Champagne and Lemon Drops: A Blueberry Springs Chick Lit Contemporary Romance (26 page)

"Yes. Most of them. Some are overseas."

Beth slipped her arms around Nash's neck.
"It would mean a lot to me to have it here. And it would also be so
much easier to plan. Everything we need is right here and you
wouldn't have to miss as many shifts."

"Well," Nash looked at his list of dates
with reluctance. "I'll think about it. It would have to be a very
different sort of wedding than I've been envisioning."

Beth smiled. "Have you been reading my
wedding magazines?" she asked playfully.

He turned away, slipping out of her grasp to
straighten a picture. "We should pick a date."

"You have!" Beth clapped her hands together.
"You are so great!" She skipped over to Nash and gave him a huge
kiss. Planning their wedding together would be awesome. His
attention to details would make this amazing.

"We need a date."

"Does that mean we can have it here?" Beth
stepped back, hands clasped. She batted her eyelashes.

"I didn't say that."

"Oh. Okay." Beth turned back the covers and
worked at keeping her mouth shut. This was an important battle.
More important than cake, flowers, invitations, or even the band.
She closed her eyes and envisioned them getting married in town,
surrounded by familiarity and friends. Sort of like what she'd
started to plan with Oz, only with a different groom. And maybe a
little more extravagant thanks to Nash's input.

"You know I love you," he said, setting his
watch on his bedside table. "I promised to take care of you. If
it's important to you, it's important to me."

She met his clear blue eyes, trembles of
excitement weaving through her.

"Let's do it," he said, shaking his head
slowly in disbelief. "Let's have an Blueberry Springs wedding." He
laughed and threw his hands in the air.

"I love you!" Beth bounded over the bed and
leapt onto Nash. She wound her arms tightly around his neck and her
legs around his waist.

"Shit!" Nash's legs gave out, and they
crumpled to the floor in a heap.

Beth giggled and peppered his face with
kisses. "Oops. Sorry!"

"Warn me next time. You're heavier than you
look."

Beth climbed off him, her cheeks burning. He
could knock Oz down with one punch—a man who was able to catch her
every time—but he couldn't catch her without collapsing?

Stop it!
She had to stop comparing the two. She was engaged
to Nash. They were two completely different men.

Nash picked himself off the floor, rubbing
his elbow before testing its movement. "Should we pick a date and
see if, what—the community center—is free?"

"Yes. The hall is great for the
reception."

"Isn't there a golf club or something?"

"Out here?" Beth shook her head. "Nope. Not
close by, anyway. Let's pick a date. We can have the service in the
center, too." Or not, judging by the look on Nash's face. "Either
way, picking our date shouldn't be a problem in terms of
availability for venues." She knew full well that for Nash it was a
church service, or pretty much nothing. But she may as well let him
feel as though he was winning something substantial, too.

"Let's see what's available for April."

"That soon?" She tried not to look surprised
or smile too big.

"Why wait?"

Beth looked into Nash's crystalline eyes and
nodded. "Okay."

He'd soon see how easy and fast it would be
to plan a wedding here. People would be efficient, helpful, and
simply awesome. Just the way he liked. Within weeks he'd be talking
about raising their kids here.

All she had to do was let Blueberry Springs
win him over.

***

Beth eased Oz's truck into a snowy parking
spot outside Will's place hoping Gran had her information right.
She also hoped to have the truck back to Oz before word spread back
to Nash that she was asking favors of her ex. True, she'd only had
to send Oz a quick text when she hadn't been able to borrow anyone
else's truck. He'd left it unlocked and warming up in his driveway
so all she had to do was jump in and go. But, for some reason, she
still felt as though she'd stepped across some invisible line. It
didn't help that the familiar, dusty man smell that the truck's
interior emitted felt like home. She only hoped that Nash would
understand that borrowing Oz's truck was a last ditch attempt to
get Katie back as a friend.

She stomped the snow off her boots while
heading into the entry of Will's apartment building. Having no
security doors, she brushed by the new, potted houseplants dotting
the entryway and let herself down the hall to Will's main floor
suite and knocked.

Katie opened the door, her usual smooth
ponytail looking like someone had placed her head in a box of
monkeys and given the thing a shake. "What?" she asked, narrowing
her eyes at Beth.

"I have a truck."

"Congratulations." She started closing the
door.

"It's for you."

The door stopped moving. "What?" Katie
narrowed her eyes again, taking a second look at Beth who was
wearing her old winter jacket and Levi's with the knee ripped out
of them.

"I'm here to help."

"Oz is supposed to be bringing his truck,"
Katie said, dismissing her.

Beth paused. No wonder it had been so easy.
She'd just freed him up to spend an evening at home, arms around
Mandy, drinking beer. Son of a bitch.

She glanced at her left finger.

Not her problem.

Right.

Carry on.

Beth pushed on the door, trying to gently
barge in before Katie turned her away and she ended up looking like
a fool. A fool without a best friend. "It's Oz's truck. Now, do you
need help or what?"

Katie stepped aside, her face a myriad of
emotions. And all of them containing an undercurrent of snoopy,
curiosity-driven intrigue that made Beth want to talk full stream
so Katie wouldn't get a chance to open her yap.

"So?" Beth asked, quickly. "What needs to be
moved? Gran said the couch?" She kicked off her boots and wandered
into the living room. "What are you up to?"

"The big blabber mouth," Katie muttered.
"It'll be a miracle if news of this makeover hasn't found its way
to Will already."

Beth halted and looked at what used to be
Will's living room. "Uh? When does Will come home?" She checked her
watch. It was already 5:45pm. If this was the last day of his
conference he could be home at any moment and the place was a
disaster.

"He said nine."

Beth relaxed and peeked inside an open box.
Fabric. The next box had throw cushions. She lifted one and
refrained from asking Katie what she was thinking giving a man
throw cushions.

"What?" Katie asked, hands on hips. Beth
shook her head and dropped the cushion back in the box.

"I know what you're thinking," Katie said.
"That throw cushions aren't Will. But at my place he always tucks
one under his arm and two under his head when he sprawls on his
side to watch a movie. He'll like them."

Beth stroked the cushion's fabric. Okay,
maybe the girl did know what she was doing. And the fabric was kind
of manly. You know, for something that wasn't leather or denim.

"So, what do you have left to do in order to
transform this place?" Beth asked.

Katie ran a hand through her hair and ended
up messing up her ponytail even more. She pulled out the elastic
and redid it, smoothing it out. "I have to put the new coffee table
and bookshelf together. Grab the plants from the entry, hang the
curtains and put up the rods, put down the new throw rug. Haul the
old couch out to the dump and pick the new one up at the
depot."

"When do they close?"

"Seven. Well, there is someone there until
seven. They closed at four."

Beth pulled the coffee table out of its box
and looked at the legs. Screw on kind. Nice. She began screwing
them in, one by one, trying to ignore the fact that Katie was
simply watching, not doing anything. Keeping her head down, she
screwed in the last leg and set the table upright. She brushed the
specks of packing debris off the surface and finally looked up at
Katie.

"Why are you helping me?" Katie asked
quietly, her eyes resting on Beth's ring.

"Because you are my best friend." Beth
blinked rapidly, trying to diffuse the silly tears that had
appeared.

"Okay." Katie said finally. She stood and
brushed off her pants. "How about we take the couch out next? It'll
give us some room. Plus, the dump closes soon."

They began moving furniture out of the way
in order to move the couch down the hall toward the door.

"So... um?" Beth waited for Katie to look
up. "Will you be my maid of honor?"

Katie blinked about twenty times before
closing her jaw and composing herself. "Right. Sorry.
Congratulations." With forced moves she gave Beth a quick hug.
"That's exciting, huh?"

Beth nodded. "I could use some help planning
the wedding."

Katie laughed so hard she had to wipe the
tears from her eyes.

"What?" Beth asked, feeling slighted.

"You know more about weddings than anyone I
know. You've got a zillion bridal magazines and have already picked
out invitations and a dress."

"That was for Oz."

Katie jerked like a dog reaching the end of
its leash. She carefully smoothed out her shirt and reached for her
coat. "Right. Well, let's get this smelly old couch out of
here."

Beth refused to follow Katie's lead.

"Are you coming?" Katie asked, leaning down
to shove the couch.

"You don't approve, do you?" Beth asked in a
low voice. She knew Katie was peeved and didn't see the potential
in Nash or even how much she'd grown to care for him, but she
hadn't thought it was this bad.

Katie straightened, her face flushed with
emotion. "You know what I did on Christmas Day? Late in the
afternoon?"

Beth slowly shook her head, unsure whether
she wanted to hear what Katie was going to say.

"I was going to come over and offer you
congratulations, but I ended up getting Oz from the drunk tank. Too
much eggnog and rum. And you know why he did that, of course."

Beth sucked in a sharp breath. Every move
she took destroyed Oz. She placed a hand on Katie's arm. "I'm
sorry."

"No." Katie pulled her arm away. "You're
not."

"Excuse me?" Beth stepped back, arms
crossed.

"It's because of you."

"What's because of me?" Beth asked
carefully.

"That incident. He heard you got engaged and
went off and got plastered."

"It's hardly my fault that I can't live my
life without him acting like a dork."

Katie raised her eyebrows, daring Beth to
fight. Beth let out a long sigh and raised her hands in defeat.
When Katie got like this there was no arguing with her and if she
did, she'd only end up pushing Katie further away.

She fell into a heap on the couch, a waft of
its fishy smell wrapping around her, as she burst into tears. "I
can't live like I have forever, Katie. If I want a family—and I
do—I have to keep moving forward. Oz doesn't want me. I waited
eight years for him and had him for two and a half. I can't wait
another eight just to see if comes back to me. You and I want him
to want me, but he broke up with me." Tears streaming down her
face, she looked to Katie whose expression was grim.

After a few moments Katie sagged onto the
couch and wrapped an arm around Beth. "Okay."

"Okay what?" Beth asked once she got control
of her emotions.

"Okay, I'll be your bridesmaid or maid of
honor, or whatever. But I really don't think I'm equipped to help
with the wedding. Anyway, I hear Nash is doing a fine ol' bang-up
job of it." She gave a quiet, half laugh.

"Richard says the hall is booked." Beth's
tears refreshed themselves and tore down her cheeks.

"Then pick another date."

"We did." Beth swiped at tears with the
sleeve of her coat. "Everything we've picked is booked." She turned
to face her friend. "How can that be possible?"

"Hm. That
is
weird."

"I'm trying to convince Nash to stay here.
That we could raise a family in Blueberry Springs and I was hoping
the wedding would solidify what a great place it is, but it
everyone's being a bunch of dicks. I don't get it. This is my
home." Beth fought off a fresh wave of tears and stood up. She took
a deep breath and readied herself to move the couch and forget
about everything.

"He wants to leave Blueberry Springs?" Katie
said, her voice sounding odd.

"He's always been clear that he's only here
to fulfill his contract and gain experience."

Katie frowned. "Where would you guys
go?"

"Dakota, I guess."

"The city?"

Beth nodded.

"You hated the city."

"It's not that bad," Beth said quickly. "I
loved Paris."

"You were on vacation."

"Cities have their perks when you're with
someone who knows and loves them."

Katie stood up and studied Beth for a
minute. "You really actually love him, don't you?"

Beth gave a sigh of disbelief and barely
refrained from leaving the room. "I'm not so desperate for kids
that I'll marry the first man to come along."

"Sorry. I just didn't expect it for some
reason." Katie frowned. "You know what?"

"What?" Beth asked, not sure she wanted to
know.

"I think..." Katie spoke slowly and
carefully, seating herself on the couch again. "I think it is
pretty brave of you. No, not brave..."

Beth sucked in a slow, quiet breath, making
herself wait for Katie to finish before she went volcano on her
ass.

"I think it is...
honorable. Or maybe self-sacrificing. Or... anyway, it's cool that
you let Oz go." Katie struggled with her words. "I mean... this
isn't coming out very well. But what I mean is that someone like
Mandy would have trapped Oz and made him be the man she wanted. You
didn't slip up with the birth control." Katie looked up at Beth,
her eyes dark and thoughtful. "You listened to him and respected
his wishes even though they went against yours." Katie studied her
hands. "And I guess I still wish that you and Oz would get back
together because you guys were so
good
. It was like nothing I'd ever
seen. But things change and... and you have to move on. It's the
right thing to do." She let out a loud sigh of defeat and looked up
at Beth. "I hope you know you'll always be my sister, in my heart,
even if it isn't by marriage. You're family."