Forty-Nine

Children darted around topiary and happy in-laws oohed and aahed as Erika and Scott—the new Mr. and Mrs. Perrault—kissed for the photographer, their loving embrace mirrored in the sunken garden’s reflecting ponds. Their historic venue, built in 1919 on Long Island’s wealthy Gold Coast, looked like a fairytale castle and was famous for celebrity weddings, movie shoots, and music videos. When Erika discovered Taylor Swift had filmed her “Blank Space” video there, she chose the gorgeous mansion for her and Scott’s special day.

Dodging the couple’s two hundred-plus guests, Riley led bowtie-wearing Stanley Pup on his leash around the vast property, careful to avoid grass stains on the hem of her lilac bridesmaid dress. Her sojourn also allowed her to elude Josh and his date as well as Leia, who had only traded stilted small talk throughout the festivities. So far, so good.

Stanley paused to gnaw on some grass, so Riley checked her phone, finding a text waiting from Ben.

Hey pretty mer-maid of honor, don’t cop off with any hockey-playin ushers!!! He also added to his ‘4 Riles!!!’ playlist with “I’m Your Man” by Wham!.

She giggled and glanced up, her breath catching. Shit! Leia, wearing an identical lilac dress, was striding toward her. Dread fluttered in Riley’s stomach. Great. Can I slip behind this tall bush? She checked in with Stanley. He was lifting his leg for a pee, scuttling her escape. Argh, right now, Pup?!

“Hey.” Leia raised her hand in a static wave, a blush of sunburn on the tip of her nose. “Beautiful day, huh?”

“Yeah.” Riley glanced skyward, trying to smile like she meant it. “Erika always gets what she wants.”

“I know. It’s sickening, isn’t it?”

Riley swallowed, trying to soothe the ache in the back of her throat. Stanley strained at his leash, sniffing Leia’s dress. What does she want?

“Um, I just wanted to have a private moment to…uh…” Leia sighed and clutched the diamond pendant resting on her décolletage. “Listen, what happened with me and Ben…”

Taking a deep breath, Riley stared Leia in the eye. Yikes, where is this going?

“Can I share my side of what happened?”

Riley responded with a wary nod.

Leia toyed with her pendant. “I was checking out strip clubs for Erika when I got a text, another rumor about Tyler—more cheating, a different girl. It felt like fucking Groundhog Day. I wanted to lash out and forget. I wasn’t sure what to do.” She shrugged. “I watched the dancers, had a few drinks, but they didn’t dull my anger. I could feel the need for revenge burning through me, so I thought, Fuck it. I took my rings off, hid ’em in my wallet, and then Ben sat at the bar…all friendly, blue eyes you could get lost in, and that British accent…”

For fuck’s…I don’t need to hear this! Riley broke eye contact and glared over Leia’s shoulder.

“He didn’t say he was a dancer. We got to talking and drinking, and that purple thong guy showed up. He pretty much begged Ben not to come home that night. He had nowhere to sleep, so…”

So, you fucked him—yeah, got it. Riley crossed her arms, met Leia’s gaze again, and saw…regret? Pain? Wait, she’s…not bragging. She’s…ashamed?

Leia squeezed her necklace tighter. “I slept with Ben to get back at Ty. I shouldn’t have bothered. I thought it would make me feel better…it didn’t.” She cleared her throat, the sparkly brilliance of her necklace, cushion-cut engagement ring, and diamond-encrusted wedding band firing glinty flares. “I used Ben to cheat on my husband. I broke my vows, something I thought I’d never do.”

And I never thought I’d use Josh, even if I thought it was for a noble reason. I’ve made mistakes, too, in the name of love. Guilt rose in Riley’s throat and her expression softened. What good is this doing, being mad at Leia? For what? Sleeping with a single guy? One you barely knew at the time. It could’ve been any guy sitting there that night, but it just happened to be Ben. You’ve forgiven him. Forgive her, too.

Riley nodded. “We’ve all been there, we’ve all done things we regret—I know I have.” A slight grin raised her cheeks. “Relationships, huh? They’re never easy.”

Leia’s brows relaxed and she let out a relieved breath. “Erika says, you and Ben…?”

“Yeah.”

“He seems like a nice guy.” Leia nodded.

“He is.”

“You’ll have to tell me what that’s like sometime. I’m happy for you.” Leia let go of her necklace and pointed over her shoulder. “Well, I should get back to Ty…”

Riley smiled kindly. “I hope things work out for you, Leia—really.”

“Yeah, me, too.” Leia gave a pained smile, a tinge of sadness muting her blue eyes. “Good luck with Ben.” She tucked a curl behind her ear and walked away toward the glamourous party, returning to the life Riley had left behind.

• • •

Two round, single-layer cakes sat on Maggie’s counter, both coated perfectly with a smooth layer of white buttercream icing. One was Ben’s work-in-progress canvas; pink dots and green swirls speckled the cake’s top, each colorful decoration a little neater than the one that came before.

Ben mopped his brow with the back of his hand and lifted the piping bag full of frosting away from his latest squiggle. Bugger, that was rubbish. His mouth twisted. “Maggie, you’ve got the patience of a saint.”

“Nonsense. You’re learning faster than I did.” She shifted off her tall stool, moving a cake smoother and several piping tips to the side to make more room for Ben to work. “If you apply a little more pressure to the piping bag and hover the tip just above the cake, you’ll get much better control, see?”

Okay, try again. Deep in concentration, Ben’s tongue slid along his bottom lip as the star-shaped tip of the piping bag inched above the cake, depositing a thick ruffle of pink and white buttercream goodness. NOW we’re talking! Ben’s face lit up at his fancy finishing touch. “Look at THAT. It works!” He pulled back, full grin on display.

His attention shifted past the cake to his phone, a new text waking up the dark screen. Riley’s latest add to the ‘4 Benjamin’ playlist had landed: “Throw Your Arms Around Me” by Hunters and Collectors. Oooh, girl! How’d you find that steamy eighties gem? A fan of the song’s sensual lyrics, Ben smiled wider. Wait ’til I see YOU tonight, lady!

Maggie leaned in to check his work and Ben quickly nudged the phone aside. “I’m having a great Saturday!”

Maggie laughed. “You don’t regret staying behind?”

“No. Riley had her maid-of-honor duties, and I dunno, I think she needed to socialize solo with her friends. I don’t want her to drift away from people she’s known forever just because there’s a new boyfriend on the scene. Friendships are important, especially ones from way back.”

“But you could get to know them, too?”

A text Riley received from Erika two days ago popped into his head.

Aw, not being funny, please remind Ben—no vintage Ts, ok? ;)

Erika seemed to think he was incapable of dressing appropriately for her wedding. Like I’d choose a concert tee over a dress shirt. Gimme some credit. “Yeah, I’m starting to, but I’d rather do it when Josh isn’t around. It’s just a bit awkward. He and Scott are pretty tight.” He hunched over the cake with the piping bag, practicing another design.

Maggie nodded, smiling at Ben’s progress. “Oh, angle the bag a little less…”

He lowered the bag so it was practically perpendicular to the cake’s edge.

“Looking great, Ben. Did you bake a lot with your mom when you were a kid?”

“Hell yeah.” He paused and licked icing off his finger. “Ingredients cost a bomb and she worked all hours, but when she had a few quid and time going spare, she made brownies, chocolate chip cookies, and heart-shaped gingerbread. She called them ‘little bites of home-baked love’”. His smile grew. “I found baking relaxing—and fun. And I got to play DJ with her old vinyl when we did it.”

“And an eighties music fan was born!” Maggie glanced down at Ben’s Police t-shirt and reached across the counter, switching on the radio. Smooth, poppy vocals filled the kitchen. “Ah, Boy George!”

“I know this! ‘Time’ by Culture Club. You a fan, Maggie?”

“Yep—my first concert. November 1984, the Brendan Byrne Arena in Rutherford, New Jersey. I was fourteen. My poor dad didn’t know what hit him. God, the things we put our parents through.”

“Why didn’t your mom go?” Ben leaned over and lowered the icing bag again.

“She died when I was five.”

He straightened up, a sad look on his face. “Oh, I’m sorry! I didn’t think…”

“It’s okay. It was a long time ago.” Maggie patted his forearm. “Dad stepped in, did all the things Mom would’ve done. He even bought me makeup. I went to the concert as Boy George!”

“Really? You had the braids and everything?”

Maggie nodded. “Red eyeshadow, crimped hair, neon clothing…”

Ben chuckled. “Mum dressed up in pirate gear with a white stripe across her nose.”

“Like Adam Ant!”

“Yeah, when she wasn’t being Bananarama, wearing crop tops and rags in her hair.”

“I bet she looked amazing!” Maggie bobbed her head to the music. “We had fun! Dad even bought me a fedora so I could copy Duran Duran.”

“It’s kinda like cosplay today, innit? But instead of dressing up for comic cons, you lot did it for gigs.” Ben aimed the piping bag at the cake again. “Were your brothers and sisters into it, too?”

“I’m an only child. My dad died before Riley was born, so it’s just us.”

“No wonder you’re so close.” Ben grinned, but Maggie’s words twisted his stomach. ‘It’s just us.’

It’s true, then. There wasn’t anyone else—Riley really was Maggie’s last hope. Ben swallowed heavily and returned to decorating the cake.