Chapter Seventeen
“You look so tanned!” I grabbed Kate and pulled her into a tight hug as I walked into their apartment, almost tripping over a box. Another reason I hadn’t seen much of Kate and Ben lately was because they’d sneaked away on a last-minute trip to Mexico. They had smartly decided to go on their honeymoon before the wedding so they could spend it somewhere hot while Saskatchewan was in the middle of its tundra-like winter.
“Sorry,” she said, kicking a roll of packing tape into the corner. “Deciding to move into a house six months before getting married wasn’t the smartest decision we’ve ever made. Thank goodness for you and Luke. If the two of you weren’t doing all the wedding planning, we probably wouldn’t be getting married at all. This move is taking over our lives.” She sighed.
“And right in the middle of winter, no less.” I stamped the snow off my boots and handed her my heavy coat. “It’s freezing outside.”
Kate led me through the maze of boxes. “Coffee?”
“Please.” I followed her into the kitchen. “So, how was Mexico? Tell me everything! Except the sex parts, please leave those out. In my mind you slept in separate beds.”
“It was so amazing!” She pulled out her phone and scrolled through her pictures: Kate, lean and tan in her cute polka dot bikini. Ben, the whitest white man who ever lived.
“Did Ben get any sun at all?” I asked. “He looks like he stayed inside all day.”
“Skin cancer is a real thing, Julie,” Ben said as he popped his head over a stack of boxes, startling me.
“I thought you weren’t going to be here.” I bounded towards his box fort in the living room and gave him a hug.
“I guess you’re going to have to talk shit about me another time.” He pulled back and grinned. “How’s it going? How’s Luke? How’s the planning? Luke told me you’ve been having a lot of fun together.”
“I’m good. Luke’s good. The planning is good.” I smiled, pleased that Luke had also been having fun.
“I don’t know why you and Luke don’t date,” Kate called from the kitchen where she was making our coffee. “He’s fun and smart and nice. You get along so well.”
I shrugged. “We’re becoming good friends. I don’t want to ruin that.” I picked up the mug of coffee Kate placed in front of me and wrapped my fingers around it, trying to warm them up.
“He told me what happened to his wife,” I said, chest tightening. “Sounds like she was an amazing woman.”
“Theresa?” Ben picked up his mug of tea and blew on it. “Yeah, she was pretty great. Luke went through a really tough time after she passed.”
“You knew her?” My chest tightened just a bit more, this time with regret. The longer I went without a drink the more I realized how little I knew about my brother. He had always been there for me—driving me home when I’d had too much to drink, bringing me take-out when I was too hungover to get off the couch, coming home early from university when I needed him the most. Would it have been too much to have asked him how he was doing? To have asked him what he had given up?
“I met her a couple of times when I visited Luke in Toronto; once right before Hannah was born. She was glowing.” He smiled as his thoughts took him back. “But then she always was. She was a kind, beautiful person. She and Luke were a perfect match.”
“Do you think he’ll ever date again?” I asked, my heart breaking for Luke and his sweet little girl.
“I know he will,” Ben said, nodding. “Luke is a strong man with a lot of love to give. I’m sure Theresa will always be with him, but I’m also sure there’s room in his big heart for someone else.” He looked at me knowingly.
I nodded, knowing what he was getting at but also knowing that I was a far cry from being someone who would even come close to being that perfect of a match.
“I’m glad you asked him to help me plan the wedding,” I said, surprising myself. “He’s doing a great job.”
“So are you, Julie,” Kate said. “Don’t discount all the hard work you’re putting in. We wouldn’t put our wedding into the hands of just anyone.”
I shrugged, unsure.
“We trust you both, Julie,” Ben said. “We know the wedding is going to be great.”
“Well, good,” I said, pasting a confident smile on my face. “Now, tell me more about your pre-wedding honeymoon! That’s why I came over here. I don’t want to talk about me.”
They happily obliged, and while they talked about the weather and the food and the people they met and the adventures they went on, I thought about Luke. When I’d first told him I wasn’t interested in dating him, it was because I thought he was too cheerful. And while I did still think that sometimes, I’d also learned he was so much more. He was fun and smart and nice, just like Kate had said. Why couldn’t fun and smart and nice be my type?
In the past, my type had been based on looks alone. If he fit into my idea of attractiveness—pretty face, toned body—I would swipe right. If he didn’t, I swiped left. I never read online profiles. It didn’t matter if the men were fun or smart. Who cared if they could carry on a conversation? If I kept my searches to looks over substance, there was little possibility of me wanting to see them again.
“Julie!”
“What?” I jumped.
“Are you paying attention to anything we’re saying?” Ben was standing in front of me with his arms crossed like he’d been standing there for a while.
“Of course I am,” I said in what I hoped was a convincing tone.
“What did I just say?” Kate’s eyes were narrowed.
“Um…something about Mexico? How it was hot?” I tried.
“Wrong.” Ben frowned.
I sighed. “I’m sorry. Talking about Luke just got me thinking.”
Kate perked right up again, my inattentiveness forgiven. “And?”
“And nothing. We’re still just friends.”
“Fine,” she said. “Then you won’t mind if we invite him for Christmas Eve game night this year.”
“Of course not,” I said. “Why would I mind?”
“Great!” she said, a big smile on her face. “Hannah is spending Christmas Eve at her grandma’s so we didn’t want him to be alone.”
“Very thoughtful,” I said.
“And?” Ben nudged her gently.
“And what?” I raised an eyebrow.
“And we’ve also invited Marnie,” Kate blurted. “Sorry, I know you don’t like her, but we thought since we were inviting you two, and you’re both in the wedding, and Ben wanted to invite his groomswoman Sherri, who is in town visiting her cousins, we should probably invite Marnie as well.” She took a deep breath, refilling her lungs after her ramble.
“Marnie was much easier to deal with when I was drunk,” I sulked. “But of course it’s okay. It’s your party. And she is family. And I’m actually very excited to finally meet Sherri.”
“So, it’s settled then?” Kate looked at me and then at Ben and then back at me. “We’re okay? Christmas Eve game night is going to be very fun and you won’t ruin it by being mean?”
I laughed. “Don’t worry; I won’t ruin Christmas Eve game night, I know how much it means to you.” I glanced at Ben and he gave me a grateful smile. “Who knows, maybe Marnie and I will become friends.”
“While welcome, I find that unlikely,” Kate said.
“As unlikely as me playing dodgeball?” I leaned forward, hands on my knees, like I was ready to dish some hot gossip.
“What?” Kate exclaimed, leaning forward to meet me. “I want to hear everything. And please tell me someone took pictures.”