Read Online The Bridesmaid by Julia London - Free Book Online Page B

out and struck them from the pages. But at present she was wallowing in a cliché, because she truly, deeply felt as if she’d been waiting all her life for a guy like Joe Firretti to come around.
    It sucked, it totally sucked that he was moving to Seattle. Fate—if such a thing existed—was playing the cruelest joke imaginable on her.
    They watched Jimmy Kimmel, then took a shower together and made love again. Only slower. They took their time, learning each other, trying different things. And then they lay in the dark, Kate’s head on his shoulder, their fingers laced together.
    “Hey,” Kate said. “Want to come to a wedding with me?”
    Joe stroked her hair. “Do you promise to wear the mysterious pink-raft dress?”
    She smiled in the dark. “If I haven’t destroyed it.”
    “Then yes,” Joe said, and kissed the top of her head. “I would like to go to a wedding with you.”
    “Assuming we make it,” Kate said.
    “Oh, we’ll make it, baby,” Joe said. “We haven’t even touched the boat industry yet.”
    Kate laughed. “We really did have quite an adventure, didn’t we?”
    “That’s an understatement.”
    “So… do you believe in fate yet?” she teased him.
    She could hear Joe’s soft chuckle. “You have to admit, it’s wild that we met like we did and ended up here, just to say good-bye in a day or so.”
    “‘Wild’ is not the word that comes to my mind.”
    Hers either, really. She could see his blue eyes in the light from the window, shining into hers. “We make a good team, Joe Firretti.”
    “We make an excellent team,” he agreed. “Minus the navigation.”
    “And the armrest issue,” she reminded him.
    He grinned.
    “If you were still in New York, do you think we’d… I mean, would it be presumptuous to think that maybe—”
    “Baby,” he said, “we’d definitely be checking out some sushi bars and the Giants games, are you kidding?”
    She smiled, kissed his chest. That made her a little sad, really. “When you come to visit, we can do that, right?”
    “Right. And when you’re in Seattle,” he added.
    Right. She didn’t let the thought that she only made it to Seattle twice this year—this being the second time—linger. Maybe she’d come back more often. Maybe she’d make editor and get a raise and come back at least once a month. She refused to allow the reality of her situation to ruin the moment.
    Maybe Joe was hearing the tinny voice of reality, too, because neither of them spoke after that.
    Kate couldn’t say when she drifted off to sleep, but she was awakened by an alarm that brought her off the bed. She pushed her hair from her eyes and looked around. Joe was standing at the foot of the bed, grinning at her. He had on a pair of jeans, a white collared shirt, and a blue blazer. “Rise and shine, kid. We don’t want to miss that plane. Weather says a big storm is headed for Pacific coast.”
    As much as Kate wanted to extend her stay with Joe, the thought of being stuck in Phoenix did not appeal. She dug a pair of yoga pants from her bag, as well as a tank top and hoodie.
    Against all odds, when Joe and Kate arrived at the airport, the pink raft in tow, their flight to Seattle showed an on-time departure. At the gate, Kate stood at the window, staring at the plane that had somehow managed to fly in from Los Angeles, and called Lisa, waking her to tell her she’d make it to the wedding.
    “Oh thank God!” Lisa said with relief. “Mom!” she shouted. “MOM! Kate’s going to make it!”
    “So is everything okay?” Kate asked, as Joe appeared, two lattes in hand.
    “Yes,” Lisa said. “Why? What do you mean? Do you mean something?”
    “No! But yesterday you were a little freaked out—”
    “Pre-wedding jitters,” Lisa said dismissively. Kate could hear her moving around, could hear water running. “Everyone says that’s all it is.”
    Joe handed Kate a latte. She smiled at him. “So you’re okay?” she asked again.
    “Yes, I am