by Sherri Hayes
We ended the night curled up on the couch, watching another wedding movie. This one was about a woman realizing she was in love with her best friend, but he was marrying someone else.
By the end of the movie, Brianna was frowning, and I knew why. All the other wedding movies we’d watched had a happy ending. I’m not sure I would classify this one as having an unhappy ending, but it wasn’t what I’d been expecting. The two best friends didn’t get together. It was a little depressing.
“Tomorrow we’ll have to find a movie with a better ending,” I said as we were climbing into bed.
She cuddled against me and pressed a kiss to my chest. “Something with a happy ending.”
I tilted her face up and lowered my mouth to hers. “Definitely a happy ending.”
Chapter 20
Brianna
I made waffles for breakfast Sunday morning and tried to pretend it was a normal day. A month ago, Diane had pulled me to the side and said she’d like to have a surprise party for Stephan’s thirtieth birthday. Since then, every week, Richard would find some reason to get Stephan out of the room for a few minutes, so Diane and I could go over the details.
Keeping the party a secret from him was the hardest thing I’d ever had to do. I didn’t like keeping anything from Stephan. It was almost a relief that the day was finally here, and I didn’t have to keep it to myself anymore. Or at least I wouldn’t soon.
Logan and Lily were coming down and following us to Richard and Diane’s house. They’d been in on the party preparation as much, or maybe even more so than I had been. The made-up story of Richard needing help with something in the backyard had been Logan’s idea. He’d said it was the perfect way to get Stephan into the backyard, and hopefully before he realized what was happening.
Logan, Lily, Stephan, and I were supposed to arrive around noon. Everyone else was getting there at eleven and were parking in a neighbor’s field about a half mile down the road. Richard was shuttling everyone to the house in their SUV.
Luckily, there wasn’t going to be a crazy number of people. Not only did Diane know I didn’t do well in crowds, but Stephan wasn’t a big party person either. All in all, there would be twenty to thirty people there. It was going to be a good test for me. There would be a couple hundred at Lily and Logan’s wedding and it was less than three months away.
I did my best to distract Stephan after we cleaned up breakfast. Distraction wasn’t my strong suit, so I’d asked if we could watch a movie, and then a few minutes in I started playing with the hairs on his arm. It had gotten the reaction I’d wanted, and we’d ended up making out on the couch until it was time to start getting ready.
At ten fifty-five, I heard Logan and Lily pull into our driveway. Stephan went to let them in so I could finish drying my hair. I wanted to look my best today without it being obvious I was making any extra effort.
Lily strolled into the bathroom a few minutes later. “Need any help?”
I shook my head. “I’m almost done.”
She looked over my outfit. “I like the dress. The shoes . . . not so much.”
Glancing down at my shoes, I frowned. They were simple black flats. The dress was teal with black print along the bottom half of the dress. I didn’t understand what the problem was.
“Do you have any nude heels?” she asked.
I scrunched up my nose. “I think so.”
She marched into my closet and I followed her.
Lily went directly to my collection of shoes, which compared to hers, was minimal, and surveyed the options. After a moment, she picked up a pair of nude, open toed shoes, that had a one-inch heel. “Here you go. These will look much better.”
Since I didn’t know fashion like Lily did, I took her word for it and changed into them.
She smiled. “Perfect.”
We found Logan and Stephan in the playroom of all places. They were standing over the bench with all his toys. Stephan called me over when he saw me. While the playroom still wasn’t my favorite place in our house, I wasn’t as scared of it as I used to be.
He tucked me against his side and checked his phone. “It’s almost eleven-thirty. We should probably get going. We don’t want to be late.”
Logan nodded, but took his time exiting the room. Stephan had to slow down in order not to leave them behind.
As we descended the stairs, Lily spoke up. “I should probably hit the bathroom before we go.”
“You remember where it is?” Stephan asked.
“Yep. I’ll be back in a jiffy.”
Logan, Stephan, and I waited for her in the living room. It took her ten minutes. I could tell Stephan was getting antsy, but he didn’t say anything.
On the drive to Diane and Richard’s, Stephan kept eyeing the speedometer and the clock. Normally, we left in plenty of time, but today we would be pushing it to make it on time. Of course, that was the intention.
Logan had pulled out of the driveway first, so he and Lily were ahead of us, setting the pace. It wasn’t that he was going slow. More that he was going exactly the speed limit and not one mile per hour over. Stephan was getting frustrated.
I knew I needed to provide another distraction. “Can we try driving on the road this week?”
It worked. He glanced at me. “I think that’s a great idea. You’ve been doing well in the yard. We can start close to home, and then if that goes well, maybe you could take us into town.”
“I’m still nervous, but I don’t think that’s going to change.”
He took my hand in his and gave it a comforting squeeze. “I’ll be right there with you. If something doesn’t go quite right, we’ll figure out how to tackle it, and then try again.”
I leaned my head back against the seat and grinned at him. “I love you.”
Stephan looked over at me and smiled. “I love you, too, sweetheart.”
The conversation had taken some of the tension out of his shoulders. He held my hand the rest of the way and didn’t let go until he needed both hands to maneuver into Richard and Diane’s driveway.
Logan stretched when he got out of the car as if he’d driven for hours rather than thirty minutes. Then he went to get Lily. He helped her out of the car, slowly, and then moved her to the side so he could shut the door. The movements were all exaggerated, meant to slow things down.
Stephan waited. His manners refused to let him tell them to hurry up, even though I knew he wanted to.
Lily winked at me as we made our way to the front door. Stephan let us in. We didn’t usually knock when we came over for dinner on Sundays.
“Hello?” Stephan called out when he didn’t see Richard or Diane.
No one answered.
“Maybe they’re in the backyard,” Logan suggested.
Stephan nodded. “It’s possible.”
The four of us headed through the house toward the patio. I was so anxious and not all of it was because of the people that were waiting on the other side of the glass doors.
Stephan pulled the slider open and stepped outside.
The patio looked empty until Logan closed the glass behind us. Then, as if he’d rung a bell instead of closing a door, people popped out from behind the shed and trees along the backyard and yelled surprise. Stephan blinked twice. “What’s this?”
Diane crossed to us and pulled him in for a hug. “Happy Birthday.”
He hugged her back but seemed a little stunned.
Logan patted him on the back. “Were you surprised?”
“Yes.” Stephan narrowed his eyes. “You planned this. Lily taking forever in the bathroom before we left. You driving the speed limit when I’ve never seen you do less than five miles over. Taking your sweet time getting out of the car.”
He laughed. “Yep. Had to keep you from speeding here trying to make up time. Would have ruined the surprise.”
Then, his gaze fell on me. “Did you know about this?”
I glanced down, feeling a little guilty for keeping a secret from him. “Yes.”
Then, he stepped forward and kissed me. It wasn’t a peck either, which is all he usually gave me in front of his aunt and uncle. I felt all the nerves and guilt I’d been wrestling with melt away.
“Okay, okay. Enough of that. You’ll have time to have fun with your girl later.” Daren’s voice brought me back to reality.
Last year, he and his wife, Gina, had come to the condo and we’d talked. I knew he was the one who’d told Stephan about me, and that it was because of him that I’d been rescued. It had taken me a while, however, to get over the fact that he’d played with me. Granted, he’d been nicer than most of the other men Ian had shared me with, but it was still difficult to deal with when for me it had been traumatic.
With Stephan’s help, I’d begun to feel more comfortable around him. It had helped when he’d explained that some of the things he’d done to me had been a test. Daren was a lot of things, but he wasn’t the same as Ian’s friends.
Dinner of cheeseburgers, hot dogs, and more side dishes than I could count—Diane must have been up all-night cooking—were laid out on a long table. It was a beautiful fall day and Stephan was smiling. I was happy he’d liked his surprise.
Stephan
The last thing I’d expected was a surprise birthday party. Turning thirty wasn’t a big deal. At least, not to me. I had a home. The woman I loved at my side. I was happy.
I knew there were men my age who’d never been in a serious relationship, or who still went out and partied every weekend looking for someone to hook up with. That wasn’t me. It never had been me, to be honest.
Brianna stood a few feet away, talking to Lily and Gina. She was doing well. Other than the brief look of guilt on her face when I’d asked if she’d known about the party, she’d seemed relaxed.
It helped that she knew everyone here. Outside of Logan, Lily, Daren, and Gina, Richard and Diane had also invited the executives from The Coleman Foundation, their spouses, and two of my cousins from my dad’s side of the family that I’d been close with growing up. It was a small gathering as far as parties went, but as far as I was concerned it was perfect.
Richard came up beside me. He offered me a fresh bottle of water. It was in the seventies today . . . a heatwave for October in Minnesota. “It’s hard to believe you’re going to be thirty years old. I still remember the day you came to live with us.”
I twisted the cap off and took a sip. “A lot has changed since then.”
He nodded. “I don’t have to worry about you sneaking out the upstairs window.”
Richard and Diane had been thrust into parenthood overnight. And not only that, they’d gotten a broody teenager who was racked with guilt. It had been a huge undertaking. “Do you ever regret taking me in?”
“No. You’re family and you needed us.”
Glenn came over with his wife and we got to talking about the fall gala. I hadn’t attended since I’d stepped down as president of The Coleman Foundation, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t involved. The board had to approve every donation for the silent auction, as well as the evening’s agenda. We had a board meeting in two weeks to finalize everything.
When Glenn and his wife slipped off to get a refill on their drinks, Richard noticed that I was watching Brianna. “Speaking of family. Ever think about taking the next step. Settling down.”
I shot him a confused look. “I own a house, two cars, and have been in a committed relationship for almost five years. How is that not settled?”
“You know what I mean.” When I continued to stare at him, he sighed. “Do you plan on getting married? Having kids of your own? Filling up that nice big house you just bought . . .”
My gaze fell on Brianna. She was blushing at something Lily had said. “She’s never given me any indication that she wants to get married.” I felt as if I was having déjà vu.
“Isn’t that up to you? Given the type of relationship you have?” he asked.
His question wasn’t judgmental, so I didn’t let it bother me. While Richard had tried to be more understanding of our unconventional relationship, that didn’t mean he always understood it. “That’s not quite how it works.”
“What are you two chatting so intensely about?” Diane walked up and handed Richard a container full of hamburger patties. “Can you put some more meat on the grill? We’re down to our last cheeseburger.”
He lifted the container. “Duty calls.”
Diane waited until Richard was out of earshot before raising her eyebrow.
I knew what she wanted, but I decided to play dumb. “What?”
“Are you and your uncle having another disagreement?” That’s what she’d taken to calling the time after my ex, Tami, had convinced him that I’d been abusing her.
“No. Nothing like that.”
“Good. I don’t like to see you two at odds.”
All the way home after the party, I thought about what Richard had said. Brianna and I had an open and honest relationship—keeping my surprise party a secret not withstanding—but did she think the same way Richard did? She’d given me no indication that she wanted to get married. But was that because she was waiting for me to move our relationship in that direction or because it wasn’t something she wanted?
I didn’t have an answer.
We lay in bed, her head on my chest as I caressed her hair. It was late, almost midnight. The last guest hadn’t left until ten, and then we’d stayed to help clean up. It had been a great day hanging out with our friends.
“You and Lily had your heads together for most of the day. What were you talking about?” I asked, seeing if I could feel her out. Maybe whatever she and Lily had been discussing would give me some clues as to her mindset. Maybe that made me a coward to not come right out and ask her, but I didn’t want to contemplate how it would feel to ask and have Brianna say no. Or worse, have her say yes because she thought she had to.
“They found a place to get married and she was telling me all about it.” She released a dreamy sigh. “It’s a renovated barn about fifteen minutes from Richard and Diane’s. It sits on a hill and overlooks a lake.”
“Sounds pretty.”
I looked down to see her smiling. “Lily’s going to be a beautiful bride.”
“Logan wouldn’t care if they got married in a shack. She’s been it for him since he laid eyes on her.”
Brianna giggled. “Probably.” She traced the lines of my abs with her index finger. I’d begun working out more after I stepped down from The Coleman Foundation, so I’d gotten more of a six pack. It still wasn’t anywhere near what some of those bodybuilders have, but I was quite pleased with the hours of effort I’d put in. Brianna seemed to be as well.
“I remember the first time they met. Sparks were flying before they knew each other’s names. I felt as if I were intruding on an intimate moment as I stood there introducing them.” It had been strange. I hadn’t known Lily to be speechless before that day.
“She’s told me about the night they met.” Brianna hummed. “So romantic. It’s like something out of a movie.”
I couldn’t disagree. Him seeing her across a crowded room and asking me if I knew who she was. Me introducing them only to feel as if they were so focused on each other I could have said the sky was falling and they wouldn’t have noticed. Yeah, it did sound like something from a movie.
Very unlike the start of our relationship. It had taken weeks for her to stop looking at me with fear in her eyes. Not exactly the stuff romantic movies were made of.
“Well, I for one, can’t wait to see you in your dress,” I said, bringing the topic of conversation back to her . . . to us. Rolling us over, I positioned her under me. “And out of it.”
She circled her arms around my neck, hooking her wrists at the back of my head. “I don’t think the barn has a hotel or anything. Will we come back here after?”
“I don’t know. Given it’s so close to R
ichard and Diane’s we might crash there for the night. I’m sure it will be late, and we’ll be exhausted. Weddings tend to do that.”
She averted her eyes for a moment before looking back up. “Are they really like the movies we’ve been watching?”
I brushed the hair away from her face. It was still hard to believe she’d never been to a wedding. “They can be. Weddings tend to bring people together who wouldn’t usually interact. That can create situations that degenerate fast.”
She was quiet for a few moments and I could tell she was thinking. “I liked Tess.”
We’d spent a lot of time the other day talking about Bridget, but almost no time discussing Lily’s maid of honor, Tess. “She came to a small fundraiser several years ago. It wasn’t long after Logan and Lily began dating, so I think she’d come to check him out.”
“It’s the maid of honor that usually organizes the bachelorette party, right?” she asked.
“Yes.” I searched her eyes for any sign of distress. “Are you concerned about what she might come up with for Lily?”
She pressed her lips together. “A little. But I’d be more worried if Bridget were doing it.”
“I agree. I might even have to put my foot down and tell Lily you couldn’t attend.” It wasn’t often I told Brianna she couldn’t do something. In fact, I was usually the one encouraging her to step outside her comfort zone and try something she wasn’t crazy about. This was different. I would be nervous enough for Brianna to be out for a ‘girls' night’, whatever Tess and Lily decided that was. If Bridget was planning it? I’m not sure I’d be able to let Brianna out of my sight.
She nodded. “Will Logan have a bachelor party? Since you’re the best man, that means you’ll be planning it.”
“Probably.” I hadn’t spoken to Logan about it, but I assumed we’d have some sort of bachelor party even if it was just a group of us hanging out at a bar or something. That wouldn’t be my first choice, mind you, since I didn’t drink, but I knew the other guys in Logan’s wedding party did.
“You won’t . . .” She’d averted her eyes again, but this time when she looked at me it was to stare at my chest.
