SOS. Pelican. One hour?
Gillian
Leo’s in bed and Alex says I should go. So I will.
Lila
I’m still at the office and will come straight there.
Seraphina
I’m afraid to know why SOS, but I’ll be there.
Esme
I’ll be there. Soleil will most likely be with me and I haven’t showered for … actually I’m not sure how long. See you all soon.
I beateveryone to The Pelican and sat waiting, feeling like I was going to cry. This is why I didn’t get involved. Because other than the four women about to surround me like penguins, everyone let me down. Or, rather, men let me down. Oh, and my mother.
But Dorian? I was just starting to trust him.
Soon, we were all gathered in our favorite booth. Drinks were on their way, as were baskets of fries and a pita veggie plate Esme wanted.
She didn’t have the baby with her. “Grady insisted I go without her. He said it would be good for me. Also, he made me take a shower.” Which explained the damp hair piled on top of her head. Even a month postpartum, she looked fantastic. I’d nothave known she had a baby by looking at her. She was her usual pretty, sunny self.
Gillian seemed tired but in good spirits, happy to be out of the house without any of her four children. “And the baby’s teething, so it’s been a trying week.”
Seraphina had taken the day off to spend with Hunter, and she looked all the better for it. Since she’d married Hunter, she worked less, and it agreed with her.
Lila had come from work and appeared slightly frazzled. But the moment she sat down with us, her full attention was on me.
“What’s going on?” Gillian asked me.
“This is going to sound dumb, but here goes.” I explained the unanswered phone call and the nuances of the wedding that could be factors in his withdrawal.
Lila nodded thoughtfully. “So he didn’t answer the phone? Maybe he was still at the wedding.”
“We’re talking one phone call?” Seraphina asked. “Isn’t that a bit of an overreaction? I mean that with love, of course.”
“I know. But I have a feeling. A bad feeling,” I said.
“But you two have been spending every evening together, right?” Esme asked. “He’s not going to suddenly change his mind just because he went to a wedding.”
“The wedding of his dead best friend’s wife,” I said. “All kinds of triggers there.”
“Maybe,” Seraphina said. “But I’ve gotten to know Dorian pretty well the last few years. He’s as steady as they come.”
“I think you’re reading too much into it,” Gillian said. “You’re just feeling vulnerable, which is totally understandable. You haven’t allowed yourself to like someone in a long time.”
I fought tears. Darn it, I would not cry in front of my friends. I never cried in front of anyone. I was more the curl up on the bathroom floor where no one could see me type. “I think I’vefallen for him.” I covered my eyes with my hands. “And I think I’m about to regret letting my guard down.”
Our drinks came, which took our attention for a moment. When the server left, Lila, who was sitting next to me, wrapped her arm around my shoulders for a squeeze. “You’ve been brave, and we’re all proud of you. But we all see how he looks at you, not just recently either. Maybe today was just really tough and he needs some space.”
“I agree,” Seraphina said.
“I have a thought,” Esme said. “Which is a miracle these days. But what if somethingdidtrigger him at the wedding. What would it be? Something with Nate’s kids maybe? Something that would make him worried about Annie?”
“Or decide he doesn’t want to be with a woman with kids,” I said. “He mentioned the older daughter was struggling.”
