Mama smiled. “Darlin, that’s wonderful. You are making such a splash doing what you have always loved, and you are finally being recognized for it. We are all incredibly proud of you.”
“Well, thank you very much. It’s been hard work, but it’s very rewarding,” I said. “But this night isn’t about me. I am so happy that I get to be here to witness my baby sister starting her life with a truly remarkable man.”
Evan grabbed Violet’s hand and kissed it. He turned back to me and said, “Thank you, Lilly. I’m so glad you feel that way. I love your sister very much.”
“I’m glad. And, well, it’s the truth. I could never do what all of you do every day. Evan and Daisy bringing lives into the world, and Daddy saving them. Violet shaping young minds, and Mama giving back to the world. What I do is nothing compared to what you do. All I do is feed people. I am in good company tonight, for sure.”
Daddy lifted his wine glass and simply said, “To good company.” Mama added, “To being together.” We all raised our glasses.
A moment later, Evan’s phone vibrated. He looked at it, and said, “Oh good, the guys are on their way here. They said to apologize for being late.”
Mama smiled and waved her hand. “Oh, no worries. Saving lives is a job, we all know that. Besides, there is still plenty, you know they will be hungry.” Well, I was right about them being doctors too. Jesus, was the whole hospital staff eating here tonight?
“Yeah, Jack said his last appointment took a little longer than expected. He had to deliver some bad news,” said Evan. I noticed out of the corner of my eye Daisy shift in her seat.
I wonder…“Wait a second. Jack? As in Jack Riley? He’s a doctor too?”
“Yes, we met in medical school, and we ended up Glenbrook together. He’s a reproductive endocrinologist,” Evan said. “Violet told me you went to school with both of my groomsmen.”
“Yes, we graduated together. He and Daisy-OW!” I stopped mid sentence when I felt Daisy stomp on my foot. I looked at her and she smiled her best “Talk about it and I’ll kill you” smile. I giggled and took a bite of my homemade macaroni and cheese. I heard Evan stifle a laugh. Then something Evan said made me go back. “Wait, did you say both groomsmen?”
Violet nodded. “Yes, they both are from your graduating class. I still can’t believe how many talented people graduated with you. You are a famous chef. Jack’s a brilliant endocrinologist. And Luke is one of the top pediatricians in the state of Georgia.” I look up, and almost stop breathing.
Chapter 3
Luke
I nearly choke on my food. Luke? Luke Beckett? I hoped this reaction had gone unnoticed. It had not. I looked at Daisy, who was smiling into her plate. “Luke Beckett? He’s one of your groomsmen?”
Daisy smirked, and said, “Oh, yeah, I must have forgotten to mention that.” I kicked her back under the table.
“A-a-and he’s a pediatrician?”
Evan nodded, saying, “Yes, a great guy. He comes out with me to the surrounding hospitals every holiday season and we cheer up the patients. Unfortunately, this year I won’t be able to make it since we’ll be on our honeymoon, so Luke is playing Santa and Jack will be taking my place.”
Violet put her hand on Evan’s and said, “Luke and Jack are the doctors that are starting the practice with Evan. They are hoping to kind of be a one stop for families. From conception to birth and beyond.”
Mama said, “I wish we’d had that around here when you girls were little. I had to drive two towns over to get to the pediatrician’s office.”
I tried to imagine this. Luke Beckett, the biggest country boy football jock in our high school is now a pediatrician? The only man I ever….and he’s on his way here? To my parents’ house? He’s in my sister’s wedding? Oh my God…
I pulled back from the kiss, stunned. “L-L-Luke, wait, I, um….” Luke kissed me. My friend just kissed me. He just kissed me and told me he was in love with me. I didn’t know how to react…I couldn’t react. Hell, I could barely speak.
He tucked a strand of hair that had escaped from my ponytail behind my ear. “I’m not trying to push you into anything, Lilly. I just couldn’t let you leave without telling you how I feel.”
“A-a-and, h-how long have you felt this way?” I asked, starting to regain my ability to speak.
Luke looked into my eyes. “Since the seventh grade. Five years,” he admitted, his voice dropping to a whisper. Five years. All that time…
“So, you’ve been in love with me for five years, and you chose to tell me this now? On the night before I leave for college? H-how am I supposed to respond to that?”
He looked down at his shoes. “I guess you don’t have to say anything. I was going to tell you tonight anyway. I thought, yeah, I’d wasted five years, but assuming you felt the same way, at least we could hopefully have the summer together before we both went to college. But when Jack told me this morning you were leaving tomorrow, I panicked and thought it’s now or never. I’m so sorry I waited so long, Lilly. Please don’t hate me.”
I took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly I swallowed hard, and put my hand to his face. I raised his head and looked right into his ice blue eyes. He looked at me, vulnerable and scared…his heart on his sleeve. For the first time, I felt I was really seeing Luke. A sweet, caring, incredible person who poured his heart out to me, risking it getting broken for the sake of being honest. I looked from his incredible eyes, to his mouth. His beautiful mouth. Lips that had just been on mine…my first kiss. Surprisingly, I felt sad and happy at the same time. Sad that my first kiss was at eighteen, but happy that it was with Luke…the boy who had secretly loved me for five years. Me…plain, boring, Lilly Harrington. Not able to take my eyes away from his mouth, I instinctively leaned in and kissed him for the second time. The second kiss was better. I felt electricity shoot through me from my head to my feet. More feelings going through me than the first time. I felt him slightly open his mouth in surprise, and we deepened the kiss. He had one hand in my hair, and the other hand moving down my back, resting at my waist. My hands found my way to his neck, and I lightly ran my fingers through his hair at the nape, and then I moved them down his strong back…very strong for a boy of only eighteen. In this moment….I wanted time to freeze. I couldn’t leave now, not like this. The truth is…I think I loved him too. And I couldn’t waste any more time, either. In the background, I heard Violet laughing and playing inside the house. I had to be alone with him, and we couldn’t talk here. Luke was right; it was now or never. I reluctantly pulled apart from the kiss, and whispered into his ear, “Is there somewhere we can go and talk?”
Breathless, he smiled at me. “The lake house is empty, we can talk there. Is that okay?” he asked me, seeming nervous. His parent’s lake house. Very secluded. Quiet.
“The lake house sounds perfect,” I whispered, taking his hand in mine. I stared into his eyes for a long moment, with desire burning through me. I began to lead him off the porch.
He hesitated. “Lilly…are you sure?” he asked, knowing what was going to happen if we went there.
I met his eyes, and responded with another kiss. I was getting better at being forward. “I am sure,” I answered, and we walked hand in hand to his truck.
The sound of the doorbell jerked me from my flashback. Mama said, “Oh that must be the boys. The gang’s all here.”
Violet got up from her seat. “I’ll get the door, be right back,” she said, and walked out of the dining room. Evan stood up and said, “Wait, I’ll come with you,” and he followed her out in to foyer.
My mouth suddenly felt dry. Daisy nudged me. “Hey, you gonna be okay? You look kind of flushed,” she said, genuine concern in her voice. I started to feel hot, like the room temperature just went up ten degrees. She was the only person I ever told about that night with Luke.
“I’m fine,” I lied. “It just feels a little warm in here.”
“Okay, come with me,” she whispered to me. Then she looke
d up and said, “Hey, Mama, we are looking a little low on salad. Lilly, you want to help me in the kitchen?” I just nodded and followed Daisy into the kitchen. As soon as the door swung shut behind us, she whipped around and faced me. “Here,” she said, “drink this,” and she handed me a bottle of water.
I took a long drink. “Thanks, Daisy,” I said, and then sighed. “God, I don’t know why I am acting like this. That night happened a long time ago, right?”
“Well, you will be seeing him again for the first time since that night a long time ago. Are you sure you can do this?”
Little waves of panic shot through me. Unconfidently, I said, “Of course I can. I mean, it’s not like Luke is the only guy I have ever slept with,” I said. And he wasn’t, if you count that other guy from my sociology class I was with once right after college. Wow, sad. I have had no life.
“No, but he was your first. And you haven’t seen or spoken to him since that first time. He was one of your best friends,” Daisy said softly.
“Okay, Daisy, are you trying to throw me into panic mode again?” I asked, my eyes wide.
She smiled. “Of course not,” she said, and slightly shook her head. “Look, that happened eleven years ago, right?”
“Right. I’m over it, and I’m sure he is too. I hadn’t really thought much about him for years.” At least, I never let myself anyway. Well, with the exception of today.
“There you go. So, come on, let’s go do this thing. Grab that salad dressing,” Daisy said, lifting another bowl of tossed salad and backing out of the kitchen door.
I grabbed a bottle of Italian dressing setting on the counter, exhaled, and followed her into the dining room, keeping my head down to hide the redness I felt rising in my cheeks. The minute I looked up, I saw him. He was bending down to kiss Mama on the cheek and when he caught my eye, his mouth fell slightly open. Out of the corner of my eye, I could have sworn I saw Mama smile. His eyes were the same ice blue, with slight wisdom lines around the corners. He still had the same dark hair. He was wearing a pair of faded jeans and a fitted black turtleneck, which clung around his muscles. Of course he looked perfect. He was the most heartbreakingly beautiful man I had ever seen. For a split second my peripheral vision registered that he wasn’t wearing a wedding ring. During that split second relief washed through me. I cleared my throat, and was able to barely speak, “Hello, Luke.” It sounded so informal, but at this point I was trying not to pass out from nervousness.
Luke smiled and said, “Lilly, wow, you look…incredible.” I noticed he was wiggling his fingers back and forth, like he was nervous.
“Thank you, you look great too. You look…taller,” I breathed. Taller? Did I just say taller?
Jack interrupted, saying, “Yes, we’re all so proud of his height. He’s a big boy now.” Jack had always been a bit of a joker. I always thought of him as an annoying brother type. “He’s right, though. Lilly, you look terrific.”
“Well, thanks, Jack. It’s great to see you too,” I said, and when he leaned his hand across the table in a fist, my hand mirrored his and we bumped our knuckles, making me giggle. Jack looked great as well. He was always lean and fit when we were younger, and he still was, but he looked more muscular than he used to. His light brown hair was gelled into messy spikes, and he had a slight five o’clock shadow. He really did look terrific. I slid back into my seat beside Daisy. Jack sat on her other side, with Luke taking the seat at the end of the table. All of a sudden I felt so nervous, like I was suddenly out of place. Daisy reached her hand over and gave mine a reassuring squeeze.
Mama spoke up. “Well, now, isn’t this nice. All of us here together.”
Daddy said, “It certainly is. So, Luke, how did your surgery go? Everything is okay?”
“Uh, yeah, we were about halfway through the procedure when his blood pressure bottomed out. I was able to stabilize him, and we finished without any more problems.” Wow. I couldn’t believe Luke was a doctor. I never thought that this is the road he would end up going down. At that moment, I suddenly realized I was smiling. I quickly looked back at my plate, hoping no one noticed.
“Well, thank heavens for that. That poor little boy is just the most precious thing,” Mama said.
“Why did he have to have surgery?” I asked, and Luke answered.
“He had to have an emergency appendectomy,” he said. “Everything looked great when we left. He was stable, all his vitals looked good.”
“That’s great to see a doctor care so much for his patients,” Mama said.
“I love all my patients. Besides, I know his parents well, we all grew up together. He feels like family,” said Luke.
Evan said, “I’m sure you are family to them too.” He patted Luke on the shoulder.
Before I could ask who his parents were, Daisy leaned toward me and said, “Kyle and Jessica.” Kyle Davis had been on the football team with Jack and Luke, and Jessica Miller-well I guess its Davis now too-was one of my friends that always followed Kyle around. They were finally together. And now they have a little boy, who was unfortunately in the hospital.
“Well, they are lucky to have a friend like you looking out for their son,” I said to Luke, and he smiled. We made eye contact for a brief moment, and I felt a shiver go down my spine. This was going to be a long dinner.
After most of the food was gone and we all couldn’t eat another bite, Daddy, Jack, Evan, and Luke were leaned back all talking about which NFL teams they thought would make the playoffs that year. I took that as my cue to stand, and us girls started helping clear the plates. When we were in the kitchen, Mama said, “I still can’t tell you how happy I am to have you home, Lil. Even if it’s only for a little while.”
“Well, I’m happy to be here.”
Violet giggled. “Yeah, you’re not the only one. Did y’all see Luke’s mouth drop open when Lilly walked into the dining room?”
Daisy rolled her eyes and said, “Oh Vi, you always thought Luke was in love with Lilly, nothing every happened with them.” She looked at me and winked. Nobody knew we ever even kissed, let alone slept together. I guess Luke kept quiet about it.
“Well, it’s just that ever since I have known him, every time Lilly’s name comes up in a conversation, his face changes. Sometimes he looks happy, other times he looks like he’s thinking hard about something. Even when he was dating that Sam girl. I don’t think he loves her, I know he does,” Violet said. “And you never know what could happen, right? Nothing like a wedding to put romance into the air. Who knows, maybe there might still be hope for Daisy and Jack.” So, Luke had had a girlfriend. For some reason, I felt a small pang of jealousy. I guess I should have expected it. A gorgeous man like Luke could probably have any woman he wants. I can’t have expected him to be celibate all these years.
“And I’m gonna stop you right there and move onto another topic. So, when is your last gown fitting? I don’t know about you, but I might have a hard time fitting into my bridesmaid dress after this dinner tonight,” Daisy said, effectively distracting Violet. Thank God for her. It’s hard enough being here with Luke, but it was even harder to not think about him when it seemed I was constantly being reminded of him. The last time I saw him, he was asleep. I was sneaking out of the lake house before he woke up. I wanted to avoid an awkward goodbye. And now, eleven years later, I was home again, in the same house with him, and I suddenly had an overwhelming feeling of guilt. At the time, I didn’t let myself think about it. I wanted to stay focused and start my life away from Glenbrook. I never even told him goodbye, and I robbed him of his chance to say it. For the sake of my sanity, I knew I had to apologize to him before he left tonight. I wouldn’t be able to take three weeks of uncomfortable conversations if I didn’t. We were both in Violet and Evan’s wedding, and this was about them. I walked over to the kitchen sink and began washing a plate, listening to Violet and Daisy discuss the wedding plans.
Chapter 4
Truth
After the food had al
l been put away and the last dish had been washed, I walked into the living room. Mama had finished before I did and was getting ready to read a book, Violet was showing Daisy pictures out of a bridal magazine, and Daddy was playfully arguing with Jack, Evan and Luke about the score of a football game. I thought, this was it. If I was going to do this, it was now or never. With a burst of courage (and before I could talk myself out of it), I walked across the living room. I timidly walked up beside Daddy and said, “Hey boys, do you mind if I borrow Luke for a minute?”
Daddy smiled warmly, and said, “Not at all.” He gave me a tight squeeze around my shoulders.
Looking confused, Luke extended his arm and said, “After you.” I walked past him, grabbed a shawl, and walked out the front door, feeling him behind me. I heard him shut the door, and I walked over to the porch swing.
“Would you like to sit?” I asked.
He smiled at me and said, “Sure.” We both sat next to each other.
After a moment of uncomfortable silence, I decided to lighten the mood. “Well, this isn’t awkward at all,” I said, and we both laughed.
“Of course it’s not,” he laughed, more at ease. “Look, I know that there is obviously a reason you brought me out here, but before you say what you wanted to say, I have to get this out…you really do look beautiful.”
I had been hearing my family say this to me all afternoon, but hearing Luke say it made me blush. Thank God it was dark outside. “Thanks, Luke. I should say the same thing. You look great too. So…I don’t know, grown up and smart.” The minute I said that, I regretted it. I did not know how to give this man a compliment that didn’t make me sound stupid.
“Uh, yeah, I guess I am, thank you” he said, laughing. Then, his tone turned slightly serious. “Lilly, I’m actually glad you wanted to talk to me.”
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