The most nerve-racking thing was having to taxi around Mariela's family once they arrived from the airport. I was so worried that my poor little Jetta wouldn't be up to it and I hadn't had the time to get it checked out by my mechanic. It had trouble starting a few times, but we never got stranded anywhere; thank goodness.
Her family all seemed like wonderful people, easily as sweet as Mariela was, but they spoke as much English as I spoke Spanish. Which, spoiler alert, was one class in high school. Long story short - Mariela's family arrived from Chile, but their luggage didn't.
Mariela couldn't take any more time off from the hospital so I was on the hook to get them all fitted for suits and dresses. Mariela was so cute about the whole thing, offering to cook for me for the rest of my natural life. I didn't mind, she was like the sister I never had. She was the one that got me the job working with autistic kids at Children's Hope.
I wonder what Mal would say if he knew what I was doing now?
“Kait,” came a voice behind me.
“Huh?” I studied the procession of friends and relatives as they filed out of the building on their way to the reception. Thoughts of Mal lingered in my head, but he was still nowhere to be found.
“Earth to Kait.” Jeff, my brother's second oldest friend put a hand on my shoulder. I snapped out of it and fully faced him and the other groomsman. They chuckled that it took me so long to get out of my own head. “You ridin' with us, space shot?”
“Uh, no. No, thank you.” I managed a weak smile while wiping my eyes and chin.
“You sure, Sis?” Jeff looked concerned.
Was I that much of a mess? Damn you, Mal...
“Yeah, I'm good. I just need to make sure my makeup didn't run. I'd feel terrible if I looked like a circus clown in all the pictures.”
Jeff laughed and squeezed my shoulder in a platonic show of support, then he and the rest of Brendan's cop buddies left as well.
Most of them were really nice guys and they all looked out for me whenever I was around. It was nice in a lot of ways, but being the sister of a cop was terrible for my dating life. It was like having a small army of overprotective older brothers.
The clown part was true, I really did need to check my makeup. But I also needed to see if I was going crazy. If Mal was here, I needed to know. I had no idea what would happen after that. Would I be glad to see him or would I just slap him? Either way, after eight long years of thinking about the jerk that abandoned me I needed to know.
Chapter 3
Kait
I was beginning to think I really had been seeing things. I left through the side door of the cathedral and saw that the parking lot was mostly empty, save for my boxy red Jetta. It looked as lonely as I was.
What was I expecting? I pictured Mal pulling up in a horse-drawn carriage holding a bouquet of white and purple roses and nearly laughed. Even if he was here, that definitely wasn't his style. The Mal I remember was too tough and manly to ever be that delicate. Granted that was a long time ago now, so much could have changed.
Either way I got my answer. I was crazy.
Walking up to my car, I couldn't shake this feeling of disappointment. Seeing Mal felt so right, like life had started to make sense again. But when I got outside it felt like I had woken from a dream and a pit formed in my stomach at the sense of loss. Loss of what could have been.
I tried the key fob to unlock the doors as I walked up, but that wasn't working. Great... I so needed a new car. I turned the ignition. It seemed to me that the car was only being held together by angry shouts, begging and prayers.
And not even that was working right now.
“No, no nonono... Damn it!” I shook the steering wheel as hard as I could, but it barely budged. “Not now, Juan Carlos!” Mariela named my car after the king of Spain back when I first met her. I laid my forehead against the wheel. “This was literally the worst time this could happen. Why hadn't I just ridden with the rest of the wedding party?”
I would have to call Brendan and have him send someone to pick me up, which would delay the wedding pictures and then, in turn, delay dinner. I felt so stupid. I would hold up the whole reception because I was still hopelessly chasing memories.
“I can't believe you still have this rust bucket.” The words were so close and warm that they poured into my ears like liquid honey.
Startled, I turned to look at the man who was just inches away and leaning into my car window. He wore the same smile that I saw in the church. His eyes were rimmed with thick lashes and despite the manly stubble, his snub nose still made him look younger than he was.
“You...” The word tumbled out of my mouth.
It really was Mal.
Before I could say anything else Mal slipped a hand around my neck and kissed me.