by Olivia Miles
“Beats the married man,” Gabby said with a laugh. And for the first time all week, she suddenly found it all very funny, rather than so disappointing.
Doug covered his mouth, trying to hide his growing smile. “You should have seen the look on your face when he mentioned his pregnant wife.”
“You should have told me!” she scolded. But she knew that there was no way he could have, and she should have seen the gleam in his eye as fair warning that something was brewing.
With a nod of her head, she decided that setting herself up for more letdown was worse than spending another evening next to Doug. It would take the pressure off the situation, allow her to just enjoy herself rather than walk into every event hoping that this would be the night she’d find the one. Brooke would be pleased when she told her—if she wasn’t going to read way too far into it first.
She held out a hand to Doug. “Okay, you have a deal. We’ll be each other’s wingman. If your mom tries to set you up with someone you’re not interested in, you can say that you’re keeping me company. Perfect excuse.”
“At least you know the conversation will be stimulating.” He slid her a grin as his warm hand took hers, and something deep inside her flip-flopped at the size of it, the way his skin was pressed against hers, and the way he held it firmly, but gently.
Quickly, she snatched her hand back, making his smile a little wider. It was a nice grin, almost devilish, and she liked the way his eyes crinkled at the corners. It was the same grin he’d always given, but back in the day, she’d found it annoying, even menacing. Nothing could fire her up more. Only now that fire felt…
Her heart was racing as she reached for her wine, happy that it was chilled the way she liked it, and hopefully capable of taking her body temperature down a few notches.
In her periphery, she spotted her sister, and turned to see her weaving her way through the pub, a look of surprise on her face when she saw whom Gabby was sitting with.
“Doug Monroe,” Brooke said pleasantly. “How nice to see you again.” She glanced at Gabby and said, “I’m happy to find you two in one piece. She hasn’t been too hard on you, has she?”
“Quite the opposite,” Doug said pleasantly. His gaze traveled to Gabby and lingered there. “I think Gabby and I have discovered that we’re better off joining forces than pushing each other away.”
Now Brooke’s eyebrows shot up dramatically, but Doug’s gaze never left Gabby’s as he slid off his stool. “I’m off, ladies. Enjoy your night. And I’ll see you Saturday, Gabby.”
Gabby couldn’t even speak as she pulled in a breath, knowing that Brooke had to pinch her lips together from saying anything, and waited until Jackson had slid a glass of wine to her without having to be prompted. In typical fashion, Brooke took a slow sip of the drink, leading Gabby to think she might be off the hook long enough for her to think back on the strange turn of events, and to remember that grin, and the way it made her stomach roll over.
Brooke opened the menu, casually skimmed the first page, and then darted a glance over her shoulder.
“He’s gone. Now tell me exactly what is happening Saturday night.”
Gabby laughed. “Nothing. We’re both attending the same wedding.”
“From what I heard, I thought maybe you were going together.”
Gabby considered her words, thinking of the truth in them. “More like…hanging out together. It beats talking to strangers at the singles table.”
“But the singles table is where the eligible men are,” Brooke reminded her.
Gabby wrinkled her nose. “I think I’m finished pinning hopes that the guy I’m supposed to end up with will be someone I meet at my singles table. Besides, at least with Doug, there’s no chance of anything happening between us, so there’s no pressure.”
Brooke didn’t look convinced. “What is it then?”
“Just…someone to talk to,” Gabby said with a shrug. “There’s absolutely nothing more to it than that.”
Brooke didn’t look convinced as she went back to her menu. “If you say so. But if you ask me, you two look really cute together.”
“I thought we looked really cute together,” Jackson said, leaning over the bar and giving her a wink.
She swatted him away, and he happily took their menus after taking down their orders. Gabby sighed after him, thinking of Candy’s determination to see them set up. Adorable, yes. Trouble, yes. Exciting, yes. But he wasn’t looking to settle down.
And neither, she reminded herself, was Doug Monroe.
Doug stopped by his office instead of heading home. The empty apartment full of boxes was nearly as depressing as the small practice that wasn’t seeing enough business. He hadn’t expected things to grow quickly, but he also couldn’t shake his conversation with Gabby at the bakery last week either—not any more than he could shake the one they’d had tonight.
Gabby was right, about a lot of things, not that he’d be telling her so. No, it was much more fun to watch her pretty little mouth pinch and her eyes blaze. To have her full attention. It was thrilling, now as much as it had been years ago, but that’s where it stopped. Hanging out with Gabby was fun. It was stimulating. It made him feel alive again.
And contrary to what she believed, he didn’t mind being proved wrong. Only right now, when he looked at his schedule for the next day and saw that he had no appointments, he minded a lot.
Weddings were taking place every week. Divorces, not so much. The town was small, the population too, and the neighboring towns weren’t much bigger. Still, there might be some truth in the fact that people were happy here. That this community pulled people together rather than drove them apart.
His parents were shining examples, after all. Even during the tough times, their spirit hadn’t been tampered any more than their mutual affection. His mother still laughed at his father’s bad jokes, and his father still looked forward to the same casseroles that Doug’s mother had been making since before he was born.
If he was being honest with himself, he couldn’t remember Lisa laughing at any of his jokes, at least not in their last few months together. But then, they weren’t that kind of couple. Sure, they made time for trips and dinners, but their conversation revolved around their careers. As two attorneys, there was always a story to share, an idea to bounce, and their drive to succeed was mutual.
But if he was going to have any success now with his law practice, he had to put a lot into consideration. He wasn’t working toward partner anymore; it wasn’t about taking on the biggest clients or billing the most hours. He was here to serve the community, but he wasn’t so sure that they required his services, and that was a bittersweet thought.
He’d never been good at compromising—Lisa had pointed that out during their arguments over the wedding plans. They both forged ahead, both locked into ideas, both thinking of the endgame instead of the big picture and somehow losing sight of their relationship along the way.
The past year had been derailing, stressful, and uncomfortable. For as long as he could remember he’d made a plan and stuck to it, spoke up for what he believed in, argued his points without backing down. Lately, nothing had gone as planned, despite his efforts, and change had become inevitable, even when it wasn’t on his terms.
Feeling tired, he straightened up some paperwork and tucked a copy of his latest contracts into a file folder, sitting at his desk to open the bottom drawer.
His hands paused on the knob when he saw the framed photo that had once sat on his desk in the law firm, the one of him and Lisa at their official engagement photo shoot—one of many boxes they had checked as part of their plan to have a perfect wedding.
He shut the drawer abruptly and turned on his laptop before his mind could wander again. Work had always been his driving purpose, just like grades had once been. It was something he was good at, something that came easily to him and made him feel like he was on a path, even if it wasn’t always the one he’d wanted to follow. He’d never bee
n one of the popular kids, never all that athletic, at least not when it came to team sports. Back then it had bothered him, but eventually, he’d thought it had paid off. He’d gone to his first-choice college, then law school, and then started up with a reputable firm, eventually making junior partner.
But when Lisa called things off, he felt directionless for the first time in his entire life.
Even now, after coming back to his hometown, he still felt a little lost and unsure. Of his future. His business. And his heart.
Chapter Eight
The McBride wedding was one of the bigger events that Gabby had on her list for the summer—both the bride and groom came from money, and she supposed she wasn’t completely surprised that Doug had handled their prenuptial agreement, even if it did contradict her romantic notions. Ever popular, the reception was again held at the Yacht Club. Gabby watched the ferry boats come and go as she finished setting out the centerpieces. Rather than a tent, the couple had opted to use the on-site pavilion, and the bright pink roses set on the crisp white tablecloths looked beautiful against the lush green grass and white painted building.
The weather had held up too—blue skies that would result in a clear night that would guarantee stars twinkling above.
The water lapped at the rocky shoreline as Gabby adjusted some votive candles, even though they wouldn’t be lit until dusk, and by the waitstaff. Her duties were officially over, and from a distance, she could hear the cheer of the crowd from the other side of the docks where the couple had decided to hold an open-air ceremony. No doubt, the bride and groom had just been pronounced husband and wife.
Gabby sighed to herself and then made the round to the singles table, where she saw that her name card was already positioned between Doug and— She blinked, not quite sure she was reading it correctly. But it was right there, in pristine, black calligraphy. Chad. Her old crush. Soccer captain, teen heartthrob, barely seen in Blue Harbor since he’d gotten that athletic scholarship to a college out east after graduation.
And evidently, he was still single.
Her heart began to race as the guests began their walk over from the docks, coming around the side of the building that divided the two spaces. She scanned the people, looking for a hint of dark hair, baby blue eyes, a grin that made her weak in the knees, and a swagger that could make any girl swoon.
No one fit the description.
Disappointed, she wondered if he hadn’t shown at the last minute. It was known to happen, and it would be just her luck too. Determined not to let her hopes get too high, she walked across the grass to the open bar and happily accepted a glass of chilled white wine.
She needed to keep a clear head if she was seeing Chad again after all this time, but she was also so nervous her heart was pounding, and her eyes kept darting over the gathering crowd, finally resting on Doug.
He gave a little smile and crossed to her. “Looking for me?”
“Actually, I saw at the table that Chad Johnson is here. Do you remember him from school?”
As if anyone could forget him! Not only was he the most popular guy back in high school, but he was also the most attractive. He was prom king both junior and senior year, which he attended with Nina Payne, head of cheerleading, of course. Gabby had solaced herself with this cliché when he hadn’t asked her both years in a row, even considered trying out for the squad, but it wasn’t her thing.
Doug, however, didn’t look impressed. “Ugh. Always a bit of a jerk, wasn’t he?”
Gabby stared at him, taken aback. “That’s not the impression I had of him.”
“Impressions have no facts to back them up. They’re rather loose opinions, if you ask me.” He was having fun with her, she knew, but she was too nervous to bother with banter at the moment.
She gave a little smirk. “Good thing I didn’t.”
He narrowed his eyes on her for a moment, as if there were something he wanted to counter that with, but seemed to let it drop when he accepted a glass of wine from the bartender.
“Who else is at the table?”
“I didn’t look much beyond that. And I’m afraid I didn’t recognize the woman on the other side of you, so there’s no telling what you’re in for,” she added.
Doug’s brows shot up. “Thanks for the warning.”
Gabby grinned, feeling a little more relaxed, but she was still scanning the crowd, feeling further disappointed when no one fitting Chad’s description jumped out.
Eventually, they made their way to the table, which was already filled up with a few women she knew from town, and a few she didn’t. A portly man was sitting in the chair beside hers, and she was just about to kindly ask that he find his assigned seat when he looked up and she realized with a shock that she was looking at Chad. Those eyes were unmistakable even if the rest of him was…different.
“Gabby Conway?” He grinned that same grin that was certainly resistible now and motioned for her to sit down. “Thought that was you.”
Had she changed that much? She laughed nervously. No, she had not. Her hair was still the same, her style too, whereas Chad… So he had doubled in size, she told herself. It wasn’t just his good looks that had caught her attention all those years back. It was his laugh, his good nature, his achingly charming demeanor. He had charisma, something not many boys back then had. Certainly not Doug.
She swallowed hard and pulled back her chair, noticing the surprise flit through Doug’s eye as he did the same. It would seem that it had taken him a moment to recognize Chad, too.
She heard the low rumble of laughter beside her as Doug took his seat. She kept her chin high, inhaled and exhaled. Slowly.
“And Doug Monroe!” Chad said loudly. “Remember the nickname we used to have for you?”
Gabby saw Doug’s mouth set. “Oh, Chad, after all these years, I’m sure you have better things to do with your time than think about high school.” Though his tone was good-natured, there was a decided edge to it.
“I can see you haven’t changed at all!” Chad laughed heartily, as if expecting everyone else to get the joke, but seemed unphased when they didn’t and politely went back to their own conversations.
Gabby looked at Doug, but he refused to meet his eye. His jaw tensed when he reached for his glass.
Chad slurped his wine and set it on the table with enough force to cause some of the red liquid to slosh onto the formerly crisp, white tablecloth. Gabby felt her blood pressure rise. The reception had only just begun and already this table was stained. This was how wedding gowns were ruined. It was a good thing Brooke wasn’t here to witness this; Gabby was fully aware that Brooke had to resist asking everyone who entered her shop to wear gloves.
She darted a glance to the head table, hoping that the bride stayed away and that Chad was the only inebriated guest, especially this early into the reception.
Chad casually flagged the waiter over and accepted a fresh glass of wine from the tray, and then he extended his other hand, grabbing a second glass.
For a moment, she thought it was a chivalrous gesture—even though she would never run the risk of drinking red wine at a wedding—until she watched in horror as Chad triumphantly set both glasses in front of him.
He winked at her. “Best part of a wedding, if you ask me. Free booze.”
Gabby felt her back teeth graze.
“So, Chad, what have you been up to? You went to Penn, right?” She told herself that it wasn’t sad she remembered this fact. Blue Harbor was small and details like this were shared, even if years had passed since Chad had been back to town.
She saw Doug’s eyebrow twitch when she reached for her wineglass. So yes, she’d remembered this detail. She’d remembered a lot about Chad. Sadly, she could probably still recite his senior year schedule if she tried, because of how many days she’d orchestrated passing by his locker at the exact right time.
“For a year,” Chad said. “Got injured at the end of my first season. Didn’t have the grades to keep my scho
larship either, so, I was out.”
She blinked at him, then tried to take extreme interest in her salad course. “Oh, did you transfer?”
“No, just started doing odd jobs here and there. Eventually got married. Had a kid.” He wiggled his left hand. “Divorced now.”
She gave him a look of sympathy. “I see. I’m sorry.” She waited for the hope to build in her chest the way it might have once, but nothing was there.
His eyes narrowed, and his gaze drifted somewhere into the distance. “Better off. She was bad news, but not as bad as my second wife.”
Gabby felt her eyes widen as she reached for the breadbasket, which Doug all too eagerly passed to her without having to be asked. It was going to be another comfort food night. No sense in worrying about getting lettuce stuck between her teeth either.
Through the remainder of the salad course, she listened to the details of Chad’s first marriage, from the brief run-ins with the law for unpaid parking tickets and other “misunderstandings,” as he was sure to tell her, to the child he never saw, to the support payments he was still expected to send.
By the time the main course had been set before her, Chad had moved on to the details of his second marriage…and his next set of wine, because she didn’t know what else to call it. A pair?
She sipped her drink miserably and looked over at Doug, who was supposed to be her wingman, after all, only to realize that he was seated beside a woman who wouldn’t stop adjusting her hair and batting her eyelashes, giggling nervously.
While pretty enough, it was clear that she was eager and didn’t have very much to say, and that Doug was having about as miserable a time as Gabby was.
He caught her eye, seeming to exhale in visible relief.
“Excuse me,” he said politely to the woman beside him as he started to stand, “but I’ve ignored my date all evening and I promised her a dance.”
The woman looked so disappointed that for a moment, Gabby felt bad as she pushed back her chair, until Doug grabbed her elbow and whispered in her ear, “She has hamsters. Three of them. And I now know more about taking care of hamsters than I ever wanted to.”
