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Merritt looked at Gus, who also seemed oblivious.
“Will you excuse me?” Skylar pushed back her chair and headed off down the hallway.
“I’ll be right back,” Merritt whispered to Gus.
He nodded, and she stood and followed Skylar, catching up to her before she disappeared into the bathroom.
“Sky,” she whispered.
Skylar wiped at her cheeks. “It’s stupid. I don’t even know why I’m crying.”
“Because you like Franky. It’s obvious.”
Her eyes widened as she glanced down the hallway. “Please, don’t say anything.”
Merritt took her arm and led her into the bathroom for privacy. “Talk to me.”
Skylar blew out a breath and rested her back against the bathroom door. “I’ve had a huge crush on Franky since I was thirteen. He and Bash went to private school together, and he always saw me as his friend’s little sister. But since he came back to town last summer, we’ve gotten really close. He’s become my best friend, and it felt like things were changing between us.” She covered her face with her hands and groaned.
“Hey, maybe it won’t work out with this Ivy person.”
Skylar let her arms drop to her sides. “I don’t know. How am I going to get through the wedding seeing him with another girl?”
Merritt reached out and touched her arm. “I’ll be there if you need to talk or hide out, whatever you need.”
Skylar hugged her. “Thank you, Merritt. It’s nice to have someone to talk to about this. My brothers would tease me if they knew. I’m so happy to have a sister.”
Merritt’s chest tightened. She hated lying to Gus’s family. They were wonderful people, and she was beginning to realize that developing close relationships with them was going to make the divorce a lot more complicated.
After dinner, Ephraim, Harriet, and the Middleburys moved into the family room to continue their visit, while the rest of them stayed at the table.
Franky shook his head as he looked at Gus. “I gotta say, you’re not the Schultz I expected to get hitched first.”
Gus shrugged his shoulders. “Sometimes you meet someone and you just know she’s the one you want to make truffles with forever.” He winked at Merritt, and even though she knew he was teasing, it tugged at something deep inside her heart.
The guys talked for a while. Well, Franky did most of the talking. He had a funny, jovial personality, and Merritt could see why Skylar liked him so much. But Skylar wasn’t laughing at Franky’s stories like the rest of them were, and it was clear that Franky’s news was still weighing heavily on her.
Merritt wished she could help, but the only thing she could think of was to find a way to end their evening early so Sky and Franky could be alone to talk.
She faked a yawn. “I’m a little tired,” Merritt spoke quietly to Gus. “I think I’m gonna go to bed.”
“Okay,” Gus replied.
She stood. “Sorry to duck out early. Long day.”
“No problem,” Franky said. “Nice meeting you.”
“You too.” Merritt gave Skylar an understanding smile.
Skylar smiled back.
Merritt leaned close to Gus’s ear and spoke just above a whisper. “Don’t be too long.”
His eyes darted to hers, and she realized how that must have sounded, but she had only said it to give Sky and Franky alone time.
“Good night.”
“Night,” they all said.