Chapter 25

The beach was everything Bree had hoped it would be and then some. Lying on a towel in her two-piece, watching the clouds trace across the sky, feeling the warm sea breeze while the relaxing scent of the ocean filled her lungs had Bree feeling calmer than she had in as long as she could remember, certainly since before she’d realized Trent was getting married.

Seeing him that morning brought a new perspective to her. He was the same Trent he’d always been, her friend from high school, the one who always cheered her on, made her smile, knew her better than anyone else. The fact that she’d essentially lost five years of time she could’ve been spending with him made her heart ache. So they weren’t meant to be a couple? So what? Could they not still be friends? The bottom line was, she missed him and wanted him back in her life, even if that meant a distant friendship as she followed her dreams with her music, and he started his new life with Monica.

Monica was another story altogether. Bree’s gut instinct had been to not trust her. She just seemed disingenuous. Perhaps it was just the fact that this was her wedding that made her seem that way. She was Lilly’s sister, after all, and Lilly was one of the kindest, sweetest people Bree had ever met.

So Monica couldn’t be that bad, could she?

And she knew Trent would never pick someone who wasn’t worthy of him, and he was as close to being the perfect guy as anyone Bree had ever met--even if he hadn’t called her after that kiss.

The waves were calling her, and Bree spent some time in the water, letting the warm waves wash away her worries. Then, back on her towel, she started to doze off and might’ve actually fallen asleep if it weren’t for the sound of footsteps approaching her.

Lots of families were on the beach, enjoying the sun and surf, but even with her eyes closed, she knew that those footsteps sounded familiar. Not that she’d ever heard them on sand before, but the cadence was what caught her attention--a heavy step and a bit of a shovel. When she raised her head and used her hand to shield her eyes from the sun, she wasn’t surprised at all to see Hank coming her way.

“There you are, beautiful,” he said, smiling at her before he dropped down on the sand next to her. The place she was sitting was sheltered by some large rocks. He leaned back against one and let out a deep sigh. “How’s it going?”

“I’m pretty good,” Bree said with an easy grin. “How are you?” He was wearing nice shorts and a polo, basically the same thing Trent was wearing when she’d seen him hours earlier.

Hank shrugged. “All right. How come you weren’t at brunch and mini golf?”

She giggled. She’d forgotten about the mini golf but was glad she’d missed it. Something told her Monica wouldn’t be that much fun to play against at the moment. “I decided the beach was more my style today. Did you have fun?”

He was thoughtful for a moment. “I mean... I’ll never turn down food. You know that. But, I don’t know. I sorta felt out of place. I went to college with most all of these folks. I don’t really care for Monica’s friends. They never treat me like I’m worth their time. Trent’s other friends are all right--Matt and Dwayne--but I usually only hung out with them if he was.”

Bree nodded. “I know how you feel. I don’t know anyone except for you and Lilly. And Trent. And his parents, but I can’t see me and Mr. Walker hanging out at mini golf, shooting the shit.”

That brought the laugh Bree had been looking for. Then, his face got serious again. “Look, I know it’s probably not easy for you to be at any of that stuff either, but I think you and me are kinda in the same boat. Maybe we could stick together to get through this.”

Raising an eyebrow, Bree asked, “What do you mean it’s not easy for me?”

He tipped his head to the side and considered her for a moment. “Come on, Bree. There’s really no one else in the whole world who knows the situation better than I do. I am the interrupter, times two, after all.”

All the color seemed to rush to her face and simultaneously drain, and Bree wasn’t sure if she looked pale or sunburnt. “Hank, I’m not sure....”

“Come on, Bree. I might be a dumb jock, but I’m not blind. I saw what happened--or almost happened--at that dance in high school and then again when I came to tell you that your aunt and uncle were there to pick you up at the cabin. But he did kiss you then, didn’t he? When your aunt and uncle were inside saying hello to everyone?”

“Yes, Hank, but that was years ago. Nothing else ever happened.”

“But only because you guys never talked about it. Bree, he was thinking about you. For a long damn time. And I bet you were thinking about him, too.

Weren’t you?”

She shrugged. It was hard to lie to Hank. They’d always been close. “I mean... maybe for a while.”

“Long enough to write a well-known song about it?”

“What makes you think that song is for him?”

“What makes me think that ocean is full of water? Some things a person just knows.”

Blowing out a hot breath, Bree said, “Okay, fine. Maybe it was at least partially about Trent. But most of it is fiction.”

He nodded, and she knew he could see right through her but that he also wouldn’t press the issue. “Look, all I’m saying is, this isn’t exactly easy on me, either. And I don’t want to go into it any more than you do. So please, woman, for the love of God, will you please promise me you’ll go to all of the rest of this junk with me? So I don’t have to face it alone? I was shocked as hell that you showed up here, but I was equally shocked that I managed to get my ass here, too.”

Whatever it was Hank was sort-of admitting to had Bree asking a lot of questions that she wouldn’t voice at the moment. His eyes showed he was in a lot of pain, a sort of pain she was familiar with on a level she didn’t realize anyone else was aware of. But he was. Why, she wasn’t sure. “Okay, Hank. Sure. I’ll go. From now on, I’ll be there.”

A loud sigh of relief exited his lips. “Thanks, Bree.” Hank wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close, his massive bicep able to drag her easily over the sand and beach towel. He was a personal trainer and looked like it. “You’re the best. Boy, have I missed you.”

“I’ve missed you, too.” She meant it. When she’d cut off Trent, she had lost Hank, too, and she wished she could go back now and change everything.

But it was too late for that. All she could do now was be the best friend to Hank possible and help him through whatever it was that was making his heart ache. She couldn’t go back to that time when she’d had a chance with Trent either, but she could be a good friend to him now, too, which was something he also might appreciate because, the more Bree got to know Monica, the more she wondered what in the world he was doing with her in the first place. If she was really as shallow and self-absorbed as she seemed, Trent was in for more than a week of uncomfortableness. The idea of such a sweet guy being permanently tied to a woman who couldn’t form a sentence without the word “I” in it was disheartening to say the least.

“What’s next on the agenda?” she asked, forcing herself to smile. She’d been dreaming of spending the evening in a nice, relaxing bath and then reading more of her romance novel, but she would make amendments to her plans to help Hank out.

“Drinks and dancing at a local club,” he replied.

Bree’s eyebrows arched. “I’m sure the parents and grandparents will have a great time with that.”

Hank’s loud roar of a laugh filled the air, causing some seagulls nearby on the beach to take off. “I don’t think none of them are going. Just the younger folks. But that would be funny. I can see Mrs. Walker out there dancing.”

The thought had Bree shaking her head to clear it. “Gosh, I hope not. All right. I’ll go. Will you come by and get me so we can go together?”

One eyebrow arched over a green eye as Hank asked, “Is this a date, Ms. Matthews? Really, I’m flattered, but I’m afraid I think of you as more of a friend than a lover.”

Bree swatted him playfully with the back of her hand. “No, it’s not a date, silly. Just... an escort.”

“What? I don’t know what you’ve heard about me, but those days are over. I needed money for college.”

Meant to Marry Me: Nashville Country Dreams Part 1 Chapter 24: Breakfast of Champions Undeniable Attraction Chapter 52: Epilogue The Russian Mobster: Russian Mafia Romance Chapter 37 (Additional Chapter)

Bursting out laughing, Bree couldn’t help but think of Hank working as an escort. “You’re ridiculous. That’s not what I meant either. Just come by room before it starts, please.”

“All right. Schedule says nine, so I’ll be there at ten till ish?”

“How far away is the club?”

“Couple of blocks. You know I like to be fashionably late.”

“The Hank I know likes to be more than fashionably late. But okay. That works for me.” She didn’t want to be early either. She didn’t even want to go.

“Thanks, Bree. You’re the best.”

“I know,” she said, winking at him. He laughed again, and she rested her head on his shoulder, glad to have him back in her life.

Meant to Marry Me:

Nashville Country Dreams Part 1 Undeniable Attraction