Their vows got us all; however, the two writing their own and not leaving a dry eye in the house, including mine.
Everywhere I looked, I saw Scott. From his blond hair in the crowd to his blue-green eyes in the water as the limo hugged the coast on our way to the reception. All the while, I saw Luke when I closed my eyes, a tale of two lives weighing heavy.
Things looked up until the Daddy-daughter dance; the tradition ripping out what was left of my heart. I’d never have their bond, never share the love they had for one another. He’d always treat me like a defect, past mistakes shadowing any successes I’d ever have.
After that, I hit the bar, my chauffeur for the night a limo driver named Rick. Linc and Mom danced away after she insisted she’d keep an eye on him and told me to have fun.
I had a date with rum and coke, ready to drown my sorrows. I needed a break for once. Just once. A sliver of numbness to rest in.
Most of the town filled the room, Dad inviting indiscriminately. Even Pete was there, showing up with a blonde in a dress that barely covered her lady cobbler and company. As usual, he tried to chat me up, but with a flip of the bird, he left me alone. If I’d known that was all it took, I would’ve done it sooner.
The same wasn’t true of Dan, who badgered me incessantly since I walked inside. He asked me to dance at least three times, and eventually, I fled downstairs, taking two drinks with me for the journey.
The restaurant didn’t offer the privacy I wanted, so I took it a step further, wandering into the brewing room below. It was pitch black, but I didn’t care, settling in with my drinks at the base of the stairs.
The machines hummed quietly, not nearly as loud as when Luke gave us a mini-tour, giving me a peaceful backdrop to focus on. It was a calming trick Luke taught me, only this time it was machinery, not waves.
I still hated my bridesmaid dress, but I hated what they’d done to my hair more, forcing it in an updo that screamed sister-wife rather than sister of the bride.
The air was thick with hops and pine, a woodsy combo that transported me to the rear deck of the cottage when I closed my eyes. Each breath brought with it a sense of ease, pushing away the troubles that swirled above.
Questions might have lingered, but I’d worry about them later. Just thinking of Luke hurt, and if I started crying again, I wasn’t sure I’d stop.
The finality was the worst part. How he decided to chop the head off the monster once and for all.
“I thought I saw a flash of cotton candy…”
I flew forward in a panic, almost spilling my precious drinks.
“I stand corrected: cotton candy double-fisting drinks.”
I knew that voice. That low rumble. That slow drawl.
Luke strolled down the stairs, the faint glow of his cellphone lighting the way as slow, heavy steps sounded.
It hurt to see him, but I was grateful it was him and not Dan.
“You said you weren’t coming,” I muttered.
We’d laid it all on the table earlier, and that was that.
It was over.
Forever.
Then again, maybe he forgot something in his office. He owned the friggin place. It wasn’t like he was a random visitor.
“I wasn’t planning on it, but had something to take care of.”
“Oh.” I took a sip of one of the drinks, stepping out of his way as he neared the bottom of the staircase, needing an extra pop of strength.
But he didn’t continue toward his office. He sat where I once did, patting the space beside him. “Time to figure this out. Now.”
My stomach did backflips as I clutched a drink in each hand, handing one over which he readily accepted. We likely needed a gallon each to get through the conversation.
“I don’t know what to think,” I admitted, reluctantly taking a seat beside him.
He took a sip of the rum and coke, flipping off his phone, sending the room back into darkness. “You said I had drugs in my car. Who told you that?”
“My father.” It sounded ridiculous with how things were, but he had no reason to lie or to send me away. I was his favorite then, not Liv. Even with Luke at my side, he adored me. He cried as our final moments together ticked by before banishing me from Briar and the family. “He said you were dealing.”
“And you believed him?” Pain muddled his voice, a sharp intake of breath making me flinch.
“Not at first,” I murmured, emotions swirling at the memory of how scared I’d been. How heartbroken. “But I thought about how stressed you were about money and how much you didn’t want me moving for school…”
“How many times did I tell you I was planning to buy our own place? I would follow you anywhere. You knew that.”
He had, but he was also desperate for money. At the time, it all fell into a crystal-clear picture that shattered everything. “You’ve always been obsessed with money.”
“Because I grew up piss fucking poor, Josie!” His voice was harsh, no longer pain-stricken. “I would never dabble in drugs! You know that better than anyone!”
“Well, you run a brewery, and your mom was a drunk…” I trailed, regretting the words as soon as they left my lips. “Oh my God! I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean that!”
He laughed, shocking the hell out of me. I was sure he was about to toss his drink in my face — not laugh. “Funny, isn’t it? I turned Ma’s poison into profit.”
He took a swig from the glass, setting it down on the step with a loud thud. “While I don’t mind that, I’d never touch drugs. You can deny it, but you know it in your heart, Josie.”
“Tell me the truth, Luke.” I
