Page 113 of Honeymoon Phase
He pauses for a moment before saying, “I guess if that’s all true then I’m happy for you, Addie May.”
A knot forms in my throat at the surprising tenderness in his voice. It’s felt like this game of chicken between me and my dad has distanced us since this whole will stipulation came up, and I guess I’ve missed just feeling like a daughter and not a problem he needs to manage.
And even though I told Luke I needed more time to figure out my feelings with him, things between us are getting realer and realer by the day. I think I might be falling for him.
Which is scary and overwhelming, and I don’t know what it means for our future and that one-year mark when we hit it. But I like our situation, and I don’t want to let it go.
“I appreciate you saying that, Dad,” I reply, sniffing softly and then ask, “How did you know Mom was the one before you married her?”
The silence is deafening, and I slap my hand to my face when I realize what I so carelessly just asked my father. We don’t talk about Mom. We never talk about Mom. Or Aaron, for that matter. I used to try to get Dad to come with me to the cemetery and he never would, always said he didn’t have the heart for it. Dad and I exist in a monolith of just the two of us like that’s all we ever were.
His voice is solemn and curt when he finally answers, “I don’t think you should be taking any notes from me on marriage. I’ll see you at the rehearsal dinner at your place tomorrow.”
We hang up and tears fill my eyes at the overwhelming sadness that is my childhood. Even my own father has marriage issues, it’s no wonder I’ve been so resistant. I have the greatestguy in the world, and I still feel myself inching away from him. I’m broken just like my old man.
I scrub my hand over my face, annoyed at myself for trying to open up to him of all people. The last thing I need to do is be poking the bear that is my father days before my wedding when he’s still dangling the possibility of selling the lumberyard out from under me.
I just need to shut my mouth and not cause any waves until I get through this wedding. Then he can go back to Florida, and I can get back to running the yard without him just fine.
Which I can do with or without a husband.
Though I’m starting to understand why the trust wants the owner of the yard to have a spouse. It’s been nice having someone to come home to at the end of a long day at work. Especially when that someone is Luke Fletcher.
I pull into Max and Cozy’s driveway and try to shake the dark thoughts out of my head, mentally pep talking myself to keep my eye on the prize. Luckily, I know that if anyone can help lighten my mood, it’s these Fletcher ladies.
I smile as I glance up at the giant house in front of me. I’m not surprised at how nice it is. I knew Max and Cozy were pretty well off since I was lucky enough to ride on that private jet to Mexico with the rest of the family last year. But I’ve yet to actually see their home, and I’m worried I should have maybe dressed a little nicer for whatever this ladies’ night is going to look like inside.
Everly greets me at the door with a big hug. “Come in, come in! We’re all in the garage.”
“The garage?” I ask with a frown.
“Yeah, it’s where Cozy set up the activity.”
“What is the activity?” I glance down at my leggings and sweater that I changed in to at the yard before I came over.Maybe I would have been better off staying in my work gear.
“Come on through the house and I’ll show you!”
Everly drags me through their beautiful home to the door that leads out to their attached garage off the kitchen. It’s there I find Johanna, Cozy, Dakota, and Trista stationed around a long table staining some sort of wood pieces.
“Welcome, Addison! We’re making charcuterie boards,” Cozy says excitedly.
“Oh, that’s so cool.” I narrow my eyes at the lumber on the table. “Where did you get the wood?”
Cozy stops what she’s doing and looks up at me as I move to stand closer to her. “Oh my gosh, I bet we could have scored some great pieces from you!”
Cozy shakes her fists in frustration, and I laugh and wave her off. “I’m just kidding. This looks so great.” I move over to Johanna across the table, whose gloved hands are currently wiping excess stain off her board with a rag.
“Hello, bride-to-be.” She shoots me a wink and it warms my insides.
“Hi, Jo,” I reply, realizing I feel a lot more comfortable around her than I did several weeks ago. In fact, I didn’t even flinch that much when she hugged me goodbye after our dance lesson. It was nice. Comforting. Like Luke’s hugs.
“Your board is down at the far end.” Cozy gestures with her head while her hands are already engaged.
“Just be glad it’s not shaped like a penis,” Dakota mutters under her breath.
“Excuse me?” I stop in my tracks.
Cozy cuts Dakota a look. “I made phallic-shaped charcuterie boards for a romance novelist who lives in town. Mercedes Lee Loveletter. It was for a book box thing she was doing, and when she found out about my charcuterie board making hobby, itturned into a whole business thing between us. If you haven’t read her, we will change that before the end of the year.”
