Perfect Fit (Serendipity's Finest 1)

Because he’d hurt her and he’d rather shoot himself with his own gun than cause her pain.

And after the wedding, Mike knew he’d be doing just that.

Joe and Annie’s wedding ceremony brought tears to Cara’s eyes. She sat in an aisle seat, Alexa on her left, giving Cara a prime view of the beautiful bride as she walked by in a spectacular ivory-colored, body-fitting dress. The color had been chosen in respect for the fact that this was her second marriage, and yet Annie’s first husband, Nash, sat with his new wife, Kelly, in the third row. Annie and Kelly had a unique friendship, but both women agreed that making Kelly a bridesmaid would have been a touch awkward. In true Annie form, her blond ringlets hadn’t been tamed—because as she’d told Cara at the coffee shop, Joe loved her wild hair. Her eyes sparkled with happiness, as did the groom’s; he waited impatiently in a dark suit and tie at the end of the aisle.

Everything about the wedding, from Annie’s father walking her down the aisle to the man of her dreams waiting for her at the other end, hit Cara with an emotional pang, reminding her of all she’d never have. Not with Mike, who’d spoiled her for any other man, of that she was certain.

When the couple promised to love and cherish each other, in sickness and in health, in good times and bad, in joy and in sorrow, for as long as they both shall live, Cara nearly fell apart. Only Alexa’s strong kick to Cara’s ankle, which gave her something else to focus on, prevented her from hiccupping and bawling out loud.

“Ouch!” Cara hissed.

Alexa smiled. “That’s what friends are for,” she whispered back.

Mike sat two rows behind her, Sam and Erin on either side. She’d caught a glimpse of them as she walked in, forced a smile at her friends, and done her best not to meet Mike’s gaze. They’d talk later, she was sure, but all her concentration had been on getting through the ceremony. Whatever he had to say didn’t matter. She was finished with the kind of relationship he was willing to give.

She loved him. She knew it. Had known it for a while, even if she’d never allowed the word to surface in her brain. But between the visit to her mother and Annie getting a second chance at real happiness, Cara realized that as much as she loved Mike, she had been settling for whatever crumbs he’d been willing to give. Granted, until the last week they’d been spectacular crumbs, but mere morsels nonetheless.

Too soon, the ceremony ended and the crowd dispersed to…where else? Joe’s. Despite her mood,

Cara couldn’t help but enjoy the celebration, which consisted of toasts, some roasting of the groom by his best friends, and a lot of dancing. Through it all, Cara felt the heat of Mike’s gaze on her skin. The red dress she’d bought under duress seemed to impress him, if the sizzling look in his eyes was any indication. But he didn’t approach her to dance, and talking would have been impossible anyway. The music was too loud, the people too packed and crushed together.

The bride and groom fed each other cake, Joe seductively pulled off the garter, and soon the single women were gathered for the bouquet toss. If asked, Cara couldn’t say how it had happened, but somehow, Annie tossed the flowers and Tess, who hadn’t yet turned sixteen, ended up in possession of the bouquet.

Ethan, Nash, and Dare looked ready to throttle their bratty sister, but Annie, being Annie, couldn’t stop her good-natured laugh, which calmed the brothers down.

The men gathered next for the garter throw, but Cara couldn’t bring herself to watch. Instead, she tapped Alexa on the shoulder and asked her friend to say good-bye to the couple for her. She’d had enough happiness shoved at her for the day, and her feet ached like crazy. She’d long since pulled off her high heels, and she held the stilettos in her hand as she made her way to the door. She’d put them on at the exit before she had to head outside.

Reaching the door, she leaned against the wall and was in the process of shoving her hurting feet back into their torture chambers when she felt a hand touch her shoulder.

“Can we talk?” Mike asked.

She turned and looked into his somber brown eyes, and her stomach plummeted toward the floor. She might have been preparing herself to end things with him herself, but his bleak expression told her not to bother. He’d have been doing it anyway.

That quickly, whatever hope lingered from the bubble of happiness she’d let herself live in finally popped, leaving her with the painful reality that was her life. And reality, Cara thought, really sucked.

Cara followed Mike to his apartment, promising herself their talk would be quick and she’d be on her way back to her apartment in no time. Alone.

“Let’s sit,” Mike said, gesturing toward the couch.

Cara lowered herself onto the sofa. Her new position gave her a perfect view of the bedroom corner of the apartment, where a suitcase sat open on the bed.

Her stomach cramped but she said nothing. He’d asked to talk, and she’d let him begin. She’d focus on getting through this without falling apart.

He settled in beside her, careful not to touch her. The cool distance between them was reminiscent of the early days when he’d come back to Serendipity, and her heart hurt at the distance between them. For all they’d had and suddenly lost.

She couldn’t help it. She had to ask. “What happened?” Last time she’d seen him, he’d kissed her in his office, told her he needed her after everything that had gone on within his family. Next thing she knew…dead silence.

“Simon’s retiring,” Mike said.

Of everything, she hadn’t expected that.

“And he asked me to take the job. For good.”

She blinked. “That must have thrown you. When did he tell you this?”

He looked away, unable to meet her gaze. “Saturday afternoon.”

With his answer, a yawning, cavernous pit opened inside her. “And that’s why I haven’t heard from you.”