Page 54 of Make My Heart Malt

“No. Not at all” She shakes her head. “Tony told me everything, especially how much he misses your friendship. So, I’m happy you came. Plus, it was years ago.”

I nod. It feels like a lifetime ago. “Me too. Everything turned out good. Really good.” I smile mostly because I spent my night with Garrett and that made going to the wedding worthwhile.

A slow smile spreads across her face. “And I saw you cuddling with Garrett.”

Heat creeps up my neck. “Yeah. We’ve known each other for such a long time. It was nice to have a friend there.”

“From what I saw, I would have guessed more than friends.” Her brows raise.

What did everyone see? I thought we kept our hands to ourselves, for the most part. “It’s complicated.” I repeat Garrett’s words.

“I hope I’m not overstepping by saying you two looked cute together.”

I smile because I don’t know what else to do. Garrett and me as a couple? I never imagined it would be a possibility, especially after the last ten years. Luckily, the server makes an appearance to take our order. I order the vegetarian falafel while Georgia orders a smoked salmon, avocado, and tomato salad.

I use the extra few minutes to put all my thoughts back together. Once the server leaves, I link my fingers together and rest them on the table. “Enough about me. How did you and Tony meet?”

Her eyes sparkle with love and adoration. “He was working as an assistant recruiter for the Chicago Thunder, a Double-A minor league team, and they hosted an event at one of my father’s hotels that I was also attending. From there, the rest is history.” Her eyes crinkle in the corners at the mention of Tony. I’m happy he’s found love.

I take a sip of my water. “What brings you to Harbor Highlands?”

“Tony said he wanted to move back. When he got the job for the Harbor Highlands Agates team, it was the perfect opportunity.”

“I’m glad he’s been able to stay within the baseball organization even though playing didn’t work out for him. He’s always loved the sport.”

In high school, their lives were consumed with nothing but baseball. That’s all they did, and they dragged me to all their games. While Garrett found success playing the game, Tony veered off in a different direction.

“Now that the wedding is over, what’s the plan for the honeymoon?”

She unclasps her hands and sits up straighter. “Tony’s taking me to Hawaii for two weeks.” She squeals with delight. “We’ll leave after Christmas. He thought it would be too chaotic to do it after the wedding, but before Christmas. Plus, we get to spend New Year’s in Hawaii.”

“Oh my god. Jealous! That sounds amazing.”

For the rest of lunch, we enjoy our meal, and Georgia tells me she designs and sells custom handbags, purses, and wallets online. Currently, she’s working toward building a physical storefront. Then she asks me about bartending at Porter’s and how I create custom drinks. The entire conversation is light and fun. It’s exactly what I need after all the heaviness surrounding Garrett.

Once we’re finished eating, Tony saunters to our table and pulls out the chair between Georgia and me. “When you said you were going to lunch, I knew you’d be here.” He leans over and presses a kiss to her cheek. He turns his attention to me. “Dessa. It’s always a pleasure.” A warm smile forms on his lips. It’s a friendly smile, but the way his gaze lingers, it may be too friendly. With his eyes still locked on mine, he asks, “What’s today’s topic of conversation?”

I sit up straighter in my chair. “Georgia was just telling me how you’re taking her to Hawaii for your honeymoon.”

“Yes. That was a fun surprise. It was my wedding gift to her. Have you ever been, Dessa?” Tony asks.

I shake my head. “I haven’t. But based on the pictures I’ve seen, it looks gorgeous. I’ve never been outside the Midwest.”

“It’s beautiful with the lush rainforest and pristine beaches. You should go sometime,” Tony says, his gaze locked on mine.

“I’ll put it on my bucket list.” I give him a tight smile.

“I was telling Dessa that it was so great to see her at the wedding,” Georgia chimes in.

“Absolutely. It was wonderful you could attend.” Tony smiles at me. “Now that I’m in town permanently, we should hang out more often.”

“That would be great. I’d love to hang out with the two of you. It’ll be like old times.”

“Yeah. The two of us. Of course.” Tony nods.

Georgia rests her hand on Tony’s. He glances down, and his eyebrows twitch, almost in displeasure. “I was telling Dessa that she and Garrett looked really cute together at the wedding.”

Tony’s gaze snaps to mine. “Are you two dating or something now?” A sharp bite stings his tone.

---