Chapter 32

Chapter Thirty-Two

Liddy lifted her head as Isla and Hunter came into the small office of La Hacienda , plastic shopping bags in hand. She frowned at the sight of rain still battering the outdoors, then shifted some of the fabric she'd been cutting on the floor, so Isla would have a path to walk through.

"Did you find something?" Taryn asked, hopping up fluidly from the floor. She reached for the bags.

"Four options I think will work," Isla said, then rolled her eyes at Hunter. "And two dresses that Hunter insisted ‘would be sexy as hell' but I'm not sure are wedding dress appropriate."

Hunter gave an unapologetic shrug. "I know my girl. Is she back from the spa with the moms? I want to see what she thinks."

"Not yet," Kat said, poking her head in from the other room. "She should be on her way in twenty minutes, though."

Gotta love Kat for being on schedule.

Even though changing plans once again must have added a lot to Kat's plate, Liddy was surprised at how well the woman had rolled with the changes. She'd taken charge, of course, but Liddy didn't mind this time. Elle needed someone who had connections and knew what to do to pull this off.

The reception, Liddy and Elle had decided on the car ride back from the failed dress retrieval, would be on the beachfront right where they'd done yoga that morning. Kat would bring in a dance floor and a long table and chairs—which were on their way here from where she'd ordered them.

And when Liddy had described an idea for the reception to Kat, her eyes had immediately lit up. Liddy had no idea where she'd gotten drapery fabric from so quickly, but it had arrived by the bolt a couple hours later, forcing them to have to cut it to the correct size while Elle went out for some much-needed pampering. Quinn and the groomsmen, on the other hand, had gone out for an impromptu stag night. The women had plans to crash the men's party after they got some wedding work done.

Which I'm dreading. Liddy didn't even want to think about seeing Callum right now.

The office was the only space big enough for the rest of the bridal party to work together, so here they were. Rebecca also volunteered to help since Mason was occupied with his brothers.

"I should check on the men. Make sure they're done with the tasks I gave them," Kat said, checking her watch. "And if they are, we can all probably take a break for the night. It's late, and the big day is upon us! I'll still need a few helping hands tomorrow, though."

"I'll help. I don't have to be with bridal hair or makeup," Rebecca said, coming in from the other room with her arms loaded with fabric. "What do we still need to do?"

Thank goodness for Rebecca. She'd been such a calm, steady presence the entire time.

"There's so much." Kat appeared red-faced. "I have trucks of flowers and dinnerware coming in. The caterer I'd found can't accommodate us here, so I'm talking to one of the local restaurant owners to see what we can manage locally. Honestly, I'll probably be up all night." She twittered a bit as though the craziness of this wedding was catching up to her. "But that's the biz. And I wouldn't have it any other way. It'll be perfect."

She grabbed an umbrella and hurried out of the office.

Hunter raised a brow. "Am I the only one who gets the impression she's trying to convince herself of that last part?"

Liddy smoothed her hands on her knees, then used the wall to help herself stand. Her back was really aching now—between the work they'd done today and not having taken it easy on herself the last few days. Not to mention a night of sex.

She needed pain meds, but she didn't want to say anything and cast doubt on her ability to push through this for Elle.

"It will be perfect, Hunter. Because even if the tables and chairs and flowers don't arrive and we have to walk down to one of those sodas on the beach to eat dinner, it's all going to be fine."

"Yes. That." Taryn gave Liddy an impressed look. "Elle mentioned you've found a new sort of let-it-ride attitude down here. That's just what this wedding needs."

"Let it ride or take a ride?" Rebecca gave an impish smile.

Isla gave Liddy a cautious look as Liddy's face warmed. Somehow, Liddy got the feeling Isla already knew about Callum's decision to abruptly end . . . whatever it is we were doing.

"We all know you're talking about sex, ladies," Hunter said in a flat tone.

Taryn came over to Liddy and slipped her arm around her shoulders. "This is practically my little sister, y'all. You leave her kitchen blow jobs out of the conversation."

Liddy's jaw dropped. "Oh my gosh!" Her gaze went from Isla to Rebecca, and then she covered her face. "I can't believe you told them."

Good lord. How many people are going to find out about that?

Taryn squeezed her shoulder. "Don't worry, your secret is safe with me. Now Hunter, on the other hand, has a big mouth. So I would highly recommend keeping a babysitter on that one when he starts drinking around your family."

"I do not need a babysitter." Hunter raised his chin. "And can I help it if I'm just proud of this carefree, bold—and happy—version of our Liddy?"

She smiled as brightly as she could, then knelt to fold the cut drapery fabric. Once again, she wasn't telling people everything about Callum, but this time, it was because it would hurt to say anything.

She wanted to close her eyes and pretend it was still last night when she'd actually been as happy as Hunter believed.

Happy . . .

She was happy in some ways . . . Elle was finally getting the wedding she'd wanted.

The dress was no longer an issue, and—best of all—she was no longer hiding secrets from her sister.

Trying to pull the wedding together for tomorrow evening had forged a bond of camaraderie with everyone here, no longer leaving Liddy on the outside.

. . . and then there's Callum.

When she'd seen him in that river earlier today, there had been a moment when her heart had squeezed so hard that she'd just jumped in that water after him.

And when he'd turned toward her and kissed her, she'd felt something in his kiss that she hadn't before—even with all the passionate kisses they'd shared.

He'd kissed her like he cared about her.

Was that enough? To know that maybe he'd cared enough to let her go before she got hurt?

Because I don't want to be the woman who became carefree and bold because of the man in her life.

She wanted to be the woman who had come to this place and found her confidence because I deserve to be confident.

Callum had been a part of that, of course. Thinking differently would be foolish.

And so had Sergio. Even when she'd told him their date wouldn't be happening, he'd called her beautiful and told her to look him up if she changed her mind. Even after everything.

Hell, he drove hours to come see me today.

But it wasn't as though men had never complimented her. Wanted to sleep with her.

Callum might have encouraged her to jump off the top of the waterfall, but in the end. . . I was the one who jumped.

Granny might have shoved her ass out the door to go surfing . . . but I still did it. She'd face-planted, but she'd done it.

Nothing this past week had gone according to plan. And she hoped she'd learned something from it.

"Well, ladies, I don't know about you, but I am ready to consume ridiculous amounts of alcohol and get this party started," Hunter said, interrupting her thoughts as she finished folding the fabric.

"I don't know that I have anything to wear," Liddy said, standing and straightening with a grimace. All she wanted was to go back to her bungalow and crawl into bed, but she wasn't about to ruin Elle's last "single" night.

"Don't worry." Hunter winked at her and reached into the shopping bags he'd brought back. "I picked up a couple of sexy little numbers for my girls while I was shopping. Yours is yellow. And it'll definitely get you laid again." He handed Liddy a silky golden yellow dress.

"Wow, that's gorgeous, Hunter."

"I know." He turned and gave Taryn a grin. "And now that Quinn's friend Jasper is here, Taryn, you have someone to hook up?—"

"Can it, Hunter." Taryn shoved him. "Let's meet back here in like fifteen minutes. Elle should be back by now."

"Want to share an umbrella?" Rebecca asked Liddy.

"I'd love to." Liddy started toward the door, then startled as Rebecca pulled an umbrella from where it'd been propped against a wall in the corner of the room. Together with a couple other umbrellas, it had covered some bags sitting there, which Liddy instantly recognized as Callum's.

Liddy's heart gave a painful lurch.

He really did leave the bungalow.

She'd been doing her best to avoid thinking about it, but seeing the bags there made it hard to breathe.

Wow. Why does this hurt so much?

A part of her had been stupidly hoping he'd change his mind. Or that things could return to the way they'd been this morning.

Rebecca watched her closely. "You all right?"

Liddy avoided her gaze, trying to think of a suitable response as they stepped outside. Sharing an umbrella put them closer proximity wise. And besides, I trust Rebecca.

"Callum and I had a fight," she said at last. In some ways, it was true. It'd been less passionate than that, really. Callum had that defeated, emotionless mask on his face again. And she'd been too frustrated to argue back. Especially when he'd been trying to tell her to go out with Sergio, as though it was nothing to him.

"Another one?" Rebecca grimaced. The lights on the path cast deep shadows on the walkway and Isla had warned them earlier to watch out for frogs, which sometimes came out on the paths. Liddy kept her gaze down, using that as an excuse not to look at Rebecca.

"We butt heads easily." Another truth. Lying by omission might be easy enough.

"I have to tell you something. Miranda sent me a message earlier today."

Oh.

Liddy's pulse slowed.

Shit. Now I really feel like a jerk. "I was going to tell you, Rebecca, I just?—"

"Then you know?" Rebecca gripped her arm. "Oh my God. I've been wrestling with whether I should tell you. I hated for you to find out from me, but I also couldn't stand the idea of you being cheated on." She furrowed her brow. "Did Callum tell you?"

Just what did Miranda tell her?

It sounded as though Miranda had simply divulged that Callum had kissed her. Her next breath came more easily. Thank goodness Miranda didn't say anything more.

"He did." Liddy hugged the dress Hunter had given her closer to herself as a sprinkle of rain hit her forearm.

"I can't believe he'd do that." Rebecca shook her head, anger flickering through her face. "You deserve so much better than that. He's such an?—"

"Actually, he's not," Liddy breathed. She'd had enough confessions for one day, but Callum didn't deserve this. I can't do that to him.

"We're not really together." She didn't want to tell Rebecca all of Callum's private matters, but maybe there was a good compromise. "We hooked up on this trip. And I promise—there's a reason I didn't tell you the truth. It all seems dumb in retrospect, but Callum wasn't dating me when that incident with Miranda happened."

Rebecca was silent for a few beats. "I . . . um. All right, then."

Liddy bit her lip, feeling more awkward than ever. "I'm sorry, Rebecca?—"

"You don't owe me an apology. If you say you have reasons, I believe you. That's enough for me."

Unexpected tears burned in Liddy's eyes. "Really?"

Rebecca laughed lightly. "Of course, I fully expect you'll eventually tell me those reasons—when you're able to."

"I will."

"All right." Rebecca slowed as they drew closer to Liddy's bungalow. "You're my friend, Liddy. The only thing I worry about is that you're putting yourself in a position to get hurt, not who you might sleep with. I will say, it doesn't make Callum look good—for him to snog with Miranda days before this. My gut tells me Miranda likely wanted something more to come from that and she's smarting over it, but Callum showed some serious lack of judgment. Though I suppose we all knew he was a knave."

"He's not, though." Liddy stepped under the porch, away from Rebecca. "Really. He's . . . sweet, if you can believe it. Surprisingly thoughtful. And getting to know him has been the best part of this trip."

"Getting to know him or having good sex with him? There's a difference, you know."

Liddy smiled. "Both were great. But I meant the non-sexual one." Liddy looked over her shoulder toward the darkened bungalow. "But too many people found out the truth about our arrangement, and it's over now. He's ended it."

"And you don't want it to be." Rebecca searched her face. "Right?"

"Yes."

"Did you tell him that?"

"He didn't give me a choice." Liddy rubbed her fingertips into the small of her lower back, where a dull ache was forming. "I really like him. It feels as though there could be something worth exploring between us. But I think he's scared to let it go anywhere."

Rebecca practically snorted. "Of course he is. He's an emotionally stunted man-child. Look, at best, we can hope that men stagnate somewhere in adolescence, but Callum appears to have been served his trauma early, given the way he's internalized it all . . ." She grinned. "Don't mind me, I've been inhaling true crime specials with loads of psychological analysts."

"I can tell."

Rebecca shook her head. "But that's not the point. The point is, everyone has been talking about how clearly captivated Callum is by you, Liddy."

Captivated?

Stupid hope. It flared within her despite her best effort.

"It was all part of the act."

"I doubt that. Callum isn't that good of an actor. And neither are you. You both seem to really get on well."

We do get along . . . in some ways. "Callum made it clear he's not the relationship type."

"Hmm, that's funny. Mason told me Callum's ex-fiancée works here."

Liddy furrowed her brows, trying to follow Rebecca's train of thought. "Yes . . ."

"Callum Scott was engaged before, Liddy. And when he was young, obviously. Which means he's absolutely the relationship type. If he proposed to someone before, it's because he wanted a happily ever after. He's probably a goddamn bleeding-heart romantic who will spoil you to death—once he lets you in. Problem is, you let him shut the door."

Was it possible? Did I let him?

He didn't give me a choice, really.

Then again, she hadn't pushed back—not when it came to ending this early anyway. She'd pushed for sex. "He told me we could only ever have a brief, physical relationship. He never opened the possibility of anything else—and I said I could handle that."

"Oh please, Liddy. He's known you for two years. If all you were was some girl he'd met and went home with, this would be a different conversation. I promise you that whatever rationale Callum used to go into this, it wasn't done lightly. He's probably been interested in you for a while."

For a while?

A tiny lizard darted up the porch post, and Liddy watched it, her pulse speeding as she chewed her lower lip, considering Rebecca's words. He asked me out two years ago. Before he knew who I was.

She still had that damn guidebook they'd flipped for. Every now and then, she'd come across the number he'd scrawled on the back page. And if he hadn't ended up being her boss, she would have called him.

She'd never expected Rebecca to be this encouraging—especially after admitting to lying to her. But then again, maybe Liddy had never understood that this was how real friendship worked.

Liddy searched Rebecca's face. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying, if you two make each other happy, don't let Callum's stupidity stop something that could be good for you both. Go kick down the damn door. And I highly suggest you do it in a yellow minidress."