Page 4

I dredged up a smile for her because I knew she desperately wanted my approval. “As long as you don’t make me call him Daddy.”
“Oh, no. That’s what I call him, so that would be weird.”
I crinkled my nose at her in disgust. “Too much information.”
Her laughter was a joyful tinkle in a room that had seen too much misery the last few days. A little of my darkness slipped away with her light surrounding me.
It was nice. The warmth of her. The reminder that outside these walls, people were actually happy, even if I’d forgotten what that felt like.
I clutched my pillow a little tighter. “So. When is this wedding? Summer? You always wanted a beach wedding.”
She tossed me back my phone. “I already put it in your calendar for you.”
I glanced down at the screen, searching for the entry, and then back up at her, wide-eyed. “This weekend? Are you insane? I haven’t even met him yet!”
“Nope! We don’t want to wait. He’s been married before. I’m old enough to know what I want, so we’re just going to the courthouse and getting ourselves hitched.”
I blinked at her. She’d always been a whirlwind, but this seemed impulsive, even for her. I eyed her stomach. “Are you pregnant?”
She shoved her hands on her hips and frowned at me. “No, young lady, I am not.”
“Then what’s the rush?”
She shrugged. “I love him.”
I stopped in my list of objections. Of all the men my mother had dated, I couldn’t remember her ever saying she loved one.
She squeezed my fingers. “Please, Bel. I really need you to be on board with this. I don’t want to marry him without you there by my side.”
Her words got right into my chest and strangled my heart. “You want me to be your bridesmaid?”
“Maid of honor. And witness, actually. We’re planning a big party for after, but the ceremony itself is strictly immediate family. So say yes, because you’re my only family, and it would be too sad to have no one on my side.”
I swallowed thickly, choking up on the emotion. “Of course I will. I’d be honored.”
Miranda let out a cheer of excitement and flung herself at me, both of us flopping sideways on the bed in a tangle of legs and arms. “Thank God for that. I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to convince you to wear a pretty dress when your style is normally ripped jeans and acid-washed T-shirts. But I really need you there. His best man is actually a best woman. And his ex, no less. So I need backup.”
“Repeat that, please?” I asked with big eyes. “His ex-wife is going to be his person at his wedding to his new wife?”
“I know!” Miranda shouted dramatically. “That’s exactly what I said! It’s weird!”
“So weird.”
“He says they stayed close after their divorce.”
Alarm bells rang in my head. “Is she in love with him still? Or vice versa?”
But Mom shook her head quickly. “Oh, no. I don’t think it’s anything like that. She’s happily remarried to this very handsome man. Has been for something like twenty years. And Bart has never given me any reason to be jealous. I really think they’re just good friends. They sent us the sweetest gift.”
I shrugged. “I guess that’s nice then?”
She nodded. “She’s who he wants, and I want him to have the best day ever.”
“Very mature of you. Where’s the Miranda who stormed into the law office of an ex-boyfriend and accused every woman there of having the hots for him?”
She cringed. “I was on pain medication, Bel! I didn’t know what I was doing.”
I chuckled at her. “Sure you were.”