Chapter 24
Chapter Twenty-Four
JULES
The sun dappled through the lush canopy of Memorial Park, casting flickering shadows across the vibrant green grass.
Located in the northeastern quadrant of Dove Key, the park had a lovely open area along with a baseball diamond and a sandy beach.
The diamond was empty, and we were well away from the beach revelers, making for a serene, blissful atmosphere.
Or it should have been. I plastered on a smile, willing my face muscles to cooperate as I helped Lacey spread out a red-and-white checkered picnic blanket.
“Jules, you’re a lifesaver,” Lacey said, arranging platters of sandwiches and fruit. “I don’t know how I’d get through this wedding chaos without you.”
I forced out a laugh that I prayed sounded heartfelt. “What are best friends for? I live to serve as your personal wedding planner, slash therapist, slash punching bag.”
Daniel plopped down beside Lacey, grinning. “Don’t forget voice of reason when she threatens to elope every other day.”
“Two times!” Lacey protested, swatting his arm playfully. “I threatened to elope twice, darling.”
Their easy banter twisted something painful inside me. I busied myself with straightening the napkins, trying to keep my carefully constructed mask from crumbling.
Randy passed a sandwich to each of us. “Well, we can officially check off the rehearsal now. Hopefully, the weather will be this nice for the real deal.”
I glanced at the vivid blue sky with its soft, puffy clouds and nodded. “I’ll second that.”
“Hey, gang!” Chase’s cheerful voice rang out as he approached, carrying a cooler. “As requested, I come bearing liquid refreshment.”
I looked up, meeting his eyes. A complicated mix of gratitude and unease washed over me. Chase’s presence was a welcome buffer but also a reminder of the tangled web of relationships at Sunset Siesta.
“My brotherly hero,” Lacey declared, making grabby hands at the cooler. “Please tell me there’s something stronger than lemonade in there.”
Chase winked conspiratorially. “I may have snuck in a bottle of wine. For toasting purposes only, of course.”
After Chase uncorked the wine and we drank it out of red Solo cups, we discussed the upcoming ceremony, only a week away now.
And a week since Eli and I had ended…
Both Lacey’s and my dresses were ready and gorgeous, and we’d just finished the official rehearsal here at Memorial Park. My best friend was on top of the world, and I was miserable. But I laughed merrily as we made a plastic toast with our cups to love and marriage.
As we settled into lunch, the conversation turned to a commercial strip mall Chase was designing, a reminder that the resort wasn’t the only slice of the architect’s pie. Of course thoughts of the resort inevitably brought back Eli.
Lacey’s gaze flickered to me, her sunny smile faltering. “You hanging in there, sweetie?”
My fingers clenched around a napkin. “I’m fine. Today’s about you and Daniel, not me.”
Lacey shook her head. “Jules, you don’t have to pretend. We’re your friends. We care about you.”
The gentleness in her voice threatened to undo me. I blinked rapidly, fighting back the sting of tears. “I appreciate that, but really, I’m okay. Let’s focus on the important stuff, like making sure Daniel doesn’t trip walking down the aisle.”
“Hey!” Daniel protested with a laugh.
Chase cleared his throat, looking uncomfortable. “Listen, Jules… I just wanted to say I’m sorry about how you and Eli ended up. I thought you two made a good couple. Your differences complemented each other, but maybe it just wasn’t meant to be.”
His words, clearly meant to be kind, were like a knife twisting in my gut. I sucked in a sharp breath, the loss of what could have been hitting me with fresh intensity. “Thanks. But sometimes good isn’t enough, is it?”
Lacey’s hazel eyes met mine, filled with sympathy and something deeper—understanding. She’d known Eli for years, long before I’d arrived on Dove Key.
“You deserve to be happy, Jules. If not with Eli, there’s someone out there for you.”
I swallowed hard. Because that was the problem. We’d broken up a week ago, but I didn’t want to be with anyone else. And I still couldn’t figure out how that had happened. How I’d managed to fall head over heels for Eli Coleridge.
The weight of regret settled over me like a heavy blanket. I’d known from the start that getting involved with Eli was a risk. Hell, it was practically a textbook example of conflict of interest. But I’d ignored every red flag, every warning bell.
“God, I was so stupid,” I said, more to myself than anyone else. “I let myself believe in this… this fantasy. As if duct tape and beer could ever truly mesh with spreadsheets and profit margins.”
Lacey squeezed my hand. “Jules, you can’t beat yourself up—”
“Can’t I?” I interrupted, a bitter laugh escaping me. “I knew better, Lace. I knew the score from day one, but I jumped in anyway. I let myself believe it could really work out. And now look where we are.”
I glanced around the picturesque park with its swaying plumerias and laughing families.
How many times had I lectured clients about calculated risks?
And here I was, the supposed expert, having taken the most reckless gamble of all with my heart.
I took a deep breath, trying to regain my composure.
But it didn’t work. The frustration that had been simmering since that awful confrontation with Helen and Eli’s phone call after finally bubbled over.
“You know what really gets me?” I said, my voice low and tight. “He didn’t even try to fight for us. Not one bit. He just told Helen we weren’t serious and it was no big deal.”
Lacey’s brow furrowed. “Oh, Jules…”
“I mean, I get it. I do. Eli’s always been the guy who drifts in and out like the tide. It’s part of his whole… thing.” I waved my hand vaguely as if I could conjure his easygoing charm out of thin air. “But part of me thought… I don’t know. That maybe this time would be different.”
The realization hit me like a punch to the gut.
“God, I’m such a cliché. Thinking I could change the commitment-phobic guy.
” Lacey opened her mouth to speak, but I shook my head.
“No, you know what? It’s fine. Really. This is exactly who Eli is.
I knew that going in, and I can’t blame him for being true to form.
At least now I have clarity, right? No more wondering what if. ”
Chase shifted, his gaze thoughtful and measured. “To be honest, I wondered, too. About whether Eli was changing this time.”
His words hung in the warm, tropical air, weighted with possibility. I looked up, surprised. Chase wasn’t one for casual observations, and his carefully chosen words carried more significance than a simple throwaway comment.
“What do you mean?” I asked, my fingers absently tracing the edge of my Solo cup.
“He was different with you,” Chase continued, his eyes distant. “More focused, even serious. When we’d grab beers together, he’d talk about you in a totally new way. Not just as another casual relationship, but like you were something substantial. Something real.”
A complicated knot formed in my throat. The last thing I wanted was false hope, and I couldn’t see any light at the end of this dark tunnel. “I did too. Looks like we were both wrong.”
“Helen finding out about you two—that wasn’t a small thing,” he continued. “For Eli, family dynamics are complicated. Always have been.”
I bristled, my armor sliding back into place. “Helen’s disapproval isn’t exactly a new concept for Eli. He’s been navigating her expectations his entire life.”
Daniel gave an awkward little shrug. “Family expectations are rough. And the Coleridges aren’t exactly known for their boring, easygoing lives.”
Chase nodded. “True. Helen’s always been protective of the resort, of the family legacy. And I’m sure he was pretty crushed at her reaction. Maybe he just needs a little time to process what happened.”
Sitting up straighter, I shook my head. “I’m not going to be his secret. If Eli can’t work this out with Helen, there’s no way forward for us.”
Chase held out a hand. “And you’re completely right to feel like that. All I’m saying is if you give Eli enough time to stew, maybe he’ll see that too.”
We’d avoided each other this past week, not speaking at all. Harper had been sympathetic, but I hadn’t seen Helen at all. “Well, as of now, he’s not even trying. So that’s where it stands. Nowhere.”
Lacey’s eyes were full of sympathy, and I couldn’t bear to see it. Not now. I straightened my shoulders, plastering on a smile that felt more like a grimace. “Enough about my disaster of a love life. We’re here for you, remember? Your wedding is the priority.”
“Jules, you don’t have to—”
I cut her off with a hug, squeezing perhaps a little too tightly. “I want to. Your happiness means everything to me, Lace. And you too, Daniel. I’m not going to let my drama overshadow your big day.”
As I pulled back, doubt flickered in Lacey’s eyes. I doubled down on my false bravado. “As maid of honor, it’s my job to head off trouble at the pass. Now, tell me all about the seating arrangements. Any last-minute family feuds I should know about?”
Monday morning hit me like a hangover, minus the fun of actually drinking.
I shuffled into the resort’s lobby building, the familiar scent of coconut-vanilla air freshener offering little comfort.
My heels clicked against the polished floor, each step a reminder of the professional mask I needed to don.
As I approached my office, voices drifted from Harper’s open door. I froze, recognizing Helen’s authoritative tone.
“You’re right, Harper. We need to move forward. It terrifies me, thinking about that kind of loan… But seeing the state of those roofs, hearing Chase's plan, I need to face that controlled risk is better than guaranteed decline.”
My breath caught. Helen agreeing to renovations?