Chapter 21
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Ashlyn
It was definitely wishful thinking to expect Nash and Cade to have a sudden change of heart about Ben and me, but at least they’re being civil while we wait for dinner. They don’t speak to Ben directly, but I can live with that. I know it’ll take time for them to come around to the idea of us.
“Look who’s here,” a voice calls from behind me. I turn, my face breaking into a wide smile as Seb and Taylor walk hand in hand into the room.
I leap up from my seat. “Taylor!” I quickly close the distance between us, pulling her into a hug. She laughs, hugging me back.
“How are you feeling?” I ask.
“I’m good,” she says with a warm smile. “Really good.”
“I’m so glad you’re here.”
She reaches for my hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “Me too, Ash.” Then, her gaze drifts past me to Ben.
Turning, I gesture toward him. “You remember Ben, right?”
“Of course.”
Ben stands, offering a polite smile. “Hi, Taylor. You’re looking well.” He leans in, pressing a quick kiss to her cheek.
Seb steps forward, extending his hand to Ben. “Good to see you again, man.”
As Ben shakes his hand, I silently celebrate, my heart swelling with gratitude. I don’t think I’ve ever appreciated my brother more.
I sneak a glance at Nash and Cade, catching the flicker of confusion and annoyance on their faces. Right now? I don’t care.
As Seb and Ben say hello, Taylor moves through the room, embracing everyone and doting on Hunter.
“Hey, Tay. You should sit down,” Seb urges.
“I’m fine, babe. I’ve been stuck in a hospital bed for weeks,” she counters.
“Exactly! You shouldn’t even be here. You should be resting at home.” He gently guides her toward the sofa.
Taylor sighs as she takes a seat, rolling her eyes. “Seb, you’re fussing. I promise, I’m okay.”
“It’s my job to fuss.” He leans down, pressing a soft kiss to her lips. “I’ll get you a drink.”
“I’ll have a glass of wine, please.”
He hesitates, frowning. “Are you sure you should?”
“She can have a drink, Seb,” I interject. “She’s not made of glass.”
Still unsure, Seb glances at Cade. “Can she?”
“Sure. She’s not on any meds, so there’s no reason she can’t have a drink.”
“Okay, I’ll be right back,” Seb says, hurrying out of the room.
Taylor sighs, sinking into the sofa. “I love that man more than anything, but he really needs to relax.”
“Don’t be too hard on him, Tay. He thought he was going to lose you. I’ve never seen him like that before,” I tell her.
She sits up, offering me a small smile. “I know. And I get that it’s because he cares. He’s been amazing, just a little overprotective.”
I let out a dry laugh. “Welcome to my world.”
“Dinner’s ready,” my mom announces from the doorway.
Everyone rises and heads toward the dining room.
Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Nash pulling Seb aside, no doubt questioning him about the way he greeted Ben earlier.
I choose to ignore them, instead taking my seat and gesturing for Ben to sit beside me.
The table is filled with roast beef and all the sides, and my stomach growls at the sight of it.
Ben chuckles softly beside me. “Hungry, baby?” he murmurs, his breath warm against my ear.
I turn toward him, our lips nearly touching. “I skipped lunch,” I whisper, my eyes flicking to his mouth.
Ben holds my gaze, the heat in his eyes undoubtedly reflecting my own.
The moment is interrupted by a loud throat-clearing from across the table.
I glance up to see Nash has settled into the seat directly across from us, his expression unreadable.
Ben turns back to face everyone, but his hand finds my thigh under the table, his touch grounding me.
“Dig in, everyone,” my mom urges. “Before it gets cold.”
We pass dishes around, filling our plates until everyone has what they want.
“It’s so nice to have everyone around the table again,” my mom says happily. “Wyatt’s the only one missing.”
“When is he back? The season’s over, right?” Paisley asks.
Dad nods. “Yeah, the season ended a few weeks ago. He’s been doing some sponsorship stuff. He should be home next week.”
“It’ll be good to see him,” Seb adds. “Are you a football fan, Ben?”
I giggle, and Ben playfully squeezes my leg.
Seb raises a brow. “What’s so funny?”
“Ben is a huge Cardinals fan.”
My dad, mid-bite, looks intrigued. “Have you been to many games?”
Ben nods. “Almost every home game when I lived in Phoenix, but not as often since moving to River Falls.”
“You’ve met Wyatt, right?” Cade asks. I can’t help but feel a flicker of hope. Maybe this is a good sign that he’s joining the conversation.
“Briefly, on Christmas Eve,” Ben replies.
“You should ask Wyatt to get you one of those private loft spaces, Ash,” Taylor chimes in, then turns to Ben. “We had the best time. Endless food, a fridge stocked with drinks, and the best seats in the stadium.”
“From someone who didn’t even know the rules of football,” Seb teases. “Nash and I spent the entire drive to Phoenix trying to explain the game to her.”
Taylor sticks her tongue out at him. “One game was all it took and I was hooked. We should all go when the season starts back up.”
“That sounds like a wonderful idea,” my mom agrees. “It’s been far too long since we all watched Wyatt play. It’s been too long since we’ve all been together for anything.”
“Speaking of all being together,” Nash says, turning to Paisley with a wide grin. “We have some news to share.”
Excitement flutters in my stomach. Could they have set a new wedding date? Or maybe… is Paisley pregnant?
Unable to hold back my anticipation, I grab Ben’s hand and squeeze it gently. “Well, don’t keep us waiting!”
“Yes, tell us!” Sophie chimes in, her excitement mirroring mine.
Nash nods at Paisley, and she beams. “We’ve set a new date for the wedding!”
Cheers erupt around the table, and I lean into Ben, whispering, “They postponed when Taylor was in the hospital. There was no way they were getting married without her.”
He nods in understanding, just as Taylor, her voice thick with emotion, says, “I’m so excited for you both. But it’s my fault you had to cancel in the first place.”
“Not even a little,” Paisley insists. “You had an accident, and I wasn’t getting married without my best friend by my side.”
Tears stream down Taylor’s face, and Seb immediately wraps an arm around her, pressing a kiss to her head. “Don’t cry, baby.”
“These are the good kind of tears,” she assures him, wiping her face.
“What date did you pick?” my mom asks eagerly.
“July nineteenth,” Paisley says, then hesitates before glancing at my parents. “Would it still be okay to have it here?”
My mom’s face lights up. “Of course, sweetheart! Everything except the caterers is ready to go from last time. I’ll call them first thing tomorrow.”
Paisley’s eyes shimmer with unshed tears, but she holds them back as Nash kisses her cheek.
Once she composes herself, she turns to Sophie. “We’ll need to get your dress altered. Maybe next week?”
“Absolutely,” Sophie agrees. “Just let me know what works with your shifts at Eden. This is the best news, guys!”
“I hope you’ll come to the wedding too, Ben,” Paisley says, deliberately ignoring the sharp glare Nash is shooting her way.
Ben glances at me, his smile warm, before turning back to Paisley. “I’d love to. Thanks, Paisley, and congratulations to you both.”
The small glimmer of hope Cade sparked at dinner now ignites as Paisley includes Ben in such an important family event. Having him there means everything to me, and I know Paisley understands that.
“This calls for a celebration! I’m sure we have some bubbly somewhere,” my mom announces, pushing back her chair and heading to the kitchen. She returns moments later, a bottle of Prosecco in one hand and as many glasses as she can manage in the other.
“I’ll grab the rest,” Ben offers, standing.
“Thank you, Ben. They’re on the breakfast bar,” my mom says with a grateful smile.
As Ben leaves the room, Nash seizes the moment, leaning forward across the table. His voice is low but firm. “Ben’s not invited to the wedding.”
My heart sinks. “What?”
“He’s not invited,” Nash repeats, leaning back in his chair, his arms crossed over his chest.
Paisley glares at him. “What are you doing, Nash? Ben is your sister’s boyfriend, and I already invited him.”
“Well, I just uninvited him. It’s my wedding, and I don’t want him there.”
Paisley exhales sharply, clearly exasperated. “What about what I want?”
“This isn’t what you want, it’s what Ash wants,” Nash argues.
“Enough,” Mom hisses, shooting a wary glance toward the door. “You can discuss this later, when Ben isn’t here.”
“There’s nothing to discuss,” Nash says stubbornly.
“Oh, there’s plenty to discuss,” Paisley retorts, frustration clear in her voice.
I catch Taylor’s eye, and she offers me a small, sympathetic smile.
“Did what I said earlier mean nothing to you, Nash?” my dad asks with a sigh.
“This is my wedding, Dad. I don’t want some random guy there.”
“He’s not some random guy,” I argue. “He’s the man I’m falling in love with.
But you know what? If you won’t accept him, that’s fine.
He won’t come to the wedding. As much as I want to say ‘screw you,’ and not come either, I could never do that to one of my closest friends. I’m coming for Paisley, not you.”
A heavy silence settles over the room, broken only by the scrape of my chair against the wooden floor as I push back and stand. All eyes stay locked on me, the tension palpable, just as Ben walks back in.
“I hope I got enough…” Ben trails off, his gaze sweeping over everyone as he picks up on the tension in the room. His eyes land on me. “What did I miss?”
I step forward, gently taking the glasses from his hands and setting them on the table. “I’ll tell you outside.”
“We’re leaving?” he asks, his brow furrowing.
“Yes.”
I lace my fingers with his and start toward the door, but he hesitates, his grip tightening just enough to stop me. “Wait,” he says, searching my face. “I don’t know what happened while I was in the kitchen, but can’t we figure this out?”
Tessa’s voice is soft, almost pleading. “We can work it out. Please don’t go, Ashlyn.”
I let out a disbelieving laugh. “You really think we can stay after that, Mom?”
Her face darkens with anger as she whips around to face Nash. “Do you see what you’ve done? Your stupid, overprotective bullshit is driving her away. Is that what you want?”
My eyes widen in shock. I don’t think I’ve ever heard my mom swear.
“Of course not!” Nash exclaims.
“Then what the hell was that?” she fires back, her voice sharp.
Ben squeezes my hand, drawing my attention. “Do you want to leave?” he murmurs.
I nod.
Ben clears his throat. “Look, I think everyone needs to cool off, and right now, the best way for that to happen is if Ash and I head out.”
My mom looks heartbroken, and I immediately drop Ben’s hand to wrap her in a hug. “I’ll call you tomorrow,” I whisper. She nods, holding me tightly before finally letting go.
I return to Ben, slipping my hand back into his, and we start toward the door. Just as we reach it, Ben suddenly stops.
“It’s not hard to guess what was said while I was out of the room,” he says, turning to face everyone.
“But you should all know how much Ash means to me. I fought my feelings for her for months. Choosing to be together wasn’t easy for either of us.
We knew we’d face… challenges. But no matter what, she’s worth it. Every obstacle, every doubt.”
Without waiting for a response, he leads us out of the room. I let him, his words playing over and over in my mind. My heart still aches from Nash’s outburst, but Ben’s declaration is a reminder. We’re in this together, and he’ll fight just as hard as I will for what we have.