“Just because I don’t want to go doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go.”
“Aren’t you going to donate them again?”
“I’ve been having a hard time finding a charity to take them. Make-A-Wish surprisingly doesn’t have anyone that has asked for them this year. There is one charity that might want them to auction off, but they haven’t gotten back to me yet.”
“Well, damn. I can’t take tickets away from a charity. Maybe you should shred them or set them on fire. It could be cathartic. We’ll have a party…light a fire…drink some wine. It can be a thing.”
Rowan laughed. “I thought about it the first couple of times, but you’re right—he is a good singer and those tickets are hard to come by. Someone might as well get some use out of them.”
“Has he tried to contact you? Other than the tickets?”
“No, just the tickets. No notes. No emails. No nothing.”
“Maybe he wants you to go to the concert so he can talk to you?”
“And say what? Sorry I was an ass? What good would it do?”
“Don’t you wonder what he would say?” Claudia asked.
“No.” Lie. “Yes, but what’s the point? I love Michael. We’re getting married in six weeks. Nothing good will come from me reaching out to my ex-boyfriend.”
“You’re not even a little bit curious?” Claudia asked.
Rowan sipped her wine, then watched the light amber liquid swirl in the glass. “I am, but I’m afraid of what I’d lose if I went and actually spoke to him. He’s my kryptonite and there’s a small part of me that will always wonderwhat if. But if I give in to that small part, it would destroy everything I’ve built with Michael over the last year and a half. I may never love him the way I loved Luke, but that’s probably to be expected. I loved Luke the way a girl loves a boy. Michael is kind and wonderful and we love each other the way a man and a woman love each other. I’m not going to jeopardize that to satisfy a little curiosity.”
“Rowan, I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize it was still so hard for you. I never would have pushed if I’d known.”
“It’s not that it’s hard—it’s more like keeping my sweet tooth in check. I’d like nothing more than a bite of double chocolate ganache cake, but I know I won’t be satisfied with one bite and I’ll eat the whole cake and then I’ll have nothing to show for it except a sugar high, a belly full of regret, and ten extra pounds. Best to not even be tempted.”
Claudia laughed at her analogy. “Alright. No more chocolate cake.”
“Double chocolate ganache cake,” Rowan said. “You know what, you should go. Take Maria. Isn’t her birthday coming up soon?”
“She would die. She loves him. Well, she loves his singing. Although if she were straight, she’d probably love him, too.”
“Her and fifty million other women,” Rowan said. “You can have the tickets on one condition.”
“What’s that?”
She smiled. She could picture Claudia’s look of suspicion. “You have to go dress shopping with me this weekend.”
“Please. Like that’s a condition. When and where?”
“You didn’t let me finish. Adalynn and my mom are coming.”
“They’re flying out from Tennessee to go dress shopping?” Claudia’s voice rose to the point of being shrill.
“Yup. Mom convinced Dad to buy them tickets. In her own words, ‘How often am I going to get to help my baby pick out a wedding dress?’ ”
“Isn’t Adalynn on her second marriage?”
“Mom has a selective memory. Plus, Adalynn didn’t wear a wedding dress the second time, what with the justice of the peace ceremony and all.”
“I’m not really sure I’m getting the better end of this deal,” Claudia said.
“True, but I need you on my side. Otherwise my mom and sister are going to have me in some lacy, ruffled monstrosity. With bows and a hoop skirt.”
Claudia grumbled low. “They’d better be really good tickets.”
“Front row, center.”
