Page 4 of Sweet Escape at Bayside
“That’s Cosmos,” Lizza said. “He’s a little matchmaker.”
Andre wasn’t about to ask whatthatmeant. He hadn’t heard a word of the ceremony, and until now he’d hardly noticed the sounds of Cape Cod Bay kissing the shore or the scents of the sea surrounding them, things he’d once savored. He was well practiced at keeping busy to escape thoughts of Violet, but she wasright there, looking beautiful and troubled, making him want to hold her and get the heck out of there at the same time.
Lizza squeezed his arm and said, “Isn’t it exciting? My baby ismarried!”
He looked at the carefree woman he’d met overseas more than two years ago. He’d met Violet on the same trip. He’d been working at a clinic through Physicians Around the World, which was similar to Doctors Without Borders. He wondered if Lizza knew what a can of worms she’d opened by inviting him there. He tried to remember her interactions with Violet when they’d all been in Ghana, but she’d come through the village for only a couple of days with some sort of mission group. For the life of him, he couldn’t remember the two of them spending any time together, much less Violet calling herMom, or even giving her more than a brief nod. None of this made sense. Violet had told him about her strange relationship with her mother, and now that he knew that woman wasLizza, he felt guilty for being there with the person who had caused Violet so much grief. Then again, he’d spent months looking for Violet, and it was only because of this odd coincidence with Lizza that he’d found her again. But seeing her unleashed too many conflicting emotions. He needed to get out of there.
“Congratulations,” he said, mentally preparing his exit speech.
“Come on.” Lizza pulled him to his feet. “We have to go congratulate them.” She held on to his arm, guiding him toward the crowd. “Look how beautiful the flowers are. Desi planned everything with the help of her friends. I want to introduce you to my girls’ friends. They’re a hoot! But watch out for my Violet. She’s a pistol, and trust me, you don’t want her to go off.”
Actually, he’d prefer if Violet had gone off on him rather than slipping away in the middle of the night and leaving without a trace. He glanced at Lizza’s proud smile. It was obvious she had no idea what had gone on between him and Violet. Would she care if he took off?
“Come on, now. Don’t be shy,” Lizza said, dragging him into the middle of the crowd. “I want to squeeze in there and congratulate Desi and Rick. Excuse me for just a second.”
As Lizza pushed her way through the crowd of overzealous men and joyous women hugging and laughing, congratulating the happy couple, Andre couldn’t take his eyes off Violet. She stood at the edge of the crowd in a wicked black dress, her colorful tattoos snaking over her shoulder and down her arm. She looked his way, and their eyes connected—and held. His body instantly heated up despite the way she’d disappeared from his life.
Her hands curled into fists, and she turned away, causing the slit in her dress to open, revealing the ink on her thigh. That strategically placed open zipper offered another peek at the tattoos on her back. He knew those tattoos by heart, had kissed and loved every spec of the earth signs on her thigh and the colorful wings that began just beneath her shoulders and flared over her hips and buttocks, covering all but a few inches around her spine. Did she have any new tattoos, as he did? He hadn’t had a single one before they’d met.
Memories of Violet traipsing around the village in skimpy shorts, tank tops, and biker boots flooded him. She’d had a major chip on her shoulder, but she was sweet as sugar to the children. She made colorful face masks for the doctors in the clinic so they wouldn’t scare them, and she made fun, colorful gowns for the children who had to stay overnight, giving them something to focus on other than their illnesses or the procedures they were undergoing. She was always in control around others, and protective of each and every child, even the ones who fought, scratched, and bit. Now she looked anything but in control. Oh yeah, maybe no one else noticed, but he couldn’t miss the slight inward turn of her left foot, the way her toes dug into the sand. That was hertell, like she channeled all her uncomfortable thoughts into that move. She’d done it a lot when they’d first become close, and it had been inescapable the night he’d confessed his feelings to her.
And then she’d disappeared like a ghost in the night.
The cheers quieted, and people began mingling. A tall, brown-haired guy sidled up to Andre and said, “So you’re the guy who’s got the girls gossiping.” He offered his hand. “Gavin Wheeler.”
“Andre Shaw. Nice to meet you.” He shook his hand and said, “Why are people gossiping?” He glanced at the guests, noticing what he hadn’t before. Two brunettes, one slim, one curvier, and a regal-looking short-haired blonde were watching them intently, talking and giggling. Behind the brunettes, three rather large guys also had them in their sights, only they weren’t smiling.
Gavin shrugged. “Everybody’s got to check out the new guy.”
Andre raked his hand through his hair and looked up at the dunes, thinking about where he could go if he left. He’d seen the large tables that had been pushed together on the patio, draped in peach tablecloths and decorated with gorgeous bouquets of peach, white, and red roses. It occurred to him that this was likely a destination wedding, and Violet was probably leaving after tomorrow. She’d made it clear that she never stayed anywhere for long, especially when her mother was around. Maybe he could stay in the cottage after all.
“Thinking about taking off?” Gavin leaned closer and said, “Better make a run for it fast if you’re going to, because here comes the firing squad.”
He turned around and saw the three gigglers heading his way.
“Want to introduce us to your new friend?” the blonde asked with a flirtatious smile.
She was gorgeous, all legs and a sweet face in a short blue dress.Definitely not the type of woman to sneak off in the middle of the night.He stole a glance at Violet, talking with Lizza and Desiree with an irritated look in her eyes, and his stomach took a nose dive. Would he ever be able to think about another woman without wishing it washer?
“Andre Shaw,” Gavin said, jarring Andre from his thoughts. “Meet Chloe and her nosy cohorts, her sister, Serena, and Emery.”
Chloe waved, eyeing him flirtatiously. “Nice to meet you.”
He nodded. “You too.” If he weren’t so messed up he might return her flirtation, but it’d been a long time since he’d wanted to flirt with anyone.
“Hi. I’m Emery.” The thinner brunette thrust her hand out. As he shook it she said, “I’m engaged to Dean, the bearded guy over there.” She pointed over her shoulder. “He’s the one who looks like he sort of wants to kill you. That’s actually his happy face.”
Great. So you’re engaged to a jerk?
“And I’m Serena. My guy’s the groom’s brother, Drake.” She pointed to the guy beside Dean, who winked at her. Then she smiled at Andre and said, “So, you’re here with Lizza? How do you know her?”
“We met on a project. Sometimes she works for my company.”
“What do you do?” Emery asked.
“I’m a physician, and I—”
“But Lizza’s anartist,” Serena interrupted with a scrutinizing tone. “What type of company do you own?”
