The Bridesmaid's Best Man

by Susanna Carr

  Now if only Angie felt the same, Cole thought as he made his way to the door in the dark. If only she wanted him back. She had loved him once. Could she fall in love with him again?

  Cole flattened his hand on the door and looked over at Angie. Would she welcome him back into her life or would she think this was all for appearances’ sake? That he was doing all this for his case.

  He shouldn’t consider whether or not he could get Angie back. History had proven that it would not work in his favor. A year ago he had searched for his mother and stepfather and contacted them. The people who should automatically love and care about him rejected him again.

  Still, Angie was different. She had accepted him even though he held back. If he wanted to have a fresh start with Angie, it had to begin now. Cole relocked the door and turned around. He slowly padded back to bed—back to Angie—as he shed his clothes. From now on, he was going to give everything he had to her. And pray that it was enough.

  9

  COLE FROWNED WHEN he heard an insistent buzzing sound. He rolled over and opened his eyes. He blinked when he saw the glass chandelier above him. Slowly sitting up, he noticed the sunlight streaming through the windows. He smiled contentedly when he saw the exposed brick walls and eclectic furniture. Everything in Angie’s studio apartment reflected her personality.

  Looking beside him, Cole found Angie still asleep. Her long black hair fanned against her colorful pillow and partially hid her face. The patchwork blanket had slid down to her waist, revealing her athletic body and firm breasts. He was tempted to lie back down and cradle her against his bare chest.

  He heard the buzzing noise again. Cole glanced over at the bedside table and saw Angie’s cell phone vibrate. He knew it would be her mother calling even before he could see the image of the older woman on the tiny, lit-up screen.

  He smiled when he saw the casual snapshot of Angie’s mother, glamorous as usual. She wasn’t the kind of mother Cole had wished for growing up when he watched TV sitcoms. Angie’s mother didn’t bake or sew, although she certainly made sure her two sons and daughter had been fed and clothed, and were safe. Her first priority would always be her husband but she was also a constant presence in her children’s lives. Sometimes a little too involved, according to her children. Angie had no idea how lucky she was that her parents even cared.

  “Angie,” Cole said as he shook her arm. “You need to wake up.”

  “Five more minutes,” she mumbled. He was about to try again when he felt Angie’s arm tighten. Cole knew she was suddenly and fully awake. She was now realizing that what happened last night was real and not a fantasy.

  “Your mom is calling,” he told her.

  Angie reached for the blanket and dragged it up to her chin. “Ignore it.”

  “She’s been calling. You know how worried she gets when you don’t answer.” He knew how this would play out and he liked how it never varied, even when her mother was angry with Angie. “If you don’t answer, she’ll make your dad call. And then your brothers.”

  “I’ll call her back later,” Angie said as she curled deeper into her pillow.

  “If you don’t answer it, I will.” And he knew the havoc that would cause.

  Angie bolted up and grabbed the phone. She glared at him while she carefully wound the blanket around her body. “Hey, Mom,” she said, her voice rough from sleep. “Can I call you back?”

  He knew that wasn’t going to happen. Cole smiled when he heard Angie’s sigh as she tucked the phone more comfortably next to her ear. He hadn’t been around the Lawson household for a year, but he still understood the natural rhythms and the rules they lived by. The close ties and predictability drove Angie crazy, but he had secretly yearned for it.

  He didn’t idealize Angie’s family. The Lawsons were loud and they didn’t always get along, but the family offered solid support for each other. That was something he didn’t have when he was growing up but he got it from the Lawsons. They had included him in their family with such speed that it had embarrassed Angie and it had made him nervous. He saw it as a privilege and a gift, but unlike Angie and her brothers, it was not given to him unconditionally.

  Cole lay back down and got an unobstructed view of her strong and naked back. He was about to reach out and stroke his fingers down her spine when he noticed how she stiffened. It was as if Angie were on guard and sensing danger.

  “Yes,” she said tightly. “Cole is my date for the wedding. How did you know?”

  Cole’s chuckle was rewarded with the sharp swipe of her hand gesturing him to remain quiet. He didn’t think it was necessary. When was Angie going to learn that she could not hide anything from her mother?

  “No,” she said firmly to her mother, “it doesn’t mean anything.... No, it doesn’t. I needed a date to the wedding and Cole was available.”

  He found it interesting that she wasn’t telling her mother the real reason. But he also refused to think that this meant something. Did she worry that they had taken the pretense too far? He would prove to her that this was very real.

  “No, there is nothing to discuss.... He’s just returning a favor. No, you are not inviting him over for the family dinner. Mom...Mom?” She huffed and waved her hand in the air in surrender. “I give up. Do what you want. I have to go. ’Bye.”

  “I don’t remember you being this grumpy in the morning,” Cole said as he watched her end the call and toss the cell phone back onto the bedside table.

  Angie tucked her knees to her chest. “If she calls you over for the Sunday dinner, don’t accept.”

  “But I love those dinners,” he teased. It had taken a while for him to get used to the chaotic meals and lively arguments with Angie’s dad and brothers. They were casual, fun, and he felt like he was part of the family.

  Angie reached over the bed and yanked her discarded camisole from the floor. “Do you really want to be interrogated by my mother?”

  “I survived the first time.” He laced his hands beneath his head and smiled with pride. “In fact, I passed with flying colors. She said I was a keeper.” That casual comment had meant a lot to him.

  “She is so embarrassing,” Angie muttered as she put on her top. “I know you think she’s adorable, but that’s probably because you miss having your mother around.”

  Cole wasn’t paying attention anymore. Angie’s voice faded as she pulled on her clothes while listing the reasons why her mother drove her crazy. His heart began to thump and dread twisted his stomach. Cole battled back the nauseating fear. If he were going to stop holding back and start sharing, he had to do it now.

  He looked down at the bedsheet. “I have a mother.”

  Angie stopped moving and stared at him. “I’m sorry, what?”

  Cole forced himself to look at Angie. She seemed stunned. “My mother is still alive,” he said. “So is my stepdad.”

  Anger flashed in her eyes. Her mouth opened and closed. “You told me they were dead. You said you didn’t have parents.”

  He rubbed the back of his neck as the shame clawed at him. “They stopped being my parents years ago, but they are still alive.” Still married. Still a family without him. “I just thought you should know.”

  “You just...” She pressed her lips together into a stern line. “Of all the...”

  Cole closed his eyes. He should have kept his mouth shut.

  * * *

  COLE LIED TO HER. His parents were alive. The words kept repeating in her mind. The hurt and surprise had reverberated inside her and she’d followed her first instinct to sprint for the bathroom. She felt betrayed and she didn’t think she could control her wild emotions.

  She had taken her time in the shower and changing her clothes, hoping Cole would have gotten the idea and slither out of her apartment and far, far away from her. Instead, he stayed. She’d seen the determined, almost defiant look in his eyes and she knew she was in for a battle. Angie had immediately scooped up her keys and walked out of the apartment, only to have Cole
follow her.

  Cole lied to her. His parents were alive. Angie glanced up at the gray sky and noticed the dark, ominous clouds. She took an unsteady breath and inhaled the scent of rain.

  “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me,” Angie said to Cole as they walked to the Starbucks at the corner of her street. She huddled in her jacket to ward off the cool morning breeze but she also wanted to distance herself from Cole. “I never thought you’d lie to me.”

  “I didn’t lie,” Cole said calmly. “My parents haven’t been part of my life since I was fifteen. They may as well not exist.”

  “You acted like they were dead. Actually, you let me think they were dead.” Angie frowned and shook her head. “Who does that?”

  “Angie,” he said with a deep sigh. “Don’t you think you’re overreacting?”

  “No,” she said as she marched down the crowded sidewalk. She didn’t pay attention to the people striding past her or the sound of the bus whooshing by. The world was cold and colorless. Silent and still. She needed to move to get this billowing hurt out of her, but she wasn’t getting far.

  “It has nothing to do with us,” Cole insisted.

  Angie stopped and stared at him. “Are you serious?” From the look on his face, he was. How could Cole be so smart and yet so clueless? “It has everything to do with us. I always thought you were private. You were reluctant to share anything about yourself, but once you did, I assumed it was the truth. What else have you hidden from me? Is there a Mrs. Cole Foster? Is Cole your real name?”

  Cole’s eyes narrowed with anger. “Do you really think I would keep something like that from you? What kind of man do you think I am?”

  “Are you really thirty years old?” She thought about the other things he had said in the past. Those anecdotes that she had treasured because he had shared them freely. “Did that scar on your arm come from falling out of the tree when you were ten? Are you an only child or do you have a bunch of brothers and sisters I don’t know about?”

  Cole clenched his jaw and a ruddy streak entered his cheeks. “That’s enough,” he said in a low growl. “It wasn’t easy for me to tell the truth. I knew it wouldn’t make me look good but I did it because I have been holding back. I was trying to share something and now it just blew up in my face. This is why I don’t talk about myself.”

  “How did you expect I would react?” she asked as she followed him to the Starbucks. “Did you think I would say, ‘Oh, thanks for clearing it up, sweetheart. I’m sure that was the only thing you lied about. My trust in you is still absolute.’”

  “Wouldn’t that have been great?” he muttered as he opened the bright green door and motioned for her to step ahead.

  “And why are you telling me now?” She lowered her voice as they entered the long line.

  “Like I said, I was trying to share,” he bit out the words. “Communicate. Shouldn’t I get bonus points for that?”

  She rolled her eyes. He just didn’t get it. “Don’t you think it’s too little, too late? We had a booty call and—” The woman standing in front of her turned around and gave a curious look over her thick-rimmed glasses.

  Cole lowered his head and whispered, “What we had was more than sex. More than great sex between two people who are still hot for each other.”

  Angie turned and faced Cole. She saw the desire in his eyes as he remembered.

  “It was not a booty call,” he whispered in her ear. “It was not a one-night stand. Do I make myself clear?”

  “Yes,” she answered hoarsely. Last night had meant something to him, too. He wanted to hold on to their connection. Strengthen it. That was why he was compelled to share something about himself.

  She was secretly thrilled but she was still rattled by his revelation. And how long was he willing to share? Until the weekend when the wedding was over? Or was he doing this so they could build something more permanent? Something told her that Cole wouldn’t be able to give an answer.

  “And I don’t want to talk about my parents anymore,” Cole said. “They are no longer in my life.”

  “Are they in jail?” she asked. “Witness protection?”

  His expression hardened. “No. The subject is closed.”

  She took a step closer and touched his forearm. She could tell this was difficult for him, but she needed to know. “Just one more question, I promise.”

  Cole closed his eyes briefly. “Fine. What is it?”

  She wanted to ask why they weren’t in his life anymore. Was it his decision or theirs? She couldn’t imagine Cole doing something unforgivable.

  But he wasn’t ready to discuss it. She could see it, sense it. She wanted to know what made him this guarded and cynical.

  “Angie?” Angie tensed when she heard Brittany’s voice from across the coffeehouse. She saw the redhead from the corner of her eye. “Hey, Angie.”

  She wasn’t going to let Brittany interrupt her. Cole was already regretting telling her. She admitted she hadn’t handled this well and she may not get another opportunity. “Were your parents the personal stuff you were dealing with a year ago?”

  A muscle bunched in his jaw. “Yes,” he said in a hiss.

  She saw the misery etched in his face. She wished she could soothe him, take the pain away and carry the burden for him. She wanted to protect him from the memories but she didn’t know how.

  “Angie...” Brittany approached them, her heels clacking loudly on the floor. “Did you get my email about the changes in the wedding ceremony? You haven’t responded.”

  “Sorry. I’ve been a little busy.” She slid her arm around Cole’s and gave him an encouraging squeeze. Lean on me, she wanted to tell him. I’ll take care of this. “But, yes, I saw all six emails this morning.”

  “You know you have to respond to all bridal party emails within an hour of receiving them,” Brittany whined. “Those are the rules.”

  “Along with not getting pregnant, keeping my hair color and no body modifications like tattoos or piercings,” Angie added. “Believe me, those rules are burned into my brain.”

  Brittany crossed her arms and gave Cole a dirty look. “Angie, if I had known you were going to be distracted by a man, I would have also included no dating.”

  “That’s my fault,” Cole said, pasting on a polite smile. “When we’re together I demand her full attention.”

  “Well, you need to try and restrain yourself for the weekend. The countdown for my wedding has started and I’ve already lost one bridesmaid. I can’t let anything happen to the rest.” Brittany looked at her tiny diamond watch and then at the line. “What is taking so long? My drink is not that difficult to make.”

  “You couldn’t find a replacement for Heidi?” Angie asked.

  “Not at this late date,” she said with a huff. “It’s so inconvenient. If she had her accident earlier I could have found a substitute.”

  “You could have Cheryl step in and do it.” Cole tilted his head toward her assistant, who was waiting at the counter for their drinks.

  “Cheryl?” She gave Cole an incredulous look. “No. She’s tiny, blonde and curvy. The other bridesmaids are tall, lean and have black hair. Cheryl would have thrown off the entire color scheme. Anyway, she’s my assistant.”

  “Fine, look on the bright side,” Angie said, wishing the line would move faster. “Heidi and Robin were not getting along. You would probably have had to deal with a cat fight on your wedding day.”

  “No kidding.” Brittany pressed her hands against her head as if she were getting a headache just thinking about it. “They knew this day had to be perfect but all they cared about was who got to be maid of honor.”

  “Yeah, I noticed that. So self-involved.” And she really didn’t understand why they were fighting over what was genuinely becoming a miserable job.

  “I should have known they would act this way.” She held her hand up as if she were swearing in for office. “I forgot how they were when we were in college. They made my life miserab
le when I pledged to their sorority. Heidi thought I was on Robin’s side and Robin thought I was teaming up with Heidi. Hazing was brutal.”

  “But you became friends,” Cole said with a raised brow.

  “Uh, yes. We are sorority sisters.” She turned to Angie. “Although after my ceremony I’m not going to have them in the same room again.”

  Angie was recalling what Robin had said at the hospital the other day. The bridesmaid thought she deserved to be the maid of honor. Was it so important to her that she would hurt the competition?

  “Nonfat triple-grande sugar-free extra-hot extra-foamy caramel macchiato,” the barista called out.

  “That’s my drink. It’s about time,” she said as she started to walk away. “Cheryl and I have so much to do and I’m in desperate need of caffeine. Don’t forget the mani-pedi at five.”

  How could she when Brittany sent hourly reminders? “Can’t wait.”

  Cole waited until he saw Brittany and Cheryl exit out the door before he spoke to Angie. “I’m beginning to think Heidi’s fall had nothing to do with substance abuse. But I still want to get her blood test results to rule it out.”

  “I agree.” The bespectacled woman in front gave another curious look. Angie beamed a bright smile and tightened her hold on Cole’s arm. “We should focus on Robin.”

  “Robin? No, Brittany.”

  “Are you kidding?” She looked up at him. “Brittany is trying to make this ceremony perfect. The last thing she wants to do is create problems.”

  “Didn’t you hear what she said? Heidi and Robin were terrible to her when she rushed for a sorority.”

  “And what better way to get revenge than make them her bridesmaids?” She saw the woman in front of her nod in agreement. “There is a twisted sense of justice in that but Brittany isn’t that complex.”