Page 47 of My Best Friend's Mardi Gras Wedding

Not that Tori hadplayedwith Gus.She knew better.She knew animals.But Gus had picked her out as a friend.Josh felt very strongly that otters would not like tiaras.

“Introduce me to the woman of the hour,” Josh said to Courtney.

“Woman of the week, you mean?”she asked with a little laugh.

Fair enough.Courtney led him across the ballroom and they waited for a few seconds as Paisley finished talking to the people she was with.They moved off and Josh stepped in.

He extended his hand.“Hi, Paisley.I’m about to be your favorite person tonight.”

The bride arched a perfectly groomed eyebrow, her blue eyes taking him in from head to toe.“Is that right?”

“It is.I’m Josh Landry.And I’m Victoria Kramer’s date tonight.And for your wedding.”

Now Paisley’s eyes widened and she took his hand.“So you’re real.”

This was, evidently going to be the general reaction to him tonight.“I very much am.”

She looked him over again.“I guess you’re built a little like Andrew.”

Barely.He had way more muscle than Andrew.And, okay, Andrew had an inch or two on him.But he wasn’t going to argue.It was good for Paisley to agree that Tori kissing Andrew could have been an honest mistake.

“I promise you that there will be no more accidental kissing with Tori and…anyone else,” he told her, letting go of her hand.

“I’m very happy to hear that.”She looked at Courtney.“Oh, hey, Court, Sam is here now.”She pointed across the room to a man who’d just arrived and was being greeted by other members of the bridal party.

Courtney glanced over then smiled up at Josh.“Groomsman number four.”

He grinned and nodded.“It was nice to meet you.”

Courtney winked, then turned and headed for the newcomer, and Josh focused on Paisley.Clearly she’d been trying to get a few minutes alone with him.She grabbed his arm and tugged him off to one side.It wasn’t like she could really hide out.She was the bride.And was wearing the biggest dress he’d ever seen.And a tiara, for fuck’s sake.But Josh guessed that Paisley Darbonne was used to managing a room like this.If she didn’t want anyone interrupting them, Josh was sure they wouldn’t be interrupted.

Paisley stopped by one of the huge windows and faced him, her arms crossed.“Listen, if you can keep Tori away from Andrew for the rest of this week and through my wedding, I will give you a million dollars.”

He blinked at her.It might just be an expression, but he thought it was possible that she really had a million dollars to throw around.“Trust me, I don’t need any incentive to keep Tori away from Andrew.Or any other man.”He flashed her a grin.They needed to keep this light.He wasn’t going to let a soon-to-be-bride hopped up on adrenaline and champagne to talk him into making this a crisis.

“Good,” Paisley said.Notlightly.

“But,” Josh added.“Obviously I can’t keep her away from him completely.They’re best friends.”

Paisley gave a little eye roll.“Whatever.”

“You don’t think they’re close?”Josh asked.He wasn’t going to tell her about their little meeting in the hallway that was for sure.

“Well, when you spend eighteen years within a forty-mile radius and around the same twelve-hundred people, I suppose you’re ‘close’ to everyone.”

Josh frowned.“Doesn’t mean they’re not friends.”Most of the people he knew did exactly what Paisley had just described.Maybe the radius was a little bigger and when you added in New Orleans and all the tourists in Autre, the population of people they interacted with was bigger, but Autre was a little town, and most people from there stayed pretty close to home.

“I think they’re both making a bigger deal out of their relationship than it really is, that’s all,” Paisley said.

“Why would they do that?”

“Oh, theybelievethey’re close.But a lot of this is just nostalgia on Andrew’s part.”She sighed.“He’s been away from home for a year, and now it’s sinking in what a big change it’s going to be…for good.Then Tori showed up and made him start thinking about everything at home and the past, and he’s just getting a little homesick.”

Josh frowned.“So you think the solution is just to keep them apart?”

“Yes.”She threw her hands up.“Obviously.Tori is the only thing that does that to him.He can see his parents and not get all emotional.We’ve been back to Iowa a couple of times and he does get nostalgic then, but he’s always ready to come back here with me.Hewantseverything down here.He wants the amazing city, the amazing job, the amazing wife.”She gave Josh a look that challenged him to disagree that she was that.

Josh held up his hands.“I’m not saying he doesn’t.”

---