Free TheTemptationNotJustifiedAReFinal by Delaney Diamond Page B

sides, and dessert, Celeste sat next to
Matthew on the porch swing. She surveyed the group and listened with interest
to their conversation. Roarke leaned against one of the white posts, and Cassidy
stood next to him, her arm wound around his and her head resting below the top
of his shoulder.
    Roarke’s
Aunt Iris asked him about marriage and children, and Celeste couldn’t help
listening attentively to hear what he had to say. The sting of jealousy ran
through her at the thought of Roarke married with children. He deflected his
aunt’s question by pointing out Cassidy was getting married tomorrow.
    “Hey,
don’t shift the focus off you to me!”
    “Thanks
for having my back.” He slipped his arm around his sister’s neck in a mock
headlock.
    The
playful banter between the two continued. Cassidy’s obvious adoration for her
older brother directly conflicted with Derrick’s assessment of Roarke. In fact,
from her observation, Roarke was well regarded by everyone.
    Could
it all be an act?
    It
was possible. Hadn’t her own husband fooled her into thinking he was a loving,
giving person interested in a monogamous relationship, when all along he’d been
“giving” his loving to as many women as he could during their marriage?
    She
wondered if the old adage had merit in Roarke’s case: If it seems too good to
be true, then it probably is. Still, how much of what Derrick said about Roarke
was truth and how much misconstrued because of jealousy?
     

Chapter
Eight
     
    Celeste
awoke the next morning feeling groggy. Stressed over the previous day’s events,
she’d hardly slept a wink. After a somewhat revitalizing cup of coffee, she
inquired about Derrick’s whereabouts and found out he’d already left for the
day. No one knew when he would return. When she called his cell phone, it went
straight to voice mail, and that’s when she decided to go exploring on her own.
    In
Pier Village, the center of activity, she would find quaint shops and
restaurants. It wasn’t too far, and the walk would be good exercise. She made
up an excuse for why she couldn’t stay for breakfast, but the truth was, she
didn’t want to sit through the meal with Roarke.
    As
she left the house, she heard the wedding planner bark orders across the yard in
the middle of a cyclone of activity. A local spa unloaded a couple of massage
tables and other items from the back of a van. The bride and her wedding party
would have massages, facials, and other services to help them get ready. When
she returned, no doubt delivery trucks would be all over the yard as the setup
for the wedding continued.
    The
ceremony would take place outside in front of over three hundred guests, the
majority of whom were Cassidy’s family and friends, and they would move into
the tent for the reception. The groom, Antonio Vega, was an Afro-Latino from Puerto
Rico. Most of his family still lived there. His immediate family, which
included Lorena, the maid of honor, his brothers, and parents, would be in
attendance, along with others who resided stateside.
    Her
own wedding hadn’t been such a grand event. Short on cash, she and her ex arranged
a small ceremony in his mother’s living room, and they never got around to a
honeymoon. Despite the lack of a fairy-tale beginning, Celeste had been happy
because at the time she thought she was marrying the man who would remain her
husband until death separated them. She’d been too naïve to see the signs at
the time, and the example of her parents’ successful marriage before her
father’s death had distorted her views on marriage and partnership.
    She
laughed to herself. What a difference a year could make. Before long she
suspected her husband of cheating, and a short time later found the evidence.
    With
sunglasses on and her hair pulled back into a braided chignon secured into a
neat knot at the nape, Celeste started toward town. Five minutes into her walk,
a black car slowed beside her, and the owner honked the horn.