the scene at the structure fire the night before.
He leaned over and kissed her before handing her some pills and a bottle of water. “Here, I figured you’d need these.”
Harmony took the capsules and downed them.
“Did you have fun last night?” he asked.
“Apparently,” she mumbled.
“Well, it sounded like you did.”
Her jaw dropped. “Did I call you, too?”
He pulled out his phone that showed twelve missed calls.
“Oh, shirt.” Harmony cursed using phrases from The Good Place because we were in church as she bent down and grabbed her purse. When she pulled out her phone and pulled up her call log, the remaining color drained from her face.
“Who else did you call?” Hudson asked.
“Goodfellas Pizza, Mom, and Mrs. Nelson.”
“Why did you call Mrs. Nelson?” I wondered aloud.
“I have no idea.” Harmony shook her head but then realization dawned on her. “Oh wait, I remember. I wanted to know if Xander is the real father of Alexis’ baby, not Trent.”
“Who’s Alexis?”
“It’s the character her granddaughter plays on Sunset Bay. The soap opera. Her husband on the show is having an affair with the nurse, and his twin brother, who everyone thought was dead, came back to Sunset Bay. I haven’t been able to watch lately because I’ve been busy, and I remember really needing to know last night.”
“What time did you call her?” I asked, hoping that it wasn’t in the middle of the night.
Harmony’s face fell. “Two a.m.” She turned and glared at Hudson accusatorily. “This is all your fault.”
Instead of being offended or concerned, Hudson just looked amused. “Is it?”
“Yes. I used to be able to handle my alcohol.” She whispered so it was barely audible. “I could drink anyone under the table. My weekends consisted of threesomes with Mr. Jack Daniels and Mr. Belvedere. But then you came along and domesticated me. Nowadays when I see the sunrise it’s because I woke up in time, not that I hadn’t been to bed yet.”
He grinned, clearly proud of himself and he kissed her forehead again. “You’re right. I’m a real a-hole for that.”
“Well, at least you admit it.”
As I watched my sister and her husband’s banter, I had to admit, their love seemed real. And so had all my brothers who’d tied the knot. Part of me wanted to believe that what they felt was real. And an even smaller part of me wanted to have it for my own.
The moment that my head entertained that idea, I rejected it. I’d been there, done that, and had the T-shirt. I had no desire to do it again.
The music changed and I saw that Brady, the groom’s older brother, was escorting the mother of the groom to her seat. I was ready to get this show on the road. The sooner it started, the sooner I could leave.
I’d just settled back against the pew, ready to zone out for the next thirty minutes or so, when someone sat beside me. Automatically, I scooted down to make more room.
“Hi, Beau.”
The voice I heard made my heart stop and I froze. Before I turned my head, I knew exactly who was seated beside me. But that didn’t mean when I did finally turn and look, I still wasn’t shocked to see Rachel. The woman that I’d walked in on ten years ago and hadn’t seen in a decade sitting next to me.
She looked the same. The years had barely aged her. She and Neil, my best friend, had gotten married and moved to Denver for his job within a month of us breaking up. I hadn’t seen her since.
But now, as I looked at her, I saw the same blue eyes, the same long blonde hair, the same full lips and sweetheart face that I’d fallen head over heels in love with at twelve years old.
“What the fork are you doing here?” I heard my sister hiss with vitriol.
“Harmony,” her husband warned, knowing that my sister could go from 0 to 100 in .00003 seconds.
I was glad he’d done it, because I wouldn’t have had the balls to.
“Hi, Harmony.” Rachel leaned forward with a hesitant wave before looking back at me. “I moved back home. I’m getting a divorce.”
The news hit me like a punch in the gut, but I did my best to disguise my reaction. I wanted to get up and leave, but I knew that would make a scene. So, I sat there, facing forward, with a blank expression on my face.
I really hated weddings.
Chapter 3
Sasha
“It’s only gossip if it’s