Page 94 of My Best Friend's Mardi Gras Wedding

She smiled at the festive group as they got closer.

“They have second lines for other things too,” Josh said.“But the weddings are the ones you’ll see most often.”

The parade got to their corner and Tori and Josh watched them pass.She was unable to keep from grinning.

“Nowthatis how someone should look on their wedding day,” she said, watching the bride and groom dance down the street with their friends and family.“Full of joy and ready to show it off to everyone.”

“Agreed.”

She looked up at Josh.His voice was a little husky.She smiled.“Why aren’t Andrew and Paisley doing one of these?”

He shrugged.“It’s not for everyone, I guess.”

“Well,” she said with a deep breath.“This is totally my style.My mom and dad would hate it, but yeah—” She nodded.“I would love it.”

“Me too.”He reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.“And it probably goes without saying that my family would be all in.”

She laughed.“Very true.”

The rest of their group joined them as the second line passed their corner.Josh gave a brief history of the tradition to everyone and then they headed across Jackson Square to Café du Monde for beignets before walking to the bus that would take them back to Buckworth.

It was a quieter drive back.Everyone was busy eating beignets, and the group was clearly tired after the big day.But they all seemed happy.Josh was driving this time, so Tori sat in the seat behind the driver’s seat and rested her head on the window, watching the scenery pass by.Andrew, thankfully, sat back near his parents where they could chat and Tori was mostly left alone.

The drive back was just over an hour and by the time they pulled into the grounds of the plantation, Tori really just wanted to take a shower and maybe cuddle up in that big bed in her room.Without pajamas on.With a big, hot bartender-swamp boat tour captain.

But Paisley was on the porch when Tori stepped off the bus.

And she wasn’t, apparently, dying to see Andrew.She came straight for Tori, grabbed her hand, and tugged her into the house and into the torture chamber otherwise known as Hair and Makeup Practice for Tomorrow.

12

Josh watched Paisley drag Tori into the house.

It was almost as if she’d been lying in wait.

As he climbed the steps to the huge front porch, he noticed a half-full glass of lemonade with a lipstick print on the rim next to a white wicker chair.

Yep, she’d been lying in wait.But not for Andrew.

Josh sighed and headed inside.He paused in the foyer, not really sure what to do or where to go.

Andrew and his groomsman had headed off to the back of the house, his parents and their friends had started up the steps, and Tori was God knew where.

Josh went to their room—yes, he was thinking of it astheirsand not just Tori’s now—and stood in the middle of the polished hardwood floor, looking around.

It was too early to go to bed.Plus he had plans for a certain brunette before he would be even close to ready to sleep.He wasn’t that into television.He didn’t have computer access or any books with him.And he wasn’t really an indoors kind of guy anyway.

He could wander around the property, he supposed.He’d never explored this plantation, but knew that it was one that had multiple buildings on the grounds including original slave cabins that could be toured.There was also an elaborate garden and hedge maze behind the house and a riding stable.The Richardson family, the last to purchase the planation and live in the main house, still owned the plantation and felt it was important to educate about that period of history and the slave experience, as well as remembering the people who had helped build up the plantation.The family still grew sugarcane in the northern fields and at least three descendants still lived in houses on the property.

Or he could go for a run, he thought as his gaze fell on his tennis shoes next to his bag.That sounded good.Though he’d been out in the fresh air all day, he felt strangely restless.

Ten minutes later he was heading down the path at the back of the house.He’d resisted the urge to try to find Tori and see what she was up to.But he thought about her the entire time he ran.Especially when he passed the big barn.And by the time he got back to the house, he really needed to see her.

He still wasn’t sure what the absolutely perfect grand gesture for Tori was, but he had found something she was going to love and that was good for right now.

Josh took a quick shower and then went to find her.It had been almost two hours since they’d gotten back from New Orleans.Surely she’d be ready to be done with whatever Paisley had her doing.He didn’t even need to know what that was to know Tori would be over it.

The sound of female laughter greeted him as he stepped off the staircase, and he took an immediate left, heading for one of the small living rooms.One of theparlors,if he was being completely accurate.

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