Chapter Twenty-Seven MAE
Chapter Twenty-Seven
MAE
That night, I arrived at Madison's house. Madison was hosting a Tex-Mex dinner, declaring that winter in Alaska called for her favorite foods. When I arrived, I was pleased to see Phoebe, Susannah, and Maisie there.
Maisie’s toddler was bouncing on her lap. I smiled over at the little boy. “He’s got your curls.”
“He sure does.” She lightly tugged a brown curl with her fingers, stretching it out and letting it bounce back before he wiggled off her lap.
“Don't worry. He won't be here all night. Beck is coming to pick him up. He’s on daddy duty. I told him this was a girls’ only night.
He's gonna want some of that food,” she called over to Madison, who was at the stove.
“I'll make him a to-go plate,” Madison called in return.
Madison pulled out a casserole pan of enchiladas, which she’d smothered in cheese and sauce.
“Wow, you're not messing around,” I commented.
She flashed a smile. “There’s no such thing as too much cheese and sauce.”
She pulled out a small round aluminum pie pan and transferred some into it before putting foil over the top. Glancing over at Maisie, she said, “This is for Beck when he gets here.”
As if on cue, there was a knock on the door, and Maisie hurried over to answer it. Beck came into the kitchen and glanced around with a grin. “Damn. It smells good in here. I don't get to stay?” he teased when his eyes made their way back to Maisie.
She shook her head. “Definitely not.”
Madison approached him, handing over the small pan. “When you get home, just pop this in the oven. It will only need to heat for a few minutes.”
“Yes!” Beck flashed a grin, winking at the entire room as he lifted his son into his arms. “Good to see everyone.” His gaze landed on me. “Glad you're back in town to stay, Mae.”
“Good to be here,” I called in return as he waved on the way out.
Maisie sat down across from me, and I eyed her, bemused, as I shook my head. “Honestly, I never would have believed it.”
“Believed what?” Maisie prompted.
“That Beck Steele would fall that hard.”
Maisie shrugged, her cheeks tingeing pink. “I didn't think so either. Even though I've been in town for years now, I tend to forget how many people grew up with him. He was such a flirt.”
“He was,” Phoebe chimed in, “but he's always been a nice guy. He was never a jerk.”
“Definitely not,” I added.
Madison carried the casserole pan over, and we served ourselves using the plates stacked in the center of the table. We chatted casually, covering the usual topics of small-town gossip before Madison eyed Phoebe. “So, I keep hearing rumors, and I hate being that person.”
“It's okay. It's a small town,” Maisie offered. “Simply living here is sort of a license to be nosy.”
Madison pressed her lips together. “I know, but—”
“I know what you’re wondering about,” Phoebe interjected.
“Yes. My former best friend is engaged to my ex. I broke up with him before I knew about them. I don’t want him.
I mean, I broke up with him for a reason, but it's totally awkward, and it sucks. To make it even more fun, she’s begging for my forgiveness. ”
“I still can't believe she's trying to do that,” I offered.
Phoebe sighed and took a swallow of wine. “Yeah.”
“Seriously?” Madison pressed.
Phoebe nodded slowly. “Totally serious. The wedding is here next February.”
“Oh my god, really?” Maisie interjected.
“Fuck,” Madison offered succinctly.
Phoebe rolled her eyes. “Yeah, that's really all I can think about it.”
“What are you going to do?” Susannah asked.
“Well, I'm sure as hell not going to be a bridesmaid in Tasha’s wedding like she's asked me.”
“I can’t even believe that,” I repeated.
Phoebe twisted her lips to the side. “She’s all, please forgive me, you don't understand, blah, blah, blah, I knew you didn't really love him, and it just happened.
I'm glad they're in love. Honestly, I don't want him. I’m not even mad at him. It’s here, and I can't do the bridesmaid thing. She sent this long email about it and cc’d my mother on it.”
“Your mother?” Madison yelped.
“I know. It's just so embarrassing. I don't know what to do. Here's something random and weird, though.”
“What?” I asked.
“Remember Archer?” Phoebe prompted.
Maisie shook her head. “Obviously, I don't remember. I didn't grow up here.”
Madison nodded in agreement.
“Archer Cannon? He was in elementary school with us, right?” Susannah asked.
Phoebe nodded.
Susannah’s eyes widened. “Oh, yeah, you two were like best friends.”
I nudged Phoebe with my elbow. “What about Archer? He's been gone for years.”
“Yeah, he moved after fifth grade, I think. Every so often, I'd hear from him. Anyway, he's moving back to Alaska, and he needs a wife. He asked me.”
“I'm sorry, what?” Maisie prompted, leaning forward and resting her elbows on the table.
“Yeah, I know. It's weird. I don't actually know why he needs a wife. Somehow he heard about what happened with my ex and Tasha and thought I might appreciate making it super clear I’m not pining after the guy. I think I'm going to take him up on it,” Phoebe explained.
“Seriously?” Susannah asked. “When was the last time you saw him?”
“I think it was fifth grade,” Phoebe said. “Maybe it’s nuts, but he was my best friend when we were little. I know he's a good guy. It'll just be for this. That's it.”
“You're not going to just agree to fake marry some guy you haven’t seen in years?” Madison pressed, brushing her long dark hair off her shoulders. I was still getting to know Madison, and I liked her, but her beauty was intimidating.
To make matters even more daunting, she always looked completely put together. For example, she had glittery tips on her fingernails tonight. I was also positive she plucked her eyebrows, yet somehow, they looked natural.
“I’m not ready to say yes yet,” Phoebe replied. “Archer said he'll be here in January, and we can talk about it then.”
I stared at her. “Um, I think that's a little insane.”
“Agreed,” Susannah chimed in.
Phoebe shrugged. “Look, my pride is seriously stinging right now. I'm pissed off at Tasha and can’t freaking get over how much nerve she has. I'm not going to do anything stupid, but I'm going to talk with him about it when he gets here.”
Madison's wide eyes met mine. I glanced back at Phoebe. “Well, I guess you’ll figure it out when you do. We’ll be here if you need us.”
“How are things with you and Rowan?” Maisie asked, a sly glint in her eyes.
“They're good. I think.”
“I think it's so freaking adorable. Rowan thought he'd never see you again, and now you're falling in love,” Maisie added.
I was in deep when it came to Rowan, and it felt good just to admit it. Except I'd been ignoring that email from Chet. It felt like it was festering in the back of every thought that connected to Rowan. It reminded me of all the time we’d lost.
When I got home that night, I decided to stop ignoring it. I opened up the email in the preview pane, only to realize the subject line was all there was to it. I stared at it, my fingers hovering, almost itching to type out a reply.
I craved the sound of Rowan's voice. But I didn't want to tell him about this, so I didn't call. I never replied to the email.