Chapter 17
seventeen
RUBY
A few days later, I’m in Hanson's Mercantile, the local grocery/bakery/post office/anything you can think of store, doing my weekly grocery shopping when my phone rings. I smile when I see Joel’s name flashing on the screen. He and I have been playing phone tag all day, so I’m excited we can finally chat.
Joel and I are meeting up tonight so we can finish putting together the thank-you baskets for our bridal party. He got personalized beer mugs for his groomsmen, and for my only bridesmaid, a champagne flute and a satin robe. All of them will get a care package that consists of headache pills, water, energy drinks, and snacks to keep them going on what’s sure to be a busy day. I’m still worried the photos will be off because I only want Sab by my side whereas Joel has three groomsmen, his brother and two friends, but when push came to shove, I didn’t want to add people just to even things out. Joel assures me it will all be fine because people will be focused on me, but I’m still worried.
“Hey hey, fiancé,” I say when I answer. I love saying fiancé but I cannot wait until I get to call him my husbutt. I decided on husbutt because Joel has a sexy butt. It’s tight and muscular for an accountant, and was one of the things I first noticed about him.
“Hey, Rubes.”
“I’m just at the store, I should be home in a few but you can let yourself in and get started if you want, and then I can start on dinner and then?—”
“I’m not coming,” he states, interrupting me. His tone gives nothing away but it causes me to stop in the middle of the aisle. I rapidly blink as I process his words. “What do you mean, you’re not coming?” I hiss into the phone.
“I have to get this report done and I’m behind.”
“Joel,” I plead. “We need to get this done, we’re getting married?—”
“That’s all you talk about,” he snaps, interrupting me. “Wedding this. Wedding that. There’s more to life than the wedding.”
“Are you shitting me right now?” I shout. “You have done shit all for our wedding, and I thought we could at least do this together, since it’s for those helping us on our special day.”
“Like that matters, besides, everyone knows weddings are for the chick.”
“You did not just say that to me.” The gall of this man. Weddings are the union of two people who love each other unconditionally and want to spend the rest of their lives together. Yes, the woman has a pretty dress, but the guy has a tux and his hair styled. It’s about both of us, and he knows that because he has just as much of a say in things as I have. If anything, I’ve given in to him at every turn. My dream had always been to get married by the lake, surrounded by snow before we moved into a tent for the reception. It’d be lit by millions of fairy lights and tea light candles would sit on high-top cocktail tables. Gas heaters would provide warmth since it was winter. Waiters would continually walk around with trays of finger foods and drinks. There’d be no sit-down dinner so people could mingle and have fun.
“It’s true,” he states. “Look, I’ll pop by later this week and we can do it then if you don’t have it done, but I really need to get this report finalized and submitted before the holidays.”
“I—” Before I can finish my sentence, he hangs up.
He.
Hangs.
Up.
No “I love you” or “Talk soon.”
Just the dial tone.
My eyes well with tears and when I look up, Delivery Dan is staring at me. Great, this is all I need because now, by tomorrow morning, the whole town is going to know Joel and I had a fight over the phone. Smiling at him, I spin around, my cart narrowly missing the shelving before I race away from him. My vision blurs as I storm down the aisle. I will the tears to stay away and so far, they comply. I turn the corner without watching where I’m going and I crash into another cart. When I look up, I see Maddox. He smiles but when he notices my tear-filled expression, his smile disappears. “Reindeer, what’s wrong?”
That question causes the dam to break and the tears begin to fall like an avalanche down my cheeks. In the middle of Hanson's, I break down. The next thing I know, I’m in Maddox’s arms. He’s consoling me without knowing what caused the waterworks.
Wrapping my arms around his waist, I burrow in and let all my grief out. I thought Joel and I had turned a corner. The other night was magical in every way. It reminded me of the Joel from when we first started dating. Finally, he and I were on the same page but, clearly, I misread things because it’s obvious his job is more important than me.