Page 96 of That Kind of Guy

“Um.” Her fingers fumbled with her own ankle strap and she blinked. “Yes. To the right person, of course.” She blinked again, staring at the other shoe in her hand. “We’ll see.”

I raised an eyebrow at her. “Anyone in mind?”

She snorted and shook her head. “No.”

“You know, Emmett has three brothers.” My voice was teasing. “I could put in a good word for you.”

Hannah’s face turned a deep crimson. “Please don’t.”

My mouth dropped open. “You’re blushing.”

Her eyes turned into saucers. “No, I’m not.”

“You are! Hannah.” I leaned in, narrowing my eyes at her, but her gaze was glued to her shoe. “Do you have a crush on one of the Rhodes boys?”

“Nope.” Her voice was a high squeak. She looked mortified.

“Liar.” I took one look at Hannah’s tense shoulders and beet-red face. “I’ll drop it for now, but this conversation is not over.”

My mom returned and we left the bookstore to walk to city hall. A few people from town spotted us and called over their congratulations, and I waved back and smiled at them. The street felt extra quiet, though. More than usual.

“Even the grocery store is closed?” I asked Hannah, pointing over at the darkened building.

“For the wedding.”

I didn’t expect the grocery store to be closed. A tiny flicker of anxiety lit up my stomach.

This was the whole point of the wedding, to get people in the town invested so that they saw Emmett as the stable, responsible guy on the brink of starting a family. I nodded to myself, standing there in front of city hall, about to go inside and get married.

“I’m getting married.” I nodded again. “Yep. Getting married in front of a lot of people.”

Hannah and my mom exchanged a look before Hannah’s concerned gaze roamed my face. “Are you okay? Do you need me to get Emmett?”

Emmett, the guy I was doing this for. The man who I wasn’t just having incredible sex with, but the man who had become a friend. My best friend, maybe, except for Hannah. A guy I actually wanted to help. Right. Emmett. I smiled, thinking of his handsome face with his very straight, strong nose and sharp jaw, and light grey eyes that warmed when he smiled at me.

That tiny little scar on his lip that I loved to brush my fingers over when it was just the two of us in his bed.

Emmett. My heart squeezed.

I shook my head and smiled at Hannah. “No, I’m ready.” I faced forward. “Let’s do this.”

We opened the doors and stepped into the foyer of city hall. A bored receptionist was on Facetime and snapping her gum. She glanced up at us.

“Are you getting married?” she asked in a monotone.

I nodded.

The receptionist pointed down a hallway. “That way.” She turned back to her phone and continued her conversation.

Div stood at the end of the hallway. “There you are,” he said upon seeing us.

Hannah turned to me and blinked a few times. “Well,” she started, clearly wanting to say so much.

I pulled her into a hug. “I know. I love you too.”

She laughed against me and when she pulled back, her eyes were wet. She blinked the tears away, disappeared inside the court, and I stood there with my mom.

This was feeling less fake by the minute.

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