage picked up a tube of lipstick and applied it to Thyme’s lips. “Don’t lick your lips. And God forbid, stop crying. You’ll ruin your makeup. Here.” She shoved a gorgeous bouquet of roses, orchids, and lilies in Thyme’s hands. “Remember to walk slowly. And smile, even though you’re signing up for a death sentence.”

“Sage,” Rayne scolded again. Even though her oldest sister was a party planner, she had a sour taste for marriage, commitment, and babies.

“Knock, knock. Can I come in?” Eva called from the other side of the door.

“Absolutely.”

“Oh, my.” Eva brought her perfectly manicured hand to her lips, her eyes filling with tears.

“You can’t cry. Sage will yell at you,” Thyme teased, trying to lighten the moment. Not having her mother around—not that she’d show any sign of sentiment—didn’t bother her; she’d grown up practically motherless anyway. But having Eva in her life, treating her like a daughter, made her long for a mother, to be a mother. And she was becoming one today. But Grayson wanted more children and she…Thyme closed her eyes and swallowed hard. Eva would be devastated with the news as well.

“You’re breathtaking.” Eva slowly entered the suite and blotted her eyes with a silk cloth. “Okay, I told Richard I could do this without ruining my makeup.” She pulled out a light blue box and handed it to Thyme. “Something old.”

Thyme’s heart tightened and she blinked rapidly, holding back her tears. “You didn’t have to…”

“My son is getting married and giving me the most wonderful daughter-in-law. No, I didn’t have to, but I wanted to. And before you ask, they’re not from the Buchanan side. Sophia isn’t one to part with her jewelry.” Thyme opened the box and gasped. “They’re from Richard’s family. They don’t have a lot of money according to Buchanan standards, but these have always meant more to me than any of the priceless jewels I’d been given by my mother. My mother-in-law gave me these on my wedding day.”

Eva had told her about Richard’s parents’ heartbreaking deaths a few years after Grayson was born. First his mother’s sudden diagnosis with stage four breast cancer and then Richard’s father’s tragic car accident less than a year later.

The diamond droplet earrings were small and sophisticated, not gawdy like Sophia would have wanted. “They’re beautiful. And perfect.” Guilt crept up her chest, tightening its clutches around her throat. She needed to come clean and tell Grayson the devastating truth.

“I knew you’d appreciate them. They’re not as valuable as the rock on your finger my son gave you, but they are invaluable to me. To our family. And now you’re part of the family.”

“Not yet. Grayson hasn’t said his
I do’s
yet. He still has time to back out,” Sage joked from behind.

“I can’t accept these, Eva. They’re beautiful and I appreciate the lovely gesture—”

“Nonsense. They’re yours. Wear them for me, please? It will make Richard and I very happy to see our daughter-in-law wear and appreciate something so nostalgic to the Montgomery family.”

Thyme took her simple studs out of her ears and replaced them with the family heirlooms. Her hands shook and her belly quaked. No, she had to talk to Grayson, to tell him the truth before they married.

If he still wanted to marry her after…guilt, fear, and sadness engulfed her. For the past few months she’d been harboring a secret that could impact their future. Thyme had wanted to tell Grayson before the wedding but every time she started to Maddie would come in the room or Grayson would look at her with his adoring eyes and she’d melt, not wanting to ruin the moment. He deserved to know the truth before he committed his life to her.

Eva interrupted her thoughts. “Thank
you
, Thyme, for showing my son what living is really about. For making him smile and laugh. For bringing out the real person who’d been buried beneath business suits and fancy planes.”

“I kinda like his fancy plane,” Sage grumbled behind them.

“I heard he’s keeping that piece of luxury.” Eva must have finally noticed there was more to Thyme’s tears. “Sweetheart, what’s wrong?”

“I…I really need to talk to Grayson.”

“You can talk to him later. You need to be downstairs in three minutes.” Sage tossed her phone in her purse and started for the door.

“Thyme, what is it?” Eva asked, concern in her voice.

“Can you please send Grayson up here? It’s important that I tell him…” Thyme’s breath stuttered. “Something.”

Eva stroked Thyme’s cheek with motherly love. “I’ll go get him.”

When the door closed behind her, Sage sighed. “You’re telling him now?”

“Telling him what?” Rayne asked, grabbing on to Thyme’s hands. “Are you okay?”

Thyme placed her hands on her belly and shook her head.

“Thyme. Honey, what’s wrong? My mother said—” Grayson stopped in the doorway. “God, you’re beautiful.” He bent down to kiss her lips, salty tears ruining the taste of his sweetness. “What’s wrong, honey? I’ll fix it. Whatever it is.”

She kept her head lowered, avoiding his beautiful, caring eyes, and shook her head. “You can’t fix it. No one can.”

“Of course I can.”

“You want more children,” Thyme said and Grayson nodded. “But I can’t…I…I was going to surprise you tonight. I found out two weeks ago that I was pregnant. Again.” She felt gentle hands on her shoulder guiding her to a chair.

Grayson kneeled next to her and picked up her hands, kissing her wrists. “That’s wonder—”

“But I had another miscarriage.”

Rayne gasped. “Oh, Thyme. I’m so sorry. And I’ve been going on about Olivia learning to roll over and her giggles and—oh, sweetie.”

She shook her head. “I’m happy for you. Really, I am.” Thyme looked over her shoulder at her sister and her little niece sleeping in her car seat in the corner. Grayson cupped her chin lightly and turned her to face him.

“Why didn’t you tell me? You’ve been suffering by yourself all week and I thought it was because you were doing wedding and girl stuff. I should have been there for you.”

“It was my idea to stay at Sage’s this past week. I didn’t want to bring you down.”

“Honey.” Grayson hugged her tight. “You shouldn’t have dealt with this by yourself. You should have told me.”

They hadn’t been trying to conceive and were surprised when Thyme became pregnant last fall, only to lose the baby ten weeks into the pregnancy. The miscarriage shook them all up, especially Maddie, and so Grayson and Thyme decided to stop being careful and let nature take its course. When they got the go-ahead from her obstetrician, they got pregnant again; this time the pregnancy only lasted six weeks.

With the added stress of the wedding and having two miscarriages, Thyme and Grayson decided to wait until after the wedding to try again. Only that plan backfired and she’d found herself holding the white stick with two pink lines once again.

“I told Sage. She was actually kind of nice. Well, maybe not nice, but not her bitchy self.” Thyme attempted a smile but Grayson saw through her façade.

“And why wouldn’t you tell me?” He picked up her hands and kissed her knuckles, rubbing his hands up and down her arms.

“There’s more.” She felt her sisters move closer; Rayne rested a hand on her shoulder while Sage poured her a glass of water. “I saw my OBGYN this week and she said…” Thyme stopped to sip the water but it got stuck in her throat. Her stomach churned, not knowing how Grayson would respond. Knowing he’d feel a sense of duty to stay with her, but she couldn’t let him marry her out of guilt. “She said I can’t have children. My uterus is twisted or something. I have the paperwork and medical terms at home. When it comes down to it, my body rejects the baby. Your sperm and my eggs are fine, but I can’t…I can’t carry to term.”

Grayson picked her up off the chair and sat down, rocking her in his lap. “Sweet Thyme. Honey, we’ll get through this.”

“I can’t give you babies,” she cried. “You want babies and you’ll never have them if you marry me. I can’t do that to you, Grayson.”

“First, you’re not doing anything to me. I want you. I want to marry you.” Grayson cradled her face, his eyes as green as the Caribbean shining their love and adoration all the way down to her soul. “Babies are not a deal breaker. I love you for what’s inside your heart, not your uterus.” He stroked her back and kissed the top of her head. “Nothing you can say will stop me from loving you and marrying you.”

“But we’ve been talking about having kids. We promised Maddie a little brother or sister and I can’t give that to you or her.”

“Maddie loves you regardless. We’ll get through this and look at other options. Or not. I love our family of three. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

“So you’ll still marry me?” he asked, feathering her face with light kisses.

“That’s what I was going to ask you.” She stroked his face and looked into his kind eyes. “You’re too good for me.”

“You deserve the best.” He grinned.

“Oh, please. Get a room,” Sage muttered.

“I plan on it. Soon.” Grayson’s gaze never left hers. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you,” he apologized softly.

“It wasn’t your fault. You didn’t know. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I know how disappointed you are.”

“I’m disappointed I wasn’t there to hold your hand and to take care of you when you needed me. I want you to feel like you can come to me with anything.”

Thyme nodded and rested her head on her soon-to-be husband’s shoulder. She mourned the loss of what could have been their child, but would focus on celebrating their love.

After a few moments of silence, Grayson picked her up and stood. “I’m going to go downstairs and wait for you. I’ll wait for however long it takes.” He kissed her tenderly and grinned. “But hurry the heck up.”

After he left, Thyme turned to her sisters. Rayne’s face was a blotchy mess of tears while Sage rolled her eyes and reapplied makeup all around. “We’re behind schedule. Let’s go,” her bossy sister barked.

“I love you guys. Rayne, for being so supportive and encouraging me to follow my dreams. And even you, Sage, for not being bitchy and pushy when I went through my miscarriages. And for helping me plan this wedding even though you don’t believe in love. I know you love me and that’s all that matters.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Hugs and kisses. Let’s go.”

“Your husband is wonderful. And so is Maddie. And your mother-in-law is amazing,” Rayne said, sniffing.

“She is, isn’t she?”

“Too bad Grandma is a bitch. I’d love to benefit from some Sophia Buchanan designs.”

Sophia hadn’t taken the news well and refused to fly to Maine for a backyard spring wedding. Maddie was thrilled that they were getting married at her house, and even happier to wear a fancy dress and be the flower girl. Speaking of, the little princess came running in the room, a basket in hand filled with white and pale pink rose petals.

“Daddy said to tell you to come downstairs or he would come up here and throw you over his shoulder and carry you to the altar. Like he did the other day when you sprayed him with the hose. I told him it would ruin your gown.”

“Thank you, Maddie. You look so beautiful in your pink dress.”

“Aunt Sage. Look. It sparkles when I twirl.” She spun around in circles and even the stoic Sage laughed.

“When I saw that dress I knew you’d love it.” Her sisters had welcomed Maddie and Grayson into their lives with open arms, just as Eva and Richard had welcomed her. An instant family.

Minus the bitter Sophia. Even after nearly a year, she was still a thorn in their side, but she didn’t react as badly as Grayson had expected. Even Gina wished them well when they ran into her at a charity function.

While Grayson had made Maine his home, he promised his mother he’d support her fundraising when she asked. And it gave Thyme the perfect opportunity to wear the gorgeous dress and sparkly shoes Eva had given her.