Page 30 of Take Me to the Wedding

That left me standing there with Dr. Devil. A cow mooed. Such a foreign sound. Why couldn’t we have done a girls’ spa weekend instead?

I was so unsettled that I could barely think. I had to get something off my chest. “Why did you mention that party?” I asked Caleb, who had let down the tailgate and was zipping something into his duffel bag.

He stood up straight and faced me. Up close, his eyes were the color of sea glass. So startling. “Lilly asked how we met, and I wasn’t thinking.” He rubbed his neck, the first time I’d ever seen him look even slightly uncomfortable. “I guess I’m a little nervous. I’m sorry for mentioning that.”

He’d sliced open a wound. It was a very old one, but I found myself with an opportunity to say what I’d never gotten off my chest.

“That was really humiliating, being left like that. Not that I’ve thought about it in years, but it was Harry and Sally gone awry. It was every New Year’s Eve fantasy shattered to shreds.” Especially since we’d had such a great two hours. Our relationship had gone downhill from there. I’d gone home with Mia not long afterward, and there he was, still without a real explanation. He’d left me assuming the worst, that he’d wanted to disappear rather than kiss me at midnight. Jeesh.

He gave a here-goes sigh. “The truth is, I’d seen Lilly over that Christmas break, and she called me right before midnight. I was still in love with her, and I took the call. It was rude, and I’m sorry.”

I was momentarily stunned. It had been Lilly on the phone? Lilly had ruined my New Year’s Eve fantasy of meeting the love of your life at random, hitting it off, and having a hot kiss at midnight to seal the deal forever? “For the record, why didn’t you ever tell me that?”

“It was embarrassing.” To his credit, he sounded sincere. “I was trying to move on, but I wasn’t ready. I was really confused.”

Apparently, he hadn’t gotten his happy ending either. “So she wasn’t calling to get back together?”

“It was more of a drunk happy New Year call. I honestly don’t think she knew why she was calling me. Anyway, you didn’t deserve that. I had a great time with you. But the call made me realize I wasn’t ready for anything. So, I’m sorry.”

He’d had a great time too? Why did that strangely matter, even now? Funny how old anger could deflate suddenly and leave you thinking about things in a completely different way. But in some ways, I suddenly thought, the anger had been a lot safer.

“Well,” I said, relenting, “I got you into this trouble with Lilly, so call it even. And also, please try not to be clueless when I’m trying to help you.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Egypt exhibits? Lake views?” I threw up my hands. But my tone was more joking than exasperated. “At least help a person out.”

“I didn’t study art, okay? I played sports and studied my brains out to get into med school and that’s it. Give me a break. Also, as I keep saying, I don’t need your help with Lilly, thanks anyway.”

I pretended I didn’t hear that. “You so obviously need help.” I tried to explain. “Like, you need to build layers with her.” I made imaginary layers with my hands in the air. “Layer after tiny layer, and she’ll realize how great you are.” Then I put my hands to my throat and gagged. “I mean, I forgive you for being a douchebag at midnight, but it really hurt to saygreatjust nowreferring to you.”

He snort-chuckled in a surprisingly loud way as he stood next to me, holding the trunk lid with one hand above his head. It made me suddenly aware of his height, his broad shoulders, his strong body. Plus he smelled pleasant and simple, like soap, no airs. I stepped back, out of range of the distraction.

“I get what you were trying to do,” he said, “but that involved talking about things I don’t know much about. Like art. I’m not going to lie to make myself look better. She’s got to like me for who I am.”

He had a point, but he had a one-weekend shot here. “I’m doing my best here with little to go on. I don’t know you very well.”

“The ortho part was good. I can talk about that.” He folded his big arms over his chest, which I confess was quite a sight. “I don’t need a sassy matchmaker to help me win Lilly back, okay? I can handle this myself.”

An unwanted thrill of pleasure ran through me. Oma used to call me that—sassy. A lot. A quiet longing came over me. And the feeling of my heart ripping open all over again. Grief was something that caught you at the most unexpected times.

And it was always accompanied by the feeling of being scarily alone in the world. Which, for the most part, I was used to. But sometimes…

I decided the best way to honor Oma’s memory was to use my matchmaking skills. Which I somehow had to believe I possessed. I wasn’t Oma’s granddaughter for nothing. I was determined to fix this.

Something made him soften. Maybe I hadn’t been able to hide my moment of vulnerability. “But thank you for trying. I—appreciate it.”

“Wait.” I revved up my jokiness. That usually hid anything else. “Did you just say theAword?”

The corner of his full mouth tilted upward in the tiniest smile.

“I guess I did.” He cracked open that smile. Lord, that smile. Slightly imperfect but really nice, set in a rock-hard jaw. I totally saw how women would light up over that. “Appreciateandapologize, both in the same day. And both directed at you.”

“Miraclescanhappen.”

Our eyes met. Something fluttered in my stomach. I sucked in a breath and sort of lost my balance, having to clutch the side of the trunk. What was happening here?

I shook myself out of whatever dazed state this was. It was just… the joking. The friendliness. It had thrown me for a loop. That was all.

---