With the wedding tomorrow, that was the last thing David or Mike would have expected or needed.
“Of course, I’ll stand in for him. But I’ll need to get a suit before tomorrow. There’s no way Mike’s will fit me.”
“I’m already on to it.” David checked his watch. “I called the after-hours number the suit company gave me. They said as long as we’re there by eight-thirty, they’ll make any adjustments we need to another suit and have it ready by lunchtime.”
Aidan glanced at the time. “We’d better leave now.” He grabbed a couple of folders off his desk before hurrying to David’s truck.
As they drove out of the parking lot, Aidan pulled out his phone. “I’m clearing my schedule for the day in case we’re longer than we think. I’ll push the meeting we had with my team out to Monday.”
David glanced across the cab. “Good idea. Thanks for doing this.”
Aidan grinned. “Considering you still owe me for coming second in our sprint around the lake, I’d say you owe me big time.”
For the first time since they’d left work, David smiled. “I thought you’d forgotten about our bet.”
“I never forget the promise of your extra smoky barbecued spare ribs. How’s Andrea? She must have been worried when you told her about Mike.”
“She’s okay, but it’s a stressful time. Even before Mike’s accident, she’d had more than one sleepless night.” David checked the rearview mirror. “Her parents arrived on Wednesday and her mom’s grilling her on every wedding detail. It’s taking Andrea ten times longer to accomplish anything.”
“And the boys?” Aidan prodded.
“They’re keeping Grandpa entertained, dragging him to The Christmas Shop and Betty’s Creamery every day.” David turned onto the highway. “Andrea’s looking forward to Sunday when everyone can relax and enjoy each other’s company.”
Aidan thought of his sister’s wedding. She almost hadn’t made it down the aisle after her mother-in-law-to-be decided she didn’t like the table favors or the color of the tablecloths the day before the wedding.
“I know what you mean about the stress a wedding can create. It’s just as well you’re not a last-minute change type of guy.”
David glanced across the cab and frowned. “Is that a not-so-subtle reference to the decoration I wanted behind the bridal table?”
“It wasn’t a run-of-the-mill request. You had half the wedding partyandthe owner of The Fairy Forest stressed to the max. It’s just as well I can read your mind.”
David grunted. “Or show me a photo of what your sister had at her wedding. Thanks for that.”
“What I can’t understand is why you wanted such a large backdrop.”
“I was nervous,” David admitted. “In a moment of stupidity, I thought we needed something dramatic behind us. By the time I realized how stressful it made Andrea, it was too late.”
Aidan put his phone away. “We all do stupid things.”
“Talking about things that are more sensible, how was your date with Jackie the other night?”
Aidan tensed. “It wasn’t a date. We ate pizza while we discussed business.”
“Are you sure it wasn’t a date?”
“I’m positive,” Aidan told him. “And before you tell me how great Jackie is, I already know. She’s sweet, kind, intelligent, and funny. But I’m not dating her.”
David’s eyebrows rose. “Why on earth not? You’re both singleandyou shared a meal together without regretting it. You obviously like her, so what’s the problem with dating her?”
Aidan stared straight ahead. “It’s complicated.”
“What’s the harm in one date? You can’t judge everyone by your past.”
David didn’t understand the risks. Aidan had almost proposed to his last girlfriend before he discovered she was seeing someone else. At first, he hadn’t believed it. Call him gullible, but he’d really believed Shannon was the woman for him—and the diamond ring in his drawer was a testament to how deeply he’d loved her.
“Shannon wasn’t the first person who cheated on me. I’m over trusting someone who isn’t who she appears to be.”
“It happens to us all,” David said with a sigh. “But you can’t let that stop you from finding someone who makes you happy. Look at Andrea and me. In some things, we’re like oil and water, but it works.”
