A Beautiful Purpose Read online

  Loud cheers cut Kyle off, and he waited for everyone to quiet down. I watched as Abbey, Lily, and Gail all stood in the front row, holding one another’s hands with proud smiles shining brilliantly across their faces. My heart filled with so much happiness for each one of my beloved friends.

  I wanted to rush up to Gail and Abbey and share this moment with them. I quickly scoped out the area for a path. There was no way to reach them without causing an interruption, so I stayed rooted in my place and watched from afar.

  Kyle, Jason, and Damon were handed the largest pair of scissors I had ever seen before. Together, they turned to face the red ribbon blocking the entrance of the building.

  “M & J Construction is now open for business!” Kyle announced with nothing but pure pride as the three of them cut the shiny material.

  Loud praises and applause filled the open skies again. The bartenders popped open champagne bottles and poured the contents into glasses, and then servers dressed in black uniforms began to hand them out to all the guests.

  A man approached my side, nearly startling me. “Would you like one, ma’am?” he asked, offering me a glass filled with the bubbly liquid.

  “Sure.” I smiled at him, grasping the drink.

  The man left me as I took a long sip, letting the cool champagne slide down the back of my throat. I was not sure what brand it was, but it was extremely good.

  “Audrey Hampton, is that you?” a vaguely familiar voice said, coming up to my right.

  I spun around to see Thomas Baker, a former friend from high school, closing the distance between us. His chestnut hair was longer than I remembered him ever keeping it, and he must have been a late bloomer because he now towered over me.

  “Thomas!” I beamed up at my old high school friend.

  “The one and only.” Thomas grinned at me, stepping forward for a friendly hug. He pulled back and gave me a quick once-over. “I haven’t seen you in years. Actually, it’s probably been since we graduated from high school.”

  “I think you’re right.” It dawned on me that it had been approximately seven years since I just celebrated my twenty-fifth birthday. Jeez, time flies.

  “I didn’t realize you were still in Lake Tahoe.”

  “I’ve only been home for a few weeks,” I politely clarified.

  Thomas gave me an inquisitive stare, his hazel eyes now looking optimistic. “Permanently, I hope?”

  I shook my head at him with an apologetic expression. “I’m afraid not. San Francisco is my home these days. I’m just here to spend some time with my family.”

  “Oh, I see,” Thomas acknowledged. “Well, maybe we can have dinner sometime before you take off again? I wouldn’t want another seven years to pass before I see you again,” he teased.

  “Um…” I stammered at my old friend, not convinced I wanted to say yes and take a chance of giving him the wrong impression. However, I did not want to be rude. I felt stuck between a rock and a tough place. My gullible, friendly side won, but I kept my offer vague. “Sure, possibly another time.”

  “Are you staying with your folks over on Ridge Lane?” he probed.

  “Yes,” I responded hesitantly. My parents were not keen on visitors.

  “Okay. Perhaps I’ll see you around in the near future then,” he replied.

  “Audrey!” was shouted from somewhere behind me.

  I turned at the sound of Gail’s voice and then rotated back to Thomas. “Well, it seems like I’m being summoned,” I said kindly to him. “It was good seeing you, Thomas. Take care.”

  “You, too.”

  As I weaved my way through all the people, Gail, Damon, Kyle, Lily, Abbey, Jason, and that incredibly handsome man I’d seen earlier were all staring at me. I could feel his eyes on me as I came to a stop in front of everyone, and I had to ignore the thumping pulse of my increasing heartbeat.

  Gail was the first to speak to me, “Abbey, Lily, and I are going to need your help.”

  Abbey had the most heartfelt, pleading eyes I had ever seen. For some unexplainable reason, flashing bright red warning lights went off in my head, but I disregarded them, wanting to help my friend.

  “Of course.” I smiled shyly, feeling out of place with so much attention on me.

  At my acceptance of assisting my friends, Abbey’s face was glowing with utter bliss, and so was Jason’s as he stood at his fiancée’s side.

  “With what?” I inquired.

  “I’m getting married,” Abbey chimed in. Just as I was about to say congratulations, Abbey added, “In eight weeks,” with her eyes steady and focused directly on me.

  My eyes widened in surprise. I was utterly stunned by the short timing. My heart began thumping unevenly at Abbey’s earlier words of needing help.

  Oh my God…

  I froze in shock as Abbey’s intentions clearly sank into my mind. I knew without a doubt that she wanted me to help plan her special day.

  This was bad, really bad. I suddenly felt confined as though walls were closing in around me, except there were no walls around. I had to be the most anti-wedding person in the world.

  The world seemed to tilt on its axis. I felt as if I were being suffocated or squeezed to death or maybe even beaten.

  How could my dearest friends not know how much I hate and disbelieve in the exchange of marriage vows?

  Oh, right! Because I never told them—that’s why!

  Nobody in our group spoke. Everyone’s eyes were on me, gauging and assessing me. All the while, my mind swarmed with so many ways to politely say no and walk away. I sighed inwardly, knowing my answer. I was not one to walk away from my friends or to let them down even though we valued different beliefs.

  I can do this and set my personal feelings aside.

  Eight weeks was an extremely short time frame to work with, yet it could be doable if we all worked together and kept to a schedule. Organized planning was the key.

  After what felt like eternity, I was able to plaster on a genuine smile, happy for my beloved friend whom I adored to no end. I told Abbey, “I think the four of us can manage that.”

  “Wonderful!” Gail cried out first with a clap of her hands. Then, she threw herself forward and embraced me.

  As Gail withdrew from me, I noticed Abbey’s eyes were full of tears, and she seemed rooted in her spot.

  Gradually, Abbey closed the space between us and turned her head toward my ear. “You’ll never know how much this means to Jason and me,” she whispered only for me, her voice harboring the same affection that I felt toward her.

  In that moment, I knew I had made the right decision to put my beliefs aside in order to help my friend, and I was overwhelmed by the intensity of the emotions I allowed myself to feel. Love seeped into my heart and soul. Never before had I felt so surrounded by it.

  Abbey pulled back, let out a deep breath, and smiled while holding me at arm’s length. “Thanks, girl. You’re a lifesaver.” Her voice was louder and allowed everyone to hear.

  “You’re going to need it, all right, lady,” Gail cut in.

  We all turned our attention to the two of them. Playfully glaring, Gail pointed a finger at Abbey, and Abbey’s eyes widened in surprise.

  Gail continued, “Because you’re in trouble for not telling me your wedding date before.”

  Abbey flippantly rolled her eyes at Gail. “We only settled on a date a few days ago.”

  “It’s true.” Jason chuckled, rescuing his fiancée from Gail’s friendly wrath, as Pearl came up to throw her arms around her dad. He set his hand on her shoulder while telling Gail, “This is the first time we’ve had a chance to tell everyone.”

  “Saved by the fiancé.” Gail tsked and then winked at Abbey, making us all laugh.

  Just then, I felt the unnamed hot man’s eyes on me, but I did not dare glance his way. I was feeling way too out of my element to look at him. Remembering his eyes, I realized he shared strikingly similar characteristics with Jason and Damon. The idea made me wonder if the myst
ery man was another brother or perhaps even their cousin.

  I redirected my gaze to see Lily snickering under her breath while attempting to snuggle into her husband’s side. Seeing his wife having difficulties because of her round belly, Kyle swooped his large arm around Lily’s waist, pivoted her counterclockwise, and drew her in until she fit perfectly against him. Lily placed one hand around her husband’s nape while the other affectionately rubbed the swell of her stomach.

  “Thank you,” Lily said to Kyle. She smiled up at him before reaching to kiss him. When she drew back, her big blue eyes glowed with love and happiness, and her long blonde hair gracefully flowed down her back before she shifted her attention to me.

  Their embrace had me blushing and rotating my gaze to the left. Damon had pulled Gail off to the side, and they were chatting among themselves and also sharing a few kisses. I rotated to the right, only to see Abbey and Jason doing the same thing. I let out a deep breath, realizing I was in the middle of a love tank. The thought made me want to hyperventilate.

  Lily must have sensed my dismay because she stepped out of her husband’s embrace. Taking a hold of his hand, she walked over to me. “So, how are you doing, Audrey? Are you settling back into Lake Tahoe okay?” Lily questioned, earning my full attention.

  “I’m very well, thank you. I’ve been helping take care of my mother, so it’s been nice to see my parents again after all this time,” I responded, catching another glance at the growing bundle of joy in her tummy. I smiled up at her. “How is your pregnancy going?”

  Lily’s eyes instantly shimmered with that pregnancy glow everyone always seemed to talk about. “I’m doing wonderful.” Her hands caressed her baby bump. “Baby Blimp is as active as ever and healthy. I could not possibly ask for anything more.”

  My stare skirted between Lily and Kyle. “Congratulations. I’m so happy for you two. Do you guys know what you are having yet?”

  “We want it to be a surprise.” Kyle grinned over at me. His brownish-green eyes glowed, matching his wife’s.

  Lily playfully elbowed her husband in the ribs.

  He chuckled with an, “Ouch,” while rubbing his side.

  She narrowed her eyes at him and murmured, “Faker,” loud enough for me to hear before gazing back at me. “Kyle wants it to be a surprise, or he just wants to torture me with the anticipation of the unknown pink or blue factor. It makes decorating the nursery so hard!”

  All the while, I pinched my lips together to stifle my laughter at their adorable banter.

  “I’d never dream of torturing you, beautiful,” Kyle said. Dotingly, he leaned down to kiss her temple. “I think waiting happens to make Baby Blimp’s upcoming arrival all the more gratifying. After all, we want a boy and a girl, so it does not matter which one comes first.”

  The unknown would definitely increase the anticipation and excitement over the next nine months.

  “Kyle has a good point there, Lily,” I sincerely piped in with a soft snicker.

  “With my luck, we will have five boys, and I’ll be outnumbered,” Lily scoffed with humor.

  Kyle shook his head. “Says the girl who leaves her dresses behind for a pair of jeans and a hoodie to go do burnouts on a four-wheeler in our backyard.”

  “True. I guess you got me there.” Lily snickered.

  She rotated her head to tenderly kiss her husband’s cheek, and he nuzzled her back.

  I felt a blush creeping up in my cheeks once again, and I shifted my head to give them privacy. This time, I ended up locking eyes with the hot man himself. After I wordlessly got lost in the bluest eyes I had ever seen before, he slowly stepped forward and outstretched his hand to me.

  “Hello, I’m Blake Johnson,” he said in a calm, gentle, yet husky tone.

  His voice was deeper than I had imagined it would be. A smile spread across his features, stirring something unfamiliar inside of me. I instantly suppressed the feeling and blamed it on this love tank surrounding me.

  As if sensing that my voice had failed me, Blake vaguely gestured to Damon and Jason, who were now talking with their leading ladies and a few others who had congregated around them. “I’m Jason and Damon’s oldest brother.”

  “Hi,” I murmured, finding my voice at last.

  I reached forward to allow his large hand to enclose my smaller one. The warmth of his hand spread throughout me, tingling and flowing outward to every part of me, even as I tried to resist. The intense sensation had me dropping his hand.

  Not wanting to make him or myself feel awkward, I continued speaking, “I’m Audrey Hampton. I’m friends with Gail, Abbey, and Lily.”

  “Nice to meet you, Audrey,” Blake replied.

  His eyes burned into mine, never wavering, and I wondered what he was searching for.

  “So, how do you know everyone here?” he asked politely, trying to make small talk.

  Without a backward glance, I motioned toward the direction where Gail had walked off with Damon. “Gail and I have been friends since our early childhood years. I met Abbey through Gail one summer, and then the three of us became inseparable. Most recently, I befriended Lily as well as your two brothers through Abbey and Gail.”

  “I see.” He nodded thoughtfully, as if following along. “It’s quite interesting how you all were brought together.”

  “Yes, our circle just kind of keeps growing.” I smiled.

  For some unknown reason, I found myself wanting to know more about this guy and where he’d come from since I had never met or seen him with the others before today.

  “So, did you fly into Lake Tahoe for today? Or do you live here?” I questioned curiously.

  “I’m staying here with my brothers…” Blake’s voice trailed off, and I tried to read between the lines. “For now,” he finished. His demeanor had changed, almost unsure, as if he was seemingly debating something internally.

  Surely, there was more to that story. Confused, I asked, “So then, where are you originally from?”

  “I grew up in Denver with my family, but for the past eight years, my address was wherever the Marines stationed me for the time being.” He paused and shrugged. His tone sounded as though he was choosing his words carefully. “Right now, I’m here to visit my brothers for some much-needed R & R.”

  R & R was something I could understand perfectly. I would find myself trying to get the very same thing at every passing opportunity these days. Having something in common with this mystery Johnson brother surprised me, and I wanted to know more about him.

  “What about you?” Blake asked gently.

  “I’m home to see my family. However, I live in San Francisco.” I shifted on my feet, not wanting to go into too much detail. I refrained from laughing as I recognized we had that in common. Though, more than likely, it was for different reasons.

  Blake’s dark eyebrow curled, slightly lifting, and his lower lip twitched in amusement. “You practically gave up the country life for the hectic city?”

  I let out a laugh at his expression and nodded. “Yeah, pretty much.”

  “How’s that working out for you?”

  I tilted my head his way, failing to stifle my humor. “If you ignore all the confusing highways, absurd traffic, and loud noise, then it’s not so bad.”

  Blake laughed, deep and throaty. The sound sent an undeniable shiver down my spine. I chastised myself for letting a simple conversation with a man affect me so.

  He replied, “That is a lot to ignore.”

  You have no idea, I thought, referring to not being able to deflect his effects on me. He beguiled me.

  “It is,” I responded, meaning in more ways than one.

  I realized that I needed to get away from here. Being here was too much. He was too much.

  I swallowed deeply, steadying my quaking nerves. “Well, it was a pleasure to meet you, Blake, but I do have to get going now.” I felt guilty for dismissing myself, so I added, “Maybe I’ll see you around with the others another time?”

 
; His gaze turned speculative, and he parted his lips to speak, but then he didn’t. The look he was giving me felt as though he could see right through me. Within seconds, his eyes shifted again, appearing to let me off the hook.

  I released a silent sigh of relief, thankful that he was respecting my need for a hasty departure and wasn’t asking for a further explanation.

  “Since my brothers are marrying two of your friends, I would say there is a good chance we’ll meet again.” Blake grinned, revealing a sexy dimple at the corner of his mouth.

  The faint movement captivated my eyes.

  Stop thinking about his mouth!

  “Good point.” The idea of seeing him again made me feel even more off-balanced. My normal composure around men seemed to have disappeared. Therefore, this meeting was just not going well. I gave a wave and a pleasant smile. “Well, I’ll see you later,” I said, excusing myself before his charms and good looks had my resolve vanishing into thin air.

  I would not allow myself to be so affected by a man and weakened by the idea of having one of my own. I shook my head. But Gail, Abbey, and Lily had not seemed broken down by their men. They seemed…happy, truly happy.

  I felt confused by my contradicting thoughts.

  I just needed to stop for my mother’s saltine crackers, and then I could step through the front door of my parents’ home. Being in the company of my parents, even if for only five minutes, would reprogram my mind back to my childhood beliefs. The happiness I’d witnessed among my friends would be long forgotten because the familiarity of my younger years always had strong binding roots.

  Yes, I will easily be reminded of all the reasons to stay clear of a man.

  I quickly found Abbey, Gail, and Lily and then each of their significant others to congratulate them all, and I said my good-byes. All the while, I felt like I could not breathe. I was being suffocated by thoughts of how breathtakingly handsome Blake was.

  But I reminded myself that love was deceitful and unkind, and it could only lead to a broken heart.