Wednesday Walks & Wags

by Melissa Storm

  “But—”

  “No more excuses. Please, do this for me. It will make everything so much easier. Plus, it wouldn’t be a party without you.”

  A pink blush crept to Wesley’s cheek, giving him a boyish charm. “Okay,” he said with a nervous smile.

  “Okay,” she said, finally letting go of his hand. Before she could move her hand back to her side of the table, Wesley grabbed it again and gave her a meaningful look.

  “How did I get so lucky to deserve a friend like you?” he asked, blue eyes shining with warmth, happiness.

  “You don’t,” she answered with a playful laugh. “At least not yet, but keep working on it. I’m sure you’ll get there someday.”

  He picked up her other hand and leaned forward in his seat. For one breathless moment, Bridget thought he might kiss her right then and there, right now in front of the growing dinner crowd.

  Instead, he pulled each of her hands to his lips and kissed the backs of them. “That’s exactly what I plan to do,” he promised.

  A thrill ran through Bridget as she giggled again. She’d never felt the touch of his lips before, but now she wanted to feel them again and again. Preferably pressed against hers.

  What are you doing, Bridget?

  She wasn’t supposed to want him; she wasn’t supposed to want anyone in that way. But maybe that’s why they called it falling in love. Because once you were stumbling, it was already too late to pull yourself back on your feet.

  This time with Wesley hadn’t felt like a simple afternoon spent with a friend, a mere reconciliation. Instead, it had felt as if maybe it could be the beginning of forever.

  Chapter 44

  Bridget fought against the hair straightener as she attempted to take the frizz out of her long dark hair. Instead, her efforts just seemed to be making everything worse. Hazel had arranged salon appointments for all the members of her bridal party, but when one of the stylists called in sick at the last minute, Bridget and Nichole had both volunteered to work on their own hair.

  She had since started to regret that decision.

  Of course no one would be looking at her next to gorgeous Hazel in full bridal accoutrement. . . . Well, no one except Wesley.

  Her heart leaped into her throat, forcing her to swallow repeatedly so she could breathe.

  She needed to stop thinking of him like this, at least for now. They’d only just become friends again. Adding romantic feelings to the mix would make everything that much more difficult.

  Then again, could she really choose how she felt?

  It sure didn’t seem that way. Otherwise she’d already have moved past the grief of losing her mother. She’d think of Wesley in strictly platonic terms and be the friend he needed to help him reenter a world that had turned its back on the poor guy a long time ago.

  No, Bridget had no control over her stupid heart at all. Nor her schedule, it seemed, as her phone buzzed with a string of incoming texts from Amy:

  The dove has left the nest.

  I repeat, the dove has left the nest!

  Let’s do this thing!

  They still had a couple hours until go time, but everyone had agreed to meet at the church early since Bridget and Nichole had skipped the salon. So much time had passed, and still Bridget’s hair wasn’t even close to presentable. Maybe Amy or Nichole would be able to help her finish getting ready once they were all together—or maybe she could just pull it back into a tight ponytail and be done with it.

  On my way! she texted back along with a goofy selfie that showed just how very not ready she was.

  And her phone lit up with a call almost immediately after she pressed Send.

  “Bring hairspray, bobby pins, a brush, whatever you’ve got to help tame that nest on your head.” Amy hung up before Bridget could verbalize a response. It looked like Bridget and her hair would be getting help, after all.

  * * *

  It was almost time.

  Bridget couldn’t help but peek through the small window near the top of the door, and what she saw waiting inside simply took her breath away.

  Beautiful garlands of orange poppies lined both sides of the church aisle. Guests filled the twin lines of pews inside the small church, and some folks even had to stand at the back for lack of space to accommodate them all.

  The church looked so different today than it had for the funeral more than one year ago. Yes, Hazel was getting married in the same church she had attended as a girl, the same church that had hosted her father’s big send-off to Heaven.

  That was why not a single white flower graced the building. It had already seen enough ethereal, peaceful white from the Long family. Hazel had declared her wedding would be a joyous festivity, and what happier color than orange?

  Bridget glanced down at her bouquet of poppies mixed in with Asiatic lilies and English roses, a lovely arrangement of both bright and soothing oranges. Beautiful. Just like the bride herself.

  Would Bridget find herself in Hazel’s place one day?

  For the first time, she wanted this.

  She wanted everything life had to offer. No more rushing through each day, praying that things would get better eventually. She would make things happen and enjoy them when they did.

  Because now she realized what she should’ve known all along: life was defined by the people you let in. Her mother, her friends, and even her dogs—for animals were people, too—together, they formed the very foundation of her world. They had shaped her into the person she’d become, the person she would one day be.

  Why had she been so insistent on keeping new people out? So she could stay busy and hide from her feelings? She’d gotten it all so horribly wrong. Her loved ones would help her heal, not busy work. It didn’t matter how noble her efforts or how ambitious her goals when she was using them as a way to forget love.

  Hiding from her mother’s memory meant hiding from a huge part of her heart. No wonder she’d felt so beaten down. And she’d spent weeks hiding from her feelings for Wesley, too.

  Well, no more.

  “Are you ready to do this?” she asked her friend with one last glance toward the waiting crowd. Yes, Bridget was ready not only for the wedding but also for what came next for herself.

  Hazel nodded and hooked an arm through Bridget’s. Amy took Hazel’s other arm, and Nichole latched onto Bridget’s free side.

  The church aisle was spacious, wide enough to allow the four friends to walk side by side as the members of the Sunday Potluck Club gave away one of their own to the lucky man who had won her heart.

  Hazel didn’t have her father anymore, but he had led her to these great friends and to an even greater love during his final weeks of life. Bridget found that beautiful.

  And, yes, she cried as the four of them walked toward Hazel’s future, arm in arm amidst a floral sunset.

  In a world that had given them so may endings, finally there was a new beginning to celebrate. And Bridget knew in her heart that this would be the first of many.

  Life didn’t stop if a person became too afraid to live it.

  Bridget needed to stop being afraid of what might happen and enjoy everything that already had. As she watched Hazel and Keith exchange vows, she made this promise to herself.

  No more racing through life.

  It was time to enjoy the journey.

  Chapter 45

  When Bridget reached the reception hall, she found Wesley seated by himself at a table up-front. He wore a pale-blue buttoned shirt and black pants, both of which suited him perfectly despite his earlier worry.

  “I’ll be right back,” she told Nichole as she broke away from the rest of the bridal party.

  Wesley noticed her when she was just a few paces away. He stood abruptly and stuck both hands in his pockets. “You look nice,” he mumbled as she closed the rest of the distance between them.

  “Just nice? I’ll have you know I put a lot of effort into this look, and just nice isn’t going to cut it.” She giggled and p
laced a hand on his upper chest. Bridget had never been the flirtatious type before, but she couldn’t bear the thought of this evening coming to an end without Wesley knowing exactly how she felt.

  That was the promise she had made to herself at the altar, and she intended to keep it.

  Wesley swallowed hard as he took in Bridget’s gown, hair, and makeup. “Stunningly beautiful,” he murmured.

  “That’s better.” She pulled his hands out of his pockets so that he could return the hug she gave him next. “Did you catch the ceremony? I didn’t see you there.”

  “No,” he whispered, loosening his hold on Bridget. “I didn’t want to ruin their special day.”

  She stepped back and narrowed her eyes at Wesley, searching. His eyes kept no secrets—not anymore—and right now they were telling her just how uncomfortable he felt, here among her friends.

  And even with Bridget herself.

  “This ends now,” she said. They’d lost enough time hiding from the truths of their pasts and their feelings for each other, and Bridget refused to waste any more. Today was about new beginnings, about celebrating all the best parts of life.

  “What?” Wesley asked as she jerked him away from the table and dragged him over to her friends, who still stood waiting near the doorway.

  Hazel and Keith hadn’t made it into the reception hall yet, but their many guests had gathered in a crowd to wait for their grand arrival. Bridget approached Nichole first. “Nic, you remember Wesley. Right? He’s my plus-one for the night.”

  “Hi,” her friend said, twiddling her fingers in a casual wave.

  Next Bridget turned to Amy and Trent. “Wesley is my plus-one tonight. He’ll be sitting at our table, too, so I figured we should get any awkwardness out of the way early.”

  Amy threw her arms around Wesley and hugged him tight. “I’m so glad you came!” she said, rocking him from side to side.

  When she let go, Trent clamped a hand on Wesley’s shoulder and offered the other in a firm handshake. “I’m all for starting over, if you are.”

  Wesley cleared his throat and tried to smile, but his discomfort remained obvious. “Yeah. I mean, yes. Please. That would be great.”

  Trent’s daughter, Olivia, tugged on her father’s hand. “Let’s go dance, Daddy,” she cried, already pulling him toward the DJ booth.

  “But we’re supposed to wait for the bride and groom to kick things off with the first dance,” Trent argued as he remained rooted to the spot.

  “I think an exception can be made for our flower girl,” Amy countered, giving her boyfriend a gentle push. “Just make sure you save a dance for me, too!”

  “He’s such a good father,” Nichole said as everyone watched Trent and Olivia take their places on the dance floor.

  Amy nodded. “It’s one of the things I love most about him.”

  Bridget could see Wesley tensing up again, so she wedged each of her fingers between his and pulled him in to her side. “Trent wouldn’t have said that if he didn’t mean it,” she whispered in the direction of his ear. She was too short to whisper directly into it, which meant Amy overheard every word.

  Her friend bobbed her head enthusiastically. The tight blond curls composing her elaborate half-up and half-down hairdo bounced like happy little springs. “Oh, yes. We all just want B to be happy, and we all see now that being with you makes her happier than we’ve ever seen her.”

  Wesley blushed. “Oh, no. We’re not . . . I mean, she’s not with me.”

  Amy tilted her head toward Bridget and raised one eyebrow. “Well, perhaps she should be.”

  Bridget glanced up at Wesley. She’d had the same thought many times before but hadn’t known how to broach the subject with him. Leave it to her friends to make the big move for her.

  Wesley glanced down at Bridget and licked his lips. His shoulders heaved as he sucked in a deep breath, and his eyes danced with a secret that he promised to reveal soon. Would he confess that his heart matched the feeling in hers? Would he fight for her the way she wanted to fight for him?

  This was it. Finally Bridget would have her answer.

  A day for new beginnings . . .

  A day for declaring love . . .

  Making promises ...

  Wesley took a small step closer. “Bridget, I—”

  Of course, this was the exact moment Hazel and Keith burst through the door to the roaring cheers of their guests.

  Even though her moment had been delayed, Bridget refused to believe it was ruined, which meant, of course, that she cheered the loudest.

  Chapter 46

  A week had passed since Hazel and Keith’s wedding.

  Bridget hadn’t found the right moment to share her feelings with Wesley that night, but they both knew it was coming. The way he looked at her ever since that night, the way his eyes danced and his lips curved up in a smile....

  And even though Wesley had moved to a different apartment complex, he came to meet Bridget in the courtyard every evening. They ran together with their dogs, then made dinner side by side in Bridget’s kitchen. After they ate, he’d usually head home. Although there was one time when she convinced him to cuddle on the couch with her and watch the pilot episode of her all-time favorite show on Netflix.

  Still no kiss.

  Still no sweeping declarations of love.

  Yes, Amy had broken the ice, but the wedding festivities had kept everyone so busy that their opportunity had frozen over yet again. And while Bridget wanted to have that talk with him, she’d built it up so much in her mind that she knew nothing less than perfect would do.

  A part of her hoped he would declare his feelings first, but she also understood just how afraid he must be to ask for anything more than the second chance she’d already given him.

  The past week had been wonderful, anyway.

  She and Wesley had long talks, keeping nothing from each other this time around—well, nothing besides putting words to what was in their hearts. And whenever Bridget thought she felt Wesley backing away, she simply grabbed his hand, made him look into her eyes, and waited for him to come back to her.

  She cared for him in a way she hadn’t cared for anyone else in her life. Maybe part of it was knowing just how much he needed her, but in truth, she needed him every bit as much. Where she was soft, he was hard. He chose to do a few things well, whereas she liked to try everything that crossed her path. In that way, they made each other better. He brought her back down to earth, kept her grounded, while she encouraged him to reach for the stars. At least that’s what she liked to think would happen whenever they finally changed their routine and got into the wide open world a bit more often.

  For now, she was more than content in the happy little cocoon they’d built somewhere between friends and so much more.

  That Saturday would be the first they hadn’t seen each other since the wedding. Wesley had picked up a double shift at the restaurant, and Bridget had urged him to rest up and meet her for Potluck Club on Sunday if he could. Besides, she had her volunteer day at the shelter, and thanks to the timing of Hazel and Keith’s wedding, she hadn’t been in since the big fundraiser. She couldn’t wait to hear how things had gone on the adoption front.

  When she arrived at the facility, she found David waiting for her at reception. “You’re a very tricky person to get ahold of,” he said with an expression she found difficult to interpret.

  “Really? Well, I had a wedding last Saturday, but other than that . . .”

  David shook his head. “I tried calling a few times, too.”

  “Sorry,” she said, heat rising to her cheeks. “I was always at work or running and forgot to call back. What’s up?”

  “Let’s leash up some of the dogs and take a walk.” His tone was just as indecipherable as his face.

  Was Bridget in trouble? Had something gone wrong?

  She followed David into the back kennels and chose a pit bull that reminded her of her own Baby. David leashed up a shepherd mix, and tog
ether they exited into the warm late-summer day. It seemed David had a lot on his mind, so Bridget refrained from asking any questions, instead waiting for him to say whatever he had asked her out here to say.

  If it really was as bad as she feared, then someone would have told her by now. Right?

  David frowned but remained silent until they rounded a copse of pines.

  “We let May go,” he said at last. “Turns out she was lying about a lot more than her involvement in the fundraiser.”

  “I’m sorry.” Bridget felt horribly guilty, of course. As much as she disliked May, she hadn’t meant to cost the woman her job.

  “Don’t be.” David smiled toward the sun before returning his gaze to Bridget. “She was never right for the job, but luckily the board has the perfect person in mind to replace her.”

  This was surprising news. Had they brought someone in from the outside? Well, anyone would be better than May, if she were being honest with herself.

  “Oh, who?” she asked, only vaguely interested at this point.

  David’s grin took over the whole lower half of his face. “You.”

  “What?” She stumbled on the path, which sent her heart galloping. Surely, she must be hearing things. David knew she couldn’t afford to volunteer more than one day a week, especially with school starting up again.

  If David sensed her hesitation, he did a good job of disguising it. “We want to offer you a full-time position with the shelter. That should make it easier for you to keep planning your brilliant events. Nobody loves these animals like you do. And they need you in their corner all week, not just Saturdays.”

  Bridget’s face fell. Oh, no. She’d cost May her job, and now she’d need to leave the shelter just when they needed her most. “But I go back to school next week, and I work full-time at the veterinary clinic,” she tried to explain gently.

  David stopped walking and bent to pet the dogs they’d brought with them. “Devoting your life to a nonprofit isn’t the most lucrative career path, but it is the most rewarding. I’m not asking to hire you for a little while or until something better comes along. I’m asking you to make this your path. It suits you, Bridget.”