Page 40 of Sugar
I throw her a hard look, one that begs her to be on my side. I understand how ridiculous this sounds, especially after declaring on the ride over here that Kasey wasn’t likely to agreeto anything overly frivolous. But the truth is, I woke up this morning anxious as hell. I knew what I was doing when I pitched the idea of this marriage, but I didn’t realize what it might feel like to go through the actual motions of it.
There was a time when I wholeheartedly dreamed of what it might be like to marry Kasey Bennett. And now . . . Now it just hurts.
I try not to think of the expression on his face two days ago as he watched me climb into the saddle of an old Thoroughbred he’d pulled out from the barn. It’d been a slip into the past, when warm summer nights balmed over our frenzied love and left us filled to the brim with a contentment I’d never known before and haven’t felt since.
He looked at me with a reverence I’ve often wondered was even real, like I might have somehow fabricated it all on my own, turned the memory of his looks into something else entirely. But there it was, plain as day, on a face that might be ten years older but somehow still none the wiser.
“What?” I’d asked him, crashing through the moment like a wrecking ball.
His face wiped clean, brow arching. “What do you meanwhat?”
When I didn’t respond, he cut loose a long exhale before turning to stalk back into the barn. He’d returned with a beautiful paint horse, careful not to look at me as he adjusted her saddle before he took hold of the horn and lifted himself up into it. He steered her out toward the wide-open pasture without a word—it was a good thing my horse knew to follow.
We rode like that, in silence, for over an hour.
“Right, yeah,” Layla says, seeming to understand that I need this win, even if it’s shaped like a seven-year-old girl’s birthday cake. “You know, I bet Kasey would love the sparkles.” She shoots me a conspiratorial wink.
“Okay,” Luna agrees with clear hesitance. “I can make that happen. When do you need it?”
“Still figuring out details for the reception,” I tell her. “The ceremony is the Friday after next at Magnolia Community Church though, so I imagine the reception wouldn’t be long after.”
“In the church?” Luna asks. “I’m surprised.”
“Why?” I ask, feigning ignorance.
Her next words come out quieter, but I have every confidence the people in this bakery can still hear. “I didn’t think the Bennetts were . . .spiritualpeople.”
Layla snorts.
“They’re spiritual,” I counter. “They just aren’t particularly religious.”
“Hard to be when the people in that church every Sunday want to crucify them forbreathingwrong,” Layla adds stoically.
I’ve gotta hand it to her—she has balls.
Luna waves a hand. “You just let me know when you need it, and I’ll make sure it’s done!”
“Thank you, Luna,” I say, reaching to give her a hug. Her arms wrap around me and squeeze tight. “Means a lot.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t miss an opportunity like this for the world, sweetheart.”
Emotion clutches my throat all the way back to the car, where I have to work not to look too close to the sun for fear of tears falling.
“That went well!” Layla quips as she leans against the hood of my SUV.
I hurry to put my sunglasses on, eyeing the florist next door with a frown. “What do you say we hit up Eleanor for flowers some other time?”
She tilts her head. “You okay?”
“Yeah,” I answer breezily. “Just ready to get out of dodge. I haven’t been to amallin years.” Part of today’s excursions include looking for a dress for the wedding. I’ve convinced myself it’s not that big of a deal—I’ll just find something that loosely resembles a wedding dress whilenotactually being one.
Layla smiles, checking her watch. “Olivia is off in a half hour. Let’s grab a soda at June’s while we wait.”
The drive outof the county is a much-needed relief. With every mile I put between me and Saddlebrook Falls, I feel my shoulders loosen.
Layla takes control of the music, plugging her phone in for a playlist she insists was “specifically crafted” for today’s bridal activities. After listening to King of Leon’s “Use Somebody” and One Direction’s “Temporary Fix,” it doesn’t take long to understand the joke.
“Very funny,” I mutter, rolling my eyes.
