“Have I mentioned how much being pregnant sucks? I hate decaf,” Molly complained as she sipped on her coffee. “So, how much longer until you guys move into his place?” Molly asked. “I know you have really been fighting that.”
“I don’t want to move.”
“Tiffany, come on. That’s not fair to him. He’s giving you a whole lot,” Mackenzie reasoned.
Tiffany rolled her eyes. Did her friends not think she was willing to work hard and that she wasn’t putting in her fair share? It gave her a lot to think about. Tiffany needed to reflect on everything. Maybe I’m not being fair to Colin.
* * * *
“What is that bloody thing?” Colin turned up his nose, but his eyes were curious as he went to touch it.
“He’s awesome, isn’t he?” The Fremont Troll stared at them in all his concrete glory. Pauly growled and wasn’t so sure he liked this giant sculpture.
Tiffany had taken Colin on a walk and they had planned to stop for ice cream. There was one place she needed to show him in their neighborhood. He was confused when she had led them to where the troll lived.
“He’s fantastic. A bit ugly, but quite incredible.” Colin was intrigued as he examined the cool stone.
After taking more than enough selfies with the troll, Colin and Tiffany enjoyed some gourmet ice cream from a small shop. The cool, milky treat provided some relief in the wicked heatwave they were experiencing again. Seattle was being cooked but not for much longer. September was right around the corner.
“You live in a very unique neighborhood, Tiffany,” Colin said as he spooned ice cream into his mouth.
“Thanks. I love it here.”
“Yes, I know that, but can we seriously start considering where we’ll live?”
“Not this again,” Tiffany whined.
“Yes, this again. What happens when we want children? Your apartment is a one-bedroom.”
“They can have your old room,” Tiffany teased. Colin had been upgraded from her living room to her bedroom.
“You cheeky girl.”
Tiffany swallowed more ice cream and let herself imagine living with Colin—not in her little space, but in his domain. What if things change? Unlike Molly, she planned on keeping her apartment for a while, just to make sure she could deal with moving into Colin’s place. She knew how hard it had been Molly. Tiffany also felt like she had the upper hand when it came to their living arrangements and wasn’t sure she was ready to give that up quite yet. But Colin stared at her with those loving eyes and that sexy smile. She melted.
“Fine. I’m in.” Tiffany waved the imaginary white flag.
Colin cocked his head to the side. “All in?”
“Yep. Let’s do this.”
“You mean it?”
“If this is what you want, then yes.” Tiffany smiled at him.
She watched the happiness explode over his face. They were doing well, really starting to get this whole marriage thing figured out, and this was a small sacrifice on her part. She couldn’t dismiss the nagging sensation, that dirty feeling of impending doom—or the worry that this might not be exactly what she wanted and that it could very well change everything. Tiffany prayed she was wrong.
Chapter Seventeen
“Molly, you need to try on something,” Tiffany pleaded. “Don’t be so difficult.”
“Here. Try this,” Mackenzie ordered. “Tiff is right. Quit being a pain. We leave in like two days and you have no dress for the ceremony.”
“I thought that white swimsuit you forced me to buy at the last store was what I could wear.”
Tiffany looked over at Mackenzie and they both rolled their eyes. Molly was not making this last-minute shopping excursion easy, not by a long shot. They were all leaving for Hawaii in a few days. Tiffany blamed it on the wedding-day jitters, Molly had been crabby all day, which did not make for a fun one. Their patience was threadbare and their nerves frayed from tolerating her moodiness as they searched high and low for proper wedding attire.
“Are you serious about us all wearing bikinis to the ceremony?” Tiffany asked.
“I think something simple, like this, is worth looking at.” Mackenzie held up an ultra-feminine off-white dress. “I thought the whole bathing suit thing was a joke.”
“Why do we even have to do this?” Molly complained.
“Because you said ‘yes’. This day is meant to be special, Molly—not just for you, but also for Owen. Show a little more enthusiasm, please.”
“This coming from the woman that got married in a drive-thru?”
“If I could do it all over again, I would.” Tiffany stared hard at Molly. She’d had enough of her attitude.
“Would you?” Molly asked.
“She’s happy, even though it wasn’t how she would have done it,” Mackenzie added.
“It’s been an interesting week, but yes, overall I’m happy. I just would have loved to have planned a wedding and done all the fun stuff that goes with it.”
“When are you going to tell your family?”
Tiffany sighed. She hadn’t even breathed a word to them about her nuptials, dating life, unemployment, nothing. Tiffany wasn’t nearly as close with her family as she’d like to be, but they did deserve to know she was married.
“I’ll tell them soon. Let’s give it some more time.”
Molly frowned and asked, “So did you go into work yet?”
Tiffany winced. “Yes, I did. It was so weird. People are not all warm and fuzzy now, even Patty was kind of cold.”
“What all do they know? Like, do they know you guys got married?” Mackenzie asked, her eyes wide and waiting.
Tiffany nodded. “Colin is obviously not great at keeping secrets.”
“Crap. Well, that makes sense then why they weren’t so thrilled to see you.” Molly accepted another dress from Mackenzie to try on. “Going to Hawaii will take your mind off it.”
“Actually, I’m not sure I want to ever go back to Blue Moose.”
“What about that whole, ‘I want to earn my own money’ and stuff? That was sure quick.” Mackenzie laughed.
Tiffany already knew what she wanted to do—her blog. “I’ll find something else to do. When we come back from Hawaii, I’ll be moving in with Colin. Am I making the right decision, guys?”
“I think so. It was a hard transition for me, but ultimately, I’m glad I did move in with Owen. I feel like I know him so much more,” Molly explained.
“I lived with Gideon. It was a little bit of an adjustment, but overall it was nice.” Mackenzie looked sad.
Anytime she brought up her ex, that same expression washed over her, Tiffany wondered if it would ever go away. It had been over two years since Mackenzie’s heart had been ripped from her chest. Tiffany wished the hurt would go away and that Mackenzie could find the happiness and love she deserved.
Molly disappeared behind the changing-room door. “I hate trying on clothes.” She emerged wearing a soft cream-colored dress.
This is the one. Tiffany exchanged looks with Mackenzie. This was definitely it.
“Molly, you look lovely.” Mackenzie wiped a tear from her eye.
Tiffany smiled at Molly. “God, Molly, you’re getting married!”
Molly smoothed the side of the garment that did wonders for her. “You guys have no idea how much I love him.”
“We do,” Tiffany said.
Mackenzie and Tiffany wrapped their arms around Molly.
“I have an idea,” Mackenzie said happily. “You wouldn’t let us throw you any kind of killer bachelorette party.”
“Well, for obvious reasons.” Molly rubbed her belly that was not yet giving away her secret.
“Let’s do Friendship Friday early or, heck, while we are in Hawaii,” Mackenzie added excitedly. “You guys are having the ceremony on Saturday, right? Let Owen hang out with Colin and we’ll have a total girls’ night in one of our rooms. It’ll be fun.”
“I think that’s brilliant. We need to d
o something to celebrate this,” Tiffany agreed.
“Oh, guys, it’s fine.”
“Nope. This is a big deal, Moll,” Tiffany argued.
Molly smiled. “It is a big deal and maybe that’s why I’m starting to freak out. It’s one thing to live with him, but this is marriage. I will be with Owen for the rest of my life.”
Tiffany grew quiet. Marriage was a big deal. Even though she and Colin were enjoying playing house and exploring the fun physical pleasures of marriage, Tiffany hadn’t really taken it seriously. Seeing the powerful emotion behind Molly’s words caused Tiffany reconsider this whole arrangement. If she wasn’t in love, should she stick it out just because the deed was already done? Am I in love? Colin had already expressed that he thought he loved her. That was a little different than actually saying, ‘I love you’. How soon should I say those sacred words?
“You okay?” Molly asked Tiffany.
“I’m fine.”
“You sure?” Molly pressed further.
Mackenzie reached out and touched her arm. “You know, you don’t have to stay married to Colin.”
“I was just thinking about that,” Tiffany admitted.
“Why? Is there trouble in paradise?” Molly asked.
“No, but shouldn’t you only be married to someone if you truly love them and they love you back?”
Mackenzie and Molly exchanged looks.
Molly was the first to answer. “Well, yes. Love is funny and can be sort of hard to navigate sometimes.”
“So, he doesn’t love you?” Mackenzie asked with a sharp edge to her voice.
“Colin said he thinks he does.” Tiffany looked away at the other dresses on the rack in front of her.
“Wait. So is it you that isn’t sure?” Molly frowned.
“I mean, things are fun right now. I don’t want to mess them up. But I haven’t said I love you,” Tiffany admitted.
“Oh dear.” Molly sighed. “It will happen. Just be patient and don’t make any rash decisions.”
“I disagree,” Mackenzie countered.
Molly glared at her and put her hands on her hips. “Oh really?”
“Yeah, if Tiff isn’t in love with him by now, then why stay married?”
“Um, because she does love him and she’s just being difficult.”
“Well, maybe she does, maybe she doesn’t. Let’s not fight about this, Moll.” Mackenzie held up a simple blue dress. “Let’s find you something, Tiff. Here, go try this one on,” Mackenzie ordered.
“She does too love him,” Molly said as she crammed Tiffany into a dressing room.
Tiffany wasn’t sure and hoped that Hawaii would make everything a little clearer. Somewhere in the dark region of her mind, she feared that seeing Molly get married in a beautiful ceremony was going to trigger something. Resentment? Jealousy? Regret? She wasn’t sure and wasn’t eager to find out.
* * * *
Tiffany busied herself by packing and talking to the one soul that wouldn’t offer any solid advice but possessed the best listening skills.
“Oh, Pauly, what am I going to do?” Tiffany examined several shoe options. She was debating which ones would pair nicely with her outfits.
She had resorted to discussing her problems with a bulldog. That’s where Tiffany was in her life.
“Why did I let this happen? Is there really a way out? I mean, I like him, but love is such a strong word. I don’t think I feel the way Molly does about Owen.”
Tiffany had been in love before. Well, kind of. More like in lust, and she was definitely in that with Colin. Love was a tad more tricky. So much more was involved. There was potential for getting hurt and that was a biggy. She’d seen Mackenzie suffer the worst kind of heartbreak. Hell, two years later and she still mourned a love that had turned sour. Would that be her? Not if she could help it.
She paused to pet the snoring pup. He was stretched out on her bed next to her open suitcase. His needs were so simple—food, water, the occasional walk and love—and lots of sleep. She kissed him on top of his wrinkled head. Loving him was easy. Tiffany would even say it was possibly love at first sight, despite the farting and drool. Why isn’t falling in love with Colin just as easy?
* * * *
Tiffany had never been anywhere so breathtakingly beautiful. She totally understood why this slice of heaven was everyone’s honeymoon destination. The slight breeze whispered through the towering palm trees. The sky was the brightest blue and the ocean begged to played in. Maybe Tiffany wouldn’t board the plane back home and would just become a beach bum for the rest of her life. She was completely okay with that. This was indeed paradise.
“It’s great, isn’t it?” Molly asked as they looked out at the water from their adjoining hotel room balconies. “I love it here. The light is amazing and look at how vivid everything is.”
Tiffany was glad that Molly was feeling better. Her coloring was back and she seemed normal. Pregnancy was a funny thing and not something Tiffany was sure she wanted to experience right away. She’d always loved drooling over tiny babies with their chubby cheeks and impossible cuteness. With Pauly in her life—for now, anyway—Tiffany wasn’t itching to get pregnant.
“It’s incredible. I’ve never seen anywhere so beautiful,” Tiffany replied. “You bring your camera?” That was a stupid question. Molly never went anywhere without her trusty camera.
Molly smirked at her. “You know it.”
Mackenzie came outside and joined them. She was in her own room and hanging out of her own balcony, next to theirs. The stucco balconies were all divided with a sheet of gleaming glass. Tiffany wished she were sharing a room with her.
“My room is amazing. Thank you, Molly,” Mackenzie said as she clung to the railing and was looking out at the curling waves in front of them.
“Yeah, they are pretty incredible,” Tiffany added.
The rooms were luxury at its best. Molly had hooked them up for sure. The resort was right on the shore and there was nothing blocking their view of the rolling blue. Okay, there was a palm tree that was slightly in the way, but there were no buildings obstructing the magnificent scenery.
“Owen and Colin decided to check out the golf course since it’s still early. You guys want to grab some dinner soon?”
“Gosh, what time is it?”
“Well, there’s a time difference of two hours,” Molly informed them.
“I think I’m still functioning on Seattle time,” Mackenzie yawned. “I might try and catch a nap before we head out, if that’s cool?”
“I’m totally good with taking a nap.” Molly did look tired.
“So, what about me? You guys are no fun,” Tiffany teased. “Here we are in paradise for only a short time and you want to nap.”
“Go to the beach or something, then come get us in like an hour,” Molly suggested.
Tiffany looked out at the bleached sand and decided that was exactly where she wanted to be. “I think I’ll take Pauly.”
“You spoil that dog,” Mackenzie said sweetly, “but I can see why.”
Tiffany looked down at the bulldog sitting next to her leg. He was hanging his head and appeared sad but was probably really just tired.
Tiffany was pretty sure that walking on the beach was the last thing he wanted to do, but she was dying to feel the sand between her toes. Besides, she needed the company since her friends were too tired to hang out. They said their goodbyes and made plans to meet up in a little while. Tiffany grabbed Pauly’s leash and they headed out.
The sun was still covering them in a lovely tropical heat. Granted, the bulldog didn’t seem to like it quite as much as Tiffany and was now panting hard. Tiffany was amused that Pauly loved the water. He even tried biting several waves that slapped against the shore. She loved this playful side of him. He didn’t display it often, but when he did, it was beyond entertaining.
The sand felt just as good as she’d imagined. It was warm and heavy as she dug her toes in deeper. Tiffany’s feet w
ere nearly buried as she sat and watched surfers trying to stay on top of powerful waves. The beach itself was quiet. There were couples walking hand in hand along the shore and a few people soaking up the last of the sun’s rays before it set for the day.
“Pauly, isn’t this place amazing?” Tiffany brushed sand off her furry companion. He was snuggled up tightly against her bare legs. This was peace. The ocean drowned out any noise from the world and Tiffany finally relaxed. Her troubles and any pending thoughts of what the future might hold were floating away. She was here in this moment, just her and this calm.
“Cute dog,” a voice said.
The sun was in Tiffany’s eyes. The figure in front of her was a mixture of nude, bronzed torso and brightly colored board shorts. She was too blinded to make out anything more.
“Thanks,” Tiffany replied as she tried to get a better glimpse of the stranger that was standing near her.
“Mind if I pet him?”
Pauly squirmed under the man’s touch. Suddenly, Tiffany thought about Colin’s warning. Her protective motherly instincts went haywire. She tightened her grip on the dog’s leash.
“Haven’t seen you two here before.” He took a seat next to her. Pauly was between them.
“Yeah, just visiting.”
“I’d remember a pretty girl like you,” he flirted playfully. “I’d love to show you around.”
Tiffany quickly replied, “Yeah, I doubt I’d have the time. My friend is getting married this weekend.”
“Well, it’s only Thursday. Maybe tomorrow?”
Damn, this guy is persistent.
Now that he was sitting next to her, Tiffany was able to see him clearly. His hair was the typical, shaggy-surfer length. Pale blond streaks were intertwined with a sandy brown. He was sun-kissed, lean and chiseled.
Tiffany’s pulse quickened then another shadowy figure loomed over her.
“Hey, mate.”
“Yeah, bro?”
Oh dear.
Colin remained standing. “Can I help you with something?” Colin asked.
“I’m good. Do you need something?”
Puppy Love Page 16
