Midlife Love Story

“I like the sound of that,” she shot back, stood taller and strode forward to get her bridal shower party started. “Ladies, I’m so glad you could join me to celebrate my impending nuptials.”

Margot stood, the very picture of southern elegance as she smoothed the sides of her peach dress and checked to make sure her pearls were straight. “Pippa, I wouldn’t miss this celebration for the world. You and Ryan have a love story for the ages, only strengthened by the fact that it took decades for us arrive here. It gives the rest of us hope.” Margot pulled Pippa in for an uncharacteristically emotional hug. “I’m thrilled for you.”

Pippa blinked, surprised by Margot’s show of emotion. “Thank you, Margot.”

Margot pulled back, seeming to remember who she was as she stood a little taller. “My pleasure. And we have sparkling cider chilling on ice for the guest of honor.”

Pippa took her seat and the rest of us gathered at the table around her as dish after dish was brought out, and a steady stream of alcohol filtered into the room. It was as perfect as things could get when the party planner was also a guest, and I mentally clapped myself on the back at the good job I’d done planning everything out.

At least I’m still good at my job.

I settled into my seat and allowed myself to relax, to enjoy being in the room with these incredible women I was lucky enough to call my friends. The wine flowed and I soaked up the laughter around me as Pippa opened up gifts, both useful and totally inappropriate.

“You girls are really trying to make sure I return from my honeymoon pregnant, aren’t you?” Pippa laughed at the package of edible underwear and slipped them into her purse with a knowing grin.

“If nothing else,” Lacey said above the roar of laughter that erupted from the room, “you’ll have lots of fun practicing.”

“Obviously,” Pippa added with another smile. “Thank you ladies, for all of your wonderful and wild gifts. Ryan and I will enjoy them all and think of you fondly.”

“Oh geez, leave it to Pippa to turn a gift into a threesome,” Valona joked good-naturedly.

“We all have our super powers,” she shot back with a proud smile.

Eventually talk turned from the wedding and the wedding night to men in general. I held my breath and kept my focus on my bottomless glass of merlot.

“You’re awfully quiet Carlotta.” I should have known the reporter wouldn’t let my subdued behavior go by unnoticed. “Are you nursing a broken heart?”

“Nope. I’m not.” I’d moved quickly through the pain portion of the break up and straight into anger and frustration. Those were stages of grief, weren’t they?

“Oh please,” Pippa offered up with an eyeroll. “You and Chase are adorable together. You’re good together, but you both are too damn stubborn for your own good.”

“It’s not about being stubborn,” I insisted with more energy than I should have around this group. “It’s just realizing that you don’t want the same things, so it doesn’t matter how much you want each other. End of discussion.” It was a hopeful way to end the conversation, but I knew it wouldn’t work.

“Not end of discussion,” Pippa mimicked with a playful smile. She looked around the room to each woman and gave them a quick rundown of my relationship with Chase and its premature demise. “I think she should give him another chance.”

“Your opinion is not exactly unbiased Pippa. And there’s nothing to fight for. He wants a relationship in secret, and I don’t. I’m not going to fight for a one-sided relationship. Chase doesn’t want me enough to risk anything, which is basically the same as saying he doesn’t want me enough. It hurts, but it’s the truth, and I can live with that.” Despite the increasing ache in my heart at laying myself open like that, I knew it would pass.

Eventually.

“Maybe you ought to just show him how great it can be,” Margot offered.

“Tried that, and it was an unmitigated disaster. He doesn’t want to share that part of his life with the town, and I won’t hide in the shadows.”

Lacey nodded. “I get it. You spend all of your time in a romantic love bubble, only for him to up and decide you’re not the woman for him, and you’ve wasted your time and energy.”

“Exactly. But more than that, I’m not exactly the hiding type. I live my life out in the open. Period.” I held up a glass while the server refilled it. “To the top,” I encouraged with a smile. “I appreciate the advice, but there’s nothing to be done about this. It’s just the way things worked out this time.” And every other time, at least in my experience.

Feeling just past the point of being tipsy, I poured myself into the back of the limo and closed my eyes as I listened to the excited chatter of my friends. They were looking forward to the wedding, to getting dressed up with their gorgeous men on their arms as much as they were ready to celebrate Ryan and Pippa making their love official. Finally. My mind swirled with thoughts of my dress and the long list of tasks I needed to accomplish before wedding.

My thoughts were most definitely not on the town’s mayor and his piercing green eyes. Or his strong arms.

Nope, not at all.

Chapter 28

Chase

I should have brought Carlotta as my date.