Memory of You (A Misty Cove Love Story) Read online

  My heart crashed against my chest and exploded, and a heavy feeling settled in the pit of my stomach. A moment passed where my breathing seemed to be suspended. “Well… congratulations.” I forced myself to my feet, my legs unsteady. “I hope you will have a happy life together.”

  Whatever else I had thought of saying to her had been shattered by that single piece of information, a huge piece of information. That changed everything. Bryce was going to be a father, and that baby was being carried by another woman.

  “Have a happy life as well. Stay away from my man.” Her words followed me out the door.

  The air was balmy and welcoming. It felt like a big, warm hug that offered me comfort but also made me want to weep. I didn’t. Not yet. Not until I reached the beach.

  I had planned to go straight home, but there was no way I could ride my bike in this condition. Nothing could have prepared me for what Lori had told me.

  I was just coming to terms with Bryce getting married. To find out he was also getting a baby made me want to throw up. I knew it would come someday. They would definitely want to start a family. I thought I would have time to prepare myself for it.

  I crashed on the sand, hugged my knees, and rocked back and forth. A wave of nausea washed over me, but I shoved away the urge.

  I had come to the beach with the strong need to cry, but despite the pain in the back of my throat, I left dried-eyed and numb. Not for the first time, the feeling of abandonment that had been born by my mother’s rejection poured into my heart, leaving me empty and disoriented.

  Back at the cottage, I took a shower and climbed under the covers. It was still too early for bed, so I watched a movie to distract myself. But Lori’s revelation wouldn’t stop tormenting me. It cut me to the quick, but it was also the closure I had needed. The push to move on. I just had to get through their wedding day, the final nail on the coffin. Knowing Bryce had someone else’s ring on his finger would be the ultimate end of us.

  Chapter Eighteen

  I woke up early today, hoping not to bump into too many people who were excited about the wedding. Fat chance.

  When you got married in Misty Cove, you hardly sent out invitations. Everybody invited themselves. All you did was put up a white flag on your house to signify an upcoming wedding. Everybody was involved in the wedding, helping with decorations, cooking, and other wedding preparations.

  Today the town was awake early, ready to celebrate. There was laughter and smiles that died when I walked by. When I went for a walk on the beach last night, to clear my head, I saw a gazebo already set up and ready. They would be declaring their love to each other in one of the most romantic spots in town.

  I pulled my cap lower on my forehead and hurried along. With each step, my stomach rolled with dread and my heartbeat raced. I had to slow down several times to catch my breath. Imagining Bryce marrying another woman, losing him forever, made my heart ache.

  I would, of course, not be attending the wedding. I was out to get some food and hide inside my cottage, buried inside the pages of one of my thriller novels. A thriller called Dangerous Intentions had been on my to-read list for a while. A good book had always offered me the best escape when my life turned sour.

  Five minutes later, I was at Hot Pies and in less than ten minutes after I entered, I walked out with my food. I could hear the whispers, the sounds of disapproval coming from everywhere around me. I also heard excited people who talked about how beautiful the Memorial Plaza—where the reception would be held—was.

  Alisa Spiers, the same florist who had made my wedding bouquet and decorated the Memorial Plaza for Bryce and me at the time, was the florist of choice.

  As I hopped onto my bike, I wished they would move to Lori’s hometown instead. It would be so hard to witness the joys of their marriage. Would I ever be able to survive watching the man I had loved all my life spend the rest of his life with another woman? Would I really be able to stay in this town?

  As I sped past Trinity Chapel, my phone rang inside my pocket. I slowed down and stopped at the side of the road. I picked up on the fourth ring.

  “Sweetie, where are you?” Erin sounded breathless on the other end. “I’m at your place.”

  “What are you doing there?” I paused. “Sorry, I didn’t mean it like that. I didn’t know you were coming over.”

  “It’s a difficult day for you. Where else would I be?”

  I raised my face to the sun and closed my eyes. “You don’t have to worry about me. I’m fine.”

  “You don’t fool me. Where are you?”

  “I was at Hot Pies. I’ll be home in ten minutes.”

  “Good. I’ll be waiting.”

  ***

  Erin was sitting on the doorstep, two grocery bags at her feet. She wore a flattering black and white, polka dot dress, which exposed her tanned legs. “I thought I’d be able to catch you before you stepped out.”

  “And here I thought I’d be awake before most people. Boy was I wrong.” I unlocked the door and let us both in.

  “I actually brought you groceries, so we don’t have to leave the house. We can have a girl’s day in.” Erin deposited the bags on the kitchen counter and kissed me on the cheek.

  “You’re not going to the wedding?”

  “My loyalty is with you. I want to be there for my friend. Together we’re going to try and not think about it.”

  I removed the pies from the Hot Pies carrier bag. “It will be hard not to do that.” I sank into a chair at the kitchen table. “Erin, I don’t know if I can do it… watch him be happy with someone else. I keep thinking about how hurt he must have been when he heard I married Milton.” As much as I wished I could get him back, I felt that what I was going through right now was my punishment for what I had done to him. I was meant to feel the pain he had felt back then.

  “No use torturing yourself, sweetie. Come on.” Erin pulled me to my feet. “Let’s have breakfast. I brought a lot of our favorite movies. Today is movie day. But first, I will give you a facial and tidy up that hair of yours.” She touched a lock of my hair. “You can be suffering inside, but you don’t have to look like it on the outside.” Despite my protests, she pulled me out of the kitchen and held my hand until we reached the bathroom.

  “You are a great friend,” I said as she opened my makeup and hair bag. “I had planned to feed on pies and work on a presentation for work.”

  “Change of plans.”

  I laughed and closed my eyes, allowing myself to be pampered.

  Twenty minutes later, I felt lighter. My hair was glossy and styled as if I was going out somewhere fancy, and my makeup flawless. “You’re so good, Erin. You should train to be a makeup artist. Has that dream died completely?”

  “I’ve been thinking about that a lot lately. Maybe I should. Linda Gayle is awesome and I love working for her, but I’m kind of tired of smelling like food all the time.”

  “I think you should go for it.”

  Next I did her hair and makeup as well, though my efforts could not match her talents, and then we went downstairs to eat breakfast. When we were done, we settled in front of the TV. Halfway through Pretty Woman I made the mistake of gazing out the living room window. In the distance I saw a long, white veil fluttering in the breeze and lots of people sitting on white chairs. I didn’t want to see more so I pulled my gaze away.

  “Let’s do something else.” I grabbed the house keys. “I can’t stay here. I need to get away for a while. I don’t feel like being brave.”

  “Where do you want to go?” Erin asked, her eyes lighting up.

  “How about I treat us to a weekend away? How does Grayton Beach sound? Feel free to say no. Seriously, you can go to the wedding if you want.”

  “Woman, you know I can never say no to an all-expenses-paid weekend. Let’s get out of here.”

  ***

  Secretly I’d hoped that after our weekend away at a spa, we’d come back to Misty Cove to find that Bryce didn’t get marrie
d after all, that he had changed his mind at the last minute. He hadn’t. What we found were people unable to shut their mouths about how romantic the wedding was, and that Bryce and Lori were on their honeymoon in Hawaii.

  Everywhere I turned, someone was talking about the happy couple. My stomach literally ached every time I walked through town.

  To spare myself more hurt, for two weeks I threw myself back into my work. I woke up before dawn and left the office when the streets were emptying. Now and then I did join Erin or Sadie for a drink, but most of the time I kept to myself.

  But hiding didn’t make the pain go away. My heart still hurt as much as it did the day Bryce married Lori, and the day she told me she was expecting their child.

  Tonight I couldn’t sleep. It was eleven at night and I was sitting on the beach, my hands wrapped around a hot mug of coffee.

  I’d heard someone say that Bryce and Lori were returning from Hawaii tomorrow and I dreaded seeing both of them again. Tomorrow would definitely be hard, but tonight was mine. Tonight I had the chance to gather up the strength I needed to face them.

  I decided that I would stop hiding from reality. Tomorrow I would wish them well, if I saw them, and then I’d live my life. I didn’t need Bryce to make me feel complete.

  I stayed at the beach for a whole hour and then I went back home, feeling determined.

  Chapter Nineteen

  I did it. I had gone through most of the day without worrying about Bryce and Lori returning to town today. They were probably back already and as I arrived home from work, I told myself I didn’t care.

  I frowned as my gaze landed on an envelope on my doorstep. Who would send me a letter? I couldn’t even remember the last time I had received a letter in this world of emails.

  I picked it up and let myself into the house, pushing the door closed with my foot since I was already opening the envelope. It had been a long day at the office filled with lots of meetings, and I desperately wanted to take a shower and head to bed, but I would not be able to relax until I found out what was in that envelope.

  I lowered myself into Gran’s armchair and let out a long breath. I unfolded the piece of yellow paper. It looked like it had been torn out of a notepad and the tear was clearly noticeable.

  My eyes went to the first handwritten line.

  Jade,

  I had planned to talk to you in person, but I think it’s best this way. I’m leaving town tomorrow morning, but there’s something I think you should hear from me.

  I’m sure you know that Bryce and I got married. It was the most magical time of my life. We returned from our honeymoon today. I don’t think you would be interested in the details.

  You’ll be happy to know that my beautiful wedding with Bryce and the honeymoon is all we’ll have. Bryce and I are over. Our honeymoon was perfect up to the point when he called out your name when we made love. I guess I should have known never to compete with a childhood sweetheart.

  I have a confession to make. When I told you I was pregnant, I lied. I lied to you and I lied to Bryce. The truth is, I felt intimidated by you. I thought if Bryce believed I was having his baby, he would move on and forget you. I guess I was wrong. In the two years we’ve been together, you had been a shadow over our relationship. I can’t be in a marriage where my husband’s heart is with someone else. I deserve better—

  I guess, I’m writing this letter to tell you that I’m sorry I lied to you. I’m not that kind of person. I’m really not. I’m also writing to tell you that Bryce is now yours. I’m out of the picture. We have already started the annulment process of our marriage.

  I wish you both the best.

  Lori

  Chapter Twenty

  My chest hurt, my eyes burned, my mouth was dry as I rang Bryce's bell. As soon as I'd read the last word in the letter, I'd grabbed my bike from the porch and shot out the gate.

  No one came to the door. I pressed my finger against the small, white button again and held it there.

  I moved back a few inches and bowed forward, my hands on my knees. I tried to catch my breath. When I straightened up again, I was not only panting, my head was swimming.

  I took a few breaths and peered through the window. He could be sleeping or he wasn't home. If Lori had left him, where would he be? Was he even back in Misty Cove? The letter had been hand delivered so Lori was definitely back.

  My phone rang inside my pocket and I fumbled for it, my heart hammering. Maybe it was Bryce. My heart fell when I heard Erin’s voice.

  “Sweetie, are you okay? I heard the news. Shocking.”

  “News?” Maybe she was talking about something else.

  “That Lori left Bryce. How do you feel?”

  How did I feel? For a time one wishes for something but never quite knows how they would react when that wish actually comes true. I had rushed to Bryce's house without pausing to think about how I felt. The only thing I felt right now was my heart racing and my hands sweating.

  “I really don't know. I'm at Bryce’s place. He's not home.”

  “I know. Luke was at the restaurant some minutes ago. He said Bryce left town for a few days.”

  What exactly did that mean? Now that the coast was clear, now that we could be together, I thought he would rush to me. “Did he say when he'll be back?”

  “Nope.” I heard the clutter of dishes on the other end. “I'll be done with my shift in a few minutes. Do you want me to come to your place?”

  “No, go home. I’ll come to you.”

  After hanging up the phone, I tried Bryce's cell phone but it went straight to the mailbox.

  As I rode back to my place to pick up a change of clothes, I couldn't help feeling sorry for Bryce. First I left him at the altar and now the woman who had actually married him left him only two weeks after they exchanged vows. Even worse, she'd lied to him about being pregnant.

  In a way I understood why he wanted to withdraw from Misty Cove, where gossip would be running rampant. Much as I wanted to see him right away, and wished we could pick up where we’d left off, I had to be patient. I had to respect that his relationship with Lori had come to an end. He must have loved her if he asked her to marry him. She would leave some kind of hole inside his heart. Every end to a relationship left some kind of mark, a kind of pain, and he had the right to grieve the future he thought he would have with Lori.

  When I arrived at my cottage, the shock of the message in the letter was starting to fade and was being replaced by excitement, excitement that I might have another shot at a life with the man I loved. By the time I finished packing a small bag, the feelings of excitement were again replaced by something else—fear.

  I climbed onto my bike and realized that just because Bryce was free didn’t guarantee a happy ending for us. What if he was so scarred now that he decided he didn't want a relationship with me after all? What if he thought it was my fault? If it hadn't been for me returning to town, Lori would not have lied to him out of insecurity, Bryce wouldn't have been thinking about me on his honeymoon so much that he called out my name during sex. If I hadn't returned to Misty Cove, he could possibly have had a happy life with Lori. What if he blamed me?

  I did know one thing. I knew he loved me. I would give him the necessary time he needed to recover, and then I’d fight for him. I would not give him up without a fight. We had lost enough time.

  ***

  Erin was waiting for me with two steaming mugs of hot chocolate and homemade cookies. We curled up on the sofa and I showed her the letter.

  She read it with her mouth opening and closing like that of a fish gasping for air. When she was done, she folded it carefully and looked at me.

  “You know what this tells me?” She pulled her feet up on the couch. “It tells me that you two were meant to be together. That's why both your marriages failed. You married the wrong people.”

  “I think you're right,” I said.

  “So, what are you going to do?”

  I tipped my head
back, raising my face to the sky. The sun warmed my face. “There's nothing I can do at this point but wait.”

  “You could talk to Luke. He might tell you where Bryce is.”

  “I thought of doing that, but I want to give him the time he needs. I know I love him, but I want him to come to me when he's ready.”

  “What if he's too upset to see clearly? What if he needs a push in the right direction?”

  I looked down again. “I'll wait for him to return to Misty Cove before deciding on what I should do. He holds all the cards.” I only hoped that he would return to town. I prayed that I meant enough to him for him to return to me.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Two months. Two months of waiting for the phone to ring, two months of ringing Bryce's bell, two months of worrying that he might never come back. He was still not back and the acid caused by worry was eating at me. Even Sadie had been trying to reach him, just to talk about the business, but with no success.

  As I did every night after returning home from work, I took a shower, checked my phone to see if I had any missed calls, and went to bed wishing tomorrow would be the day.

  It wasn't. Nor was it the week after. I almost gave up hope many times, but decided I couldn't. I couldn't let him go, not this time. I decided I'd give it another week. If he didn't show up, I'd go looking for him. Luke had given me the address where he was staying in Serendipity, Wisconsin. I already talked to Sadie about taking next week off.