But then, a picture of my perky redheaded friend emerged, and I recalled my promise to Amelia to be cordial. Damn my tipsy self! Sure, it was easy to promise your bestie the world, but seeing Harrison face to face while sober was a different story.
"Hey, there."Hey there?I cleared my throat and tried again. "I heard we were roped into head bridegroom duties."
Harrison's eyes sparkled before he gave a deep chuckle. There went my heartbeat again. "Yeah, I'm looking forward to the bachelor party myself."
And there it was. My mouth twisted, and I fought to keep my eyes from rolling.
"I bet," I sarcastically griped under my breath. Knowing him, he had probably hired a bunch of strippers and planned on taking one home. Or all of them.
His smile dimmed. "We're just going to throw some axes down at Tyler's Park and then head to O'Riley's."
Oh.
"Oh." I cleared my throat. "Cool." I grabbed a menu and pretended to peruse the options even though I knew exactly what I would get.
"Big Breakfast again?"
"Huh?" I peered up at him. He had one arm leaning on the back of my booth. He gestured to the menu.
"You read the menu for two minutes but always end up getting your usual—the Big Breakfast with poached eggs and iced tea."
My mouth might have fallen open a little before I swiftly closed it. When had he ever seen me eating that? I couldn't recall a time I ate in this cafe with him. I just remembered Harrison and his lackeys laughing and calling out loud, crude jokes in the corner while I tried to make myself invisible.
"I don't always get that," I sniffed as I closed the menu. "Sometimes I get scrambled eggs instead of poached."
Harrison threw his head back and laughed. "Still the same sarcastic Grace I know and–" He stopped abruptly, his face coloring slightly.
A pregnant and uncomfortable silence fell between us. "You don't know me, Harrison," I quietly chided. "Let's not pretend here, shall we?"
Harrison's gaze never wavered from mine, his face lined with an emotion I couldn't quite place my finger on. He clearly wanted to respond, but the tension in his jaw showcased his restraint. Instead, he nodded solemnly, rubbing the back of his neck.
Uncomfortable with the lingering silence, my eyes suddenly became fascinated with my nails. Then the salt shaker. Then the discarded menu. My fingers itched to snatch it up to hide behind. Meanwhile, Harrison's presence still loomed beside me like a stalking shadow.
"Hey, you're coming to the reunion, right?" His sudden change of subject had me groaning at the reminder. Was he really asking me that?Him, of all people?
"It's the last thing on my mind and certainly the last thing I care about. But," I sighed wearily. "Amelia really wants me to go, so I promised to show my face for at least thirty minutes."
"Oh." He paused, his brow pulling down in a quizzical stare. "I was under the impression..." His voice trailed off.
"Under the impression,what?"
He pursed his lips together in thought. Whatever he was about to say, he seemed to think twice about. He shook his head and offered me his lopsided, dimpled grin. "Nothing."
I rolled my eyes before glancing around the cafe and peering outside. Where were my parents and Teddy? I could've slept in an extra twenty minutes and avoided all this.
"Hey, look," he started again, "do you want to get together to discuss the wedding?"
I scrunched my face up at him. I knew it was rude, but I was genuinely taken aback. "Why?"
"Ah…well, you know how Amelia is."
"Idoknow how she is. I've been best friends with her since we were nine. You pretended she never existed all her high school life. Doyouknow how Amelia is?"
Harrison's jaw tightened, and he straightened his casual stance. "Look, I get that you don't like me. Believe me, I didn't like me either. I'm not the same guy I was. I want you to know—toshowyou—the new me. The me I have been since I left high school."
I held my hand up to stop his flow. The gall of the man. "No offense, Harrison, but I don't care to know thenew younow. I'm only here to help Amelia and Liam with their wedding. I promised Amelia that I'd be nice and polite but nothing else. There's no reason for us to meet up to discuss the wedding. What you do with Liam is your business, and what I do with Amelia is mine. Okay?" I arched my brow in challenge.
Before Harrison could respond, the familiar twang of my mom's voice broke through.
