“Ugh. What’s so good about it?”
Rowan lifted my arm an inch off my face and smiled at me. “Well, you’re in one piece, I think. So, that’s a win. Plus, I brought you some electrolytes.” He handed me a bottle of life-giving liquid and helped me sit up in bed. “Take small sips of this. It was touch and go last night when you got home.”
“Don’t remind me,” I grumbled. I took a few sips of the electrolyte water and waited for it to retreat, but it stayed down. I followed that up with two aspirin my Aussie savior handed me. “Thank you.”
He sat on the edge of the bed and brushed my hair off my forehead. His hand felt cool on my heated skin, and I leaned into his touch, closing my eyes. “That feels good.”
“I’m glad to hear it.”
He caressed my forehead for several more minutes, not saying a word until it became awkward. The air was charged, like he had something to say but was afraid to say it. I was very familiar with that feeling.
“What is it?” I finally asked.
“Nothing.”
“Doesn’t seem like nothing.”
“How did it go with the bachelorettes last night?”
“Changing the subject. Well done, Boss. A tip of the hat to you.” I tipped an imaginary hat and sipped my water. “Fine. We sang karaoke. We drank too much, which you already know. And you are Truette’s favorite human being because you somehow managed to get Jesse off her back for a few hours so that she could have fun.”
Rowan took a deep breath. “Listen. I want to tell you something.”
I grabbed his arm and sat up straighter, wincing as my hangover stabbed me in the temples. “Me first. You’re not going to believe this. True said she’s thinking of backing out of the wedding!”
He sat stock still.
“Did you hear what I said?”
“Yes. I was waiting for the rest of it. Did she cancel the wedding?” He asked.
“Well, no.”
“Ah.”
“What’s ‘ah’ mean?” I nudged him with my foot. “What’s on your mind?”
Rowan took my hand in his. “Kendra, what if True called off the wedding right now? What would you do?”
“That’s easy, I’d—” I paused to answer. I honestly didn’t know what I’d do. I closed my mouth.
“You’d?”
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “Why are you asking?”
“I’m trying to get a sense if Jesse’s wedding were cancelled, and he came to you, what you would do at that moment,” Rowan said.
My stomach felt queasy. My blood felt like oily sludge, moving slowly through my veins, and my eye twitched.
“What if,” Rowan started. “What if someone else came to you and told you he was in love with you? Had been in love with you since the moment you met? He didn’t want to fall in love at all but forgot all about that the second you spit all over him in a bar?”
“Rowan—”
“What if this man knew he wanted you - from the second he met you? He didn’t need days, weeks, months, or even years to figure it out. Deep in his soul, he knew you were meant to be with each other. What would you say to that man?” Rowan’s eyes met mine, searching for an answer I couldn’t give him.
“Rowan—”
He released my hand and stood. “That’s what I thought you might say.”
