Page 17

As I’m about to add another plate to the dishwasher, I catch Luke and Sophie leaving the second bedroom. My breath catches as I search out Payton, but he’s in a deep discussion between Ethan, Mathéo, and Elias.

“I’ll be right back, Mia.”

“I’ll be right here.” She singsongs as I walk over to Luke and Sophie.

“Couldn’t wait until the honeymoon, huh?” I force a laugh, half hoping my joke is actually the truth and not something else.

Blushing like a banshee—do banshees blush?—Sophie glances at Luke, who nods and walks away. “Sorry. He was just trying to find the hockey stick he saved from the game when he proposed to me.”

He proposed at a hockey game? Was he playing? How would that even work? And there’s my point of deflection. “How did he propose?”

“It was the most romantic, yet somewhat terrifying, moment of my life to date.” She hesitates, leaving me to think I’d succeeded because she was about to launch into the entire story, but then she asks, “Are you and Payton okay?”

I school my expression, careful not to clench my fists at my sides. Body language is a dead giveaway, and I don’t want to ignite any unnecessary fires. “ We’re fine. Why?”

She glances over her shoulder. “We didn’t mean to snoop. It’s just that all your stuff is in this closet.”

With a snort, I wave my hand at the bedroom door. “Oh, that. Payton hasn’t had a chance to make room yet. His closet is twice as big as mine.”

“But you have stuff on the nightstand.” She clasps her hands, appearing nervous. “I have big ears and a mouth that stays shut, if you know what I mean.”

In another life, I think I could actually trust this woman and let her in. But this isn’t that time or place. I scramble for an excuse as close to the truth to maintain our believability.

There’s that word again. “I am a very restless sleeper and didn’t want to risk bumping him during the night, so I slept in here.”

With a slight press of her lips, she stares at me before glancing toward Payton.

I rest my hand on her arm, much like she has with me. “I promise. We’re fine.”

Her concern softens into a warm smile. “I’m so glad. I mean, that kiss.” She fans herself. “Passion like that doesn’t happen all the time. Take it from someone who knows.”

Again, I take advantage of the spotlight shift from me to her. “Oh, do tell.” I scan the room in search of Luke and find him at the coat closet, holding up the lost hockey stick like a trophy.

“I’d pretty much given up on love when he showed up.” The expression on her face as she stares at him almost makes me fall in love with the guy.

I swallow down the lump in my throat. “Was it instant?”

She turns wide eyes my way. “Not at all. We hated each other in the beginning.”

That’s unexpected. “Seriously?”

“Oh, yeah. Mostly because of assumptions. He assumed I was trying to dig dirt up on him for my articles about the team, and I thought he was an overbearing grump who didn’t deserve the time of day.” Her eyes tilt as she laughs. “But then we got to know each other better.”

“And fell in love…” I add a wistful tone to my statement.

“Hook, line, and sinker. But then he blew it a couple of times.”

I blink. “Excuse me?”

“Yeah, he had some stuff to work out with his father, but now they’re great.

And so are we. His sister Kinsley is adorable.

You’ll meet her at the wedding. She’s one of my bridesmaids, too.

You’ll love her. You’ll come with Payton to the wedding, right?

I already added you as his plus one. But if I’d known, I totally would have addressed the invitation to Mr. and Mrs. Payton Maxwell.

Oh, but I think I sent the invitations before you two met.

But it all worked out in the end, right?

” She grabs one of my hands. “Please say you’ll come? ”

Takes me a few seconds to catch up on her verbal diatribe before I realize she’s waiting for my confirmation. My heart constricts as I realize I’m holding her hand as tightly as she’s clutching mine.

The closest thing I have to a friend in my life at present is Del.

We were kind of thrown together through assignments and I needed a place to live.

Thankfully, we liked each other well enough to make it work, although our definitions of having fun are vastly different.

She’s more of a party animal, while I’m the quintessential loner, content to do things on my own.

A longing I thought I’d let go of a long time ago rushes back like the waves I’ve watched surge onto the shore.

I’ve never had a circle of friends who hung out just because they wanted to.

Not because they happened to be thrown together in the same house or unit.

For the most part, I’ve shied away from building friendships, figuring it didn’t make sense, considering my life is constantly in flux.

But none of this is real, and I won’t be here for long. Soon, this assignment will end, and I’ll be on a plane, returning to England, then off to wherever I’m assigned to next. Still, for right now, how can I resist making this woman happy by simply going to her wedding?

I nod and smile. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

Sophie squeals, hugging me, and I hug her back.

The funny thing is…I think I actually mean it.