Page 75 of My Best Friend's Mardi Gras Wedding

Josh laughed softly.“Yeah, you’ll fit in perfectly at Ellie’s.The regulars love nothing more than a great debate.”

Warmth swirled through her at the way he said it as if she’d be back at Ellie’s.A lot.“They love a debate more than a grand gesture love story?”

Josh’s laugh rumbled across the bed again.“Okay, no.Love stories first.Then arguments.But they’ll also tell you that all great love stories have great arguments.The fighting means there’s passion.”

Tori thought about that.She couldn’t argue.Nothing got the blood pumping like being really fired up about a topic.

Well, nothing besides maybe lying in bed next to a hot bayou bartender in nothing but a tank and panties.

“Okay, so now…Valentine’s Day 2006,” Josh reminded her.

It was getting easier to tell him her embarrassing moments.Probably because so far, he’d used the words feisty, passionate, loving, and empathetic.She liked all of those.

Tori blew out a breath.“Okay.When I was a freshman in high school, I had a huge crush on Marcus Turner.He was new and sat behind me in Algebra.He was always very sweet and we talked every morning.Over the course of the first semester, I decided that I really liked him and wanted to date him.Andrew talked me out of it.He told me that if Marcus liked me, he’d ask me out.He never did.But I couldn’t shake this idea that he really liked me.So…on Valentine’s Day, I decided to let him know thatIlikedhim.”

She felt Josh roll toward her.He was listening intently.She could feel the heat from his body and her palms itched with the desire to reach over and run them across his chest.His naked chest.

She swallowed and balled her hands into fists beside her.“So, having really only dealt with loving dogs and pigs to that point, I, um, misjudged the size of the gesture I made to show Marcus how I felt.”

Josh didn’t say anything.But she could somehow sense that he was smiling.

“I got my dog, Buck, and my pig, Priscilla, involved.”

“Of course you did.”

She laughed.“The day before Valentine’s Day, I ran home right after school and loaded them both up.Then I waited outside the locker room.He was on the track team.When he came out to go to practice, I sent Buck up to him.He was wearing a big bow and holding a note in his mouth.”She smiled, remembering.Yes, it had been embarrassing and Andrew hadhatedit, but looking back now, she thought it had been creative.And veryher.

“And the note said Be My Valentine or something?”Josh asked.

“Oh no.”She shook her head.“That would have been too plain.”

“Of course.”He was still smiling.

“It said, ‘Doggone it, I like you.’”Tori waited, grinning in spite of herself.

There was a beat and then Josh laughed.“Of course it did.”

“And that wasn’t nearly enough,” Tori said.

“Right, Priscilla had to be in on it too.”

“Exactly.I sentherin after Buck.The note was hanging from her neck and said, ‘I’ve even been bacon for you.’”Tori paused.“And then I came in carrying a plate of four cupcakes thatdidsay Be My Valentine.”

Josh started laughing harder this time, shaking the mattress as he did, and making Tori’s grin grow.

“I’ve beenbaconfor you?”he asked.“Seriously?Priscilla wasn’t offended by that?”

Tori giggled.“In retrospect, it was a little insensitive.Good thing pigs aren’t good readers.”

Josh’s laugh got deeper.“Okay,” he finally said when he took a breath.“Why four cupcakes?There are only three words.”

He really did listen to her.Tori loved that about him.“Valentine is a really long word to fit on one cupcake,” she said.“It took up two.One withValenand one withtine.”

“Wow,” Josh said, clearly enjoying himself.“What was Marcus’ reaction?”

“Oh, he blushed and stammered and said thank you and then…” Tori paused for dramatic effect, “…Priscilla pooped on the floor.”

“Noooo,” Josh groaned.Then he laughed.“Really?”

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