Read Online The Wedding Wish (Summer Grooms Series) by Ginny Baird - Free Book Online

him a tilted smile, and his
heart stilled. How he wished there was a way to make things easy, but any way he
could think of was hard.
    She ran her hand down his lapel, noting the tear at his
collar. “What happened to your shirt?”
    “Let’s just say I had a little run-in with Kip on my way
here.”
    “With my dad?” she asked with surprise. “I don’t understand.”
    He looked down into trusting blue eyes, hating to shatter
her illusions. But the only way to move forward at this point was with full
disclosure, and Robert knew it. “I told him, Isabel. Told him why I went to New
York.”
    Her delicate brow wrinkled in concern. “And now you’re going
to tell me?”
    “All I ask is that you hear me out. Let me say my whole
piece.”
    “Robert,” she said, her voice trembling. “You’re scaring me.”
    He drew a deep breath, then released it, gathering his
courage. He locked on her gaze and willed the words from his throat, but they
wouldn’t come.
    “What is it? What’s happened?”
    “When I told you before there was no one else, that wasn’t
exactly right.”
    “What?”
    “Isabel, I’m married.”
    She pushed back in his arms and broke their embrace. “ Married? ” she shrieked, looking as if
she’d been slapped across the face.
    “But it’s not like you think!”
    She shook her head in disbelief and then stammered, “You
mean, all this time… When you and I have been together?” She brought her hand
to her mouth as if she might retch.
    “Isabel.” Robert stepped forward, but she inched back.
    “Stay where you are.”
    “You don’t understand. I’ve been trying to get it undone.”
    “Sure you have,” she said, clearly not believing him. “That’s
what they all say, isn’t it?”
    “They?”
    “Men, Robert! Like you!” She shot him an accusing glare. “And
all this time I blamed my dad, said he was overreacting…” She stood up
straighter and squared her shoulders. “But he was right, wasn’t he? You weren’t
to be trusted. All this time, you’ve been married to somebody else.”
    “Yes, but—”
    “Were you or weren’t you?”
    Robert hung his head. “I was.”
    “Does she know about me?”
    “No.”
    “Perfect. That’s perfect.”
    “My marriage was over a long time ago.”
    She set a hand on her hip and asked combatively, “What do
you think, Robert? That I don’t go to the movies? If that isn’t the oldest line
in the book, then I don’t know—”
    “She left me, Isabel,” he said, his voice cracking. Fire
welled in his eyes, and his jaw trembled. “Ran out on me, don’t you know.”
    She gasped and blinked at him. “What?”
    “Seven years ago, to be exact. We were barely even married.
We got married right out of college, and it scarcely lasted six months. Six
months was all we had before she put me through seven years of hell.”

 
    Isabel brought her hands to her head, a million emotions
swirling inside her. “I’m not getting any of this,” she whimpered as tears sprang
from her eyes. “Except for the part about you being married.”
    “But not for long. At the stroke of midnight, it’s over.” He
held her gaze, dark eyes sincere. “That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you. My
meeting in New York was with my attorney, Susan. She’s the one who called that
night when we were out to dinner.”
    Isabel lifted a hand to wipe back her tears. “I’m listening.”
    He heaved a breath, his shoulders sagging. “Jenny left
without so much as a word. I didn’t even see it coming.”
    “Then how—?”
    “She left a note by the coffeepot in the kitchen. Going to Florence to find myself. ”
    “Oh!”
    “Yeah, it wasn’t the nicest birthday gift I’d received.”
    “She did that on your birthday?” Isabel asked, unable to
believe the callousness of it.
    “To be honest, I’m not sure she remembered what day it was.
I guess all she was thinking about was leaving.”
    Isabel stared at him, her heart softening. Of all the people
to