“I’m actually here with Tamra,” he said, nodding to me. Jennifer’s wide eyes were priceless. She really hadn’t noticed me by his side. I swallowed past the hurt and pushed my shoulders back.
“Oh. Hi, Tamra. Didn’t see you there.”
If she was embarrassed, she hid it well.
We exchanged stilted pleasantries about her husband and kids, then turned to find our seats.
“Are things okay with you and your sister?” Chase asked. “She’s giving off strong dark moment, marriage-in-trouble vibes.”
I shrugged, like the motion would let the weight of her indifference slide off. “We’re not close, but she can usually recognize me in a crowd.” I frowned and glanced back at her greeting other guests. She looked a little tired maybe, but makeup hid most of the evidence. Was there something going on with Jennifer underneath the veneer of wedding gloss? I hadn’t spotted her husband yet in the crowd, but they weren’t normally joined at the hip. He was probably off chatting with family, waiting for the ceremony to start.
The venue had set up chairs outside in the grass for the ceremony and tables inside for the reception afterward. My parents were already up front, and I approached them with Chase in tow. “Mom, Dad, this is my friend Chase.” I made it a point to speak first, to make sure they didn’t open with something embarrassing. I came by my social awkwardness naturally, as I was reminded every time we were in the same room.
My mom peered at us over her glasses. They had a funky bead chain that gave her a librarian vibe that totally worked for her. She rocked a bun of silver hair and a blue dress that accentuated her figure. “Dear, you didn’t tell us you were dating someone. How did you meet?” she asked.
“I stalked him on social media” popped out before I could think better of it or tone down the dating angle of her comment.
“Honey, you haven’t turned into one of those internet catfish we keep hearing about, have you?” my dad asked.
He cut a sharp figure in his tux, his mane of silver hair brushed back from his face and down to his collar. I could tell their time in the RV didn’t leave much time for haircuts, but the length looked good on him.
Both of my parents examined me. Technically if there was any catfishing going on, that honor belonged to Chase. But they didn’t need to know that fact before they’d even shaken his hand. I moved aside to let Chase reach out to my father for a quick shake, watching as my dad appraised him. He couldn’t find anything objectionable in his appearance and turned back to me. “Well?”
“Dad. I’m not catfishing anyone. Chase knew who I was when we met. He’s an author, and I admired his work online.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir. I’ve enjoyed getting to know your daughter.”
My mom wasn’t about to let that one drop. “How long have you been dating, exactly? We haven’t heard about you at all.”
I hung my head, then lifted my chin, ready to interject with a fairer description of my relationship with Chase, but he beat me to it.
Putting his arm around me, Chase smiled at my mother and lied through his beautiful, white teeth. “We’ve been dating for about six months.”
It was too cool out for the bead of sweat that rolled down my spine at his words. Rookie mistake. Too much detail. He revealed a definitive time period to my mother. She jumped all over that, turning to me.
“Oh, really, dear? I thought you told me about that dating disaster with the teacher you met only about five months ago. Has it been longer than that, or are you not exclusive?”
Direct hit. And here I thought she didn’t pay attention. Bombs were dropping all around our ship, and I did my best not to cringe. She’d see any claims of an open relationship as me not willing to commit and any insistence that Davis and I had fizzled first as me quitting. Either way, I lost. I was reluctant to deny Chase’s claim, but my mom’s timeline made it awkward. And public. It was a war of the socially inept, and I was ... not winning.
“Mom, I think I told you about that right before I met Chase. He’s probably rounding up because it feels like we’ve known each other forever.”
I leaned into Chase and gave him a reassuring smile, silently urging him not to drop any more lies I’d have to dance around. We escaped the conversation to find our seats, and I sighed as we sat down. There was no time to ask Chase why he’d claimed we’d been dating for six months because the ceremony was starting.
Nick, handsome in his tux, took his place at the altar. He’d come so far from the little boy who followed me around wanting to play Star Wars. His short, curly dark hair was styled close to his head, and the white shirt beneath his suit set off his tan. He glowed. We made eye contact, and his soft smile had me grinning. My baby brother was getting married.
Mindy was radiant when it was her turn to come down the aisle with her parents. Her blond curls were arranged in an updo, woven with pink roses. She walked slowly but confidently to meet Nick, and they clasped hands.
I was keenly aware of Chase’s big body in the seat beside mine during the ceremony. His knee so close to mine, sending tingles racing along every nerve. He caught my gaze and grinned, grabbing my hand in his. Our fingers tangled, and my stomach tied itself in equivalent knots. Friends. Lies to the contrary, we were friends. Chase might appear interested now, but
