Monique sat on her sofa watching movies with her best friend while picking over takeout. It was Allie’s way of taking her mind off the pregnancy news and the fact that she was spending Valentine’s Day weekend with her friend, rather than the man she adored.
Her phone rang.
“Hey, Ray.” She forced a cheerful voice so her brother wouldn’t suspect she’d been crying.
“Hey, Squirt. The weather has gotten really bad here in New York. They’re shutting down the airport. I can’t fly out today. Probably not tomorrow, either.”
“Aren’t you and Mitch skiing at the cabin this weekend?”
“He’s already there,” Ray confirmed. “Been calling for over an hour. I can’t reach him. Can you keep trying for me?”
Monique swallowed hard, her pulse racing. She’d planned to spend the next week painting and gathering her courage before she spoke to Mitch.
“Should I tell him you’ll be there later this weekend?”
There was a long pause before Ray spoke again. “I’m crashing with a friend, and she invited me to stay for the weekend, so—”
Part apology, part bullshit.
“Really, Ray? You want me to tell Mitch you’re ditching him for some girl?”
Allie’s jaw tensed.
Monique wasn’t the only Queen of Denial. Allie obviously still nursed feelings for Ray, despite her adamant protests.
“By the time I could get there, the weekend would practically be over,” Ray said. “Besides, it’s Valentine’s Day weekend. Maybe Mitch will meet someone himself.”
Now Monique’s jaw clenched so tightly she worried she’d crack a molar. “Fine. I’ll contact him, but you owe me. Big.”
She ended the call and sighed. “Thanks a lot, Ray. This isn’t a conversation I wanted to have over the phone.”
A slow smile spread across Allie’s face. “Why do that when you can deliver the message in person?”
“Drive all the way to Beech Mountain? Have you lost it? We’re only a day ahead of a snowstorm of our own.”
“Perfect.” Allie’s eyes twinkled. She turned off the television, grabbed Monique’s hand and dragged her to her bedroom. “Gives you time to pack and then haul your ass out there to spend the weekend with Mitch.”
Monique shook her head, her arms folded. She’d gotten caught up in enough of her friend’s harebrained schemes when they were kids. “There’s no way he’ll let me stay for the weekend.”
“Once you get there, he won’t let you leave with the storm coming.”
“Great. I’ll tell him and then we’ll be forced to spend the most awkward weekend of our lives together.”
“So don’t lead with the whole you’re-gonna-be-a-father thing. Make him see how much you love him. Make him realize how much he loves you.”
“What if he doesn’t?” Her voice trembled.
Allie’s self-congratulatory smile faded. “At least you’ll finally know for sure.”