Somebody Like You: A Darling, VT Novel

by Donna Alward

  Then the officiant came forward, dressed in a suit that seemed like it might be quite hot for the day, and took his place on the platform. Everyone looked toward the back of the seating area and there were Dan and Ryan, coming forward together, dressed in matching tuxedos. The only music was that of the birds and the breeze in the leaves, and they walked up the aisle together, stopping in front of the Justice of the Peace.

  It was a nice ceremony, but Laurel found it difficult. The promises Dan was making right now he’d made to her. He’d known they were false even as he’d spoken them. He’d admitted that much to her. And yet he’d said them anyway. He’d vowed, in a church, in front of a minister, and their families, and their friends, that he loved and cherished her. That they’d be together forever. She’d been happy to go along with his idea of a big church wedding when she’d really wanted something more like this—intimate, outdoors, with friends and family and flowers. Instead she’d had a huge gown and three hundred guests and a reception in a ballroom. A big show that had signified nothing.

  Now he was making those same promises to someone else, in a park under a June sky. Irrational anger bubbled up inside her. Those years felt so wasted. So pointless. And somehow she felt like she should have known it wasn’t right. Why was it she couldn’t tell when someone was lying to her, for Pete’s sake? Was she really that gullible?

  “You okay?” Aiden leaned over and whispered in her ear. She realized she’d been holding his hand in the folds of her skirts, gripping his fingers tightly.

  She nodded quickly, but there was an uncomfortable bitterness inside her. She didn’t want to have these feelings; didn’t like feeling as if she were not a very nice person. She shouldn’t feel robbed, because she wouldn’t have wanted to stay in a marriage based on a lie. So why couldn’t she just let it go?

  Thankfully, the ceremony was brief, and she was glad when it seemed things were wrapping up. The rings were exchanged, pronouncements made, and she started to relax the tension in her shoulders. An hour. She could make it through an hour, couldn’t she? A cup of tea or lemonade or whatever, nibble at some fancy finger sandwiches and cookies, and be on her way? Today Dan was making a new start and maybe it was time she really did, too.

  She glanced over at Aiden. Did she want to make that new start with him? For real? She swallowed against the lump in her throat. Wanting something was very different from reality. She liked Aiden a lot. She had fun with him. The sex was spectacular, but more than that?

  She wasn’t sure she believed in promises. And if she did, she wasn’t at all sure she’d trust them. Didn’t that put her in a bind?

  The ceremony ended and she sagged in relief, but it was short-lived. Dan and Ryan turned to the crowd and then, on their way back down the aisle, they stopped. At the end of her row. And her heart pounded painfully in her chest. No, she thought. Dear God. Just move on …

  But they didn’t. They paused and Dan smiled at her and reached out his hand. What the hell? Being here wasn’t blessing enough? Putting out several hundreds of dollars’ worth of plants didn’t show her support? Grossly uncomfortable, she put her hand in his and stood, knowing she wouldn’t—couldn’t—cause a scene. He reached in for an embrace and she smiled as gracefully as she could muster and hugged him back, and then hugged Ryan, too. The whole time her anger built. He hadn’t warned her at all. No, he’d just assumed that she’d be okay with this display of magnanimity. Because that was what she did. She smiled and said it was okay when it really wasn’t.

  She sat back down and calmly arranged her skirt. Today was just the limit. The Ladybug was the first thing she’d done that she wanted, and the sideways looks pissed her off, like she’d made a strange and bad decision. She liked being in the dirt, she liked the stupid golf shirts that they wore, and she liked being outside. She didn’t miss the office or the lunches out or the prestige or even the salary. But opening the garden center had been a quiet act of defiance, really. She hadn’t said one word about her personal dissatisfaction …

  As the wedding guests all clapped and smiled, she figured she really could use that yoga day at Willow’s. She was wound tighter than a spring and finding a little inner peace might be a good idea.

  As the couple went to the bridge for pictures, Laurel turned to Aiden. “What do you think? Shall we drink their champagne?”

  * * *

  Aiden wasn’t quite sure what to do with the woman beside him. He’d hoped she’d relax once they sat down, but she’d nearly broken his fingers during the ceremony. Her smile had been pasted on her face, but he could see the strain behind it. She was here today and it was costing her on a personal level. Costing her a lot. He remembered that look. It was the same one she’d had on her face the day she’d found out he’d taken her parking on a bet. Anger and hurt bound up in one.

  Now she was standing up because her ex-husband had made a big show of acknowledging her on his walk back down the aisle. Hell, Aiden was embarrassed for her and he didn’t even have a horse in this race. How oblivious could the guy be? Couldn’t Dan see what this was costing her?

  “What do you think? Shall we drink their champagne?” Laurel turned to him and met his gaze. There was a fire in her eyes he remembered well enough; in the past it had been directed at him. She was angry. Well, good. She should be. He’d thought this was a crazy idea in the first place. Who went to their ex’s wedding, anyway? After four years, he was pretty sure that he was the last person in the world Erica would ask to attend her wedding. If she were married. He had no idea if she was or not.

  “You can drink as much of their champagne as you like,” he said with a nod. “I’m driving.”

  “Not too much. Ask Willow. Alcohol has another name, you know. Truth Juice.” She smiled up at him. “And I don’t think you want me to go there today.”

  “Thanks for the warning,” he said. “Come on. I hear corks popping over by the tent.”

  The caterers hired for the day were opening bottles and pouring fizz into slender glasses. Aiden snagged one off a tray and handed it to Laurel, then ordered a club soda for himself. There was a brief toast and then Dan and Ryan were called away by the photographer for pictures on the bridge.

  “Laurel!” They both looked over toward the voice and Aiden saw a middle-aged man waving at Laurel.

  “Friend of yours?”

  She smiled. “Old boss. He’s harmless. Do you mind?”

  “Not at all. I’ll get us a refill. Do you want some food?”

  “I’d love some. I haven’t eaten since breakfast.”

  He’d just bet she’d been too nervous to eat earlier. He watched her greet her ex-boss and let out a breath. Did she know how beautiful she was? He could tell that her smile right now was genuine. The edges of it were soft and sweet, and the way she rested her fingers on the man’s sleeve showed her level of comfort. She’d done something with her hair, making the dark strands extra sleek and soft looking, and that dress showed the curves he knew so well. Hell, he’d been proud to walk into the park with her on his arm. He wasn’t sure he’d ever known a stronger woman.

  “Scone with cream, sir?”

  He turned to see the server balancing a silver tray. Good Lord. Scones with jam and cream, little triangles of sandwiches that looked like something a Great-aunt Mildred would eat. Was this really a thing? The last reception he’d been to that was remotely like this had served finger foods like mini-sliders and shrimp skewers and his personal favorite, fried macaroni and cheese balls.

  “No thank you,” he replied.

  When he’d turned his attention back to Laurel, he saw that Dan was walking away from her, back to the bridge and photos, and her smile had that brittle, forced look again.

  He was going to get her out of here.

  On his way over he snagged another glass of champagne and when he reached her, he slid his arm around her waist. “You look thirsty,” he said.

  “Oh, thanks!” She smiled brightly, and as she turned toward him a little, said, �
�Your timing is impeccable.”

  He held out his hand to the man she’d been talking to. “Hi. I’m Aiden Gallagher.”

  “Peter Murphy,” the man replied, shaking his hand. “Laurel worked for our firm in Burlington. We sure miss her around there.”

  “I’m sure you do. Your loss is definitely Darling’s gain,” he replied, giving her waist a little squeeze. “The garden center closed a few years ago. Laurel’s brought it back to life and it’s doing a booming business. She’s a smart cookie and a hard worker.”

  “You don’t have to convince me.”

  “Aiden’s a police officer,” she filled in, looking up at him. “But I knew him in high school. I hadn’t seen him in years until we had a break-in and he responded to the call.”

  “Sounds romantic.”

  He and Laurel both laughed, which he knew gave a further impression of intimacy. He’d said earlier that he was here to support her. If she wanted to make their relationship a real “thing,” particularly to her old coworkers, he was perfectly fine with that. However she wanted to play it.

  “I should get back to my wife,” Peter said, giving a nod. “Laurel, it was really great to see you.”

  “You too, Pete.”

  When he left, she took a huge drink of champagne. “Rough one?” he asked.

  “Pete? God, no. He’s lovely. Dan stopped over for a moment.”

  “What did he want? I saw him walking back to the bridge.”

  “He wants me to do a picture with him and Ryan.”

  “You’re fucking kidding me.”

  She elbowed him. “Aiden.”

  “Well, really? Come on. You didn’t say you’d do it, did you?”

  She shrugged. “What was I supposed to say?”

  “How about no thank you? Or, that’s a little awkward, don’t you think? Or even a go to hell, Dan.”

  She sighed. “It’ll be fine. I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about it.”

  And that was just it with her. Aiden had been watching her for weeks now, and when it came to people she cared about, she put herself last, like her needs and wishes didn’t matter. Today’s flowers were a prime example. And the wedding. What, she was supposed to be all nice and accommodating because Dan had had a hard time? What about how betrayed she’d been? Wasn’t she entitled to that? He knew now that her divorce had shaken her beliefs in love and trust, and for some reason people expected her to just get over it.

  Meanwhile, who was there to stand up for her?

  It seemed to him that everyone expected Laurel to just do, and when she didn’t it was a personal affront. Like with the promotional picture on the bridge. He’d heard from Claire that they were grumbling at the town hall, wondering what the big deal was anyway.

  Laurel, he realized, was one of those nice people who got taken for granted because she didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings.

  “I’m going to go grab some cake,” she said. “Do you want to come?”

  “I’ll be there in a minute,” he said.

  “Okay. But I can’t promise to save you any icing.”

  When she was gone, he made his way over to where Dan and Ryan were posing for pictures. They were standing in the middle of the bridge, looking ridiculously happy, the photographer snapping away. And Aiden didn’t want to mar their happiness, but his first thought right now was for Laurel. Just because they were happy didn’t mean they had to be callous. And asking her to pose for a photo was pretty damned callous.

  When the photographer stepped back for a moment, Aiden caught Dan’s eye and inclined his chin. It was enough of an invitation that Dan excused himself and came over, a small frown pulling his brows together. “Hi. You must be Aiden.”

  Aiden held out his hand. “Aiden Gallagher. Congratulations, by the way.” No sense being confrontational. He could be a pretty patient man—on the outside.

  “Thanks.” Dan’s grin was brilliant. “And Laurel … she was such a help today. She’s quite a woman.”

  “She is. Which is why she’s not going to do a picture with you today.”

  Dan’s smile faded. “I don’t understand.”

  Aiden wondered how a person could be so oblivious. “Dude. You asked her to the wedding. That was awkward enough, but then you asked if she’d help out. Then you made a spectacle of her when you pulled that ‘down the aisle hug’ thing.… Did you even run that past her beforehand? But Laurel wouldn’t say a thing to ruin your day. That’s not her style. Now you’ve decided a photo is a good idea? How many kinds of ‘you have my blessing’ do you need? Let her go, man. Just let her go.”

  “I don’t think you … I’ve known her a lot longer.” Dan’s chin jutted out.

  “Oh, I don’t think so, my friend.” Aiden smiled through his teeth. “I kissed her right on this bridge when we were only five years old. And I hurt her, too. I know what that looks like. And right now you’re hurting her to make yourself feel better. So you don’t feel guilty for turning her life upside down.”

  Dan’s dark eyes cooled. “I see. You know, Laurel could have simply told this to me herself.”

  “Only she wouldn’t. And if you know her at all, you’d know that.”

  Dan nodded briefly. “Fine. No picture.”

  “I appreciate it.”

  Aiden started to turn to walk away when Dan put his hand on his arm. “Hey. Despite what you may think of me, I care about Laurel a lot. Take care of her. She’s a good woman.”

  “Don’t worry. I’m the last person who wants to hurt her. You can count on it.”

  He walked away, but he’d only gone about twenty feet when he saw Laurel watching him, disapproval flashing in her eyes and her lips a thin, angry line. She was holding a plate with cake and he wondered if he’d made a misstep by interfering.

  Then he stopped second-guessing himself. Someone had to stand up for her if she wouldn’t stand up for herself.

  He went over and smiled down at her. “Hi. That cake looks delicious. Is it lemon?”

  “What did you say to Dan?”

  Her voice was condemning. Her mouth had a set to it that he recognized and he knew he had to tread carefully.

  “It’s no big deal,” he said, trying to make his words sound breezy. “I just saw that the idea of having your picture taken made you tense up. I got you off the hook.”

  “I really wish you hadn’t done that.”

  “It’s no biggie. I’m sure they can manage their wedding photos without a shot of the ex-wife.” He looked down at the cake. “Are you going to eat that? The cucumber sandwich didn’t really fill me up.”

  “Help yourself. I’m not hungry anymore.” She put the plate in his hand and stalked off.

  What the…?

  He went after her, pausing to put the plate down on a vacant table. “Hey, Laurel, wait up.” But she didn’t slow down. The bright blue shoes walked faster and the fluffy skirt swayed with each step.

  “Laurel! Hold up!” He jogged after her, feeling like he was about to step on a land mine but knowing he couldn’t just let her walk away.

  He caught up with her and refrained from grabbing her arm. Instead he matched her steps and put his hand lightly along the small of her back, so it maintained the look of equanimity.

  “Laurel, slow down. Let’s talk about this.”

  “I don’t want to talk about it.”

  “You mean you don’t want to listen.”

  “Whatever. It wasn’t your place to speak to Dan. It wasn’t your place to speak for me.”

  “Someone had to. You weren’t speaking for yourself.”

  “Oh my God. Tell me you didn’t just say that.” She finally stopped walking and faced him.

  He really was in a minefield. There was probably nothing he could say now that would be right. And yet … he had to say something. It wasn’t fair how people just assumed that she would be okay with everything.

  “Laurel. You were upset he asked. You were upset about the hug in the aisle. I was trying to help. And trying
to save you from having to have that awkward conversation.”

  “But it wasn’t your place.” Her gaze darted around the reception area. “And now there’s a scene. And this thing.”

  “Sweetie, there is no thing. This is their day, not yours.”

  Her mouth dropped open. Shit.

  “That’s not what I meant.” He scrambled to find the right words. “What I mean is, this is their day and they’re focused on each other. They probably won’t even remember there was even an issue.”

  He took her hand. She let him, but she didn’t clasp his fingers in response. “You never want to hurt anyone’s feelings. You do things for people and put yourself last. Do you think I don’t see it? Even with your folks. You still do dinner just about every Sunday, even though I bet you’d rather have a few hours to yourself to unwind sometimes.”

  “It would hurt their feelings if I stopped going.”

  “That’s just the sort of thing I’m talking about. When do you do anything that’s just for Laurel?”

  She held his gaze for a moment, and he thought he was getting through. But then she turned away. “I’d like to go home now.”

  “Okay.” It was better than working this out in public. “Things are pretty much over anyway. No need to stay for any of the speeches.”

  She walked away from him and he sighed before following. At her car he got out the keys, unlocking the doors and holding hers before going around to the driver’s side. When he got behind the wheel, he noticed that she was sitting stiffly in the passenger seat, staring front.

  He had no idea what to say next. Instead he started the car and began the short drive back to her house.

  The silence was excruciating. And he still didn’t understand exactly why she was so angry. All he knew was that he cared about her. He wanted her to be happy and it drove him crazy when someone hurt her—even unintentionally. She’d donated stuff to the scholarship fund. She ran a business and was dedicated to wonderful community service. She’d forgiven him and she’d hired a homeless man out of the goodness of her heart, when most in the town had simply looked the other way.

  She gave to others, taking nothing for herself, and damned if he didn’t love her for it.