Page 64 of The Love Ambush
I can’t exactly ask the shop assistant to go away and come back after we’ve finished our conversation. So, I get up and carry the dress into the fitting room. I change quickly and step into the center of the room.
Daphne’s eyes glisten when she looks at me. “I just knew it would be the perfect color for you. Thank you so much for coming all this way to be in my wedding.”
“Of course,” I say. “I’m happy to be here.”
“Step onto the platform, please,” the shop assistant says.
I do as I’m asked, and Daphne talks to me about the plan for her wedding day and where she and Brodie are planning to live after they’re married and how they decided to take a honeymoon close to home to save money.
I’m glad to learn all of it, but I’m dying to know what Brodie’s been keeping from me. The shop assistant is taking forever to pin up the dress.
As soon as we’re finished and in Daphne’s truck, I ask the question on the tip of my tongue. “What’s the whole story?”
Daphne sighs and glances over at me. “You cannot tell your brother I told you this, okay?”
“Okay.”
She nods and returns her attention to the street as she pulls out onto it. “Your brother is in a lot of debt, Gentry. When he got to Denver with a fancy new job, he overestimated what he could do on his salary and got himself into a mortgage and a car payment that ate up most of his income every month. He figured he’d get a promotion and a raise soon, and started living on his credit card.”
“I had no idea.”
“I didn’t think you did. He doesn’t want you to worry. He did get the promotion and the raise, but it took about a couple of years longer than he’d expected. It’s going to take him a while topay off the debt he’s accumulated, and it’s not like I make a lot of money at my job.”
“How has he been sending me money? How did he pay for us to come to the wedding?”
“My parents were happy to cover that,” she says. “They’re paying for the wedding. And Brodie’s been sending you money by going deeper into debt. He wants so badly to keep sending you money, but he needs to get his finances in order. The debt is weighing so heavily on him. He said you have a good job.”
“I do.” Suddenly, Sophie’s gymnastics class and Emily’s new soccer shoes seem less important. “I feel so awful. I had no idea.”
“There’s no reason for you to feel bad at all. He should have been open with you about his finances.”
“But Brodie doesn’t know how to admit a weakness or ask for help.”
She laughs softly. “He’s nearly perfect otherwise. But yeah, it’s something we’re working on together.”
“I gave him a really hard time about the money.” I rest my head against the seat. “He really worries about us?”
“Of course he does,” she says. “He’s even thought about moving back east to help you out, but he’d have trouble finding work out there.”
“Yeah, he would.” My mind is reeling. I can’t believe how much I’ve misjudged my brother. I mean, obviously it was partly his fault, because he didn’t communicate to me what was going on, but I can’t help feeling like I should have noticed.
Daphne parks the car and pats my shoulder. “I didn’t tell you to make you feel bad. You’ve done nothing wrong, and what you’re doing for your sisters is amazing. I just want you to understand, because you mean a lot to Brodie, and I want you to have the relationship with him you both deserve.”
“I really appreciate that,” I say. “I’m glad Brodie has someone like you.”
She grins. “He is pretty lucky, isn’t he?”
Inside the restaurant, we find Daphne’s family in a small room that’s closed off from the rest of the guests. I’d expected to see everyone there, but it’s just Daphne’s parents, grandparents, Brodie, Levi, Daphne’s two best friends, two of her brothers, and me. It’s a large group, but not as huge as I’d been expecting.
Levi smiles my way from where he’s seated at the table, and my heart flips. He’s so handsome it makes my breath go tight.
“There you are,” Daphne’s mom says. “We need your feedback.”
I take the empty seat next to Levi and steal a roll off his plate. The bagel I ate for breakfast was burned up hours ago.
“Hey,” Levi says in a low voice as he leans in close. “Dress fitting go okay?”
Daphne takes her seat next to Brodie and immediately gets deep in conversation with her mother about whether to throw the bouquet at the reception. No one is paying attention to us.
