He looked incredibly handsome in black dress pants and a lightweight white dress shirt that was open at the neck. His hair was slightly damp at the ends, and I caught a tantalizing whiff of aftershave.
“Shall we?” he asked, offering me his arm.
I was tempted to remind him that I’d declined his offer to be his date for the rehearsal, but it felt churlish, so I kept my mouth shut and wrapped my hand through the crook of his arm. Like every time we touched, I felt sparks of electricity where my hand met his skin.
Neither of us had a role in the actual wedding, so we settled down in the back of the chapel where the wedding would take place, watching the kids practice while the wedding planner barked orders like a drill sergeant.
“She’s good,” I whispered as she quieted a couple of joking groomsmen with just a stern look.
I felt myself tear up as I watched Jack walk April down the aisle, the way he would tomorrow. All those years we were estranged, I thought I’d never see my daughter again. To be here, included in her wedding even after everything that had happened, it meant everything to me.
I sniffed quietly, and Reed hooked his arm over my shoulders, pulling me close. I leaned into his warmth and watched as Jack mimed handing April over to her groom. She stepped towards the alter and caught her sandal on the edge of the step. We all watched in horror as she flew forward, knocking the Reverend back several steps as she crashed into him, then landed on her knees.
Jonathon rushed over to help her up.
“I’m fine,” she called to everyone as she popped to her feet with the agility of the young. “Nothing is hurt, except for my pride.”
“Like mother like daughter,” Reed whispered in my ear.
I playfully smacked his chest. “Shush.”
After the rehearsal was finished, we headed to the small banquet room that the kids had reserved for the rehearsal dinner. This was a bigger group than we had last night, with the addition of the wedding party and a few other close friends of April and Jonathon’s. We were separated into several large round tables and somehow I ended up sitting between my ex-husband and Reed, with Suzanne on the other side of Jack.
“How are you doing there, Mom?” Jack asked me facetiously.
“I’m going to need to bring a box of Kleenex tomorrow,” I confided to my ex. “Just watching the rehearsal made me emotional. I don’t know how I’m going to get through the actual wedding.”
He leaned closer with a wry smile. “Me too. I’m going to be a blubbering mess tomorrow.”
Dinner wrapped up, and the young people were making plans to go dancing. Apparently they’d all had a wild time at Franny’s Barn last night.
With the party breaking up, the rest of our table was milling around the room. Reed left to use the restroom and Jack leaned towards me with a twinkle in his eyes.
“So, you and Reed, huh?”
I shook my head. “Oh no. He’s just being nice since I’m here alone.”
“Really? It seems like you two have some serious sparks.”
I met my ex-husband’s eye. “You know better than anyone how terrible I am at relationships, Jack. I’m much better off alone.”
He shot a look at his wife, having one of those silent conversations that couples could have, and Suzanne left the table without a word, leaving us alone to talk.
“You only sucked in relationships after your addiction took hold. I remember how you were before the car accident, before the drugs and the drinking, back when you were a doting wife and mother. The way you made me a lunch every night to take with me to work, the way you spent hours at the dining room table trying to teach April to read before we realized that she was dyslexic.”
He tapped his chest.
“I know how good your heart is Kiki. And I’ve seen how far you’ve come since you’ve been in recovery. It’s been eight years, don’t you think it’s time to do something for yourself? Reed’s a great guy. He’s exactly what I’d want for you. If you like him, you should go for it.”
We both stopped talking when Reed came back to the table. He looked between us curiously, sensing the heavy vibe.
“Would you like to take a walk, Erika? The sun will be setting soon, and I’ve heard the lake is the best place to watch a sunset.”
“Sure.”
I stood up and Jack did as well, pulling me into a tight hug.
“Take a chance Kiki,” he whispered in my ear. “You’re strong enough to handle it, no matter what happens.”