Page 78 of The Wedding Shake-up

“It’s all right.”

“Most people in the States make it the blue Hawaii way no matter how you order it.”

“All island bartenders make a distinction.”

“I bet.” She twists a long length of curls around her finger, lost in thought.

The men order more boilermakers, and Tillie snaps out of it to prepare those, happy to see her drink idea working.

More tourists come. I glance down at the red heels that match Tillie’s long dress. “You’re not in working gear. Why don’t you sit down?”

“I like it back here.” She kicks off her shoes. “I can’t think of anywhere I’d rather be.”

This is almost the complete opposite of what she said to her sister. Maybe she really is able to set a deadline for herself and cut off her feelings.

If she can do it, I certainly can.

But when we get a break in the orders, the way she settles into me, her head on my shoulder, tells me that maybe, just maybe, neither of us knows a damn thing about how we’re going to feel when her vacation is over.

Chapter 25

TILLIE

My sister resumes the argument first thing the next morning, this time with a hangover.

“Tillie, promise me you won’t fall apart on Lila when you leave.” She shoves shoes in her bag as if they have personally offended her.

“I promise. It’s going to be fine.” But I don’t sound very convincing. Even though I have three more full days here, it already seems like the end. And this terrible sinking feeling in my gut refuses to go away.

“Tillie, I’ve known you since you were born. I’ve lived with you. You have never looked at a guy the way you look at this bartender. You’ve put yourself in an impossible situation. This is going to be your first heartbreak. It’s written all over your face.” She moves her smaller suitcase to the floor and starts working on the bigger one.

Drew sits on a chair in the corner by his neatly packed bag. His hands are folded together in a picture of quiet patience. It’s what he needs to manage his firebrand wife.

Ensley looks over at him. “What do you think? What are we going to do with her?”

Drew notoriously speaks only when he has all his thoughts together. This time is no exception. “I think your anger is far too late. Tillie obviously already has feelings for Gabe. It’s up to them to manage how theypart and what form of communication, if any, they will have from here on out.”

Communication. I hadn’t thought of that. Will we keep texting? Do phone calls? Try to hold it together?

This is no ordinary long-distance relationship. Gabe lives in another country.

And I’m poor. I can’t afford tickets here. And he shouldn’t buy tickets to come see me for a hookup that is ultimately doomed. I can’t abandon Lila. He can’t simply give up his bar.

Ensley shoves the last of her toiletries in the bag and pushes down on the top to force it to close. “Have you thought about what it’s going to feel like when you get home? When he’s been ripped away from you? You refused to date anybody before. Now it will be so much worse.”

“You don’t know that.” I lean over the top of the bag to help her press it down to zip. “Maybe this will be the change for me. Maybe I’ll understand what it’s all about. Maybe I’ll take a chance on someone next time.”

Ensley finally manages to close the zipper. “Are you sure you’re not going to sit around and pine for him? I feel like this is the worst time possible for me to be moving away from the two of you. You’ve always been so stable and reliable. And now this.”

I step away from her. “Is that what this is about? You’re putting your guilt for leaving us on me because I decided to have a fling?”

“No.” But even if she says it, she stares at the floor.

“Ensley, you deserve this happiness. Nobody is upset that you’re married and moving in with Drew. We’re happy for you. If you remember, Lila didn’t have our help before we moved to Georgia.”

“And look what happened to her! She got pregnant, and the asshole left her.”

Lila peers in the door. “You know I can hear you.”

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