“That’s a great reason to miss a flight,” Charlie teased.
“I thought so.”
Olivia went into the bag once more and pulled out the low-cut white bra I found. She mentioned she was having trouble finding one, and I had to grab it when I saw it. Even better, it matched the panties perfectly with a lace band below her breasts and lace cups that I was pretty sure would be hid beneath her dress. If not, they were lace and might blend in. I hoped.
“This will work with my dress,” she gushed looking up at me. “Did you get it to go with my dress?”
I nodded. “Yeah. I saw it when I was out and figured you could try it since you didn’t know what you were going to wear.”
“Oh, this is perfect. I was debating on those stick-on bra things, but I didn’t think anything like that would actually work for me. This is amazing.”
“Good. There’s one more thing in the bag.”
Olivia flashed me a look that said it was too much, but I waved it away. “Peyton went in with me on all this.”
Olivia met Peyton’s gaze and thanked her also, then dug back into the bag. She pulled out the last thing and laughed when she saw what it was. “You didn’t.”
I grinned. “I did.”
“What is it?” everyone else asked.
“I told Vicki that I thought all those Mrs. Norwood things were cheesy, but she said it was like a rite of passage. She found something else that suits me a little better.”
She turned the garter belt around and showed everyone.
“Things to do,” they read together. “Become Mrs. Norwood. Check.” Olivia spun it so they could read the next item on the list. “Ethan.”
We all laughed at the to-do list Olivia had for her wedding night.
“Where did you get the hearts?”
“Ethan made them for me. I told him I was planning something for you and told him to design something that size. He gave it to me and I had this made.”
“That’s perfect.”
“It really is.”
Chapter 20
After Olivia opened all her gifts and we packed up the food for everyone to take home, I poured Olivia into my car. She was gushing over how wonderful everything was on the ride home.
“Peyton, I’m so glad you came,” Olivia said, half-turning in her seat so she could see my sister in the back. “You should have been coming to girls’ night all along.”
Peyton grinned. “I wish I had. You guys are a lot of fun.”
“Well, we’re a little crazy,” Olivia laughed, “but we’re there for each other.”
“It’s pretty amazing.”
“Yep. So now that Vicki and Hunter are getting serious, we need to get you hooked up with someone.”
“I’m good,” Peyton said.
Olivia snickered. “I was the same way. I was not at all interested in dating, but Ethan swept me off my feet. I couldn’t resist him.”
Peyton pressed her lips into a smile that I knew she didn’t really feel. “I haven’t met a man I couldn’t resist yet.”
“You will,” Olivia teased. “And then you’ll be just as sunk as the rest of us. Oh, hey,” she said, turning to me, “how are things with Hunter?”
I shrugged. “Okay, I guess. He’s working weekends now so he can get his work done for the show at the gallery in a couple weeks.”
“Is he coming to my wedding?”
I shook my head. “I don’t think so. His show is the day after.”
“Maybe a night out would do him some good. Did you ask him?”
I shook my head again. “I haven’t seen much of him. We had lunch Sunday, but that was it.”
“Well, you should invite him to girls’ night next week. Then he can meet everyone.”
“I don’t know.”
“You should,” Peyton encouraged. “You really like him. He seems nice.”
I shrugged, not committing to anything. “I’ll see if he can get away from work.”
“She’s not going to do it,” Olivia stage-whispered to Peyton. “What happened?”
“Nothing. He’s just busy.”
“Uh oh. Is the workaholic coming out?”
“I don’t know. I’m trying to be understanding.”
“But it still sucks,” Olivia said, sounding more sober than I knew she was. “My ex worked constantly. Of course, I found out later a lot of his work was not really work. Ethan works too much, but he’s backed off considerably this summer so he can be around with the kids.”
“Not all men are going to be like that.”
Olivia shook her head. “No, but the way you’ve been talking about Hunter, I’m surprised.”
I shrugged again. “We’ll see.”
“You’re in love with him, aren’t you?” she said, her insight dead-on.
“I didn’t say that.”
Olivia snorted. “You didn’t have to. I heard it in your voice. You’re miserable because you’re in love with him and you think it’s heading toward over.”
“Maybe,” I admitted.
“Why do you think it’s over?” Peyton asked, her voice concerned.
“Things always end for me. When I’m all-in, he’s heading for the door. When Hunter and I met, he wasn’t working. He was on a temporary break because of the gallery. But with this show coming, he’s working hard to be a part of it. Which means his free time is no longer free.”
“But shows aren’t going to be that regular. And he’ll have a normal schedule one day, right?”
“I hope so.”
“But you’re already planning for it to be over by then.”
I shook my head. “I’m not planning for anything. I just know how these things go. We had our fun, I got too close, and I’m going to end up with a broken heart for it.”
“How do you know he isn’t in the same place you are?”
“Because of you guys.”
“Us? What did we do?”
“When we were talking last week, you guys were saying love is someone pulling you away from things. Wanting someone more than you want your job. More than you want anything. Being willing to walk away from everything so you could spend time with that person. Hunter hasn’t once done that. He’s been with me because he hasn’t had work. He even told me he feels restless, not himself, because he hasn’t been working.”
“That’s not a bad thing,” Peyton said gently. “He’s passionate about his work.”
I nodded. “I know. And it’s one of the many things I love about him. But I can’t compete.”
“You don’t know that.”
I laughed mirthlessly. “Actually, I do. He’s proven it again and again.”
“Invite him over for dinner Friday. I want to get to know him. See the two of you together.”
“No offense,” I said gently, “but you aren’t exactly an expert in relationships.”
Peyton snickered. “True. I haven’t had one pretty much ever, but I witness relationships constantly. I’m always watching my patients with their significant others. I know what love looks like.”
“She has a point,” Olivia said. “And I need to pee. I’m sorry to cut this short.”
“It’s fine,” I said, smiling. “Let’s get your stuff inside.”
Olivia let us in and rushed off to the bathroom while Ethan helped us bring in her gifts and the leftover food. When Olivia came back from the bathroom, we were finished.
“Sorry. I would have helped.”
Ethan shook his head. “My bride shouldn’t have to work for her own party. Thank you for putting this together, Vicki. And, I don’t think we’ve met,” he said, reaching to shake Peyton’s hand.
“Oh, sorry,” I said. “This is my sister, Peyton. Peyton, Olivia’s fiancé, Ethan.”
“A pleasure,” she said with a firm handshake.
“I just met Peyton last week, but I insisted she come to the wedding and the shower.”
“Of course,” Ethan said with a grin. “The more the merrier.”
&nb
sp; “Thank you,” Peyton said.
“We should head out,” I said, easing toward the door. I could see Ethan was more than a little curious about all the bags we carried in. I saw him peeking into a couple of them. None of it was going to last until their wedding night.
“Thank you guys, so much,” Olivia gushed. “Tonight was amazing.”
“It was fun,” I said.
“Thank you for including me,” Peyton said, giving Olivia a hug.
“I’m so glad you could come. We’ll see you next week, right?”
Peyton nodded.
“Good.” Olivia turned to me. “Think about what we said. Invite him over. And listen to your sister.”
I smiled and hugged Olivia. We said goodbye and were out the door quickly, hopefully with enough time for her to give Ethan a fashion show.
“He’s a little intense,” Peyton said when we were in the car.
I nodded. “Yeah. He’s a great guy though. I like him a lot. And he’s wonderful to Olivia and her kids.”
“I can see him being very protective.”
I snorted. “Oh, yeah. Very.”
“He’s pretty hot, too.”
I snickered. “Yeah, that, too.”
We laughed and talked about hot men until we got home. Peyton went to bed, saying she had to be up early, but I sent Hunter a text.
Dinner Friday?
A reply came back immediately.
Sure.
Peyton will be here, too.
Okay.
She wants to get to know you better.
I was baiting the hook and knew it. If he was done, he’d be more likely to cut and run. If not, maybe-
Looking forward to it.
Okay.
I didn’t see Hunter the rest of the week. We barely talked either and only traded a handful of texts. He said he’d be over around six for dinner, so I had herb roasted chicken in the oven and risotto on the stove. When the risotto was almost done, I added zucchini, squash, and asparagus to a skillet and sautéed them with olive oil and a light sprinkle of herbs.
“It smells good in here,” Peyton said, joining me in the kitchen. She opened a bottle of wine and poured us each a glass.
“Thanks,” I said, taking mine from her.
“What are you cooking?”
“Chicken, risotto, and vegetables.”
“I wish I could cook like you do.”
“I can teach you,” I suggested.
As always, Peyton glared at me. She never had an interest in cooking. Even when we were little, she was more interested in almost anything else besides cooking. It worked well for us to live together since she had no qualms about cleaning and I enjoyed cooking.
“I’ll learn to cook when you start doing your laundry.”
I shook my head and laughed. “Okay, we’ll stick to our current plans.”
“That’s what I thought.”
I stirred the risotto and vegetables and checked on the chicken. It was almost done, which meant we would be able to eat as soon as Hunter arrived.
“What time is he coming?”
“Soon. He said he’d be here around six.”
Peyton checked the clock. Yeah, I knew it was 5:57.
“Want me to put on some music?”
“Sure,” I said, grateful she wasn’t going to stand there and look at me while we waited for Hunter to arrive.
Peyton went into the living room and put one of the music channels on the TV. She flipped a few before she settled on the one she wanted, then peeked out the window when she thought I wasn’t watching her.
6:03.
I took the chicken out of the oven at 6:10. The risotto came off the stove at 6:15. I turned the vegetables off at the same time.
“Did you text him?” Peyton asked.
I shook my head.
“Maybe you should.”
I checked my phone and debated. If I sent him a text, and he didn’t answer, it would be even harder to deal with. If I sent him a text, and he came over, would that mean I had to remind him every time we were supposed to do something?
“I know what you’re thinking,” Peyton said slowly. “You’re thinking he’s like me. That he’s going to be one more person for you to have to deal with. One more person you have to take care. Make sure he eats and sleeps and doesn’t get sick.”
“I’m not-”
“It’s okay,” she interrupted. “I understand. I haven’t been a very good sister to you. I’ve always been in my own little cloud, floating along and barely noticing the wreckage I cause. I don’t think Hunter is like me though. I think he’s just overwhelmed right now and that it will change.”
“But what if it doesn’t,” I argued. “What if it only gets worse?”
“Then you have to decide if you want to put up with it. It’s a shitty place for you to be. But you’re the only one who can choose what you want to do.”
“Love sucks,” I whined.
Peyton chuckled. “I’ll take your word for it. Maybe one day I’ll find it myself. Unfortunately, I have a feeling I’m going to be the one letting someone else down. I’m going to be the one regretting when it ends instead of the one who has to walk away.”
“You don’t have to be,” I said.
Peyton nodded. “I know. And I hope I won’t be. It’s going to take me a while to figure out how to balance work and a personal life.”
I snorted. “No one knows how to do that. It’s a myth.”
Peyton shrugged. “Maybe. Your friends seem to have a handle on it.”
I thought back to the lingerie shower. Peyton was right. They all found a way to have careers they loved and relationships. To be something everyone in their lives needed them to be. And their significant others were doing the same. When I first met Ethan, I was sure he and Olivia wouldn’t last long, but he started taking more and more time off and trusting his employees more.
If he could do it, so could Peyton.
Hunter though? Well, he didn’t have employees. Which meant it was all on him.
And only he would be able to decide what the most important part of his life was.
Chapter 21
Peyton and I finally gave up waiting for Hunter to show up and had dinner. We were sitting in front of the TV watching one of our favorite chick flicks from our childhood when the doorbell rang.
We exchanged a glance. We both knew it was Hunter. He was almost two hours late, and I really wasn’t in the mood for excuses.
He knocked again and I finally got up. Peyton stood and carried our plates to the kitchen, giving us a moment of privacy that I wasn’t sure I wanted.
When I opened the door, his hand was poised to knock again. I jumped back and he nearly fell inside. “Hey,” he breathed. “I wasn’t sure if you were here.”
I crossed my arms and nodded. “I’ve been here all evening. Having dinner. With my sister.”
He sighed. “I know, and I’m sorry. I just lost track of time.”
“Again?”
“Vicki, I told you this is a big deal. I have a lot of work to do.”
“And you think I’m being ridiculous?” I practically screeched.
“Hey Hunter,” Peyton said from right behind me. She guided me away from the door and stood back so he could enter. “Are you hungry?”
His eyes went from me, still seething, to my sister, offering him a plate. I hoped she put ex-lax in his food, but Peyton wasn’t as cruel as I was.
“Um, yeah,” he finally said, taking the plate and walking into the house. “Thanks.”
I stormed into the kitchen, leaving the two of them in the living room. I wanted to leave, just get the hell out of there, but the sick part of me wanted to know if he had any other excuses.
Peyton came in a few minutes later and filled a glass with water. “He feels really bad,” she whispered.
“He should.”
She sighed. “Yes, he should. But I think he really likes you. He says he feels like shit for forgetting again.”
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“But that’s the point, Pey. It’s not the first time.”
“It’s only the second time. And it’s not like he didn’t show up at all. He’s just late.”
“Two hours. Would you see a patient if she showed up two hours late?”
The chagrined look on her face gave me my answer.
“Why should I be okay with my date being two hours late when your patients can’t be?”
“You know that’s not fair.”
“Why not? All our time is valuable. Not just yours.”
“True,” she agreed. “I still have a hard time believing he’s just an ass.”
“He’s not. I think that’s what makes it harder.”
I heard the shuffle of his feet coming toward the kitchen and shot Peyton a look. When Hunter came into the room, I couldn’t meet his eyes.
“Dinner was amazing.”
“It would have been better fresh,” I snapped.
He nodded. “I bet it would have been. Can I take you out for dessert?”
“You were supposed to get to know my sister,” I argued, knowing I’d give in to anything he said if I was alone with him.
“There’s plenty of time for that,” Peyton said with a smile. “You guys go.”
I shot her a look that should have had her crying for mercy. Instead, her grin widened and she actually pushed me toward the damn door.
“Peyton,” I hissed.
“It’s fine. I promise. I’ll get to know him after the show, when he has more time.”
If looks could kill, my sister would be laid out on the floor. She offered me another grin and pushed me toward Hunter and the door. I grabbed my purse and slid into some flip flops before she closed the door behind us and clicked the lock into place.
Hunter chuckled. “I guess she wants us to talk.”
I glared at him and stomped to his SUV. He unlocked it with a flash of lights and a beep, then followed me in. He drove in silence, while I sat with my arms crossed, staring out the window. When he pulled up to a local ice cream shop, the kind where you ordered at the window and sat outside at picnic tables, I wanted to scream. Damn him, it also had the best ice cream in town. And I was a sucker for ice cream.
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