Page 13 of Should Have Been Me

It was nothing for her to shake off her mother’s very obvious disconcertment and grab onto the excitement, now that she was once more the center of attention. “Oh, I’ve been dreaming about this since I was a little girl,” she cooed. “I want a big wedding, Daddy. Something grand. I want to be the talk of the whole town.”

Millicent cleared her throat. “Leighton, honey. Maybe we should talk about this another time. After all, your father’s been going through so much.”

That pout came back, full force. “I know Daddy’s sick. But that’s why we should do this soon, don’t you think?” She looked back at Hershel with wide eyes brimming with tears that were all for show. Reaching across the table, she put her hand on his and squeezed. “If you getting sick has taught me anything, it’s that there’s no time to waste. We need to grab our happiness with both hands, don’t you think?”

I loved my father. I respected him. But damn, he was a sucker when it came to this woman. In light of her bullshit speech, his concerns melted away into a broad, happy smile. “You’re so right, darlin’.”

Millicent leaned forward, pressing her palms onto the table. “Hershel, honey, we can’t afford some big, grand wedding.”

Leighton’s chin began to tremble, and I had to clench my hands into fists so tight the blunt ends of my nails dug into my palms to keep from calling her out. “But... th-this is all I’ve ever wanted,” she claimed on a watery whisper. “It’s my dream.”

Goddamn her.

My teeth ground together so hard it was a miracle they didn’t turn to dust. Because I knew what I was about to do. And, I was willing to bet, so did Leighton.

I couldn’t stand the thought of my sick father stressing about money while he was fighting this battle, or my stepmother worrying about finding a way to keep everyone happy while trying to take care of her husband. I was an asshole, sure. But I wasn’t cruel.

“I’ll be happy to cover the cost of the wedding,” I managed to grit out. I might have lost all respect for my half-sister for putting Hershel and Millicent through this, but the way my stepmother’s shoulders sunk with relief and my father’s chest rose on a deep breath, I knew I’d made the right call.

Even as I looked across the table at Leighton’s snarky, victorious grin.

Because despite what she may think, to me, none of this was about her. This was all about repairing a relationship that had been damaged years ago, and if that meant shelling out some money, so be it. Lord knew I had plenty. And it wasn’t as though I was saving for my own wedding.

Hell, this was probably the only one I’d be paying for.

Ignoring my half-sister’s bitchiness, I kept my focus on Hershel. When his eyes met mine, the lines of tension that had been tightening around them was gone as he let his appreciation shine through, and I felt something shift in my chest.

It almost felt as if a chunk of the ice that had been encasing my heart for so long had chipped off. But that couldn’t have been the case.

Right?

8

JOLIE

The sun was already shining bright when I left my house that morning, heading for town to meet Ryan and Tarryn for brunch.

The bright, vivid blue of the sky and the pleasant temperature had brought people out in droves. They walked up and down the sidewalks of downtown Pembrooke, bouncing from shop to shop.

Taking advantage of the beautiful weather, I parked a few blocks down from Sinful Sweets Café and walked the rest of the way, returning waves and greetings from the people I passed and pausing occasionally to do a bit of window shopping. I spotted a pair of boots in one of my favorite boutiques and immediately fell in love.

Checking my watch, I noticed I still had some time before I had to meet my girls, so I pulled the door open, smiling at the happy tinkling of the bell above the door, and stepped into the shop. “Morning, Grace,” I said, greeting the woman who ran the boutique.

I was so focused on the boots I was moving toward, as if being drawn to them by an invisible magnet, that I barely noticed the strange look she cast my way. However, it was there and gone so fast that I convinced myself it had to have been all in my head.

“Morning, Jolie. You here for something specific, or just browsing?”

“Something very specific,” I answered as I reached the shoe display, snatching up the boot that had pulled me through the door. “Oh my God,” I breathed as I twisted the coveted shoe from side to side, taking in all the beautiful detailing that had been stitched into the buttery soft leather. “These are even prettier up close. Grace, I’m pretty sure I’m in love.”

The woman smiled brightly as she came over to join me. “Yeah, those are some sexy shoes, for sure. Just got them last week, and I’m already almost out of stock.”

I clutched the boot to my chest and sucked in a dramatic breath. “Don’t tell me that. Not when I’ve only just found them.”

Grace shook her head good naturedly at my ridiculousness. “You’re a seven and a half, right? I may have a pair or two left in your size. You want to try them on?”

Hell yeah, I did. “More than I want chocolate cake to have zero calories.”

“Be right back.”

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