Page 8 of The First Best Man

J.T. is Tucker. Tucker is J.T.

And I’m royally screwed.

“Nice to meet you, Kate,” he says slowly. “I’m Tucker Gibbs.”

My eyes fall closed, my back teeth grinding together as Penny’s gasp echoes around us. I open my eyes in time to see Logan shoot a questioning glance at his bride-to-be, then I look over my shoulder and beg her with my eyes not to say anything.

She clears her throat, recovering quickly enough to say, “Tucker? Is that your middle name or something? I’ve only ever known you as J.T.”

Nice work, Penny.

“Have I never told you this story?” Logan asks her, leading us into the dining room. “When I met J.T. in college, we already had a guy in our friend group named Tucker. We started calling this one “Junior Tucker,” since he was a junior and the rest of us were sophomores, and it stuck. Eventually, the nickname got shortened to J.T.”

“No,” Penny says with a nervous laugh, “you’ve never told me that.”

I keep my eyes locked on Penny, but that doesn’t stop me from feeling Tucker’s gaze burning into my skin. The more I ignore it, the hotter it feels.

Great.Justgreat.

The first guy I’ve felt really attracted to in years, maybe in my whole life, and he’s off-limits. I hold back a sigh.

It doesn’t matter, anyway. He’s obviously not interested if his little disappearing act last night was any indication. It’s fine.

Taking a deep breath, I look over at him cautiously, and he smiles. A gorgeous smile filled with secret knowledge and something else I can’t identify. Whatever it is, it’s making my heart flutter and my stomach hollow out.

Please stop smiling at me like that.

I really can’t take it.

CHAPTER THREE

Tucker

Well,well, well. If it isn’t the runner.

I assumed I’d bump into her again at some point. In fact, I had plans to visit the Grill again, every night this week if necessary, in the off chance that I would. This island is small, with a population of less than a thousand people in six square miles. It’s really hard to hide in a place like this.

But on the flip side, I never expected the woman who charmed me last night would be the maid of honor in the very wedding I’m here to celebrate, myself. Lady Luck is definitely shining her bright light on me today.

Penny is babbling faster than usual, which means Kate probably told her about meeting me last night. And it’s obvious from the whole “J.T., explained” conversation, Penny didn’t put two and two together until this very moment.

I wonder what Kate said about me, and if she told Penny why she ran.

“Kate owns Bush Monkey Bar & Grill.”

I tune back in to Penny’s constant chatter with those words. Turning my gaze on Kate, I cock my head and smile.

“Oh, really? I actually ate there last night when I got into town. The chili-cheese fries are amazing.”

Her cheeks bloom with a pretty shade of pink as Logan says, “Those are Kate’s favorite. She goes in when she’s not even working just to have a plate of them.”

“Does she, now?” I ask, keeping my gaze locked on the woman in question.

“Geez, Logan. You act like I never cook for myself,” she says, finally seeming to regain control of her voice.

“Do you? I’ve never seen it,” he quips back.

“Okay, Lo,” Penny says like an old pro at breaking up squabbles between these two, “stop picking on Kate before she punches you and gives you a black eye for the wedding pictures.”

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