Page 10 of Hero's Prize

“We’re all already mad that you missed the bouquet toss.”

Ella laughed. “I’m not. I thought it was hilarious that you caught it.” Lilah was the least likely person on earth to be the next one married.

Actually, that wasn’t true. Ella most definitely claimed that honor since Lilah generally had men fawning all over her.

Ella finished arranging the last display plate and held up her hands. There, that was it. That was all she was going to do. The reception was winding down, maybe an hour left, but Ella knew she could make her escape early. She’d chat with everyone for a few minutes before sneaking out and heading up to her hotel room.

“You know that none of us wanted to catch that bouquet out of anything more than competition. There’s only one person who’d want it—you.” The beautiful bunch of flowers landed on the table next to the plates Ella was working on. “You should’ve joined us for the catch, Elly-Belly. I would’ve made sure you got it.”

Ella picked up the blooms, stargazer lilies mixed with jasmine and gardenias, and touched them softly, but she still didn’t turn around to face her friend. “I know you would’ve. But I didn’t want the bouquet. If I had ended up with it, everybody would’ve been staring at me, and we both know what they would’ve been thinking. It would’ve been awkward for both me and…” She trailed off.

She hadn’t wanted anyone looking at her, and she especially hadn’t wanted their glances to have made their way over to Colton. Her one saving grace was that Colton didn’t know about her crush, even if everyone else from Oak Creek did. Her catching the bouquet and a hundred people turning in his direction probably would’ve been a tip-off.

Even though she was done, she started rearranging plates again with one hand, holding the bouquet in the other. She should just stick with what she knew: food. Food, she understood. Fooddidn’t require flirtations or batting eyelashes. Food was understandable. She would stick with food and not worry about Colton Harrison.

And if she had the extra pounds to show for it, then so be it.

Or maybe Lilah could start training her like how she’d worked with Becky. It was different—Becky had needed to learn self-defense to protect herself—but maybe Ella could work out with Lilah a couple times a week. That would be pretty painful, but it would at least help with the extra pounds.

She stopped moving the plates around. Lilah was right. Eva and Theo would come over here and fuss at her if she didn’t stop. She didn’t want them to even be thinking about her at all on their special day.

“Do you think you could start training me? Or maybe we could start working out together sometime?” she said to Lilah without looking at her.

“I’m always down for a workout.”

Ella froze.That wasn’t Lilah. That wasn’t a female voice at all.

It was the one person who Lilah would make herself scarce for so Ella could talk to him privately, damn her hide.

She spun around, hoping her ears were deceiving her through the music, but knowing they weren’t. Sure enough, all that filled her vision were deep brown eyes, a granite jaw, and a smile made for sin.

“Hey, Colton.” It was all she could manage to get out.

“You’ve been over here by the desserts all night.”

Oh God, did he think she’d been over hereeatingthe whole night? She could feel heat creeping up into her face.

“I was…uh…in charge of the desserts this week.” She forced the brightest smile she could, bringing her hands up to punctuate the words. “The cakes and the cupcakes and the gift baskets. It’s because of Fancy Pants. My bakery. Eva asked if I would provide sweets for them.”

Holy hell, was she really swinging the bouquet in her hand around in the air to make her point? She looked like a damnedlunatic. The flowers caught him on the chest, and he took a slight step backward, eyebrow raised.

Grimacing, she set the flowers down on the table beside her before she accosted him further. “Yeah. So, I wasn’t just sitting over here eating.”

Yep, definitely sounded like a lunatic.

“Everybody’s been raving about how good your…treatsare. I decided tonight I had to try them for myself.”

Ella froze, feeling like some sort of prey that had caught scent of a predator, but wasn’t sure. Colton’s smile hadn’t changed, his eyes were still as deep and clear as they always were, but his words…

Was she crazy, or did it seem like he wasflirtingwith her?

She caught a glimpse of Lilah over Colton’s shoulder, now standing next to Becky. They were both watching and nodding enthusiastically, gesturing with their hands for Ella to get closer to Colton.

She ignored them. Colton wasn’t flirting with her. Of course he wasn’t. He was being friendly. It was what Colton Harrison did—was a huge part of his charm. It was why he had literally millions of fans.

When he talked about trying hertreatsfor himself, it was not a euphemism for something else. No matter what obnoxious gestures Lilah was now making.

Ella deliberately turned away from her friends and shot a friendly smile at Colton. “I hope you liked whatever you tried.”

---