That's Amore! - Janelle Denison [19]
There was no sense denying the obvious, so Jason didn't even try. "I guess I do."
Kalani took another long swallow of his beer, then his expression turned more serious and direct. "I have to admit that I'm disappointed that things didn't work out between Leila and myself, but I can see that she's really happy with you. I guess it's the way things were supposed to work out."
Coming from Kalani, that show of support was huge, and Jason didn't know what to say in return. All he really knew of Leila and Kalani's relationship was that Leila had been the one to break things off. Jason didn't know the reasons behind his fiancée's decision to end the relationship, but he suddenly found himself curious.
Kalani patted him on the back in male comradery. "Leila's a great girl, so take good care of her."
"I plan to," Jason replied without a second thought.
"See that you do, or else you'll have Paulo and Mani to answer to." Kalani's tone was light and teasing.
Unable to help himself, Jason grinned wryly. "Yeah, and I get the feeling they'd break my kneecaps if I ever did anything to hurt their baby sister."
Kalani's brisk nod confirmed that thought. "Kneecaps and a few other body parts, I'm sure."
Jason chuckled, liking the other man's humor. He could also see why Leila's mom and dad liked Kalani so much. He was a genuinely nice guy who, luckily for Jason, held no grudges.
"Congratulations, man," Kalani said solemnly, and held his hand out. "I'm happy for you both."
"Thanks," Jason said, shaking Kalani's hand in a firm grip. "I'm a lucky man."
"That you are," Kalani agreed, and clicked his bottle to Jason's in a silent toast. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to enjoy the rest of the evening's entertainment."
Jason grinned. "Have fun."
CHAPTER FIVE
JASON ARRIVED at Leila's the following morning after running some last-minute errands and making arrangements for their wedding night together. He wanted tomorrow night to be special and memorable. And with luck and Nick's support, he'd be able to give Leila the greatest gift of all. What he had planned was unexpected and certainly a last-minute ordeal, but he felt confident that he'd made the right decision.
Feeling upbeat and optimistic about their future together, Jason entered Leila's cottage only to find her sitting on the living room couch with her face buried in her hands. There was a big opened box on the coffee table in front of her, and while his first thought was that she wasn't feeling well and her morning sickness had lingered, he didn't think that was the case at the moment.
Concern swept over him and he started toward her. "Leila, what's wrong?"
She lowered her hands, giving him a glimpse of just how upset she was. Her eyes were moist, as if she'd been crying, and the frustration in her gaze spoke for itself. "You aren't going to believe what happened."
He sat beside her on the couch, certain nothing could be so bad that they couldn't figure out a way to work through the problem. "Try me."
"Domeafavor.com, the online place where I ordered our wedding favors, sent me someone else's stuff instead of our Hawaiian candy leis that are imprinted with our names and wedding date!"
Ahh, now there was a big tragedy, Jason thought in silent amusement. And he supposed to a bride-to-be, a mix-up like this was a huge catastrophe. But considering everything else they'd been through the past few days, this mistake was small potatoes in comparison.
"Did you call the company and let them know about the mix-up?" he asked calmly.
She nodded. "Yes, and they were extremely apologetic about the situation. Apparently, our wedding favors were sent to another couple by mistake, an Efi and Nick Constantinos in Detroit, Michigan." Her voice began to rise as she grew more and more distraught. "The woman told me that we weren't the only ones who received someone else's stuff, instead of their own. And of course she apologized profusely and assured me I'd be credited for our order and could keep these favors. But that doesn't