None of it was Cal Williams’s fault, and he was doing a fantastic job while dealing with a lot of hostility. Mark was just frustrated with the world right now and using him as an outlet to deal with it. The look on Denny’s face said that he knew exactly that. “O-kay,” Denny replied, before wiping his mouth and tossing his napkin on the table. “Now that you have that little tirade out of the way, could we possibly get to the real problem? I mean, don’t get me wrong, I like Boston and all. There are some fine-looking women here. But I know you didn’t come to micromanage Jacob or Cal. And since you’ve been ignoring a lot of calls and texts—which you never do—I have to assume that they’re from Crystal. So . . . is there trouble in paradise?”
Sounding completely childish, Mark snapped, “If you weren’t my cousin, I’d fire you so that you could torture someone else for a while.”
“You say that at least once a week.” Denny waved it off. “It’s still hurtful, but the threat doesn’t hold much water,” he added with a smirk. “Now, what’s the problem with your girlfriend? God, I can’t believe I’m using the G word in relation to a woman in your life.”
Mark listened to him rattle on about the shock of him actually seeing someone for more than a few hours. He had to give the man credit, though: even as shitty as his current mood was, he was fighting a smile by the time Denny ran out of steam. Then he found himself opening his mouth and saying more than he’d planned. “I found out that Crystal’s been going to marriage counseling with her ex-husband while we’ve been together. And I had to learn this from my mother, while my dad looked at me in pity when it became obvious I didn’t have a clue.”
“Pardon?” Denny choked out. “Holy crap, that’s creative even for them. You’re not seriously buying into that, are you? They’re probably just worried that you’ll get married, pop out some kids, and not have enough money to support them.”
“Oh, it’s true enough.” Mark grimaced. “They had Oliver use Craig at DeSanto to run a background check on Crystal.” Her name felt strange on his tongue, and the lift of Denny’s brow told him that he’d caught the fact that he hadn’t called her “Angel” as he normally did.
“I’m guessing Craig is looking for another job this morning?” Denny asked, knowing how Mark would feel about an employee invading his privacy.
“Within an hour of their departure last night, Craig was fired,” Mark confirmed. “I spoke to him, and he didn’t bother to deny it. He admitted that he knew it was wrong, and he should have gone to his supervisor when the request was made. If I wanted to dig into the private life of the woman I’m seeing, I damn sure wouldn’t have someone who worked for me do it. No doubt, that shit has probably already made the rounds by now.”
Looking confused, Denny said, “Let’s get back to Crystal. Have you asked her what’s going on? Because I find it really hard to believe that she’s trying to reconcile with her ex. That woman is crazy about you.”
“You think so?” Mark asked before he could stop himself. Shit, he sounded like some lovesick teenager. Maybe he could send her a note asking if she liked him and ask her to check the box for yes or no.
“Hell yes, I do,” Denny stated firmly. “What did she say when you asked her about it?”
Mark shifted uncomfortably in his seat before admitting, “I haven’t talked to her about it yet.”
Denny looked at him incredulously before putting both of his hands on the table as if to brace himself. “So let me get this straight. You found out about this last night. Freaked the fuck out. Packed your shit and left the state. Is that an accurate assessment?”
Suddenly becoming fascinated with his coffee cup, Mark stared into it while muttering, “Pretty close.”
Denny gave a long, drawn-out sigh of disgust. “You’re not too good at this whole relationship thing, are you?” When Mark started to protest, Denny held up a hand, stopping him. “I’ll grant you, it does sound a touch . . . bad. But come on, this is Crystal—your Angel. You have sleepovers with her. You flitter with Mae West quotes. You took care of her for two days while she was barfing all over your house. For the love of God, man, you even cook for her. And after all that, you’re sitting there with your tail tucked between your legs after fleeing town? Shit, come on! What happened to confrontation and fit throwing? You should have gone straight to her place last night and had a minirant before demanding some answers. Instead, you’ve done everything short of burying your phone in the sand to avoid speaking to her.”
“I don’t know how to do this,” Mark murmured glumly. “I don’t get involved with women beyond fucking. I’ve never had to deal with something like this. I need space to figure everything out, and that’s what we’re doing here now.”
“All right.” Denny surprised him by agreeing. “I can see how this would be difficult with you being a dating newborn. Possibly, it’s even better that you decided on distance rather than saying something you might regret later. But you do need to let her know where you are. Taking off like that without any explanation, regardless of the circumstances, was kind of an asshole move.”
Staring at Denny in bewilderment, Mark asked, “It’s okay for her to be pursuing happily ever after with her ex and I’m supposed to keep her updated as to my whereabouts during the meantime? If that’s the case, how does anyone ever get married and stay that way?”
Denny rubbed his temples before adopting a soothing tone. “That’s not what I’m saying, cousin. Let her know that you’re alive and out of town. Then, when you’re ready, go home and talk to her.” Snapping his fingers, he added, “Gray and Suzy’s party is this weekend. Were you two planning to go together?”
“Yeah, of course.” Mark shrugged, not understanding where this was going. Denny had picked up his phone and was typing out a text as if their conversation was over. “Were you making some kind of point that I missed?”
Denny looked up after a few more taps on his screen. “What? Oh, right. I was just letting the pilot know we’re flying out Friday night. You’ll go home and take Crystal to the party. You’ll be polite and cordial to everyone—and not drain the positive energy from the event. Then afterward, you’ll take her back to your place and have a rational conversation about what you’ve learned. She’ll probably be pissed that you were checking up on her, and you’ll have to deal with that.”
By this point, his head was spinning. Rubbing the bridge of his nose, he snapped, “Don’t you think maybe you should have consulted me before filing a flight plan? Plus, I’m not in the mood for a freaking party right now. And last, Angel’s going to be the one pissed and not me?” The twitch of Denny’s lips let him know that he’d slipped and gone back to Crystal’s nickname.
Denny got to his feet and clapped Mark on the back. “Welcome to the wonderful world of dating—where no matter what they do, it’s always your fault.”
“Fuck me,” Mark hissed as his assistant walked away.
Is eight in the morning too early for alcohol? Because I damn sure need it right about now.
Chapter Nineteen
Mark was due home today after his unexpected business trip, and she was beyond anxious to see him. He’d finally returned her call the afternoon following his departure, telling her briefly that Jacob needed his help in Boston and it had been a last-minute thing, which was why he hadn’t called. When she’d tried questioning him about his parents’ visit, he’d simply said that it was fine.
The whole call had sounded stiff and formal. She had been certain that he was trying to blow her off, so she’d been surprised when he’d confirmed their date for Suzy’s gathering on Saturday night, saying he would meet her there.
Since then, he’d given brief responses when she texted, but she had been too uncertain about what was going on between them to call him again. She spent the rest of the week in a depressed funk, avoiding her friends and her meddling mother. Bill had made the mistake of calling an hour earlier to badger her about another counseling session and she’d let him have it. She’d told him in
no uncertain terms that it was over, and that although she wished him well, she had moved on and he needed to do the same.
Of course, less than half an hour after that, her mother had started calling. There was no way that was a coincidence. Bill, the bastard, must have ratted her out. Before turning her phone off, she’d texted Mark just to make sure he knew that Suzy’s party had been moved to Ella’s house. There had been some severe storms in the area the last few nights and both Suzy and Claire had been dealing with some coastal flooding on their properties. Rather than trying to get everything cleaned up in time, Ella had volunteered her house since she and Declan had escaped the worst part of it.
She took one last look in the mirror and decided that she needed another coat of concealer. The dark circles under her eyes gave testament to the fact that she hadn’t slept well while Mark had been away. Funny how she would often sneak away to the sofa or spare bedroom because she needed some personal space during her marriage to Bill, but with Mark, she’d slept practically wrapped around his hard body and had loved it. She’d done nothing but toss and turn without him.
After touching up her makeup, she made the drive to Ella’s far too quickly. Traffic had been unusually light for a Saturday evening. She saw Mark’s car almost immediately and gave a small prayer of thanks that he’d actually shown up. Taking a deep breath to calm her jittery nerves, she left the safety of her car and made her way to the door of her sister’s home. Everything’s fine. He’s a busy man, and this is probably normal behavior for him. Be cool and don’t wrap yourself around his leg. She repeated the same thought a few more times before opening the door and walking in.
Ella spotted her immediately and walked forward, looking strained. “I know I told you to ditch Bill, but did you have to do it today? Mother is driving me freaking crazy!” she whisper-hissed, before plastering a fake smile on for anyone looking at them.
“I know,” Crystal murmured back. “She’s probably bothering you because I turned my phone off. I couldn’t deal with it today. I figure I’ll give her some time to get past the initial shock before calling her back.”
“It’s probably going to take a while.” Ella cringed before throwing an arm around her waist. “I’m proud of you for talking to Bill, though. It had to be done, and let’s face it, there was never going to be a good time for it.”
Changing the subject, Crystal asked, “So, if you’re hosting this party now, then surely you’ve been let in what’s going on?”
“Oh, come on.” Ella rolled her eyes. “Do you think I could make Suzy do anything that she didn’t want to?” Rubbing her hands together like a child, she rocked on her feet. “Plus, I love surprises! It wouldn’t be very exciting if I found out ahead of time.”
Ella’s mouth continued to move, but Crystal had completely lost track of the conversation as she spotted Mark and Denny across the room chatting with Jason Danvers. “Oh God,” she squeaked.
“What?” Ella asked, looking at her in confusion. When she didn’t answer, her sister turned to see what she was looking at and said, “Oh, yeah, he got here a few minutes ago. Is he still acting weird?” She had confided in Ella on the second day that Mark was in Boston. It was not that she wanted to, but more that Ella was too good at sensing when something was bothering her. Apparently, she hadn’t been able to hide her anxiety over Mark’s behavior very well.
“Kind of.” She nodded. “I don’t know . . . maybe it’s because of the visit from his parents. He’s said that they’re pretty bad, and I can certainly understand the need to pack your bags after an unpleasant encounter.”
Still studying Mark, Ella asked, “So tell me, if this were a week ago, what would you do now?” At her baffled look, Ella added, “Would you be standing over here or would you be over there with him?” At her wistful look, she sighed. “That’s what I thought. So go see your man. He’s been out of town, and you don’t even know that anything is wrong. Stop slumping and hiding in the doorway. Channel your inner Suzy and sashay right up to him.”
“Did you just say . . . ?” Crystal smirked.
“Get your ass moving!” Ella huffed, putting a hand on her shoulders and giving a shove that was surprisingly strong. Crystal bobbled around like a drunken chicken for a minute, before catching herself and giving her sister an evil look.
“Oops, sorry.” Ella winced before making a shooing motion.
By this point, almost everyone was looking at her. Mia was waving from within the circle of Seth Jackson’s arms, while a hugely pregnant Gwen was looking back and forth between her and Mark as if watching a reality television show. Even Lydia was there and mouthing the name Mr. Big. Something about that cracked her up and made her move across the floor to Mark’s side more easily. She was still smiling when she reached him. And then she saw it—he went noticeably stiff when she touched his arm, a split second before he relaxed. Dammit, what was going on? What had happened since the last time they’d been together? “Hey,” she said brightly. Jason gave her a warm smile, while Denny seemed to be trying to communicate something with his eyes.
“It’s good to see you again, Crystal,” Jason said. He opened his mouth to say something else when Claire motioned to him from across the room. “Excuse me, the wife calls.” He smiled ruefully as he walked away.
Right on his heels, Denny said, “I’m just going to go do—that thing.” Once again, Denny shot her the same strange look before leaving.
“Geez, was it something I said?” she joked as she looked up into Mark’s closed expression.
“Possibly it was more of what you left out,” he added cryptically.
“What?” She stared at him in puzzlement.
“Crystal . . .” he began, before she cut him off.
“You’re angry with me about something. Either that or you’re breaking up with me. Because I don’t remember a time when you’ve called me by my given name.” Feeling herself on the verge of tears, she asked quietly, “Please tell me what’s going on. I’ve been worried all week, and I don’t want to continue being in the dark.”
He had taken her hand and was leading her toward the double doors to the deck when a dinging sound had everyone looking toward the other side of the room. Mark bit off a curse and pulled them both to a halt.
“Thanks for coming this evening,” Gray Merimon began with Suzy tucked into his side. “We do have some good news, but we also realize that there are those who aren’t aware of the struggles that we’ve faced that have brought us to this point.” He looked down briefly, giving his wife a tender look before clearing his throat and continuing. “Suzy and I have been trying to have a child for quite a while now.”
Crystal could tell by the bright smiles in the crowd that most thought a pregnancy announcement was forthcoming. She wasn’t so sure, though. There was something about the way they looked at each other that spoke of pain—and a lot of it. Gray’s arm tightened around Suzy before adding, “But it’s been a difficult road for us. We’ve tried medical intervention, only to suffer numerous miscarriages. After our last loss, we decided that we couldn’t continue to put ourselves through that anymore.” The women in the room were all teary-eyed as he dropped a kiss on Suzy’s forehead before speaking again. “Then my amazing wife told me that she felt we were meant to go down a different road. I’ve long been in awe of the woman that I love, but her strength and conviction that day showed me that if I lived to be a thousand years old, I’d only have just enough time to scratch the surface of all that she is.”
Crystal jerked as Mark pressed a napkin in her hand. She hadn’t been aware that she was crying until that moment. She wiped her eyes and gave him a grateful smile when he put his arm around her for support. Regardless of what was going on between them, she snuggled into the strength he offered as Gray continued. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to move the ladies to tears,” he joked. “Declan, make sure you have the alcohol flowing as soon as I’m finished.” Crystal’s brother-in-law held his beer up in acknowledgment, causing Gray to chuck
le. “Anyway, that’s the history part. Now on to what we wanted to tell you all tonight. Suzy and I decided to build our family through adoption. We both felt that we had so much love to offer a child and at every point of the process, it felt right. As if we were finally doing what we were meant to all along.”
Suzy suddenly stepped forward, wiping her eyes before throwing her hands in the air. “What Gray is trying to say is that it has happened for us! We’re meeting our son soon!”
The room exploded into pandemonium. Crystal found herself jumping up and down as if she’d just won the lottery. “Oh, my God, did you hear that?” she beamed at Mark. “I’m so happy for them.”
“It’s wonderful,” Mark agreed, looking just as thrilled as she felt. “I don’t know Suzy that well, but Gray is a good guy. I had no idea that they’d been going through so much, though.” Mark propelled them forward until they reached the other couple to offer their congratulations. He kept his hand on Crystal the entire time and she was beginning to think that whatever was wrong, it was going to be okay. Until she heard her sister’s voice above the noise in the living room and looked over to see their mother standing in the foyer with her hands on her hips.
“Oh no,” she breathed, hoping she was seeing things. But after blinking a few times to clear away the disastrous scene before her eyes, it didn’t change.
“What’s wrong?” Mark asked as she stopped abruptly as he was attempting to lead her away from the crowd.
“I—um, need to go help Ella for a moment,” she stuttered as she tried to pull her hand away.
Mark looked around, before zeroing in on her sister. “Who’s Ella arguing with?”