The unEXpected Plan

by Harper, Leddy

  I decided not to freak out about it until I had a real reason to. I figured I could feel her out today and go from there. Even if she did still suspect something was going on between Corbin and me, it was only a matter of time before I confessed everything anyway. So really, I didn’t have anything to worry about.

  I checked my phone while sitting at a red light. Corbin had asked me to text him when I left my house and then again when I arrived at his parents’. I’d sent the first one before pulling out of my driveway, yet he hadn’t responded nor read it. I hoped that didn’t mean anything. Luckily, the light turned green before I could obsess too much about it.

  That was such a lie.

  I obsessed over it for the rest of the drive.

  But once I rounded the corner, the infamous Field of Dreams coming into view, anxiety took over. My chest tightened, and my entire body began to vibrate with nerves. Cars lined one side of the street, but I knew there were many more coming. It wasn’t quite eleven yet, and most people showed up just after the start time. Hopefully, that meant I’d be able to hide in the crowd.

  Easter Sunday wasn’t for another week, but Corbin and Nellie’s parents didn’t want their party to conflict with family gatherings or church, so they always held it the weekend prior. I couldn’t help but wonder how many people would come if they’d actually done this on Easter day. If I were to guess, I’d say all of them.

  I parked across the street, suddenly embarrassed about my car. It had been well-taken care of, not a beater or clunker by any means. And ever since Corbin had graciously gotten the alternator fixed, it’d been running like a champ. But that didn’t mean it fit in with the likes of what lined the street. I imagined it would be the equivalent of one of my students walking into a private Catholic school on this side of town.

  Needing a moment to compose myself, I adjusted the rearview mirror to check my face. Thanks to a few YouTube tutorials, a visit to Ulta, and a bag of bolder makeup than I was used to wearing, my eyes appeared bigger than normal. It wasn’t necessarily the look I was after, but knowing how much Corbin loved my “big eyes,” I’d decided to keep it.

  I double checked my hair to make sure it still hung perfectly straight—which it did, all thanks to the seventy-seven passes over every strand with my flat iron—and returned the mirror to its previous position. This was it. Do or die. Or was it ride or die? Either way, it was go time.

  That’s it! It was go time.

  After sending Corbin another text to let him know I was here, I opened my door and stepped out, flattening the skirt of my new dress before locking my car. With the key. It was that advanced it didn’t even have a working key fob. And then I walked across the street, careful not to fall and twist an ankle. Between the brand-new pair of wedges I’d purchased to go with my dress and my wobbly legs, there was a good chance I’d kiss asphalt before ever making it to the party.

  “Fancy meeting you here,” I heard as I stepped onto the brick path that led to the back yard, where the guests were already starting to mingle by the sounds of it.

  When I turned to find the familiar voice, I saw Nellie and smiled. “Hey.”

  The hug she offered wasn’t out of the ordinary, other than the fact that she seemed to hold on just a little longer than normal. I chalked it up to her missing me, considering we hadn’t really spent much time together in two weeks, and returned her embrace with equal enthusiasm.

  She pulled away but held me still for a moment to assess my outfit. “You look cute. Is that new?”

  Holding the skirt that hit me mid-thigh, I did a couple half-turns to show it off. “Yeah, it is. Do you like it?”

  I hardly ever splurged on new clothes, and this ensemble had taken up a good bit of my budget, but it was worth it. I wanted to feel confident today, and in this dress, I would. It also helped that I had on Corbin’s favorite body lotion, which made me feel invincible. And if that wasn’t enough armor to make it through today, I’d even bought new lingerie. Although that had come from the clearance rack. I smiled at Nellie, thinking about how she would probably say my thong was huge. I’d never forget that comment, even though I now found it funny.

  “Love it.” She smiled brightly at me and then nodded toward the back of the house. “Come on, let’s get in there before my mom sends out a search party. I’ve been hiding from her for the last thirty minutes.”

  “That doesn’t surprise me.” We giggled. “Is Mady or Julie here yet?”

  “No, but they’re on their way,” she said as we made our way to the back yard.

  There were no words to describe how relieved I was to see her and know that everything was okay. I’d really missed her, and even though there seemed to be something going on with her, I assumed it had to do with the guy she’d recently started to date and trusted that she would open up to me when she was ready.

  My thoughts of Nellie and our friendship quickly evaded my mind the second we stepped into the back yard. It was a wonderland of festivities, decorated with people in fancy clothes. Even though they had extended an invitation to me every year, this was the first Field of Dreams egg hunt I’d attended, and I had to admit, the stories didn’t do it justice.

  The trees were adorned with tinsel, and all the colors screamed spring. There were things to do and games to play in every corner of the yard. And we aren’t talking about a normal yard. No, Mr. and Mrs. Fields owned almost two acres, so there was enough room to wander between the various tents, booths, and egg-themed activities.

  Every detail had been addressed and outdone.

  A tall, attractive blonde came toward us, and Nellie greeted her with a hug. But I was too busy taking everything in, paying attention to every wonderous detail, to hear anything they were saying. I assumed it was a family friend that I’d be introduced to once I stopped walking around like a kid in a candy shop.

  And then I spotted Corbin, who had the ability to snap me out of my awe.

  Butterflies danced in my stomach at the sight of him. It reminded me of the realization I’d come to this morning as he stirred me awake with his tongue. I’d made up my mind. I knew exactly what I wanted. And I couldn’t wait to get back to his place tonight after the party so I could tell him everything.

  A smile tugged at the corners of my mouth but quickly faded when Nellie waved him over, shouting, “Hey, Corbin! Your girlfriend’s here!”

  What the hell?

  Chapter 25

  Corbin

  Booths for crafts, games, and food adorned my parents’ back yard. We usually had a couple hundred people show up, so there had to be enough food and drinks for everyone—it would be the end of the world if we ran out of something.

  On top of having a good work ethic drilled into us from an early age, my parents also taught us to never disappoint when planning festivities such as this. The egg hunt was slated to start after lunch on the east lawn. The green hills rolled as far as the eye could see, and some poor soul had been tasked with hiding the eggs, which now adorned the landscape like colorful confetti. Some were laid out and easy to find for the little ones, and others were hidden and more difficult. But in addition to that, my parents always had another hunt set up for the adults on the west lawn. Those eggs held lottery tickets, money, and other trinkets that were fun to find.

  Several of my friends planned to attend today, but no one had shown up yet.

  I finished talking to an older gentleman who worked for my dad, Leo I believe his name was, when I decided to check my phone. Bridge had texted me a little bit ago, letting me know she was on her way, but I was waiting for the one letting me know she’d arrived.

  Heading toward the far side of the lake, I decided to take a moment to myself, because once things began, chaos would ensue. I walked along the bank and reminisced about the time Brooke and I had experienced our first make-out session. It had taken me by surprise, in more ways than one.

  Several minutes later, the text alert on my phone broke me from my thoughts, and the message on my screen
made me smile bigger than a kid on Christmas morning.

  Brooke: I’m here!

  Excitement bubbled in my chest at the thought of seeing her. I couldn’t walk fast enough as I made my way toward the vine-covered archway near the back of the house, the same break in the bushes I’d chased Brooke through the night Nellie had interrupted us after dinner. And as soon as I turned the corner, I saw Brooke. I couldn’t miss her. She shined brighter than the sun in her yellow dress. And my God! Her legs went on forever. I began to think of viable excuses I could use to steal her away while no one was looking, and then contemplated all the things I’d do to her once I had her alone.

  My mind was full of Brooke and nothing else until Nellie called out, “Corbin, your girlfriend’s here!” Instantly, all the color drained from Bridge’s face. It made me turn my attention to my sister, who stood between Brooke and Lindsey.

  Wait. Lindsey?

  I studied the leggy blonde in a white form-fitting pantsuit and hot-pink heels on the other side of Nell for a second, and sure enough, it was none other than my ex. Only a few feet apart from my current girlfriend. With my sister, and her devious smirk, between them.

  What the fuck is she doing here?

  If I didn’t think I could walk any faster before, I’d just proven myself wrong. I stormed the several yards that separated them from me and grabbed my sister by the arm. “May I have a word with you, please?” I gritted out through clenched teeth.

  "Jeez, Corbin, you don’t have to be so rough with me. I’ve got extremely delicate skin. I’ll probably have a bruise there tomorrow, in the shape of your fat fingers.”

  “Shut up, Nell.” I stopped when we were far enough away to be heard. “What’s she doing here? Did you invite her? Why do I have the feeling you’re behind this somehow? Or that you knew about it ahead of time.”

  She held up her hands in a dramatic display of surrender. “I don’t know. I swear. I was just as surprised as you were to see her walk in. Well, no…that’s a lie. I was surprised, though. But I was also happy, and you don’t look very happy about it.”

  “Of course I’m not. Why would I be?” I ran my fingers through my hair, not caring if I’d just messed it up. At this point, I didn’t care if my entire appearance seemed disheveled; at least then my look would match my mood. “Who invited her?”

  “She said Mom and Dad did. Seriously, they should’ve been your first guess. Not me.”

  Without properly excusing myself like we’d been raised to do, I stepped around her and headed back to the two women who both stood in what appeared to be uncomfortable silence. I attempted to cool my horses and slow my pace, not wanting anyone to sense my anger, but I didn’t have to see myself to know I’d failed miserably.

  While I wanted to address Brooke first, I couldn’t—thanks to my sister, who was, apparently, hot on my heels after our little chat. She grabbed Bridge’s hand and said, “Come on, Brookie. Let’s leave these two alone. I’m sure they have lots to catch up on.” She wagged her brows, and her voice was saccharine sweet. So sugary, in fact, that it almost gave me a cavity, which only served to sound alarm bells in my head.

  “Hi, Corbin. Bye, Corbin.” Brooke offered a small wave and a meek grin as she allowed Nellie to drag her away.

  I followed her with my eyes just in case she turned around. I needed her to know that this wasn’t planned, that I never would’ve led her into the lion’s den. Well, at least not knowingly. After the last time she was here, I doubted she’d believe me, but I needed to try anyway.

  Unfortunately, she walked away without a backward glance.

  And then it was just Lindsey and me.

  “Hey, Corbin. You don’t look too pleased to see me.” Lindsey had always had the gentlest voice. It was the first thing I’d noticed about her in our economics class freshman year of college. Always soft-spoken, making her sound innocent and polite.

  Although, I’d learned the hard way that it was her secret weapon—after we’d both been hired at the same marketing firm while in grad school. Needless to say, that was the first and last time we ever worked together.

  “Please forgive me, Linds, but I wasn’t exactly expecting to see you here.”

  She pulled her shoulders back and lifted her chin, proving just how tough she was. It made me think of Brooke, except where my ex was all hard lines and straight edges, Bridge was soft curves and sleek slopes…and I hadn’t been referring to their bodies.

  Although, even that aspect was drastically different as well.

  “I didn’t intend to piss you off. Honestly, I thought you’d be happy to see me.”

  “Happy? Why would I be happy to see you?” With my hands on my hips, I dropped my head back, closed my eyes against the harsh midday sun, and sighed. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean for it to come out like that. I guess I just don’t understand what you came here expecting.”

  “Can we talk?”

  I glanced around and then met her stare once more. “Sure…talk.”

  Her smile used to do things to me—nowhere near the things Brooke’s did to me—but now, I realized just how predictable it was. It didn’t matter how much makeup she put on her face or what color she painted her lips. Hell, it didn’t even matter what clothes she wore. She was a stunning woman, I couldn’t deny her that, but in comparison to Bridge? She now looked ordinary.

  It was amazing how being with someone new could affect your eyesight like that.

  Lindsey touched my arm, giving my bicep a little squeeze, and I fought the urge to yank my arm away. “Corbin, there’s so much to say to you, and I don’t want to say any of it while standing ten feet away from the exit. There’s got to be somewhere we can go. Some place we can sit and talk for a bit.”

  A bit. That meant she wanted to have a full-blown conversation.

  Flicking my gaze to the entrance behind her, I asked, “Is your boyfriend here?”

  Her light eyes softened. “No. That’s actually what I wanted to talk to you about.”

  I glanced behind me, trying to find the goddess in the pale-yellow dress, but I didn’t see her. I needed to find her and make sure she was okay, and the last thing I wanted was for her to spot me chatting away with Lindsey. I knew how her mind worked by now, especially regarding my ex and her ties with my family. But I also had no desire to drag this out with Lindsey. I wanted to get it over with so I could move on, and if I took the time to hunt down Brooke now, it would just prolong the conclusion of this conversation.

  I nodded toward the lake. “Follow me.”

  We crossed the yard in silence, and somehow, we’d managed to make it to the backside of the lake without getting stopped. A small gazebo sat on an old floating dock that had been there since I was kid. It was far enough away to talk in peace, but if I wanted to ensure we wouldn’t be found or interrupted—or spied on—then we had to take the paddleboat that sat covered in the grass near the edge of the water.

  “I’m not getting in that thing,” she protested with her arms crossed and a scowl on her face. “It’s probably dirty, and in case you didn’t notice, I’m wearing white.”

  “I did notice, but thanks for pointing that out.” I unlatched the hardcover and removed it, unveiling the two fiberglass seats and bike pedals used to propel the boat. “See? Clean as a whistle. You’ve got nothing to worry about. But if you’d like, I can always go inside and grab you a towel. Although, I’m sure that might garner some unwanted attention.”

  “Why can’t we just sit there?” She pointed to the built-in wooden seats in the gazebo.

  “Well, we could, but I’m willing to bet that’s a lot dirtier than this thing. The rain and dirt and—”

  “Okay, fine. But don’t tip me over.”

  I laughed to myself while sliding the two-seater boat into the water. “It’s not a canoe, Linds…it won’t tip. Trust me, okay? Have I ever led you astray?” I held out my hand to help her in, which she took. But when she started to step off the dock, I stopped her and pointed to the blindin
g-pink high heels on her feet. “You might want to take those off.”

  “No way. My Jimmy Choos are staying put.”

  I shrugged and said, “Fine, suit yourself.”

  As soon as she got settled into the seat, I climbed in after her. And with a harsh push off the side of the dock, we on our way to total privacy. Lindsey could’ve wanted to talk about the weather for all I cared; there was no way in hell I’d give anyone the opportunity to tell Brooke what was said before I had the chance to tell her myself.

  “Lindsey…you need to pedal if you expect us to go anywhere.” I demonstrated what to do with the set of foot pedals located on my side. And when I noticed her struggling, her shoes making the task almost impossible, I couldn’t help but laugh. “Will you listen to me now and take them off?”

  She grunted her frustration, yet she kicked them off anyway. “Why must you always be so damn impossible?”

  “The better question is…why would you choose to come all the way back here to see someone who’s so damn impossible?” I used the lever on the console between us to guide the direction of the boat, taking us around the curve of the property where absolutely no one would be able to spot us.

  “Well, if I’m being honest, I didn’t exactly come back to see you.” She focused on pedaling while she talked. “I came to see the rest of your family. I mean, yeah, there are things I’d like to say to you, but the entire reason I accepted your parents’ invitation was to see them one last time.”

  She definitely had my attention there.

  The sun bounced off the lake and forced her to squint as she tried to look at me. “I’ve come to this event—and so many others—every year for nearly a decade. Coming back one more time is a little bittersweet, and I think I needed to do this so I can finally let go.”