I tucked a flyway strand of hair behind my ear and patted the bun I had hastily pinned in place as Cole and I dashed through the doors of the Oceanside Restaurant. I couldn’t believe we were thirty minutes late. This was bad bridesmaid behavior. The restaurant lobby was packed.

But the couch was christened. Properly.

Cole and I exchanged smiles. It looked like cocktail hour was in full swing. No one had even noticed we weren’t in the room. Every two seconds, I would glance at his leg to see if he was uncomfortable without the brace, but if he was in pain, he was hiding it from me. In a strange way, I had gotten used to him having crutches. It felt like we were missing something

He ordered two drinks for us at the bar, one non-alcoholic, and we planted ourselves against a wall. I was afraid to jump into the beehive of aunts again, and Cole wasn’t really mister social at these events.

“So, what do you think about all this?” Cole motioned to the crowd in front of us.

I wasn’t sure I followed the question. “What do you mean ‘all this’?”

“You know, big wedding, big party, a hundred people at the rehearsal dinner. Is that your thing? Is that something you want?”

My heart started beating faster than usual, and my palms got clammy. “I uh—I haven’t really thought about it I guess.” I gulped half of the gingerale. “What do you think about it?”

“I don’t think I want all the fuss.” He took a sip of his drink. I still couldn’t believe we were talking about this. “Something small and simple would be good. Not too many people.”

I nodded. “Yes. Small and simple.”

“But a white dress. I think that’s important.”

I stared at him. Was he picturing me in a white dress? Imagining what I would look like next to him exchanging vows? I started to get woozy. This was a lot to take in. Breathe, Kaitlyn, breathe.

An image of Cole standing on the beach in a button-down white shirt, standing near a minister popped in my head. I couldn’t shake it. The image started getting cloudy as if I was backing away from the scene.

A new wave of guilt hit me. Was he saying this because of the baby? I tried to study him.

Sasha’s father clanked his glass a few times and announced dinner was being served. I jumped slightly forward on my toes.

Cole gripped my free hand and led me to the dining room. I needed him to steady me now more than ever.

Sasha and Cal rushed to greet us. “There you are! I was worried you weren’t here.”

I squeezed her tightly. “Of course we’re here.”

I tried to read the state of her nerves tonight, but it looked like she had a glass of wine and Cal was by her side. He was taking care of her.

The guys shook hands. “Thanks for taking me out last night, man.” Cal slapped Cole on the back. “I appreciated you and Lance throwing that together.”

“Every man needs a bachelor party.” Cole smiled.

“Wait a minute, were there strippers?” Sasha teased.

“Friends don’t divulge what happens at bachelor parties.” Cole looked completely serious. I knew there weren’t any strippers. They spent most of the night at Peabody’s drinking beer and playing pool. Cal might have sung a little karaoke on stage, but Cole assured me that’s as wild as they got.

Sasha poked Cole in the ribs. “At least I know Cal has good friends.” She reached for her fiancé’s hand. “Come on, babe. They’re waiting on us to sit down. I’ll talk to you after dinner, Kaitlyn.”

I watched as they crossed the room and sat at the head table with their parents. They looked happy. They looked calm. They looked like they were in love.

* * *

I threw a handful of paper towels in the trash and straightened my dress in the mirror. I had excused myself from dinner to visit the ladies room, but Cole was probably wondering where I was by now. I couldn’t stay holed up in here all night while I debated our earlier conversation.

I looked at my hair, the sun on my nose, the curves of my hips. I picked a spot of fuzz from my dress and adjusted the strap on my heel. Twenty-three-year-olds do not talk marriage. Do they? I tried to focus on my appearance and not the feelings and thoughts trapped in my head. Cole was probably just observing the situation, getting my feedback on things. He wasn’t asking what kind of wedding I thought we should have. Was he? I washed my hands again with cool water, hoping the clamminess would stop.

He and Amber had Grayson without marriage. I didn’t want this baby to be a traip. I didn’t want to suffocate him.

I touched up my nose with a dab of powder from my clutch.

After he and Amber broke up and he moved out, he didn’t date anyone until me. Ryan made sure I knew he slept around. I inhaled again and pulled on the handle of the bathroom door. I had to get things together and get through the rest of the dinner. There were still toasts, dessert, and then dancing on the deck afterward.

I pasted a smile on my face and walked back to our table.

* * *

Dinner lasted longer than I expected, and then we headed to the after party at Sasha’s parents’ house. I guessed this is what Cole meant about keeping things simple. It felt as if we had only participated in wedding events all week. That is, except for the couch christening.

The ocean was rough tonight. I couldn’t see it from the balcony, but I could hear it.

There was a jazz band set up inside the living room, but I only heard them play when someone opened one of the beachside doors.

Lance walked up behind me. “I checked the forecast for tomorrow. It’s supposed to be sunny and hot. You girls don’t have to worry about your dresses.”

“Thanks. I haven’t had a chance to look at my phone today for the forecast.” I turned back toward the waves in the distance. Cole was getting us both drinks, but I was sure he had been cornered by one of the many parents at the event. They loved to ask him about the Dunes.

“You look preoccupied, Carolina. Something on your mind? You know I’m walking you back up the aisle after the ceremony, so you have nothing to worry about.”

“That’s sweet, Lance.” We had done a quick run-through at the church, and I was glad to know the groomsman who was my escort. “I’m just in one of those thinking moods.” I wasn’t about to tell him it had all to do about weddings and whether Cole was the man at the end of the aisle for me. Lance and I had worked through enough awkwardness for one friendship.

“Ah, I get it. Weddings, the beach. It’s enough to make anyone think.” He tipped back his beer. Ok, I had pegged him all wrong. He was more astute than I realized.

“Something like that.” I smiled. “Tell me what’s going on with you. Are you bringing a date tomorrow?”

“Sure am.”

“Lance, who?” I hadn’t heard he was dating anyone.

His crooked teeth peeked out. “Girl I met in class. You’ll see her tomorrow. She’s pretty and smart.”

“I bet. I can’t wait to meet her.” Love was in the air.

Cole appeared with two bottled waters. “Here you go, darlin’.” He handed me a cold water. “Hey, Lance. Good time last night.”

“Sure was.” They exchanged a knowing look.

I imagined there was some element of male bonding that happened during bachelor parties, similar to what I experienced with the girls. I twisted the cap off my water. As much fun as I was having, I was ready to go. My feet were sore from my new shoes, and I had an entire day ahead of me in heels. I leaned toward Cole’s ear.

“Do you think we could go in a few minutes?” I asked.

He nodded, sweeping a hand around my waist.

“See you tomorrow, man. Good luck at the altar.”

“Thanks. See you tomorrow. Goodnight, Kaitlyn.”

“Goodnight.”

We left Lance standing at the railing alone.

“Was that rude?” I looked at Cole. I hadn’t meant for him to whisk me away that quickly.

“No, I was ready to leave the second we got here. We’ll say good-bye to all the parents, and then we’re out of here. Deal?”

I laughed. “Deal.”

I assured Sasha’s parents I would be at the house on time and I’d be ready to help with anything they needed. They had had a few glasses of wine and were giving hugs that lasted for minutes at a time. Cole managed to peel us both out of their grip before steering me toward the door.

Cole slid behind the wheel of his truck after making sure I was in my side of the car. The way he always opened doors for me hadn’t gotten old. I wasn’t sure it ever could.

“Did you have a good time?” I asked as he cranked the engine.

“Yeah. It was a good party.” His eyes were on the rearview mirror while the truck lurched backward.

“You sure we didn’t leave too early?”

“Darlin’, it’s fine. I’m worried about you and the baby. No one else in there matters.”

I wanted to bring up the conversation we had started during cocktail hour. What exactly was he implying by asking me about my wedding expectations? As the hotels and restaurants rolled past us, I lost my courage. I’d have to wait until he mentioned it again.

Cole pulled into the driveway and parked under the cottage next to my car. It was quiet in the cab. He turned to me. “You looked beautiful tonight.”

I blushed. “Thank you. And you look pretty hot yourself. No brace. No crutches.”

“I could list twenty reasons I’m glad to be rid of those damn things.” He opened the door and walked to my side. He held my hand to help me down. It wasn’t as easy as it looked in high heels.

“I have an idea.” His eyes fired.

“And what’s that?”

“Something we haven’t done in a while.” He clasped my hand behind his back and led me up the stairs to the kitchen.

Cole disappeared in the hallway, emerging with a blanket. He tugged on my hand, and kept walking until we were on the seaside deck and headed down the steps. It took me a minute to figure out his plan. I smiled. The alcove.

I ditched my shoes on the deck, thankful to have them off my feet, and followed him down the steps.

My eyes adjusted to the darkness of the beach. Cole tucked the corners of the blanket into the sand and handed me a water. I curled up under his arm and nestled against his chest. I could still smell hints of his cologne.

“This is perfect.” I sighed.

Cole tipped the bottle toward his lips. “Sure is. We haven’t had enough of this since you moved down here.”

The wind whipped around the alcove, but in here, I felt safe. It was as if we were secluded from the rest of the world. The cyclone that was the wedding. The dirtiness of the lawsuit. The uncertainty of our future. In here, it was only Cole and me. And our baby.

We didn’t talk. We listened to the waves roll on the beach until our drinks were empty and I started to shiver from the chill of the wind.

Cole helped me up, wrapping an arm around my shoulder. “Let’s go get you warmed up.”

I followed him to the cottage, hoping this night never ended.