“It was easier to have a little fun and lethim cringe at the fallout of my dastardly deeds.” Finally risingfrom his chair, he held out a hand. Sophie let him help her out ofthe deep chair.
Standing toe to toe, she realized just howmuch taller he was. And she wasn’t short. “And now he expects youto step up?”
“Even if I wanted to, I’m still working onfixing me after the shit that I went through.” Leaning down, hepaused before their lips met, then let his lips brush across hersbefore pulling away. Yearning stirred low in her belly, burningfrom deeper in her core.
Releasing her hands, he added, “Pippa wouldkill me if I even hinted that I was interested in you.” He steppedbackwards, rubbing the back of his neck. “Just want you to know.I’m more than interested, but I can’t.”
Sophie picked up her coffee cup from the armof the chair. She walked past Asher and stopped at the slidingglass door. Turning back, she smiled sorrowfully, “Ditto.”
***
Lincoln was over for dinner and he and Pippaglowed talking about their day. They had spent hours planning thetable layout, centerpieces, music playlist, other odds and endsSophie never knew were a thing.
Sophie was overwhelmed by the whole thing.Who knew even the color of tablecloth was such an ordeal? She justmight have to elope.
After dinner, everyone pitched in with dishesso they were done in a flash. Even Asher. She’d created a monster;a helpful one. Judging by his pink-hued socks, he was even tryinghis hand at laundry. Apparently, he’d hired it done while livingalone, not having had a machine in his apartment.
After dinner, Lincoln said his farewells andheaded back to his and Grady’s place. While the others puttered forthe evening, Pippa invited Sophie to join her on the front deck.Just the two of them, perfect. Maybe she could lay some groundwork.They sat in cushioned chairs around the propane fireplace andsettled in around the fire to relax.
Pippa sighed, looking out at the glow of thesetting sun creating a soft luminosity on the mountains. “Am I tooneurotic?”
Trap! Don’t go walking into that. Whycouldn’t she have studied psychology? “In what way do you feelneurotic?”
Eyes filling quickly with unshed tears thatwere rapidly threatening to spill over, the dam ready to burst atthe slightest tremor, Pippa pouted, “With all of the weddingbusiness. I don’t give a crap if I carry a two-hundred-dollarbouquet of white lilacs and roses. I’m good with a handful ofdaisies.”
“It’s easy to get caught up. There are justtoo many expectations for weddings. And big price tags.” She hopedshe was helping rather than making it worse. Holding her breath asshe anticipated Pippa’s potentially explosive response, she pulledher legs in and reclined in the cushy chair.
“Maybe I should just call the whole thing offand get hitched at the courthouse. With a small party here after.”Flood level met but not quite exceeded, a single tear trickled downher cheek.
“Do you trust me?” She could talk her out ofthis, she had to. That’s what friends were for, right? Talking eachother out of a crisis? Wasn’t it an official maid of honorduty?
“Of course.” Pippa looked her in the eye asif it was the dumbest question she could ever ask.
“I have to ask, how far is the wedding overbudget?”
Pippa sniffled and swallowed the impendingsob. With a small but persistent nod, unable to speak lest the damburst, she hinted the answer was significant.
“Want me to run the numbers?”
Again, she nodded pitifully. Whisperingthrough a wet voice, Pippa said, “Thank you.”
In the minutes it took for Sophie to grab herlaptop and poor a glass of wine for each of them, she found Pippaalready looking frazzled, her normally tame hair wild and frizzy.Surrounded by loose sheets of paper, hair knotted and standing onend, Pippa sat at the dining room table, poorly organizing thereceipts and invoices she had for Sophie to review.
Recognizing a financial emergency when shesaw one, she rolled up her imaginary sleeves and took charge.“Let’s get started. We can fix this.”
Handing her friend the wine, Sophie nudgedPippa out of the way and started to organize the scattered papers.She let a soft hum pass her lips now and again, a subtle smilecrossing her lips as she worked. Not intentional, but she knew itlet Pippa know all was going to be okay, so she didn’t try toprevent her oddities.
“You can go take a break while I work onthis. Go for a swim or go relax on the patio.” Sophie didn’t mindher friend’s hovering but wanted to give her a break. She clearlyneeded it.
Pippa shook her head, too tense to evenconsider a break. “You and Asher are the only freaks I know thatexercise for relaxation.”
Eyes on the spreadsheet she was efficientlybuilding, Sophie sighed. “Don’t knock it ‘til you try it.”
Relaxing a bit, Pippa sat back in her chairand sipped her drink while Sophie sifted through stacks of receiptsand invoices. It reminded her of all the times they’d satelbow-to-elbow at their dining room table just like this, doinghomework instead.
“It seems like you and Asher have been makingfriends.”
Shit. “I guess so.”
