Page 36 of Merry Little Sugar Rush
She agrees easily and we approach the stand. “Two cocoas, please, Gretchen,” I request, pulling my wallet from my back pocket. “Anything else?” I ask, turning toward Joy.
“Oh, no thank you,” she replies, offering my cousin’s wife a grin.
“Put your money away,” Gretchen tells me as she goes about making our cocoas. I know she’ll refuse to take any cash I try togive her, so I place it in the tip jar instead. No point in arguing with the woman. She’ll still refuse my payment.
“Here ya go. Enjoy,” she urges with a big, knowing grin. I know I’ll be asked a thousand questions later, first chance she gets.
We each take a cup of cocoa, and with my other hand, I gently lead her toward one of the picnic tables nearby. As soon as we’re seated across from each other, she blurts out, “Eve and John are engaged!”
I can’t help but return her excitement, smiling widely myself as she practically vibrates off the bench. “Yeah? That’s great.”
She nods before taking a slight sip of the hot liquid. “He was super sneaky about it too. She came in this morning and told me he was going to ask Dad’s permission. Well, apparently, he had already done that, so when he sent her off to the grocery store, he set up his house for a big proposal. He had extra twinkle lights and red roses everywhere. He even tied the ring to Miss Snowflake’s collar.”
“And Miss Snowflake is…”
“Her cat. He has a cat too, Biggie, who loves to fornicate with her.”
If I had cocoa in my mouth, it would have gone flying at that exact moment. “What?” I ask, choking on air instead.
She nods. “True story. They’re like…bunnies. Or something. Anyway, they don’t even officially live together yet. They both still have their own places next door to each other, and they switch back and forth between them, so I imagine they’ll be moving in together sooner rather than later.”
“Well, an engagement gives them time, right?”
She just grins at my question. “You’d think, but no. They’re getting married on Christmas.”
“ThisChristmas?” My mouth drops open in shock. That’s less than three weeks away.
“Yep, this Christmas.” She takes a quick drink of her chocolatey cocoa before adding, “It’s going to be very small and intimate. She wants to get married in the old stone church at the edge of town.”
I remember that old building. It’s situated inside the cemetery and features big windows and a rustic fireplace. “I didn’t even realize they did weddings there.”
“Well, they don’t do many because it’s so small. Plus, there’s no air and the only heat comes from the fireplace.”
I’ve never been inside the building, but we’d ride bikes out there when we were younger. I recall peeking inside the windows and seeing the small wooden pews and the stone fireplace altar. “Sounds perfect, actually.”
“Doesn’t it?” Joy beams with delight. “She wants to do the ceremony around seven so it’s completely dark outside. The only light inside will be candles and the fireplace. It’s going to be rustic, romantic, and completely perfect.”
“Well, I’m happy for them. Extend my congratulations for me.”
“I will.” She takes another sip. “Not only do I get to serve as her maid of honor, but I get to make the cake too. And we’re going dress shopping Sunday afternoon. She doesn’t want anything fancy and says she’s fine with off the rack. There’s a boutique in Edgemere that’s open on Sundays through the holidays, so we’re going there to find dresses. She told me I can pick whatever I wanted, but since it’s a Christmas wedding, I’m hoping to find something in a deep green or red, you know?”
I nod, the smile never slipping from my face.
“I’m sorry,” she murmurs, covering her mouth with her gloved hand. “I’ve been droning on and on since we sat down.”
“It’s fine. You’re excited, I can tell.”
“I am,” she confirms. “I’m just, well, I’m happy for her. After everything that happened with Andrew, I want her to have every ounce of happiness she can get.”
My own smile is genuine and easy, because I do understand. I want that for Eve, but also for Joy. I want her to have everything she can get out of this life, including love. After hearing about that asshole Eli cheating on her, I want it even more for her.
And a part of me longs to be the one to give it to her…
But that’s not in the cards. After Christmas, I’ll be heading back to South Carolina, back to my old life. I have a job, my family, and friends there.
But you have those things here too…
“Anyway, I was just so excited after work when she called me, I had to tell someone. And it’s not like I’m telling her secret before she has a chance to, because it’s you. I tell you everything,” she states, as if no time has passed since that statement was true. When we were younger, we’d tell each other everything, as best friends would do.
