Ben begrudgingly walks towards Gavin’s office, and Holly smiles at me. “And that…is how you do it,” she says, and I can’t help but let out a nervous giggle.
For all our sakes, I hope she’s right.
Chapter 40
Gavin
Charlotte is here.
I’m not surprised. Holly told me that her and Ben made up and said that she still wanted to get married at the resort. She then informed me that she and Charlotte had also made amends, and that Charlotte would still be her wedding planner. I wasn’t particularly thrilled about that because it means I’d be seeing her again.
Or hearing her through the door, anyway.
Was it immature and slightly cruel not to open the door and talk to her? Maybe. Do I have my emotions sorted enough to care right now? Not really.
So you can imagine my lack of thrill when there was a second round of knocks on my door less than an hour later.
“Aspen, I thought I said I don’t want to be interrupted,” I call out, assuming it’s the front desk girl.
“Well I guess it’s a good thing I’m not Aspen,” I recognize the masculine voice as my son, Ben’s. Immediately I shove up frommy desk, stalk over to the door, and jerk it open. Ben doesn’t even flinch.
“What do you want?” I ask.
“What do you think?” he asks.
“I’m not in a talking mood,” I say, ready to shut the door again.
“Yeah, well I am. I’m getting married, you know. Which means you have to deal with me.”
He’s right, I can’t just blow him off. He’s my son and technically a customer right now. I leave the door open and make my way back to my desk.
I pour us each a shot of whiskey.
“Alright. Let’s talk business,” I say.
“She wants everything she did before,” he says.
“Fine,” I answer.
“The ceremony by the lifts, the cocktail party in the brewery, and the reception in the event hall and around the fire pits,” he goes on.
“Okay,” I say. “I wasn’t planning on pulling the plug on any of it. My friend is still available to do the barbecue as well. Everything will be exactly the way she wants it.”
“Good.”
“But you have to stop holding it against me that I fell for your ex-girlfriend. Who, by the way, I had no idea was your ex-girlfriend. Not when I hooked up with her. Not when we planned yourwedding. And not when we continued to see each other. It was what it was, and that’s all there is to it,” I tell him.
“Okay,” he says, and while I should be questioning his compliance, I am on a roll and keep going.
“I know she’s not your mother. But that’s the thing about losing the love of your life. If you don’t want to spend eternity alone, you have to date people who are not them. And you kids are just going to have to accept that,” I say.
“I know,” he says. “And that’s fine.”
“It is?” I ask.
“Yeah,” Ben nods, leaning back in his chair. “I mean, do I love that you’re with my ex? Not really. It’s weird. Awkward. And kind of cringey to be honest. But I know you can’t help who you fall in love with. The same as I couldn’t change the lack of connection. So, I’m accepting it for what it is.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “You’re accepting that I am involved, was involved with your ex?”
