“What?” I asked.
She nodded toward the water. “Rinse.” There was a bite to her tone. “Remember? No animal products?” She motioned in a circle around her face.
“Right,” I said as I grabbed the glass and filled my mouth with water. After swishing a few times, I swallowed it and then turned my attention to her. “Good?”
“Good,” she said, her voice low as she leaned in.
Her lips found mine, and I responded by pulling her closer to me. Sure, what we ate wasn’t something we had in common, but that was quickly overtaken by the fact that our lips could find quite a few things in common. We kissed until she pulled back to look at me, effectively helping me forget the strange conversation.
“Are you excited about the wedding?” I asked as I studied her.
She nodded. “Yes,” she said, her voice coming out all breathy.
“Good.” I smiled up at her. “What wedding plans are we knocking out today?”
Her smile grew as she shifted her weight so she was facing me head-on. “I was thinking cake for sure. And maybe flowers?”
I nodded. “Both of those sound good.”
“Shelby said she would get a list of places we could look at both here in Harmony and in some of the surrounding towns. I mean, it’s only a week away, so we’ll have to find someone who can accommodate.”
“Whatever we need to do to make you happy.” I smiled up at her.
“You mean, make us happy, right?”
A black cloud floated through my mind at the thought of my own happiness. But I didn’t want her to notice, so I pressed my lips to hers once more. “Make us happy,” I agreed as I pulled back and offered her a soft smile.
“Good.” She moved to stand, so I helped her climb off my lap safely.
She joined me at the table with her cereal while I finished my eggs and bacon. She filled the kitchen with talk of flowers and flavors of cake. I nodded along with her, offering my input when I thought she wanted it.
When she was done, I grabbed her bowl and set it on my plate as I moved to stand. She declared that she was going to go blow-dry her hair as I started to rinse our dishes in the sink. I nodded as I pulled open the dishwasher.
“Sounds good,” I said giving her a smile and a wink.
She grinned back at me before she disappeared into the bedroom.
Now alone, I paused what I was doing and allowed myself to stare out the kitchen window. I took in a deep breath as I thought about Coralie, this wedding, and…Ella. Her earlier message floated into my mind. Shoot. I’d forgotten to text her.
I flipped off the water and dried my hands on the towel before I reached into my back pocket for my phone.
Me:That’s awesome! You’ll do an amazing job. And yes, I’d love to have you by my side as my best man if you’re still willing.
I stared at the screen after I sent off the text. I read what I’d written over and over again. Truth was, I didn’t want Ella to be my best man. There were so many labels I wanted to give her, andbest manwasn’t one of them. But, if I couldn’t have her as my wife, then I was going to have to settle with her being my friend.
And if she wanted to be my best man, who was I to tell her no?
Once the dishes were loaded, I took a second to clean out the sink and then wipe the counters down. By the time I got back to my phone, Ella had texted back. I dried my hands on the dish towel and then threaded it through the oven handle before I turned my attention to what she had written.
My heart sank at her words, but I forced myself to ignore my reaction and feel grateful that she still wanted to be my friend.
Ella:You’ve got it, boss! Best man reporting for duty. Whatever you need, I’m here for you.
I stared at her response. I knew she was trying to be supportive. I knew that I was the one who had messed up our relationship. I was the one who’d changed the rules of the game. She should be mad at me. But she wasn’t.
This just proved something that I’d known for so long—she was the better friend.
I sighed as I slipped my phone into my back pocket. If Ella could put on a smiling face and, with her whole chest, be this supportive, then I could do the same. I was going to move on and find happiness.
