Page 13 of My Best Friend's Mardi Gras Wedding

“N’Awlins boys need liquor and beignets and jazz and the Quarter and all kinds of stuff.Bayou boys only need a little beer and the great outdoors.”

“Is that right?”

“New Orleans has nothin’ on the bayou, Iowa.”

Him calling her Iowa even gave her tingles.“Just being outside is enough?”She could relate to that.There was no city that could ever compare to being outside on the farm for her.

“Yep.We’ve got stars overhead and frogs and crickets to serenade you and nice, quiet back roads where no one will bother you for days.”He leaned in.“And humidity that’ll make you want to strip right down to nothin’.”

His voice was low and gruff and Tori felt like stripping right down to nothing right here.

“Mosquitos the size of small birds and alligators.”

Josh chuckled.“All the more reason to stay close to a bayou boy who knows how to take care of all of that.”

She smiled.“So going down to the bayou with you tonight would be fine, but I shouldn’t take you back to my hotel room?”

He seemed to think about that for a moment.Then he blew out a breath, leaned in and gave her a soft, lingering kiss that curled her toes, and then let her go.“Nah.Probably not.”

Tori tamped down her disappointment.“It wouldn’t be safe?”she asked lightly.

“Well, you might never want to leave.I’m guessing there are some people in Iowa who’d miss you.”He gave her a little half smile.

She nodded.Yeah, it was for the best that she just tuck this memory away and not get hung up on a playboy bartender from Louisiana.Really, where wasthatgoing to go?

“In that case, quit coming after me when I go to leave, okay?”

He nodded.“Yeah.This time.”

She started to turn.

“Probably.”

She glanced back.

“Just don’t…”

Her eyebrows rose.

“Don’t square-dance with…too many guys.”

“Too many?”

He shrugged.“I was going to say with ‘anyone’ but that sounded a little ridiculous.”

She laughed.“I told you I don’t square-dance at all.”

He nodded.

She turned away again and took a step.Then heard him say, “And don’t…”

Tori smiled, but hid it before she turned around.“Yes?”

“Don’t go stargazing with anyone else.You want stars, I’ll give you stars.”

Whoa.What the hell was going on here?This was crazy.And romantic.And…crazy.“I’ve got stars at home,” she admitted.“And crickets and frogs and quiet back roads.”

He just stood looking at her for a long moment.

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