“I brought cupcakes,” Bea said lamely, letting out what sounded like a half laugh. “I would have come earlier, but I didn’t want to get in the way of the movers, so I’ve been waiting outside for the last few hours for them to leave.” My heart clenched at her admission, and I wanted to go to her, but Bea wasn’t done talking yet.
“I’m sorry. Not that Shannon and I got married, but that I didn’t tell you right away. I shouldn’t have kept that from you, and I’m sorry that I told everyone else, but didn’t trust you enough to be honest. I’ve talked to Shannon, and we plan to have a reception here in a few weeks. Her parents have money put aside, and want to celebrate with us, and we want to celebrate with our friends. We can still do the Taco Man, margaritas, and the cake, and we’d love it if you’d be there.”
There was a breath of silence before I launched myself into Bea’s arms.
“I’m sorry I was such a jerk,” I cried as I cradled her to me.
I felt movement next to us, and knew that Amy May and Carmen were saving the wine and cupcakes, because a moment later, Bea’s arms surrounded me.
We held on tight, and may have shed a tear or two. We’d never had a fight before, and I really, really hated it.
“We okay?” Bea asked as she pulled back and looked up at me.
“Absolutely,” I replied, then grinned. “Really, you had me when you walked in with the cupcakes.”
Bea chuckled, then out and out laughed when Amy May quipped, “You had me with the wine.”
We turned to see that she’d opened the bottle and she and Carmen already had two glasses in their hands. One for them, one for us.
We grabbed our glasses and held them up for a toast.
“To Lila’s new home. May it be a wonderful place for her, Elin, and Elena,” Bea said.
“To Bea and Shannon, may they have a long and happy life together,” I added with a smile.
“To friendship. Sometimes we laugh, sometimes we cry, sometimes we fight, but we know, we can always count on each other,” Amy May said, and I swear, I had to choke back tears.
I am turning into a pansy.
“To unpacking, organizing, and decorating … oh, how I love thee,” Carmen put in, causing us all to laugh.
“Cheers,” we said together, then toasted each other.
It was late; the girls, and the wine, were long gone. I was nibbling on a cupcake while I researched furniture online for a dining room table, since I’d deemed mine as too small for this space.
I also wanted a new sectional sofa, some patio furniture, and since my bedroom was much bigger now, something to make a little sitting area for me to read.
I was licking chocolate off my fingers and wishing for the hundredth time that I’d asked Eric to bring the kids back tonight, instead of tomorrow, when I felt a chill run up my spine and swiveled in my seat.
Cade stood there.
His hair was pulled back, in a loose bun with large chunks hanging loose, as if he’d put it back haphazardly. In a hurry.
He was wearing a dark-gray tank top, with forest-green work pants, a dark belt, and chains hanging down across the side of his thigh.
He looked tan, like he’d spent the past few days in the sun. His gaze was intent on me, but I couldn’t read him.
I could read myself though, and I have to say, I was a little disappointed in the way my hormones were raging right now. I was pissed at him, dammit. He’d acted like a jerk, took Sledge’s word over mine, and had disappeared without a word.
But, holy shit, he looked good.
Seriously, I may have started drooling, and it wasn’t over the cupcake.
And if just the sight of him wasn’t enough to make me spontaneously combust, he was holding a squirming, fluffy puppy in his arms.
How am I supposed to keep my mad in tact when faced with that?
“Hey,” I said. Yes, that was my first word … brilliant.