Don't Lie (Don't 2)

Reluctantly, the guests filed out of the main entrance of the ballroom and into the circular drive of the club. A few seconds later, Sasha came bounding down the steps in a short cocktail dress, her hair pulled back in a ponytail. Cal scooped her in his arms and lowered her over the side of the car into the passenger seat.

“Y’all behave tonight!” someone hollered over the laughter.

“I don’t think so,” Cal c

alled back from the steering wheel, revving the engine a few times. Sasha slapped him on the chest, but she was clearly happy. Her cheeks were pink, and she hadn’t stopped smiling all night.

I saw Sasha’s mother dab at her eyes a few times while her father held her next to him. Watching their first daughter drive off into married life must have been a bittersweet moment for them.

Cole and I waved as the car pulled out of the drive. Sasha and Cal would be on their way to their St. Croix honeymoon tomorrow. Tonight, they had the bridal suite at the Wave Oasis, a gift from Sasha’s boss.

Everyone milled around for a few seconds, drinking bottled water. No one was ready to go home. Nights like that were hard to leave.

“Hey, I think we should light up the bonfire.” Lance came up behind us. He had had a few beers. “A little after party is in order.” His wedding date was a few paces behind him. I met her during the reception.

It seemed late to start one, and I wasn’t sure about taking my blue dress on the beach, but friends didn’t get married every day.

Cole’s hand slid along my back. “You up for it? I can take you home.”

“Yes, I think it’s a good idea,” I answered. “It’ll be fun.” It was the last party in what seemed like never-ending events.

We could be homebodies the rest of the fall and winter.

Mary Ellen bounced over. “Are we going to the beach?”

I wished I could read Cole’s mind. Would he be ok if Mary Ellen and Aiden tagged along?

Cole answered, “Yep. Come on.”

And just like that, Cole had invited Aiden to the local bonfire. I didn’t know what to say. It was possible there was an impending apocalypse. I checked the sky, but all I saw was a brilliant October Texas sky littered with stars.

I was impressed with how quickly the guys pitched in to stack the wood. Aiden carried an armful of wood from Lance’s truck. I doubted he did much manual labor growing up, unlike Cole, but he was helping.

“Do you see what I see?” Mary Ellen danced over to me.

“Uh, no. What are you talking about?”

“Look at that.” She pointed to the fire. “They are actually working together.”

I stared in disbelief. Aiden was handing Cole logs of driftwood while Cole added them to the blaze. If I didn’t know better, I might classify it as teamwork.

“Maybe I had too much champagne.” I blinked again. Of course, I hadn’t had a drop.

Mary Ellen laughed. “No, it just means that they are getting along. It’s all going to work out, Kaitlyn. You want something to drink? Lance said there’s a cooler in the back of his truck.”

I shook my head. “I’m good.” I lifted my water bottle.

I watched as she skipped toward Lance’s tailgate. Sure, it was nice for a change that Cole wasn’t plotting how to knock Aiden on his ass, but I didn’t expect it to last. It couldn’t. They definitely weren’t chitchatting or slapping each other on the back, but they were loading the fire with wood. It was something I never thought I’d see. There were some deep-seated issues between them. What worried me the most was that Cole might wake up in the morning regretting his decision to sell the Dunes.

It was a beautiful fantasy to think we could ride off into the sunset and live off his fortune while Aiden demolished the Dunes and built a high-rise on it. How would Cole live with this decision? What would he tell his children? Our baby?

“What’s going on in that head of yours, darlin’?” Cole stood next to me.

“Is it that obvious?” I was trying to keep up with the party spirit, but there was too much going on in front of me: Cole and Aiden, Mary Ellen and Aiden, and the fact that we were hiding a huge secret from everyone.

His hands brushed over my shoulder as if I were wearing my hair down. “Did I tell you how pretty you looked at the wedding?”

I turned in the sand so that I was leaning into him, chest to chest. “No, I don’t think you did.”