“You’re welcome.”
I breathed him in. “Chartering a private plane is expensive.”
“It’s not that much to go to Vegas. Only a few thousand.”
I let out a short laugh. “Oh. Silly me. Just a few thousand.”
This made him pull back to look down at me with an amused smile. “I do have a lot of money.”
“Like, my brain knows that, but I forget because of how you live. You could be in a mansion with servants, and instead you’re in this hovel.”
“Soon-to-be completely renovated hovel,” he reminded me. “And I don’t know. I don’t need more house than this.”
I so liked that he was practical, because that’s exactly how I was, too.
“And,” he continued on, “I think you should spend money where it matters.”
There was that reminder again at how completely different our worlds were. That he had money to spend on the things he deemed important. “Does it bother you that I’m a dog groomer?”
His face became perplexed. “Why would it bother me?”
“It’s not some glamorous job.”
He paused for a beat. “When it comes to your job, what do you feel like you were put on this earth to do?”
“Take care of animals,” I answered quickly. There was no question of that.
“And for me, it’s acting. It’s in my blood. It’s what I’m meant to do. So I admire you for doing what you love and having the guts to go after it.”
“I admire you for the same reason.”
“As well you should,” he said and kissed me gently on the nose. “Joe is on his way. Go get packed and bring Sunshine back with you.”
Some part of me probably should have felt bad that Joe had watched Sunshine on more than one occasion, but there was no way I was going to miss Shelby’s wedding.
Everything happened in a big flurry of excitement and activity after that—we rode in a black SUV to the airport and got on our private plane, where we were treated like royalty. Also, the flight attendant was definitely making eyes at Noah, and I found it infuriating. Another SUV was waiting for us on the tarmac at the small airport in Las Vegas, and Allan opened a bottle of champagne for us. We toasted their marriage, and I realized how glad I was that Noah was with me for this moment. Not because he was financing the entire thing, but because I wanted to share it with him.
We checked into the Waldorf Astoria, where Kyle had reserved three rooms for us. We went up to the twenty-second floor, and I realized that they weren’t actually rooms but massive suites. Ridiculous-size suites. What was I supposed to do with two bedrooms and a dining room and my own kitchen? I was about to call Shelby when I got a text from her.
I laughed and texted her back, asking if she needed help getting ready. She said she was good and told me to come over when I was done, as Allan was getting ready in Noah’s suite so that they technically wouldn’t see each other right before the wedding. And we were going to take two cars to ensure it. I thought that was sweet.
Her room was at the opposite end of the hallway, and when I knocked on her door and she opened it, I gasped. She looked stunning in her strapless ivory dress with a huge poufy princess skirt. “You’re so beautiful!”
“So are you!” she said and hugged me. “But no crying. I’m not putting my makeup on again.”
“No crying,” I agreed, even though my eyes were a little shimmery. “Are you nervous?”
“I know I should be,” she said as she led me into her massive living room. This suite was even nicer than mine. It was decorated in off-white leather, black marble, and dark wood, with red accent carpets. “And maybe I am a little nervous. But this just feels right. I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing, and that’s a fantastic feeling.”
“I’m so glad. You deserve all of this and more.” I looked out at the Vegas Strip, where lights of different colors danced and twinkled through her windows. “I can’t believe you convinced Allan to say yes to all this.”
“I know he loves the way I nag him and talk him into things. He’s never actually said as much, but I can read his nonverbal subtext.”
That made me laugh, and I asked her, “Is there anything I can do for you right now?”
“Distract me. Tell me about how things are going with Noah. For real. Not the friend thing you keep telling yourself.”
She wanted me to be honest. Maybe that was something I should be doing with everyone. “We’ve never talked about us being in a relationship. We’re both really clear that this is just friends.”
“Trust me, he does not want to be just your friend.”
“No interrupting,” I told her. “I’m trying to open up here. Anyway, I don’t know what he wants or if he’s happy for things to keep being how they have been. But he makes me feel . . .” What was the best way to put it into words? “He makes me feel like a little piece of metal slowly making its way toward the overpowering magnet in the center of the room.”
“Like resistance is feudal.”
“Feudal?” I said with a laugh. “I think you mean futile. Although a feudal resistance would be pretty cool. Lots of swords and pitchforks.”
“I know the right word. Maybe I’m more nervous than I thought,” she said, putting her hand over her stomach. Her phone beeped, and she looked at it. “The boys already left and our car is here, down in the lobby.”
“Noah really thought of everything, didn’t he?”
“So did Allan. Look at this.” She pointed at the small table in front of us, and I saw a bouquet of daisies. Her favorite.
“So sweet,” I said, handing the flowers to her. “So if that’s everything, we should get going.”
“Wait!” She stood up. “That’s not everything. I need that bridal poem thing. Something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue.”
“Okay. Your dress is borrowed. And I’m your oldest friend, so I can be your something old.”
She smiled. “Right. And my earrings are new—Allan gave them to me as a wedding gift.”
I reached up to the clasp of my necklace. “And here’s your something blue.” I put it around her neck. “You’re ready. Let’s go get you a husband.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
While part of me had expected the ceremony to be cheesy, it was surprisingly perfect. There were no Elvis or Michael Jackson impersonators officiating. Just a nice older gentleman whose wife was playing the organ. Shelby got her walk-down-the-aisle moment, and the way Allan’s eyes lit up at seeing her—it made me feel better knowing how well she’d be loved and cared for.
Then I saw Noah, and even though I’d seen him in a tux twice before, him in his suit still hit me like a frying pan to the head. He was so handsome that I had to remind myself to stop stealing peeks at him and pay attention to the wedding.
But during the ceremony, while they were promising to love and honor one another, I couldn’t help but glance over at Noah again. Who was looking directly at me with the expression Shelby had described—there was so much softness and tenderness in his eyes that it made my heart stutter, and I had to look away.