Three
Who in the hell planned a three-day-long wedding? Brad and Amberly sure knew how to take pretentiousness to a whole new level. How was Emily even paying for this trip? It’s not like she was rolling in money on her salary. Her little bakery had only been open for a year and it always took a while for a new business to take off. She’d offered to pay for the flight and sprung for the higher priced villa. Chance had played along because Emily wouldn’t have had it any other way. But he’d be damned if she shelled out another dime on this over-done affair.
Today was almost half over. That left two and a half days to go. How in the hell was he going to survive with his sanity intact?
Chance watched with an unhealthy fascination, the wide strokes of Emily’s arms cutting through the water as she swam. Emily had always loved the water. The woman was practically a mermaid. Why couldn’t Brad have gotten married in northern Canada? Alaska wasn’t too bad in the summer. Antarctica? Anywhere would have been better than the Gulf of freakin’ Mexico where every day was bikini weather. Shorts, tank tops, strappy little sundresses…. Emily had packed them all. Including a few tantalizingly skimpy swimsuits like the one she wore now.
This was torture. Pure unmitigated torture. Chance could think of a hundred situations he’d rather be in right now. Including standing in a burning building with a faulty SCBA. At least in the fire, he’d be suffocating because of bad equipment. Right now, it was Emily’s perfection that forced the air from his lungs.
Damn.
“Hey.” Emily swam to the edge of the pool where he sat and rested her arms on the edge to hold her up. “You don’t want to swim?”
“Maybe later.”
Her cheery disposition couldn’t be more transparent. Their run-in with Brad yesterday had rattled her. Though what had she expected? That they’d hang out on the beach and manage to avoid the bride and groom for three whole days? They were on an island for shit’s sake! He had to give her an A for effort, though. So far, she was doing a stellar job of behaving as though she wasn’t the least bit bothered to be attending her ex’s wedding.
Emily gave a playful splash. “Isn’t water a firefighter’s best friend?”
“So, what’s on the agenda for today?” The last thing he wanted to think about was taking off his shirt and getting into the pool with her. Especially when his fingers practically itched to reach out and touch her. “I’m sure Mr. and Mrs. Perfect have a full itinerary planned.”
Emily’s expression became crestfallen. He hated to burst her bubble, but she needed the reminder that they couldn’t avoid Brad and Amberly all week.
“Most of the day is open,” she remarked. “But there’s a cocktail hour at seven and then dinner at Junonia at eight-thirty.”
Though he was looking forward to a gourmet meal at the resort’s five-star restaurant, Chance deserved a gold star for agreeing to endure the amount of socializing he’d be subjected to between now and Saturday. “So that gives us all afternoon to do what we want?” The only bright spot in this entire week was the possibility of getting some one-on-one time with Emily. Their jobs kept them both busy and aside from text messages and the occasional lunch, they hadn’t seen much of each other over the past few months.
“Yep.” Her expression softened. “I thought we’d explore town if you’re up for it.” Her eyes darted to the right. “I haven’t bought them a wedding gift yet. I suppose I’d better do that.”
Chance picked up the beach towel beside his lounge chair. “Might be a good idea.” He tossed the towel to the edge of the pool where Emily floated. “Dry off and let’s get out of here.”
Her answering smile made his breath hitch. “Sounds good. We can play tourists for a while.”
Pretending to mean more to Emily than simply being her friend was proving to be more than Chance could handle. He found himself wishing that playing “tourist” was the only thing they were playing at.
#
Mimosa Key couldn’t have been more idyllic. The town, which the front desk clerk had referred to simply as “Mimosa,” was charming and small, with plenty of island flare. Emily took in the beauty of the colorful stucco buildings as they meandered through town and soaked up the sun. There were several small towns in Idaho similar to Mimosa. Places with populations under ten-thousand that depended on tourism to keep the local economy afloat. Those towns were earthy and reflected the mountainous landscape, the buildings built from dark woods, and the atmosphere sleepy. Mimosa was none of those things. It was so vibrant and bright and full of life.
Emily paused and tipped her head up to the sky as she let her eyes drift shut. The sun warmed her face and bare shoulders. She let out a slow breath that moved through her and relaxed her from head to toe. It could have been the warm spring day that felt more like summer, or the bright tropical setting that soothed her. Or, it could have been that she’d put a little distance between her and the resort—where Brad and Amberly were undoubtedly walking hand in hand. The feeling of eyes watching her prompted her lids to open and she turned to her left to find Chance studying her. The intensity of his green-eyed stare bore through her. He grinned and her stomach fluttered.
What the heck?
Chance was her friend. Her best friend. The guy who’d been there for her when her parents freaked out on her for deciding not to pursue her bachelor’s degree. No one can get by with an associate’s degree! Are you crazy? Chance had believed in her drive and focus and encouraged her to open up her tiny bakery. He’d been the shoulder she’d sobbed on when Brad had dumped her like a sack of trash on the curb.
Chance was funny and a genuinely nice guy. Beyond attractive. Smart, self-assured, gainfully employed. He knew what he wanted and never backed away from a challenge. He was capable—who didn’t like a guy with common sense?—and focused. But Emily had been down the boyfriend road with him and it hadn’t worked out.
You were fourteen, you idiot. A kid. Nothing works out when you’re fourteen.
No. She wouldn’t ruin what they had by even entertaining the idea that they could be something more. If things didn’t work out, if they broke up, she’d lose her best friend and Emily didn’t think she could bear the loss. Imagining a day without at least a text conversation with Chance sent a zing of anxiety-infused adrenaline through her system. Which was why she’d never cross that line with him. Ever.
She screwed her face into a grimace. “What?”
He continued to watch her and she fought the urge to squirm under his scrutiny. “I’m just wondering how long I’ll have to stand here while you recharge your solar battery.”
She grinned at his teasing tone. True, summer in the mountains equated to a few months of above seventy degree temps. Pretty mild in comparison to Florida’s delicious eighty-plus-degree heat. The humidity didn’t even bother her. So much better than the dry mountain air.
“It feels so good.” Emily let out an indulgent moan. Chance’s jaw squared and another pleasant flutter hit her stomach. “I just want to stand here all day and soak up the warmth.”
Chance took a quick look behind him. “Maybe let’s do it someplace where people won’t have to step out on the street to get around you?”
Emily craned her neck past Chance to see a group of women strolling down the sidewalk toward them. Being mowed down by a pack of fellow tourists definitely wasn’t how she wanted to go. “The front desk clerk told me there’s a cute kitchen store down the street. Mind if we hit it up to look for a gift?”
Chance held out his hand. “After you.”
Emily headed down the sidewalk. Chance must have been bored to death. So far he’d watched her humiliate herself in front of Brad and Amberly. He’d watched her rush through breakfast. Watched her swim. Watched her stand on the sidewalk like a fool. And now he was about to watch her shop for a gift that she didn’t even want to buy. She was a horrible friend.
“You don’t have to follow me around.” She turned toward him and was taken aback by the dark clouds that gathered behind his eyes. “Not that you are. Following me around. I’m just saying. If there’s something you want to do—”
He cut her off. “I know what you mean, Em.” The harshness of his tone made her cringe. “I just don’t understand why you’re going out of your way to buy them some ultra-fantastic wedding gift. Neither one of them was particularly nice to you yesterday. In fact, I don’t even know why they invited you to this dog and pony show at all. It feels more and more like someone wanted to rub something in your face.”
#
Emily’s shoulders slumped. Chance didn’t want to hurt her, but really, what did she expect? Nothing about this situation was close to normal. No one invited their ex to a wedding. Especially when the groom was marrying his ex’s former friend.
“I know what this is about.” Her quiet, hurt tone made Chance want to grab her and crush her body to his in a bear hug. Damn it, he shouldn’t have been so harsh with her. “But that’s why I have to smile and play nice and buy them the best possible gift. Because I don’t want them to have any sort of ownership over my emotions. I don’t want them to think I’m affected by them at all.”
“That’s the thing, Em.” Chance couldn’t seem to get it through that thick head of hers. “You may want to pretend like this isn’t affecting you. Like they don’t own your emotions. But almost two years later, it’s still getting to you.” His heart dropped into his gut as he said the words, “You’re not over him, are you?”
“What?” She started walking and Chance fell into step beside her. “Of course I am. Why would you even say that?”
She was kidding herself if she actually believed that. Chance didn’t want to argue. He didn’t want Brad’s name spoken in any conversation he had with Emily for the rest of the trip for that matter. Not that he could avoid it. They were at the jerk’s days-long wedding extravaganza after all. But when he and Emily were alone together, he wanted to pretend that Brad and Amberly didn’t exist. That what Emily had had with Brad didn’t exist. Chance wanted it to be him and her and no one else. His step faltered as he glanced over at her. Did she even know how breathtakingly beautiful she was?
“I’m worried, okay?” If Amberly’s attitude yesterday was any indicator, Emily could expect to be on the receiving end of a few more catty remarks by the end of the week. Chance still couldn’t figure out what purpose it served to even invite Emily to the wedding. “I don’t want to see you hurt.”
Emily reached out and took Chance’s hand in hers. He wanted to twine his fingers with hers and hold her close to him but she gave a light squeeze before releasing her grip. He held in the sigh he wanted to let loose.
“That’s why you’re my best friend,” she replied. “You’re always looking out for me.”
Why was it that “best friend” was starting to sound like a four-letter word? Something offensive he didn’t want to hear again.
Down the street, Chance caught sight of an ice cream shop. Pizza got Emily through a rough day, but ice cream could fix her entire year. “Hey. Let’s get some ice cream first. The sugar high will help get me through shopping for a wedding present.” The truth was, Chance wasn’t a huge fan of sweets. Or pizza. But Emily was and that’s all that mattered. Her happiness was all that mattered.
Ms. Icey’s fit the image of ice cream parlor to a tee with its frosted windows and red and white awnings. Emily’s smile grew as they approached. It was totally her sort of place. Her own bakery back in Coeur d'Alene had the same cutesy exterior. Very pastel. Very girly. Very Emily. Chance stepped up to the counter and ordered two scoops of chocolate peanut butter ice cream in a waffle cone for Emily, while he opted for a couple of scoops of vanilla in a dish.
“You do realize that you make me look like a total pig every time we eat out, right?”
Chance laughed. Emily wasn’t a “pig” by any stretch of the imagination. Her curves were absolutely perfect. Soft and feminine. She was lucky she had a metabolism fast enough to support her junk food habit. Chance, on the other hand, had to spend an hour a day in the gym to maintain. If he ate like Emily, he’d never pass the physical agility.
“If you’re a pig, then I’m an elephant,” Chance said.
Emily broke out into spluttering laughter. “What does that even mean?”
Her laughter was infectious. “I have no idea.
The bell above the door to the tiny shop rang and Emily and Chance turned at the same time. Brad and Amberly walked through the door and Chance swallowed down a groan. Emily reached across the table lightning-quick and grabbed his hand. She leaned over the table and put her lips to his in a quick, innocent peck that only made Chance hungry for more.
“Hey guys!” Emily greeted much too cheerfully.
“Hey.” Brad flashed a wide smile as he led Amberly toward their table.
Chance pursed his lips. What was he up to? And why in the hell couldn’t he leave Emily alone?
“Are you out sight-seeing?” Emily asked as she twined her fingers with Chance’s. The warmth of her touch felt so good he didn’t want to ever let go.
“Yep.” Amberly looked at Emily’s cone with wide eyes before her mouth curved into a smirk. “I’m so jealous, Emily. If I ate that much ice cream, I’d never be able to fit into my dress.”
“Oh, well.” Emily gave a nervous laugh. “It’s a lot of ice cream, isn’t it? I probably won’t be able to finish it all.” She looked around as though she wished she could put the cone down. Chance hated that Amberly made Emily feel self-conscious. There was nothing wrong with what she was eating. There was nothing wrong with her. Emily was perfect.
“Hey, babe?” Chance gave Emily’s hand a squeeze. “Didn’t you want to hit a couple more shops before dinner?”
“Oh, yeah.” She gave him a sweet smile that conveyed her gratitude. “Thanks for reminding me.”
Chance pushed out his chair and pulled Emily up beside him. “We’ll see you at dinner tonight.”
Brad’s expression became a little crestfallen, only adding to Chance’s suspicion. “Yeah,” he said with little inflection. “Have a good time.”
“You too.” Chance flashed a wide smile. “Later.”
They walked out of Ms. Icey’s hand-in-hand. Emily tossed what was left of her cone into a trashcan on the street. “Don’t let anything Amberly says get to you, Em. She’s just bitter that she has to work to be thin and you can eat what you want.”
“Oh, I know.” Emily’s tone wasn’t very convincing, though. “I’m just full, that’s all.”
Chance’s jaw clenched. It was going to be a long three days. Hopefully he could get Emily through it without too much emotional damage.