Page 99 of One Wealthy Wedding

Theo can’t respond because Brenda is just feet away.

She stays glued to us for the rest of the night, and I’m starting to think it’s intentional. Theo and I tell her we’re going to star gaze, just to get her to go downstairs. Cole is long gone, since he has a six-a.m. practice.

“There are no stars out here, for the record,” I say, as Theo grabs blankets from the bin inside the gym and we settle on the loungers on the north side of the building.

“Use your imagination, princess.” He grins, and I roll my eyes.

“It is nice up here, though. Even without the stars.” I curl the blanket around myself and snuggle into it.

“Remind you of anything?” Theo asks idly.

“Of course it does,” I say softly. “We snuck out all the time at night.”

“Remember when we tried to sneak into that bar and got thrown out?”

“Oh yeah. And you swiped a liquor bottle and hid it in your pants.”

He chuckles. “Always wear a stretchy waistband. That’s my motto.”

I laugh, and we lapse into silence. The plants block most of the wind, and the buildings around us make me feel like we’re cocooned in night. There might not be any stars, but there are plenty of twinkling lights.

“We had fun back then, didn’t we?” Theo says.

“Best nights of my life, really. Well, when I wasn’t getting caught.”

“You never told me you got caught.”

“I didn’t want you to worry.” Dangerously close to the truth, which I don’t want Theo to ever know. He’ll feel guilty, or he’ll say I deserved it, and I don’t know which is worse.

“Looking out for me, Cat?” He looks over at me from where his arm is propped under his head. He’s lounging in the chair like he’s king of the world, even though he’s in a black sweatshirt with the hood up. It sharpens the planes of his face and makes his green eyes bright under the lights of the buildings around us. And with the way his broad form takes up space, he’s overwhelming.

“Always. You were my friend. And you—” I look away. “I know you had enough to worry about.”

Theo worked two part-time jobs and helped his mom around the house. Not an easy life for a teenager.

“Is that how you learned to cook?” At his confused expression, I say, “Helping your mom. Back then.”

“That’s when it started, I guess.” He blows out a breath. “I spent a lot of time watching TV as a kid. There were only so many networks my mom deemed sufficiently wholesome for me to watch.”

I smile, because Brenda Archer would totally restrict her sons to watching wholesome TV. “Cole picked sports, of course, but I loved sitcoms. My favorite was this one that ended with family dinner every night. Something about that family was so…good. The mom made dinner while the dad grilled and the kids played outside. I guess I wanted to recreate that.”

A throbbing ache starts in my chest, making it hard to breathe. “Your dad still doesn’t call, right?”

“Nah. Hasn’t in years. That’s one thing that hasn’t changed since we were kids.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.” He flashes me a smile.

“If you liked the idea of having a family so much, how come you never settled down?” The thought of Theo being alone has been nagging me. He’s a provider at heart. He loves his family and his friends, and he cares deeply about the future. Something is missing.

“I told you, princess. I have no heart. You need one of those to settle down.” His grin is cocky, but there’s something brittle beneath it.

My chest pinches. “I don’t think that’s true,” I say softly. “Come on, Theo. Why not settle down? You’d be a good husband.”

The truth of that statement settles inside me, like a stone in a pond, except each ripple that follows is a wave of longing. While he considers me, I imagine him taking this truth and running with it, divorcing me and marrying someone he loves. Someone accomplished. Someone who’s seen foreign countries and has two degrees and whose goals in life don’t include open a bank account. A throbbing ache builds as I wait for his answer.

“I’m not made for that,” he finally says. “I haven’t always been the one to walk away. For a long time, I tried to be the one to make things last.”

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