Page 28 of You Are Cordially Invited

I twirled the stem of the champagne flute slowly in my fingers, around and around and around. Sandy called the waiter over to refill our glasses but otherwise left me to think as a loudly chattering group of patrons were seated at the table beside us, the restaurant filling with the early dinner crowd.

“I worry about Reuben,” I finally said. “In case it’s a bridge too far for him at the moment. We’ve both got a lot going on, and to think of adding a baby to that...” I sighed.

“What’s he said?”

I shrugged and emptied my glass, letting the bubbles rattle up my nose before answering. “He said he has all the same worries and that he’s concerned about Cory just like I am. I know he never thought about us having another child until he retired from rugby. With a new baby, I won’t be able to just pack a suitcase and join any of those All Blacks’ tours for the odd week or two, either. We’ll be apart a lot more.”

The waiter arrived with two fresh flutes of champagne and a bowl of nuts. We clinked glasses and I took a handful of nuts and a long swallow of my drink before continuing. “The truth is...” I stared out the window again—the sky a little darker now, and there was a small chop on the water that wasn’t there before. “Reuben and I haven’t really talked since that first conversation. He’s asking our support group, and Cory’s school, about things we should consider, but it’s like the subject is this hot potato we don’t want to eat in case we burn ourselves. As if it might affect the wedding.”

“Would it?”

I shot him a horrified look. “Of course not.” Then I winced. “At least I hope not.”

“Mmm.” He gave me a pointed look. “I get the feeling thatwe’renot really talking about it, actually meansyou’renot really talking about it. And maybe because you’re worried if you can’t agree, then itwouldchange things.”

I pursed my lips. “You’re an irritating fucker, you know that?”

He raised his glass. “At your service.”

I rolled my eyes and my gaze landed on the superyachts berthed in the basin. I bet their owners didn’t have to put up with this shit from their friends.

“Yes, they do,” he said.

Okay, so I said that aloud.

“That’s what friends do,” he added. “You’re just not familiar with the rules because you haven’t had any like me before.”

I arched a brow. “You’re very sure of yourself there, Mr Williams.”

He smiled and took another sip of his drink. “I am, actually.”

I threw my hands to the side. “Ugh. See, this iswhyI haven’t had friends like you before.” I flopped my hands on my lap.

“Aha! You just admitted it.” He fired me a shit-eating grin.

“Oh for fuck’s sake. And also, there are rules?”

“None that you need to worry your pretty little head about. I’ll tell you what you need to know as we go along.” He smirked.

“Why do I get the sense I’m being had?”

“I have no idea. And don’t think you’ve distracted me from the question. Why haven’t you told Reuben what you’ve told me?”

“It’s simple,” I said, knowing it was anything but. “I don’t want to add to the pressure on him. I don’t want him to say yes just to keep me happy and then regret it.”

Oh fuck, I was doing it again.

Pinky swear?

Sandy covered my hand with his. “That’s a lot of assumption you’ve got going on in that big brain of yours. How do you know he’d do that for you? He’s a big boy. He knows the difficulties as well as you do. Maybe you’ll both decide it’s too much. Just because you want something doesn’t mean it has to happen. But at some point you have to stop juggling the hot potato and eat it, right? Talk about it. Only you two know what your limits are.”

“You sound just like him,” I grumbled, lifting my glass and firing my drink coaster at him. He ducked it skillfully. “But thanks.” I reached for his hand and squeezed it. “You know how much I love talking about my feelings.”

He laughed. “I do. But you don’t always have to carve through life on your own, you know?”

If only it were that easy.

“Reuben loves you. Let him in.”

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