“But about that time, we began to notice her. Lexi Jewell. We’d known her all our lives, but in middle school, she went through some changes. By the time we got to high school…” Eric paused. “Well, she’d become the prettiest girl in the school, maybe all of Scarlet Springs. We talked about her at lunch. We talked about her after school. If one of us actually talkedwithher, we felt like we’d won the damned lottery. ‘Lexi Jewell said hi to me in the hallway.’”
More laughter.
Then he shared how Austin, who’d gone through some changes too, had gotten up the courage to ask her out—and she’d said yes.
“Man, I hated him. I was so jealous. Not only had he hit puberty first, but he’d gotten the girl the rest of us wanted.”
He told them about Lexi and Austin’s breakup and how Austin claimed to despise her for years after that. “Then one day twelve years later, she shows up in town. Austin acts like he couldn’t care less. But in less than a week …”
Eric’s gaze shot to Vic’s, and he seemed to forget what he was going to say.
He swallowed. “In less than a week, they’d fallen in love. Again.”
He turned to Austin and raised his glass. “Taylor, you are like a brother to me. You brought your father into my life, shared your little sister, gave me an extra mom. You helped me set that shed on fire and discover my true calling. You’re my climbing soul mate, my wingman and co-conspirator, and the best buddy a guy could have. I’ve watched you and Lexi from the beginning and know better than anyone else that the two of you were always meant to be. To Lexi and Austin!”
Vic stood and raised her glass along with everyone else. “To Lexi and Austin!”
She remained standing, taking a moment to organize her notes, ignoring the stirring of butterflies in her stomach. Okay, so she was a little nervous.
“I didn’t meet Lexi until our first year of college at the University of Illinois. She was studying to be a certified public accountant, while I was focused on marketing and public relations. Somehow the computer system decided we would get along, and so we were put together as roommates.
“That computer must have been a genius machine because who could have predicted that a girl who’d grown up near Central Park in Manhattan and a girl who’d grown up in Scarlet Springs would have so much in common.
“I think it was probably our first day as roommates when Lexi told me about this jerk back home who’d just broken her heart, some guy named Austin Taylor. Oh, I hated him for her.”
She glanced over at Austin, saw that he was laughing with everyone else.
She shared a few stories of their college years together, ending with Lexi’s return to Scarlet. “When Lexi told me she was going back to Scarlet Springs for a while, I was against it. Not only was I going to miss my best friend, but I was afraid that Austin, that big jerk, would somehow dig his talons into her again. I warned her.
“I would like to state for the record that I was right.”
Cheers and applause.
Vic raised her glass. “Lexi, you’re the sister I never had, and, Austin, you turned out to be Lexi’s knight in shining armor after all. You make Lexi so very happy, and that’s all that matters to me. To Lexi and Austin—and happy endings.”
As she spoke the words, Vic felt a trickle of sadness. Her own story was turning out to be quite different from Lexi’s. By this time tomorrow, she’d be on her way back to Chicago and far from the man she …loved.
The word came so naturally to her mind that it took a moment for the whole thing to sink in. When it did…
Oh, my God.
Adrenaline zinged through her.
She didn’t just care about him. She was in love with him.
She was in love with Eric.
Chapter 19
Eric watchedas Belcourt finished hooking up the laser projector and inserted the flash drive with the video. When he got the thumbs-up, he tapped on his champagne glass again, waiting till the tent fell quiet. “As soon as Taylor and Lexi got engaged, I started a special project. I had no clue how to finish it. Luckily, Victoria, our lovely maid of honor, had the skills needed to step in and turn my idea into a reality. Can we get the side flaps lowered to make it dark?”
Event staff hurried to comply with his request, a handful of guests stepping up to help, too, until the party tent was dim.
“Belcourt?”
Belcourt started the video.
Music played, Eric’s mother’s face appearing on the screen.