I was nearly falling out of my seat. “And then?”
“He asked if he could kiss me. At first I said no. I didn’t want to go back down that path, so I went with the easiest, most hurtful excuse I could think of.”
I grimaced, because I had a feeling that “excuse” had to do with me. “What’d you say?”
“That it would never work between us because he’d loved you and probably still did.” She straightened back up. “I wasn’t going to be anyone’s consolation prize.”
“He didn’t have any feelings for me at that point,” I said. “If you’d asked me, I would’ve told you.”
“He said the same. He still says it. It was a problem for us in the beginning,” she admitted. “Sometimes it still is. It’s hard for me to forget years and years of watching him pine for you.”
“I understand that better than anyone,” I said, setting aside my coffee to stand. I leaned a knee on the seat of my chair, addressing her so she knew I meant what I was saying. “Corbin and I had plenty of time and chances to try to make it work. We never did, and that means something.”
“I know,” she said. “I’m getting over it, mostly because he tells me every day how much he loves and appreciates me.”
“He says he loves you?” I asked, clasping my hands. “Oh my God.”
Her face was uncharacteristically red as she said, “I can’t take you seriously with that bib on.”
I swiped the towel from my dress and tossed it on the table. “Did you reciprocate? Tell me you’ve said it back to him.”
“I could’ve right there on the deck. You know how charming he is.” She sounded annoyed, but then she smiled. “He got his kiss, and I was in love with him all over again. But I couldn’t tell him. It took me a lot longer to get over the fear that he’d leave once I said I loved him . . . but I eventually did, and he’s still here.”
For not knowing how I felt about this a few minutes ago, I could barely contain my excitement now. “I’m ecstatic.” Filled with awe, I sat back against the table’s edge. “I’m embarrassed I never saw it, and that I wasn’t there for you—but I am now.”
“I’ve been worried about what our friends would say. Mostly you, obviously.”
“You want to know what I think?” I gestured to the backyard. “I’ll go get the officiant right now. We can make this a double wedding like you wouldn’t believe.”
She laughed loudly. “Oh, no. I’m not the marrying kind.”
I rolled my eyes. She’d said that before, but I’d assumed she just hadn’t met the right guy. “You’re telling me Corbin’s okay with no wedding?”
“Yep.” She yawned, clearly in no rush to get down the aisle. Or was it a show? With Val I could never be sure. “We’re doing our thing for now.”
“But think of how much fun we’d have sharing an anniversary.” I picked up my mug, smiling over the rim as I took a sip. “I’d invite you on my honeymoon too, but I’m pretty sure Manning would kill one of us.”
She came over, put my coffee down, and hugged me. “Thanks for being supportive. I swear, I never wanted you to find out today.”
“Oh, I need in on this,” I heard Corbin say a moment before wrapping his long arms around the pair of us. “Are we all good? Val is seventy-five percent moved in to my place, but she wouldn’t take the final plunge without you knowing.”
I pulled back to look at them. “Are you kidding? Manning and I will help you move in. His truck is a monster. I’ll bet we can fit the rest of Val’s apartment in one trip.”
“I can leave the rest behind,” she said, blinking up at him. “Corbin’s house already feels like . . .”
He rubbed her back. “Like what, babe?”
“Home, I guess.”
I looked around my kitchen. I knew that exact feeling. I had also walked into this home and known it was mine. Since then, it had never, not once, felt like anything other than where I belonged.
Tonight hadn’t only been a happily-ever-after for Manning and me. Val, Corbin, and even Tiffany, had each found one, too. From watching the sky move with Manning to telling him forever was too short an amount of time to spend with him, the day had been perfect. And it should’ve been enough. All of this should’ve been enough.
But deep down, I worried it wasn’t.
12
The reception ended just before midnight. My dad had fallen asleep in our living room recliner, so my family was the last to leave. After sleeping apart from Manning the night before, and a full day of being surrounded by company, I was ready for alone time with my husband. It was the only thing keeping me from insisting my family stay in the guestroom rather than the hotel Manning had arranged. That, and I was pretty sure Manning would annul the wedding if I interfered with his impending plans for me in any way.