Page 2 of My Best Friend's Mardi Gras Wedding

Like tonight.

She should be just down the block, in fact.

That sent a shot of adrenaline through him, and he hurried to get the women positioned for the photo.Four phones were thrust into his hands and Josh sighed.

The women giggled and the five friends gathered around birthday girl.He made sure to angle the photo so that the Bourbon Street sign over their heads showed up in the photo.“Okay, one-two-three.”He shot three photos on each of the first three phones.

But as he finished the countdown on the fourth phone, the six women—who were old enough to be his mother—lifted their shirts and flashed him their breasts.Their naked breasts.

He blew out a breath.But took the photo.He’d spent Mardi Gras in New Orleans every year since he’d turned eighteen.This wasn’t the first—or last—time he’d see breasts he didn’t mean to see.

Josh handed them all beads.“Looks like you girls know what you’re doin’ down here,” he said honestly.

They all laughed again and Angie took her phone back from him.She checked the photo and showed the other girls.They all grinned and nodded.Josh shook his head.

“I gotta go,” he told them.“But…be good, okay?”

“Good?”One of the women wrinkled her nose.“Really?”

“I didn’t say tobehave,” he told her with a wink.“I said begood.At whatever you’re doin’ tonight.”

She nodded her head with a big grin.“Got it.”

He laughed and turned to continue working his way through the crowds to Bourbon O, the bar where he’d met Tori last year.He’d been working there at the time.Over the past few years, he’d poured drinks in six of the bars along Bourbon, but Bourbon O was his favorite.And it was by far the nicest.If a bar had strong liquor and live music, they could get away with being just this side of nasty on Bourbon.Tourists didn’t care.In fact, the “dive bar” ambiance seemed to be almost expected.But Bourbon O was a step—or ten—above most on the street.Not that Josh hadn’t had fun and made really good money at those “dive” bars.He’d just worked his way up the street as his reputation for being great at the important combination of bartender, bouncer and bring-’em-back guy grew.He flirted when that was called for.He talked sports, or fishing and hunting, or any other topic that was appropriate ifthatwas called for.He could also listen to anyone cry over nearly anything as long as they had a drink in their hand.He was great for business, period.

And he was now working for two of his best friends.Gabe and Logan Trahan owned Trahan’s Tavern over on St.Peter.It was off Bourbon—several blocks off Bourbon, in fact—but they did very good business.The tavern sat on a corner just across from Jackson Square and had more than their fair share of tourist traffic and local regulars.Of course, Logan and Gabe were like Josh—good at flirting, having intellectual conversations, or sympathizing, depending on the situation.And until they’d met their wives, they’d done their part in “entertaining” the female tourists in the Quarter too.

Now, though, it all fell to Josh.

He grinned.Okay, maybe notallto him, but he did his best to “help out.”

At least until he’d met Tori.

Josh picked up his pace down the street as images of the gorgeous brunette who’d sat at the bar at Bourbon O for nearly four hours last Mardi Gras flashed through his mind.

Please be there.

He was one block away and finally allowed himself to acknowledge the fact that Tori might not be there.

One year, two weeks, and six days ago…

“I want to see you again.”His hands cupped her face and he took her mouth in a slow, deep kiss.“Tell me I can see you again,” he said against her lips.

“I live in Iowa.”

But the way she melted into him like she was a pat of butter and he was a hot piece of cornbread told him that she wouldn’t mind doing…all of this again.

“Yep.And there are roads in between here and there, Tori.”

She moaned softly, the sound he’d imagine she’d make when presented with a huge slice of chocolate cake she didn’t think she should have.But wanted.

“It’s really hard for me to get away.It’s really hard for you to get away,” she reminded him.

“But not impossible.”

Okay, it was close to impossible.He had two jobs, one for a business he was a partial owner in, and a big, overly involved family that expected a lot from him.She was a veterinarian.The only one in the little farm town in Iowa where she lived.A lot of people depended on her not just to keep their pets healthy, but also to care for the animals that were their livelihood.This weekend away was her first in two years.And it was only three days.

She blew out a breath, running her hands up the sides of his neck and into his hair.“I wasn’t expecting any of this.”

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