A Bridesmaid to Remember

by Amy Vastine

  “If you weren’t holding my beautiful baby daughter, I would throw something at you right now,” Athena said with a playful scowl. She had the same beautiful red hair and fair skin as her brother. They were very much alike except for the fact that she was literally half his size.

  Sasha chuckled. “Go, get out of here.”

  “Thanks again, Bonnie,” Calvin said, holding the door open for his wife.

  “I like them. Almost more than you,” Bonnie said when they’d left.

  “All I take away from that is you like me the most.” He held Winter up over his head. “Did you hear that, Winter? Bonnie likes me the most. Yes, she does. Yes, she does!”

  “Careful,” Bonnie warned a second too late. Winter spit up right on her uncle’s face.

  Once again, she was impressed with Sasha’s skills. He kept his cool, handed the baby to Bonnie and went to the bathroom to clean up. “That was disgusting,” he said when he returned.

  “Never bounce a baby after she’s eaten and then shake her over your head. It’s like tossing some Mentos into a can of soda. You would be a fool to think nothing is going to happen.”

  “And I am no fool. I was valedictorian, after all.”

  “I was happy to just graduate high school.” School was hard for Bonnie. She’d struggled with reading when she was little, and she had to work hard for every grade she got. She knew college wasn’t for her and, after a few dead-end jobs as a young adult, she’d talked to Gordon about what he did for a living and was convinced to get her real estate license. She’d never regretted it.

  “You and Aaron went to school together?”

  “We did. He was a couple years older than us.”

  “Us?”

  Funny how even now after everything that had happened, Bonnie still thought of them as inseparable when she spoke about them in the past. “Me and Lauren, his sister.”

  “Bad Lauren. How does someone like you become best friends with someone like her?”

  Someone who didn’t know them well might think it was an issue of opposites attracting, which in some respects was true. Bonnie and Lauren were different in many ways, but it was the things in common that had made them as close as they were.

  “You love Aaron, right?” she asked him.

  Sasha nodded. “He’s the best.”

  “There are parts of Lauren that are very similar to her brother. I love those things about her as well.”

  “You love Aaron, too, right?”

  The question struck Bonnie as more serious than when she asked it of him. “I like Aaron a lot.”

  An evil grin spread across Sasha’s face. “Like him. Uh-huh.”

  “Are you thirteen years old or something? Sometimes I think Winter is more mature than you are.”

  “Oh, Bonnie, Bonnie, Bonnie, Bonnie. Thou dost protest too much. Just say it. Out loud. Don’t be afraid.”

  “Say what?” she asked, even though she knew exactly what he wanted her to say. Did she love Aaron? Sure, the same way she loved Sasha. Was she in love with Aaron? Thinking it made her heart skip a beat and her palms sweat.

  “Say it! Say it! Say it!” he chanted, much to Winter’s delight and Bonnie’s horror.

  “Would you please stop? You are so embarrassing. Your poor sister. I can just imagine the torture she had to endure growing up with you.”

  “He loves you. I can tell. He’s been in love with you pretty much since I started working for him.”

  Bonnie’s throat went dry. She tried to laugh it off like he was kidding. “Oh, really?”

  “Really. I know these things.” He tapped his finger against his temple. “Big, big brain, remember?”

  “We like each other. We’re thinking about going on a date, but it’s complicated.”

  “Because of Bad Lauren.”

  “Stop calling her that,” Bonnie said, feeling strangely protective of Lauren all of a sudden.

  He sat forward, leaning across the space that separated them. “If she’s not bad, then why is she keeping you from being with her brother? If I was in love with someone, Athena would be happy for me. She would wish me well. Not try to tear us apart.”

  “What if Athena thought the woman you were in love with tried to steal Calvin away?”

  “But she didn’t try to steal Calvin away. It never happened, and if I told Athena what really happened and explained to her that I trusted this woman I loved, she would get back on board with wishing me the best.”

  Bonnie picked up a toy for Winter to play with to stop her from fussing. She wasn’t a fan of this conversation any more than Bonnie was. “In a perfect world, in your perfect world, maybe that’s true. Lauren isn’t Athena. That doesn’t make her bad, though. It just makes her Lauren.”

  Sasha spread his arms out wide. “Then what are you so afraid of?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “If she’s not a bad person. If she’s a good person going through some bad stuff, then why are you and Aaron so afraid of jumping all in and being happy? What’s the worst that can happen?”

  When he put it like that, Bonnie didn’t have a quick retort. She had to stop and think about it. “I don’t know.”

  “Can I give you some advice?” Sasha asked, as if he wasn’t going to give it anyway.

  “Go ahead. I know what you’re going to say.”

  “Be happy, Bonnie. It’s okay. Sometimes other people are happy while you’re sad, and sometimes you’re happy while other people are sad. That’s the way the world works. We aren’t all happy at the same time. But don’t skip your turn at being happy because someone else is having their turn at being sad. I’m going to tell Aaron that, too.”

  His words struck a chord. That’s what they had been doing. They had been waiting for Lauren to be happy so they didn’t feel guilty about being happy. If Lauren wasn’t a terrible person, she wouldn’t want her brother to give up happiness. Lauren wasn’t a terrible person.

  “You are ridiculously wise.”

  Sasha sat back in the recliner and put his hands behind his head. “I know. Big brain, great wisdom.”

  “It’s still so annoying,” Bonnie teased. “Isn’t it, Winter? Is Uncle Sasha annoying? Giggle if he’s annoying.” The baby squealed in delight. “Even the baby agrees, so it must be true.”

  “Yeah, yeah. You’ll thank me later.”

  * * *

  AARON’S PHONE RANG in his pocket as he finished putting the second coat of paint on the walls of bedroom number three. Wiping paint from his hand onto his already destroyed jeans, he pulled the phone out. It was his mom trying to video call him. He clicked to accept, and her face popped up on the screen.

  “Aaron! Darling, how are you?”

  “Hi, Mom. To what do I owe the pleasure of seeing your lovely face today instead of the usual phone call?”

  “I haven’t seen you in so long I was beginning to forget what you look like. Then at mah-jongg the other day, Sandra Polites was telling me about how she does this video chat with her grandchildren in New York once a week and I realized I could do that as well. Never mind the fact that both of my children live in the same town as I do but never come visit me.”

  Her guilt trips were legendary. “I’ve been super busy with this house, Mom. We’re in the final stretch. Do you want a virtual tour?”

  “Of course I do!”

  Aaron showed her around and pointed out all the little upgrades and special details he had added over the last few weeks. She was particularly fond of the kitchen. It was very similar to what she had in their house in Arizona.

  “You have done an incredible job. You should be so proud of yourself, sweetheart.”

  For the first time in a really long time, Aaron did feel pride. That was something he’d truly lacked when he worked for his dad. There’d been nothing for him to feel good about. But aft
er taking a run-down, dirty, mice-infested pit and making it into this gorgeous home, he felt extraordinary.

  “I can’t wait to stage it and have you come see it in person when we have the open house in a couple weeks.”

  “I cannot wait, either. Which reminds me, I hope that you haven’t forgotten something that’s happening one week from today.”

  Aaron scrunched up his face and tried to remember. He couldn’t think of anything he had committed to recently. “Are we doing a family dinner?”

  “The library gala! Aaron, please tell me you have not forgotten. Do you need to do any last-minute alterations to your tuxedo? When was the last time you wore it?”

  Aaron hadn’t been in a tux since Lauren’s wedding. “I’m sure it’s fine, Mom. Do you really need me to go, though? Are you sure Dad is okay with me going?” It may have felt like forever to his mom since the last time the two of them had spoken, but Aaron knew for a fact that it had been forever since he talked to his dad. They had not seen one another or spoken since the day he had been summoned to his father’s office and told he couldn’t work with Bonnie or her father. Or else.

  “Your father is expecting you, and so is Hilde.”

  “Who’s Hilde?”

  “Ingrid Rutherford’s daughter. Your date to the gala! Aaron, sweetheart, please don’t do this to me.” She placed her hand over her heart as if he was giving her palpitations.

  He had completely forgotten about having to take a date. There was only one woman Aaron wanted to go on a date with, and her name was not Hilde. Bonnie would not be interested in the Cole library gala, however. It was probably the last place she would want to be.

  “I’ll be there and on my best behavior. I promise.”

  “Thank you. Have you spoken to your sister lately? She’s been avoiding my calls, and it has me a bit worried.”

  “I have not. Has she been showing up for work and such?”

  “Apparently. But I’m still concerned. With Mitch back in town, she can’t be in a very good place. Maybe you could check on her and make sure she’s okay.”

  His mother clearly wasn’t aware that Lauren hated his guts right now. “I’ll see what I can do.”

  “Thank you. Well, I’ll let you get back to work. I will talk to you after you visit your sister. Bye, honey.”

  “Bye.” Aaron hung up and pushed the phone back in his pocket. He couldn’t tell if this was an elaborate ploy to get him and his sister in the same room together before the gala or if his mom was truly worried about Lauren’s well-being. Either was possible. He would do as she asked and check on his baby sister, because that was what a good brother would do and he was trying to be a good brother.

  He sent her a text about checking in and got no reply.

  “Flooring is here,” Sasha said, popping his head in the master bedroom where Aaron’s tour and video chat had come to an end. “Want to get started on the kitchen and living room?”

  “Yeah, let’s see how much we can get done before it gets dark.”

  The three men worked until dusk and finished the entire main living area. The wood Bonnie had picked out was perfect. Aaron was more than pleased with the way it tied everything together.

  “I am going home and soaking in the tub until the water turns cold. That is the only way this old body is going to function tomorrow,” David said, stretching his arms over his head and clasping his hands together. He leaned to the right and then to the left.

  “I’m going to go downtown and get some food and a couple drinks. You want to join me, Aaron?” Sasha asked.

  “Well, since David didn’t offer to make room for me in the tub, I guess I can grab something to eat with you.”

  “You’re pretty, Aaron, but not pretty enough to share my bathtub, buddy,” David joked.

  Sasha and Aaron stayed a little bit longer to tidy things up before heading over to the Trusty Steed, a new gastropub in the center of town. They ordered a bunch of appetizers and each picked a different burger as their entree. No one would be going home hungry. Aaron sent another text to his sister, letting her know he was at dinner but would check on her when he was done. He got an automated reply that she was driving and couldn’t respond to his message.

  When the waitress brought their drinks, Aaron raised his glass. “To almost being finished with my first flip, thanks to you and David.”

  “Cheers to that, except we can’t forget Bonnie. If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t have gotten added to the crew, you would still be trying to choose a cabinet style and both of us would be worse for wear.”

  “Absolutely. To Bonnie as well.” Nothing would be right without Bonnie. They clinked glasses and drank.

  “Speaking of Bonnie, I was thinking I might ask her out on a date.”

  Aaron set his drink down and stared blankly at Sasha’s giant head. First of all, Sasha was too old for Bonnie. Second of all, if anyone had picked up on the fact that there was something going on between Bonnie and Aaron, it was Sasha. Why on earth would he try to get in the middle of that?

  Sasha’s fist came down hard on the table, rattling everything on it as he laughed hysterically. “I’m messing with you, kid! Oh my goodness, you should have seen your face. You would have thought I told you I was going to rob a bank tonight.”

  Aaron’s shoulders relaxed, and he picked his drink back up. “That was not cool.”

  Sasha couldn’t stop laughing. “You are seriously so transparent. How did you ever get away with anything when you were a kid? Your face gives away your emotions every time.”

  “Oh, really?”

  “Really. I know that you have been in love with that woman since the day I met you. It was all right there.” Sasha pointed at Aaron’s face.

  In love from the beginning? No way. He was still trying to figure out his feelings. There was no chance he’d been in love months ago.

  “You’re a funny guy.”

  “Don’t worry. She loves you, too. She’s just afraid you’ll regret making your sister mad. I say if your sister cares about you half as much as you care about her, she’ll get over it.”

  “Did you talk to Bonnie about me?” How else would he know any of this stuff? Had she really told him that she was in love?

  The waitress with the worst possible timing on the planet showed up at that moment with baskets full of appetizers. As soon as she set them down, food went into Sasha’s mouth, making it difficult for him to answer questions.

  Aaron couldn’t eat until he knew exactly what Bonnie had said. Sasha grabbed a napkin out of the dispenser on their table and wiped his mouth. “These wings are delicious. Aren’t you going to eat any?”

  “Aren’t you going to answer my question?”

  “Did Bonnie talk to me about you? Kind of.”

  That was an insufficient answer. That was the kind of answer that only led to more questions and put knots in Aaron’s stomach instead of buffalo wings. “What does that mean?”

  Sasha had moved on to the fried mushrooms. His eyes closed as he chewed. “Those are also really good,” he said once he was done savoring a mouthful. “You’ve got to try some.”

  “What does it mean that you kind of talked to her about me?”

  “It means we talked. I probably talked more than she did, but you came up.”

  “And she told you that she’s in love with me?”

  “You truly don’t see it? Every time the two of you are in the same room together? You don’t see it, hear it, feel it?” Sasha seemed genuinely perplexed.

  Aaron needed to think about it. Did he? He knew what he felt. Did he know what she felt?

  “Hey, Aaron!” Mitch came up to the table and gave Aaron a slap on the back. “I feel like I haven’t seen you in ages. Where have you been hiding? At that house you’re working on?”

  “Pretty much. We’re almost finished. The open h
ouse should be in a couple weeks. Truth be told, I sometimes wonder if I should sell it or move in myself,” Aaron said, noticing Sasha was glaring at him, most likely for not introducing him to their unexpected guest. “Mitch, this is Sasha, a friend of mine. Sasha, this is Mitch.”

  “Mitch? The Mitch?” Sasha questioned Aaron, who nodded. “Mitch, why don’t you join us? We have plenty of apps to share.”

  That was the last thing Aaron wanted, but there was no way to rescind the offer now.

  “That would be great. I was just going to get a couple beers before I headed home, but I could eat.” He snagged an empty chair from another table and sat between Aaron and Sasha. His phone buzzed, and he read it and set it down on the table. “My mom is driving me nuts about this library gala. She thinks we need to make an appearance as a family. I think we need to stay home.”

  “I agree with you. Stay home.” The last thing they needed was for Mitch and Lauren to be in the same room for any period of time. “If I could stay home, I would, but my mother bribed me into taking Hilde Rutherford.”

  “Never heard of her,” Mitch said. “Is she hot?”

  Lauren had really dodged a bullet with this one. “I have no idea. I don’t know that I’ve ever met her.”

  Mitch helped himself to a chicken wing. “Blind dates are the worst.”

  Sasha’s brows were pinched together. “You’re going on a date?”

  “Not a real date,” Aaron said. “I don’t even know the woman. I’m doing my mother a favor.”

  Mitch wiped his fingers on his napkin. “It’s about time you got back in the dating scene. I can’t remember anyone you’ve dated since Lara, and that was last year.”

  “How long have you guys been friends?” Sasha asked Mitch.

  Mitch popped some cheese curds in his mouth. “Since high school,” he answered after devouring them.

  “Oh, then you know Bonnie. Bonnie Windsor?”

  Aaron didn’t like where this was headed. Sasha knew who Mitch was, and bringing up Bonnie was a bad idea. Unfortunately, he was helpless to stop this conversation from going off the rails. It was a runaway train with no brakes and a mangled track up ahead.