Bedding The Best Man (Bedding the Bachelors Book 7) (18 page)

He gritted his teeth, unable to deny that he’d been feeling both those things.

“Brianne, Eric is obviously reaching out, which means he’s ready to come back. And when he does, we can sit down together. We can work things out.”

“Gabe,” she said, her voice tired and quiet all of a sudden. “Do you really think that? We stayed away from each other for six years because of our friendship with Eric. I still care about him. I don’t want to lose him completely. And he’s your
best
friend. What do you see happening? Even if he graciously steps aside, will you really be willing to claim me in public? In front of his family? His friends? Your friends?”

Her words immediately filled him with shame and panic. Granted, it was no one’s business what had happened between the three of them, and if they could work through it, that’s all that mattered. But some part of him tried to picture it—he and Brianne, holding hands, engaging in PDA in front of people who’d know he’d moved in on his best friend’s girl, and it made him feel sick.

Obviously seeing that, Brianne smiled sadly. “No. You were right. Eric will always be between us.”

“Bri—” He knew what he should say. That yes, Eric was his best friend. But that he loved Brianne. And that if he had to choose between them, he’d choose her. He’d choose spending the rest of his life with her.

But how could he? She could say she was choosing him all she wanted, but it was easy to say that when Eric wasn’t here. Just as she’d said, there was still a part of him that feared what would happen when Eric came back. That she’d realized that she’d made a mistake. That her fantasies of Gabe had been just that.

She couldn’t realistically choose Gabe over Eric either until she saw Eric face-to-face again.

Gabe closed his eyes. God, it suddenly hit him where Eric had disappeared to. With everything that had happened, he’d forgotten the one place Eric had always considered home even more than Los Angeles. Or more likely, Gabe had simply chosen to forget, because he’d wanted this time with Brianne.

When he opened his eyes, Brianne had moved to the front door and was now holding it open. “Please leave, Gabe.”

With a heavy heart, Gabe walked up to her. Stared at her. Then leaned forward and kissed her forehead. “I’m going to fix this, Brianne, I promise you. Whether that ends up with you and I together in the end, I can’t say. Not yet. But I’m going to make sure we can make the decisions we need to once and for all.”

For a moment, she looked confused. Intrigued. Then she shook her head. “Goodbye, Gabe.”

He wasn’t saying goodbye, and he hoped she understood that when with one parting glance, he stepped through her front door and closed it gently behind him.

Within moments, he heard her crying. His arms ached to hold her, to comfort her.

He couldn’t do that yet.

He had a plane trip to make.

* * *

Gabe pulled his car in front of a farm house in Buffalo Falls, Utah.

It had only been two days since he’d left Brianne’s apartment with the sound of her crying ripping his heart apart. He missed everything about her. His body ached for her. He wanted to hear her voice and touch her soft skin. He wanted to be understood, to feel connected to someone the way he always felt connected whenever they were together.

He stared at his phone, but once again, he held back from calling her.

He had every hope of being with her again. But that couldn’t happen without Eric’s help.

Not
his permission. His help.

Help in the form of getting his ass back to Brianne so they could talk things through. Brianne needed the option of convincing Eric face-to-face to stay with her or not, and she couldn’t do that without Eric giving that to her.

As Gabe got out of the car, he was suddenly thrown back to that day he’d first seen Jamie and Brianne’s family home on Coronado Island. He’d been intimidated. Felt like the odd man out. Eric, especially, came from a similarly affluent background, and it had been easy to tell himself for six years that he was the better man for Brianne.

Yet when the front door to the farm house opened and Eric stepped out, the only thing that Gabe could think was how, in spite of everything, Eric looked perfectly at home in his jeans and T-shirt instead of the suit and tie he normally wore in LA. Moreover, although Eric wore a serious expression, he looked damn good, as if several weeks on the farm had done him a world of good.

He belongs here, is what Gabe thought.

And that’s when it struck him that he’d truly done all of them a huge disservice—assuming that just because Eric and his family were rich, he was the better man for Brianne. But also assuming that
Brianne
was the perfect woman for Eric. In his effort to keep his feelings about Brianne to himself, Gabe had never really asked Eric many questions about their relationship, including whether Eric was having any doubts before the wedding. He hadn’t asked Eric much about whether he was happy with his life period, working for his father’s company and living in LA. He’d just assumed he was.

Maybe he’d been wrong. Maybe Eric hadn’t been happy with his life. Maybe, just maybe, he’d called off the wedding because he
hadn’t
been sure
he
wanted to marry Brianne. Because Gabe knew how ruthless and stubborn Eric could be. Even if Brianne had said Gabe’s name in his dreams, it didn’t make sense that Eric would simply step aside and not fight for a woman he was truly meant to be with.

“I’m guessing you know about the dreams,” Eric said, finally speaking. He strode down the porch stairs toward Gabe.

Gabe cleared his throat. “Why would you say that?”

Eric smiled. “Because if you didn’t know, you’d be railing at me for leaving Brianne on our wedding day. The fact you’re not tells me you’re feeling guilty. Because you know part of the reason I did.”

“Part of the reason?” Gabe echoed dumbly.

Eric sighed. “Yeah. Part of the reason. Because as much as it sucked hearing her call out your name, I could have dealt with that if I’d thought it was just a sex dream. But it wasn’t just a sex dream, was it, Gabe?”

Gabe crossed his arms over his chest. “What are you saying, Eric?”

“I’m saying I know Brianne has strong feelings for you, Gabe. Feelings that are more than physical. And I’m saying I know you feel the same way about her.”

When Gabe didn’t say anything, Eric continued. “According to the laws of nature, I guess I’m supposed to kick your ass.”

“I guess so,” Gabe said. He could try if he wanted to. Gabe would even let him get in a few hits. He’d let his friend get his satisfaction. It was the least he could do.

“Only we both know, in a fair fight, and not one where you were letting me win because you feel guilty, you’d pound me into the ground. The question is, have you two used the past few weeks to finally admit how you feel about each other, or has this all been for nothing? Because if it’s the latter, I don’t care if you can beat my ass into the ground, I’m going to pound some sense into you once and for all.”

Chapter Eighteen

The two weeks leading up to the glamping event had been the longest of Brianne’s life, but in the end she’d been relieved to have the distraction. It at least helped her ignore what a mess her personal life had become.

How had everything unraveled so quickly? One minute she’d been getting ready to walk down the aisle, then that fell through. Then she’d thought she might be on the verge of something with Gabe, but that had been another pipe dream.

She still hadn’t spoken to him, choosing to keep to herself while she sorted out her feelings and continuing to deal with his assistant. She felt lousy, freezing him out when he was the one going the extra mile to make sure her event would be amazing, but she just couldn’t deal with anything else right now.

And that had included Eric.

She’d never called him back. She hadn’t even listened to the message he’d left on her machine again. She’d erased it as soon as Gabe had left.

She’d decided she was through with half-measures.

He’d texted her that he was leaving her at the altar, for God’s sake. If he wanted to talk things out with her, he was going to have to do it in person.

And until that happened, she couldn’t deal with her feelings for Gabe.

With that in mind, the day after she’d kicked him out of her apartment, she’d sent Gabe a text message, even as she’d seen the irony in it.

I have a lot to think over right now, and it would be best if I focused on the event while I did. I understand if you want to back out—just let me know, so I can make other plans.

Her stomach had done a series of slow, painful flip-flops while she’d waited for his reply. When it came through, tears sprang to her eyes.

Work through my assistant. But I’m here if you need me, Brianne. Always.

It was so him—short, sweet, to the point. She’d gone forward, then, all systems at full speed.

She’d needed every ounce of concentration, too. Gabe’s idea to hire culinary students for the day had been a genius move. It had saved money while still giving her a massive pool of potential cooks to choose from. She’d met with the dean of the most prestigious culinary school in the city. She’d requested interviews with his most talented students—hinting at a substantial donation to the school in return for the favor. She’d never wanted to resort to a quid pro quo approach, but it was a matter of life or death for Lavish Events.

Then, piggybacking off the culinary students, Evie had interviewed music students and found several that she’d been thoroughly impressed with. They were going to show case the student as the best and brightest upcoming talents.

“I’ve got one better,” Brianne said, turning to Evie. They’d been brainstorming in Bri’s office until the wee hours, eating Chinese takeout and pacing the room, throwing ideas around.

“I’m all ears,” Evie replied, lying face-down across a sofa.

“What if we use music students, dance students, theatre students, film students. And the entire event can center around donating money to fund creative arts programs in Los Angeles schools?”

Evie sat up, her face glowing. “Yes! That’s it!”

They jumped up and down and danced around the room.

Brianne wasn’t sure how it happened, but suddenly she was crying. Sobbing with the grief that was ripping her apart.

“Oh sweetie,” Evie whispered and pulled Bri into her arms.

Bra held onto her friend and dropped her face on her shoulder. “I miss him, Evie. I miss both of them.”

“I know you do, sweetie. I know.” And even though Evie held her and rocked her and comforted her, she didn’t tell Brianne that everything was going to be okay.

Because Evie, bless her heart, was honest to a fault.

* * *

Three days before the big event, Brianne’s mom called. “Darling, word has it that Leland’s event is going to be world-class.”

“Mom, if I didn’t know any better, I would think you were on his side,” Brianne grumbled as she put together some of the favors she and Evie had come up with.

“I’m not! I’m trying to warn you. I went to the salon earlier, and there were all sorts of whisperings about his event. That’s all I’m trying to say. I want to make sure you win.”

“Thanks, Mom, but there’s little I can do now. I mean, we’re three days out. I can’t do much more than I’ve already done. The ball’s in the air.”

“I don’t know anything about sports, dear.”

Brianne rolled her eyes. “You know what I mean.”

“Of course. I’m having fun with you. Is there anything you need help with, I mean absolutely anything at all?”

Brianne knew she meant it, and smiled. She’d learned event planning from her mother, after all. No one in Southern California could put on an event like Kathleen Whitcomb.

“I think I have it well in hand, Mom, but I’d love it if you could come by to make sure I’m not missing anything. As long as I can trust you to keep everything to yourself!”

“Mum’s the word, sweetheart. I’ll be there by lunch.”

Brianne hung up, pushed up her sleeves and pulled her long curls into a clip before continuing her work. She and Evie were placing little tree seedlings in miniature burlap bags, then tying a ribbon around the top of the bag with a tag featuring a ‘Thank you’ wish on one side, and planting instructions on the other.

“This will really speak to the hearts of the eco-crowd,” Evie remarked as they worked. “It’ll definitely score points.”

“Honey, I’ll score points in any way possible,” Brianne laughed.

Evie fell silent, and Brianne noticed her furtive glances.

“Out with it,” she said, losing patience. “What it is you want to ask me?”

“When are the yurts and everything else being set up?”

“Friday morning. It’s all being driven up to the site, and Gabe’s team will set up.”

“He’s pretty cool, huh?”

So that was it. “Gabe? Yeah, he’s cool.” Brianne smiled to herself, being deliberately obtuse in order to drive Evie crazy.