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“Yup, that works for me. Lanie knows my vision better than I do.”
“Then that’s settled.” Carissa gave Rose one last assessing look. “But I do want to chat with you at some point. Give me a call when things slow down.”
“You bet!” Rose promised, though it sounded hollow, even to her. She had no idea when anything in her life would slow down.
When Carissa was gone, Nate frowned at Lanie. “What was that all about? I thought we were going to do everything ourselves.”
“Rose needed a save.” She shrugged. “And besides, it can’t hurt to pick the brain of a wedding planner. It’s not like we know much about weddings.” She gestured to Rose. “What I’ve learned so far has been through trial and error while helping Rose and my brother.”
“Fair,” Nate agreed. “But you didn’t have to kick me.”
She leaned forward and gave him a kiss. “I’ll make it up to you. I promise.”
Envy needled in Rose’s belly at the ease of their interaction. It used to be that way for her and Steven, but lately, everything was a struggle. The accident had exacerbated the problem. She couldn’t help wondering if they would ever find their way back to that level of contentedness again.
The rest of the dinner passed without incident. Rose barely touched her salad, her stomach too tied up in knots. She’d planned to go on a diet anyway to look her best for the wedding. At least her growing anxiety was good for something.
When they filed out of the restaurant, she followed Lanie and Nate to the car. Part of her wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of the evening at home, but she didn’t want to disappoint Lanie. So she did her best to pretend she was having fun.
Unfortunately, Lanie saw right through it. “Jeez, Rose. We’re going to a bar, not a funeral. Would it kill you to smile?”
Rose bared her teeth before sliding into the back seat, which caused both Lanie and Nate to laugh.
“If that’s her smile, maybe we’d be better served by her pout,” Nate said as he climbed into the passenger seat. “It’s way less scary.”
Even Rose had to laugh. She’d never considered herself someone who could intimidate people, though sometimes she could make Steven apprehensive, especially if she said words like we need to talk.
“I’m sorry,” she said, and she meant it. “I don’t want to bring down the mood of the evening.”
“The point of tonight”—Lanie fixed her eyes on Rose’s in the rearview—“was to raise your spirits. If I’m failing at that, I need to either try harder or change tactics.” She glanced at Nate before returning her gaze to Rose. “Look, if you don’t want to go to Seabreeze, I’m not going to force you. But I’m also not taking you back to your condo. And I’m definitely not dropping you off with my brother.” Rose opened her mouth to protest, but Lanie cut her off. “We both know you need a break.”
That shut her up, and she nodded. “I can’t promise I’ll be much company, but you’re right.” Pushing as much enthusiasm into her voice as she could muster, she continued, “Let’s go to Seabreeze!”
“That’s the spirit.” Nate turned around in his seat and gave her a smile.
The packed bar did little to build her enthusiasm. They found a booth near the back of the bar, far enough from the stage that they could tune out the singers if they wanted to. The outlandish tropical décor was gaudy but somehow fitting. Lanie and Nate went to grab a round of drinks, leaving the rest of them to make small talk.
“How’s your baby?” Rose asked Trudy.
“Crawling all over everything,” Trudy said with a tired smile, but the pride in her voice was unmistakable. “He’s also pulling up on tables. I expect it won’t be long before he takes his first step.”
“That’s exciting!”
“Exciting is one word for it,” Trudy quipped. “But it also means we need to double-check our babyproofing.” She waved a hand. “Anyway, I came out tonight to escape the baby brain. Tell me all about your wedding planning.”
Ugh—the one topic Rose had hoped to avoid. “Everything’s booked, but we’re struggling a bit financially.”
Why did I say that? The last thing she needed was for word of their money troubles to spread throughout Cedar Haven.
“I imagine it’s been tight with the opening of the firm.” Toccara placed a hand on Rose’s arm. “Start-up costs are a nightmare.”
Rose blinked, then she remembered Toccara had her own business as well. It made sense that she understood what most people didn’t. And her friend was right—the start-up costs had been a huge drain on their finances.
“We’ll make do,” Rose said brightly, trying to brush away the cloud that hung over her whenever the question of finances came up.
“He’s certainly got a robust clientele,” Michael piped up. “I’m impressed he was handling the caseload by himself before he hired me. It’s a lot for one person to take on, even with his capable paralegal.”
A brick settled in the pit of Rose’s stomach. She’d known Steven was working with a lot of clients. It helped that he was the only law firm in the tiny town. The last attorney had retired several years ago, and most folks had been forced to venture several towns over to find someone reputable. As much as she wondered if moving there had been a mistake, she recognized the lucrative business opportunity it offered Steven. If only it hadn’t been at the cost of his health.
