Page 69 of The Best Man Problem
“Kenneth!” Marie called over her shoulder.
From behind the counter, where he stood cleaning some weird piece of coffee equipment, Kenneth shrugged. “You got a ’tude, dude. Noticed it the second we got home from the honeymoon.”
“What happened with her?”
He stared at Marie, conjuring up his best confused expression as he asked, “What happened with whom?”
His friend, wise to his bullshit, rolled her dark eyes. “Lilly.”
Dammit.
“Why would you think anything happened with Lilly?”
“Oh please.” Marie laughed. “You always smiled, big and bright, whenever you were around her. A real smile, not that fake toothy monstrosity you’ve been putting on for the past year. The sprinklers almost erupted due to the fireworks you two had during the dance class. Any time the woman’s name is even mentioned, you get all puppy dog eyes.”
He scowled. “I do not get puppy dog eyes. I don’t even know what that means.”
“It means you like her, dumbass. Maybe even more than like her.”
“Hey!” He leaned to the side to call out to Kenneth. “Your wife just called me a dumbass.”
“You are a dumbass,” his buddy replied.
Marie nodded. “Especially if you let a great woman like Lilly slip away from you.”
She wasn’t slipping away. He’d pushed her away. And didn’t that just make the entire situation even worse? Here he was, a divorcé who didn’t believe in love, but did believe in commitment, but didn’t want to commit his heart to anyone again. His logic was so screwed up he could barely follow it.
“Come on, Kenneth,” he pleaded with his friend. “I thought you were against the whole Lilly-and-me thing?”
Kenneth rubbed the back of his neck, a slight grimace on his face. “Yeah, I’ll admit I might have been thinking a little selfishly at the time. Ya know, didn’t want you and our wedding planner messing around to screw up our day, but Lilly is great, man. Like, really great. I still can’t believe the miracle she pulled off at the wedding. I thought the snow was going to ruin everything for sure. But she found a way to save everything. A woman who cares that much about other people’s happiness is a keeper.”
“You know what?” He closed his laptop. “I don’t think I want to have this conversation right now.”
He started to rise from his chair, but a hard glance and a finger point from Marie caused him to retake his seat.
“Too damn bad, Reid, because we’re having it.”
He placed his laptop in his bag, reaching for his coffee as he focused on his friend. “Okay. Say your piece, Marie.”
“Thank you. I will.” She cleared her throat, placing her hands on the table, one folded on top of the other. “Lincoln, you know how much Kenneth and I love you.”
He did. They were the three amigos. Best friends through thick and thin.
“So,” she continued, “it not only hurt you when Jessa cheated. It hurt us, too.”
His jaw clenched at the mention of his ex and her infidelity, but he let his friend go on.
“Watching the pain and doubt you went through killed us. I wanted to find that bitch and rip her hair out strand by strand for what she did, but Kenneth wouldn’t let me.”
“You would have gone to jail, honey,” Kenneth called from the counter. “Lincoln wouldn’t have let you risk yourself like that, either.”
Damn right he wouldn’t. He loved his friends’ loyalty, but he didn’t need them to fight his battles. His lawyer had taken care of that when she made sure Lincoln didn’t pay any alimony to his unfaithful ex.
“The point is, we hurt for you. And we were angry at Jessa for what she did. But when she left your life, she left ours, and eventually the anger faded. I know it’s harder for you because you were the one who was in the actual marriage.”
“I’m trying to get over it.” He shrugged.
“Are you?” Her brow furrowed. “You haven’t really dated anyone since Jessa. You haven’t even been interested in another person. Not until Lilly.”
