Page 46 of This Means War

As soon as she slides her finger across the screen, I hear the sounds of Jamie talking nonstop, the phone speaker unable to muffle the hysteria in her voice.

“Woah, Jamie, slow down.” Lydia rises from the couch, making her way over to the bay window overlooking the backyard. “I don’t understand,” she goes on, “how can they just cancel on you? Your wedding is in two days!”

Silence follows as Jamie answers on the otherend. I watch as Lydia’s shoulders slump in response to whatever Jamie’s just told her.

“Oh Jamie, that’s awful…I’m so sorry…No, don’t be silly. You’re allowed to be a bridezilla when your venue floods and you have nowhere to put your 100 guests…” she trails off, then her gaze suddenly slides over to me then back out over the yard. As I piece together what’s happened, I know before she speaks what she’s going to say next. “Listen, Jamie, I have an idea. Give me five,” her eyes meet mine and my jaw sets, “no ten,” she amends. “Give me ten minutes, and I’ll call you back.” Lydia ends the call and smiles brightly at me.

“No, Lydia,” I say flatly before she can even speak. “No way are we hosting 100 people in my backyard in two days. No way.”

“Oh, come on, Cole, don’t be like that.” She puts her hands on her hips and stares me down. “Didn’t you hear? A pipe burst and their entire venue flooded! They’re out of luck if we don’t do this. Anyway, what are you worried about? We’ll take care of everything. You just have to put on a tux and show up.”

“Lydia,” I say carefully, “I think you can understand, that after the stress of the last few months, the last thing I want is to have caterers taking over my kitchen, my lawn destroyed, and dozens of people traipsing in and out of my bathroom.”

“Okay.” Lydia raises her chin and eyebrows simultaneously, as if considering my words. “Well,”her chin snaps back down, “I’m sure Jamie will reimburse you for the toilet paper, Cole. Will that satisfy your scruples?”

“Lydia,” I growl, “I’m serious. It’s not happening.”

“You owe me,” she shoots back.

“What? How do I owe you?”

“Hmm, let’s see. Morning sickness, almost getting me arrested for fraud, me savingyoufrom getting arrested for fraud,” she ticks off on her fingers, “oh, and let’s not forget labor. I mean I know I haven’t actually gone through labor yet, but I’m going to have to at some point, so maybe you should just consider doing me this one tiny favor. It could be an early push present.”

“I thought Gabby said you’d probably end up having a c-section,” I point out. “That’s why you need a traditional doctor on your case in addition to a midwife.”

“Fine. We’ll call it an ‘I’m-going-to-be-cut-open-in-order-to-have-your-babies’ present’ then.”

A strangled laugh slips from my lips. “You are infuriating,” I tell her.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” she retorts. My resistance ebbs out of me as I take in the stubborn set of her jaw and the way her green eyes are alight with defiance.

“I’m not doing anything to help,” I say warningly.

“You won’t have to lift a single finger,” she vows, her lips twitching into a glimmer of a smile.

“Fine,” I relent. “We can host the wedding.”

“Oh! Thank you, Cole!” she crows, rushing over to hug me. As her arms wrap around me and I feel herbody press perfectly against mine, my heart picks up speed. She said I wouldn’t have to lift a single finger, but apparently lifting a single finger was the only thing she had to do, seeing as I’ve somehow become wrapped around one of hers.

Chapter 31

Lydia

“So you can’tever tell that husband of yours this,” Jamie informs me as she surveys the bedecked lawn on the morning of her wedding day, “but I think this might be even better than our original venue.”

I laugh as I glance around at the yard, which really does look amazing. On one side there are neatly arranged rows of chairs leading to our backyard’s giant oak tree, in which we’ve hung hundreds of icicle lights. White rose petals lie on the ground where Jamie and Luke will stand during their vows. For the reception, we’ve covered the tables in cream linen cloths each with their own unique centerpiece made up of an antique lantern intermixed with foliage and candles. Fairy lights are strung all around the space and Luke and his groomsmen spent all of yesterday morning putting together the portable dance floor that sits beneath the oversized canopy they managed to rent last minute. Even the chairs look fancy thanks to the tulle skirts Jamie’s sister and I attached to them.

“Your secret is safe with me,” I tell Jamie wryly, “especially since I haven’t even seen Cole since he left the rehearsal dinner last night.”

“You’re joking.” Jamie pulls a sympathetic face. “He never came home?”

“I don’t know,” I shrug, “but if he did then he left early again this morning. He did text me to say they’re still working, but he’ll be here in time for the ceremony.”

Jamie studies me for a second. “And he’s working with that woman you told me about? Ashley?”

“Uh, yeah.” I look away from her, trying to escape her knowing gaze. “They had an emergency with a client that came up. I guess there’s some merger between two hotels that’s supposed to go down at the end of the month, but one of the owners isn’t cooperating, so Ashley and Cole are having to re-negotiate things.”

“Right,” she nods, “and you’re okay with that?”

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