“Thanks for being such a good sport about meeting my parents,” I say.
He smiles at the road ahead as he drives. “Your parents are awesome. And really strong huggers. I forgot just how powerful your mom is. She’s half my size, but has the strength of a bear.”
I laugh, then notice a message on my phone. It’s a text in the group chat that I’m part of with the ladies.
Bella: We’re checking out downtown Victoria tonight! Who’s in?
All the ladies text that they’re down for it, so I do too.
Ingrid: Are the guys coming too?
Bella: They’re doing a Scotch tasting Braden organized, but they’ll meet up with us later.
I turn to Camden. “Looks like we’re all going out on the town tonight.”
He grins. “Sounds like a blast.”
Chapter 38
Ellie
“Bella! In less than forty-eight hours, you’re going to be a married woman! Can you believe it?” Ingrid squeals.
Bella grins wide, her gold-brown eyes bright. “I know!”
She swipes her long, brown hair over her shoulder and holds up her cocktail, then yells, “Woo!”
We all do the same, laughing when everyone at the crowded speakeasy bar looks over at our table.
Madeline pulls Bella into a hug. “You’re gonna be a wifey, just like us.”
She smiles at Sophie, who’s sitting next to me. The three of them chuckle.
“I honestly can’t believe it. I never thought I’d get married, ever,” Bella says.
“Really?” I ask.
She nods. “Yeah. Right before I met Braden, I had sworn off relationships forever.”
“How come?” I ask.
“I had a terrible breakup before I met Braden. My ex was also a hockey player. Who cheated on me. A lot.”
I grab Bella’s hand. “I’m so sorry.”
She waves a hand, an easy smile on her face. “It’s okay. It all worked out for the best. And honestly, going through that shitshow with my ex led me to Braden. If he hadn’t broken my heart, I would have never moved back to Denver and ended up living next door to him.”
I beam. “That’s such a beautiful way of looking at it. Almost like it was meant to be.”
Ingrid chuckles. “Can you believe Bella and Blomdahl didn’t like each other when they first met?”
I gasp. “No way.”
Bella just laughs. “It’s true. We met when he left his music blasting in his apartment, and it woke me up from a dead sleep early in the morning. I yelled at him and told him off.”
I can’t help but laugh. “That sounds straight out of a romcom.”
“You wouldn’t believe how many of us didn’t like our guys when we first met them.” Bella gives Madeline a knowing look.
