“Feel ‘em,” he repeated, shoving his arms directly in front of my line of sight.
I tried to pretend I was irritated, but it was useless. A small smile cracked my lips and I reached out to squeeze his toned bicep.
“See,” he said, heading down the narrow hallway toward his bedroom. “Told you I’d be able to get you to smile.”
“Thank god you came into our lives, Brayden. I’ve been trying to get a smile out of her for months.”
“You were just looking for your missing piece, that’s all. Now that I’m here, there’s nothing else to worry about.” He winked and disappeared into his room. “We’re leaving in forty-five minutes, so you both better get a move on!”
That was the first night I finally began to feel normal again after all the loss and heartache I had suffered months earlier. From that moment on, I knew Brayden was my soul mate, the only man I had ever met who knew exactly what I needed, even if I didn’t. We spent that night bar hopping around campus, all of us checking out the same guys, although what we were attracted to in the opposite sex, or the same sex for Brayden, vastly differed. Still, on that Friday night over eight years ago, we had our first girls’ night, and barely a Friday night had passed since then that we didn’t have our girls’ night.
“I’ve known Mackenzie for nearly a decade.” Hearing his familiar voice broke me away from my memories. “And, during that time, I’ve seen many men come and go in her hunt for Mr. Right, but she was convinced they were all Mr. Wrong, mainly because she said it wasn’t the right time for her to date. Mackenzie’s always had a plan for how her life should go. She’s always been driven, and it’s been this drive that has helped her achieve the professional success she has. But that drive inhibited any long-term relationships. Maybe that’s because she was waiting for the right person to come along…her turtledove, as she always called him…and that’s exactly what she’s found in Tyler Burnham.” He gestured to Tyler as he sat beside me, clutching my hand.
“You two are all wrong for each other. You barely know each other but, like I’ve always said, the heart wants what it wants. You have given each other a piece of your heart. That’s a magical, beautiful thing. Love is a magical, beautiful thing. Listen to each other. Love each other with everything you’ve got to give because, without love, we are nothing. Without each other’s love, you are nothing. Mackenzie, Tyler, I wish you years of happiness. To Mackenzie and Tyler!” He raised his champagne glass, everyone at the table joining in and toasting.
“I’m nothing without you,” I murmured into Tyler’s ear, kissing his neck.
“Now that’s over, let’s kick this party up a notch,” Brayden exclaimed as he grabbed his smart phone, pressed a few buttons, and music began to blare from the speakers he had set up. Leading the way, as always, Brayden grabbed his beau, James, and dragged him toward the makeshift dance floor. His enthusiasm was contagious and, in seconds, everyone else had followed his lead and migrated away from the table.
The hours passed while everyone danced, my friends mingling with Tyler’s family as if they had known each other most of their lives. It particularly made me laugh to watch Brayden swing dance with Colleen. I think even he was surprised at how easily she kept up with him. It left no doubt in my mind where Tyler had learned to dance. He had his mother’s ease and grace.
Needing a break while Tyler danced with little Melanie, I looked around the crowd and noticed Richard off in the corner. I hated that he seemed to appear left out at a celebration of what should have been two families becoming one…and Richard was family to me. Excusing myself from my conversation with Eli, I made my way across the large deck toward where Richard stood next to the bar, a glass of scotch in his hand.
“Hey, Richard,” I said, sidling up next to him, savoring the cool ocean breeze. After dancing for hours, it felt refreshing.
“Hey, Kenzie,” he replied, his speech slurred. “Got married just in the nick of time.” He raised his eyebrows as he glanced to my stomach, a smile bordering between playful and snide crossing his lips. I didn’t