Page 12 of One Weekend On Mackinac Island
Kat was laughing again and Tria joined her. “Wait a minute,” Kat gasped. “You peed yourself?”
Leaning in close to my best friend, I mumbled, “I didn’t tell her that part.”
“Oh, my God! I was this many years old when I found out my brother still wet himself well into his double digits.”
“It couldn’t’ve been helped,” Todd complained.
“You’re a guy. Why didn’t you just whip it out to go?”
“Because, that horse was crazy. When he began kicking the tree, I thought I was a goner. It just happened.”
“This story just keeps getting better and better.” I watched Kat’s amusement, loving the carefree joy shining in her eyes far more than the tears she’d shed earlier. Her laughter rang out like a melody, and it brought a warmth to my heart.
Yup. I was sunk, and the only thing left to do was to face the music and explain everything to her brother.
Chapter 7
Kat
The wedding rehearsal wentoff without a hitch, thankfully. The dinner afterward at Mission Point Bistro on the Green was a fun affair full of laughter and love.
Caught up in the whirlwind of maid of honor and best man duties, Owen and I had no opportunity to discuss what had transpired at the flower shop. That was both good and bad. The conversation was inevitable, but I couldn't help but dread the possibility of him deeming it a mistake.
The best kiss of my life was a moment I would cherish forever. It was no mistake; it was pure magic.
Standing a little away from the noisy crowd, I was savoring my champagne and a moment of solitude when I suddenly sensed him. It was as if there was a visceral phenomenon, a primal awareness that echoed in my bones, letting me know whenever he was near.
“Hey, Kit.” The breathy whisper of that nickname against my ear sent a wave of goosebumps across my skin. “You doing okay?”
“I am,” I declared confidently, leaving no room for doubt.
“Good.” He stood behind me and slightly to the left. His touch was light, but it sent a shiver down my arm as his fingers slid across my skin and down my arm, and when our fingers finally met, it was a silent promise of something more. “I missed you tonight,” he said, his lips brushing against my temple, and the words sent a surge of warmth through me. It was the confirmation I needed, and the tension that had been holding my breath captive finally released, allowing a full breath of air to fill my lungs for the first time since the electric kiss we shared in the flower shop.
“Me too,” I admitted.
“Good.” I took another sip of the crisp, cold champagne, savoring the taste as I rested against his strong chest. “I realize we need to have a conversation, but I wanted to make sure you know how much I want this.”
“Thank God.”
“So, we’re doing this?”
“I certainly hope so.”
“You know I need to have a talk with your brother first, right?” Although I didn’t like it, I understood why he felt it was necessary.
Even so, I felt compelled to make it clear that whatever Todd's thoughts were about us, it wouldn't change my feelings for Owen. “Why? He’s not the keeper of me.”
“I know. But I feel like I owe him an explanation.” Something in my expression must have conveyed to him that I was worried because he continued. And what he said burrowed deep into my heart and found a home there. “He can give me hell, but it won’t change anything. I’ve known since I was twelve years old that you were supposed to be mine. I knew that day when I’d missed your birthday. I’d never felt so rotten. I’d let you down, and that tore me apart. The way I felt that day, it made me realize that you were more than just my best friend's little sister; you were something special.”
“I thought I was just Kit the Nitwit to you?” My voice was choked with uncertainty, my mind battling to believe the words that were coming out of his mouth yet wishing with all my soul they were heartfelt.
Because he was pressed close to me, I felt his response to my hushed pronouncement. He grew tense, then, with a swift movement, he turned me so that I was facing him. “What are you talking about?”
As the realization that I had let those words linger in my mind for so long, and their impact on me, washed over me, I felt a wave of self-doubt and embarrassment. I looked away, unable to meet his eyes, consumed by a sense of my own stupidity. His fingers caught my chin, and with a gentle lift, he forced my head up, compelling me to look into his eyes. His silence was deafening, his piercing gaze demanding an explanation without a single word uttered.
“I overheard you talking to Todd years ago. He was complaining about his bratty sister because our parents wanted you guys to take me with you to the movies. He didn’t want me tagging along because he wanted to meet up with some girl. Youmade it sound like ditching Kit the Nitwit while the movie was playing would be a piece of cake.”
Owen's face contorted with frustration, his brow furrowing as deep lines etched themselves onto his forehead, and he shook his head vehemently, silently conveying a resolute denial. “I never once thought those words, let alone said them out loud.”
