“Only two and a half,” she mumbled.
“So if you finish that piece you’re eating, it will be three?”
Kinsley smiled guiltily. “Correct.”
Arden chuckled. “You keep this up and we’ll have to order you another wedding gown.”
“Oh my gosh, you’re right. I’m so weak.” Kinsley frowned at her plate, then slowly placed it on a nearby table. “I hate it when it other people are sensible. It makes me realize how boring I normally am.”
“You’re not boring,” she said, swinging an arm around Kinsley and giving her shoulder a little squeeze. “That’s why I brought you as my date.”
Kinsley snorted. “Please. You only brought me because my brother wasn’t available. I’m actually glad Damon had to head to New York this week for business.” She happily took a flute of champagne from a passing server and glanced at Arden. “So, what is Wade too busy doing to come with you anyway?”
Arden looked down at her clipboard, pretending to study it carefully. Unfortunately, her mind wasn’t on the wedding, so all she saw before her were blue scribbles. “Oh, um, he had dinner at Miranda’s parents’ scheduled. He promised to help move some furniture or something.”
“Dinner at Miranda’s parents…” Kinsley bit her lip. “I’m surprised he didn’t cancel. I’m sure they would have understood.”
Arden had kind of thought the same thing when Wade had mentioned it, but she promised herself she was not going to get all tied up in knots over what Wade Roberts did or did not do in his spare time. It was none of her business. And as his friend, she knew enough to respect that. “It’s fine, Kinsley. I told Wade I understood, and I do.” Sort of.
At least…she was trying to understand.
Kinsley looked around the room in awe. “Well, if my brother couldn’t come tonight, I’m glad I was second choice. I’ve been wanting to see this hotel for a while. Always good to check out the competition.”
“My goodness, you’re worse than I am. Do you ever turn it off, Kinsley?”
“Of course not. Well…sometimes. When I’m with Damon.” She waggled her eyebrows.
Arden laughed. “TMI.”
“You asked,” she said with a grin.
Arden checked her watch. “Okay. We’ve got one more hour. But I’m going to check on the mother of the bride and see if she wants me to ask the band to play a little longer. I’ll be right back.”
Arden made her way through the dance floor to the other side of the room. People were laughing, enjoying the music. The energy was high, so she was sure the band wouldn’t mind extending their contract. She stopped and surveyed the crowd again, looking for the bride’s parents. A light tap on the shoulder had her turning around.
“Hi,” said a woman with a wide, friendly smile. Based on the gown she was wearing, Arden figured she was one of the bridesmaids, and a very pretty one with her dark-red hair pulled into a fancy up-do. She was also very pregnant.
“Hello,” Arden said, returning her smile.
“Are you the wedding planner?” she asked. “You seem like you are because you’ve been running around, checking on things a lot. You look like the person in charge,” she added with air quotes.
Arden chuckled. “It’s a good thing I’m not a spy then. You’re not really supposed to notice me at all.”
“I couldn’t help it. The only reason I’ve been watching you is because I’d love to hire a wedding planner myself. I’ve been pretty busy lately,” she said, laying hands protectively across her bulging middle. “But my boyfriend said that it’s not necessary. It’s only fairy-tale stuff and that we could just elope and be done with it.”
Arden barely knew this woman, but she wanted to tell her to cut her losses now and dump her boyfriend. Deep in her heart Arden always believed no matter the circumstance, everyone deserved better than a “be done with it” attitude with regards to their wedding day. “Well, a lot of men aren’t really interested in the formalities and tradition of weddings ceremonies,” she managed to say diplomatically. “But when it comes down to it, it’s all about what you both want and coming to an agreement that makes you both happy.”
The woman bit her lip. “Yeah. That’s the thing. He can be stubborn, so he’s not really listening to what I want at all.” She turned hopeful eyes up at Arden. “Maybe you could talk to him? He might listen to you. He’s right over there,” she said, pointing to the bar. “Wearing the red tie and navy suit.”
Arden followed the woman’s gaze over to her boyfriend, and that’s when her breath caught. The man in the red tie. It was Colin. Her ex-fiancé.
Arden held her stomach, feeling the room slightly spin. She immediately turned away.
“Are you okay?” the woman asked.
“Uh, no,” she managed, though her mouth felt stuffed with cotton. “I…I think I need some water.”
“We can get some at the bar.”
“No.” That’s all she needed was to come face to face with Colin again after all these years. Oh gosh. He was engaged now. And, worse, he was going to be a father. “I’m sorry. I need to go. Good luck with your wedding plans.”
Arden rushed out of the reception area and into the hallway. Finding a secluded spot, she leaned against the wall, taking in several slow, deep breaths in an effort to calm her pounding heart.
Kinsley found her about ten minutes later in the same exact position.
“What’s wrong?” Kinsley laid a hand on her arm. “You’re as pale as the bride’s gown.”
“C—” She swallowed and eventually found the words. “Colin is here.”
A short moment ticked by. “Oh.”
Arden narrowed her eyes. “What do you mean, oh? You already knew and didn’t tell me?”
“Yeah, I saw him earlier. I didn’t tell you because I was sort of hoping you’d be so busy you wouldn’t see or run into him.”
“I was busy, and if I hadn’t run into his pregnant fiancée, I probably wouldn’t have seen him at all.”
Kinsley winced. “Ouch.”
“His girlfriend actually wanted me to talk him into a traditional wedding ceremony and reception.” She snorted. “Kind of ironic, don’t you think, since he didn’t bother to show up to the first one he had?”
Kinsley wrinkled her nose. “Not ironic. Awful.”
“Awful because his girlfriend wanted to hire me as a wedding planner for their marriage or awful because he’s gotten over his aversion to marriage?”
“Well, when you put it that way…both.”
Arden let her head fall back against the wall with a thud, then banged it again a few more times until tears formed in her eyes. “I knew it wasn’t marriage he was against. I knew it. Marriage he liked just fine. Being stuck with me for the rest of his life was what he was so adamantly against.”
Kinsley’s lips thinned. “Well, whatever Colin’s feelings were on either subject, he should have been honest with you from the start and not let it draw out until mere moments before the actual wedding ceremony.”
Arden squeezed her eyes. “None of that matters now anyway. It’s obvious I’m just not made for long-term commitments.”
“Oh, honey,” Kinsley said, stroking her arm, “that’s so not true. We’re all made exactly the same, and we’re all meant to find true love. It’s the how and when that make us unique.”
Arden shook her head. “No. Something is wrong with me.”
“Nothing is wrong with you. After Paul beat my self-esteem so low, I wondered if I needed to change, too. I wondered if I had to stop being myself and be someone else instead, someone men would think was more interesting. But I realized I couldn’t keep living a lie like that. I had to be myself. And then I met Damon, who likes and appreciates me for me and all the quirky, boring traits that go along with me being me. So, don’t you think for one minute that you’re broken or you’re not good enough for Colin or my brother, or any other man. I’d marry you in a second if I wasn’t already engaged.”
Arden laughe
d through her tears. “Thanks…I think.”
“Don’t mention it. It’s what good friends are willing to do.” Smiling, Kinsley reached up and began dabbing a napkin under Arden’s eyes. “And as a good friend, I suppose now is the time I should also inform you that Colin is the one not made for long-term commitments. I know that for a fact.”
Arden reached out and grabbed Kinsley’s wrist. “How would you know something like that?”
“Well, Colin didn’t see me, but I happened to catch him flirting with one of the champagne servers during the cocktail hour while the wedding party was getting their pictures taken. She gave him her number, and he added it to his cell phone.”
Arden blinked, sickened, and suddenly feeling very sorry for his pregnant girlfriend. “Oh my gosh, is that really true?”
Kinsley crossed her heart with her right hand. “I wouldn’t lie to you about that.”
“So, do you think the only reason Colin wants to get married now is because his girlfriend is pregnant?”
Kinsley shrugged. “Who knows for sure? But he certainly isn’t acting like a man desperately wanting to exchange until-death-do-us-part vows with the love of his life. And from my viewpoint, I doubt it’s his girlfriend’s fault, either, which should also tell you something.”
Arden slowly nodded. It did tell her something. Like maybe she was the one who desperately wanted to exchange until-death-do-us-part vows all along.
For all her talk about not wanting to get married, deep down inside she really did. Wade saw it right away and even called her a romantic because of her choice of job and love of the color pink. But she’d always been afraid to admit it. Afraid because if she had admitted that she wanted the happily ever after, the lack of it in her life would be spotlighted. As a result, she was desperate enough to grab the first chance at committed love with Colin, even though she might not have been truly in love herself.
Yeah, she hadn’t loved Colin. She could admit that much to herself now, too. She had never been in love. Until now. Until Wade.
She loved Wade.
OMG, I love Wade.
The one time she wasn’t actually looking for love, and it sneaked up and hit her over the head. She wasn’t sure if she was thrilled or terrified. It had happened so gradually, she hadn’t even realized it. But it had happened. A little part of her grew to love Wade with every coffee date, every Doctor Who episode, and every long walk with Roxy. This feeling of giddiness whenever he wrapped his arms around her or simply smiled at her, and the unexplained need to see or talk to him if too much time without either had gone by. She’d never felt this way with Colin because this was love.
And now she understood why Wade made it such a point to avoid it again in his life. Because there was no guarantee of happily ever afters with love.
She calmly took the napkin from Kinsley’s fingers and blew her nose. Despite her sudden realization about Wade and the fact that her chest and brain ached, she still felt better—and a lot lighter—than she had in several months now that she understood Colin’s true character.
Arden pushed off the wall and straightened. She had a job to do. “Nobody should see the wedding planner crying,” she explained, blotting her face. “It’s not good for business.”
Kinsley grinned. “Spoken like a true career woman.” She then cocked her head and added, “Hey, are you sure you’re okay? You don’t still have feelings for Colin, do you?”
“No, I don’t,” she answered truthfully, “I know I don’t.” Arden thought of Wade and his reaction to the news if she’d decided to tell him that she had feelings for him, and she knew it wouldn’t be good. He didn’t want to risk his own heart again, so he certainly wouldn’t want or appreciate her offering him hers. He would try to protect himself and withdraw from her. She wasn’t prepared for that to happen yet. So, she’d keep her feelings to herself. She had to if she wanted more time with him.
“Well, I’m glad about that. You have a wonderful new man in your life now, if I do say so myself.” Kinsley smiled. “When we get back and you see Wade again, you’ll forget all about Colin and feel better in no time at all.”
Arden looked at her friend and gave her a sad smile. No time at all. Too bad, because that’s exactly what she had left with Wade.
Chapter Twelve
Careful not to make too much noise, Arden tiptoed into Wade’s kitchen to start a pot of coffee. Monday mornings were tough enough. But after the wonderful Sunday she’d spent with Wade, it was becoming harder to hide her feelings for him. If she were as sensible as Kinsley, she would have come home from that wedding on Saturday night and spent the rest of the weekend by herself. But, no. Instead, she rushed right over to his place, almost desperate to see him, to make sure what she felt for him wasn’t a fluke.
It was no mistake. Her feelings were as strong as ever.
And now that she was sure she was in love, she wanted to make the most of every moment with him. Kinsley and Damon’s wedding was coming up soon—only three weeks away—which meant her deal with Wade and the fake engagement would be over soon, too.
Roxy trotted into the kitchen, her tag wagging, and looked up at her. Arden bent down and rubbed the labradoodle’s furry neck and kissed her. She was going to miss spending time with his dog, too.
“How come I don’t get morning greetings like that?” Wade asked, leaning a shoulder in the doorway with his hair adorably tousled. She glanced up and her heart turned over.
He was a Greek Adonis in flannel pajama bottoms.
She grinned. “You did. You just don’t remember because you were half asleep.”
Smiling, he walked over and held out his hand to help her up. “Well, I’m wide awake now.” He lowered his head and kissed her, his hands snaking around her waist and pulling her in tight.
“So I see,” she said on a sigh once they came up for air. “But keep going like that and you’ll scare the dog.”
He let out a husky chuckle. “I think she’s used to it by now. Actually, we both have gotten used to having you around.”
“I can sort of tell.” She held up a pink coffee mug. “I don’t remember seeing this little gem before.”
“I admit I bought the mug set with you in mind,” he said, stroking her face with his fingers in a gesture so loving and intimate, her heart wanted to burst. “And in case you hadn’t noticed, the William Shatner poster has been unofficially retired. I want you to be totally comfortable here.”
“I do love being here.” Then because of all the little things he’d done for her, and the connection between them felt so real, so perfect that without her thinking of the consequences, she added, “In fact, I just plain love you.”
“I love you, too.” He smiled. “Always have.”
She bit her lip, hesitating for a brief second. He was important to her. Important enough to not let him gloss over her feelings. “No, Wade. Not in that way.”
Just like that, his smile disappeared. “I’m sorry. There can’t be another way. Not with me. You knew that.”
She watched him, bemused, suddenly feeling as if she’d jumped out of an airplane without her parachute attached. “Wade, you can’t tell me what I should or shouldn’t feel. I know I’m in love with you.”
His shoulders tensed. “It’s too soon for you to be so sure about something like that. It’s only been a month.”
“What difference does timing make? Some people know in less than a day. But if you really want to get technical, it’s not like we’re strangers. We’ve known each other for years.” She bit her lip. “Don’t I mean anything to you?”
He ran a hand through his hair and turned to look at her. “Of course you do. You mean a lot to me. Your friendship means a lot to me. But we can’t have a real future together. You need someone who can give you commitment, and marriage, and the whole happily ever after.”
Disappointment coursed through her. “Wade, I need someone who makes me happy. That person is you.”
His face went grim. “Happ
iness doesn’t last forever.”
“Life doesn’t last forever. We all know that. So, shouldn’t we grab onto and hold whatever happiness we’re given?”
“It’s not that simple.”
“I don’t think it’s that hard, either.”
But one glance at his face told her it was excruciatingly hard. In fact, blind panic was written all over his face. She didn’t know what else to say. She felt as if someone had ripped out her heart and crushed it. Then, before either of them could say anything else, her cell phone rang.
Kinsley’s name flashed on the screen. Knowing her friend wouldn’t call this early in the morning without good reason, Arden shot Wade a concerned glance before answering it.
“Oh, I’m glad I caught you,” Kinsley breathed. “Do you have any appointments this morning?”
She frowned. “Uh, no. I don’t think so. Not until later this afternoon. Why?”
“I need you to stop by the hotel. We have a bit of an emergency going on now.”
Arden heard crying in the background and gripped the phone tighter. “What do you mean? What’s going on?”
“It’s Elena. As her wedding planner, you should know that her wedding will be canceled. Just please come as soon as you can.”
“I’ll be right over.” Arden clicked her phone off and looked at Wade, who had been watching her closely. “Something must have happened between Elena and Scott. I need to see what’s going on.”
Wade looked almost relieved, which crushed her spirits further. Forcing herself to stay calm, she turned to go, but he laid a hand on her arm, stopping her.
“Call me and let me know how Elena is when you get a chance,” he said gently.
She held in a sigh. Not call me we need to talk about our feelings. Just call me so we can talk about Elena. Wade was making an effort, but not in the way she needed. He didn’t want to acknowledge her feelings, because then he’d have to acknowledge his own. And he was obviously too afraid to do that.
She nodded, but any hope of their relationship continuing, withered and died as she walked back in the bedroom to get dressed.
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