Page 33 of My Best Friend's Mardi Gras Wedding

“No, she doesn’t taste good?”Owen asked.“I don’t believe it.”

“No,youare not going to be thinking about how she tastes,” Josh said.

Ellie elbowed Owen in the side.“Don’t be an ass.She just got here.”

“We can’t just leave it at ‘don’t be an ass’?”Josh asked.

“Well, asking him to not be an ass ever is pretty unrealistic,” Jeremiah said.

Owen didn’t seem offended by any of this either.

It occurred to Tori thatsheshould maybe be blushing.They were talking about Josh tasting her, after all.And Owen tasting her too.Kind of.Or at least him thinking about tasting her.Or him thinking about Josh tasting her.Or something.She was already confused.But, strangely, she didn’t feel embarrassed.She felt…included.

Maybe there was something in the air down here that made people unabashed.She took a nice deep breath, just in case.Unabashed seemed fun.

“Hey, guys?”Josh asked.

“Yeah?”Ellie and Owen asked.

“How about you all shut the fuck up now?”

Yes, Josh had just told his grandmother to shut the fuck up.

“Okay, so no one’s pregnant—yet—so let’s go to the bar,” Ellie said.

Yet?As in… But Tori didn’t have time to think about that any further.

Josh sighed and nodded.“Fine.For a little bit.Then she needs to get back to Buckworth.She’s there for a wedding.”

“I’ll get her back,” Leo said.

“Just because we used the word ‘plantation,’ that does not mean driving her down Old River Road and stopping at every place and telling her all your stories,” Josh told him firmly.“And she doesn’t want to taste William’s rum.Or Bessie’s gin.Or Tyler’s whiskey.”Josh looked down at her.“It’s all moonshine.Don’t believe anybody who tells you it’s actually rum or whiskey.And don’t drink any of it.And don’t drink anything any of them mix up for you.”

“Moonshine?”She felt her eyes widen.That sounded…dangerous.And interesting.Like more fun than Paisley’s stuck-up cocktail party at the plantation, for sure.And Tori thought she just might want to hear a few of Leo’s stories, as a matter of fact.

Leo laughed at Josh’s explanation.“After you have a couple of glasses, you don’t care what it’s called or how it’s made.”

Josh shook his head.“Don’t drink anything Leo offers you, period.Stick with Ellie.”He smiled at his grandmother in a way that made Tori’s heart melt a little—a combination of affection and exasperation.“She’ll give you the good stuff.Thelegalstuff.”

Ellie smiled at her.“Definitely stick with me, honey.”

Owen laughed.“But don’t get sucked in by that sweet smile.She’ll get you schnockered, given half a chance,” he said.“She’ll just do it with liquor that comes from an actual distillery rather than somebody’s backyard.”

Tori wasn’t sure if she should laugh.Or come up with a really good reason to leave.

“But I can come along and protect you,” Owen said, stepping up and putting an arm around Tori’s shoulders.

Josh immediately shoved it off.“Take abigstep back, cousin.”

Owen held up his hands and stepped back.“Okay.Just tryin’ to help.”

“You’re never helpful unless you think you can get money, beer, a naked woman, or a laugh out of the deal,” Kennedy said to Owen.“And I don’t think you’ll be getting any of that from Miss Tori here.”

“Oh, I bet I can get some laughs out of it,” Owen said.

“Just stay away from her,” Josh said, looking far less amused and laid-back now.

Was he actually feeling protective of her?Tori kind of liked that idea.

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