“I can’t disappoint all the dates I have lined up.” Zander was back sounding like his usual self.
I held my stomach and refused to look at him or acknowledge the guys nodding like he had it going on, or Cara and Eva giggling. In the middle of feeling like I might vomit, Kenadie caught my eye and gave me a pained look before smacking Zander hard with the file folder she held. “Knock it off.” I had never heard her sound so authoritative.
Zander flinched, but still grinned at her like she was playing with him. “What was that for, darlin’?”
This was no game to her. “That’s nothing to be proud of. No one needs or wants to hear about your immaturity.”
The silence was deafening. This was not a regular playful disagreement between the two. We all watched—even me, who was trying not to pay attention to Zander—how he would respond. He sat up straight. “You’re the boss.”
Tension hung in the air like a dense fog during the entire meeting.
I felt like most of us either were keeping our head down or sneaking glances at Kenadie and Zander. They were both unhappy.
I was too. But it meant a lot to me that Kenadie tried to spare my feelings. I guess I was wrong about him, or maybe I was right. He told me who he was.
Kenadie held me back after the meeting. Eva and Cara looked between each other and rolled their eyes. I was so over them. Zander bolted out of the conference room as soon as the meeting ended. I reminded myself that my failsafe was that he would never be interested in a woman like me. Too bad my heart felt anything but safe at the moment.
“Was there something wrong with the report?” I approached Kenadie after everyone else left.
“I haven’t had a chance to look at it yet, but I’m sure it’s great. I appreciate you getting it to me early.”
“No problem. Can I help you with anything else?”
She reached out and touched my arm. “Let’s do lunch today.”
“Okay.”
“Do you want to head out now?”
“Sure.” This was unexpected.
“Great. Let me grab my bag and I’ll meet you up front.”
I ran and grabbed my purse too. I caught a glimpse of Zander storming out the door. He ignored everyone in his path. I hated that I had caused drama at work. I wished I could blame evolution, but I had a brain. I should have used it.
Kenadie drove us to a nearby Chinese restaurant. We talked only surface pleasantries on the way over. It wasn’t until we were seated and food was ordered that she got to the heart of why she asked me to lunch.
She gave me a sympathetic smile. “You aren’t the first woman to fall victim to his charm.”
“I feel so stupid.”
“Don’t. I feel like I should have said more, but honestly, I thought maybe if anyone had a chance, it was you. He seemed different around you. I was hoping he was finally going to grow up and get serious with someone.”
“It’s not your fault. I blame your mom and her friends.”
Kenadie laughed. “Those biddies are something else. They think everyone should be in love. Momma was sure on Thanksgiving that you two were meant to be. I bet he turned you away at his door.”
I bit my lip and met her pretty brown eyes. “Actually, he let me in. And he kissed me.”
She leaned back. “You mean you kissed him?”
“No. I mean he kissed me.”
“Wow. That explains why he’s acting like more of a butthead than usual. You got to him and he doesn’t know how to deal with it.”
“From the sounds of it, heavy doses of women.”
“I doubt it.”
“You know him.”
“I do and he’s a lot of talk.”
“I don’t think he only talks.”
She grinned. “True, but Saturday he was with Jason all day and he said his plans for Sunday involved hitting the gym, his couch, and football.”
“He told me this morning that basically it meant nothing to him. It was a joke to him. I’m a joke to him.”
“No. The joke’s on him this time and he can’t deal with it. He likes to control the game and you just won, and now all he can think to do is go back to the same old game. He doesn’t realize that he won too.”
“Can I ask you a personal question?”
She thought for a moment. “Sure.”
“Did Zander kiss you?”
She smiled and laughed. “We kissed back in high school, but I initiated it. I wanted to make sure I wasn’t missing out on something I might regret later in life. And I wasn’t.”
“But he was.”
She reached out and touched my hand on the table. “I see the way he looks at you and behaves around you. It’s different. I meant what I said, he thinks about himself less around you and that’s saying something for him.”
I rubbed my face in my hands. “We’re all wrong for each other. I hope this doesn’t upset you, but I ran Zander’s and my profile against each other, and we came in at twenty-three percent. Statistically improbable.”
“I would be offended if you hadn’t. Does Zander know?”
“No.”
“You know he doesn’t put a lot of stock into the numbers, not the way I do. And don’t tell anyone I said this, but I wouldn’t want anyone that was compatible with Zander dating him. He needs someone that will require him to be better.”
“It’s not going to be me.”
Her shoulders slumped. “Don’t give up on him yet. I know what a jerk he can be, but he needs some time to adjust.”
“Kenadie, I don’t want a boy that runs scared, I want a man.”
“He’s in there, I promise.”
I wasn’t going to hold my breath.
Chapter Nineteen
Twenty-three days until the wedding and two weeks since Zander and I had kissed. That was how I was marking my days. He was still avoiding me and I wasn’t trying to get his attention. Any work meetings now had little, if any, disagreements. Zander stayed on the sidelines and only spoke if he had to. If ever we did run into each other, we gave polite nods. And I did my best to forget what it felt like to be in his arms.
But all I ended up feeling was lonely. It didn’t help that it was the holidays and I was missing home. At least work was keeping me busy. I was meeting three to four clients a day.
Between my lunch and dinner client dates that day, I headed to Flowery Branch to have my dress fitted at Cissy’s shop. Mrs. Marshall was meeting me there. She was apparently worried about me since I had skipped church two weeks in a row. It was nice to be thought of.
Not surprisingly, the trio of best friends were all there. Cissy had a little boutique off the main thoroughfare in Flowery Branch. It reminded me of the best friends, bright with a touch of sass and class. I parked up front and hustled in. The weather had decided it was winter, and when it got cold in the South, the humidity chilled you to the bone.
The Nanettes were waiting for me when I walked in. I should have known something was up by the way they smiled at each other instead of me, but I was only thinking how I was about to get a hands-on experience with the ladies. And sure enough, I was right.
They all followed me to the dressing room and helped me shed my layers of warm clothing.
“We’ve missed you, dear.” Mrs. Marshall took my pea coat.
“I didn’t want to get anyone sick and I’ve been busy.”
They all nodded and said, “Uh-huh,” at the same time.
“How have you all been?” I was stripped out of my skirt.
“We’re getting ready for the big day.” Mrs. Marshall beamed.
“The paint I ordered for one of the crafts we’re doing at the shower came in. And I talked to Lana about going shopping Saturday to finish getting the decorations and food.”
Mrs. Marshall patted my cheek. “You’re the best. I’ll make sure Lana has my card.”
“Is there anything else I can help with?”
“I’ll let you know if I think of anything.”
&
nbsp; Cissy and Adelaide walked back carrying the most beautiful dress I had ever had the privilege of wearing. They helped me step into the elegant gown, then oohed and aahed as they buttoned up the back of the dress. Once I wasn’t fully exposed, they had me step out to an open area where Cissy had a three-way mirror and a platform I could stand on.
I stared at myself in the mirror and smiled. “Wow, this is amazing.” I reveled in the feel of luxuriousness in the satin-lined dress while the Nanettes fussed around me.
“I think we need to take it in a half inch at the waist.” Adelaide wrote down Cissy’s assessment.
Mrs. Marshall brought in a pair of sparkly champagne heels to match and helped me slip into them so they could see if any alterations needed to be made in the length. The shoes cradled my feet perfectly. It was the best I had felt in two weeks.
That was until Zander walked in carrying a garment bag while Cissy was announcing that the bust area was perfect, as were my perky boobs.
I met Zander’s eyes in the mirror. I had an urge to smack the smirk off his face. Even if I was kind of glad to see the smirk I adored. He had been sullen the last couple of weeks at work and made it a point not to look at me.
The Nanettes left me so they could fawn over the man who still had the ability to produce flutters.
Amidst their fangirling and giggling, I stepped off the platform. “I should get going.”
Attention was drawn back to me, and this time instead of a smirk, Zander took me in.
“Doesn’t she look gorgeous?” Mrs. Marshall asked Zander.
All he did was nod.
I headed for the dressing room.
Mrs. Marshall was to me in a flash, and pulling on my hand. “No dear. We need to see how the bridesmaids and groomsmen will look together.”
“I have no doubt they’ll look great. “
“There is only one way to know for sure.” Mrs. Marshall was not letting go or giving in. “Zander, dear, go change.”
Zander walked by me. He seemed unsure how he should behave; he chose to ignore me.
I pulled Mrs. Marshall as far away as I could from the dressing room and lowered my voice. “Why didn’t you tell me he was coming?”
“Why do you think? You two are being stubborn. We decided you both needed a little shove.”
“He’s not interested.”
“That’s where you’re mistaken. He thinks he doesn’t deserve someone like you. And he’s probably right, but I know when two people belong together.”
“Mrs. Marshall.”
She patted both my cheeks. “Just play along, dear. It’s easier that way.”
The next thing I knew I was standing on the platform next to the strikingly handsome Zander in his tailor-made black suit. He took my breath away. I stood as far away from him as I could, but that didn’t work for the meddling threesome or Zander. While Adelaide pushed me toward Zander, he was reaching for me. “I know you’re not shy.” It was the most he had said to me since Thanksgiving.
Mrs. Marshall was fussing with his champagne colored tie while Cissy checked the length on his pants.
Mrs. Marshall stepped back and looked at us together. She raised her hands to her mouth.
“Have you ever seen a more handsome couple? Stunning.”
“The dress and suit look well together. Good choices, Nan,” Adelaide complimented her best friend. It was weird that Kenadie hadn’t picked them out.
I took a peek at us in the mirror. I had been trying not to, because I didn’t want to see how we looked together, but wow did we look good. So good it hurt.
Zander smoothed out the sleeves on his jacket. “Was there ever any doubt how good I was going to look?”
Mrs. Marshall actually scowled at him.
Zander’s wide eyes said he was taken aback.
“Are we done?” I asked.
“I suppose we are.” Mrs. Marshall frowned at Zander again.
“What did I do?” Zander asked.
Mrs. Marshall shook her head. “You missed your chance.” She held her hand out to me. “Let’s get you out of that dress.”
“You idiot, you should have complimented her.” I heard Cissy and Adelaide smacking and berating Zander while I walked away holding Mrs. Marshall’s hand.
I rolled my eyes. The Nanettes were on a mission set to fail.
Mrs. Marshall carefully unbuttoned my dress. “He’s scared, you know.”
I smiled at her through the mirror in the dressing room. “I think he likes the way his life is.”
“Maybe on the outside.”
“I think we should leave well enough alone.”
“Well isn’t good enough for my boy, or for you.” She helped me step out of the gown.
I didn’t argue with her. I was never going to win. Instead I put on my own clothes and headed back out to leave. I was meeting a client in downtown Atlanta for dinner. I walked out to find the women grouped together, giving directions with their eyes to Zander.
Zander grinned between me and the ladies.
“Thank you. The dress is beyond lovely. I’ll see you all at the bridal shower.” I headed for the door.
“You must come to church this week,” Mrs. Marshall insisted.
I stopped. “I’ll see you Sunday then.” I glanced at Zander. “See you at work.”
He gave a slight nod.
I almost made it to the door before they called him an idiot one more time. I opened the door into the cold air, smiling to myself.
“Meg,” Zander called.
I turned to see him coming my way, still dressed in his suit. “I’m not asking you to chase after me. And those well-intentioned women aren’t always right.”
“If I didn’t come out here, they were threatening violence.”
“You came, so now you can go.”
He ran his hands through his hair. “You looked beautiful in there.”
“It doesn’t count if you say it when your life is on the line.”
“What do you want from me?” He had added deep breaths and pacing to running his fingers through his hair.
I watched him pace back and forth for a moment. “What do you have to offer?”
He stopped and met my eyes. “Nothing.”
He rushed back in, leaving me in the cold.
Chapter Twenty
I didn’t know if I could take it anymore. Being around him was killing me. And Eva had decided to make her move. She now agreed with everything he said in our meetings and her flirty tone laced through every conversation she had with him. She also made sure she sat right next to him, pulling her chair close. For all I knew, she was now pretending to be his girlfriend.
I couldn’t believe how ridiculous I was to ever agree to that. Saying it out loud hurt my ears.
I was thankful I had work, school, and the shower to keep me busy. If not, I may have run home.
Mrs. Marshall wanted everything perfect for the bridal shower, and so I found myself at her house the morning of, at seven, even though the shower didn’t start until one in the afternoon. Lana had spent the night, so she was already there. I enjoyed getting to know her. She was planning on being a veterinarian like her dad and attending his alma mater, the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine. Rick had inherited Marshall Veterinarian Clinic after his father passed away. I was going to start taking Jasper there for his shots.
Mrs. Marshall’s home looked like a winter wonderland. She had a tree in her living room and one in her family room; both looked professionally decorated in Kenadie’s wedding colors. One of the trees had gorgeous black and champagne paper roses. And there were pine boughs draped wherever they could be. The smell of pine reminded me of home. There were several stockings hung by the chimney with care. I was touched to see my name on one—right next to Zander’s. She was determined. As determined as Zander was to avoid me.
I wasn’t sure what else could be decorated in the home. I felt silly bringing in the bags of store-bought decorations Lana and I purcha
sed last weekend, but Mrs. Marshall was excited to make room for everything we picked out.
The thing that took the longest was setting up the craft tables. We had three ornaments to choose from—a cute burlap bow tied to Kenadie and Jason’s initials, a mini tied fabric wreath, or a painted glass ornament. Mrs. Marshall even decorated the craft tables with pink roses. The woman was a decorating machine. You should have seen the hot chocolate and s’mores bar. They belonged on Pinterest.
I was tired before the guests even arrived.
Kenadie showed up an hour before. Jason dropped her off. I watched them kiss goodbye from the kitchen window. My respect for Jason went through the roof after Zander told me how good he was to Kenadie. How terrible it must have been for her to feel so insecure about herself for so many years. It made me so thankful that I didn’t go down that road with Lucas, that I recognized him for what he really was, for what he really wanted. No wonder she was so afraid to love again.
I was worried I would never find anyone who would love me for me and my choices. And more and more, I was afraid I would fall for the wrong person again, or that I already had. I was trying to be okay with Zander distancing himself. In my head, I knew it was the right thing. We didn’t make sense; we were statistically improbable. But my heart was telling a different story. It told the story where we ate cake on Friday nights curled up on the couch together. Or where I made a fool of myself in front of him, cheering for my teams. Or where he held me close and whispered in my ear when we danced. Or the one where I got an A in my statistics class because of him. Those notes he left in my textbook were life savers. And every time I looked at my Christmas tree, all I saw was him.
I was glad Kenadie walked through the door to distract me from the overplayed thoughts in my head about her best friend. She shook her head when she walked in a saw the massive quantities of food spread across the counters and table. “My momma needs help.”
“Two more weeks.” I smiled.
“It can’t get here soon enough.”
“Your mom and Lana are with Renee in the family room.”
“I’m glad Renee is here.”
“Your mom is too.”
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