Shane walks into our suite carrying a tray, which he sets beside me on the bed. “Here you go. Light toast with a little bit of butter and a cup of decaf with cream and sugar. I also brought you some strawberries. They look good, and you like strawberries.”

I smile and pat the bed for Shane to sit down. “Thank you. This looks wonderful. I think my appetite is returning.”

“Hey, Cooper,” Shane says, eyeing his friend. “You okay?”

Cooper looks at Shane. “No, I’m not okay. Sam’s gone.”

Shane nods. “I know. I’m sorry. He asked me not to tell you until after he was gone.”

Cooper runs his fingers through his closely-cropped hair and exhales hard. “It’s my fault.”

Shane frowns at Cooper, but doesn’t argue with him. “Give him time. He said he’s coming back, and I believe him. And if he doesn’t, I’ll go after him myself and drag his ass back here.”

Cooper laughs, but the sound rough and humorless. “Even if he does come back, it might not be for me. He didn’t leave Chicago, he left me.”

Shane gives his friend a stern look. “Then you’d better get your act together before it’s too late.”

No one voices what we’re all thinking. It might already be too late.

* * *

After I eat my breakfast, I put on my one-piece bathing suit and a lacey white cover-up and head down to the lower level where I know I’ll find Jamie swimming laps in the indoor Olympic-sized pool. I learned from before, when we both lived here over the summer, that when Jamie has a problem or needs to think, he swims laps.

As I walk through the double glass doors, I’m instantly hit with a blanket of warm, humid air scented with chlorine. Gus runs to greet me, sticking his wet nose into my palm while I stroke him behind his ears with my other hand.

Jamie had to have heard me come in, as the dog is whining loud enough to wake the dead, but he remains focused on his task, his muscled arms cutting fast and hard through the water.

After giving Gus one last pat, I sit at the edge of the pool and dangle my legs in the warm water. Still, Jamie ignores me, which is not like him. Something’s definitely on his mind.

I slide into the water and intercept him on his return lap. “Are you just going to ignore me?”

He stops mid-stroke and treads water, shoving his wet hair out of his face. “I’m sorry. I’m just not in the mood to socialize.”

“I’m not here to socialize with you, dummy. I’m here to see how you’re doing.”

“I’m fine.”

“That’s bull. I saw the expression on your face last night, after your dance with Molly ended. You weren’t fine.”

“She walked away from me without a word.”

“Jamie – ”

“I’m trying to understand her, I really am. We hit it off so well. We’re good friends, and we enjoy each other’s company, but she won’t let me take it any further than that. No matter what I try, I can’t get out of the friend zone.”

“I’m sure she has her reasons. Just give it time.”

“Yeah, how’s this as a reason: she doesn’t want to waste her time on a blind, defective boyfriend.”

“No, Jamie, it’s not that. I know it isn’t.”

Gus starts barking excitedly, alerting our attention to a new arrival.

“Wow, Lia wasn’t kidding,” Molly says as she walks through the doors and takes in the spacious pool room. “There’s actually a pool in your house.”

“Hey, Molly!” I say. “Why don’t you join us? There’s a closet full of brand new swimming suits in the locker room, in every size and style imaginable. Help yourself.”

Molly walks the perimeter of the pool. “Thanks, but swimming’s not really my thing. But I’ll hang around and watch, if you guys don’t mind the company.”

Jamie swims in her direction. “Of course I don’t mind. I’d love the company. Is there something else you’d rather do? There’s a movie theater – we could watch a movie. Or, we could go outside for a walk. It’s not too cold today. I could show you around… the docks, the boats, the barn and the horses.”

“I would love a walk,” she says, “but don’t let me interrupt your swim. I can wait until you’re done.”

Shane enters the pool room dressed in navy blue swim trunks. “I figured I’d find you down here,” he says to me. “How’s the water?”

“It’s perfect,” I say. “Come on in.”

He gets a running start and dives into the deep end of the pool, slicing cleanly into the water and disappearing from sight.

“Looks like my swim buddy is here,” I say, laughing when Shane finally surfaces next to me and splashes me before giving me a wet kiss.

Jamie hauls himself out of the water near where Molly is standing. “Since Beth is adequately occupied with her swim buddy, I’ll dry off and change, and we’ll go for that walk.”

“I’d like that,” Molly says.

Jamie grabs his towel off the back of lounge chair and dries off. Molly tries to look everywhere but at his naked chest and those chiseled abs. His black swim trunks hang low on his lean hips, leaving little to the imagination. She’s obviously losing the battle because her gaze keeps coming back to his sexy inverted V that disappears beneath his trunks. Yeah, I was right. She’s not indifferent to him, not one bit. There’s something else going on with her.

Jamie calls Gus to him and puts on the dog’s service harness. “Come on, buddy, let’s go get dressed. I won’t be long, Molly.”

It’s too bad Jamie can’t see the smile on Molly’s face, or the way her gaze eats him up as he heads for the locker room.

Shane starts swimming laps, and I join him, easily keeping pace at his side. Thanks to my high school and college days spent as a summer lifeguard, I’m perfectly at home in the water.

Once Jamie and Molly take off for their walk, Shane backs me into the corner of the pool in the deep end, caging me in. I rest my arms on the edge of the pool, and he treads water in front of me.

“Are you sure you want to stay here for our honeymoon?” he says. “We can go anywhere you want.”

I nod. “I’m sure. There’s so much going on right now with the holidays, and with Cooper and Sam, and with our pregnancy. Let’s just stay here and relax. Besides, I’ll be able to spend some time with your parents and get to know them better.”

“Okay, if you’re sure.”

“I am.” I duck under the water and swim beneath his arms, surfacing behind him. “Come on, I’ll race you to the other end of the pool.”

* * *

After our swim, Shane and I dry off and go upstairs to get dressed. Then we join everyone in the dining room for lunch. Ellie has put out a wonderful deli spread so that folks can make their own sandwiches. There are also salads and hot wings and leftover wedding cake.

It’s such a treat to have all these people I care so much about here in the same room. My mom and brother, Shane’s parents and his siblings, our friends and co-workers. Everyone’s here except for Sam, of course. And Miguel, who left early to drive Sam to the airport. Sam’s departure left a giant hole in my heart, and that’s going to take some getting used to. He’d better come back, like he promised or I really will send Shane after him – I wasn’t kidding about that. And Cooper’s conspicuously absent from the table. My guess is he’s upstairs in his room wallowing in regret.

I notice that my mom is sitting with Shane’s mom, Bridget. Those two have really hit it off, which makes me very happy. If I’m hearing them right, they’re talking about their future grandchild. Shane is seated on my left, and my brother is on my right. Tyler seems pretty relaxed for a change. I think getting away from work for the weekend is doing him a lot of good.

Erin is seated across the table from me, right next to Mack, whose ear she’s talking off. He leans close to whisper something to her, and she blushes in response and laughs.

Even Molly seems more relaxed this afternoon, as she sits with Jamie and chats with Lia and Jonah. On several occasions, I catch Molly watching Jamie wistfully, with a small smile on her face. Her expression tells me he’s not as stuck in the friend zone as he thinks he is.

I’m overwhelmed by my great fortune to have all these people in my life, and I owe it all to Shane. I reach for his hand, linking our fingers and giving them a squeeze.

He smiles at me, amused at my gesture. “Are you having a good time?”

I nod, not trusting myself to speak. There’s a lump in my throat, which tells me tears won’t be far behind if I talk about it.

Shane leans close and kisses my temple. “I love you, wife.” Then he raises his bottle of beer. “I’d like to make a toast… to my wife.” He smiles at me. “Elizabeth Marie Jamison-McIntyre, thank you for making my life complete. I promise to spend the rest of my life trying to make myself worthy of you.”