Page 84 of Wedding Season
The two of them were alike in so many ways, particularly in how much they wanted to pretend nothing bothered them when they each felt things deeply.
His phone rang and he pulled it out of his pocket to glance at the screen before sending the call to voice mail and shoving it back in.
“Your stepfather again?”
“He doesn’t like to be told no.”
“But you won’t change your mind, right?” As Mariella searched his face, he had the urge to turn the conversation back to her again. That was easier than allowing his issues to be the topic of conversation.
“I told him my focus is on the Fit Collective. I owe it to myself to give the company a real shot.”
She nodded. “You have something special here.”
He lifted her hand to his mouth and brushed a delicate kiss across her knuckles. “Oh, I know it.”
She rolled her eyes but that didn’t stop a blush from staining her cheeks. “I’m talking about the company.”
“Me, too.” He squeezed her hand. “When this weekend’s over, we need to talk about your role going forward.”
She sucked in a small breath. “I’m just helping you out as a friend. You don’t need me for—”
“I do,” he interrupted. “I need you.”
She looked away and bit down on her lower lip. “I started following Kiki Taylor on social media. She’s stepping up her game.”
“Luann mentioned her just to get a rise out of you. Kiki isn’t right for what we’re trying to build with the company.”
“You don’t think that I am either. We’ve covered this.”
Things change. He’d changed and was pretty sure she had as well, but now wasn’t the right time to discuss it. To share everything written across his heart. “I think we’ve done okay together so far.”
That made her laugh, which he hoped was a good thing.
“So far,” she agreed and leaned in to give him a quick kiss.
“It’s a couple of days of Amber. I heard Mary Ellen and Josie going on about Drake Simpson earlier. You can distract yourself from thinking about her by mooning over him.”
“I got a pretty good look at Drake this morning.” She wagged a finger in front of his face. “So we’re clear, you are the only guy I’m mooning over.”
“Good to know, ’cause it would have been embarrassing for a Hollywood heartthrob to have his butt kicked by me.”
She grinned and kissed him again. “This weekend is going to be awesome, and I already can’t wait until it’s over.”
“Me, too, sweetheart.”
The strain he’d sensed in her earlier had eased. Alex wasn’t going to let anything or anyone—not Amber or Drake or the dang queen of England—come between them. At the end of the Magnolia Blossom Festival, he was going to profess his love to Mariella, and he had to believe that love would be enough.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
MARIELLAWASTEXTINGAngi as she left the shop that evening which was to blame for her nearly running over someone as she walked around the building’s corner.
“So sorry,” she said as she automatically reached out a hand to steady the other person. And found herself looking into Kay Garrison’s shocked face.
“I’m sorry,” she repeated, thinking about the numerous reasons she had to apologize to Heather’s adoptive mother.
“It’s okay.” Kay offered a tentative smile.
Did Mariella imagine the way the other woman’s features had gentled? At the very least, Kay didn’t appear nearly as inclined to shank Mariella as she had that morning in the store’s office.
