Page 66 of My Best Friend's Mardi Gras Wedding

He wasn’t playing a part here.He really wanted to be the guy supplying Tori with breakfast food.That was crazy.He’d never cared a whit about what the women he spent time with ate for breakfast.But it worked into the whole scheme of him being Tori’s completely enamored wedding date, so he didn’t pull it back.

“I promise my grits are going to be the best thing you’ve ever put in your mouth in the morning,” he told her.

Tori’s eyes widened and Paisley actually made a little choking sound.

He didn’t rush to amend that he really did mean grits.Besides, after they ate, they could work on some other great ways to start the day.Things that also included her mouth.

“How are you going to give her grits?”Andrew asked.“There’s a cook here who is in charge of meals.Not sure she’d just let you take over the kitchen.”

Josh gave him a slow grin.“When it comes to making Tori happy, there’s no limit to what I can do.”

That was a very Landry kind of thing to say.Ellie would be proud.She would also make the grits and send them up in a Thermos with Leo.Really, obtaining sweet grits was the least of Josh’s challenges here.

“She really likes blueberry muffins,” Andrew said.

Josh almost rolled his eyes.Were they really having a pissing contest over what Tori would be eating in the morning?Seemingly.But Josh knew that it was about more than that.This was about who knew her and who she’d rather have breakfast with.

“Blueberry muffins are great,” Josh said easily.“But I’m winning her over to Southern ways, and grits are definitely a part of that.”

“You’re winning her over to Southern ways?”Andrew asked.“You sure about that?”

Josh looked down at Tori.She was staring at him and Andrew as if she had no idea what was going on or what to do.

“I’m giving it my best shot,” Josh said, realizing it was true.He wanted her to love it here.And to stay.

Wow, that had gotten deep fast.

“Tori is an Iowa girl,” Andrew said.“Mardi Gras is one thing, but her home, heranimals,” he emphasized, as if Tori might have forgotten, “are in Iowa.”

The animals.Those were always going to be the key to Tori’s heart.

Fuck Andrew.

Josh opened his mouth to reply, but Tori spoke first.

“Josh has a river otter.”

Pleasure rocked through him at Tori’s response.

Andrew frowned.“What?”

Tori nodded.“Josh has a river otter.Gus.He lives by the dock.He’s pretty cute.”

“You’d leave your cows for a river otter?”Andrew asked.His scowl was deeper now.

And just like they hadn’t really been talking about grits and muffins earlier, they weren’t talking about otters and cows now.

“We have cows in Louisiana,” Josh said.Anything Tori had in Iowa that she loved, he would get her here.He’d get her a dozen cows if that was what she wanted.Andthatwas way crazier than wanting to make her grits.

But he didn’t miss the way Tori’s brow was now furrowed slightly.Dammit.Andrew had her thinking about her regular life and all the reasons she couldn’t just pick up and move to Louisiana.

“You don’t haveTori’scows in Louisiana,” Andrew said, clearly feeling a little triumphant at the look on Tori’s face.

He’d succeeded in, if not popping Tori’s I-love-Louisiana bubble, at least making a small hole that could easily turn into a slow leak.

“My grandpa’s best friend has a dog that thinks he’s a duck.”

Andrew, Tori, and Paisley all looked at him.Josh sighed.Okay, that sounded pretty desperate.But it was true.It was also true that he felt a little desperate to fight Tori’s doubts about Louisiana.

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