A Groom Worth Waiting For

‘You said he wasn’t coming,’ Thea pointed out—rather accusingly, Zeke thought.

‘I wasn’t sure he would,’ Flynn admitted, glancing down at Thea with an apologetic smile.

Zeke wasn’t sure he liked the idea of them talking about him in his absence. What had she said? How much had she told him?

‘But, Zeke, you were the one who left us, remember? Not the other way round. Of course I asked you. You’re my brother.’

‘And that’s the only reason?’ Zeke asked. An uncomfortable feeling wriggled in his chest at the reminder of his disappearance, but he pushed it aside. He hadn’t had a choice. His father had made his position very clear, and that position had taken any other options Zeke might have had off the table. He’d only hung around long enough to waste his time talking to Thea that same night, then he’d been gone. And nobody looking at Zeke now, at how far he’d come and how much he’d achieved, could say that he’d made a mistake by leaving.

Flynn didn’t answer his question. With a sigh, he said, ‘Dad’s got a dinner planned for tonight, by the way. To welcome you home.’

Zeke appreciated the warning too much to point out that a luxury Tuscan villa belonging to some client or another wasn’t actually ‘home’, no matter how many swimming pools it had. ‘A prodigal son type thing? Hope he’s found a suitably fatted calf.’

‘I’m sure there was some poor animal just begging to be sacrificed on your behalf,’ Thea said. ‘But before then don’t we have a meeting with the wedding planner to get to, darling?’

The endearment sounded unnatural on her tongue, and Flynn actually looked uncomfortable as she said it. Nobody would ever believe these two actually loved each other or wanted to see each other naked. Watching them, Zeke couldn’t even see that they’d ever met before, let alone been childhood friends. He could imagine them on their wedding night—all unnatural politeness and a wall of pillows down the middle of the bed. If it wasn’t Thea doing the marrying, it would be hilarious.

‘She had to leave,’ Flynn said. ‘But I think we sorted out all the last-minute details. I said you’d call her later if there was anything you were concerned about.’

‘I’m sure it’s all fine,’ Thea said, smiling serenely.

Even that seemed false. Shouldn’t a woman getting married in two days be a little bit more involved in the details?

A door opened somewhere, slamming shut again as Hurricane Helena came blowing through.

‘Are you guys still here?’ she asked, waves of blonde hair bobbing past her shoulders. ‘Shouldn’t you all be getting ready for dinner? Thea, I had the maid press your dress for tonight. It’s hanging in your room. Can I borrow your bronze shoes, though?’

‘Of course,’ Thea said, just as she always had to Helena, ever since their mother had died.

Zeke wondered if she even realised she did it.

‘Come on, I’ll find them for you now.’

As the women made their way down the corridor Helena spun round, walking backwards for a moment. ‘Hope you brought your dinner jacket, Zeke. Apparently this welcome home bash is a formal affair.’

So his father had been sure he’d come, even if no one else had. Why else would he have set up a formal dinner for his arrival?

Helena turned back, slipping a hand through her sister’s arm and giggling. Thea, Zeke couldn’t help but notice, didn’t look back at all.

Beside him, Flynn gave him an awkward smile. He’d always hated having to wear a bow tie, Zeke remembered suddenly. At least someone else would be miserable that evening.

‘I’ll see you at dinner,’ Flynn said, setting off down another corridor.

‘Can’t wait.’ Zeke’s words echoed in the empty hallway. ‘Gonna be a blast.’

CHAPTER TWO (#ulink_8cab0193-3707-5c11-8778-904bc03c7313)

THEA SHOULD HAVE known this wasn’t just about shoes.

‘So...Zeke coming home. Bit of a shock, huh?’ Helena said, lounging back on Thea’s ridiculously oversized bed.

‘Yep.’ Thea stuck her head in the closet and tried to find her bronze heels. Had she even packed them?

‘Even though old Ezekiel Senior has planned a welcome home dinner?’

‘I told you—Flynn didn’t think he’d come,’ Thea explained. ‘So neither did I.’

‘So Flynn was just as shocked?’ Helena asked, too innocently.

‘Probably,’ Thea said. ‘He just hides it better.’

‘He hides everything better,’ Helena muttered. ‘But, to be honest, he didn’t seem all that surprised when I told him Zeke had arrived.’

Thea bashed her head on the wardrobe door. Rubbing her hand over the bump, she backed out into the room again. ‘Then maybe he just had more faith that his brother would do the right thing than I did. I really don’t think I brought those bronze shoes.’

‘No? What a shame. I’ll just have to wear my pewter ones.’ Helena sat up, folding her legs under her. ‘Why don’t you trust Zeke? I thought you two were pretty close before he left.’

Thea stared at her sister. She’d known all along she didn’t have the stupid shoes, hadn’t she? She’d just wanted an excuse to quiz her about Zeke. Typical.

‘We were friends,’ she allowed. ‘We all were. Hard not to be when they were over at our house all the time.’

‘Or we were there,’ Helena agreed. ‘Especially after Mum...’

‘Yeah.’

Isabella Ashton had quickly taken pity on the poor, motherless Morrison girls. She’d been more than happy to educate fourteen-year-old Thea in the correct way to run her father’s household and play the perfect hostess. At least until Thea had proved she wasn’t up to the task and Isabella had taken over all together. Thea would have been relived, if she hadn’t had to bear the brunt of her father’s disappointment ever since.

And been made to feel like an outsider in my own home.

Thea swallowed and batted the thought away. Helena probably didn’t remember that part of it. As far as she was concerned Isabella had just made sure they were supplied with any motherly advice they needed. Whether they wanted it or not.

Thea moved over to the dressing table, looking for the necklace Isabella had given her for her eighteenth birthday. The night Zeke had left. She’d wear it tonight, along with her own mother’s ring. Isabella always appreciated gestures like that.

‘And you’ve really not spoken to Zeke at all since he left?’ Helena asked.

Thea wondered how much her sister suspected about her relationship with Flynn’s brother. Too much, it seemed.

‘Not once,’ she said firmly, picking up Isabella’s necklace. ‘Not once in eight years.’

‘Strange.’ Helena slipped off the bed and came up behind her, taking the ends of the chain from her to fasten it behind her neck. ‘Do you think that’s why he’s come back now? Because you’re getting married?’

‘Well, he was invited, so I’m thinking that was probably the reason.’

‘No,’ Helena said, and something about her sister’s quiet, firm voice made Thea look up and meet her eyes in the mirror. ‘I meant because you’re getting married.’

Thea swallowed. ‘He didn’t come and visit the last time I almost got married.’

‘Or the time before that,’ Helena said, cheerfully confirming her view of Thea as a serial fiancée. ‘But then, those times you weren’t marrying his brother.’ The words And you didn’t go through with it... went unsaid.