Page 74 of Marry Me

Allison was already inside Megan’s apartment, slicing up cheese for a mid-evening snack for the two of them, when she arrived. “Welcome home. I have snacks. I hope you like the state of Wisconsin.”

The sight of her so at home in Megan’s kitchen seemed to erase everything. Allison lit up the room, and Megan counted the blessing. “Hey there, gorgeous. You’re a sight for sore eyes.”

“And look, honey, I cooked!” Ally said, showing off her sliced cheese like a Food Network hottie.

Megan laughed. She was beyond cute. She’d give her that. She snagged a slice of sharp cheddar and nodded her approval. “You did great.”

Allison dropped the show, came around the counter, placed her arms around Megan’s neck, and kissed her just as soundly as she promised she would, igniting every one of Megan’s senses as she held Ally close, taking her in, absorbing as much ofthisas she could. The best kind of salve. “How was work? I know it’s your everyone-in-the-world-is-getting-married busy week.”

She held out a hand ready to tick off her tasks. “Ran around at twice my usual speed, argued with a florist, talked a bride off a ledge, and booked three new weddings, trying to fill the corporate gap.” She relaxed. “But we ended with a team meeting that made me feel so much more prepared for the events. We have our ducks in a row and will conquer wedding weekend.”

Allison looked thoughtful. “You in a Wonder Woman–type outfit from her early days in Themyscira makes me a little weak in the knees. We probably shouldn’t even talk about it, or I’m going to be preoccupied.”

Megan raised an intrigued eyebrow. “This is new and valuable information.”

“Always here to help and announce my weaknesses at any given moment.” Allison returned to her station and poured them each a glass of wine from the decanter, in the long-stemmed glasses Megan loved. “I will miss you this weekend but will happily await your victorious return.” She handed Megan a glass. “What else is new?”

She sipped casually. “Cade said he saw you in the park. A get-together with Brent?” She made sure to keep it light, pretending to survey her options on the cheese board as she spoke. This was not an inquisition, just an honest curiosity.

Allison paused, her glass midway to her mouth. “Yeah. He called. I answered. It was actually a nice get-together. We took a walk and sorted through a few things.”

Ah, so maybe it was just closing a few loops. Megan could kill the images in her head of Allison and Brent rekindling their romance beneath the tall oak trees, staring longingly into each other’s eyes, an image that gutted her. She was overreacting and needed to dial it back. “Why didn’t you mention it?” The one dangling detail she needed to tackle.

“I should have. I planned to.”

Megan nodded. “Good. I don’t want you to think that I have any problem with you seeing or speaking to Brent. I mean, you guys were engaged. It’s only normal.”

“I don’t think that.”

“Good.”

Silence. Why were they being weird now? “And I want you to feel free to tell me.”

Allison nodded. “I think I needed to talk some things out, and he’s good for that.”

Ouch. That landed a little differently. “Anything I should know about?” Her heartbeat thudded faster than normal. She placed a casual hand over it because it was a foreign feeling. She wasn’t someone to get rattled by a detail, but if Ally was reaching out to Brent for comfort and not telling her about it, then maybe things weren’t as they seemed. She hated herself even more for jumping to silly conclusions.

“Nothing like that. We talked about the fallout from the breakup. His father. You should know that he doesn’t condone Dalton’s behavior.”

“Good. I think we’re all just trying to sort through our lives without hurting anyone in the process.”

“Yes, and Brent is in agreement. Beyond that, we just caught up with each other.” She hesitated, and Megan waited, almost afraid to move. “I’d love it if he and I could find a way to be friends. I would hate to say good-bye to him altogether.” She frowned. “What do you think about that?”

“Being friends?” Megan relaxed, because it was a perfectly natural request. “I think that you are a mature, smart, and capable woman who would make a great friend to anyone.”

She watched Allison visibly relax. “And you are the one person who has consistently made me feel like I’m all those things.”

“Then I deserve more cheese.” She reached across the counter and scored a triangle of smoked Gouda and sighed. “I’m really glad to be home.”

Chapter Sixteen

Allison pumped her arms, realizing it was the only way to keep up with her power-walking sister as they hustled through her neighborhood in a race against no one. She and Betsy had seen considerably less of each other lately, mostly due to their rift over the Carmichaels. But she’d arrived ready to defend her choices and to cut Betsy a break for taking longer to absorb the reality of the situation than everyone else. What she hadn’t accounted for was how off-balance she felt about her choices. Megan had been aloof and noncommittal, and lately, she wasn’t sure where they were headed.

“I wish that you could focus on the bigger picture is all,” Betsy said, walking fast but never seeming at all taxed. How?

“You’re going to have to explain that one to me.” She managed the words around her own huffing and puffing. She really should work out more if she didn’t want to resemble the Big Bad Wolf.

“All you had to do was coast to easy street. Your life isn’t just about sex and who you lust after most. If that was the case, I’d be married to my personal trainer, who barely speaks and drives a beat-up Honda.” She’d managed to say all those words without a single gulp of air. Madness. “This is marriage. It’s not meant to be a fairy tale. It’s a journey, a shared life with many different components and driving forces.” Her arms pumped like a maniac, and Allison tried to match, a perfect metaphor for her entire existence alongside her sister. She never could keep up.

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