Page 64 of My Last Fling
The rest of us raise our glasses and shout a cheer for the bride before we sip. It’s clear that there’s no love lost between Mya and her father. Not that it surprises me. Piper told me all about Luke and Mya’s father and his callous behavior when he found out he’d fathered a daughter with his mistress. Not to mention the way he raised Luke. It seems to me that they’re both better off without him in their lives. I know Luke invited both his parents to the wedding out of familial obligation. Piper told me how relieved he was when only his mother opted to attend. His father had claimed some sort of business emergency, but I think he just didn’t want to risk seeing his daughter and realizing what he missed out on by not being there for her. Not that I’m certain he’s capable of that depth of emotion. Not even the news that Mya had given birth to his first grandchild had swayed him to mend things with her. Some people are stubborn to the bitter end. I think he might be one of those people.
But it clearly doesn’t bother Mya or Luke. They’ve both managed to find happiness and love despite the lack of it growing up. In fact, Luke has made my sister happier than I’ve ever seen her. Which makes him one of my favorite people these days.
“To my baby sister,” I say, raising my glass again. “The most beautiful bride-to-be I’ve ever seen. I can’t wait to watch you walk down the aisle tomorrow and marry the man of your dreams. Seeing you happy is all I’ve ever wanted. And I know she’d want the same.”
Piper’s smile wobbles just a bit before firming again. Maybe I shouldn’t have said that last part, but I know her. And I know our mom has been on her mind a lot lately. I just hope I haven’t brought down the mood tonight.
“She would,” Piper agrees. “And she wouldn’t want me to be sad tonight. So, I’m not going to be.”
“Good,” I say, gesturing toward her glass. “Bottoms up!”
By the time we make it to the dance club, we’ve finished off two bottles of champagne and it’s clear that all the ladies are taking full advantage of our night out. We head immediately for the dance floor, not willing to waste a second of the night. The eight of us dance and laugh until our hearts are pounding and we’re out of breath before we find an empty table and Quinn and I head to the bar to order us a round of drinks.
“I needed this,” she says as we wait for the bartender to prepare the drinks.
“Me too,” I say, smiling. “Not as much as you do, though. I don’t have a baby at home.”
She laughs. “He’s a handful, but I love being a mom.”
“Really?” I ask. “You don’t miss your independence a little bit?”
She thinks about it for a second and shrugs. “I don’t know. Sometimes, I guess. But it’s tiny compared to how much I love him and Ronan. They’re worth it.”
I nod, envying her certainty. When we make our way back to the table, I hear Hope asking Harlow why it took her and Linc so long to figure out they were perfect for each other. I just shake my head as I smile.
“I’d like to hear that one, too,” I say. “It was obvious to the rest of us.”
Piper laughs. “Especially when you kept freaking out every time he was around.”
Harlow glares at her. “I did notfreak out. I was just nervous. You’ve seen him. He’s intense.”
Piper shrugs. “He’s a big softie.”
“Not always,” Harlow mutters, lifting her glass to her lips.
I decide not to ask for clarification on that comment. I get the feeling she was talking about something other than his personality.
It’s loud in the club, but Claire must have her phone set to vibrate because she pulls it from her pocket and smiles at the screen before answering the call.
“Hey, Garrett,” she says.
“Boo!” Quinn shouts.
“No boys allowed!” Piper calls.
The others chime in with similar comments as I shake my head.
“It’s been three hours,” Hope says. “He’ll see you later.”
“Shut up!” Claire says, laughing. “He wants to video chat.”
“Do it!” Hannah says. “Let’s see what the boys are up to.”
It takes a second for Garrett’s face to appear on the screen, making Claire smile wider.
“Hey, you,” she says.
“I miss you!” Garrett says.