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“You’re a great friend.” I took one last step and pulled her into a hug, careful not to crush her beaded dress against the lavender silk of my bridesmaid one. “I don’t deserve you.”
She pulled back halfway and studied me. “If you’re not careful, Anya, you’re not going to deserve him either.”
“Robert?”
She nodded in his direction. He hadn’t moved from his spot near the overturned table. Instead, a couple of country club employees had arrived with a mop and broom, and Robert was now in the process of helping them clean up the mess. There was something graceful and effortless about the way he moved. Something...
“Irresistible,” I said, and then my jaw slackened as I realized I’d said the word aloud.
“Yep.”
“But—”
“But nothing. He’s a good guy,” Morgan replied. “Even if he did make a huge mistake when he blew off your budding relationship for whatever he thought he was going to find in Miami.”
“Which was total bullshit.”
“Of course it was.” She peeked around my shoulder, a smile pulling at her eyes. “Not many people would crash a wedding reception and make a fool of themselves just to try making it up to you.”
She was right. Not many guys would do that. I turned and looked back at him again. He certainly was handsome. Goofy. Not afraid to tell me what he thought. And...can he really be mine?
He’d crashed a wedding so he could be with me. In fact, it was thesecondtime he’d done that at a major gathering. I doubted there would be a third. But should I take him back?
Yes, I think I want to. I have missed this man so much.
“Point taken,” I told my friend. “Plus, life is all about second chances, isn’t it?”
Now she broke into a wide grin. “Good, I’m glad we’ve got that sorted out. Now, if you don’t mind, I’ve got a cake to cut.”
We hugged once more, and Morgan sauntered off for the next phase of her wedding reception, taking several guests with her as she raised her arms and signaled the DJ to start the music again. I watched my friend for a moment, thankful for my good fortune, and the positive things in my life that I realized I hadn’t spent enough time being grateful for. Despite the odds, The Green Frog wasn’t on its last leg anymore. We had enough traffic and interest to keep it open, and that meant Gwen wouldn’t live out her final few years with less than she deserved. Somehow, the life I’d made in New Burlington was working out.
And now, I had a chance at love too.
Taking a deep breath, I walked back to Robert’s side. The mess was almost cleaned up, and I arrived at his side as he shook the hand of the teenage server. He turned and his eyes were bright, surprise written all over his face. “You... you came back.”
I nodded. “I would have helped you clean up, but it looks like you all have things covered.”
“Not because of me.” He clapped the young man on the shoulder. “The staff here are pros.”
The server muttered a thank you and pointed out that the cake was about to be served. After he left, Robert took me by the elbow and pulled me to a corner of the room. “I need to say something to you, something I should have said before.”
“What’s that?”
He squared his shoulders. “That I’m sorry.”
“Me too.”
“I’m a jerk. And if you want to tell me that one more time—”
I held up my hand. “I don’t.”
He frowned. “You don’t?”
“I wasn’t kind when I met you. I felt threatened and wounded. And I didn’t want to admit it—I was attracted to you too. And then the parade happened.” I shrugged, sheepish. “I couldn’t see what was right in front of me.”
“I couldn’t either.”
I smiled, my cheeks warm, my stomach twisted in anticipation.Here goes nothing.“So, I think we both deserve a second chance. And now that we’ve publicly embarrassed ourselves twice, we’ve probably earned it.”
