Page 71 of The Wedding Favor

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…”

He stood, and with one hand he rubbed at his head, with the other he snatched the phone.

“‘Oh, Michael,’ she said, her voice needy. ‘Don’t stop. Please don’t st⁠—’”

“Aw, it stopped,” I said.

Abe climbed back into the car. With his hair out of order and the blush on his cheeks, he looked adorably embarrassed and annoyed.

“Feel free to put it back on. We do have a long drive.” A laugh snuck out. I pressed my lips together before another followed.

He shot me a dirty look, but it was ruined by the hint of a smile. A curl of pleasure unfurled in my stomach. There was nothing sexier than a guy who didn’t take himself too seriously.

“I’m not judging. Do you listen to a lot of romance novels?” I gasped. “Oh, no. Is it one of those pirate romances Ali and Mae and Ellie are always talking about?”

“Ali wouldn’t shut up about them, so I thought I’d give one a try.”

“You’re kidding. How are you liking it?” I asked, giggling.

Without a word, he turned on the car and pulled out of the driveway. The silence was only broken by my laughter.

Aidan: Are you on the way?

ME: Should be there around four.

Aidan: Is he with you?

ME: He has a name. And yes, of course.

If I didn’t know better, I’d say Aidan was jealous. A ridiculous thought. He was getting married to the “love of his life” (as Missy liked to remind me). But ever since he’d learned I was bringing Abe as my plus one, he had been weird. Less texting. No late-night calls. I heard from Missy much more than I heard from him these days.

“Ugh.” I tossed my phone aside and crossed my arms. “I need more chocolate.”

Abe reached into his pocket and produced another chocolate kiss. “For you.”

“Do… do you have chocolate in your pocket?”

He smirked. “I came prepared.”

I was wrong. That was the sexiest thing a man could do—produce chocolate on demand.

TWENTY-SEVEN

“Dancing was fun, but acting? That’s where my passion was. I loved pretending to be anyone but me.”

—excerpt from the unpublished memoir,

Darling, I Must Say by Gloria Hayes

“You ready?” Abe called through the door to my hotel room.

I looked at myself in the mirror and shuddered. My rehearsal dinner outfit was something I would have nightmares about. The sacrifices I was making for this wedding were epic. I deserved a Nobel Peace Prize. At the very least, a lifetime supply of chocolate. And free therapy.

I opened the door. “If you laugh, it will not go well for you.”

“Why would I lau—” His voice trailed off as he scanned my outfit, his eyes growing bigger the more he saw. “Ah… um… wow.”

I groaned and shuffled back to the mirror. Abe followed me into the room. The door closed with a snick. Pink dress. Pink fringed vest. Pink cowboy hat. Pink boots. The result of scouring thrift shops… except for the hat which I’d had to order online.