Page 13 of All This Time (Blossom Peak #1)

I blink. “Sitting down…”

Tori giggles. “Go sit next to Fletcher, Laney. We’ve got a few things to show you both.” Her brows draw together. “Does he smell bad or something?”

Fletcher sniffs his armpit theatrically and flashes me his lethal grin. “I just showered before coming over here, so I’m fresh as a daisy.”

Oh, I’m fully aware of how incredible this man smells after he was pressed up against my back earlier.

Sighing, I move to the chair to his left and sit, avoiding his gaze. “Okay, so let me have it. What is it that you need me to do?”

“Uh, I’m part of this too, remember?” Fletcher interjects.

Elliot darts his eyes between the two of us, laughing slightly before he shakes off our awkward interaction and starts talking.

The truth is, my brother and his friends are in the dark about my history with Fletcher, and for good reason—because if they (my brother most importantly) ever found out, I don’t think the four of them would still be friends.

“Okay. You two know we only have three weeks before the wedding, and Tori is going to be gone a lot for work.”

“My boss just took on a new client, so we’re building a social media campaign from scratch, and they need me,” Tori states proudly as she flips her long blonde hair over her shoulder. “So that’s why it’s so important that we can count on the two of you to help.”

“And I have two trials between now and the wedding that hopefully won’t last long, so a lot of what we need you two to do will be running errands, putting favors together, making sure the details with the winery are finalized, and planning the bachelor and bachelorette party.”

“Party? As in one?” Fletcher asks for clarification.

Elliot turns to his fiancée. “Yes. We want a joint one.”

“Plus, I don’t have many friends here, so if we had a separate bachelorette party, it’d just be you, me, and Dilynne,” Tori adds through a laugh. “And I’m pretty sure she doesn’t want that.”

I offer her an understanding smile. “I think a joint party is a great idea. We could have it here at the winery too.”

“Yeah! We thought it’d be more fun if we were all together. Go crazy—we’re not opposed to having a little fun,” Elliot adds.

Fletcher rubs his palms together. “I already have a few ideas.”

“Which we can discuss later,” I say through a placating smile without even looking in his direction.

Elliot grabs a list and slides it toward us before lifting a cardboard box from under the table.

The box is full of organza bags, place cards, decorations, and several bags of what look like M&M’s.

I move the paper closer to me, but Fletcher reaches out and pulls it back toward him.

I fight the urge to rip it from his hands.

“This is what we need you two to accomplish.”

“Filling wedding favors, cake tasting, picking out a bridesmaid dress for me and a tux for Fletcher.” I lift my eyes to Tori and then cast them over to Elliot. “I get the favors, but you honestly don’t want to pick out your own cake, or what Fletcher and I wear?”

Tori shakes her head as she laughs. “I don’t care about this stuff. If it were up to me, we wouldn’t be having a traditional wedding at all.”

Elliot chuckles. “And you know I’ll eat anything, Laney. Just make sure we have a cake.” He picks up Tori’s hand and kisses the top of it. “Honestly, the details only matter to my parents. The only thing I care about is this woman walking down the aisle toward me on that day.”

Tori swallows and leans forward, pressing her lips to Elliot’s and then nuzzling their noses together. “You’re too good to me.”

“All right, you two. We get it. You’re in love,” Fletcher chimes in. “So what color tux are we talking?”

“Black,” Tori answers. “Just simple and classic.” Then she turns to me. “And for you, Laney, blush pink for the dress.”

The moment she says it, I can feel my cheeks turn the same color. “Sounds good.”

“What are your thoughts on Funfetti cake, though?” Fletcher asks.

I twist in my chair to face him for the first time since I sat down. “Are you serious?”

He shrugs before looking back at Elliot. “What? It is the best flavor of cake.”

“We’re not ordering the cake from Betty Crocker,” I admonish. “And I highly doubt Bites & Bliss Bakery will do a Funfetti cake.”

Elliot laughs. “Again, I don’t fucking care what flavor the cake is. Funfetti is delicious, but maybe something a tad more sophisticated. The wedding is at the winery, after all.”

I jut my thumb at Fletcher. “Apparently some of us still haven’t grown up.”

“And apparently some of us are snobs about cake.”

I glare at him as he raises an eyebrow. Sighing, I turn back to the list while mentally finishing my argument with this insufferable man.

Funfetti cake. I mentally roll my eyes, too.

My parents started hosting weddings at the winery when I was very young, so for years I watched from afar as many a bride walked down the aisle to her groom waiting anxiously.

My favorite part was watching his reaction when he saw her for the first time, which made me imagine what my future husband would look like when he saw me.

Let’s just say that Ellis isn’t the only little girl who was obsessed with dressing like a princess. I’ve envisioned my own wedding since I was just a few years older than her, down to every last detail, including the cake.

And, for a while, the groom waiting at the other end of the aisle was the man currently sitting to my right.

Oh, to be young and na?ve again.

“So that’s it?” I say, looking over the list again.

“Oh! The place cards,” Tori says, standing from the table to dig in the box, pulling out a stack of place cards before sliding them across the table toward me.

“Laney, you have beautiful handwriting, and you know everyone on the guest list.” She gestures to the papers in front of me, causing me to flip to the next paper where I see the list of people who will be attending.

“There should be enough, but try not to make too many mistakes. I don’t have time to order more. ”

That makes me pause for a moment, but then Fletcher leans over my shoulder to see the list, and the second his cologne hits my nose, I’m transported back to my old bedroom, breathing in that same scent off my pillow long after he was gone.

“You invited my dad?” he asks, his voice strained. The concern in his voice makes my shoulders stiffen.

Elliot studies him, confused. “Yes. Why wouldn’t we? You’re in the wedding and he was my coach—our coach—for years.”

The clench in Fletcher’s jaw tells me all I need to know about how he feels about it. “Well, yeah. I mean, it makes sense.” He rubs the back of his neck as his eyes find the floor.

“Is there something I should know about?” Elliot prods, but I interject before Fletcher feels like he has to.

“Nope. We’ve got this. I promise, the day will be perfect.” Smiling over at Tori, I place my hand on top of hers.

She lets out a dramatic sigh. “I can’t tell you how much easier this will be for me, knowing I don’t have to worry about this stuff.” When her phone chimes on the table, she lifts it and then stands from her chair. “Sorry, I need to take this. It’s my boss.”

Tori heads for the door as Elliot watches her. “He’s always calling her. I told her she’d better put her phone on silent when we’re on our honeymoon.”

“I’m sure you’ll both be able to disconnect once you get away.”

Elliot pushes a hand through his hair. “Let’s hope so—because my mother is already threatening to call and make sure we’re working on a grandbaby on our trip.”

“And that’s my cue to leave,” I say as I stand from my chair. “If that’s all you needed to talk to me about, then I’m going to head home.” As I gather the papers in front of me, and move to stand, Fletcher reaches out and puts his hand on my forearm.

“Leaving so soon? What about the movie?”

I pull my arm away and grab the bags and M&M’s, placing them back in the box to carry out to my car. “I have work to do and plenty of errands to run tomorrow.”

Elliot points to the door of the office. “I’m gonna go check on Tori. See you two out there?”

“Yup. Be there in a minute,” Fletcher replies as he stands, the screech of his chair echoing in the room. “Well, before you leave, let me get your number.”

“Why?”

He looks at me as if I’m certifiable, but there’s a hint of a smile on his lips. “So we can communicate.” He pulls his phone from his pocket and waves it in front of my face. “These are called cell phones, Laney. It’s how people keep in touch in the modern age.”

I give him a deadpan stare before I rattle off my number and he programs it into his phone. My phone starts to vibrate in my pocket a few seconds later.

“That was me. Now you have mine too.” Fletcher shoves his phone back in his pocket.

“Awesome.” I lift the box and turn for the door, but Fletcher stops me.

“Let me take that to your car for you.” Without asking, he takes the box from my arms and opens the door to the office, allowing me to walk out first.

“That’s really unnecessary.” I pull the door shut and lock it before turning to face him.

“Doesn’t matter. I’m here to serve. Now, lead me to your car, angel.”

My entire body ignites with a live wire of intense emotion from hearing that nickname, and I’m afraid nothing could have prepared me for what that would feel like again.

Does Fletcher even realize he said it? Was it intentional, or just a slip of the tongue?

When we arrive at my car, I pop the trunk open and gesture for Fletcher to place the box inside. After shutting the trunk, I turn to face him once more. “Thank you, I guess.”

He chuckles. “Wow. That sounded like it hurt to say.”

“To be honest, it kind of did.”

With that infamous smirk still on his lips, he says, “Man, it’s good to see you, Laney.”

His words make my heart pound harder because there was once a time when I felt that way about him too.

“I, uh…need to get going.” I reach to open my car door, but Fletcher beats me to it, holding it open until I’m fully inside. “Thanks.”

He leans forward, resting his forearms on the top of the door, smiling down at me. “Be careful, Laney. That was two thank-yous you just gave me.”

“It’s sad that you’re counting.”

He locks his eyes with me and says, “I’ll always remember what you say to me.” Tapping his temple, he continues, “Every. Single. Word.” As my mouth drops open, he slams my car door shut and waves at me through the window. “Bye, Laney! Talk to you soon!”

I start my car as fast as I can, pulling out of the parking lot while my mind spins from his words.

He remembers everything I’ve ever said to him? Is he referring to that night? And if so, does that mean he still thinks about it too?

Or is this all a game to him? A test to see if he still has that kind of power over me. Spoiler alert: he does.

I don’t even need to glance in the rearview mirror to clearly envision the smug grin on his lips as he stands there, watching me drive away, knowing how easily he just fucked with my head.

But at least this time he has to watch me leave. Because he didn’t get that luxury last time—when I walked away for good, heart in pieces, because I was stupid enough to think he felt the same way I did.

Now, if only my heart would catch up to the decision my brain made all those years ago… These next three weeks would be much easier to get through.