You Were Mine (Rosemary Beach #9)(14)

Then there was the fact that Tripp was also in the wedding party. I had to be around him in a social setting in front of my friends for four long days. Although I was happy for Della and Woods, being around Tripp wasn’t going to be easy.

Della had told me that Thad would be my escort at the wedding. After my drunken fit at the club a while ago, when I’d screamed at Tripp, everyone knew something was wrong between us, but they couldn’t figure out what. They just assumed I was losing my mind. Della wasn’t going to take the chance of assigning Tripp as my escort, even though that would have made the most sense before my meltdown, Tripp being Jace’s cousin and all.

I stood at the private airport outside of Rosemary Beach. Dean Finlay had offered Slacker Demon’s private jet to take the wedding party to the island. Woods and Della had sent plane tickets to the rest of the guests. Except, of course, for the members of Slacker Demon who were also invited. The plane would be taking them to the island later in the week.

Della was standing at the bottom of the stairs leading up to the plane, talking happily to Blaire. These were my friends. I loved them. Being with them should not be hard. Taking a deep breath, I reached for the handle of my rolling suitcase and headed for the plane.

Della’s gaze moved to me, and her smile grew. She was so happy. Della had overcome so much. I remembered the girl who had come to Rosemary Beach—sheltered and haunted by her past. Della didn’t even resemble that girl anymore. She wasn’t a victim. She was a survivor.

“We’re all here now,” Della said, and stepped forward to hug me. “I’m so glad you’re coming. Thank you,” she whispered in my ear as she held me firmly before letting go.

“I wouldn’t miss this for the world,” I told her.

“I’ll take that, miss,” a man said, holding out his hand for my suitcase.

I handed my luggage over to the crew and then looked at Blaire. “Hey, you,” I said, smiling. Blaire was my best friend. Because of her, I’d had Jace. She’d shown me that making myself worthy of love was the way to get the guy I wanted. In many ways, Blaire had helped me find a part of the girl I once was before Tripp. Not entirely, but some of the old me had come back because of Blaire.

Once I had been like Blaire. Strong, confident, independent. But like everything else in life, Tripp took that from me.

“You good?” she asked, studying my face. Only Blaire had the balls to ask me if I was OK. Everyone else had stopped asking, afraid of my reaction. I wanted to tell her that the numbness was gone. But it had been replaced by the feelings I’d been holding back. I had to deal with it all.

But not now. This was Della and Woods’s special weekend. I wouldn’t ruin it with my sadness. “I’m doing good. I was going to come by last week, but I had to work overtime for several days.”

Blaire cocked an eyebrow at me. “Tell that to Nate. He’s been asking for ‘An Betty’ the last few days. He’s used to seeing you at least once a week, you know.”

That little boy was one of the lights of my life. I loved that kid. I had been so afraid that I wouldn’t be able to go near him when he was born. I feared that seeing Blaire and Rush with their baby would be too much for me. I would feel the regret and pain when I looked at him. But it didn’t happen. Nate won my heart with his sweet baby smile. He was a charmer from day one. “He’ll be here this weekend?” I asked, glancing up at the side of the plane, feeling guilty for not visiting him now.

“He’s coming tomorrow night with Dean. His grandfather wanted to keep him at the house and give us one night alone on the island.”

I shook my head. The idea that Dean Finlay, the rock god, was taking care of a baby was just funny. But he loved that kid.

“All right, ladies, move the gossip inside. It’s time we head south,” Woods said as he stood at the top of the stairs. His eyes were locked on Della’s. I had known Woods since I was a kid. Watching him with Della never ceased to amaze me. He hadn’t been the settling-down type. But Della was his world.

“Coming right up,” Della replied.

I didn’t scan the inside of the jet, but I felt his eyes as soon as they found me. Tripp was here. The pressure of his gaze made things difficult. Uncomfortable. I didn’t want to feel anything where he was concerned.

“Bethy,” Harlow’s voice called out in a pleasant greeting, and I turned to see her sitting on one of the leather sofas that lined the inside of the plane. She wasn’t holding Lila Kate. I hadn’t expected her to leave her baby behind, too. Especially since she was still so tiny. She was four months old now but she had been a preemie. She was a little thing, but she was so perfect. Just like her mother.

I walked over to sit down beside Harlow. “Where’s Lila Kate?” I asked. I hadn’t been by to visit her lately, either. Harlow nodded her head to the left of the plane, and I glanced over to see Grant standing by the bar with his little girl in his arms as he rocked her gently and talked softly to her.

“He’s getting her to sleep. I had to beg him to bring her on the plane. He was completely freaked out by the idea of her flying. But then it took him a month to get over putting her in a car. I doubt anyone else will get to hold her while we’re in the sky. Not even me,” she said with an amused laugh.

Watching Grant hold his little girl so carefully and protectively, I remembered the man standing in the hospital, staring at the door that Harlow had been rushed through when she went into labor. He had stood there lost and unmoving for hours. It had been hard for everyone—I’d felt like I was losing Jace all over again—but Grant was a mess. I didn’t pray often, but that week, I had prayed hard. “That’s adorable,” I said.