by Autumn Marks
“So, things are going better with you and your new neighbor?” Stephanie asked.
Yes, they certainly were.
Chapter 11
“How are you settling in to your new place?” Trent asked while grabbing two beers out of the fridge. He handed one to Brandon, then took up his place back on the couch, down from where Brandon was sitting. The TV was tuned to the sports channel where the first game of a baseball doubleheader was just wrapping up.
Brandon shrugged. “It’s fine. Ollie seems to enjoy having more space.” He looked out the window at his dog who was outside sunning himself on Trent’s back deck. Trent had invited the two of them over to his house this afternoon and Ollie had wasted no time making himself at home.
“Give it time. I’m sure after someplace like Charlotte, it’s going to take time to get used to Brookview again. It took Katie a while too,” Trent said, referring to his fiancée. “But thankfully not too long.”
“I’m sure you had nothing to do with her quick adjustment,” Brandon said with a smirk. When Trent came over to help Brandon move in to his place, he’d brought him up to speed on what had transpired during his time away: Trent’s first marriage; the subsequent divorce; then having Katie, his first love, back in Brookview; and falling in love with her all over again.
Trent smiled. “I might’ve had something to do with it.”
Brandon took a pull from the bottle and let the sharp, citrusy liquid pool on his tongue before swallowing. He was already on his second beer, which would be his last. He knew his limit—and knew never to venture outside of it. “Speaking of Katie, where is she?”
“She went with her mom over to her grandparents’ old house. The house finally sold and they went over to clean out the last of their belongings. The timing couldn’t have been better. Now Katie can move on from this and focus fully on the wedding.”
Brandon knew Trent was referring to his own wedding to Katie coming up, but he couldn’t stop his thoughts from drifting to the wedding he was attending with Emily tomorrow. He hadn’t seen much of Emily all week, which disappointed him more than it should. He tried to tell himself it was for the best. Once the wedding was over, he and Emily could go their separate ways and be friendly as neighbors again.
But he wanted more.
And he knew he shouldn’t.
“Do you have everything planned out?” Brandon asked.
“Most everything. There are still a few details that need fine tuning, including getting you fitted for your best man’s suit.”
“I haven’t forgotten,” he said with a smile. “The tailor called me the other day to set up the appointment.”
“That’s good. Katie will be pleased to hear it. It’s been on her checklist for a while now and she’s been nagging me about it.”
“Noah didn’t want to be your best man?” he asked, referring to Katie’s teenaged son.
“I let Katie handle that one. She asked and he said he wasn’t ready yet.”
Brandon knew that Noah and Trent’s father-son relationship was far from conventional. “How do you feel about it?”
“I feel fine with it. I don’t blame him one bit. He just graduated high school in Seattle and then he’s thrust here in my house with his mom. I don’t expect it’ll be an easy transition for him. But he has a girlfriend here, a new job, and he’ll start classes at OSU in the fall.”
“A girlfriend? Already?”
“They met last summer. Her parents own the coffee shop in town and they’re the ones who gave him a job.”
Brandon nodded. “And Garrett? Is he able to make it?”
Garrett was Mickey’s son, who was currently stationed in Germany. Growing up, the three of them had been as thick as thieves and once into high school, they’d leaned on each other for support. But Mickey was really the glue that had held them together. Her home had been the safety net where they could go without judgement to escape the scrutinization of their own parents—except for Garrett, but his relationship with his mom wasn’t like most of their peers.
“Last time I heard, he was.”
“That’s good. I can’t wait to see him again. It’s been years,” Brandon said. He should’ve kept in touch better, but the truth was, he had wanted to distance himself from Brookview as much as possible—and that meant shutting out those who had been there for him the most. It was the only way he’d known how to cope.
“Can I get you another one?” Trent asked, nodding toward Brandon’s empty bottle.
“No, thanks. I should probably get going,” Brandon said, glancing once more at Ollie who was still slumbering out on the deck. “If I don’t get him out of here soon, he’ll probably want to move in here with you.”
Trent chuckled. “I think our cat, Paisley, would have something to say about that.” Brandon looked around for signs of a cat, but came up empty. “She bolted as soon as you brought Ollie in,” he explained.
“Thanks for letting us come over. It’s a nice place you’ve got here.” Trent and Brandon were the same age and if Brandon hadn’t gone through what he did, maybe he too, could’ve had a place—and the income—like Trent’s.
“Thanks. You and Ollie are welcome anytime here.”
When Brandon arrived back at his place, he let Ollie out of the car and ushered him toward the house. Right before putting Ollie inside, a speck of bright green stood out among the much darker green of the grass. One of Ollie’s tennis balls was perched right on the edge of Emily’s lawn. Somehow this one had gone over the fence without him seeing.
But that wasn’t the only thing that had caught his eye. When he was bent over picking up the tennis ball, he looked over at Emily’s newly-planted flowers, expecting to see them flourishing. What he saw was a bunch of drooping flowers and greenery that was beginning to brown. Brandon didn’t have a green thumb and had never met a plant he couldn’t kill, but even he could tell when a plant was wilted. Had she been watering them?
Brandon let Ollie in the house, then rummaged through his garage for a watering can. He filled it with water from the spigot on the side of the house. As he was watering, Emily pulled in her driveway, catching him in the act.
Shit. Was she going to be pissed about this? He was only trying to help.
“What are you doing?” she asked as she stepped out of her car. Of course, he was watering her flowers, but why?
“They were looking a bit dry. I hope you don’t mind.”
Certainly not. She’d been so busy this week, she’d forgotten about her recently-planted petunias needing more water than the rest. The fact that he’d noticed her flowers was enough to make her heart swell. “Thank you. This week has been pretty hectic and I guess I forgot.”
“Don’t feel too bad. I’m only here protecting my purchase,” he said with a grin.
Emily rolled her eyes. “You’re hilarious.” She looked around. “Where’s Ollie?”
“I just put him inside. I’d be there too, but I saw your flowers and wasn’t sure when you’d be back. I know you’ve been busy with work and your friend’s wedding.”
The wedding. Emily was tired of being a bridesmaid. Aside from work, that was all her week had been about. She loved her friend, but Stephanie had turned into the dreaded Bridezilla.
Steph’s constant demands, yelling at the vendors, ordering people around, and critiquing everything was getting on Emily’s last nerve. Even Audrey hadn’t been this bad. Their friendship, which had spanned years and had endured far worse, would survive this…she hoped. “I just got done with the rehearsal dinner and I’m so ready to get tomorrow over with. I’m really tired of all the fuss and headache,” she said with a sigh.
Brandon threw a hand over his heart. “Ready to be rid of me so soon? Tomorrow is our night to shine.”
Emily grinned. “I can’t get rid of you. You’re my neighbor.”
“You want me to get there at five thirty. Do I have that right?”
“Yes. There’s a big red barn on Buckeye Ridge Road and th
at’s where the reception is going to be held. Do you know where it is?”
“I can find it,” Brandon said. He looked down at his feet and took a moment before speaking again. “Do you have a minute to spare? I know you probably want to relax and zone out before tomorrow, but I’d like to run something by you.”
Her mind was running wild with possibilities. “What is it?”
“I went to Columbus the other day and got my outfit for the wedding. I’d like for you to see it so if you don’t like it, I have some time to change it.”
Emily tamped down her giddiness. Anything Brandon put on would look good on him. The guy was a walking GQ model. But she didn’t want to see his outfit. She wanted to be surprised tomorrow when he showed up at the reception. He wouldn’t be seeing her beforehand and she wanted to do the same with him. To her, it was more special that way. It made her feel like tomorrow’s outing was a first date for them—an official first date, not just the two of them getting together as neighbors for dinner. “This is going to sound silly, but I want to be surprised tomorrow when I see you. I don’t want to spoil it by seeing you tonight.”
Was she giving away too much? She worried that she was putting too much thought into their evening tomorrow. To her, it was more than him simply doing her a favor. She wanted tomorrow to be the first step in what could be their burgeoning relationship.
But did he think the same?
Brandon nodded. “I get it. I don’t get to see you beforehand, so you can’t see me. Kind of like the bride and groom tomorrow, right?”
“Exactly like that.”
“Okay. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow night. Have a good evening and try not to get too stressed tomorrow.”
Emily smiled. “I’ll try.”
Brandon turned to walk back to his house.
“Hey, Brandon?”
“Yeah?” he said, turning back toward her.
“Thanks again for watering my flowers. It was really sweet of you.”
Brandon gave her a wink which nearly sent her to her knees. How on earth would she survive tomorrow? All he had to do was look at her and she began to swoon. And tomorrow he’d be touching her…and dancing with her. The thought made her insides quiver with delight.
Chapter 12
Tonight was their night. After waiting for what seemed like an eternity, she and Brandon were finally getting their chance to be up close and personal. His hands (probably) and lips (she hoped) would be all over her. But would he want to see her again after tonight?
That one she couldn’t figure out.
The ceremony had gone off without a hitch—except for a few Bridezilla outbursts from Stephanie. Only the reception was left and then she would be done hearing about weddings.
After seeing both of her friends lose their minds over the planning of their own weddings, eloping was looking like the way to go—when it was time for that, of course. And this, coming from someone who’d dreamed of her own wedding ever since she’d set eyes on a bridal magazine when she was eight years old.
Emily watched as people parked their cars and headed into the reception hall. She envied them. The air conditioning in the barn would be most welcome, but instead, she was stuck outside taking pictures with the rest of the bridal party.
The reception hall, which was really an old barn the owners had converted into an event venue, was all decked out in twinkling lights. Luminarias lined the walkway leading into the venue and wildflower bouquets had been placed all around the grounds. In keeping with the wildflower theme, each guest was going home with a packet of wildflowers with a tag that thanked them for coming—tags that Emily had hand tied, almost two hundred of them. Stephanie had so desperately wanted a rustic backyard wedding, but with the heat and humidity common in June, this air-conditioned barn was as close as she was going to get.
The guests were really piling in now as she stood outside in the heat, hoping for a breeze to provide some air movement. They had already taken close to a hundred pictures at the church, what was a few hundred more? She wanted to be happy for her friend, and she was, but her happiness had limits. After working her ass off all week, Emily had little patience for Stephanie’s silly outbursts, like the groomsmen not standing exactly on the places she’d mapped out for them at the rehearsal, and her dad using his pocket square to blow his nose before walking her down the aisle—which had actually been hilarious, but Emily had known better than to laugh.
Stephanie had even gone so far as to complain about Emily’s dress being more form-fitting than the rest of the bridal party. And it was true; the waist on Emily’s dress had been taken in quite a bit and now fit like a glove. The deep neckline now conformed to her chest and accentuated her bust, which she’d never thought possible. But she wasn’t going to complain about it. It hugged what little curves she had and she felt hot in it, in more ways than one. She hoped a certain someone else would appreciate it on her too.
Her thoughts drifted to Brandon. What would he be wearing tonight? Would he look sexy? Of course he would, Emily told herself. Her mind swirled with images of Brandon in various types of wedding attire.
“Emily!”
She snapped to attention. “What?”
Stephanie glared at her. “What’s wrong with you? We need you over here for this picture,” she said, stomping her foot.
Was she two? What kind of adult would stomp their foot in anger? An overzealous bride named Stephanie, Emily thought, answering her own question in her head. “Okay, I’m coming. Sorry to make you wait about five seconds,” she said sarcastically.
“Don’t make this about you, Emily,” Stephanie scolded.
The rest of the bridal party watched the showdown to see who would bend first. Even though Emily was tired of being treated like dirt, she’d behave herself so as not to cause her friend any more stress. The two of them had been through so much together and she wasn’t about to throw it all away because of this. Emily stood in the spot that Stephanie had pointed to and plastered a smile on her face.
In a few moments she would see Brandon and then she could put the rest of this behind her. She needed to remember that.
Brandon hated small talk. He especially hated small talk when it was with a bunch of people he’d left behind when he thought he could put Brookview behind him once and for all. He’d seen so many faces from high school and the town in general, he wondered just how much of Brookview had been invited to this.
He could’ve made up a drinking game with how many times he’d been asked what had brought him back to town, as if everyone didn’t already know. But to mess with people, he hadn’t given the same answer twice. Pretending to be Emily’s boyfriend was a lie, so what was a few more? If nothing else, it would make for interesting gossip. Mouths would be flapping anyway once he was seen with Emily.
Emily. There was one thought that put a smile on his face. As he sipped his beer, he scanned the crowd for any sign of the bridal party. He had yet to see them since arriving. For all he knew, they might not even be here yet.
The deejay announced for everyone to take their seats and Brandon sat at one of the open tables. Around him, the seats were filling up with unfamiliar faces which meant he’d have more people to tell lies to. But the sullen-faced crowd at his table didn’t look like they were in the mood to chat. Fine by him.
He focused his attention on the barn doors which were now being opened. In a few moments he’d have what he’d been waiting for the whole night: his first glimpse of Emily.
The first couple of the bridal party was announced, then Emily stood at the opening of the barn, waiting her turn. God, she was gorgeous. That dress, her hair, everything about her… So damn beautiful. That sexy little number fit perfectly and showed off those curves of hers, curves he longed to have his hands on. They’d definitely be dancing later so he could put his hands all over her and no one would bat an eye.
Then the deejay called her name: Emily Smith.
And just like that, Brandon’s world came cra
shing down. His heart raced, stars dotted his vision, and he gripped the edge of his chair for support, his knuckles turning white. He swallowed hard, forcing down the lump in his throat. It couldn’t be.
No, it hadn’t been the first time he’d ever heard the last name Smith, but being back in Brookview brought it all home for him. The connection between Brookview and that name could never be forgotten.
His legs shook, eager to spring from this place. Before he bolted, which Emily would never forgive, he tried to make sense of things. In Brookview alone, there had to be at least fifty people, maybe more, with the last name of Smith. There was no way Emily was related to Trina, the girl who had completely destroyed his heart. The same girl who, when she’d left, took every ounce of his soul with her and he’d had to bring himself back from the deepest bowels of despair.
It’d been his fault and he never forgave himself for it.
Brandon’s grief had caused the discord between him and his father. His father couldn’t stand to see his only son in shambles over a girl. He was supposed to be a man and get over it. But his father hadn’t known all the details and Brandon would never tell.
Brandon shook his head, regaining focus.
There was no way Emily could be from the same family.
Chapter 13
As Emily stood in the opening to the barn waiting for her turn to enter, the chill from the air conditioning felt phenomenal against her too-warm skin.
Audrey and her groomsman had just arrived to the head table meaning in a few short moments, she’d be on her way there too.
“Next we have Emily Smith being escorted by Logan Barker. Let’s give them a big hand,” the deejay announced.
It was Emily’s cue to move. She linked her arm through Logan’s, someone related to Chris in some way. She couldn’t remember the connection and right now she didn’t care. There was only one person on her mind.
