Angel's Rest(64)

In the past ten years, Nic and Sarah had added their own special touch to the tradition. When Sage moved to town, she’d been happy to join in the festivities.

“I’m going to write something about her motorcycle,” Nic said. “Break out the pens, Sage.” To Sarah, she added, “Did you bring any rotten fruit?”

“Absolutely. What’s a bananagram without at least one ‘It’s rotten to be so old’ message?”

“Celeste is gonna love this.” Nic met her friends’ gazes and added, “It’s just what I needed. Thank you.”

They spread their supplies on the table and went to work. They had a lot to do. Not knowing Celeste’s age, Sarah had decided on an even hundred for their bananagram. They’d be hard pressed to have everything ready by the time Celeste returned home.

So intent was Nic on the task at hand that it wasn’t until she heard a man—Gabe—spit out a particularly foul curse that she realized they were no longer alone. He was in the hallway beyond the kitchen. Talking to someone, probably on the hall phone. Noting the worry in Sage’s and Sarah’s expressions, Nic set a banana marked with “Happy B’day Motorcycle Mama” aside and tuned into what Gabe was saying.

“No, I don’t want to marry her. A baby is certainly the last thing I wanted.”

Nic sucked in an audible breath.

“You matter to me, Pam. You and Will and Nathan. You made in-law jokes a joke. You became not just Jen’s sister but my sister, too.”

Sister. He was talking to his sister-in-law. Telling her about the wedding. The baby. She rose to her feet, then closed her eyes and an emptiness yawned inside her.

“Yeah, well, you’re right. I was stupid. I wasn’t thinking. It was sex. Just sex.”

Nic’s nausea came roaring back. Sarah put her hand on Nic’s shoulder.

“I know, dammit. I know! I was an idiot, all right? But what other choice do I have now? I made my bed and now I have to lie in it. I have to marry her. It’s the responsible thing to do.”

Nic felt the color drain from her face. She was beginning to hate the word responsible.

She moved to the doorway, where she could see him. Gabe sat on the stairs, his shoulders slumped, his expression stark. Anguish and anger vibrated in his voice as he stared down at the wedding ring he still wore on his left hand. “No, Pam, of course not. I don’t love her. I love your sister. I’ll always love your sister. She was my soul mate. Nicole and I … we just … we had sex and now we have to deal with the consequences.”

A little mewl of pain escaped Nic’s throat as he added, “Oh, Pam. Don’t say that. Not after all we’ve been through. Please, I can’t lose you. I’ll have nothing. Let me—”

He let the receiver fall away from his ear and she could hear the dial tone. He muttered a vicious curse and banged his fist against the wall.

Nausea churned, threatened to erupt. She clapped a hand over her mouth and he looked up. Their gazes met and he repeated the curse. She dashed for the powder room beneath the stairs and lost her breakfast.

By the time she emerged, he was gone.

Nic insisted they complete their birthday surprise for Celeste. Wonderful friends that they were, Sage and Sarah added a few succinct bananagram messages for Gabe, which they left with his painting supplies upstairs.


Nine days later at the courthouse in Gunnison, with Sage Anderson, Sarah Reese, and Celeste Blessing in attendance, John Gabriel Callahan married Dr. Nicole Sullivan. He dressed in a suit. She wore jeans and a baggy brown sweater and accepted the rings he offered with a silent nod.

She hadn’t brought a wedding band for him. Nor had she appeared to notice that he’d finally removed Jennifer’s ring from his left hand. It had taken him half a bottle of scotch to work up the nerve to do so, and now he felt naked without it.

Until the moment Nic said “I do,” he’d expected her to call it off. She’d thrown up on the way into the building. He’d stumbled over her name when introducing her to the judge. Following lunch at the women’s favorite Mexican restaurant, where Sarah continued to give him the evil eye and privately threatened to take a rusty knife to his nuts if he didn’t treat his new wife right, Nic had hugged her friends and thanked them for coming as they climbed into Sage’s car and waved good-bye. He’d pretended not to see the tear that slipped from her eye to trail down her face as she joined Gabe for the two-hour drive home.