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That was good.
Wasn’t it?
I put down my glass and let out a sigh. Zachary Haven. He was the one man I couldn’t seem to get out of my head. I’d been best friends with his sister Annika since we were little, and that’s all I’d ever be to him—his little sister’s friend. Nothing more. He’d made that clear a long time ago.
So why did my heart still flutter when he was around? Why did my cheeks flush and my brain stop working? Was it his careless brown hair? His mysterious blue eyes? His sharp cheekbones, stubbly square jaw, and the little dimple in his chin? I was graceful enough around men in general, but around Zachary Haven? I was a mess.
Which was utterly ridiculous. Especially because there were two major problems with him. One, he was not my type. My dream man was refined and gentlemanly. The type who opened doors and pulled out chairs as a matter of habit. Zachary was a sarcastic and snarky man-child who still started bar fights.
And two—which, to be fair, was the bigger problem—he hated me.
I didn’t know what I’d ever done to make him dislike me, but I’d stopped trying to solve that mystery a long time ago.
So why couldn’t I get beyond my misplaced crush? I’d had a nice childhood, my parents were good people. Nothing should have made me crave the attention of a man who hated me. How toxic was that? And yet, there I was, stuck in a loop of blushing and butterflies whenever he was around.
But I never talked about it, not even to my friends, because it made me feel so pathetic.
Which was why I was glad he’d left.
Not glad that he’d left after an altercation involving fists. But at least I could relax.
“I’m loving the rose gold and wine vibe,” Audrey said. “Especially for winter.”
“It’s going to be so elegant,” Annika said.
While I’d been momentarily lost in thought, the conversation at our table had turned to the big topic of the season—at least for the four of us. Audrey’s wedding.
Audrey had moved to town earlier that summer, and we’d become instant friends. It was fun to have a friend who was in a similar stage of life. I adored Annika and Isabelle, but they were both married with little ones. They had different responsibilities and concerns. Initially, Audrey and I had bonded over being single in our thirties, although for her, it hadn’t lasted long. She’d recently gotten engaged to Annika’s brother, Josiah.
They made the cutest couple and it was so good to see Josiah, who was not exactly a people person, soften up a little bit. They’d recently moved into a house Josiah had remodeled. And because I was a little bit wedding obsessed, I’d been helping Audrey put together the details of their big day.
I nudged my attention back to my friends. “I love the colors too. They’re perfect for you.”
“We picked the invitations,” Audrey said. “Well, I did. Josiah didn’t have a strong opinion about it, so that was fine. The envelopes are sparkly rose gold on the inside and there’s a gorgeous wine-colored ribbon around the invitation itself.”
“I remember seeing those,” I said. “They were one of my favorites.”
We talked dresses and the relative merits of a DJ versus a band. They’d already decided on a venue—Salishan Cellars Winery down in Echo Creek, a town not too far from Tilikum. It was the best place for weddings anywhere in the central Cascades. I’d been there for wine tastings many times and always found myself daydreaming about having my own wedding there.
Of course, a groom would help. And in that, I was very much lacking.
It was funny, in a way. I loved all things love—romance novels, love stories, bridal showers, weddings. My life aesthetic could be summed up as romantic. Everything from my clothes to the decor in my house and salon exuded romance. And yet, I’d been remarkably unsuccessful at finding my own happily ever after.
Not that I hadn’t tried. I’d dated off and on. A few of those relationships seemed as if they had potential to be the one. But none of them ever worked out. There was always something in the way; something not right. I didn’t want to settle just to get married. But I did wonder if my dreams of marriage and babies and family and a future with a partner were just that—dreams.
My phone buzzed with a text, which was odd. I was with the people I texted most frequently. I talked to my parents regularly, but they were phone call people. I peeked at my phone, concerned when I saw it was the landlord for my salon.
“Is everything okay?” Isabelle asked.
My friends knew me so well. “Yes, fine. It’s my salon landlord.”
“Why is your landlord texting you on a Saturday night?” Annika asked.
“The light fixture in the restroom went out.” I tucked my phone back in my purse. “He’s just telling me he’ll have someone out to fix it in the morning.”
“That’s good,” she said.
“It’s very good. He was supposed to have someone out days ago. I had to put in flameless candles and ask my clients to use a flashlight if they needed more light. The last thing the salon needs right now is another barrier to returning clients.”
