1. Ginger

CHAPTER 1

ginger

ONE YEAR LATER

"I told you, I don't want to talk about it," Leo said as he laced up his shoes. "I just want to get through this fucking rehearsal dinner tonight and the wedding tomorrow. And I never want to talk about Love again."

Honestly… Fair. I had plenty of things I didn't want to talk about, either.

My poor friend, though. A couple of days ago, his sweetie, Lovett—whose name he'd shortened to Love—called and canceled their trip back home. I didn't have all the details, but I suspected that Love's veterinary school course load had taken them by surprise, and they'd suggested taking a step back.

Lovett had always struck me as a practical, sweet human, and I'd bet real money that they hadn't wanted to disappoint Leo every time they needed to prioritize their study schedule. Leo, of course, didn't see it that way. In a fit of hurt, he'd broken up with them and had been crying on and off for the last two days.

Leo was a lot more sensitive than he liked to let on, and things like this hit him hard. That was to be expected, given his truly awful childhood, but knowing the cause didn't make it any easier for him. I'd tried to console him, but he kept insisting that he didn't want to talk about it. I'd honor his request, but it was hard to watch him struggle.

I was considering bringing in Major, but I didn't know if Leo would view that as a breach of trust.

By the time we made it to the rehearsal dinner, Leo was doing a reasonable impression of the young man who always made people laugh. I was sure his performance fooled most people. I, however, had been at Lupe when Leo first got dropped off. I'd spent enough time with him to know when he was genuinely happy and when he was faking it. And tonight? Leo was definitely faking it.

Halfway through the evening, he dipped into the bathroom for what I suspected was another crying jag. I discreetly followed him and stepped inside the men's room.

"I said I don't wanna talk about Love," he warned, his voice cracking. He didn't bother looking up.

"Okay," I said, hugging his side. "If it makes you feel any better, I never want to talk about Jules again, either."

Jules was… Well. Jules wasn't , and for difficult reasons.

"You're so brave…"

Ugh. She had no idea how much those words had shredded me. My therapist had had a lot of work on her hands after that one.

I refocused on Leo as a pained look crossed his face.

"What's this?" I asked, gesturing to his expressive mug.

He grimaced.

"Leo?"

"You don't keep up with her social media, do you?"

I shook my head. It had been a year since I'd made out with Jules, and in that time I'd only seen her when it was unavoidable. I checked her volunteer schedule and stayed away from Lupe whenever she'd be there. I also knew better than to let social media rebreak my heart.

Usually.

"What'd you see, Leo?"

He pressed his lips into a thin line and shook his head. "Nothing. Ignore that I said anything."

I grabbed my phone, then held it out of reach when he tried to take it from me. I sent him a look that practically scorched his eyebrows clean off his head, and he backed away, hands held up in defeat.

Ignoring his pained expression, I pulled up Instagram and, against my better judgment, searched her name. Within seconds, I found a post on an unfamiliar account that Jules had been tagged in.

I'm the happiest girl in the world.

Jules was wrapped around a petite blonde beauty who was showing off her all-important ring finger, which was adorned with a massive sparkling solitaire.

She'd managed to get me out of her head after all.

"Welp," I murmured, sending Leo a broken grin, "that was a kick to the gut." I was trying for snarky, but the hitch in my chest sorta ruined the illusion.

Leo opened his arms, and I stepped into his warm embrace. We stood there for a few moments, both of us silently crying over our broken hearts. It took longer than I'd have liked to pull myself together, but Leo, for all his Leo-ness, didn't let go until I did.

After, we splashed water on our faces, reset our masks, and rejoined the group. Though we were heartbroken, we were surrounded by friends who loved and supported us.

And that had to be enough.

We were waiting out in the entryway for the wedding ceremony to begin when Leo's surprised expression caught my attention. I nudged him. "What?" I asked.

"Jules is here," he stage-whispered out of the side of his mouth.

I turned and cursed under my breath when I caught her eye. She sent me a nervous smile as I unsubtly checked out her left hand, which was naked. My brows stitched together in confusion before I noticed her right ring finger, where a dainty ring sat crookedly, as if it'd been hastily switched from one hand to the other. Unlike the gaudy sparkler she'd given her betrothed, Jules's ring was simple. Classic.

Like her.

Jules shoved her hands into her skirt pockets and let her brother Nick open the door into the main hall. I waited until they'd left before bolting to the bathroom. A volunteer from the garden committee was at the sink, but I didn't have it in me to stop for small talk. Sweeping into a stall, I locked it behind me, then tilted my head back, trying to keep my eye makeup intact.

I heard someone else enter, and the volunteer said, "Sir, this is the women's bathroom."

"I'm sorry, but I've got to take care of my friend."

I recognized the defiant voice and smiled as Leo's heavy footfalls approached my closed stall. The volunteer left in a huff, and I made a mental note to apologize to her later.

"Ginger?"

"Hey, Leo. Whatcha doin' in here?" I asked, knowing the answer.

"We promised to help each other keep it together for the wedding."

I snorted and reached for the roll of tissue. "Yeah, but I thought I'd be the one helping you."

"That's what you get for thinking," Leo retorted, imitating my voice. It's possible I'd said those exact words to him on more than one occasion.

"Shut up." I blew my nose. "I just… wasn't expecting to see her. Or her ring."

Leo's massive shoes inched closer to the stall door. "Don't know why she thought putting it on her right hand would hide it," he said in his typically blunt style.

"Right?" I answered, my voice watery. I tipped my head back again to redirect the newly welling tears. "Like I don't have eyes?"

"God, this is the worst," Leo said, knocking his forehead against the stall door.

"The absolute worst."

Leo went quiet, which was unusual.

"Leo, buddy? Are you okay?"

He shuffled his feet and let out a sigh.

"Leo?"

"Would you marry me, Ginger?"

My answering laugh was distinctly unladylike.

"Not for real," he started, then hesitated. Before I could ask him what the fuck he was talking about, he added, "Okay, but kind of for real."

"What are you saying?"

He went up on his toes, and his sparkling blue eyes met mine over the top of the stall door. "I'm saying that we both like kids, and we already know we can live together. It's something to consider."

I shook my head with a watery laugh. Say what you would about Leo, but he knew how to make you crack up when all you wanted to do was cry. "Tell you what, friend. I turn thirty in two years. If we're both still single and heartbroken, fuck it. Let's get married and have kids. Not sure if the state of Texas would let us adopt, but we can figure it out."

He raised his brows. "If they won't give us a kid, then I'll go buy a turkey baster, and we'll make it happen."

I laughed as I dried the rest of my tears. "Goddammit, Leo. I was trying to get a good cry in."

"Sorry, friend," he said, copying my usual endearment. "We promised to take care of each other."

I opened the stall door and let him wrap me up in his long arms. "Thanks."

"Anytime."

We made our way back to the processional line just as Atlas—who had the monumental task of coordinating this entire thing—was calling everyone together. We linked elbows, and I laid my temple on Leo's massive biceps.

I knew he'd only been half-serious, but honestly… it wasn't the worst idea. Given our histories, I shuddered at the thought of a real romantic relationship. That felt way too dangerous.