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Whit pulled open the fridge, grabbed the orange juice carton, and stopped his morning routine when he heard a sniff. “Mom? Are you crying?”
Sofia Dodd closed the lid of her laptop, brushed a tear off her cheek and lifted her teary face. The morning sun showed her age. “My baby is getting married in a few hours. I would rather cry now than in front of a crowd.”
Whit selected a pair of cut crystal glasses, sat beside his mother at the kitchen table, and poured them both some O.J. “Why cry at all? You love Kayla.”
“Of course, I love Kayla,” Sofia snapped. Her tone softened. “I wish your father could be here.”
Whit put his hand over hers. “Me, too.”
“I miss him every day, but especially on days like today.”
Whit squeezed her hand, knowing that anything he could say would be hollow and inadequate.
Sofia blinked rapidly, scrubbed her tears away and straightened her shoulders. “When do you leave?”
“Tomorrow morning.”
“Do you have time for breakfast before your flight?”
“You don’t need to make me breakfast.”
“Let me take you to breakfast.” She read the hesitation in his eyes and pressed. “Please, let me have a few minutes alone with you before you disappear again. I’ll drive you to the airport. What time is your flight?”
Whit gave her his flight information and leaned over to kiss his mom on the cheek. A twinge of guilt told him to cancel his trip. “Maybe I won’t go.”
“No! No, you have to go. If you stay home because of me, I promise that I’ll up and leave!”
Whit laughed. “Where would you go?”
“On a cruise.”
“A cruise? To where?”
“Anywhere far away.” She sniffed loudly. “I won’t be a burden to you.”
“Mom? How can you be a burden? You’re sixty-two, healthy as a race horse, and twice as fun. You know Grayson and I both adore you.”
She gave him a watery smile. “I hope you will still feel that way tomorrow.” Sofia took a swallow of juice, wiped her lips on a napkin and reopened her laptop. “Tell me about your trip.”
Whit filled her in on the details and watched as his mom googled Kenya. Images of giraffes, hippos, and rhinos filled the screen. A smile spread across his mom’s face and slightly eased the knot of worry and guilt in Whit’s gut.
#
WHIT TRIED TO KEEP his focus on Kayla gliding down the aisle, but his gaze kept wandering to Andie. She wore a soft pink lace dress and her grandmother’s pearls. With her hair piled high on her head, she looked as if she belonged in a different era. She caught his eye and smiled. Whit’s heart hiccupped. Was that a genuine smile? Or a glittery, hard, I’ll-never-forgive-you sort of smile?
The thought of never seeing her again ate at him. Sure, he could visit the next time he came home, but when would that be? Three months. The world could change in three months. Her world could change in three months. He wouldn’t have an excuse to kiss her.
She pointed her camera at him, and he lifted his chin, striking a pose and showing his profile. Although he couldn’t hear her over the string quartet, he knew she was laughing at him. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes bright. She looked almost as happy as Kayla, and that bothered him. Not that he wanted her to be sad—well, maybe a little sad. He was leaving tomorrow. He wanted her to feel the same emptiness that he felt.
He watched the pastor perform the ceremony. Grayson was getting married in their back yard. The same yard where he and Grayson had built forts, go-carts, and robots. How many sword fights? How many games of cowboys and Indians? How many skinny dips in the pool?
Watching Grayson exchange vows was a lot like looking at himself in a mirror of the future. He remembered the time they were on a family vacation in Hawaii, and he had thought he saw Grayson at the end of the hall. It wasn’t until he was about four feet away that he realized he was looking in a mirror. At least twice in college he took tests for Grayson. Once Grayson took a date to a dance for him. They had always been interchangeable. Until now.
Grayson placed a ring on Kayla’s fingers. Grayson kissed Kayla. Grayson and Kayla ran down the aisle under a shower of rose petals, and Whit snuck a glance at his watch. One hour until the reception.
He had one hour to convince Andie that...that what? That she should sit tight in a bubble until he returned so they could pick up their...not relationship...flirtation? That she should trust him. That she shouldn’t hate him.
A light flashed in his eyes.
He blinked at Andie. Her beauty made him ache.
She lowered her camera. “Hey,” she said softly.
“Hey.”
“It must be weird to watch your identical twin get married.”
He nodded, wishing he knew how to put his feelings into words.
Andie fiddled with her lens cap. “When do you leave?”
“Tomorrow morning.”
Her grin broadened. “And you’re going to—?”
“Africa,” he said dully.
“Aren’t you looking forward to it?”
“I was.”
“And then?”
He swallowed. “And then I met you.”
She bumped his hip with hers. “I’m glad I met you, too.”
“Does that mean you’ve forgiven me?”
“Not at all. You’re a nefarious snake and I will never trust you.” Andie’s gaze flicked over to her grandmother.
Grammy Dean sat at a table laden with pieces of cakes in a host of varieties. She looked so happy, sampling all her different cake slices, that Whit couldn’t help smiling.
“Nefarious?” Whit tugged at his bow tie. “Did you seriously just call me nefarious?”
“It suits you.”
“No, it doesn’t.”
“It’s better than half-wit, which is exactly what you are, if you think that I’m ever going to let Carver Neilson buy my grammy’s orchard.”
“And how, exactly, are you going to stop the purchase?”
“This is where your nefariousness comes out.” She poked his chest with her finger. “Now I see who you really are.”
“Nefariousness?” he repeated dully. “Who I really am?” He shook his head. “No, Andie, I don’t think you see me at all. Let me point out, that you don’t own that property.”
“And neither does Carver Neilson. And he never will. You can kiss me all you want, and it will still never happen.”
“I can?”
Andie grinned. “A thousand kisses will never be enough. I will never allow Grammy to sell to Weasel Neilson.”
“A thousand kisses, huh?” He matched her grin. “That will be kind of hard, since I’m leaving tomorrow.”
Andie straightened her shoulders and took a deep breath. “Me, too.”
She laughed, and he loved the sound of it, but he also sort of hated that she could laugh about his kiss and his leaving.
“You’re going to Africa. It’s not like you’re going to the moon or purgatory.” She smiled up at him. “Besides, maybe we’ll see each other.”
“What?”
“I know Africa is like a whole continent, but I’m going to Kenya. Where are you going?”
He stared at her until she took a finger, placed it under his chin and closed his mouth.
“This is...sudden.”
“I know! Carver Neilson, of all people, recommended me to an orphanage in Kenya! I’m going to work in the school! And somehow...I’m not sure how...I’m using his ticket—he was supposed to go, or something like that. I get to fly first class.”
She looked over his shoulder and waved at someone. Whit followed her gaze and saw Carver Neilson leering at them. Whit turned back to Andie, and tried to hide his frustration. “You’ve forgiven him and not me?”
“Don’t be silly. I haven’t forgiven him at all. You might be nefarious, but he is diabolical.”
“Is diabolical worse than nefarious?”
She looked smug. “Only the diabolical and the nefarious have to ask that.”
“Can we go back to the question of the thousand kisses?”
“We can, but it won’t do you any good. I’ve fulfilled my debt.” She tapped his chest pocket with her hand.
Sofia hurried over and took her son’s arm. “Grayson needs you.”
“Grayson needs me?” Whit echoed, woodenly. “Why?”
“Come on.” Sofia tugged on his arm. “He’s in the downstairs bedroom having a bow tie crisis.”
Whit dragged his feet. “He’s Kayla’s responsibility now, right? It’s her turn to help with the bow tie.”
“Women can’t help tie ties, you know that.” His mother frowned at him. “Besides, he’s your baby brother. He will always be your responsibility.”
Whit turned to Andie and pointed a stern finger at her. “Don’t leave. I have questions for you.”
“And I have a few for you too, Mother,” Whit said under his breath as he let her steer him away. “What do you know about Andie’s sudden travel plans?”