Chapter EIGHTEEN

Ariel watched as Bradford brooded by the fireplace, his gaze fixed on the flickering flames. She approached slowly, sensing his turmoil. She could hear the shower running and realized that Jessica must be in the bathroom.

"Hey," she said softly. "You doing okay?"

Bradford sighed, his shoulders slumping. "Not really. I just wish our families could get along for one weekend. But Jessica"s parents—and her sister—seem determined to be chaotic and crazy. And my parents practically have to be dragged out even for meals."

He turned to Ariel, his eyes pleading. "I want this wedding to bring everyone together, not drive them further apart. Is that too much to ask?"

Ariel"s heart ached for him. She remembered how Bradford had always been a peacemaker, even when they were younger.

"No, it"s not too much," she said, touching his arm reassuringly. "Weddings can be stressful, families even more so."

Bradford managed a small smile. "I"m glad you"re here, Ariel. It reminds me of old times, when things seemed simpler."

Ariel nodded, swallowing hard against the flood of memories. She longed to embrace him, to soothe away the creases of worry from his brow. But she couldn"t.

"We"ll get through this weekend together," she promised. "I know it"s hard, but have faith. Love conquers all. It did with me and Miles, and it will with you and Jess."

Bradford"s eyes softened, reflecting the fire"s glow. For a moment, the past and present blurred, two kindred souls finding solace amidst the shadows.

Ariel took a deep breath, pushing down the rising tide of emotions. She had to stay focused on the present.

"Here"s an idea," she said, her voice brighter. "Why don"t we play a game after dinner tomorrow? Charades or something silly to break the ice."

Bradford"s eyebrows lifted in surprise. Then he chuckled. "Charades? Really?"

Ariel grinned. "Really. It"ll get people laughing and bonding. Hard to stay uptight when you"re acting out "Goldilocks and the Three Bears.""

Bradford laughed, the worry lines fading from his face. "You know what? That"s brilliant. A game night is exactly what we need. The board games were a bright spot." He gave her shoulder a grateful squeeze. "You always know how to make things better."

Warmth rushed through Ariel at his touch and praise. "That"s what old friends are for," she said softly.

Footsteps sounded from the bathroom. Jessica"s voice called out, "Bradford? Where did you put my conditioner?"

Bradford shot Ariel a rueful look. "Duty calls. But thank you, for everything."

"Anytime," Ariel whispered. As Bradford left to join his fiancée, Ariel hugged herself tightly. Playing with fire, that"s what she was doing. Flirting with the past, when her future lay elsewhere. She had to be more careful. Bradford belonged to someone else now. Even if every look, every touch felt like reconnecting to an old version of herself.

With a shake of her head, Ariel left the room. Miles was waiting—and she had nearly forgotten.

***

The next night, Ariel took a deep breath as she entered the dining room, putting on a bright smile to mask her confusion. It had been an awkward, silent day, and she was hoping that the evening would be better. The snow hadn't let up, and so that wouldn't be changing soon. But she could change her mood. She just needed to shake off her own troubled thoughts.

This is not the time to get lost in memories or what-ifs.

She chatted lightly with Jessica and Victoria, keeping the atmosphere cheerful. Inside, however, her thoughts drifted back to Bradford, who had yet to come down to dinner. Seeing him again—and their encounters—had brought up so many emotions - nostalgia, curiosity, and yes, attraction.

They had been so in love once. Young, passionate, ready to take on the world together. Until real life got in the way—careers, family obligations, distance? Who knew, since he'd never offered her a full explanation. Still, a connection like that didn"t just disappear.

Ariel glanced at Bradford now as he took his seat and tried small talk with Jessica"s family. He looked happy, but was he? Had he ever gotten over her the way she had gotten over him?

She'd nearly asked him directly last night. The question had been on the tip of her tongue. But something held her back. There would be time later, if they could grab another private moment. For now, Ariel just observed Bradford closely, searching for any cracks in his content fa?ade. Was reconnecting with her bringing up old feelings for him too? She wasn"t sure. But the curiosity remained, simmering below the surface.

This weekend held so many opportunities, for joy, for closure, even for love. Ariel simply needed to navigate it all delicately, without overstepping. Bradford may be her past, but her future was unwritten. A misstep could endanger what she had with Miles, which she definitely did not want.

Glancing again at Bradford as she began decanting the wine, she saw he had seamlessly switched into an affable, relaxed demeanor. Perhaps years of keeping up pretenses in his musical career had honed his ability to conceal his true emotions. Ariel wondered if she was the only one still feeling the intensity of their earlier private conversation. There would be more chances this weekend to get to the bottom of why Bradford had contacted her after all these years. For now, Ariel focused on keeping things upbeat and comfortable. The rest could wait until the time was right.

She studied Bradford"s face, trying to discern any hidden meaning in his words or expressions. But his affable mask remained firmly in place. He showed no trace of the frustration he had revealed to her just last night about tensions between the two families.

She couldn"t shake the feeling that he had sought her out for a reason, wanting to confide his misgivings about the impending nuptials. Why had he chosen to reveal those doubts to her, of all people? Did he think she could somehow fix the rift between the two families? Or was he hoping to rekindle something from their shared past?

Ariel felt a pang of guilt. She shouldn"t be entertaining such notions when her own relationship with Miles was going so well. Perhaps Bradford simply needed a friendly ear, and she was reading too much into it. And she certainly didn"t need to give Randall—who lounged at the end of the table, staring at Victoria—any fuel for his suspicions.

Still, the spark between her and Bradford had always been undeniable. Ariel glanced over at him, taking in his rugged features and remembering how he had made her feel years ago. How he still made her feel, if she was being honest.

Ariel sighed inwardly. This weekend was going to be more complicated than she had anticipated. She just had to keep her wits about her and not do anything rash, no matter how tempting it might be to get carried away in nostalgia.

"Ariel? Everything okay?" Bradford asked, jolting her from her reverie.

"Oh yes, sorry," she said, smoothing her features into a pleasant smile. "Just thinking about the dinner menu tonight."

Neutral territory. But inside, Ariel"s emotions—and stomach—churned like the sea during a gathering storm. Ariel took a deep breath to steady herself. She wondered if she was being paranoid, seeing intrigues and ulterior motives that weren"t really there. Perhaps Bradford truly just wanted to reconnect with an old friend. But her instincts told her there was more beneath the surface. She would just have to be patient to uncover the truth.

"You know, I had an idea earlier that might help bring all the families together," she said brightly. "After dinner tonight, we should play a big game of charades! What do you think?"

Bradford looked thoughtful, then broke into a grin. "I think that sounds perfect. You always did know how to get people to loosen up."

There were varying murmurs—from interested to annoyed—before Ariel excused herself to start bringing out food. Ariel busied herself checking on the dinner preparations, ensuring everything was on track for a smooth service. The mouth-watering aromas of roasted chicken and vegetables and fresh baked bread filled the kitchen. Ethan, her talented new sous chef, worked diligently chopping vegetables for the salad.

"Smells amazing in here," Bradford commented, sidling up beside Ariel.

"All thanks to my secret weapon here," Ariel replied, nodding toward Ethan. "His skills are really going to wow everyone tonight."

Ethan grinned shyly at the compliment before ducking his head down over his cutting board again.

Ariel regarded Bradford thoughtfully. "Can you do me a favor and let the others know dinner will be ready in about fifteen minutes? Katie's just gone down to the cellar for some spring onions."

"You got it," Bradford said. He started to turn away, then paused. "Hey, there was something I wanted to ask you earlier. Do you have a quick minute?"

Ariel"s pulse leapt. This was the opening she"d been waiting for all day. Finally, a chance to get Bradford alone and find out what he was really up to. Why he"d rented out the BB for the weekend. Why he"d come to Endless Harbor after all this time...

Just then, Katie bustled into the kitchen, loaded down with bags of onions.

"Mom! We have white onions and red onions, but no spring onions. Are you sure they're down there?" she said briskly. Without waiting for a reply, Katie looped her arm through Ariel"s and steered her from the kitchen. "Come on. I looked exactly where you said…"

Ariel shot Bradford an apologetic look over her shoulder as she allowed herself to be led away. His unasked question would have to wait.

But later, after charades, perhaps the truth would finally emerge...