Page 67 of Something Borrowed

Her words were insidious, snaking deep inside the facade Brigid had built to keep herself calm and reserved, the model lawyer and even-tempered person. Without thinking, her fist flew out and knocked the clown on its ass. It hit the floor and bounced back up, rebounding almost all the way over to her and Anna. Both girls laughed, and Brigid hit it again, then again, the movement freeing her from the tension that had built up over the months and years, until it seemed the clown spent more time on the ground than standing up.

Finally, the door flew open, and Grady stood there glaring in the room. “What the hell is going on in here? Caroline sent me to find you two for pictures. What the fuck is that?”

Brigid exchanged a laughing glance with Anna. “Stress relief. I’m feeling much better now.”

She and Anna slid past Grady, giggling while he stared into the room, a bemused look on his face. Finally, shaking his head, he followed them out to the lawn for pictures.

ChapterTwenty-Nine

Later, after the bridal couple had been announced, the dinner had been served, and the toasts delivered, the dancing began. Caroline and Matthew slow danced to “Thinking Out Loud” by Ed Sheeran, completely absorbed in each other. Grady gritted his teeth and barely touched Brigid for the bridal party portion of the dance, staring at a spot over her shoulder. When the song ended, he met up with Wyatt and stalked to the bar, which had become his haven.

Brigid caught Caroline’s eye and made her way to the stage and took the microphone. She tapped the end a couple of times to get the attention of the crowd and slowly everyone quieted, expecting another toast to the bridal couple. Her palms were sweaty, and she twisted them nervously in her dress, not caring about stains or wrinkles. She was laying her whole life on the line in this one moment, in front of a crowd of people. This was the ultimate in public displays of affection when she would barely hold hands. Nothing like jumping in the deep end. Hopefully, she wouldn’t drown.

She cleared her throat. “Excuse me. Thank you for coming today. I know we’ve had all the toasts and announcements, but I hope you’ll indulge me for one more. I’ve known Caroline and Matthew since freshman year of college. You all know how welcoming and warm she is. She pulled me right into her circle on day one when I would have buried myself in the library for the next four years, oblivious to the world around me. Through her and Matthew, I met my wonderful best friends, who I reconnected with this week and am so grateful to have in my life. But the most important thing I learned from Caroline and Matthew is how to love and how to have a relationship.”

She took a deep, shuddering breath. “I thought my life was all about work and career and where I was going. I thought there was no way to have it all. But Caroline, being the good friend that she is, saw that there was something missing in my life, something I didn’t even see myself. So, she took it upon herself to teach me a lesson about love and life. And I failed. Miserably.”

She focused her eyes on Caroline, who leaned against Matthew at the bridal table, eyes shining with love. “You see, I was blinded by my ambition and beliefs about what I wanted, who I was, and what I needed in life. I left my best friend two days before her wedding for a job.” An audible gasp went up from the room, the female half at least, many of whom understood the unforgivable sin for what it was.

“But that wasn’t the worst part.” Her eyes focused on the bar and Grady, whom she could just make out, leaning against the wood railing. “No, I betrayed someone even more important to me, relegating the best thing that ever happened to me to the sidelines because he didn’t fit into my plan, my vision for the future. I fell in love, somewhere along the way on this journey. With the most wonderful, kind, and perfect man around. He’s proud, talented, sensitive, and amazingly patient with me. When he told me he wanted more with me, I ran in the opposite direction, scared to death. I told him that my career was my life, and I had nothing left for him, yet he was still willing to give us a try. Until I walked away.”

She paused, willing him to make some motion, some sign that he was wavering at all, but he remained closed, silent, and still. She pursed her lips. Time to go all in. She nodded to the DJ, who was ready for her signal. She stepped off the stage and walked across the dance floor toward the bar, his gaze following her, with no expression. Silence followed her until she got to him, then the music started playing. John Legend, “All of Me”.

She held out her hand. “Grady Coughlin, if you’ll still have me, I’m all in.”

He studied her hand for a long moment while her heart pounded so loudly she thought everyone in the area could hear it. The room spun as the moment lengthened to two, then three and four.

“Brigid…”

“It’s just a dance. Please.” Tears gathered in her eyes, and her voice broke, but she stayed firm, hand outstretched.

Finally, he accepted it, and she led him to the floor, where he took her in his arms. She let her breath out in a shuddering sigh. Step one accomplished. Now to get control of her emotions so she could talk.

She opened her mouth, but he put a finger on her lips. “Not now. Not here.”

He pulled her close and rested his cheek on the top of her head while everyone looked on. No one dared join in. Brigid laid her head on his shoulder and enjoyed the moment, but the tension remained as she wondered what would happen next.

* * *

Grady swayed gently to the music, wondering what the fuck he was doing getting sucked back into the black hole that was Brigid’s life. She had made her choices clear, and he didn’t want that life or have a place there. Yet she had put herself out there, publicly, in front of half of the law firm who were attending the wedding, as an apology. When she had stood in front of him, heart in her eyes and unshed tears about to spill over, he was lost. He would have given her anything at that moment to spare her that pain. But he wasn’t sure he could risk his heart again.

All too soon, the song ended. She lifted her head and looked up at him, mascara smeared around her eyes from the tears that had fallen. She opened her mouth, but he shook his head. “Outside.”

He took her hand and dragged her outside, where the sun was setting, giving them the illusion of privacy in the dusk of the evening. A few couples had wandered outside and were strolling the grounds, but he dragged her toward the gazebo where the ceremony had taken place. The chairs and decorations had been put away, and the area was shrouded in shadows, the perfect trysting spot or place for a private discussion.

Brigid stumbled on her way, and he paused. “Why do women wear those ridiculous shoes?”

She slipped them off. “It’s not by choice. You men like the way we look in them.”

He eyed her ass while she was bent over. “They are pretty hot. But hell on walking.”

She glared at him. “A little help would be nice.”

He quirked a grin and scooped her up, one arm under her knees and the other under her back. She shrieked and flung her arms around his neck. “What are you doing?”

“We have a conversation to finish, and I don’t want you to hurt your feet in the grass.” He strode the last several feet to the gazebo and set her down on the wood floor.

Brigid rested her hands on his shoulders, blinking owlishly at him. “I don’t understand.”

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