Page 49 of Book Club Confidential

Kate’s blue eyes widened, and she whisper-screamed. “What?”

Tessa finished her wine and poured another glass, thankful she could sleep in tomorrow morning.

“I’ve been thinking about it,” Hallie said. Tension lines formed around her eyes and across her forehead as she spoke. “The heroine in my story wouldn’t be so afraid of upsetting her family or the status quo. Even if she was, she wouldn’t let that stop her. She’d do something big, make a statement about autonomy and individuality, then put her chin up and walk away. She might even dare folks to push back, because she’s been quiet and agreeable for too long, and this is her life, dammit.”

“That’s a lot to have on your mind,” Tessa said. “Are you okay?”

“No.”

Kate whistled the long thin sound of a falling missile, then finished her wine as well.

The server delivered warm bread, butter, and plates to the table, took one look at the vibe, and fled.

Kate sliced the small loaf while Tessa passed out the plates.

Hallie talked. “You know my mama had a huge influence on my thoughts about men. She taught me they were our only hope of escaping poverty. They were money. They were safety. And I always felt that my main goal in life was to catch someone’s eye, gain his trust, and hitch my horse to his wagon before he got away. I did most of that, but now that it’s time to do the hitching, I feel like the one who wants to get away.”

Kate released a resigned sigh. “I hate that you weren’t taught to look for your ideal partner and personal hero. Everyone deserves a Prince Charming.”

“Prince Charming is a myth,” Hallie said. “Mama taught me that too. As our little town’s only fake psychic, she would know. She can read folks, and she says most men can’t be trusted with your heart or anything else.”

Tessa frowned. Hallie had told the story before, but never in this tone or so close to her wedding day. “But you love Bryce, right?”

She nodded. “I do, but I’m not sure love is enough.”

Kate pressed her full tinted lips into a thin line, clearly holding her tongue.

“Think about it,” Hallie said. “There are lots of smart, amazing, kind people in the world. You can’t date or marry every one of those that you meet. There has to be a bigger connection. Something deep that makes one person different from the rest for you.”

Kate looked to Tessa, who replayed Hallie’s words, searching for the message between the lines.

“You love him, but you aren’t in love with him?” Tessa guessed, cringing a little at the worn-out phrase.

Hallie lifted, then dropped one palm onto the table. “I don’t know. Maybe. I just don’t think I should marry him. Mama’s going to be so pissed. There has never been a woman of means in my bloodline. I could change that. My daughters could do anything they wanted in life.”

“They still can,” Tessa said. “You don’t need Bryce for that.”

Suddenly the major hair change made sense. She was mentally leaving him and his family. Or self-sabotaging. Either way, it ended with a broken engagement.

“Did your wedding invitations ever go out?” Kate asked.

Hallie lifted her drink and took a long gulping pull on the straw. “Yep.”

Tessa added a little butter to the bread on Hallie’s plate, desperate for something to do instead of freak out. Then she nudged the plate closer to Hallie. “Well, we’re behind you, whatever you decide. And there’s no rush. This is a big deal. Take your time.”

“But four hundred people are coming to watch you get married in less than a month,” Kate said. “Maybe hurry a little.”

Hallie bit into the buttered bread. She chewed thoughtfully, then wiped the corners of her mouth with her tattered napkin. “I’ll try. This bread is amazing.” She helped herself to another slice. “You’re right. Maybe I’m overthinking,” she said between bites. “Bryce is my best friend. He’s been there for my every disappointment and victory since I was a kid. He doesn’t completely fit into his family either. Maybe we could break the stuffy image-obsessed patterns together? Be the black sheep in the family. The fun aunt and uncle.”

“Maybe,” Tessa allowed. “I believe you can make whatever future you want. But it has to be what you truly want.”

“What if I don’t know what I want?” she said miserably.

“Then four hundred guests can wait,” Kate said. “You have to do what’s right for your heart, or everything afterward will be wrong.”

Tessa looked to Kate, still wondering why she’d seemed so on edge when Tessa first arrived. “What about you?” she asked. “How did week one of being your story’s heroine end for you?” On a better note than it began, Tessa hoped.

Kate refilled her wine glass. “I lost another twenty-two hundred followers after posting a photo of myself on the porch swing without makeup and reading something I wanted to read, instead of something that’s trending.”