“So what big plans are going on for you two today?”
Harriet smiled. “Not much, dear. We have a few doctor’s appointments.”
I stuck out my lower lip. “That doesn’t sound very fun.”
“We’re going to Bingo tonight,” Kenneth said then hacked into his handkerchief.
I slid the water closer to him and he nodded in thanks, taking a long swig of it before clearing his throat.
“Speaking of fun,” Harriet said. “Any fun wedding plans this weekend?”
“Actually, I’m attending a wedding.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful,” Harriet said, clasping her small, wrinkly hands together. “Whose?”
“Parker’s.”
Harriet’s thin eyebrows rose. “I thought that wasn’t for a little while?”
“He and his fiancée decided to do it sooner rather than later.”
Her shoulders dropped and she shook her head slowly. “I thought you’d have more time.”
“What do you mean?”
Harriet looked up at me with her soulful eyes. “It’s obvious you care for Parker.”
“He is my best friend,” I agreed.
She gave me a knowing smile. “Everyone but you two can see that it’s more than that. The love you two share deep down only comes once in a lifetime.” Harriet reached across the table and took Kenneth’s hand.
As much as I wanted to deny it, this was Harriet. She was the keenest older woman I’d ever met. Lying to her would be disrespectful. “I don’t want to lose him as a friend. I’d rather that than risk it.”
“Darling,” Kenneth said. “If Parker gets married to someone else, you’re going to lose him, anyway. You might as well go out throwing punches.”
I stared at him. He was absolutely right. My stomach churned with the thought of losing Parker for good. If I allowed this wedding to happen, I knew he’d be out of my life. I’d fought my way through my business but never my personal life. We were getting down to the wire, and I had a choice to make. Could I really do this? The only way to convince Parker to not get married was to tell him how I truly felt. The feelings that I kept locked away needed to be freed, no matter what the cost. I had nothing to lose since Parker had one foot out of the door of our relationship, anyway.
“I’m sorry,” I said to the Lamontes. “But I have to go.”
Harriet winked at me. “Good luck.”
I squeezed her arm then kissed Kenneth on the cheek. “Thank you.”
I pushed through the kitchen doors. “Tony, something just came up. I have to go.”
“Okay?” he said.
Before he could grill me, I grabbed my bag and keys and sprinted for the back door.
On the way home, I tried to think of what I was going to say to Parker. I only had one shot at this, and I needed to plan accordingly.
When I got home, the weight of the situation pressed on my body. What the hell did I think I was doing? Was I really going to try to break up a wedding? I knew deep down that Rachel was no good for Parker, but who was I to think I’d be the one for him? And who was I to say that he even thought of me that way? My confidence from Harriet started to fade. Then I did something I hadn’t done in years. I grabbed a pen and paper and started to write down my feelings. I knew I was going to burn the paper when I was done, like hell would I allow anyone to read it, but it helped organize my thoughts about Parker.
The more I wrote, the more tingles fluttered through me with the knowledge that I was going to put it all out there for him. I found myself reaching for more pieces of paper and writing until my hand cramped.
And when my doorbell rang, I nearly fell off the chair. I had zoned out my surroundings while I delved deeper into my thoughts about Parker.
“Coming!” I said and went over to the door.